The Brawl (6 page)

“You know there’s no such thing as bad publicity, anyway. You guys pay hundreds of thousands for advertising, and my boys go out there and get all kinds of publicity for free.” Minus lawyer fees, minus fines, minus property damage, but that wasn’t important.

Roger Ellery had worked with Moonshine Records long enough to know when the A&R man wouldn’t back down. If he could find a way to sell it to Colton, he’d live to work another day. “Just give me the details.”

Abandoning the email he was writing, Roger pulled up a fresh one, addressed to himself. He wedged the phone against his shoulder, ready to type with both thumbs.

“Muscle Shoals Studio, July 19th. Duet of Jackson with…
Gracie Hart
?” His voice rose in victory when Arvin told him who Colton would be singing with. His heart twisted and turned.

“Will she actually be there, or are we just gluing their vocal tracks together?” Roger had the bait, but only if she’d be there in person. He ignored the cymbal crash and laughter that came from the other side of the green room door. He’d worry about whatever that mess was later. He didn’t hear glass shatter or any screams, so it couldn’t have been
that
bad.

“With bells on.” Arvin was smiling. “Produced by T-Bone himself, this will be the highlight of the album, hopefully the lead single. I want you to know that I pushed for Colton. We’re taking a real chance on him, here.” At the mention of Gracie Hart, Roger knew Colton would be on board.

“Yeah, I got it all. Is T-Bone going to be there, or is he just mastering everything?”

“Sorry, Rog. He’s working remote.”
 

Working with a world-class producer would be the icing on the cake, but it wasn't meant to be. “Okay, too bad, but that’s all right. Shoot me the engineer’s info, and I’ll confirm with him.”

Roger could already see the charity album shooting to the top of the country charts. Hell, with Gracie Hart on board, it had a shot at hitting the pop charts, too. She had blurred the line between country and pop in her meteoric rise to the top, and with the right moves, Colton’s audience could increase tenfold overnight.

The reminder email was sent to himself, and Roger was ready to tell Colton the news, but Arvin had one last bit of info. “I’ll confirm with everyone, and you’ll be there at eight sharp.”

Roger had to put his foot down. “No, no. That’s a deal breaker, I’m afraid.” After hearing another crash, Roger sighed. This one sounded much bigger and more destructive. The cheers were louder to match. Turning to the door, he was curious and afraid at the same time. “Sorry, Ar, but I can guarantee you that he won’t be ready to work at eight in the morning.”

Outlaw Country
, available now!

Interested in future releases?
 
Join my mailing list to get exclusive information about my upcoming books.
 
I keep my emails short and sweet, and they come about once a month.
 
It’s a great way to stay in touch.
 
I promise to never give out your info!

Sign up now!

If you enjoyed this short story, I’d love to hear from you!
 
I’m always looking for beta readers, so if you would like to read future stories and give me feedback, email me personally at
[email protected]

Davida Lynn grew up reading everything she could get her hands on, including some books she had to hide.
 
At nearly thirty, she has stories pouring from her fingertips.
 
She enjoys nothing more than letting characters unfold before her.
 
When Davida isn’t writing, she loves watching trashy TV, reading pulp fiction, and daydreaming about her next travel destination.