63. Chapter Sixty-Three
After taking a shower together and making Poppy come on my cock two more times, I hold her hand and guide her towards the door, aware that I am running late for my meeting with the guys. As much as I desire to stay in this room and make up for lost time, I know I have to go, as my brothers are expecting me.
I lead her down the hallway till we get to Ace”s room, just two doors away.
I knock on the door and it swings open right away, and there greeting us is Theo instead of Ace. As he smirks, his eyes dart down to our intertwined hands, revealing his intention to fuck with me once again. That’s just his nature.
“Took you long enough, dickwad,” he says, turning and heading back into the room.
Upon entering the room, I spot Ace and Nate seated at the table, deep in conversation. As I get closer, I see a bunch of papers neatly stacked in front of Ace, along with a big notepad and pen. He”s been working hard on something. That”s the reason we chose him to represent the band. Ace knows his shit. Ever since we lost our songs, he”s all about reaching the ins and out of the legal details.
The moment Poppy lets go of my hand, I come to a sudden stop. I can tell she”s feeling a bit awkward, thinking this is just a band meeting. But whatever we decide in this meeting is gonna affect her too, because I need to tell my brothers that I need to slow down. If the label gets too demanding and keeps me away from my family, I”ll give it all up for her and Alex.
I slide my hand around her waist and stand behind her, holding her close against me. I couldn”t care less what the guys watching me like creepy stalkers think. They’re probably curious since they’ve never seen me like this with anyone ever. Not even when I let my guard down at Nate and Theo”s party, just a month before we signed with the label. Okay, they were there in the room when I got a groupie to suck my cock, but that was it. I never let her touch me anywhere else. Like all the other groupies after that night, I only let them blow me to get off.
“Xander,” she says, turning her head to look up at me. “I’ll just sit on the couch. It’s a band meeting.”
”Come on over, Spitfire,” Theo says. “It”s all good. I’ve got a spot right here if you’re interested.” He pushes his chair back and pats his lap, inviting her to sit. Then he gives me a smart-ass grin.
”Fuck off, Theo,” I grumble, annoyed. “No chance she”ll be anywhere near you, asshole.”
Theo bursts into laughter, and I catch Nate smiling at our playful exchange. As always, Ace maintains his grumpy demeanor.
I grab a chair and pull Poppy onto my lap, placing my hands on her hips, hoping she’ll choose to stay there.
Theo and Nate are grinning like crazy as they stare at me. Seriously, don”t those fuckers have anything better to do besides creeping on me? Sick, twisted assholes.
“Alright,” Ace says, flipping through some papers on the table. “I’ve gathered a ton of information. I had Anita review the contracts we signed, and she pointed out a clause stating that if we decide to leave, the songs we’ve recorded and produced with the label will remain with them. This means we will never be able to play any of those songs in public again.”
“But those are my fucking songs,” I blurt out, feeling disappointed that some of the tracks were about the girl sitting on my lap. At the time, I didn’t know what I was writing, but now that I do, I refuse to let the label own them. Those songs are mine, a reflection of how Poppy broke through my defenses and saw the real me. “How the fuck do we not have the rights over them?”
“Because of the clause in our contract that states…” Ace grabs the notepad and reads from it. “Any songs recorded under the label are the property of Victory Records. We all signed it.” Ace looks around the table.
“So, what does that mean for us?” Nate queries.
“It means we’re pretty much at their mercy,” Theo remarks. “They practically own us.”
“Not necessarily,” Ace interjects.
The room falls silent as Ace”s piercing gaze sweeps across the group, capturing everyone”s attention, before finally settling back on me.
“You mentioned you’ve been writing songs and have enough for four albums.”
“Yeah, so?” I respond, still pissed by the loss of my songs.
“I was thinking, once we”re back home, we can check them out, record as many as we can, and then go off on our own.”
“But we’ve lost all those songs,” Nate states.
“Yeah, but think about it. How often do we play those songs anyway? I think on our set list for this tour, there’s only one. The rest is our new stuff,” Ace points out.
“Yeah but still that’s our biggest hit to date,” Theo says.
“So, what exactly are you proposing, Ace?” Nate asks.
“We should take a break and record Xander”s songs. Then we can pick which ones go on an album and drop two albums a few months apart. By doing this, we can leave our old stuff alone. In the meantime, Anita is on the lookout for a loophole in the clause so we can get our songs back. Our sound is what it”s all about, not the shit the label forces on us. Plus, we could use some downtime. With everything going on with Xander, it would give him a chance to bond with Alex and reconnect with Poppy. I think taking a break will be good for all of us. Then, maybe in about six months to a year, we can think about touring again. What are your thoughts? We all need to be fully in on this. You know the rules.”
