Page 59 of The River in Spring
Dove
“Don’t look like you’re about to take a shit!” Deborah says, watching our images on the screen.
Oscar’s shoulders relax and he shakes out his hands. I adjust the curl laying over my shoulder. Jimmy clears his throat. But ZZ? He stays where he is perched and doesn’t change the serious expression. Nothing riles Tony much. He’s cool under fire.
It was my idea to turn the camera and see how we look sitting together. Getting five people on one screen took a little effort and we don’t have a lot of wiggle room. None of us wanted to be in separate locations. There is strength in numbers.
We are practicing being calm and somewhat collected, in advance of our Zoom call with Arthur. I may die of anticipation before it happens. The notes made lay out of the camera’s range in case our minds go blank. There is a real chance it could occur.
Deborah stretches her arms. “Don’t worry. If you stumble, I’ll jump in.”
When the Zoom engages my heart squeezes its response. Oscar makes a barely heard squeak of a sound. As we join the meeting Arthur’s face appears, and he’s eating an orange slice. His face is a little rounder than last time we saw each other. But he’s dressed just as sharp as always. You never see Arthur wearing last year’s offerings.
“Everyone here?”
“Hi, Arthur. We’re all here just holding our breaths,” I say chuckling.
Hope that didn’t sound desperate.
“Who’s that?” He identifies the one surprise guest.
“I’m Deborah Taylor, Montana’s manager. Nice to meet you, Arthur.”
A low grumble proceeds his response. “Yeah, hi. Well, there’s been some movement. We may be a little further into the story than you realize. First of all, your recording of “Mined” isn’t good enough for release.”
What? An electric charge travels up and down my spine. And not in a good way. It shocks me.
“What exactly does that mean?” Jimmy says defensively.
“It means I want you to come to Nashville and record it in my studio,” Arthur bites back. “We need to get the right mix, and this isn’t it. But the song has legs. I’m certain of it.”
I grab Jimmy’s hand on one side of me and Tony’s on the other. Both out of the scope of the camera. I’m white knuckling it and so are they.
“You’re thinking of releasing it on your label?” Deborah asks.
“Maybe. At the very least you’re getting another chance to convince me it’s worth the bother. Do not fuck it up. Hear me, Dove?”
Do I hold back or respond honestly? No contest.
“It’s true, I fucked things up for my bandmates and myself. And I acknowledge causing trouble for you. But Arthur, it was a moral choice.”
“I don’t give a shit. When your moral choices affect me or my business, that’s when we are going to have a problem. Make them on your own time. Got it?”
“Got it.”
I only have Nobel to consider. And I know without question if he needed me to care for him, I’d do the same thing all over again. There’s no reason to mention that hypothetical though.
“Okay. I’m booking your session for next Thursday. Is that a problem for any of you?”
Five voices agree with his schedule without a pause. If we have to run to Nashville naked, we will. This is the moment.
“We will be there. Thank you for the opportunity,” Deborah says with a calmness that masks excitement.
“Good. I’ll have Maggie send you the details about where you’ll be staying. We can talk about the future when you get here. Deborah, you and I are going to have a long conversation. For now, we have to see what Michael Angelica proposes.”
“How did it start with him? Had he seen us?” I ask.
“Not until he heard your song. I was listening to it when he came in for a meeting.”
