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‘Because it is weak,’ Ashley said honestly.

She knew it wasn’t as good as Suburban Starlet. Most of that album had been written while she was still unknown and relatively expectation-less. Trying to write when you were already a pop star had turned out to be a hell of a lot harder.

‘It took a PR hit.’

‘Yeah, it’s all Reva’s fault. Not mine for putting out mediocre work.’

‘Look,’ Simon sighed. ‘Most careers are normal. Up a bit. Down a bit. One big hit. A quieter release. Another hit later. That’s how it usually works.’

‘And?’

‘And labels hate normal.’

Ashley laughed despite herself.

‘Seriously. They spend years looking for the next superstar, then the second someone starts behaving like a regular successful musician, they panic.’

‘So they’re panicking.’

‘A little.’

‘How little?’

Simon considered. ‘Enough that people have started asking whether you’re worth half their marketing budget investment on number three. Whether you might suit a gentler push, while newer acts are promoted.’

Ashley’s stomach dropped. ‘Fuck.’

‘Again, the album made money. If you were some indie act, everyone would be thrilled. And if your reputation as a homegrown artist hadn’t taken a hit…’

Ashley stared at the floor. ‘Are they actually considering dropping me?’

Simon hesitated. ‘No.’

That was answer enough. ‘Fuck!’

‘Nobody’s packing your things into a cardboard box.’

‘Not yet, but they’ll get there. And then I won’t get signed by anyone else because I’ve got shit on my shoe.’

Simon watched her for a moment. ‘For what it’s worth,’ he said, ‘I think they’re being stupid.’

‘That’s also not reassuring.’

‘No, but it’s true.’ He shrugged. ‘Half the executives talking about your decline couldn’t identify a good song if it bit them on the tits. They’re looking at spreadsheets. Not audiences.’

Ashley stared at him. ‘That doesn’t help.’

‘I’m just saying that a profitable artist with a loyal fanbase isn’t dead in the water.’

‘Then why do I feel like I’m attending my own funeral?’

‘Look, don’t panic. We just might need to… have some ideas.’

‘Ideas? I don’t know what that means. I did that interview. I said Reva was talking shit, posted all those photos of my comp notebooks. I tried to sue. It’s not my fault it got thrown out. I don’t know what more I can do.’

‘It’s okay. When I said “we”, I really only meant me. Consider this my problem.’

‘I wish I could,’ Ashley said.