“I need someone to want me as much as I want them,” I tell her.
“I know,” She agrees.
I take a deep breath on the sidewalk outside of my agency office, Daphne is inside and the conversation I am about to have is going to be uncomfortable. Six months ago, I never would have done this or even thought about it and even though I have no idea what this will mean for my career, I know I can’t keep going the way I am.
I love the shows, the opportunities and videos but if I have to spend another minute with that woman, I might scream.
Greeting the receptionist on the way through, I head straight for the bank of elevators that’ll take me up to her floor. I recognize a few faces and stop a coupletimes to catch up really quick, but I can only stall for so long. Rip the band aid off, so they say and the quicker this is done, the quicker I can start to rebuild my life.
“Savannah,” Daphne leans back in her chair, her groomed brows high in surprise. “I wasn’t expecting you.”
“This couldn’t wait,” I tell her, closing the door gently behind me.
“Oh fuck,” She slams her laptop shut, “Are you pregnant?”
My eyes widen, “What!?”
She snatches her cigarettes off the desk and flicks one out but doesn’t light it, “Pregnant. Are you pregnant?”
“No!” I rush out.
“Oh, thank god,” She sags in her chair, “That would have been bad for your tour next year.”
“There’s no tour.” I swallow thickly, “No shows.”
“Well not yet,” She taps the end of her unlit cigarette against her desk, “We’re getting it set up in the next few weeks. It’ll sell out.”
“There is no tour,” I snap at her, “You’re fired, Daphne.”
Her mouth drops open as she freezes and it takes her a few seconds to process, “You can’t fire me.”
“I can.”
Before turning up here, I wasn’t so sure, but I went through my contracts with Willow, Dean and Bast this morning.
“This is my formal notice of the termination of our contract, I will honor my commitments for the next sixty days but after that, the working relationship we had will be over.”
Her eyes blink rapidly as she opens and closes her mouth a few times. “I have sent you an email also with the written notice, I have sent it to all necessary parties too.”
“Imadeyou,” She suddenly stands from the desk, “I fucking made you, Savannah and this is how you repay me?”
I straighten my spine, “You got me my first gig,” I agree, “ButIsold the shows. It was me on that stage, me in the music videos,menot you. You may have started the race, but it was me who crossed that fucking finish line.”
“And who will take you now, hm?” She curls her lip, “You’re getting older, Savannah, washed up. We could have kept you going until your retirement at twenty-seven, but no one will take you now.”
“I’m twenty-three, Daphne, and even if I don’t sign with another agency, then I can live with that.”
“So that’s it?”
“That’s it.” I nod, “I wanted to tell you myself.”
“How noble of you,” She sneers, “Get the fuck out of my office.”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell her it was nice working with her but that would be a lie. She was fucking horrible, and it only took remembering how she was with Adrien and the way she spoke about me like I was an object and not a human for me to realize. As I step out of the office, a weight lifts from my shoulders.
It’s only one step but a step is a step, right?
Has it fixed the fracture in my heart or the pain in my soul? No. Not even a little and I’m not sure anything will heal that wound but it does feel like I have a little more control now.
