From the Top - Chapter 33

While the excitement on my first day back was wild, it didn’t take long for things to return to normal. Part of that is the high school thing of the latest drama always drowning everything else out, and the fact that my show wasn’t out yet. I think I helped it along by not being able to actually say anything. By the second day back, everyone’s attention had shifted off to some other drama, allowing me to kind of fade back into the woodwork.

And I was honestly fine with all that. I won’t lie and say I didn’t love the attention, but it was also kind of nice getting back into my routine.

Of course, that didn’t mean weirdness connected to my being on a reality show stopped cold. We weren’t allowed phones in class, so I kept mine off and in a side pouch of my bag and didn’t check it until I got out of class. Since all of my friends and family, and the people I work with have my schedule, it’s usually only a few texts to call someone back when I get out of school.

When I turned my phone back on after school on Thursday, however, I had nineteen missed calls from a number I didn’t recognize in an area code I didn’t recognize. I was about to call it back and find out who they were when my phone rang again with the same number.

Whoever this was, they wanted to talk to me pretty badly.

“Hello?” I said, answering.

“Charlie Nelson?” a man’s voice responded.

He sounded like he was from the northwest somewhere. Not New Jersey or New York, and it wasn’t thick, but it was noticeably not southern.

“Yes?”

“My name’s Jim Stratton. I’m an entertainment lawyer out in LA. The producers from your show gave me your contact info. I wanted to reach out and talk to you about my services and what we’re going to be doing together.”

“Uh... I don’t think I’ve agreed to work with you or anyone else yet,” I said, a little taken aback by his attitude.

“Of course, of course. I just wanted to get out in front of this thing. The producers said you made quite the impression, and your storyline is going to be a big one this season.”

“I think there’s some confusion. Like I just said, I haven’t made any decisions about representation. And I can’t really talk about the show.”

“Totally understand, totally understand. But here’s the thing, kid, you’re going to need someone like me on your team. These music competition shows chew up talent and spit them back out faster than you can blink. But I know how to leverage the exposure into lasting success. My clients get endorsement deals, book high-profile tours, the whole shebang. With me in your corner, you’ll go from a reality show contestant to bona fide star.”

“Seriously, you’re not really listening to me. I appreciate you reaching out, but I already have a manager and a lawyer.”

“Yeah, the show mentioned that, and I’m sure they’re great for what they’ve been doing with you so far, but with all due respect, you’re about to step into a whole new world. We’re talking Hollywood, endorsements, and possible deals with TV, once your name gets out there. Whoever you’ve got, won’t know the first thing about how to make it work out here. Everyone knows The Stage films fast, so the networks get on their game fast, which means you can’t wait until it airs to start making calls. I’ve already started fielding some calls about your setup, and what kind of deals you can do. I’m telling you, if we move fast on this, you’ll have product sponsors lined up before the first episode even airs.”

“You’ve what?” I asked, incredulous.

Was he even allowed to do that, start talking to companies as if he were my representative without even talking to me about it first?

“I get it. It’s crazy,” the guy said, misreading my tone of shock as excitement. “Everyone gets that kind of whiplash the first time. I’ve got a new talent tour starting up in late April that has a spot already lined up, and let me tell you, they were excited when I told them you were on board. I’ve also got a couple of websites looking for a sponsor that are just about ready to sign you, and of course, you’ve got the show tour itself. Now, I can’t start getting much traction on TV appearances until your stuff airs, but if what I hear about how you’re coming off in the edit is true, we’ll get them. And that’s when the real money comes in.”

I didn’t even say anything. I was too shocked. He’d already set up a tour for me, without even talking to me. While the whole point of this was to get shows, this wasn’t what I had in mind. I didn’t know who this guy was or what he thought was a good show for me. Worse, if this was how he treated someone he hadn’t met, I could only imagine what he’d do once he had your permission.

“All we gotta do is get you to sign some documents,” he said, again misinterpreting my silence. “Just boilerplate stuff, to authorize me to close some deals, and we’ll hit the ground running.”

“Look, Mr. Stratton, I appreciate you reaching out; but I don’t know you, I haven’t authorized you to represent me or to set up any deals on my behalf. And, I’m notinterested in working with someone who would do that without my consent.”

“Whoa! Hey now, don’t get the wrong idea,” Stratton replied, his tone turning serious. “I work with a lot of the contestants at The Stage and I have an in with the producers. This is probably all a shock, but this is how things are done. I was just trying to get the ball rolling for you, that’s all. I know how these things go, kid.”

