Page 50 of 4-Ever

And I wasn’t just talking about my sister.

Faise bit his lip and looked away.

“I’m sure you guys will work it out. You’ll get to chat with her tonight,” Brodie replied, gripping my shoulder. “And we can help you interrogate the boyfriend.”

“Oh, fuck.”

Everyone laughed at that.

We entered the boardroom, and Averell was already sitting at the head of the table, waiting. But not alone. A man in his thirties wearing dark-framed glasses, a button-down shirt, and suspenders, sat beside him. The guy was so corporate looking.

Please tell me this is not our new manager.

Until he moved to stand up and then I noticed the rolled-up sleeves and the black-lined tattoos that covered his forearms.

“Jesse Aimes, meet Wayward Lane,” Averell announced. “This is Brodie?—”

“Come on, Av, I know all their names and songs,” Jesse interrupted with a shake of his head and walked around the table to greet us. “It’s an honor and an absolute pleasure.”

Averell told us that our new manager had been working in the UK, so I wasn’t expecting the American accent. Or how blunt Jesse was, even with his boss. This was going to be interesting.

Averell’s EA entered the room and brought us all water and coffee.

“Grab a seat, let’s get to work,” Jesse demanded. “And yes, I am always this bossy.”

Judging by the smiles around the table, that eased a bit of the tension in the room but not all of it.

“You guys got fucked over by Bandit, but as I’m sure Av’s told you, Hardwick is the antithesis of Greg Haddley’s music label. We don’t play by old, archaic rules where the CEO says ‘jump’ and you say ‘how high’. We are a band-first company. What does that mean? It means most of us who work on the corporate side have played professionally and we know what musician life is like. It means you have more creative control over your songs and brand. It means we’re fiercely protective of your space. No one, and by that I mean the tabloid press, fucks with our people,” Jesse insisted. “I’ll be your sounding board as we create the new album, the marketing, and tour schedule. And whatever you need, any time, day or night, I’m here. Any questions?”

Brodie leaned forward.

Jesse raised his hand. “And yes, I know all about Van and how he managed you. I did my research. Whatever you want to ask me, go ahead. I’m always upfront about everything. Even the tough shit.”

“Good, ‘cause I always get right to the point,” Brodie smirked. “But what I was going to say was, we had a lot of creative differences with Greg when it came to our songs. He kept pushing in one direction, but I always fought back. And that will never change. So, be prepared.”

Jesse nodded. “I tracked every song from every album you’ve produced and it’s clear that Van’s songs and then your co-writes with him are the best-sellers. You know what you’re doing. I’ll give my input if I feel it’s warranted but otherwise, you have control over your song choices.”

Brodie nodded but said nothing else.

“Going back to the media,” Faise added. “On our last European junket, that interview with the French press went too far and our manager played a key role in letting it happen. We’re not putting up with that crap again. My brother’s been followed around ever since he got out of rehab.”

Averell placed a hand on Faise’s arm, and I nearly shot up out of my chair. Fucking around was one thing. But touching Faise like that? That was personal.

“You have my guarantee that it will never happen again,” Averell replied.

“I think he was asking Jesse,” I snapped.

Faise pulled his arm back, turning to stare at me.

“Not to mention the story about my mom,” Holloway added.

Jesse ran a hand through his short hair. “Like I said, we protect our own. That kind of stupid PR stunt isn’t happening on my watch. It creates mistrust, and that’s not a recipe for success. I know you did your due diligence. There’s a reason bands are signing with Hardwick. And when I’m managing a band, I’m your shield. I stand between you and all that crazy shit.”

I liked what I was hearing but everyone put on a good face on opening night.

“Can you give us the names of some of the musicians you’ve managed?” I asked. “I mean, all this sounds great, but we don’t know you.”

Jesse nodded and tapped on his phone. “I’ll send the list now. Feel free contact anyone you want.”

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