Star Maker (8 page)

He
smiled and liked that she was getting feisty. He wanted to keep pushing the
envelope. “Green light. It means go. Careful, sweetie, don’t pop that
clutch. I heard Porsche transmissions can be a little persnickety.”

She
laughed loudly and pressed down on the accelerator so hard that the car lunged
forward into traffic at a high speed, completely catching Sully off guard. He
scrambled to grab onto the door handle. “Holy shit, Kit! You’re crazy!”

She
glanced at him. “Where did you ever get the impression I was sane? And
persnickety? Where did you pull that one out of?”

They
both burst into laughter and continued their banter all the way to Jimmy’s
apartment. Sully directed her into the smallest parking space known to man a
few hundred feet away from the entrance to the apartment complex, the only
space left on the crowded street. Hollywood street parking was never easy to
come by.

She
plopped down on the rickety sofa in the living room and waited while Sully made
a phone call and Jimmy put his guitars away in his room. He returned moments
later and sat on the chair across from her. “Do you want a drink, Kit?”

She
chuckled. “Will I need one?”

He
laughed. “I dunno, maybe.”

“Make
it small. I’ve gotta go home and study for a midterm, so I can’t get too
tanked.”

“Scotch
on the rocks, right?”

“You
got it.”

Jimmy
nodded. “Ok. I’ll be right back. I’ll steal some out of Sully’s private
stash. I’m sure he won’t mind.”

He
walked into the room catching the tail end of the conversation. “Won’t mind
what?”

Jimmy
looked over. “Giving Kit some of your special scotch.”

He
nodded. “Oh yeah. She’s worth it.” He winked at her and she laughed. He
walked over and jokingly sat down on her lap.

She
shoved him. “Get off me. You’re heavy!”

He
grinned at her. “Ok. Wanna sit on my lap instead?”

She
laughed and shook her head. “Oh, jeez. No!”

Jimmy
walked out and handed Kit a drink. “Kids, please. Sully, stop harassing her.
She’s immune to your advances, remember? She’s smart. Your normal tactics
don’t work with her. Plus, we don’t want her running for the hills just yet.”

Sully
plopped down on the sofa on the opposite end from her. “True.”

Kit
leaned forward, holding her drink in both her hands. She looked at Sully and
then at Jimmy. “Ok, guys. You got me here. Time is money. What’s up? I’ve
got roughly an hour left until I have to split, so make it snappy. You got
something you want me to hear?”

Sully
leaned back against the sofa and spoke first in a calm, serious tone.
“Musically, no. Offer wise, yes.”

Kit had
never seen Sully so composed or serious. He was the ultimate jokester and a
quintessential teenager trapped in the body of a twenty-two year old. She felt
like she was listening to a completely different person. She was partly amazed
and intrigued all the same, feeling like she was unpeeling an onion that had
more layers than she had given him credit for. She had no idea what was going
on or what their motivation was for having her there. She looked at Jimmy,
desperate for clarification. He continued. “We have a proposal for you, Kit.”

She
joked. “I’m flattered guys, but I don’t have any plans to get married right
now. Gotta finish law school first.” They both stared at her straight-faced
and she knew something was up. She nodded and pursed her lips. “Ok, bad joke.
What’s up guys?”

Jimmy
sighed. “We fired Slade.”

Kit was
unable to mask the surprised expression on her face even though she tried.
“When?”

“Yesterday.”

“Why?”

Sully
spoke up. “Because he wasn’t a fit. We want to take everything to the next
level and he couldn’t cut it. We don’t have enough shows. Our demo needs
work. There are lots of things that need work right now.” He shot Jimmy a
look.

Jimmy
glared back at him and then looked at Kit. “Sully’s right to a certain extent,
although I think he’s exaggerating a little. Kit, we want you to manage the
band. Are you available? What’s your rate?”

Kit’s
head spun. She was trying to process Jimmy’s request to manage Gypsy Tango.
She immediately went into the mode of trying to figure out how to juggle it
all. This was an excellent opportunity that she didn’t want to miss. This was
her diamond in the rough staring her in the face. Her mind was racing to
examine all angles and fully contemplate her dilemma.

“Kit?”

She
looked at Jimmy, wide eyed. “Huh?”

He
stared at her. “Did you hear what I asked?”

