“Sympathy, of course.”
Oh, yeah, he was losing me now. “I don’t want their sympathy.”
“In this particularly delicate situation, yes, you do. We need all the goodwill we can get, because, see,Next in Linewants to destroy you, and they’ll do it however they can, and that usually means attacking your character. Trust me, as someone on the receiving end of this, I know what I’m talking about. Right now,Next in Lineis still in negotiation mode, trying to woo you back. But once they discover that you’re reneging on the contract, they aren’t going to play nice. I know Hollis well. There’s a very good chance he’ll smear your name and make things very difficult for you. The press conference is necessary to stay a step ahead. Get the public on your side, so Hollis’s team are the ones who look like the bad guys if, or when, they go after you.”
Good lord, Tucker was good. Me, the guy who hated sympathy above all else, was actually nodding in agreement. Like Jake said, I had to be committed to change in order to grow, not only as a musician but as a man. Tucker was ushering in a new dawn, and with his leadership—and my newfound focus on greatness—we really couldn’t fail.
Hell, yeah, bring on the pity party, fuckers!
“Okay. Press conference it is,” I agreed. “What do you want me to say?”
“Is telling the truth an option?”
“Depends on what truth you’re asking me to tell.”
“What made you leave the stage? The rumor going around is that the video triggered a type of PTSD episode. That theory makes you very sympathetic, and given your past, people are eager to forgive. If that’s what happened, then that should be our angle. And, honestly, Quinn, even if that wasn’t what happened, it should still probably be our angle.”
I sucked in a breath, wishing it hadn’t come to this but understanding why Tucker thought it necessary. Besides, what did I have to lose? If people already assumed I’d suffered a flashback, all I was doing was confirming what we all knew to be true.
“It’s close enough,” I admitted.
“All right then. We’re in agreement.”
“Yeah, sure.”
Tucker smiled, clearly pleased by the ease with which I fell in line.
“Excellent. That’s settled. I’ll schedule it for tomorrow. And hopefully at the same time, we can announce the other big news.”
I cast him a questioning stare.
“Your band.”
My eyes expanded. “We’ll have it picked by tomorrow?”
“We’ll have it picked by three in the afternoon today,” Tucker corrected, glancing down at his watch. “Speaking of that, Neil just texted me. We’ve got fifteen plus guys already gathered at the studio for the auditions. You ready to select your band?”
See, this was the speed at which things happened in Tucker’s world. You either had to keep up or fall behind. It honestly surprised me that I wasn’t falling behind.
“I feel like everything is happening…”
“Too fast?” He finished the sentence for me. Tucker did that often, like his mind was working so fast it didn’t have time for periods.
“Yes.”
“It is fast. I’ve never done anything like this at this speed, but we’re working against time, Quinn. We have to jump on this while you’re hot. The plan is to release that song we talked about by the end of next week. Do you think Jake and Kyle would publicize it? Maybe even post links in their bios?”
“I can ask. I’m sure they would. I can ask Finn too.”
“Jesus, I forgot about Finn Perry. Your family is a gold mine of free publicity. And I’ll talk to Bodhi and RJ and the other guys inAnyDayNow. See if they can help us out too. Contrary to popular belief, they don’t actually hate me with every fiber of their being.”
“Well, that’s good to know.”
“And,” he continued, “your newfound following alone should be enough to get it trending. Then, with the added push of some big-name celebs, no one in the business is going to be able to ignore you.”
“Is it just me, or does this seem too…”
“Easy? Yes, Quinn. Sometimes it is. You’re uniquely positioned right now—and only right now—to make it big. Every minute we wait is another minute wasted.” He paused, and I could practically hear his mind churning. “I can feel this in my bones, kid. You gotta trust me.”
