9. Brett
NINE
brETT
ONE YEAR LATER
“Oh god,” Effie raced in her stockinged feet across the cabin’s hardwood floor. She skidded into the living room, holding her ringing cell phone in front of her face.
Brett looked up from his book, over his reading glasses, and smiled. “Is this the call ?”
In the year since Nightowl Recordings released, they had, as agreed, split their time between New York City and Jewel, Michigan. They spent the bulk of their time in New York, as Effie had regular promotional events and networking opportunities for the Nightowl Recordings release cycle. Even more so in the whirlwind leading up to Grammy season.
Brett, dutifully, stayed in New York and stood by her side for every event she invited him. Though, often, his princess liked to shine all on her own. When the events were over, she’d come back to her block-wide Tribeca townhouse, and they would make love in a new spot concealed by the tinted, full-length windows. But as Grammy nomination time rolled around, they agreed to head back to Jewel, to slow down and recalibrate after a hectic year.
“This is it,” she said, her electric blue eyes sparkling.
He knew then it was her agent calling, presumably with the news of her Grammy nominations, which were shared with industry insiders just minutes ago, before going live to the public.
Just as she was about to swipe to answer, Brett’s phone lit up too, vibrating on the couch next to him.
Effie jumped with excitement as they both stared at the phone. It was his agent.
He froze. With his agent, Brett had agreed that they wouldn’t need a call if Nightowl Recordings received nominations, as he and Effie would be together and her agent would call. So now that his agent was calling, it meant that he had received a specific nomination. Brett never imagined receiving another nomination after Hoax broke up.
Because Effie waited too long, her call when to voicemail. “Well, answer it, Brett!” she shouted, gripping onto her lifeless phone.
Brett swiped to open the call and put it on speakerphone. “Brett?” his agent, Jo, said.
“Jo,” he responded. “You’re on speakerphone.”
“Congratulations on the nominations, Effie,” Jo sang.
“I haven’t talked to my agent yet,” she responded, still in shock.
“You scared us when you called,” Brett explained.
“Scared me, too, Brett, you’d best believe!” Jo hollered on the other end. “You’re nominated for Producer of the Year, sugar!”
Brett dropped his phone on the ground as Effie started jumping around the room and squealing. Jo kept talking in the background, but Brett didn’t hear a word, dumbfounded.
“Me? Nominated for Producer of the Year?” was all he could say.
“Don’t you know it!”
By then, Effie’s phone was ringing again, and she answered it, only screaming in greeting to her team.
As it turned out, Nightowl Recordings secured nominations for Album of the Year, Song of the Year for lead single “Next Chapter Of Us,” Best Music Video for “Next Chapter Of Us,” and Best Pop Vocal Album. In the album and song categories, Brett would be nominated, too, because he helped write over twenty percent of the album. But the Producer of the Year award? That category was all his.
From across the living room and into the kitchen, Brett watched Effie pace back and forth, earbuds in as they both finished up with their teams. Brett clicked end on his call and quickly framed a photo of his love in her element. A shining, glowing beacon in his life. In her fans’ lives. He considered it an honor to play a part in it this time.
Then he laughed as he opened his Notes app to jot that thought down. Because, just in case, by some miracle, he won the Producer of the Year Grammy, he wanted to have those exact words to share in his speech.
Effie Bird is a glowing beacon in my life. In her fans’ lives. I’m honored to play a part in it this time.