She
looked at Sully. Her emerald eyes pleaded for his help. He offered her a
friendly grin. “Do you wanna do it?”

She
smiled. “I do, but why me?”

He
leaned forward and met her eyes again. “Because we’ve been pretty impressed
with how we’ve been playing and a lot of that can be attributed to the changes
you’ve suggested. And today really sealed the deal. Right, Jimmy?”

He
nodded. “Yeah, that’s exactly it. We want to go up from here and we think you
can take us there. We’ve seen what you’re doing with your other bands.”

Kit
clung to her glass for dear life, like it was a life preserver in a stormy sea.
A shy smile spread across her face. The words rolled off her tongue
sheepishly. “Really? Me?”

Sully
moved over next to her and put his arm around her. He gave her an affectionate
peck on the check. “Yes, you.” He pulled her chin gently toward him and
looked deeply into her green eyes. “Listen, you can make me a superstar. I
need you. Take me to the top, baby.” He paused and Jimmy gave him a disgusted
look. He continued, grinning. “And them too. We need you.”

She
chuckled. “Guys, I wanna do this, don’t get me wrong, but I’m in law school.
I just started in September.”

Sully
nodded. “We’re aware of that, counselor. We want you to do your thing and
manage us too. You can do both, right?”

She
nodded slowly. “Yes. Yeah, I think I can.”

Sully
stroked her back. “Great. Now, how much?”

Kit
took a breath and paused. She decided to aim high to assess how badly they
wanted her as their manager. She stated her first bid boldly. “I want twenty
percent.”

Jimmy
stared at her like she was crazy. “How about ten percent?”

She
shook her head and offered a smug look. She wasn’t about to give up that easy.
“Yeah, right! That’s an insult. Ok, I’ll give you guys a break. Eighteen
percent.”

Jimmy
shook his head and folded his arms in front of his chest. “Fifteen.”

She
looked at him and then at Sully. She had them right where she wanted them.
“Seventeen percent all in?” She cooed innocently.

Jimmy
groaned and Sully nodded, happily confirming it and ignoring Jimmy’s
disapproval. “Seventeen percent all in.”

Kit
nodded and dropped the act. She reached out to shake Sully’s and Jimmy’s hands
while she spoke confidently. “Deal.”

Jimmy
and Sully smiled. Jimmy spoke up. “Done. Let’s get started.”

Kit
remained at the apartment the rest of the hour making plans with Jimmy and
Sully for the rest of the band. She was a bit nervous about this new venture,
but her excitement and enthusiasm were so much greater they served to push her
forward past her fear. In her gut she knew this could put her on the map.

She
walked through the door eager to share the news, but no one was home. Taking
advantage of the silence, she dove into her studying. By the time Alexa walked
through the door, three hours had passed. “Lex! Where have you been?” She
stared at the plethora of bags in Alexa’s hands. “Shopping much?”

Alexa
giggled. “I needed some retail therapy. Spent some quality time with the
lovely merchants of Rodeo Drive.”

“Nice
way to put a dent in that trust fund, Lex.”

She
laughed. “I’m a pro, what can I say? You studying?”

“Yep.
All night study party. Not fun. I have got to tell you my news.”

Alexa
looked at her. “You have news?”

Her
eyes lit up. “Yes. You are looking at the new manager of Gypsy Tango.” She
launched into the story of how it all transpired, making sure to include every
detail.

Alexa
screamed excitedly and hugged Kit. “Congratulations, sweetie! That’s
fantastic news! How in the heck are you going to manage your crazy schedule and
them?”

“I’m
not sure yet. I’m going to have to quit one of the jobs. Haven’t figured that
part out. Quitting school is not an option.”

“Of
course not. That’s what you came here to do. I’d be happy to help you out.”

Kit
tilted her head and looked at her. “How so?”

She
smiled. “Need a publicist and a booking agent? I’ll do both pro-bono until
they start making money.”

Maxine
interjected. “And I’ll do their pics and see if I can get them some write ups
in the local pubs. I can work an ad or two for them at no cost.”

Alexa
and Kit both stared at Maxine and frowned. Alexa chuckled. “When did you get
here? We didn’t hear you come in.”