Nate leans back, arms crossed, and looks at the group. “We’ve been doing this for four years, always on the go. I’m grateful for what we’ve accomplished and the money we’ve made, but I’m fed up with being just a puppet for the label to stick their hand up our asses. We don’t get a say in what happens. We’ve seen the world, but what have we really seen? Stadiums, hotels, buses, and interview rooms. It’s irritating. Our days are jam-packed with radio and TV interviews, then we perform, then hit the road again. Let’s tell Reg right now that we’re done with that shit. I”m in Sydney for fuck sake. I’ve always wanted to climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge. And that’s never gonna happen with the schedule they give us. So, I’m with Ace on this one. They’ve been using us, and we need to stop it.
“Yeah, he’s right,” I say. “We only get time off between tours or when we have to learn some idiot’s new song that doesn’t even match our style. Or it’s time wasted in the recording studio or some damn interview with me trying to fix some messed up shit I’m accused of, all because of Reg and the Label. From now on, everything changes. Starting with the interviews. Why the fuck do the four of us have to do it when one person could do it. When the four of us are there, we only answer a couple of questions anyway, when one of us could just do the whole fucking thing. We should share the interviews around so we can do whatever the fuck we want. And we’ll make sure it’s over the phone. That way, we can do our own shit, and at least see a bit of the country we’re in. I fucking love you guys. You’re my bros and I love the music we create. Not that shit they make us play, but our music. But I can’t keep going on like this, not now when I have other factors to include in my life.” I give a smile to the beautiful girl on my lap before shifting my gaze back to the boys. “I have a son who I have four years of catching up to do. My girl and I need to build a life together. I’ve lost so much of that life already. And I don’t want to give this up, but if we stay with the label, I’ll have to. Family comes first for me, not the damn label.”
“But I don’t want you to give it up for us, Xander,” Poppy says.
“I understand, Princess, but it’s what I want.” I plant a gentle kiss on her cheek, then shift my gaze back to my brothers.
All three, seated around the table, exchange glances with one another.
“So it’s settled then,” Ace says. “We go out on our own.”
”I don”t want you guys to decide just because of that,” I explain. “I”m just saying I can”t keep dealing with the way they manipulate us all the time. It would crush me if I lost what truly matters to me again.” I don’t have to say anymore. The boys know exactly what I’m talking about.
“I think we should break away and go solo,” says Nate. “Our band wouldn’t be the same without its frontman. Xander Williams is the heart and soul of Broken Oasis. I swear, I’d quit if one ofmy brothers weren’t here making music with me.”
“I agree,” Theo nods.
Nate and Theo shift their gaze towards Ace.
“Don’t worry, man,” Ace says. “After witnessing all the messed up shit on this tour, I’m the one proposing we break free. Plus, I wouldn’t want to do any of this without you guys. It’s who we are, a broken bunch of assholes who understand each other. Nothing can ever break that bond. And as time goes on, our lives are bound to change. We can’t keep going on like this for years under the label. It’s better if we record our own music and have control over it. So, are we all in agreement that this will be our final tour under the label?”
”I’m in,” I say.
“Me too,” says Nate.
“Let’s do it,” says Theo.
I give Poppy a big squeeze, relieved that I can finally put all my energy into building a life with her and our son, without the constant pressure of the label. When Ace talks, I lean my chin on Poppy”s shoulder, eager to hear what else he has to say.
“Okay,” Ace says, picking up the pen and jotting a few words down on the notepad. “Starting today, let”s make it clear to Reg that only one of us will be doing the interview.” He takes out his phone and taps a few buttons. “Kit has two radio interviews this afternoon and two tomorrow.”
”Wait a sec,” Nate says, whipping out his phone. “First, I wanna see when I can do the bridge climb. There”s a few spots in the morning,“ he says, looking up. “Anyone interested?” He looks at Theo. “I know you won’t be, since you’re afraid of heights.” Then he gives Ace and Poppy a look, and finally me.
“Yeah, I’ll go,” Ace says.
“Xander, Poppy,” Nate inquires.
”Nah, I wanna go to the zoo,” I say. I’ve heard Alex ask Poppy twice now if she has taken any photos of kangaroos or koalas, and I’ve been trying to figure out how to make that happen with our hectic schedule. So now I can arrange that for them.
“I’m going with Xander,” Theo quickly blurts out, flashing me a smile. By the way he’s looking at me. I know he”s waiting for me to object, thinking he”s intruding on my time with Poppy, but I can”t refuse him when I know how much he loves animals. I can’t even count how many times I’ve walked into his house to find him watching Animal Planet. The dude would never forgive me if I told him he was not welcome.
