Page 52 of The River in Spring
She grabs a seat in the club chair. “I don’t think we can continue to use Brian as our attorney. He just doesn’t have the experience we are going to need. I’ll start looking. We’re not going to have anything by tomorrow. And Arthur knows it. He knows it all remember. We’re not going to outfox the fox.”
“You’re right. Better we approach this authentically,” I add. “No bullshit. Let’s expect to be respected as artists and he’ll know we will hire representation if we have an offer.”
“That’s all good. But this isn’t puppies and rainbows. This is the business of music. Better that we present ourselves in a professional manner. That’s what will be respected,” she says.
“We shouldn’t make anyone think we undervalue our worth,” ZZ adds in a calm tone.
That begins a long meaningful conversation about goals and plans. Dreams. We are clearly out of our depth. But we are dreamers, all. How ours may be about to come true is mind-blowing. Are we getting a second chance? Is everyone prepared to grasp the golden ring? We each are prepared to commit. In the biography of our lives this will go down as one of the best days. It’s all hope. I’ve always embraced uncertainty and trusted the wait.
“That’s great, Dove.”
Nobel says it with a smile. I can tell he wants to be supportive, but what’s with the lack of enthusiasm? Am I misreading his face in the ambient light of the restaurant? Maybe I haven’t explained the weight of what happened today. I try again.
“No, it’s really a big deal. Let me give you some background. A few years back this producer that called today, Arthur, saw one of our shows in Nashville. We had gone there for a week’s run at this tiny but kind of famous music venue. Anyway, apparently he liked what he saw and contacted us.”
All this time Nobel remains silent, just taking in the words. But behind his eyes I see a seed of unhappiness. What? No. I have to be wrong about that.
“So long story short, we were offered an opening act contract for a popular mid-level band that was going on a tour of the south in the summer. We were about to move to Nashville as a home base. It was a break we’d only dreamed of.”
“What happened? I don’t remember you saying you ever were on tour.”
I dab the napkin to my lips and set it on the table. “We never were. Before the contracts were negotiated and signed, my grandfather got sick. There was no one else to care for him. It came down to me and nothing was going to stop me from being his champion. I had to turn the offer down.”
His eyes soften now and the real Nobel returns. “What did your band members say?”
“It was a big blow, but what could they say? These are my actual friends. In the end they were required to understand because the offer wasn’t for four of us. It was all or none. They could not do it without me. But believe me we understand we’re greater than the sum of our parts and only work together anyway.”
“Couldn’t you hire someone to care for your grandfather?”
I lock eyes with him across the table. “Would you leave your dog to a stranger as she was dying?”
A shake of his head answers my pointed question.
“I commend you. I’m sure your grandfather was grateful.”
“He never knew.”
“What?”
“I wasn’t about to tell him how inconvenient his dying was for me. This is a man who sacrificed so I would have a family and know love. He and my grandmother fed my dream and acted like I was the most talented singer that ever lived. They wanted my success. If he knew, it would have been devastating. I think he deserved to be protected from the truth.”
“Wow.”
“I told him the offer fell through.”
“I understand. Why didn’t you get ahold of Arthur after your grandfather passed away?”
“Oh, we tried. There wasn’t the same interest. We had missed our spot. Passing up an offer to tour was a sign to them we were not all in, not dedicated to our craft. He said as much the one time he did respond to our attempts to talk.”
He signals the server for our check, then turns back to me. I still see he is disturbed.
“What’s this?” I say, pointing a finger to his expression.
It’s surprising he doesn’t pretend ignorance. Instead, he doubles down.
“What does this mean for us? Are you going to go on tour for a year? Will we be apart?”
“I understand your concern Nobel, but the answer is maybe, if we are extremely lucky. Yes, it could happen. Or maybe it’s all about releasing our latest song and recording more. That would require time spent in Nashville. But we can figure out a way through this that satisfies us both. There’s planes and trains and automobiles. There are phones. You have a job that is flexible. That alone works to our advantage.”
