Humming.Come out when you break.
Then she turned the laptop so Tony could read the message drafting in her head.
“For the joint statement,” she said.“Keep it simple.”
He nodded.“Simple travels.”
She wrote:
We’re working with Summit to review next steps.We won’t answer rumors or rush decisions.When there’s real news, you’ll hear it from us first.
Tony tapped the edge of the screen.“That last line is gold.”
“Because it’s true.”She saved it and set the phone face down.
Grant’s reply landed within minutes.
Good start.Push for approval on bios; if they won’t, secure a hard edit window and a kill switch for defamatory copy.Mediation hold is fine.
She shot back,On itand stood.“I’m going to grab a photo of the upstairs corner and send a moving-in teaser for tomorrow.Soft touch.”
Tony laughed.“You’re still doing the job while doing the job.”
“That’s the only way I know.”She took the old stairs two at a time and snapped two quick frames, rug, window, a single mug on the sill, then came back down and dropped them into a folder labeledOffice.Start.
The studio door opened.Jami stepped out, hair a little wild, shirt damp at the collar.He could read faces like a pro now.“What did I miss?”
“Standstill proposal,” Tony said.“They want quiet.We traded quiet for corrections, a copy gate, and better points.”
Jami looked to her.“Do we trust it?”
“We don’t trust,” she said.“We verify.But it moves the heat off you for today.”
He reached for her hand.“What do you need from me?”
“Stay out of your phone and inside the songs.”She squeezed his fingers once.“I’ll call you in if they try to get cute.”
He nodded.“Dinner at the table?”
Her mouth lifted.“At least twice this week.”
He held her gaze and grinned.
Turning to Tony, "We need to get Quinn in.Since we're starting Hart Records, we'll need a real recording studio.I think we can do that over there..."He pointed to the area behind the existing studio."It will make it easy.Then we'll need all the recording equipment.Do you want to handle that or should I?"
Tony chuckled."I'll handle it, you make music."
Jami nodded, and her heart filled with pride.They were doing this.He winked at her, "When Quinn comes, take him upstairs and tell him what you want."
Her smile came without effort."I will."
Then he went back into the studio with a look that said he had heard every word.She watched the door until it shut, then opened a new doc and titled itJoint, Clean.She placed her three-sentence statement at the top and left room for Summit’s version below.
Her phone buzzed again.Summit’s lawyer.
Draft incoming.We’re working on the retraction language.On bios, we can agree to a two-hour approval window during business hours, with a default to the last approved copy if we don’t respond.
She read it twice and looked at Tony.“Half a concession.”
