Mya.
The name Brandon was groaning when I caught him balls deep in another woman.
“He gave my song to his mistress,” I tell Ashley while I maintain eye contact with Kyle, who doesn’t react, suggesting he also found out this little nugget of information during his investigation.
“Personal relationships within the company are expressly prohibited. Another reason Mr. Rutter will not be receiving a recommendation from us for his future employment,” Kyle says, confirming my suspicions.
Brandon fucked her. And then he fucked me over.
Ashley snorts, making Kyle’s attention slide to her.
“I can assure you both, Liberty Records is taking this matter very seriously. Frankly, we’re appalled that this happened.”
“It’s a little late for apologies, what are you going to do about it?” Ashley probes.
I’m grateful for her cutting in and focusing her wrath toward Kyle, because all of the phone calls and text messages from Brandon are shuffling their way to thefront of my head, making it pound. I never suspected a thing. And now, not only did Brandon cheat on me and steal my song, but he’s the reason it will never be played again.
“Do you have any more?”
“I’m sorry, what?” I snap my focus back to Kyle.
He rubs his hands together, leaning further over his desk. The remorse on his face has vanished and been replaced with a weird mix of eagerness and desperation.
“More songs,” he says, eyes pinned on me.
“You want to know if I’ve written any other songs?” I ask, needing to clarify what I think I heard for a third time, because it makes no sense.
“Yes. And then I have a proposition for you.”
Ashley and I ride the elevator back to the lobby twenty minutes later. Her fingernails dig into my forearm and she bounces on her toes.
“They want you!” she squeals.
“I know,” I murmur.
“They want all your songs!” she squeaks.
“I know.”
“And they want you to perform them on stage!”
My tongue thickens and sourness creeps over it.
“Why do you look like you’re about to hurl? This is amazing!”
I force a smile. “It is,” I agree. “Amazing.”
I gnaw on my bottom lip. It’s my dream… kind of. Having my songs played on the radio, seeing them made into an album, feeling the excitement in a crowd as they wait to watch them performed live.
I wanted to believe that this day would come. And now that it has, all I feel is… confused.
Kyle wants me to record an album with Liberty Records after going straight out on tour as a support act for a band they represent. He said it’ll be an explosive way to introduce my songs to the world and drum up fan excitement.
It means spending months away from New York.
Away from Dad and Ashley.
Away from Sullivan and Molly.
