his raw, unbridled masculinity, and yet she felt this powerful connection to him. It made no sense, but she
loved
it.
Stop it. Just stop getting carried away. This is nothing but business.
“Yeah, well, I just want to play fuckin’ music.” Pete snatched another slice of pizza, the peppers and sausage toppling off. “Which we’re doing.”
“You are doing it, Pete. But how long will you get to
keep
doing it? What about Irwin? Does your success hinge on whether you keep him as your A&R representative?”
Cooper eyed her over his bottle. Ben stopped chewing.
“We can be successful without Irwin.” Pete dropped back into his seat with a twist to another bottle top. “Our music is fuckin’ great.”
“Well, if everyone agrees with that, then I’m not needed. I suggest you have a band meeting and figure out what you want. No offense to you guys, but I’m used to minding one client at a time. Usually that client needs me in order to keep his job, so he’ll play along. But if you don’t need Irwin, and you have no interest in trying new ways of doing things, then let me go. I have other work I could be doing.”
“You’re not going anywhere,” Derek said. The room went quiet, the tension thickened. “I want Irwin. Our music was good, but Irwin made it great. And not only that, but if he doesn’t want to work with us, we’re fucked. Tainted. I’m not sure about all this shit.” He lifted a paper cup and shook it. “But damn straight I’ll give it a go.” He looked down at this plate with a somber expression. “Whatever it takes to get us back on track.”
He looked up, held Slater’s gaze. His friend nodded, the two of them locked in agreement.
“I also like the new schedule,” Derek said. “Most days on the road, I feel like shit, and I don’t get anything done. When was the last time we wrote a song? More than a yearago? So, yeah, I’m down to try some new ideas.” He seemed to perk up. “Definitely.” He looked to the others.
“Me, too,” Slater said.
“Fuckin’ pussies,” Pete said.
“You guys should discuss this privately. You need to be on the same page.” Violet started to get up. “I’ll give you some time.”
“You’re not leaving.” Derek reached for her arm, his grip sliding from her wrist to her fingers.
“I’m not on board.” Cooper reached for another slice. “Sorry, but we’re doing just fine without you.”
“Then why did Irwin wash his hands of you?” she asked.
Ben swallowed. “We got him back.”
“And if I pack up my bags and go back to the city, will you still have Irwin?”
“No,” Derek shouted. “Jesus, guys. What’s the problem? So we’re in a hotel. So we’re eating this stuff. What’s the big fucking deal?”
“Guys, I’m not going to force you to do anything. It doesn’t hurt my feelings if you don’t eat my quinoa. I’m still going to make healthy food whether or not you eat it because it’s my job. My job is to make you feel so good that you get up on the stage without the use of greenies or cocaine.”
“We’re not druggies,” Cooper said. “Jesus Christ.”
“But you do use drugs.” Violet didn’t back down. “I’ve seen you.” She motioned to the three of them, Pete, Cooper, and Ben. “You might not want me here but have the self-respect to tell the truth.”
Ben and Cooper looked chastised. Pete just took a huge bite of the pizza and washed it down with a swallow of beer.
“Am I wrong that your lifestyle is unsustainable? After a gig, you’re too wired to fall asleep. So you party hard, release a lot of sexual energy, and then need help getting to sleep. Then, you sleep late, spend the day hungover, and yet you need to find the energy to get back onstage and wow the crowd? Am I wrong about that cycle?”
“You’re not wrong.” Slater said. “And it’s not sustainable.”
“Well, I can help you fall asleep without Ambien or Valium or whatever else you’ve been taking. Look, I’m
loved
it.
Stop it. Just stop getting carried away. This is nothing but business.
“Yeah, well, I just want to play fuckin’ music.” Pete snatched another slice of pizza, the peppers and sausage toppling off. “Which we’re doing.”
“You are doing it, Pete. But how long will you get to
keep
doing it? What about Irwin? Does your success hinge on whether you keep him as your A&R representative?”
Cooper eyed her over his bottle. Ben stopped chewing.
“We can be successful without Irwin.” Pete dropped back into his seat with a twist to another bottle top. “Our music is fuckin’ great.”
“Well, if everyone agrees with that, then I’m not needed. I suggest you have a band meeting and figure out what you want. No offense to you guys, but I’m used to minding one client at a time. Usually that client needs me in order to keep his job, so he’ll play along. But if you don’t need Irwin, and you have no interest in trying new ways of doing things, then let me go. I have other work I could be doing.”
“You’re not going anywhere,” Derek said. The room went quiet, the tension thickened. “I want Irwin. Our music was good, but Irwin made it great. And not only that, but if he doesn’t want to work with us, we’re fucked. Tainted. I’m not sure about all this shit.” He lifted a paper cup and shook it. “But damn straight I’ll give it a go.” He looked down at this plate with a somber expression. “Whatever it takes to get us back on track.”
He looked up, held Slater’s gaze. His friend nodded, the two of them locked in agreement.
“I also like the new schedule,” Derek said. “Most days on the road, I feel like shit, and I don’t get anything done. When was the last time we wrote a song? More than a yearago? So, yeah, I’m down to try some new ideas.” He seemed to perk up. “Definitely.” He looked to the others.
“Me, too,” Slater said.
“Fuckin’ pussies,” Pete said.
“You guys should discuss this privately. You need to be on the same page.” Violet started to get up. “I’ll give you some time.”
“You’re not leaving.” Derek reached for her arm, his grip sliding from her wrist to her fingers.
“I’m not on board.” Cooper reached for another slice. “Sorry, but we’re doing just fine without you.”
“Then why did Irwin wash his hands of you?” she asked.
Ben swallowed. “We got him back.”
“And if I pack up my bags and go back to the city, will you still have Irwin?”
“No,” Derek shouted. “Jesus, guys. What’s the problem? So we’re in a hotel. So we’re eating this stuff. What’s the big fucking deal?”
“Guys, I’m not going to force you to do anything. It doesn’t hurt my feelings if you don’t eat my quinoa. I’m still going to make healthy food whether or not you eat it because it’s my job. My job is to make you feel so good that you get up on the stage without the use of greenies or cocaine.”
“We’re not druggies,” Cooper said. “Jesus Christ.”
“But you do use drugs.” Violet didn’t back down. “I’ve seen you.” She motioned to the three of them, Pete, Cooper, and Ben. “You might not want me here but have the self-respect to tell the truth.”
Ben and Cooper looked chastised. Pete just took a huge bite of the pizza and washed it down with a swallow of beer.
“Am I wrong that your lifestyle is unsustainable? After a gig, you’re too wired to fall asleep. So you party hard, release a lot of sexual energy, and then need help getting to sleep. Then, you sleep late, spend the day hungover, and yet you need to find the energy to get back onstage and wow the crowd? Am I wrong about that cycle?”
“You’re not wrong.” Slater said. “And it’s not sustainable.”
“Well, I can help you fall asleep without Ambien or Valium or whatever else you’ve been taking. Look, I’m
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