“What do you say, Poppy?” Nate asks again. “Wanna join Ace and me for the bridge climb?”
“I’m not great with heights either. Besides, Alex has been asking if I have any photos of kangaroos and koalas, so I’ll go with Xander and Theo.”
Nate turns back to his phone, presses a few buttons, and then places it face-down on the table. “It’s booked for six in the morning,” he says, glancing at Ace.
“Okay, then that means Nate and I will handle the two radio interviews this afternoon,” Ace states. “Theo and Xander, you guys will take care of the ones tomorrow. Is there anything else I should inform Reg about, besides mentioning that this tour will be our final one under the label?”
“Can they potentially sue us?” Theo asks.
“According to Anita, no, they can’t, because our contract doesn’t specify a length of time. So, we’re not breaking any rules there. It only states that any music produced by the label is theirs. As long as we don’t play the ones copyrighted to them, they won’t be able to sue us.”
“Can I be there when you let that asshole know we’re done with his crap and the labels too?” Theo asks.
“Why don’t we hold off for now?” I butt in. “There are still twelve days left on this part of the tour, so you know how it”s gonna go down. Reg will keep acting like a school kid. Let”s just tell Kit that one of us will handle the interviews from now on, and we can do it over the phone instead of going into the studio. And if Reg brings it up, that”s when we”ll come clean. He might not even notice it with all the shit he”s got going on right now.”
“Okay,” Ace says, “but as soon as he starts on Kit, that’s when we tell him.”
“Deal,” Nate agrees.
“Hold on, let me make sure I’ve got this right. I have a free day today and tomorrow.” Theo glances around the table. “Hey spitfire, come see me in my room?”
I open my mouth to tell him to save that shit for his groupies and cougars he flirts with, but Poppy beats me to it.
“Well, since I’m already seeing you… Theo, I hate to say it, but you’re just not doing it for me.”
I notice his smug grin transform into a huge smile as he gazes at her. He clearly appreciates her strength, just like I told him years ago. Nothing seems to shake her. His attempts to flirt are falling flat with her. He can”t get under her skin like he can with me.
“Leave her alone, idiot,” Ace says as he gets up from the table. He quickly taps a few buttons on his phone before making his way to the other side of the room. “Hi Kit,” he says, then heads towards a bedroom.
“When you come to the zoo tomorrow, make sure you bring a disguise so that no one recognizes you. And seriously, don’t hit on anyone while we’re there,” I say firmly. If he ruins my day of taking photos for Alex, there”ll be hell to pay.
“Seriously, you think that wig and hat hide your identity?” he smirks.
“Yeah, they get the job done. Just make sure nobody knows it’s you.”
Ace returns. “It’s done. I’ve informed Kit to let me know if Reg causes any trouble.”
“How did she take it?” Nate inquires.
“Fine. She couldn”t understand why they set up the interviews like that, anyway. So, it’s not a problem.”
“I’m fucking starving,” Nate says, getting up from the table. “Come on, let’s go down to the bar, celebrate, and grab something to eat.
I give Poppy a little tap on her leg, signaling for her to get up.
”Give me the lowdown on my little nephew, Alex,” Nate says, casually putting his arm around Poppy. It’s all good because it’s Nate. But if it was Theo, it”d be a whole different ball game because he”s such a flirt who always loves getting under my skin. Nate’s loyalty is unmatched. He wouldn’t even think about hitting on another guy’s girl. He knows how much Poppy means to me, and he and the guys already see her as part of our family.
Theo comes over, stands beside me, and watches as Ace opens the door for Nate and Poppy to leave the room.
“You’ve got it all, man. You’ve achieved everything you’ve ever wanted - the dream life, our music, the girl, and the family we’ve always longed for. I’m happy for you, bro.” He playfully slaps my back.
I turn to face him, ready for his usual smartass cocky smirk. But he”s really being sincere.
“Thanks, man. My only job now is not to fuck it all up.”
“Nah, she”s more forgiving than that,” he laughs, slapping my back again. “You’ve already fucked up big time, and yet she still wants you. I don’t get it though. Not when she could have me whenever she wants, but hey, each to their own.” His smart-ass grin comes out and the fucker just can’t help himself.
“Are you two assholes coming or what?” Ace, the grump, says, still holding the door open for us.
Theo is the first to move forward. “Yeah, alright, Mr. Personality,” he replies. “Wouldn’t hurt to crack a smile once in a while.”