“I very much doubt this is ‘how things are done.’ I can’t imagine anyone who’s taken seriously in music or TV has an agent making deals for them before that agent even talked to them.”

“Look, kid ...”

“That’s another thing. Don’t call me ‘kid.’ Now, I appreciate your enthusiasm, but I have both a manager and a lawyer, who you’re going to be hearing from if you keep trying to make deals in my name. Thanks for your time. Please don’t call me again,” I said, and hung up.

For several minutes, I just sat in my car, trying to figure out what the hell that was. I understood pushy sales tactics and the whole ‘assuming the sale’ thing. Warren had walked me through sales strategies, or at least getting booked strategies, when we’d been cold calling venues trying to get a gig.

This was beyond that, though. He was actually out there, making deals for me before he ever talked to me. How was that even possible? Or legal?

That was the thought that prompted me into motion, calling Mr. Eaves.

“Good morning, Chewit, Douglas, and Eaves,” his secretary said.

“Hey, Toni, it’s Charlie. I really need to speak with Mr. Eaves as soon as possible.”

“I’m afraid he’s tied up in meetings all afternoon. Can I take a message?” Toni replied, just like she always did.

“I know he’s busy, but this is pretty urgent. Is there any way you can interrupt him? It’s important.”

There was a pause, and I could imagine Toni rolling her eyes. She wasn’t mean, exactly, but her job was to keep him off the phone and his calendar organized so he didn’t get distracted all the time. Although I think my age was a big factor in getting me downgraded in importance a lot, which I was pretty sure was why it sometimes took hours to get a call back.

“Let me see what I can do,” she finally said.

I tapped my fingers on the steering wheel and waited. I wasn’t sure how important this was, since I’d told Stratton to get lost, but if he was out there making deals in my name, I thought Mr. Eaves should know about it. After almost five minutes, Toni came back on the line.

“You’re in luck. Mr. Eaves has a few minutes between meetings to take your call. Please hold.”

Which could have easily meant she went and asked him instead of just putting me on a call sheet, like always. I didn’t say that, though.

What I actually said was, “Thank you, Toni, I really appreciate it.”

More hold music played before Mr. Eaves came on the line. “Charlie, what can I do for you?”

“I just got a really strange call. This guy named Jim Stratton called me claiming he’d gotten my name from the studio and he was working on booking me performances and deals for after it aired, trying to get me to sign with him as my entertainment lawyer. He had an entire list of deals he said he’d already worked out for me. The thing is, I’ve never talked to this guy before. He just started going on about all these deals he was making on my behalf, saying I’d be getting millions in sponsorship contracts. I told him I never agreed to have him represent me and I’m not interested in any of those deals, but he just kept talking over me. He acted like he already had full authority to broker contracts for me. Is it even legal for someone to do that without my consent?”

Mr. Eaves let out an aggravated sigh. “Unfortunately, it’s a common scam in the entertainment industry. These types try to attach themselves to up-and-coming artists and claim they have the inside track to big deals. Then they start making outrageous promises to pressure you into signing with them as your manager or agent. If he was truly affiliated with the show producers and had authority to negotiate on your behalf, that relationship would have been mentioned either in your contract or by the producers. Which it wasn’t. Odds are, he got some names from someone on the crew and started cold calling, hoping to convince someone to sign.”

“So he can’t actually make contracts for me, right?”

“No, any contracts would be invalid without your authorization or signature,” Mr. Eaves confirmed. “However, it could still cause problems for you later if he’s out there claiming to represent you and pitching your name to potential sponsors. Even if the deals never materialize when you don’t sign, it could create confusion and complicate future negotiations.”

“See, that’s what I was worried about! What should I do?”

“Right now, you’ve done all that there is to do, at least until we can show tangible damages for his actions. If he doesn’t stop, then we can escalate things, since we’ve given him notice that he’s not authorized to communicate with anyone on your behalf. Other than that, the important thing is we document any future attempts he makes to work on your behalf, either by calling you and asking you to sign or if we hear something from a third party. Still, I want you to send me his phone number and I’ll pull his information, so I can send him an official cease and desist.”

“And that will get him to stop?”

