Page 13 of Hero on the Road
“This can’t be real. They can’t do this. How do they expect us to do this successfully?”
“They... think it’ll be a good gimmick to have you out there on your own. No distractions. No help.”
A good gimmick. Of course.
“And there’s nothing you can do? You can’t, I don’t know, magic your way out of this?”
“I tried. Repeatedly. But they’re making this part of their agreement. My hands are tied.”
The thing was, I believed her. Taylor was so good at her job that people didn’t believe she was as young as she was. She’d given up anything fun—relationships, nights out, days off—to pursue this career, and she’d become so good at it that most execs avoided her if they could. I was damn lucky to have her and I’d never questioned it. So if she said she’d done everything she could, I believed her.
“Are we sure I actually need a contract with Atomic?” I asked suddenly. “Because I’m thinking those guys seem pretty rotten. I mean super nasty sense of humor. Are these people I want to be associated with? I could—”
“They have you in a pre-contract, Olivia. We can’t get out of that. Not unless they decide to release you. And you can’t really afford another ‘kicked out of a contract’ note on your record.”
Dammit. She was right.
I took a deep breath, tried to see my way through this latest problem, and opened my eyes again. “Okay. You’re right. So what do we do?”
I heard Taylor’s voice go from sympathetic to all business—probably because she was thinking the same thing I was. I had to get this done. I had to survive the next month so I could get my contract and move on. And I could do it. I was positive I could. I’d survived worse.
Right?
“Next, you get on that airplane tomorrow and fly to Great Falls. You and Connor spend the flight figuring out how this is going to work and how you’re going to make it a success. And you get off the plane with a plan. You play your little butts off, sleep the night in Great Falls, and then get to your next venue. You keep my number on speed dial and you call me if anything goes wrong. You use that pretty head of yours to play this the smart way. When you get home, I’ll be waiting on the tarmac with your contract, and that’s a promise.”
I smiled, shaking my head. “You know it’s not going to be that easy.”
“Oh I know. But I’ve known you long enough to know that at the end of the day, you always get what you want. One way or another. It’s just going to be a little bit harder this time. That doesn’t mean you won’t get there.”
I loved that she had that sort of confidence in me. I didn’t know if she was right. But I was going to give it a shot. Try to confirm her faith.
No roadies, though. No managers. Not even a tour bus. We were going to have to... I didn’t know, rent a car or something. Take the train. Ride bikes.
At least Connor had big muscles. He’d have no trouble carrying both our guitars if I got tired.
* * *
The flight was, of course, at the break of dawn, and I got to the airport under-caffeinated and cranky. Taylor dropped me off at the curb with my suitcase, my backpack, and my guitar case, and I looked up at the building feeling simultaneously elated and horrified.
I was about to go on tour for the first time. A real tour sponsored by a real record company. And at the end of it, a Real Live Record Contract. One that had only my name on it, and couldn’t be taken away by a tricky ex-boyfriend who decided he needed all the glory.
I just had to get through a tour without any backup.
No problem.
I dropped my eyes back down to the sidewalk on which I stood, looked to the right... and saw Connor Wheating looking up at the building with the same expression I could feel on my own face.
And something twisted inside of me. I might be heading out there without my manager or my agent, and without my band. But I wasn’t going to be by myself. I was going to be with Connor. Was he the one I would have chosen? Absolutely not. But he was better than being alone.
Hey, I knew his mom and dad. I was almost sort of related to his best friends, through marriage tomybest friends if nothing else. He was practically required to take care of me if I got into trouble.
His eyes came down and he caught me watching him. His mouth twisted in a tired, sort of hopeless smile. “I guess you heard all the news.”
I returned his ghost of a smile. “All the news about there not being any good news, you mean?”
His half smile turned into more of a wry grin. “Yep. You ready for this?”
“No. And yes. But I’m glad I’m not going by myself.”
