conceding the effort.
“Maybe you’re right,” she said. Her eyes darted back to me and looked me up and down. Her lips turned up in a smile. “So, Maggie, what can I do for you today?” she asked.
The wave of nervousness overtook me once again. What was I supposed to tell her? Scottie hadn’t coached me on this, or given me any advice at all. Was there special lingo or jargon I was supposed to use?
“Scottie put me in touch with you,” I said. “I’m not sure how much he told you about our situation?”
Lisa nodded at me. “He mentioned you were looking sign a band for an upcoming gig,” she said.
“The Battle of the Bands,” I said. “It’s next month - fourth of July weekend. I was hoping that you would be able to put me in touch with some people.” I frowned and threw my hands into the air. “I have no idea where to even start looking.”
A moment of silence passed while she considered it. She leaned back in her chair, the smile on her face replaced with a tight-lipped, pensive, stare. The look told me that she was taking me seriously - she meant business.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been in the game,” she said, finally. “Most of my time, these days, is spent consulting. I’ve made my money, and had my time in the spotlight.”
I got a sudden dreadful feeling about the direction this was going. Was she trying to tell me that she wouldn’t be able to help?
Her voice took on a wistful tone as her eyes lost focus and she reminisced. I was too nervous to make a noise, as though the slightest disturbance would cause all of the tension to worsen. Her eyes refocused on me, and she regarded me for another long second.
“You’re young,” she said. I felt the weight of her eyes bearing down on me, judging. I nodded my head once. “I think I was about your age when I got started in the business.”
“Oh, I’m not getting started in the business,” I said, quickly. “This is just a summer job. To help pay for school.”
Her lip, somehow, managed to turn up in a tight smile.
“That’s how things always start,” She said. I felt the urge to correct her, again, but it would be useless. Lisa had already found a way of looking through me. I felt like she was reading me, and that she was certain of what she was seeing.
“I don’t know too many bands in the area, anymore,” she said. “But there is one that I’ve heard of…” Her voice trailed off while she considered it. “They may be tough to handle. For me to have heard of them, they’re getting pretty big, around here.”
My ears perked up and I felt my pulse begin to race. I needed a big band. I needed a band that was going to attract attention, a band that was going to get a lot of people to show up. That’s exactly what Scottie had hired me to do--that was what he was paying me to do.
“What’s their name?” I asked, too eager.
Lisa grinned. “Don’t get too excited. You have to talk them into it before there will be any cause for excitement.” She gave me a knowing, sideways, smile. “They may not even be available for the holiday on such short notice.”
I swallowed, hard, and tried to lower myself in the chair. She had a point that I hadn’t even considered, before. Why had Scottie waited so long to try and find a band? It’s not like the Battle of the Bands was a last minute thing - Sarah had said everyone looked forward to it all year.
“They’re a band that’s really beginning to build a name for themselves here in San Antonio,” Lisa said, again. “A friend of mine sent me a demo tape a couple months ago, hoping I might be able to get them national exposure. I think I still have around here, somewhere.”
Haden shifted in his seat, and glanced over at me. I realized, for the first time that he’d had a nervous way about him ever since we sat down. He didn’t look himself, and maybe that was why he had been keeping his mouth shut.
She pulled open a drawer on her desk and rummaged
“Maybe you’re right,” she said. Her eyes darted back to me and looked me up and down. Her lips turned up in a smile. “So, Maggie, what can I do for you today?” she asked.
The wave of nervousness overtook me once again. What was I supposed to tell her? Scottie hadn’t coached me on this, or given me any advice at all. Was there special lingo or jargon I was supposed to use?
“Scottie put me in touch with you,” I said. “I’m not sure how much he told you about our situation?”
Lisa nodded at me. “He mentioned you were looking sign a band for an upcoming gig,” she said.
“The Battle of the Bands,” I said. “It’s next month - fourth of July weekend. I was hoping that you would be able to put me in touch with some people.” I frowned and threw my hands into the air. “I have no idea where to even start looking.”
A moment of silence passed while she considered it. She leaned back in her chair, the smile on her face replaced with a tight-lipped, pensive, stare. The look told me that she was taking me seriously - she meant business.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been in the game,” she said, finally. “Most of my time, these days, is spent consulting. I’ve made my money, and had my time in the spotlight.”
I got a sudden dreadful feeling about the direction this was going. Was she trying to tell me that she wouldn’t be able to help?
Her voice took on a wistful tone as her eyes lost focus and she reminisced. I was too nervous to make a noise, as though the slightest disturbance would cause all of the tension to worsen. Her eyes refocused on me, and she regarded me for another long second.
“You’re young,” she said. I felt the weight of her eyes bearing down on me, judging. I nodded my head once. “I think I was about your age when I got started in the business.”
“Oh, I’m not getting started in the business,” I said, quickly. “This is just a summer job. To help pay for school.”
Her lip, somehow, managed to turn up in a tight smile.
“That’s how things always start,” She said. I felt the urge to correct her, again, but it would be useless. Lisa had already found a way of looking through me. I felt like she was reading me, and that she was certain of what she was seeing.
“I don’t know too many bands in the area, anymore,” she said. “But there is one that I’ve heard of…” Her voice trailed off while she considered it. “They may be tough to handle. For me to have heard of them, they’re getting pretty big, around here.”
My ears perked up and I felt my pulse begin to race. I needed a big band. I needed a band that was going to attract attention, a band that was going to get a lot of people to show up. That’s exactly what Scottie had hired me to do--that was what he was paying me to do.
“What’s their name?” I asked, too eager.
Lisa grinned. “Don’t get too excited. You have to talk them into it before there will be any cause for excitement.” She gave me a knowing, sideways, smile. “They may not even be available for the holiday on such short notice.”
I swallowed, hard, and tried to lower myself in the chair. She had a point that I hadn’t even considered, before. Why had Scottie waited so long to try and find a band? It’s not like the Battle of the Bands was a last minute thing - Sarah had said everyone looked forward to it all year.
“They’re a band that’s really beginning to build a name for themselves here in San Antonio,” Lisa said, again. “A friend of mine sent me a demo tape a couple months ago, hoping I might be able to get them national exposure. I think I still have around here, somewhere.”
Haden shifted in his seat, and glanced over at me. I realized, for the first time that he’d had a nervous way about him ever since we sat down. He didn’t look himself, and maybe that was why he had been keeping his mouth shut.
She pulled open a drawer on her desk and rummaged
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