“Maybe. Cease and desists aren’t binding anyway, and anyone can send one for anything, but it’s part of the documentation chain we need to put together if we have to sue for an injunction, which would force him to stop. But, I think this brings us back to an earlier conversation we had. You need an entertainment lawyer, just not for setting up deals. That’s what a manager does. But once the deals are set up, there are a lot of rights in play, beyond just music, and this should be an example that these people only want to find ways to take, and they will put one over on you if you aren’t ready.”

“I thought you were looking for one?”

“Yes, I am. I’m still working on someone, but our priority was finding the right fit, not someone to protect your interests now. Clearly, if there’s already this level of interest, then that was a mistake and I need to accelerate that search. I want you to be ready for it because I know most of our last call was you trying to kick the can down the road.”

“Yeah, I get it.”

He’d been right, clearly. I just didn’t love an ‘I told you so.’

“All right, then. I’ll pick up the search and find someone before you get to the live shows. And don’t worry about this Stratton guy. I’ll take care of it. He was almost certainly only fishing for clients. I doubt he called anyone or set anything up.”

“I hope so. Thanks, Mr. Eaves.”

“Sure thing, Charlie,” he said, hanging up.

***

Friday was the end of school, at least until after Thanksgiving. True, I’d only been back for like two days, but considering the volume of schoolwork I’d had before the contest, doing both the contest and more schoolwork in California, and then getting slammed with more over the last two days, I was looking forward to having a week that wasn’t absolutely jam-packed for the first time in months.

My day got even better when I saw Kat getting out of her car in the driveway as I pulled up to the curb. As soon as she spotted me pull up, she dropped her bags and ran over, practically hauling me out of my car as I opened the door and throwing her arms around my neck.

“Hey,” I said, laughing as she squeezed me tight.

I squeezed her back and could smell the floral scent of her shampoo mixed with a hint of chlorine that never seemed to go away, no matter how many showers she took. It might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I loved the smell. It was uniquely her. Kat pulled back just far enough to bring her lips to mine in a soft kiss.

“I missed you so much,” Kat murmured against my lips before kissing me again, deeper this time.

We probably could’ve stood there kissing all afternoon if Mrs. Phillips hadn’t poked her head out the front door.

“The neighbors are watching,” she said.

I hadn’t even realized she was home. Reluctantly breaking apart, I took Kat’s hand and walked over to grab her bag and carry it inside for her.

“It’s so good to see you, sweetheart. How was the drive back?” Mrs. Phillips said when we got to the front door, giving Kat a hug.

“It was fine, thanks. Not too much traffic.”

“Where’s Hanna?” Mrs. Phillips asked.

“She didn’t … um, she decided to stay a little longer for her … um, internship,” Kat said, seeming genuinely embarrassed.

None of us believed that was why Hanna stayed behind.

“I tried to talk her into coming with me,” Kat said, seeing Mrs. Phillips’ face darken. “She wouldn’t listen. She told me she’d call you and talk to you about it. I …”

“I know, sweetie,” Mrs. Phillips said, rubbing Kat’s arm.

Kat was doing so much better, but she still took on too many people’s problems as her own. Took responsibility, or at least the guilt, for things that weren’t hers to take. I wasn’t sure that was what was happening, but I was glad Mrs. Phillips headed it off before anything could spiral.

“This is on Hanna. I’m just glad to have you back with us for the week.”

She led Kat inside, leaving me standing there holding Kat’s bag. I couldn’t help but feel bad for Mrs. Phillips. This thing with Professor Cross was tearing her and Hanna apart, and there didn’t seem to be anything any of us could do or say to get through to Hanna.

I carried Kat’s bag upstairs to her room and came back down to find the two of them chatting in the kitchen. I grabbed a soda from the fridge and leaned against the counter next to Kat.

“So I hear you’ve done well so far,” Mrs. Phillips said. “Charlie’s been giving us updates.”

“Well, it’s only half over. We’ll have a big meet at the end of January and keep going until March. Which is good, because it keeps me warm until we start serious training for July.”

July was the big one for Kat when she’d head off to the Olympics. It was far enough away that none of us were freaking out about it yet, but I knew we would once things got closer.

“How do you feel about going out for dinner?” I asked, changing the subject.

“A date? Love it,” Kat said, grinning. “I should go freshen up first after that drive. Give me fifteen minutes?”

“Sure,” I said.

“I’ve still got some work to do. You kids have fun,” Mrs. Phillips said.

I was pretty sure she was still annoyed about Hanna and trying to keep from ruining Kat’s homecoming or putting responsibility on Kat.

