Better Than Fiction

by Bet Milner

  "Yeah cool Reese. I'm gonna sleep soon too. Good night and thanks for this." Danni smiled gratefully.

  "Any time. Good night babe. Try to get some sleep."

  Danni changed into shorts and a t-shirt and settled into the bed. She knew she wouldn't be able to drop off too easily tonight, not with so many things going on inside her head. Her thoughts turned to the person that had made the last week possible and her mind started to relax. She finally fell asleep with a vague smile pulling at the corners of her lips.

  Danni woke up around six. She kept thinking she'd missed her alarm and had actually woken up at least three times during the night in a panic. She finally caved and got up to make breakfast. Reese only had left over pizza, one tomato and a carton of milk in her refrigerator. Not much had changed in that respect since their college days. Danni laughed and opened a cupboard. There was thankfully a box of Fruit Loops so she poured herself a bowl while the percolator did its job. She sat down in the tiny kitchen and pulled out her phone to do her usual social media routine. Today made her smile. There was over sixty-thousand views on the video her and Reese posted the other day and a stream of wonderful comments. Her stomach buzzed with anticipation. There was also a message from Jimmy which she chose not to read. She didn't want anything to dampen her day. The comment that stood out to her was Julia's. It read: Mesmerizing performance as always. Number 1 fan right here! X

  It warmed her heart that this woman had taken the time out of her day to write a comment and she really did enjoy her music. Her stomach fluttered as she realized that in a few hours’ time she would be with said woman and possibly signing a record deal. She took a long shower and started her beauty routine.

  Reese banged on the bathroom door. "I need to pee. Are you decent?"

  Danni pulled the door open and walked out smiling. "All yours!"

  Reese grinned and didn't bother shutting the door again as she pulled down her shorts. She shouted through to Danni. "On a scale of one to a billion, how excited are you?"

  Danni rolled her eyes at the woman's lack of shame. She was used to it though. "Close to a billion."

  Reese shoved a toothbrush in her mouth and tried to talk through the foam. "You're gonna ace it."

  The morning seemed to be going in slow motion for Danni. So many things were going on inside her mind and her stomach wouldn't settle. The pair got in the car and Reese drove to the airport. Once there, Danni checked herself in and turned to Reese with a big smile on her face. "I'm flying first class!"

  Reese squealed. "That's so cool dude! Mr. Starr must really wanna sweeten you up!"

  Danni took a few deep breaths and hugged Reese goodbye. "Thanks for everything the last few days Reese. I'll message you after the meeting."

  "Good luck baby girl! See you soon!" Reese hugged the blonde tighter with tears in her eyes. She was so proud of her friend. She pushed her away gently and wafted her hand in front of her face. "Go! Before I turn into a blubbering mess!"

  Danni smiled and gave the woman a playful shove. "See you soon." She walked into the waiting area after going through security and sat down to mess with her phone. She couldn't stop checking her pages. It was like an addiction seeing all the new views, comments and follows. She hadn't even gotten to the end of the comments before the boarding announcement was made. Her stomach fluttered again and she boarded the plane taking her seat in the first class area. She was sat across from a few familiar faces that she recognized from various films although she wasn't sure exactly who they were or what she'd seen them in. When she saw a certain metal god´s daughter, it took all of her will power not to fall to her knees and worship at her feet. The hostess came around and offered her a glass of Champagne which she gladly accepted. It probably wasn't the best idea to start drinking so early but she figured one glass wouldn't hurt and may actually give her some Dutch courage. She flicked through the on board magazine and listened to a few tracks on the radio.

  It was a short flight and they were landing before she knew it. She grabbed her carry-on bag and left the plane to collect her guitar. It was already waiting for her in the fragile luggage section and she couldn't believe how quick everything had happened. As she turned to walk away, the daughter of Metal Daddy eyed her instrument and smiled making the devil’s horns symbol. What a day! She returned the gesture beaming. She walked out to see a guy holding a name card that read Danni Rose and she bounced over to him. "Hey, I'm Danni Rose."

