Chapter 5
Chapter Five
LIVIANNA/LILY
Then
Ivory Threads & The Reveries That Unravel Too Slow
Sometimes the dream keeps going long after you realize you’ve already woken into the wrong life.
“It’s okay, Callum.” I drop his hand. “I’ll get Bren and you guys can meet with Mr. Baker.”
Callum peers down at me with his brows drawn together. The elation that was emanating from him moments ago is now nothing but tight shoulders and a protruding chest. Something isn’t sitting right with him.
My cheeks heat. Am I messing this up for him?
Callum hesitates for a second, then lifts his gaze to Leon and John. “I want Livianna there. She’s not supposed to be out of my sight.”
“Then this conversation will be held at another time.” Leon cocks his head in a challenging manner toward Callum. “On that note, when it does take place, it’ll be between only Cash and me. No one else needs to be present.”
John clears his throat. “Cash, this is how Leon conducts the first interaction with an artist. He’s trying to decide if he should offer to sign you on with his record company or help produce an album with you as a one-time project under someone else’s label.”
Leon nods. “It’s a matter of whether I want to work with you on a contractual level or go the distance and create a long-term agreement, signing you on with my team.”
“Don’t they go together?” Callum’s eyes narrow.
“There are two ways we can approach this.” Leon zeroes in on him. “I could work with your current label and produce your next album under their terms and restraints, or I could take you on with my record label and we could work together with a longer commitment.”
“I want to sever my ties with our current…” Callum pulls back and shuts his mouth.
Leon flashes him a knowing smile. “If you sign on with me, since I also produce, you can rest assured I’ll be involved in helping you create exactly what you want Mayhem to be. I just need to see your vision and stand behind it.”
“What about Guns?” Callum waves his hand toward the stage. “He’s an equal founder of Mayhem. Shouldn’t he be involved in this first interaction?”
“I know more about you than you realize, Cash.” Leon pulls out a toothpick from his pants pocket. “There’s a reason Mayhem starts with the first three letters of your surname and ends with Guns’.”
I didn’t know that’s where Mayhem came from. How did Leon?
Callum’s response takes me out of my thoughts. “What does that have to do with anything?”
Leon slips the toothpick between his lips, letting it balance as he speaks. “Cash, you’re the star. Guns is the blank sky. He’s the canvas that supports the art you create, so no. He isn’t needed. It’s your dream I want to know about.”
“Why?” Callum inches back as if he doesn’t trust Leon.
“You write the lyrics. You sing the songs.” Leon removes the tiny stick from his mouth. “It’s your voice, your soul the world needs to hear. Not some guitarist and backup singer who isn’t connected to the message you’re so desperately trying to get people to understand.”
The background noise seems to disappear and the area hums with a thick energy. The tension around us grows as Callum and Leon stare at each other. It’s as if they’re engaged in some kind of ping-ponging power play through their eyes.
It’s obvious Leon wants Callum to align with him and Callum definitely wants Mayhem to become legendary. They need each other.
They both have authority and are great at what they do. The questions are: Who has the most to gain and who wants their desires more?
The one who doesn’t cave is the one in control. Even I know that.
I’ve been in uncomfortable situations at work before but nothing like this. I scratch at the skin on my arm. Should I leave, or is that a sign of weakness?
John shuffles to the side. “Cash, if you want this partnership to be explored, go with Leon. I’ll take Livianna back to the hotel with Guns.”
My stomach turns to iron. “I’m not going anywhere with you, John.”
“Livianna, I said we’ll get Guns. I won’t touch you.” His apologetic gaze lands on mine. “Please believe me, I’ll never hurt you like that again.”
Leon focuses on John as if he’s taking something John said and coming up with an explanation of his words. It’s as if Leon’s stockpiling any useful information he can take to turn things to his favor. I don’t like it.
“John, I overreacted.” I build a tight smile and glance at all the men. “I was just trying to let Callum know I wouldn’t leave him if he wanted me to stay. We’ll let you two meet and John will take Bren and me back to the hotel. It’s best that way.”
“Lily… Are you sure?” Callum studies me. “I promised you I wouldn’t leave your side.”
“You’re not. I’m leaving yours.” I get on my tiptoes and give him a quick kiss. “Go on, rockstar. Have one conversation with Mr. Baker. What harm can it do?”
“Listen to her, Cash.” Leon slides the toothpick between his lips again. “She makes a good point.”
Callum gives a terse nod. “Okay, but let’s make it short.”
