“Hey, Reed,” I pipe in. “Speaking of selling music to the masses, I’ve been meaning to thank you for signing 22 Goats. It’s a dream come true for the guys.”
“No need to thank me,” Reed replies. “I didn’t do it as a favor. I did it because I like making truckloads of money off of great music and your brother checks off all the boxes.”
“Well, regardless, I still feel the need to express my personal gratitude to you. I would have hated to be stuck on an island for a week with Dax if you’d turned him down.”
“Actually, Dax never had anything to worry about,” Reed says. “I was always gonna sign him. The only question in my mind was whether to sign the other two dudes along with him.”
My stomach clenches.
Josh pipes in: “Ah, that’s why you wanted to see them play live before pulling the trigger?”
“Yeah. I wasn’t sure if the other guys were gonna cut it.”
My head is spinning. I can’t imagine a more nightmarish scenario for my baby brother than Reed offering him a deal that didn’t include his two best friends. I glance at Zander and it’s clear to me he’s thinking the exact same thing.
“You wouldn’t really have cut out the friends, would you?” Henn says to Reed. “That seems a bit heartless, even for you.”
“Sure, I would have,” Reed says breezily. “I’m running a business in a cut-throat industry, not assigning bunk beds at summer camp. Honestly, I was leaning sharply toward a solo offer when I first got here, but then I fucked up by mentioning my dastardly plan to T-Rod and she slapped the motherfucking shit out of me until I cried mercy.” He laughs.
Every hair on my body stands up, all at once. Reed talked to Tessa about Dax...and she lobbied Reed on my brother’s behalf?
“Ah, T-Rod stepped on your neck, did she?” Josh says, chuckling. “God, I love it when she does that. She’s so quiet and docile most of the time and thenbam. Out of nowhere, if she feels strongly about something, she roars to life and lays down the motherfucking law.”
“Yeah, she was pretty passionate about the topic, that’s for sure,” Reed says. “And she was right, actually. I must say, the girl’s got good instincts.”
My heart is exploding in my chest. Holy shit. Tessa fought for my brother and averted catastrophe for him? I clear my throat and force myself to sound casual. “What’d T-Rod say to you to change your mind, out of curiosity?”
“She said if I didn’t sign the full band I was a ‘fucking idiot’ and ‘devoid of a soul,’” Reed replies. He chuckles. “And then she went on to argue her point by smartly supplying every logical reason why signing Dax as a solo artist would turn out to be a stupid business decision.” He shrugs. “At the end of the day, her points were valid so I decided to listen. Plus, I didn’t want her to break my legs with a baseball bat, as she threatened to do. Yeesh.”
Josh and Reed chuckle again.
But I’m not chuckling. I’m too stunned. Holy fuck, I can’t believe my ears. When nobody was watching, when there was nary a Morgan in sight to witness her actions and give her props for her heroics, Tessa Rodriguez went to bat for my baby brother behind the scenes?
“T-Rod’s damned smart,” Reed continues. “And brutally honest, too. I never feel like she’s bullshitting me—a rarity in my line of work.”
“In mine, too,” Josh says. “Hence, the reason I value her so much.”
“Yeah, about that,” Reed says. “Seriously, man, if you ever feel like you wanna cut T-Rod loose for any reason, send her my way. I’d hire her in a heartbeat. Not kidding.”
“Nope, sorry, Old Man River,” Josh says. “You can’t have T-Rod, ever.” He places his bet. “And, please, take that comment as broadly as I meant it.”
Henn and I exchange a look.
Reed laughs. “Why you always gotta be such a hard-ass about your precious little assistant, Faraday? You’re assuming I’d be a total dick to her. Maybe I wouldn’t be. Maybe T-Rod would be the girl who finally slays my demons, once and for all. Maybe she’dsaveme, man.” He chuckles again.
“Not bloody likely,” Henn says, piping in. “And that’s not a knock on T-Rod’s demon-slaying capabilities, by the way, but a commentary on the virility of your particular strain of demon.”
“Bah. I’m a total softie, deep down,” Reed says, shoving some chips into the pot. “Raise you a hundred.”
“You’re not a softie, bro,” Josh says. “A great guy? Yes. The best friend, ever? For sure. But a ‘softie’? Hell no. Your bet, Zander.”
Zander looks stressed. If I had to guess what’s going on in his head, I’d say he’s loving his cards but the stakes are getting too high for his measly personal-trainer-at-the-local-gym budget.
“I’ll spot you whatever you need to stay in, Z,” I say. “Bet as big as you want. If you wind up losing my money, pay me back with some personal training sessions. If you win, pay me back from the winning pot.”
“Thanks, Captain. Much obliged.”
“No, no, Captain,” Josh says. “Zander’s bets are on me tonight.”
