Tudor Redemption (Tudor Dynasty Book 4) (12 page)

“Or
Beth,” I muttered. “I’ll try to warn her next time I talk with her. Which will
be when I go looking at possible office sites. That’s going to be a decision. I
know I don’t want to go to Bellevue for a couple of reasons.”

“It’ll
all fall into place, Damien. You’ll see,” Zara said. “Why don’t you want the
Bellevue location?”

“I’m
from Seattle. Everything I’ve done has been in this city. I’d feel sort of like
a deserter, having my office on the eastside. Second, there’s the cost of doing
business there. Real estate is a lot pricier.”

“Good
reasons.” Angus nodded.

“Go
with what is going to scream success, Dame. If you’d like, I’ll go with you. I
mean, I am the public relations person for The Consortium, no reason I can’t
come along,” Zara added, smiling at me.

“I
don’t want to take you away from anything here.”

“You
won’t be. Let me know when you have a day and time. I’ll work it out. Won’t we,
Amadeus?”

“Yeah.
I’m sure I can manage for a few hours.”

Chapter
Thirteen

All
of a sudden, things were progressing at warp speed. Decisions to be made.
People wanting my attention from all angles. The list went on and on.

Zara
had indeed come along on the quest to find the perfect office space for my
fledgling company. I was also glad to have her along because it was one more
family member who met Ethan and Beth. Zara was quite impressed with Ethan and
wholeheartedly approved of Beth.

The
first place was dismissed almost immediately. It was an older building in the
Pioneer Square area. Though it had charm and character, I didn’t want people to
think the Consortium was laid back. I wanted to convey we were on the cutting
edge.

Which
is what we found in the next building. It was newer, sleeker, and oozed
success. The property manager had two spaces for us to see. The first one,
while on a lower floor, had a view of the city, not the image I wanted people
to see when they walked inside. I wanted the view of Puget Sound and the
Olympics.

The
moment I set foot into the second space, I knew it was the one. It was
everything I wanted—the views, the stark modern look, success. The previous
tenant had moved to a higher floor in the building, leaving the space in fairly
decent condition. Change the carpet, paint. Not a huge amount of work.

Then,
Ethan suggested we look at something else he had in mind. Something he’d
forgotten. Though I was ready to agree to this space, I went along with him. He
took us to an empty, two story building on Queen Anne hill. Though it wasn’t
sleek and modern, it had potential. The building was in good shape. The offices
could be housed on the second floor, while I envisioned a recording studio on
the first. Everything under one roof, like I wanted. A lot of work to be done,
but this felt like the right choice. There was no rush.

With
the home for The Consortium chosen, there were other things calling my name.
Courtney and Brittany. We’d been passing each other for weeks now. I finally
insisted we all have dinner, their choice, an evening to catch up.

As
it ended up, we had pizza at home. Britt’s schedule was crazy mad with school and
work. Courtney, not so much.

“Okay,
I just wanted to get us together to touch base. I feel like I haven’t seen
either of you in weeks.”

“We’ve
been around. Just busy like you.” Britt chuckled.

“I
know, but I don’t want it to consume us. I know I’ve got a lot on my plate
right now with the new business and recording. But I’m never too busy for
either of you. Remember that.”

“We
know, and we will,” Courtney chimed in. “So, why don’t you hire a business
person to help you manage things?”

“I
may in the future. Right now, it’s just learning to juggle my schedule. It
should start settling down. Once Ethan is on tour especially.”

“And
you and Beth?” Britt giggled as she picked up a piece of pizza.

“What
about Beth?”

“We’ve
seen the picture, Daddy. Everyone has.”

“Yeah,
it’s on the internet,” Britt replied.

“There’s
nothing going on. At least not yet. When that picture happened, we decided to
shelve everything until Ethan was on the road. It would give us some time alone
to talk and try to figure things out.”

“You
going to take her out on the boat?”

“I
don’t know yet. The weather is cooling down. I just may have her come over
here. Her place isn’t too private from prying eyes.”

“Not
to be the bearer of bad news, Daddy, but Mom’s seen the picture. In fact, she’s
been keeping up with everything,” Court said with a straight face.

“That
doesn’t surprise me. Did she call?”

“Yeah,
she called me. Court won’t talk to her when she starts in on you. She was Mom.
What can I say? I didn’t give her anything to go on. Told her it wasn’t her
concern what you did or who you saw. When she tried to discuss Ethan, I cut her
off. Told her she was out of bounds,” Britt answered.