  The guy smiled looking slightly perturbed. "If you'd like to follow me Ma'am, your car is waiting out front."

  Danni saluted him which he ignored and she felt a bit embarrassed. She followed him quietly out to the car and got in. It was so strange for her having everything taken care of and not having to worry about taxis or wonder where she should go. It was kind of nice after the stress of the last few weeks just to follow someone around and have them make all the decisions. As they drove off, she stared out of the window and watched all the life outside go about like it was any other normal day. She loved New York and the buzz it always provided. It had been her intention to move here a long time ago but life got in the way. Now, it felt like it was possibly the right time. If this deal went well, maybe she could stay a while longer, try and find an apartment for herself. She'd never really had her own place or had to look for one. The thought excited her.

  The car pulled up outside a very elegant building with at least thirty floors. It towered over Danni and she felt so small and insignificant. She was overcome with nerves and doubts, thinking they must have made a mistake in asking her to come in. She wasn't fancy. She knew nothing about being fancy! Danni wanted to tell the driver to turn around and take her back to the airport. She was about to when she saw a brunette with dark sunglasses and a black skirt suit round the corner. Her heart fluttered and she opened the window with a grin. "Hey Julia!"

  The brunette tipped her sunglasses down her nose and glanced around. When her eyes fell on the blonde hanging out of the black limo, she smiled broadly and walked over to the car. "Danni Rose in a limo? Now that's more like it!"

  Danni blushed and tried to open the door for herself but her hands were shaking uncontrollably. Julia opened the door from the outside and stood back. "I suppose I better get used to giving you the star treatment!"

  Danni got out and blushed again. "Thanks, sorry, I couldn't..." She cut off when Julia hugged her warmly. Her whole body tingled at the contact.

  "Don't apologize! You must be a nervous wreck right now! It's so good to see you here dear! Welcome to New York!" Julia broke the hug and extended her arms out motioning to the city.

  Danni couldn't stop grinning. She was nervous but the attraction she felt towards the brunette was making her even more so. She grabbed her guitar and overnight bag from the car and slammed the door shut. She wasn't sure what to do or say. Luckily Julia spoke for her.

  "So are you planning on staying for a couple of days?"

  Danni shrugged. "I'm not sure. I haven't really thought that far ahead to be honest. It's all happened so quickly. I brought some stuff just in case."

  Julia nodded. "Have Starrdom offered to put you up somewhere?"

  "Uhm, I don't know. I don't even know how I'm getting back to Boston!"

  Julia tilted her head to the side. "I must admit, that isn't very like Bella to leave uncertainties. She's usually extremely organized. Don't worry about that. Let's get this meeting out of the way and then maybe afterwards we can have a drink or something to celebrate?"

  Danni nodded. "That would be awesome. Okay, let's do this!"

  The women walked into Starrdom Records and checked in with the receptionist. She directed the women to the elevator and told them to go to the thirtieth floor. Danni was fidgeting with her guitar case strap as they rode the elevator. Julia giggled. "Just try to relax, Danni. You'll be fine."

  The doors pinged open and the women stepped out into a large, open plan office. There was another reception desk there and a large seating area. The walls were deco
rated with various Golden disks boasting the rock and pop legends made famous by Mr. Starr and his empire. Danni felt extremely privileged to be getting a glimpse of this world, even if just for a day. She must have been in a daze because the next thing she felt was Julia squeezing her hand. "Danni? Did you hear that?" Danni looked down at the hand in her own and then back up into brown eyes. Julia must have realized what she had done and quickly retracted her hand.

  Danni shook away the haze and spoke. "Sorry, I was just amazed by those disks. What did you say?"

  Julia blushed. "We should go and wait in Mr. Starr's room. He'll be through in a moment." She repeated what the Secretary had told them a few seconds before and motioned towards some glass doors Danni hadn't noticed.

  The pair walked in and Danni took the seat right next to Julia. She was nervous and her leg was bouncing up and down under the table. Julia cocked an eyebrow. "You are worse than kid in a candy store! Try to reign in your excitement a little. You don't want to seem too keen. Starr can be quite tricky." She placed a hand on Danni's knee innocently to stop it from shaking.

