19. Hannah Fucking Gardiner
Hannah Fucking Gardiner
“What’s with you?” Jordan snapped her fingers in front of Theo’s face, then took the knife out of his hovering hand, put the lid back on the jam, and took a bite of his now-cold toast.
“What?” he asked, as if he didn’t know exactly what she meant.
She cocked her head so her messy bun flopped to the side and then hit him with a probing stare that Theo knew he’d succumb to if he didn’t take counter-measures.
“What’s with you?” He snatched his toast back. “Since when do you wake up before ten?”
“Well, actually, I wanted to catch you before you left for work.”
His anxiety spiked. Was Jordan moving out? Quitting music? Suddenly a flat-Earther?
“Don’t look so worried! Okay, so, actually…” She squinted at the toast in his hand then shook her head. “Put it down. Follow me.”
She led him out the window and onto the fire escape, the clang of their steps echoing down the alley.
He liked it out there, even if the sight of the far-off ground through the metal made his head swim and his stomach tingle.
The morning was too cold for pajamas, but he wasn’t about to stall her news to get a sweater.
Jordan sat on one of the lawn chairs and patted the other. “You can unpinch your face; this news is in the positive column.” She paused for dramatic effect. “I was approached by North Talent.”
Conflicting thoughts and feelings battled for dominance, so what came out of his mouth was a garble of “Ohmygodholyhellamazing.”
Jordan laughed at him. Straight-up at him. “You’re such a doofus, Theodore. I told them I already have an agent.”
“What? No.” He stood, backing away from her like if he physically put enough distance between them, she could feel better about leaving him behind.
He didn’t get very far before his back hit the railing.
“Jordan. Absolutely not. Under no circumstances will you throw away an opportunity to be repped by one of the most influential talent agencies in the country. Not for me. I forbid it.”
That really got her going, clutching her stomach and bending over. “You forbid it!”
He changed tactics, sitting down and taking her hands. “This is huge, Jordan. Enormous. If this is the way the world gets to hear your music, then you have to take it.”
“I know, you dumbass. I told them I already have an agent, so I’d only work with them if you do too.”
“Wh-what?” The information processed slowly. She negotiated a job for him? As an agent? With North Talent? “And they said yes to that?”
She nodded.
His head started shaking before his mind could figure out why. “I didn’t earn it.”
“Bullshit you didn’t earn it.” She sounded legitimately angry. “You’ve been putting in the work for my career from the day we met. So what if you didn’t start at that agency as an admin assistant—”
“Assistant to the admin assistant.”
“Jesus, Theo.” She pulled his own move on him, squeezing both his hands. “I can’t do this without you, so either you’re my agent or this doesn’t happen.”
She needed him. Didn’t she? No one knew her better than he did. No one could bring out the best in her like he could.
“Besides,” she said, her tone implying she knew she’d already won, “it’s not like you’ll be running the place.
They said you could start as a junior agent on a trial basis, and that you’ll be shadowing the veterans.
My main agent will be… Hold on.” She pulled a piece of scribbled-on scrap paper from her pocket and gave it to him.
He couldn’t catch his breath. “Hannah… fucking… Gardiner?”
“Is that good or bad?”
“It’s so wildly good the human brain can’t fathom the implications.” He handed back the paper like it was precious, delicate porcelain. “She reps almost every artist on your Watch The Rain and Feel playlist. The Illegitimate Children, Janelle Brandi, The Core Four…”
She gasped. “I love them.”
“I know, Jordan. Everyone does. Because of Hannah Gardiner.”
He could tell his excitement was infecting her. She cradled the paper in both hands and did a sort of wiggle-dance, making the plastic chair wobble.
“So, we’re doing this?”
“We’re doing this.”
“I should call her, right?”
“You haven’t called her?”
“I had to check with you first!” She was all sparkling laughter and endless potential. “What do I do now?”
“Get your fucking phone, Jordan!”