Chapter 15 Reed
REED
“Reed!” CeeCee says brightly, picking up my call. “How’s my favorite music mogul?”
“Fantastic, thanks. I just landed in New York, and I’m on my way to meet up with the Goats at their hotel.”
“Oh, how I love the adorable Goats! Tell them I said hello.”
“I will. They’re kicking off Good Morning America’s summer concert series on Monday.”
“How wonderful.”
“What about you, CeeCee? What’s my favorite media mogul-ess up to this week?”
“Well, sadly, I’m not in New York escorting 22 Goats to Good Morning America. You’ve got me beat there. But I’ve got a few exciting things lined up before I’m scheduled to jet off to meet my darling Francois in Bali.”
“Oh, God, I love Bali. Where are you staying?”
She tells me about her trip’s itinerary for a bit and then says, “Thank you again for yesterday. Angela was thrilled with the lineup of the panel—particularly, that she was able to snag a superstar like you as the event headliner.”
“I wasn’t the headliner. You were. I was just another panelist.”
“Ha! Don’t attempt false modesty with me. I didn’t have a line out the door afterwards. Did all those students want to ask you questions about the music industry, or did they just want to flirt with you?”
“Actually, most of them wanted to give me their music demos.”
“Of course, they did. And... ? Did you discover anyone particularly intriguing?”
My stomach clenches. Did CeeCee notice me losing my shit over Georgina? Is she fucking with me by asking me that? “No, not really,” I say, my heart pounding. “I don’t accept unsolicited demos, as you know.”
“Yes, and I think that’s wise. If word got out you did, you’d need bodyguards twenty-four-seven, not just at music festivals. All the more reason I’m grateful you were willing to subject yourself to the onslaught yesterday.”
“It was my pleasure. Anything for you.”
“Aw, thank you. That’s wonderful to hear because, actually, there’s something else I’d like you to do for me: give me an in-depth interview for Dig a Little Deeper.”
I chuckle. “Not this again. Anything but that.”
“Why are you being so stubborn about this?”
“Why are you? Surely, you’ve got A-listers lined up around the block, wanting to get featured in your new magazine. Why do you keep coming after me?”
“Because everyone else has already been profiled a thousand times. You, on the other hand, are a glamorous man of mystery. You’re enigmatic, Reed.
Inscrutable. We can all see you’re living an enviable life, or so it seems, but what’s behind the curtain?
What does it take to keep all those plates spinning?
And how much has your past influenced your current success?
The world knows, generally speaking, you’ve had to overcome a lot to get where you are, and yet, you’ve never once been interviewed about any of it. ”
And I never will, I think.
“Come on, Reed. You never let anyone peel back the layers of your onion. Let me be the first.”
“I’m quite content being an unpeeled onion. But, thanks.”
“I’m envisioning a cover story, honey. An up-close headshot on the cover with those gorgeous eyes of yours, front and center, staring into the reader’s soul... It’d be an interview bursting with my admiration and love for you. I’d show you as the inspiration you are.”
“I’m not an inspiration.”
“Yes, you are. And yet, nobody knows it because you always seem so polished. Let down your guard a little bit, and I promise it’ll be the best interview of your life.”
“CeeCee, nobody needs to know the nuts and bolts of me. How hard I’ve worked to get here.
What I’ve overcome. Let them think I walk on water and bathe in Evian and shit diamonds and fuck supermodels every second of my golden life.
That’s my brand—which, by the way, I’ve meticulously cultivated in order to sell a shit-ton of music over the years. ”
CeeCee sighs with disappointment. “I think an in-depth interview would be even better for your ‘brand.’ I truly do. It’d be a win-win.”
“I’m sorry,” I say. “It pains me to say no to you about anything, love. In some ways, you’ve been more of a mother to me than my own. But—”
“Now, see! That’s exactly the kind of thing I want to talk to you about in an interview! You’ve never said anything like that to me before. And now I’m dying to know what you mean.”
I look out the car window at the bustling streets of Manhattan. “I’d be happy to tell you over drinks some time. Off the record.”
“I’ll hold you to that. So, what can I do for you, my dear?”
“Nothing.”
“You called me, remember?”
“Oh. Yeah. I just called to tell you how much I enjoyed doing the panel, despite all the griping and bitching I did this past week about having to do it.”
“Aw, I’m so glad.”
“Icing on the cake, I wound up chatting with your friend, Angela, about being an expert witness on this stupid copyright infringement lawsuit I’ve got to defend, and she just now emailed Leonard and said she’s reviewed the case in detail and she’s happy to do it.”