  Danni felt a shot of electricity pulse through her at the touch. Before she could stop herself, she covered Julia's hand with her own. "I am keen though! I can't help it if my body gets all jittery and fired up when I'm excited."

  Julia bit her lip before the grin could take a hold. Danni laughed. "That's not what I meant! Oh God!"

  Julia laughed. "I didn't say anything."

  "You didn't need to. I saw that look."

  "Hmmm. Well, maybe I'll give you a few lessons on how to act unaffected."

  Danni grinned. She wasn't exactly sure what that meant exactly but she liked the sound of the woman wanting to teach her anything. She blushed again for the gazillionth time, realizing she still had her hand over Julia's and removed it. She noticed the brunette still kept her hand there for a few moments until somebody entered the room from behind them.

  "Julia, lovely to see you again! Miss Rose, such a pleasure to meet you!" Mr. Starr bellowed and extended a hand to shake.

  "Starr, how are you?" Julia spoke firmly to the impish looking man.

  "Excellent as always. Now, not meaning to be rude dear but why are you here?"

  Julia cocked an eyebrow. "I'm here as advisor to Danni. We are friends and I said I'd come and have a look over your contract. Make sure she wasn't signing anything she wasn't sure about." She smiled lightly but it didn't quite reach her eyes Danni noticed. She wondered what exactly their relationship was as she detected a slight uneasiness between them.

  "I see. Always the worrier aren't we, Julia? Well rest assured, I have Danni's best interests in mind. Let's have a chat, shall we?" He motioned for them all to seat and produced a few papers from a leather bound folder he'd had tucked under his arm. Bella sat directly opposite Julia and smiled genuinely at her and Danni. She reached a hand across the table towards the blonde.

  "I'm Bella, we spoke on the phone. Lovely to meet you in person and can I say, I absolutely loved your video. I can't wait to hear more from you!"

  Danni relaxed a bit. This Bella was much less intimidating than Mr. Starr. "Thanks, I erm, I'm glad to be here and glad you liked it."

  Mr. Starr cleared his throat and Bella shot him a disapproving look. It was clear to Danni who had the upper hand in this particular relationship and she was pretty impressed by how the softly spoken woman could put the king of record labels in his place with one look. Starr loosened his collar and began.

  "As Bella so kindly mentioned, we were both impressed with your creativity and natural gift for composition. I see hundreds upon thousands of women like yourself on a monthly basis but most fail to impress. When Bella showed me your video, I had to admit with the right guidance, production and a little Starr magic, you could be the next big thing. So I'm prepared to offer you a deal with a few, non-negotiable terms. I believe you'll find it more than generous."

  He pushed the contract towards Danni and put his hands together.

  Julia pulled the contract towards herself and flicked through it superficially. "Can we have some time to read through this and get back to you?"

  Starr smiled but it looked more like a grimace to Danni. "Of course. I'll give you forty-eight hours to look it over and get back to me. We can schedule another meeting on Wednesday, same time?"

  Danni looked at Julia for help who nodded. "Sure. That's great. Thanks Mr. Starr."

  "You're welcome Miss Rose. Oh Bella, did you arrange accommodation for our guest?"

  Bella nodded excitedly. "Yes, I apologize, I forgot to tell you on the phone but I've arranged a hotel for you for the next couple of days. If you need anything at all while you're here, please call me at any time." She handed over her card along with Danni's hotel information and a large envelope.

  "That's awesome. Thanks again. I'll erm, look over everything and we'll speak again soon."

  Mr. Starr stood and shook both women's hands then left the room. He didn't seem too keen on making small talk or asking much about Danni's vision. It wasn't anything like she'd expected. Bella lingered a little. "He's a bit distant but you get used to him. He really does want you on board here Danni. I probably shouldn't tell you this, but I caught him singing along to 'The Devil in Me' in the shower last night!" She winked and left the room.

  Julia laughed when it was just the two of them again. "Starr singing! Pray to whatever God you worship that you never have to hear that!" She stood up and smoothed down her skirt. "I think that went well. Come on, let's go grab some mimosas."

