Chapter 21
The last couple of days had been hell on earth, even though the naming ceremony had gone better than he thought it would.
Grace had gotten on really well with his brother and sister-in-law.
The kids had adored her; she had spent ages playing with them while he chatted to his family.
His parents had bought the story he had spun them about trapping his hands between two equipment crates.
Ann had graciously accepted his lies without question but insisted he keep his hands from view for the photos.
Patrick had taken him to one side amidst all the celebrations to speak to him about it.
“I don’t want to know the real story, son, but I am guessing from the looks Grace keeps shooting you that it has something to do with her.
I’m also guessing it has something to do with the band seeing as Ben hasn’t taken his hands out of his pockets either for the last two hours.
” Patrick handed his son a bottle of beer from behind the temporary bar.
“I raised my kids well enough to know that if you used your fists it must have been necessary. She’ll forgive you. Just give her time.”
It had been an eye opener. Alex hadn’t realised that Grace may actually be mad at him. Not for what happened but for how he had dealt with it. Suddenly the frosty looks made sense.
They had spent yesterday alone, holed up at his house on the outskirts of the city. Neither one of them had felt like playing happy families back at his parents’ house. They had talked a lot about that night; still nothing was resolved.
Now here he was about to go into a meeting with his management company, the record label and the rest of the guys.
His lawyer had just arrived to brief him on his options.
Jan had found them a free office to talk over his issues; the questions running around in his head were driving him mad.
Speaking to the well suited man had put his mind at rest somewhat but until he was in that room with everyone else, well, he wasn’t making any promises.
As he exited the room with his lawyer, Jack, Ben jogged up behind him.
“Hey, Jan just told me Jez isn’t here. His lawyer is speaking on his behalf.
At least you don’t have to sit opposite him for the next hour.
” Taking in the look on his friend’s face, Ben stopped in his tracks.
“Al, let’s just see what they have to offer, eh?
I thought we decided we’d see what they come up with. ”
“I don’t know. Grace doesn’t see how we can fix this.
I just don’t know. Max is in there now with Chris and the guys from the record company.
I think I’m done with this shit. I really think this is it.
You know, when we come out of here it may just be all over.
I’m sorry but I really think I need to do this now. ”
Ben opened his mouth to speak only to close it immediately.
What was the point in arguing with him? They must have had this same conversation a hundred times over the last six months.
Alex had said on numerous occasions that he was going to leave and nothing ever materialised.
Why would today be any different? If push came to shove then Jez and Max could be replaced; they could just carry on.
As they entered the room the tension was heavy in the air.
Alex stood at the end of the long table which ran almost the full length of the room.
His eyes swept the faces around the table before he settled on Max.
The arrogant bastard had the balls to grin and wink at him.
Pulling out the chair nearest to him he settled himself in for the fight that was sure to follow.
Ben looked at Max’s smug expression, the sick feeling rising inside him as the anger swelled again.
The memory of seeing him standing outside that room, threatening Izzie, flashed fresh through his mind.
His fists balled at his sides as his jaw clenched instantly.
He realised his friend was right; there was no way back from the shit this time.
Jez and Max had to go. Ben could no longer work with the two men either.
Alex noticed his stance. Dragging out a chair beside him he beckoned for Ben to sit.
Chris was the first to speak. “At last. I thought maybe you two were too embarrassed to show your faces. Jez won’t be joining us today as he is currently nursing a couple of broken ribs, a fractured jaw, oh and two missing teeth.
You are lucky I talked him out of pressing charges, Alex.
” Chris shuffled the papers he had in front of him as Max unsuccessfully tried to hide his smirk.
Thumping his fist on the table Alex growled at Max. “I’m glad you think it’s funny. You are lucky he got to you before I did.” Alex indicated to Ben with his finger.
“Hey, I don’t know why you’re mad at me.
It was all his idea.” He motioned towards Chris who had now turned a funny grey colour.
“He asked Jez to get her on her own, prove to you she was just like all the others. I just made sure they weren’t disturbed.
I don’t know what the big deal is; you never used to complain when we shared the chicks. ”
The room fell silent as all faces turned to take in the sight of Chris now stuttering out his denial.
“You. Did. What?” Alex roared as his whole body shook with anger.
The man he had trusted with his life for the last five years had betrayed him.
“You fucking bastard! My girlfriend was almost raped by someone who was supposed to be my mate and you put him up to it?” His voice was low with disbelief.
“Izzie has bruises on her arms from that prick.” Ben’s voice was a growl.
He pointed at Max, not able to look at him anymore.
Disbelief washed over him as he realised Chris was backing the other two band members.
Alex shifted out from behind the table ready to show their manager exactly what he thought of him.
Jack, his lawyer, jumped in front of him along with Ben, desperate to hold him back.
They both knew hitting Chris was not the answer.
“Look, let’s just calm this down, shall we?
It wasn’t how it sounds, Al. I just asked Jez to find out if it was serious, that’s all.
You know I have to protect your image.” Chris struggled to string the sentences together.
He could see the rage in Alex’s his face.
Standing up, the weedy man knew he was no match for the singer should he decide to attack him but at least if he stood he could maybe get out of the way.
