Page 17 of Release
Rita grabbed her tablet. “This meeting is over. Everyone out!”
The room cleared in what seemed like a blink, leaving the two of them to square off. Rita’s heels clicked against the marble floor as she sauntered from her end of the table to where Alexandra stood. “What on earth are you doing, Lexxi?” she purred softly, smiling uncertainly.
“What does it look like? I’m taking control of my career. My life! My answer to your proposed takeover of my life is no. No, I’m not going to fake a relationship with someone on your whim. No, I’m not going to let others control how I look, how I sound, what I put out and who I am. Not anymore.”
“You have no experience handling a company of this size. You only see one side of the business and let me tell you, it’s multi-faceted. Besides, the major shareholders will never sell. You’re delusional.”
Alexandra grinned. “Rita Sage, when you’re in my position, hiring someone to get the job done isn’t a problem.”
“What position is that? Running to Daddy to buy you the pony you want? You’re a spoiled celebrity, Lexxi Rock.”
“You’ll see spoiled when you’re out on the bread line. And you better believe money talks, even if I have to make an offer of double the share price to get controlling interest, even if I have to secure fifty-one percent of this label. Don’t even think I won’t start my own label in direct opposition to Blaze if I can’t acquire it. Bottom line is, you just lost your top artist…and your job.”
Alexandra heard the catty, downright tyrannical tone in her own voice, but she had been pushed up against a wall for far too long.
Rita lost her shit just then. “Oh, yeah?” she screamed. “You won’t last a year at the helm of Blaze. I’ve been here four years, and even with degrees in business, I’ve had a hard time with the music industry, with what it is. What makes you so special? You’re just a girl with a guitar who started off singing in coffee shops.”
“Started in coffee shops and now I’m here, the top artist at your label. You may want to do yourself a favor and stop getting your artist history from Wikipedia. You see, Rita, I have degrees in business and finance, too.” Rita’s eyes bulged. “Oh, you didn’t know that? Hmm, learn something new every day. Also, I do actually have the money to make this acquisition happen. I don’t need to run to anyone for it, and there’s not a damn thing you can do about that. So I guess I’d like to thank you, boss. You took away enough of my time, enough of my choices and enough of my life for me to finally get fed up enough to take it all back!”
Rita trembled with rage. She couldn’t call Alexandra’s bluff, and it put her in the awkward position of having to bite her tongue. Alexandra turned away and walked to the door, phone in hand. She put it to her ear with a half-smile as behind her, Rita Sage became a blurred speck in her past.
“Hello, Rick?” she said when he answered.
“Hi doll. What’s up?”
“I love you, dear. I do. You’ll always be family to me. But, as my manager, you’re fired.”
“What?” he shouted in disbelief.
She had bigger plans for Rick. With his savvy and contacts, he could get a call in to all the board members and get Rita out—if needed—by the end of the week. Rick would be happy when she told him the big picture and how he fit into her long-term plans for Blaze Records.
“You heard me, Rick, but, don’t get too worried. I still have some things for you to do. Can you meet in person now? I’ll tell you all about it when I see you.”