Maxine
laughed. “I’m stealthy that way, ladies. I walked in and went straight into
the kitchen to grab a wine cooler. You two were so occupied you didn’t see me.
I overheard the conversation. Congrats, Kit. That’s super cool. That band
is gonna go to the top, I just know it!”

Kit smiled.
“So, you’ll both help me out with that stuff for free?”

They
nodded their heads. Alexa spoke up. “I believe in you, Kit, and I want to
help propel you and this band forward as much as possible. Max is
right—these guys are different. They’re light years better than the
other bands you manage. Plus, it helps me get out there and work the circuit.
I can make a name for myself too.”

Maxine
took a swig of her wine cooler and nodded. “Ditto.”

Kit
screamed with delight and got up to hug them both. “You two are so great.
Thank you! We’ll crush it. The Hollywood music scene won’t know what hit it
with Gypsy Tango. First Hollywood, then a household name. Mark my words,
ladies, I’m going to make them and us stars.”

CHAPTER 7

The
phone rang and Kit contemplated not answering the call at all, but curiosity
got the best of her. She answered the phone cautiously, hoping it wasn’t a
solicitor about to talk her ear off before she could get a word in. She smiled
when she heard his familiar voice. “Is that the beautiful and lovely Kit-Kat
I’m speaking to? My favorite manager on the entire planet?”

Her
face instantly lit up. “Sully! Finally you call. Where have you been for the
last few weeks, you fool?”

He
snickered. “In the company of a lovely lady that wanted to take me to Vegas
for some fun on her dime. So, I managed to find our demo as you requested. I
was wondering if I could bring it by for you to take a listen.”

“Yep.
You have to come see our place anyway.” She twirled her pencil in her hand.

“Remind
me. Where are you living?”

“On
Laurel Canyon near Hollywood Boulevard.”

He
chuckled. “Ah, yes. Tip of the Hollywood iceberg. Good choice. How do you
like it so far?”

Kit
grinned. “I love it. That is, when I’m actually around.”

“Aww,
my little overachiever. How’s law school been treating you lately? How did
you do on your midterms?”

She sat
back in her chair. “Law school is great, Sull. My midterms were about a month
ago, so you’re a little late on that one. Thanks for asking. They were a
breeze.”

Sully
laughed. “That’s because you’re gifted, babe. I bet you have straight A’s
already, and I’m sure all of your classmates hate you because of it.”

Kit
paused. “Uh … no comment.”

Sully
laughed again. “I knew it. If you’re as aggressive with law school as you are
with making sure our band is successful I have no doubt you’re a force to be
reckoned with. So, are you inviting me over?”

She
chuckled. “You have an open ended invitation, but I’m here now and you know
how my schedule can get. I suggest you get your hot, tight, little ass over
here now. I was going to study for awhile and then party later tonight.”

He
paused for a moment. “Ok, wait. Let’s back up for a sec. First of all, you
think my ass is hot and tight? And party later tonight? Do you want me to
escort you? I’d be happy to, you know.”

She giggled
and enjoyed flirting with him. “No comment regarding your ass because I refuse
to incriminate myself. And about the party, it’s ladies’ night, babe, so Lex
and Max are my escorts tonight. No boys allowed.”

“I know
Lex, she’s our new publicity and booking gal. Yeah, sexy Lexy. She’s a
hottie. Max? Who’s Max?”

She
frowned. “You haven’t met Maxine yet? I thought you had. She’s the one
that’s doing your photo shoot next week. If you get your ass over here in time,
meaning in the next five minutes, you may be able to meet her. And please
Sull, no rock star time tonight.”

“Are
you implying that I’m frequently tardy?”

Kit
laughed loudly. “Sully, you slay me, you know that? Here’s what I’ve realized
working with you guys and dabbling in the music industry out here so far.
There’s normal time and there’s rock star time, which is usually a half hour to
an hour later than normal time. And you, my dear, fully operate on rock star
time.”

She
could hear Sully laughing on the line although he tried to muffle it. When he
spoke, his voice was clear and serious. “I resent that, Kathryn. I really do.
In fact, my feelings are officially hurt now.” He couldn’t keep up the
charade any longer and burst out laughing.

She
laughed along with him. “Nice. Now, get your ass over here!”

As Kit
hung up the phone, Alexa ran through the door with her arms raised high in the
air, looking joyful and excited. “I got a job!”