“Thanks.
I hadn’t even thought of her seeing it or her finding out about Ethan’s career
move. Her nosing around for information doesn’t surprise me though.”

“Don’t
worry, neither Court nor I will tell her a thing. I think her life in L.A. isn’t
going quite the way she envisioned.”

“Why
do you say that?”

“I
think she thought she was going to take the town by storm, and it didn’t quite
work out that way. I think she regrets some things.”

“Not
my problem, and don’t get caught up in her drama.” I picked up another slice
and put it on my plate. “Court? How are your piano lessons going?”

“Great.
I’ve really learned a lot. She said I might be able to do a recital later in
the fall. I’m on the fence about school. I want to go to a school like
Julliard, but I don’t want to just wait around.”

“What
are you thinking?”

“Do
you think I could pick up some session work?” She pushed a lock of dark hair
behind her ear.

When
did she get that many ear piercings? Not my concern. She’s a grown woman. “I’m
sure you can. I’ll keep you in mind when I start cutting this CD.”

She
squealed. “That would be awesome, Daddy.”

“I
wish there was something I could do to be part of all this,” Britt interjected.

I
eyed her closely. She’d never had much interest in music. Sure, she’d learned
to play piano, and had even taken up guitar, but I had no clue as to whether
she’d kept them up or not. On the other hand, she was going after a business
degree, and wanted to go international. Perhaps there might be a way.

“You
not happy in your job?”

“Not
really. It’s a dead end. Doing this internship with Microsoft is going to be a
huge plus for me, but I need to find a job more in line with where I want to
go. Retail sales ain’t it.”

“Let
me think about it. I am going to need someone who can take calls. You know,
basic stuff. For now, you’d work here. Beth has a cell phone Ethan got with a
dedicated number. I can get it from her, and you can use it for the time being.
The new offices may not be ready until the first of the year.”

“If
you’re serious, Daddy, I’m interested.”

“This
is a real business, Britt, and just starting out, everyone associated has to
act like that. No goofing around with your pals.”

“I
understand.”

“Okay,
let me think on it some. Like what your duties might be, stuff like that. Don’t
go quitting your job just yet. I’ve got a lot going on right now, but you’re definitely
up for consideration.”

“Thank
you, Daddy.”

“What
else is going on, anything?”

“Nope,
pretty boring. You’re the one with all the cool stuff happening.” Court
snorted.

Chapter
Fourteen

I
stood in front of the mic and took a deep breath. All the hard work everyone
had put in now boiled down to my vocal tracks.

Amadeus’s
voice came through my headset. He sat at the control panel in the production
room, watching me through the window. “I want to hear rock and roll, Dame. Sing
from your gut like you did with Rypp Tyde. Give me that raw soul.”

I
gave him a thumbs up, and we began the process, the magic. Every emotion I had
writing them came spilling out. I dared not look at anything, just let the
music flow through my brain and very being. I went back to a time long ago.
When I was a young, arrogant punk, sure I was better than all the rest.

The
song ended, the music fading in my ears. I reached for the headphones, but not
before Amadeus came through with a “Fuck yes!” I looked over at him behind the
glass. He had a huge grin on his face and both thumbs up. Setting the
headphones down, I walked through the door.

“Come
on, you’ve got to hear this! You nailed it, man.”

“I
did what you said.”

The
music played through the speakers. I walked around the small room. A habit I
had from years in the studio. The further into the song, the more I couldn’t
believe it was me singing. I glanced over at Amadeus, who was sitting there
with that same grin plastered over his face.

Once
it ended, he was out of his chair hugging me. “You’re on fire, Dame.”

“It
is good, isn’t it? Damn good.” I hesitated. “Play it again.”

He
played it two or three more times. Though it was perfect, I still had to ask. “You
want to do it again?”

“Hell
no! I’m saving this. There’s no need to mess with perfection.”

By
the time Zara stuck her head in inquiring as to whether or not we were
interested in the dinner she’d prepared, we’d cut three more songs. Each time
with the same result. I was amazed. The quality was beyond anything I’d ever
attempted.

“I
think we need a break anyway,” Amadeus told her. “You’re not going to believe
this, Zara. Dame is on fire. One take on everything he’s done. Perfection.”

“Damien,
you been hiding something from us?”

“No.
I just did what Amadeus asked, that’s all.”

“Can
I play her the first track, Dame?” He knew I’d kept this a closed session for a
reason. It was my first attempt at doing anything solo. I was afraid I would
botch something along the way. There were some things I had to mentally prepare
myself for. It was a lingering side effect of having had a stroke. Something I’d
learned to live with after all these years.