Twenty-five minutes later, Kat finally came tromping down the stairs and said, “All set.”

“You look great,” I said, not mentioning the delay.

Kat had always been an odd mixture of the jock and the girly-girl, so it was expected. Plus, I couldn’t help but appreciate the results.

“The Blue Ridge, please,” Kat said as we walked out the door. “I want to say hi to Chef, and I could use some good food.”

“The band will already be there setting up for us to go on. I was going to beg off practice, but if I’m there, they’re either going to pull me away, or make faces at us.”

“I know, but I miss everyone else, too. I planned on staying for your set tonight, anyway. Come on. Please?”

“See, how could I say no to that face?” I said, which earned me a kiss.

Sure enough, Lyla and Seth were already on stage getting equipment set up before the dinner rush when we walked in.

“Hey, look who’s home,” Lyla said, giving Kat a hug.

That was the nice part about Kat having gone on tour with us last summer. It was helpful having my bandmates and girlfriend get along.

“Yeah, just got home and I begged Charlie to bring me up here.”

“We were going to get some food and catch up. Do you mind if we skip rehearsal and just set up?” I asked.

“Sure,” Seth said, reaching over and taking my guitar from me.

“Thanks, guys, I appreciate it.”

Kat saw Chef come out of the kitchen and jogged over to him, throwing her arms around his neck.

“Jeez, girl, give an old man a heart attack.”

“I’m just happy to be back,” she said, letting go and stepping back.

“Kat said she was dying for some of your cooking,” I said.

“Well then, I’ll make something special. What about Hanna? Is she coming, or did she not want to be the third wheel?”

“She, uh, had to stay behind and finish a project thing she was working on. She plans on getting back Thanksgiving day,” Kat said, pointedly not looking at me.

I tried not to react, but Chef knew both of us too well, his face making it clear he caught the byplay. Thankfully, he didn’t ask any other questions.

“That’s too bad. I was hoping to catch up. But school comes first, I suppose. Why don’t you two go sit and I’ll whip up something nice? Happy to have you back, Kat.”

“Thanks, Chef,” Kat said, looking relieved. Looping an arm through mine, she said, “Come on, let’s grab that booth in the back.”

“I really have missed you. The nightly phone calls are great, but they’re not the same as having you here,” I said as we slid into the booth across from each other, reaching across and taking her hand.

Kat nodded, twisting her fingers between mine. “I know, but we’ll survive. Soon it’ll be Christmas, then spring break, then you’re done with high school for good.”

“Man. I haven’t even thought about that. I’ve been so busy all semester trying to figure out what to do about getting gigs, then digging myself out of the hole I got into with my classes, then contests, I don’t think I’ve thought past Christmas at all.”

“Yeah, I know,” she said, sounding oddly serious. “Have you thought about what you’re going to do next year? You missed the deadline to apply, but no one wanted to say anything, not with all the stuff going on with your parents, but ... it’s coming up, and soon. Are you still planning on going?”

“I ... honestly, I never even think about it. I want to go. I mean, I promised my mom I would. I haven’t looked into it at all.”

“You need to start. You can take a gap year next year, and it shouldn’t be a big deal, but it’s almost Christmas and you still have to turn in applications. Have you even considered of where you want to apply?”

“I haven’t. I mean, I wanted to apply to UNC and go with you guys, or I guess State as a backup, but I have no idea what I want to major in. Should I do something music-related? I’m pretty sure Mom wanted college as a fallback, for when the music stuff didn’t work out, and if I get a music degree, I’m not sure how much I can fall back with that. Perhaps something business-related, like you and Hanna, something useful if music works out but also as a fallback?”

“That’s your call, Charlie. I realize it sucks, having to think about that and do all the normal stuff and have to worry about your career and family stuff and ... I didn’t mean to ruin the mood and throw a bunch of stuff on you, but I was thinking about it on the drive home. I was worried you’d do that thing where you focus on the thing right in front of you, and kind of forget everything else.”

“No, I appreciate it, because I honestly hadn’t given it a second thought. I know you’re only looking out for me.”

“You did it for me. Besides, it’s what you do for the people you love,” she said, squeezing my hand.

“I’ll start giving it some thought. As soon as the show’s over with, we’ll talk about it. I’m not sure how much winning it is going to change things, but maybe we’ll have some kind of idea when it’s over. Don’t let me blow it off, okay?”

“I won’t. I’ve got your back,” she said.