  Julia looked at Danni sipping the mimosa with a surprised face and a smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "Not what you were expecting?"

  Danni shook her head. "I didn't think you could mix champagne with fruit juice. If I'd known that, I would've had one of these on the flight this morning."

  Julia laughed. "You had the complimentary champagne on the morning flight?"

  Danni grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, is that bad?"

  Julia shook her head and placed a hand over Danni's on the table. "Not at all. I just thought this would be your first celebratory drink of the day." She raised her glass in a toast. "To new deals and new friendships."

  Danni clinked her glass against Julia's and smiled broadly. "Here, here."

  Julia put her glasses on and looked through the contract Mr. Starr had presented to them. Danni felt her breath catch in her throat and was surprised when it came out as more of a gasp causing the brunette to peer up at her. "Are you nervous?"

  Danni bit her lip and lied. "Yeah, a little."

  Julia pulled out the chair next to her and patted it for Danni to come and sit beside her. "Don't be. I can't see anything that screams out at me so far. Starr seems to have been more than generous by the look of it. See this clause here?" She pointed at a part of the text and Danni scooted up next to her, leaning closer to see where Julia was pointing.

  Danni nodded. "Uh huh. Two albums within twelve months?"

  Julia glanced sideways to gauge Danni's reaction as she continued speaking. She noticed the way the blonde tucked her hair behind her ear and squinted slightly.

  "I've got about fifty songs ready to go. They just need some proper production but I think that's doable."

  Julia looked at the next couple of clauses. "Well, that's the first year. You'd be signed to them for five to six albums depending on the success of the first."

  "That's good right?" Danni asked excitedly.

  "It could be. It could be a noose around your neck and it also means that Starr could drop you if your first release isn't as successful as he'd like."

  Danni sighed.

  "Then there's the clauses regarding your royalties. You'd get a small percentage as an artist and some of the writer royalties but only up to ten songs on the album. Plus the deductions for the producers, session musicians and labels royalties. It's not awful but you won't get anywhere near as much as you would as an indie artist." Julia pulled her glasses off and looked at Danni. "It depend
s what you want Danni. If you are happy to take a smaller amount in return for fame and promotion, it's not the worst deal in the world. You would be exclusive to Starr though for the duration of the contract and for quite a few years afterwards. The label would maintain the rights to the music you release through Starrdom. Could you live with that?"

  Danni looked at Julia in confusion. "I guess so. I mean, I just want people to hear my music and I'm not like, really protective of my songs. What would I get paid?"

  Julia skimmed to the end of the contract. "You can negotiate an advance for production costs but you'd get less of a royalty percentage. If I were you, I'd take a lower advance, just enough to get by on and negotiate better royalties. But that's me. It's your deal. It's totally up to you."

  Danni hugged Julia. "I'm so glad you came with me. I wouldn't have been able to understand any of this. If you think it looks good, then let's do it!"

  Julia smiled and patted Danni's arms awkwardly. "Not so fast, I still think you need an entertainment lawyer to look this all over and do the negotiating for you. I just so happen to have an amazing one on speed dial who owes me a favor."

  Danni hugged her tighter. "You are such an amazing person! I'm seriously so grateful for all your help, Julia. You're like, my hero!"

  Julia felt her cheeks flush at the compliment and a surge of energy shoot to her core. It was unexpected and she tried to push the niggling feeling from her mind. "You're amazing Danni. Honestly, I wish you would give yourself more credit." She disentangled herself from the blonde and punched a message into her phone. Danni's pinged in her pocket and she saw Julia had sent her the contact for the lawyer.

  She smiled. "Thanks."

  "If you thank me again Miss Rose, I will have to start fining you. Maybe an acapella for every thanks?"

  Danni grinned. "Okay, fine! Sorry, I won't show my gratitude anymore."

  Julia raised an eyebrow. "Well, there are other ways to show gratitude." She blushed at her own suggestive words and edited herself. "Such as getting the next round of drinks in."