Page 51 of The Roadie
Her sister immediately reacted, sounding almost as sad as Kira. “You’re not going to California? What happened?”
Kira shrugged one shoulder and frowned. “I just got off the phone with Brett. Bulletproof is going to be on the road for an extra three days. They’re playing a festival in Alberta, then a gig in Vancouver.”
“So? Go to Canada.”
It sounded like the obvious answer, and Kira began to wonder if there was much difference in going to Alberta instead of California, except . . . “I don’t know if he wants me there. He’s working. He’ll only be gone a few days. He said he’ll call me when he gets back. That’s not exactly an invitation.”
Most of the table quieted down to listen to Kira’s conversation.
“He’s crazy about you,” Audra said, reassuringly. “Don’t let the time apart make you question how he feels.”
Angel cleared his throat, took a sip of water from the goblet in front of him, and leaned forward with his elbows on the table. “Kira, I’ve known you for a very long time. Besides the kids, you’re the youngest one at this table, and I think I speak for everyone when I say that we look out for you most in this family. You’ve had many boyfriends over the years. We’ve seen you happy when relationships began and sad when they ended. But I don’t think any of us have seen you as happy as when you and Brett are together. Or as unhappy when you’re apart.”
“Yeah,” Damien added. “Here’s how I see it. At first, I thought he was along for the ride. I thought he was just a roadie trying to sink his claws into an Abelman. But he’s not. He proved that he doesn’t care about your money. He just wants you. Otherwise, he’d say fuck California, and he’d be sitting in your fancy penthouse lapping up all the luxuries that you can afford. But he’s not. He’s got his own life, and he ain’t givin’ it up. He’s a working-class guy, and he’s not giving up his job just because you got money. That says a lot.”
Kira was listening. These were people she trusted and who knew her best, and she was genuinely interested in their opinions. She glanced around the table to see if anyone else had anything to offer, and her eyes stopped on Angel, who looked as if he had more to say. He had a pensive look on his face, as if deep in thought, and she waited for him to speak.
“You know, Kira,” Angel began. “I have a very fond affection for L.A. It has the big business and wealth of New York. It’s not far from Orange County at all. No more than Long Island is from the City. California is a wonderful state. There’s culture, and the music scene is alive. There’s nothing stopping you from moving there.”
Audra gasped. “Angel! I don’t want my sister to move almost three thousand miles away from me.”
He nodded apologetically. “I know the two of you are close, but California is six hours away by plane. You could jet there at a moment’s notice. The band’s schedule has lightened significantly since the kids came along. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to fly across the country to see your sister. Plus, she travels all over for Falcon Records. She could come back to New York whenever she wanted to, as well.”
Kira listened to them talking as if she weren’t in the room. Angel made it seem simple, but she wasn’t even sure if she wanted to move to California. New York was her home. She caught Mason staring at her with a gigantic smile on his face, and it made her forget about the dilemma that had her head in a tailspin. “What are you smiling about, Mason?”
“I like Brett. Maybe the two of you will get married.”
Kira’s jaw fell open. Brett hadn’t even asked her to accompany him to Canada and people were suggesting she pack up and move across the country to California and marry him. “Slow down, everybody. You’re jumping way ahead of yourselves.” As she picked at her dinner with her fork, she thought about the suggestions and comments from Angel and Mason. She grunted a laugh and scoffed. “Move to California.” She said it as if it were absurd, but she began to wonder if it was really as crazy as it sounded.
Kira tapped a key that transferred the demo she was watching from her laptop to the giant video screen on the far wall of her office. It was something she always did before getting on a plane and attending a live show. If the larger-than-life video didn’t totally captivate her, she wouldn’t waste her time. The lead singer leaned into the camera lens and stared into her soul. He definitely had charisma and could sing his face off. The band, as a whole, needed to work on their timing, but that would come with experience. They were definitely worth an in-person visit, but that would mean she needed to go to Maine, and she was trying to get to California to see Brett. She bounced the end of her pen on the desk. Maybe she’d send one of the scouts on her team instead.
Her intercom buzzed, and she pressed the button.
“Sorry to disturb you, Miss Abelman, but Mr. Abelman’s assistant said he’d like to see you when you have a moment.”
Kira paused the video. “I’m on my way.” Her father’s office was in the opposite corner of Falcon Records headquarters, and he could have easily sent her an email, a text message, or, heaven forbid, picked up the phone and called her himself. But he was old school and relied on his assistant for everything. She knocked once and opened one of the majestic double doors to her father’s stately office. “You wanted to see me, Daddy?”
“Kira, sweetheart, please come in and sit down.”
She sat in one of the tufted leather chairs that faced his desk and crossed her legs. “I’ve been reviewing footage of this band from Portland. Maine, not Oregon. They could be something big. I’m thinking about sending Jonathan Stewart or Nadine Bradshaw to see them. I’m trying to delegate some of my responsibility.”
He waved his hand. “Whatever you decide is fine with me. That’s your area of expertise. I trust you completely.”
She loved hearing those words. He didn’t treat her like his daughter, but like a well-respected colleague, and she loved the feeling of self-worth it instilled in her. She stared at the mountain of paperwork on his desk and worried about him. He was getting on in years, but he never faltered. Never lessened his workload. Never took vacations. And he still remained the strong head of their family.
He sat back in his chair and exhaled. “Why do I continually have to find out about my daughters’ personal lives on the internet?” He turned his computer monitor so it faced her. There was a news article on the screen. The headline read:Falcon Records Heir and New Boyfriend Crash Immortal Angel’s Latest Video.In addition to a still from the video, there were several photos of Kira and Brett together and a short article. Some of the photos were taken while they were still on Immortal Angel’s tour, others were from the times they’d visited each other in New York and California. She smiled and her chest filled with warmth as her eyes traveled over each photo. They portrayed the fun times they shared and the love they had for one another as they laughed and held hands.
“Why didn’t you tell me you appeared in the video forSex & Greed?” her father asked.
She was on the Board of Directors of Falcon Records and never stopped to think that her involvement could reflect badly on the company. She worked hard to be taken seriously in the music business, and she may have just discredited all of her hard work. “I’m sorry, Daddy. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision. I didn’t realize it would look unprofessional. I honestly didn’t know I would be recognized.”
Her father’s lips curled slightly. “I’m the stuffed shirt. You and Audra are the relevant ones. You keep Falcon Records fresh and current. I think it was genius. Everyone knows you’re a strong woman and a business professional, and this showcases your playful side. You’re tough in the board room but can still relate on a personal level to today’s youth and our clientele. You had fun, and it added an interesting element to the video. I’m very happy with the way it turned out and its success. What I’m trying to bring to your attention is that you never told me you had a new boyfriend.”
“Yes. His name is Brett Navarro. We’ve been seeing each other for about three months, but he lives in California, so we don’t see each other that often. He’s a working-class man, but he does well for himself. He’s a roadie for Bulletproof. The West Coast heavy metal band.” Realizing that she was rattling on nonstop, she snapped her mouth shut. She had never been this excited to tell her father, or anyone, about a new boyfriend before, and it made her feel like a teenager.
Her father wasn’t as excited. He studied her for a moment, his fingertips bridged together in front of him. “Is it serious?”
“Yes,” she answered, without hesitation.