“It’ll take as long as we need.” Leon starts to walk away. “Nobody rushes creativity.”
Callum gazes down at me with a weighted expression and then shakes a thought loose. “I’ll try to get back to you soon.”
“I know. Just go so we’re not standing here wasting any more time.” I turn him in Leon’s direction. “Good luck.”
“Thanks. Send good vibes that this goes the way we want it to.” Callum squares his shoulders and stalks after Leon.
It’s all I do for the next three hours while Bren screws some groupie in the room next to mine. John’s in his own space, so I’m all alone. I listen to music, rehearse my lines, and make a trail in the carpet from my constant pacing.
I slide into bed at two but toss and turn. What’s taking so long?
At two-thirty, the door clicks open and the light from the hallway filters in. I catch a glimpse of Callum before the door closes and he disappears into the bathroom.
He didn’t glance at the bed or search the room for any sight of me. It was almost like he wanted to avoid me. I lie still, waiting for him to work through whatever has his mind caught in a trap.
Maybe the meeting with Leon didn’t go well. The shower turns on and I get an idea. Callum needs to get out of business mode and I know just the way to do it.
I strip my pajamas off and saunter to the bathroom. I place my hand on the doorknob and try to turn it. It’s locked.
Why would he do that?
I get a sinking feeling in my gut. I don’t want to assume anything or create drama, so I put on my PJs and slip back in bed.
Callum takes about twenty minutes to clean up. He comes out of the bathroom, turns out the light, and creeps through the darkness across the floor until he slides in next to me.
He maneuvers me so he’s curled himself around me with my back flush to his chest. I place my hand over his and squeeze.
He kisses my shoulder. “I thought you were asleep.”
“No. I’ve been waiting for you.”
“Sorry that took longer than I wanted.”
“I’m not upset.” I peek back at him. “Do you want to tell me how it went?”
He buries his face in the crook of my neck and breathes for a moment. My stomach does a flip.
I roll to see him. It’s dark in here, but there’s enough light coming in from the window that I’m able to make out his features.
He trails his thumb over my jaw. “It’s a lot to take in, Lily. Part of the meeting was great. Other parts were confusing. I felt like I was trying to read between the lines of some script he had prepared.”
“He’s been in the industry for years, Callum. He knows what he’s doing. You’re moving on to the next level and probably just don’t understand how he works.”
“There’s no doubt about that.”
“Are you sure this reaction isn’t just you being a little scared?”
He forces out a fake laugh. “I’m terrified. That’s the problem.”
“Why?”
“I’m going in blind.”
“No, you’re not. You know the business. You just don’t know what it’s like to work with someone of his caliber. It was like this with my acting career. Every bigger opportunity I got, I felt like I was starting over.”
Callum twists, switches on the light, and turns back to me. His eyes, lined with worry, along with his deep-set frown, focus on my face.
“Lily, it’s more than that. Leon was talking about my pops and shit like that. It was fucking weird. There seems to be an underlying agenda. I can feel it in my bones.”
I push myself up and sit cross-legged before him. “What was he saying?”
“Things like how much I look like my pops and how long he’s waited to reconnect.” Callum shakes his head. “I’ve never met Leon. Not even in passing. What the fuck does he mean by saying shit like that? I’m telling you, it was strange.”
“It sounds like it, but…” I glance around the room, looking for answers I know we won’t get. “Tell me about the good stuff. Maybe we can figure out the meaning behind his words by seeing what he’s willing to give you.”
“Leon believes in my vision with Mayhem. He says he can make all my dreams come true.” Callum takes my hand in his and runs his thumb over my knuckles. “He wants to sign us to his label. It would be a multi-album option deal with all the top-level perks.”
“Callum, that’s wonderful.”
“Ur Boyz has to be dropped first. And if that happens, Leon won’t sign us until I turn eighteen.”
“Why?”
“That’s the other thing that confuses me. I’m telling you, Lily. He’s up to something.”
I shudder. “I think you need to talk to John before you do anything more with Leon.”
“Agreed, but if I turn down this chance, I have a feeling he’ll take me down.” Callum rakes his teeth over his lip. “He didn’t come right and say it, but he alluded to it by telling me I could always try to live off your money.”
“Oh, whoa. That’s kind of cruel.”
“Tell me about it.” He pauses for a moment. “If I don’t do this, I’ll lose everything.”
Callum slides his fingertips along my thighs. We stare into each other’s eyes while trying to make a life-altering decision.