Page 110 of A Country Kind Of Love
Cleo checks Instagram on her phone. “Shit, I’ve got over one hundred thousand followers.” Marisa doesn’t flinch; she deals with accounts in the millions as she intensely informed them on the first day, one hundred thousand is a drop in the ocean.
“Romantic interest brings entertainment value for the audience. It takes your relevance and your popularity beyond just the music. People become invested in your life together, the things that you do, the places you go, the company you keep. The more invested they become the more valuable you become. Loyal fans are like pets; keep them fed and watered, tickle their belly every so often, and they’ll be faithful indefinitely.” Marisa says this like a rehearsed speech whilst she texts at the same time.
“I don’t follow,”Peyton says.
“She means we have to give the fans what they want,” Cleo adds. Peyton is glad someone understands theassignment.
“Bingo.” Marisa shows them the photo of the two of them kissing. It’s cute. Peyton’s hair looks less curly than she would like, and Cleo is sucking her bottom lip, but it’s cute. “We need content for your socials and this...” She waves the phone like it’s the answer to all of life’s problems. “This is adorable. I’m not gay, and I’d date you.” She shrugs, as though that isn’t a totally inappropriate comment to make.
“What’s the truth?”Peyton asks.
“Huh?” Marisa types out a caption that will tick all the boxes on her social media dos list. It’s just one of the many strange and wonderful things Marisa has introduced to Peyton’s life. Posts must be fun, not too controversial, contain fewer than three emojis, and precisely fifteen hashtags. Peyton has stopped asking questions.
“You said you’d give me the professional version andthe truth.”
“Oh, of course. The truth is simple—” She waits. Peyton still has no idea, but she feels like she’s expected to know. “You’re hot.”
“That’s it?” Peyton laughs.
“Duh... it’s the number one reason anyone follows anyone. Do you think Miley Cyrus has two hundred million followers on Instagram because she founded the Happy HippieFoundation?”
“Erm... no?” Peyton questions her own response.
“No, it’s because she’s fucking hot.”
“It’s true; she is,” Cleo adds.
Peyton scowls. “Oh, you fancy Miley, do you? Maybe you should go and sing with her.”
Cleo reaches her arm around Peyton’s shoulder and pulls her in. “I’m joking.” They play fight for the next thirty seconds until they realise Marisa is filming them.
“Please don’t do anything with that.” Peyton scowls.
“I can’t promise. It would look really sweet in slow motion with a song. Maybe in black and white.” She makes a note of something on her phone. “You guy’s need to embrace how hot you are. In ten years you’ll be old and desperately wishing there was something more than Botox.” She grins in a creepy—you can’t tell if I’m a robot or just that unbothered—kind of way.
“Charming.” Cleo rolls her eyes.
17
TwoMonths Later
The glass building of the Bridgestone Arena Tower is impressive. Peyton has been once before to watch the Nashville Predators play hockey, but this visit gives her heart palpitations and not adrenaline fuelledsports ones.
Peyton and Cleo are escorted inside by Garrett, their new interim manager. When they were on the hunt for a new manager, Shonda suggested Garrett Gray. The name was qualification enough for Peyton. She thought it sounded like a strong name. When they met him, he was the opposite: soft spoken and sassy. Today, he’s perfectly preened, as always. Peyton has ongoing eyebrow envy. Cleo doesn’t take to him the same, but she does like his teeth. When he smiles he looks like a poster boy for teeth whitening solution. He’s handsome and charming in a boyish way. Today he’s wearing his extra-tight skinny jeans coupled with metal frame glasses and a tightsuit jacket.
She misses Jesse, mainly just hanging out with him. After they signed their new deal, and Jesse hit on Alisha until she had no other choice but to go to dinner with him, he decided there was a conflict of interest, and it would be best to find someone more equipped for the role. She didn’t disagree, but she’d gotten used to having him with her. Instead, he’s now in the studio on a regular basis trying to convince Shonda to sign his band.
“Keep up, keep up,” Garrett calls after them. He’s already by the elevator coordinating whatever he coordinates. Peyton prefers not to ask questions. Cleo has a tight hold of her hand. They’ve developed a sort of Morse code with their fingers.
One squeeze means,I love you.
Two squeezes means,Are you okay?
And three squeezes means,Shall we getout of here?
Cleo squeezes once for good measure, and Peyton’s heart instantly feels at ease. She wouldn’t be able to do any of it without her, nor wouldshe want to.
Since they rekindled their relationship, they’ve been inseparable. They spent Christmas in California with Peyton’s family. After one day, Cleo was arm-wrestling her brother and screaming at the TV with her dad whilst they watched the Rams get destroyed by the Buffalo Bills. She fit right into Peyton’s life. The space at the dinner table felt complete with her there. The boxing day tradition they’d shared as a family since she was eight years old was an unusual one, but Cleo happily joined in with the fort building and theTerminatormarathon—no questions asked.