The drive back from the Blue Ridge, after my show ended, had been torture. I was always keyed up after a performance, and having Kat back amped everything up even more. It didn’t help that she could barely keep her hands to herself the entire way home, to where twice I had to tell her to behave herself so I didn’t crash into anything.

As soon as we pulled into the driveway, we practically jumped each other, stumbling up the walkway and through the front door, lips locked together and hands roaming all over each other’s bodies.

I pushed the door shut behind us with my foot, not breaking our kiss, and pinned Kat’s body against the wall. Her hands slid up my chest and wrapped around my neck, pulling me tightly against her. A soft moan escaped her, and the sound sent a jolt of electricity through me. I trailed kisses down to her neck, nipping at the sensitive skin there as my hands slid down to grip her hips.

“God, I missed you,” I murmured against her neck.

Kat let out a breathy sigh in response, her fingers tangling in my hair. “I missed you too, Charlie. So much. Let’s go upstairs.”

Kat took my hand and gently pulled me towards the stairs. I could feel the anticipation building between us with each step as we ascended quietly to the second floor. Once we reached the top, Kat led me down the hallway towards her bedroom, glancing back every few moments with an excited smile.

When we got to her door, she turned and put a finger to her lips, signaling for me to stay quiet. She slowly turned the doorknob and crept inside, tugging me along behind her. As soon as I was in the room, she carefully shut the door, being sure it didn’t make a sound as it latched.

The moment the door clicked closed, we were on each other again, lips crashing together hungrily as our hands explored with fevered intensity. I slid my hands under her shirt, fingers splayed across the smooth, heated skin of her back, pulling her tightly against me. Her hands gripped my hair almost desperately as our kisses deepened. I could feel her heart hammering in her chest, pressed up against mine.

I broke our kiss long enough to trail my lips to her neck, lavishing the tender flesh there with open-mouthed kisses. A breathy moan escaped her as my hands continued their exploration, tracing up along her sides until my thumbs brushed the underside of her bra.

Both of us nearly jumped in the air as her door suddenly flung open, stepping apart, our clothes in disarray. Mrs. Phillips stood in the doorway, a look somewhere between bemused and annoyed on her face.

There was nothing in her tone that suggested anything but annoyance, however. “Absolutely not! There is no way this is happening under my roof.”

“Sorry,” Kat said. “We got carried away.”

“You most certainly did,” Mrs. Phillips replied sternly. “I understand you’re both legally adults, but Kat, I was your guardian. And Charlie, while you may be emancipated, I’ve still been looking after you as well. It’s disrespectful to act this way in my home.”

Kat opened her mouth to respond, but Mrs. Phillips cut her off. “I don’t want to hear any excuses. My rules stand. There will be none of ... this under my roof. And certainly no sharing of rooms. Do you both understand me clearly?”

I held up my hand like I was asking a question in school, which got her to break character for a moment, letting a smile slip out before she covered it, at least proving she wasn’t actually furious. She was just trying to make a point.

“What, Charlie?” she snapped, getting her game face back on.

“I just wanted to apologize. You’re right, and I’m really sorry.”

“I’m sorry, too,” Kat said. “I just got caught up in the moment, but that’s no excuse.”

She considered that for a moment and let the mad routine drop, reverting to normal, loving Mrs. Phillips. “All right, you’re forgiven. I was a teenager once too, believe it or not. I understand how things can get heated in the moment. But ... don’t take that for me being okay with this. I’m not so naïve that I believe this stuff doesn’t happen elsewhere, or that I get to decide what you do outside of this house, but I do get to decide what happens inside it.”

“You’re right,” I said again. “I’m so sorry. You’ve treated both of us like family and taken us in when you didn’t have to. I hope you know neither of us would ever Purposely disrespect you.”

“Of course I know that,” she said. “You two are amazing kids, and I love both of you, so I won’t bring the hammer down. This time. To be clear, you two are adorable together and I’m happy you both are so happy, and I will permit hand holding and kissing, but everyone stays dressed, and hands stay out of other people’s clothing. Got it?”

“Got it,” Kat said.

“Good. I’m going to bed. Charlie, why don’t you say goodnight and find your way back to your own room.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

She gave one last nod and turned to leave.

As she crossed back out into the hallway, she paused and looked over her shoulder and said, “Oh, and if you two do end up somewhere else ... make sure you’re safe and use protection.”

Seeing Kat go bright red and my mouth drop open, she gave us a self-satisfied smile and left.