Max snorted at their manager’s last statement, “Protect his image? Aren’t you the one that sells all those photos to the press?
You told me it would increase our saleability if he was seen with all those women.
” Ben scraped his chair backwards, rising to stand also, aghast at the situation that unfolded before him.
He had been certain that Jez and Max would be sacked but here he was listening to Chris defend them.
Before he could say anything Alex lost the grip he had on his temper.
Flying around the table he made his way towards the man that had effectively ruined everything.
Chris tripped over the chair leg as he tried to put some distance between the pair.
Grabbing his shirt in his fist, Alex dragged him to within an inch of his face.
Almost spitting his words out he spoke. “I’m done.
We’re done. Do you understand? This shit is over.
” He pushed the trembling man backwards sending him crashing into the wall behind.
Grabbing Chris’ paperwork from the table Alex ripped it in half, allowing the pieces to scatter on the floor.
“Uni-Fi no longer exists.” He turned his back, making his way towards the door.
Ben stood to join him. Disgust etched across his face, his illusions of the band and its future now shattered. “I’m out too. This is fucked up.” The pair exited the room to Chris shouting after them.
“You’ll never work again after what you did to Jez. I’ll make sure of it!”
Alex stopped in his tracks, turned abruptly and re entered the room.
“Jack, I wanna sue the prick.” He counted on his fingers as he spoke.
“Breach of contract, loss of income, defamation of character. Whatever. You decide. If you can make it stick I want you to throw it at him.” Raising his attention to Chris he spoke directly to him now.
“You will not win this. Oh, and Jack, the statement I gave you about what happened to Grace, I want to go to the police with it. You have her statement too?” His lawyer nodded.
They had discussed the options earlier during a conference call with Grace.
She hadn’t been keen to go to the police but after speaking with his lawyer she had felt reassured enough to allow him to record the events just in case.
Izzie had pointed out to her that the next girl might not be so lucky; she had a chance to stop him.
Chris didn’t need to know they had no intention of ever involving the authorities.
He just needed to know that they could, and Jez needed a wake-up call.
The threat of prison may just be enough to ensure he wouldn’t do it again.
“The band doesn’t need you, Alex. Jez can take your place. You’re not irreplaceable. Singers like you are ten a penny,” Chris retorted.
“Try it. I think you’ll find buried somewhere in your paperwork it states that the band name belongs to me and Ben. Use it with Jez involved and I will clean you out.” Alex was done arguing. He didn’t need to say anything else.
Chris knew he didn’t have a leg to stand on as he watched his cash cow disappear through the door. Panic washed over him as he shouted after him. “Come on now! This has just got out of hand; we can sort this out, Alex!”
The singer didn’t turn around or acknowledge his former manager. He had allowed him his bravado but he wouldn’t allow him to destroy his future.
Chris turned to address Ben. “Come on, man. You know what it’s like,” he pleaded with the guitarist.
A solitary laugh escaped Ben’s throat. “You chose the wrong side, Chris.” Ben followed his best friend out of the meeting room.
Standing outside the room Alex took a deep breath.
For the first time in months, if not years, he felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
All the stress he had suffered was gone.
If he never wanted to perform on stage again he now didn’t have to.
Alex had spent the last two years envisaging this moment, running it over and over in his mind.
It had been a long time coming. All the things he thought he would feel like the fear, the uncertainty, weren’t there.
Instead the only thing he could think about was how excited he was to have quit.
He felt giddy knowing that tomorrow and the days that followed were his; he didn’t have to answer to anyone else now.
Ben looked a little shell shocked but assured him he was fine; it had been the right decision.
The boys watched as the suits started to exit the meeting room.
One by one they passed offering nods or handshakes to the united pair.
Alex hardly noticed Chris or Max exit the building.
It had been Ben who had nudged him, signalling that the pair had left.
The boys were too busy accepting business cards from various people at the record label offering to sign both of them as solo artists.
Sticking to his roots and his inbuilt good manners, Alex graciously accepted all the cards offered to him.
Promising to give his future some serious thought he insisted he would be in touch once he had spoken to Grace.
Ben on the other hand was being selective in who he spoke with.
His lawyer, poised at his side, was also busy fielding questions whilst trying to organise a press release.
The problem being that Alex no longer had a PA; Izzie was due to start her new job next week.
She had negotiated a great deal making sure she had some very reputable bands on her books.
She was going to have her hands full but for now she was enjoying the down time.
His phone buzzed against his leg, the now familiar ringtone echoing out of his pocket.
Grace. He had promised to ring her as soon as he was out of the meeting; she had almost bitten her fingernails down to the bone over the last few days.
Still she was convinced that she had ruined his life.
“Hey, babe...no, I’m fine...no, I quit.” He instantly held the phone away from his ear, protecting his hearing as she shouted. “Gracie, it’s fine, stop worrying. I made this decision a long time ago it just took you to make me realise it...I know. Forever and a day, babe.”
By the time he had finished his call to Grace, Jack and his agent had organised a press release stating that Uni-Fi was no more. It would go out at three that afternoon and then there would be no going back.