“Fantastic! You’ll love Angela. Your jury is going to adore her.”
“The case won’t get to a jury. Some moron-band nobody has ever heard of is claiming Red Card Riot stole a chord progression that can be found in everything from Mozart to Bruno Mars.”
CeeCee scoffs. “God, I hate people.”
“I would have told you all about it yesterday, but you took off without so much as a quick goodbye.”
“Sorry. You were being mobbed by kiddies, and I only had a short window to grab a coffee with an old friend.”
Bingo. Finally, we get to the good stuff. “Oh yeah? Who?”
“Gilda Schiff. An old friend from college. She’s a journalism professor at UCLA.”
My heart is suddenly thrumming. “Hmm. The woman I saw you leaving with looked a bit younger than an ‘old college friend.’”
“Oh, your eagle eye noticed that gorgeous creature who left with Gilda and me, did it, all the way from across that huge lecture hall?” She chuckles.
“The college kiddie with us was one of Gilda’s journalism students.
Apparently, she had the bright idea to attend a music school event to meet me and try to land herself a writing job. ”
“With Rock ‘n’ Roll?”
“No. Georgina has her sights set on Dig a Little Deeper, though she said she’d take any opportunity.”
My heart rate increases, yet again, just hearing Georgina’s name.
In a torrent, I’m suddenly remembering Georgina’s “greatest hits” from last night.
Our amazing kisses. The way her tits peeked out of her tank.
The way her hazel eyes flashed with homicidal rage when she told me off in front of my house, making me hard as a rock.
And, finally, the way she hurled herself into that Uber, and then flipped me off with both hands as her car peeled away.
And all of it, despite the fact that anyone else would have stayed and kissed my ass—not to mention, come inside and sucked my dick—to advance her stepsister’s cause.
I clear my throat, my breathing shallow. “So, are you going to hire her?” I ask, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible. “I gotta think her worming her way into meeting you at a music school event is a point in her favor. It shows she’s capable of thinking outside the box, don’t you think?”
“Oh, absolutely. And being able to think outside the box wasn’t the only point in this young woman’s favor.”
You can say that again.
“She’s a treasure, Reed. An absolute gem. Funny and engaging. Charismatic and confident. An excellent writer, too. I just finished reading her writing samples, and I was duly impressed.”
My eyebrows rise. I didn’t see that one coming, I’m ashamed to admit. Gorgeous, witty, magnetic, sexy, curvaceous Georgina is also an excellent writer? Well, I’ll be damned.
CeeCee continues. “She’s still a bit green, of course. Definitely needs some real-world experience. But with some guidance, I think she’s got potential to become a top-notch journalist.”
My heart is crashing in my ears. Holy fuck, I want this for Georgina. “It sounds like the event was a win for us both, then. I found myself an expert witness for a frivolous lawsuit, and you found yourself a newbie journalist to hire.”
“Actually, no, I don’t think it’s going to work out for me to hire her, I’m sad to say.”
My heart stops. No. “Why not? From the way you’ve been talking about this girl, it seems like hiring her is a no-brainer.”
“It would be, if only I had the right position for her. But, unfortunately, I don’t.”
I take a deep breath to make sure my voice doesn’t sound over-eager. “Surely, you could move things around to make a spot for her. Good talent is hard to find.”
“The problem is we don’t hire kids straight out of college for Dig a Little Deeper.
Only seasoned professionals. And at Rock ‘n’ Roll, which she said wasn’t her first choice, anyway, writers with no experience are required to funnel through an unpaid, three-month internship as a proving ground before we even think of offering them a paid position on the writing staff. ”
Another deep breath. “Okay, so, offer her an unpaid internship at Rock ‘n’ Roll. Let her hone her chops and earn her way to a paid gig.”
“Why are you fighting so hard for this girl? In fact, why are you even wasting your time talking to me about her at all? Normally, you’d have brushed this topic aside faster than a sneeze.”
“No, I wouldn’t.”
“You absolutely would. Is it because she’s so beautiful? Or didn’t you happen to notice that with your eagle eye from across the lecture hall?”
Shit. “I didn’t notice that, actually. I only saw her from the back.” Fuck. “Maybe yesterday’s panel inspired me to want to give back.”
“Uh huh.”
I audibly shrug, hoping it sounds authentic. “Maybe yesterday’s event made me remember what it was like when I was first starting out, and every bit of mentorship meant so much to me. Especially yours.”
“Mmm hmm. What aren’t you telling me, Reed?”