“That’s cause this is the first one I’m demanding a commission for.I want a fifteen percent finder’s fee.That’s what your A&R guys make,” Skye said and thumped her palm on the paper to get his attention on it.
Roger narrowed his eyes as he read.
“They’re gonna be the next big thing, Rog.”
“Five percent of the first album,” he countered.
“Ten percent of the first two albums.”
“Five percent on the first album, and if it does well, ten percent on the next.”
Skye narrowed her eyes.It was a shitty deal from her perspective, but she was only putting up a front because Roger wouldn’t have made the deal if Skye had just come in and asked nicely.He had to think she had a stake in the game.With her track record of always calling the next big bands, she knew he believed in her ability to pick them.
He’d throw a bunch of money into writing, producing, and creating an album for this band, and they would organically amass hundreds of thousands of followers, even if they had the shittiest lyrics and music in the world.That was what money did—it made mediocrity seem incredible.More often than not, when the people in power invested in something, it convinced the masses there was something important going on, no matter the quality.
“Deal,” Skye said, sticking her hand out.
Roger gave her a slimy, triumphant grin.“Nice doing business with you, Skye.Bring me some more of your finds.”
“Will do,” she said.She’d have more coming if Zara could find the right leads.
She left Sprites Records feeling pretty good about everything.All she needed now was to get Remi to say he wanted the bargain to work before using the devil magic on his soul again.
After the show that night, she’d corner him and use her wiles to get him to say it.
The rest of the day passed without a catastrophe.
When evening rolled around, Skye went to make sure the band would be on time for their sound check.She found them crowded around the front of the tour bus in the parking lot of the venue.
“And because I’m an amazing agent,” Kevin said.“I got you the best opening band in less than a day.”
Skye stifled her eye roll.In reality, Kevin was probably just farming his agent list.If he got one of his bands on this tour, that meant he’d make double the commission, but when Skye called him yesterday, she’d been desperate to get another opener, so she hadn’t called out his trickery.
“Who are they?”Remi asked.
“Key of Atlas,” Kevin said with a flourish of his hands.“We just signed them.They’re going to be huge.”
“Oh, fuck,” Skye said under her breath and pressed her fingers into her eyes.How could this be happening?The harder she worked to keep the bargain together, the more her life was backfiring to conspire against her.
“We’ve never heard of them,” West said.
With a heavy, defeated sigh, Skye said, “I have.”
The high-pitched whine of a total poser had Skye turning around.
“You,” Levi pointed at her.“Is this some kind of sick joke?”
Skye deadened her expression.
“You two have met?”Kevin said.
“She’s the demon woman who stole my soul and tricked me into a shitty bargain,” Levi said.
There was a beat of silence where everyone just stared, and then Liam folded over laughing, and everyone else joined in.
Everyone except the two soulless.Remi and Levi glared at her.
“Ha,” she said.“Very funny.Seems you’re doing pretty well.Got yourself on a stadium tour.The only thing you ever asked for.”