“Yeah,
go ahead. But no one else. Not even Angus. Not until we’ve got them all done.”

“I
don’t have to hear it now, Dame. I can wait, just like everyone else.”

“No,
I want you to hear it. Amadeus is right. It’s smokin’ hot.”

I
turned away as the music started. Nervous at what she’d think. One thing about
Zara, she had a knack for knowing what was good and what wasn’t.

“Oh
my god, Damien. This is incredible. Your voice is as strong as it was years
ago. You sound phenomenal. Don’t do anything to this. It’s perfect as it is.” When
the music ended, she hugged me. “You’ve got yourself a hit. I hope you know
that. Both of you. There’s no doubt in my mind.”

“Thanks
Zara. That means a lot coming from you.”

“I
can already envision the CD cover.”

“Really?
What? Because I haven’t even thought that far ahead.”

“Come
on, you two. Take a break. There’s plenty of time to discuss CD covers.” Zara
laughed as she walked outside.

Three
days later, I had a total of twelve tracks laid down. All my own original
compositions. All done in one take. Now came the backup vocals. Amadeus and I
had decided to do them ourselves. We knew the material and exactly how it
should sound.

“What
would you think about Courtney playing keyboards on a couple?” Amadeus asked,
leaning back in his chair at the control board.

“Don’t
tell me. She’s been burning up the phone lines with you and Zara trying to get
an in.”

“Yeah,
you might say that,” he chuckled. “I told her you had the last say.”

“I
bet that went over well.”

“No,
she understood. She has no experience. But how about we give her some, Dame?”

“To
add to her resume? In case she wants to go somewhere like Julliard?”

“Yes,
that’s another reason. If you’d feel more comfortable, I could work with her
myself. Record her without you being present.”

“Because
I might make her nervous?”

He
chuckled. “You might. She looks up to you, believe it or not.”

“I’m
not much on keyboards, so you would be better at guiding her through what we’re
looking for.”

“Precisely.”

“You’re
also an arrogant snot. Anyone ever tell you that?”

“All
the time.”

“Okay,
we have three that could use keyboards. I agree because she’s damn good, and it’ll
help her out with whatever direction she wants to take her career.”

“Yes.
She has to start somewhere. Plus, if this album takes off, it’ll be a real
feather in her cap.”

“Then,
it’s done. Once we’re through, I’ll let you do the final mix.”

“What
are you going to do?”

“I
need someone to do the cover. I was hoping to get Peter’s daughter, Nora.
Unfortunately, she’s covered up for the next couple of months.”

“Why
not ask Zara? She’s got the equipment and know how. Plus, she’s good and quite
reasonable in her rates.” He winked at me, that smug grin on his face.

“I
suppose I could, though I hate to impose on her any more than I already am.”

“Look,
she did it for that GQ article a few years back. Ask her. I know she’s got your
cover envisioned. I think it’s going to be kick ass. Matching what’s inside.”

“Okay,
I’ll ask her. Has this become a Tudor family project?”

“Might
as well make use of all the family talent.” He chuckled.

“Seriously,
A, I thought perhaps we should send Peter a track or two. Get his opinion. His
instinct is spot on too. Not to mention he does have a vast wealth of knowledge
and contacts.”

“He
does, and I happen to know he’s in New York with Mother. Why don’t I call him? Tell
him I’m sending a track and that I’d like his honest opinion.”

“Not
tell him who?” I chuckled.

“Yeah.
He may not realize it’s you at first, since I doubt he’s listened to Rypp Tyde.”

“Do
it.” My phone vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out and stared at the screen.
Beth. “I need to take this. Why don’t you call Peter and send him the track?
Then, we best get to dinner, or Zara will be hunting us.”

I
walked outside and kept going until I was far enough from my kid brother’s
ears. “Hey stranger. What’s up?”

“I’m
home. Finally.”

“Everything
finally fall into place?”

“Yes,
but with all this stuff about him signing with Consortium…well, there’s been a
lot more interest. I finally got every request for an interview scheduled.”

“The
first week is always the hardest.”

“I
so agree with you. Speaking of you, what have you been up to? You’re a hard man
to catch.”

“I
just finished up cutting my CD. Amadeus and I are about to add some background
vocals, and some keyboards. Then, I’ll turn it over into his capable hands.”

“That’s
wonderful! So, how is it? Are you happy with what you did?”

“You
need to hear it for yourself, Beth. It’s phenomenal. I didn’t know I had it in
me.”