Kit stared at her, shocked by the news, and then hugged her tightly.
“That’s great, Lex! Did you just find out?”

She
headed into the kitchen to open up the bottle of champagne she had purchased on
her way home. “Yeah, they called me in for a meeting today and offered me the
job. Isn’t that awesome?” The cork sprung free from the champagne bottle with
a loud pop and Alexa appeared seconds later with two flutes of the decadent
drink. She handed one to Kit and held her own glass up to toast. “To a new
city and bigger and better things.”

Kit
smiled and took a sip of her champagne. “I’ll drink to that!”

Alexa
nodded and took a sip. She glanced over and noticed the table cluttered with
Kit’s schoolwork. “I interrupted your studying, didn’t I? Oh jeez, Kit, I’m
sorry.”

She
waved her hand in the air dismissing its importance. “Don’t worry about it. Actually,
a call from Sully was what really interrupted me.”

Alexa’s
eyes widened. “Sully finally called? Where has that joker been for the last
three weeks?”

Kit
shrugged her shoulders. “Apparently in Vegas with one of his stripper friends.
Oh wait, excuse me, exotic dancer is the term he prefers we use.”

Alexa
nodded and chuckled. “Sully’s with a stripper now? I see. I’m sure that’s a
decent bankroll for him. How’s he doing?”

“He
sounds good—happy. You can ask him yourself. He’s on his way over.”

She
frowned and eyed Kit cautiously. “What for? I thought we were having girls’
night.”

Kit
nodded and held up her hand. “Now, now, don’t go getting your panties in a
bunch. He’s bringing me their demo. They recorded it with Slade about three
months before I took over. They hadn’t received any bites on it and I told
them I wouldn’t push it out there again until I heard it. I’ve been asking for
it for the last two months. I told him about tonight and that he wasn’t
invited.”

Alexa
smiled. “That’s for sure. I’m going to confirm the reservations for us at
Spago. I made ‘em like two months ago. I hear it’s fantastic.”

Kit
raised her eyebrows. “You’re taking us to dinner at Spago?”

She
smiled. “But of course, dahling! I’ll be right back.”

Alexa
returned to the living room sipping her glass of champagne. She smiled and sat
down on the sofa in the corner opposite Kit. “We’re on for eight.”

She
nodded. “So, tell me about this job.”

Alexa
tried to hold back her enthusiasm. She still felt like she was going to burst.
“I got in touch with this guy, Malcolm, who I met at a party in Beverly Hills
one night a few weeks ago. He is super dreamy—a total tall, dark, and
handsome. Absolutely my type. Half African American, half Italian. Very delicious.
He works for a company called Diamond Records. He’s in the artists and
something department. Artists and re…” She looked up and tried her best to
recall the information.

Kit’s
eyes widened. “Artists & Repertoire?”

She
bobbed her head and smiled at Kit. “Yeah, yeah, that’s it! And then he called
it something else that I can’t remember, like some kind of abbreviation. He
said they work closely with PR.”

Kit
chuckled. “A&R, honey. He works for
thee
Diamond Records in A&R? This guy must be quite a hot shot to have landed a
job like that. Amazing! They’re a major label that also has a film division,
Diamond Pictures. They’re one of the best record companies out there right
now. They have an incredible reputation, legendary really.”

She
nodded. “So I hear. Anyway, Malcolm told me he knew of a position in their PR
department that just opened up and he gave me all the info, who to call, et
cetera. I had my last of three interviews yesterday. The VP and the director
of publicity both totally loved me. And that was that.”

Kit
stared at Alexa in disbelief. She had landed the job of a lifetime. “Lex, do
you have any idea how lucky you are? People would kill to have a job in PR at
a record company, especially in L.A. Good for you. What’s your title?”

She
sipped her champagne and smiled like a Cheshire cat. “Promotions publicity
manager. The salary is just ok. Definitely nothing to write home about. It’s
subpar for sure, but I have the potential to be a regional promotions manager
within a year or two if I work my ass off, and that’s a pretty significant
salary increase. It’s not like I need the money anyway. It’s a great resume
builder. I’m sure it’s great for connections in entertainment and media. I’m
pretty happy about it. I’ll be doing exactly what I wanted. Can you believe
it?”

