Am I trying to convince her? Or myself?
My fingers automatically ping the ever-present elastic band on my wrist, a tip from a therapist after my parents died. I didn’t finish my counselling sessions, but I never stopped using the technique. Anytime I feel stressed, I ping it against my flesh. Supposedly, it trains the brain to avoid stressful thoughts.
Manic days at work pass and I forget it’s there, but the second a conversation becomes too personal, I start snapping like twigs under winter boots.
‘So where is Ryan-Rockstar-Cooper this morning?’ The quickest way to divert the subject away from me is to ask about my future brother-in-law. It sends my normally sensible sister gooey-eyed.
Their wedding’s booked for the end of the year, and despite my own romantic reservations, I can’t wait to watch my sister marry the only man she’s ever loved. Her happiness ebbs through our freaky, sisterly bond, flooding me with joy.
‘He’s gone for a run to clear his head. We’re in the final negotiations of his farewell tour with his record label, Diamond Records.’
‘How’s that going?’ Ryan’s plans to hang up his stage microphone to focus on writing and producing albums have sent half the world tizzy. Contractually, he’s obliged to do at least one more tour, but since he’s fallen head over heels in love with my sister, he’s been doing his utmost to get out of it.
Madness, if you ask me. If I were Sasha, I wouldn’t hesitate to go on tour with him. Huxley Castle’s manager, Megan, is more than capable of running the place, and with our youngest sister, Victoria, heading off to college later this year, there’s nothing holding her back.
Apart from the fact she’s a massively unapologetic homebird, the polar opposite to me.
Sasha pulls her dressing gown tighter around her lithe frame, familiar bottle-green eyes glinting with a hint of devilment. ‘Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that.’
‘The tour? You want me to mind Victoria?’ She’s months away from turning eighteen, but with very different upbringings, she’s lacking in the maturity we had at her age.
‘Actually, I was wondering if Liberty Events would be interested in organising the tour?’
I almost choke on smooth, rich coffee as it splutters down my throat.
‘Me? You want me to do it?’
Ryan’s farewell tour is already set to be one of the most anticipated music events of all time. His departure from the industry, as a performer at least, will be devoured and dissected by the entire world.
Every woman in the world would likely sell their soul for a ticket to one of these exclusive gigs. Money won’t buy one. They’ll be snapped up by celebrities and high-flying billionaires, desperate to say they were a part of musical history.
My company organises conferences, horse racing events, music festivals, charity galas, exclusive celebrity parties and once even a Lebanese royal wedding, plus facilitating regular Formula One after-parties. (Let’s hope next season they have a different sponsor.)
I’m exceptionally good at what I do. The extensive array of business awards lining the walls of my open plan office overlooking the city’s skyscrapers are testament to it.
But is it enough to qualify me to take on something of this size and magnitude?
‘Yes, you. Who else would we trust with such a monumental task? If it’s left to the record label, god only knows who they’d subcontract to. We’d both rather it was someone with a proven track record of class. Someone who’s familiar with Ryan’s style.’ Sasha flicks her hair from her shoulder as she waits for my shock to subside. ‘You mentioned at Christmas you were thinking of expanding out of the Middle East.’
‘I did, didn’t I?’
Managing an event, or a consecutive string of events like these, I should say, would undoubtably propel my company to the next level. A global level.
Everyone who’s anyone will be watching. It’s an opportunity to branch out from a country where my hands are bound by laws that no feminist could endure long term, no matter how much luxury she has access to.
I’ll never get another chance like it.
I can’t turn it down.
I don’t want to turn it down, even if I’m nervous about what could potentially go wrong with half the world watching.
‘I’ll do it.’ I send up a silent prayer I’m physically able. There’s no doubt I’m going to need help, though. A lot of help. Events of this scale have a lot of potential to go wrong. And even though I’m a huge music fan, I don’t have much experience of the industry.
Sasha claps her hands and squeals in delight. ‘Fantastic. Thank you so much!’
‘No, thank you.’ We both know it’ll be a game changer.
‘Obviously you’ll have to attend each concert, reap the rewards of your hard work, and oversee it personally. Which means you and I will get to spend more time together than we have in years.’