“Really?
Now I’m curious.”

“You
and Courtney both.” I chuckled. “She’s been trying to persuade her uncle to use
her vocal or keyboard talents.”

“I
take it you didn’t?”

“Not
yet. Amadeus is going to talk to her about doing keyboards on a few tracks. Let
her cut her teeth, so to speak.”

“I
can’t wait. I can tell by the excitement in your voice it’s good.”

“It
is. It really is, Beth.”

“So...when
will you be finished? I thought we could get together like we talked about.”

“I’d
like that. Very much. Amadeus and I have the background vocals. We expect to be
done tomorrow. I’ve been staying out here, and I’m sure Zara will be glad to be
rid of me.”

“Sounds
like that wasn’t planned.”

“No,
it wasn’t. Once we got going and heard what we had, we decided to keep on until
we finished.”

“That’s
a good sign.”

“Yeah,
it is. Back to what you were talking about. I should be home tomorrow afternoon
or evening at the latest. Why don’t you think about what you’d like to do, and
I’ll call you when I’m on my way back. I’m sure you could use a day to relax.”

“That
sounds like a plan, Dame. You have no idea how much I’m looking forward to
doing nothing.” She giggled. “I’ll be waiting for your call tomorrow. No matter
what time. I’m looking forward to it.”

“So
am I,” I replied. “I’ve really missed you, Beth.”

“Me
too.”

I
heard something behind me and turned to look. Amadeus was closing the door to
his studio. Louder than usual, to make me notice. He was grinning too. Must
mean success with Peter.

“Look
I’ve got to go. Zara has dinner waiting.”

“I’ll
talk to you soon.”

“Talk
to you tomorrow. Glad you’re back, Bethie.”

I
hung up the phone.

****

Having
given the tracks a final listen and satisfied with what we’d done, I left it in
Amadeus’s capable hands. We’d spent the past evening recording backup vocals,
finishing late into the night.

Even
Peter was excited by what he heard and wanted to talk more. He told Amadeus and
me it had taken him a few seconds into the song to realize who it was. He was
floored, which in this case was a good thing. Things were most definitely
looking up.

On
the ferry ride back to Seattle, I stood on the deck, the breeze blowing through
my hair. I watched as the island I used to live on faded from sight. One day
soon, perhaps I’d find another place on a somewhat remote island. I walked
towards the bow. As I did, I could see the city of Seattle coming into view. I
stood at the railing, watching the gulls flock near and the watercraft darting
around us. Peace is what I felt. An afternoon sail might not be a bad idea
either.

I
didn’t remember to call Beth until I was pulling into the garage at the condo.
Unbelievable. I’d let myself get caught up in nothingness. Something I didn’t
allow myself to do very often.

“Hi
there,” she said as I shut off my SUV. “All finished?”

“Yes,
and I have to admit, it’s a good feeling.”

“Where
are you?”

“In
the elevator headed up to the condo,” I hesitated. “Have you given any thought
to our date?” I cringed at the term. It sounded so old fashioned.

“I
have. I was thinking since we have so much to catch up on, talk about, what
would you say to coming over here?”

“I’m
open to it. Just remember the paparazzi snapped that photo of us on your deck.”

“I
know, but we were outside. They can’t see in the house. Ethan’s not here, so I’m
not worried about them hanging around.”

I
opened the door to the condo and dropped my jaw at what I saw. Obviously, the
girls weren’t expecting me back until tonight or tomorrow. I knew one thing, I
couldn’t have Beth come here. Not that it was an option this early on.

“Dame?
Did I lose you?”

“No.
I just walked into a huge mess. Obviously, the girls haven’t had cleaning up
behind themselves on their minds.”

“I’m
sorry. Do you want to call me back?”

“No.”
I sighed. “Is tomorrow too soon? I would say I’d sail over, but my boat sitting
at your dock would be a huge giveaway.”

“Tomorrow
is perfect. Why don’t you just plan on driving over? That way, you don’t have
to deal with your boat. We can do that another time.”

“I
think you’re right, driving is the better plan. The weather is too iffy right
now.” I walked into the kitchen and right back out. What was going on here?
What had those two been up to?

“Dame,
why don’t you settle in, do whatever you need to do with the mess the girls
left? Call me later, and we can decide on a time and stuff.”

“Thanks,
Beth. I’m sorry I’m not more attentive. They’ve never done this before.”

“Don’t
apologize. Call me in an hour or so. In the meantime, I’m going to decide what
I’m going to feed you and make a grocery list.”