Kit
nodded. “Actually, Lex, I can. With your previous internships? Any company
would be stupid not to have you on staff.”

She
smiled. “Thanks. That’s really nice of you to say. I thought it would be
great to land something in the entertainment industry, but I figured my chances
were slim. I did get damn lucky.”

“When
do you start?”

“Monday.

“That’s
so great, Lex.”

She
laughed. “I know. I can’t believe it. Who knows? Maybe if I stay there, I
can get you in on their legal team once you graduate.”

Kit
shrugged her shoulders. “Maybe. That’s a nice thought. Majors the caliber of
Diamond usually only take very experienced attorneys, but you never know.
We’ll see what happens once I graduate and pass the bar.”

Alexa
grinned and raised her eyebrows. “We’ll see.”

Sully
tried the doorknob and found that it was open. He proceeded to stroll into the
living room confidently like he owned the place, catching both Kit and Alexa
off guard. “Party? Champagne? Special occasion? Where’s my glass, ladies?”

Kit and
Alexa both stared at him, stunned that he was standing there. Kit started
laughing. “Just stroll right in without knocking, Sull. Make yourself right
at home why don’t you?”

Sully
shrugged his shoulders and flashed his charming grin. “Don’t mind if I do.”
He plopped into the chair next to her.

Kit
shook her head and smiled, giggling. “No wonder Joe liked you so much. You
two are cut from the same cloth. When he’s in town he strolls in here like he
owns the place too.”

He
chuckled. “Speaking of Joe, have you talked to him lately? And why didn’t you
tell me your girl party was here? I thought you ladies were going out to a
party tonight, not having one here without me.” He looked over at Alexa and
smiled. “Hi, Lexy. Looking mighty sexy, like usual.” He grinned.

She
couldn’t help but smile back at Sully. He was always charming, entertaining,
and surprisingly appropriate and respectful with both she and Kit. “We’re
having a little pre-party celebration, Sull. I got a job.”

“Awesome!
Where?”

She
grinned and raised her eyebrows. “Are you ready for this?”

He
moved to the edge of his seat and perched on his knees in anticipation. “Ready
as I’ll ever be.”

She
shook her head. “No.” She handed him her glass of champagne. “Now you’re
ready.” She stared into his eyes. “I got a job at Diamond Records.”

His
eyes widened and his jaw dropped. “Wow! Congrats! That’s huge, Lex.” He got
up, hugged her, and gave her a kiss on the cheek before taking his seat again.

She
giggled. “Thanks. I’m pretty excited about it.”

Maxine
strolled through the door around five, much earlier than expected. She glanced
into the living room on her way to the bathroom. She stopped in her tracks,
faced Sully and smiled. “And you, pray tell, must be the very charming Sully
Foxx.”

He
smiled wide, eating it all up. He stood up, bent down to take her small hand
in his, and kissed it. “And you must be the lovely Maxine Riley. I’ve heard
all about you. You’re even more beautiful than they described you.”

She
giggled. Sully naturally seemed to have that affect on women. “You have, huh?
Well, I’ve heard all about you too. I’ve been meaning to catch one of your
shows and take pictures.”

He
cocked his head to the side. “Ah-ha, that’s right. You’re the photographer.”

She
nodded. “I am. I used to work at the
L.A.
Times
, but I’m freelancing on my own right now with some local pubs. Suits
me better. I’ve been doing a lot of work recently with
Rock City News
. Trying to get on staff there.”

He
flashed a charming grin. “Well, well, well, Maxine, that is impressive.” He
shifted his attention to Kit. “You hang with some pretty cool chicks, Kit-Kat.
Not too surprising, gotta say.”

She shrugged her shoulders and grinned. “It’s my way, babe. Birds
of a feather flock together.” She winked at Alexa and giggled.

* * *

Alexa
stumbled into the Rainbow Bar and Grill on the arm of Jimmy. It had quickly
become one of their favorite places to hang out on the Strip. She and Jimmy
had become good friends since Kit had started managing the band. She found him
fun to hang out with although she wasn’t interested in him in the least. He
was a great party buddy. Jimmy noticed a friend and started chatting while
Alexa made a beeline for the bar to keep her buzz going. She glanced down at
her purse and fished for her wallet to buy the first round when a familiar
voice jarred her to attention. “What can I get ya?”