Chart Toppers (Star Maker Book 3)

by J. M. Nevins

  He nodded and chuckled, knowing she was hunting for information. He sat back comfortably. “We want them, Kit, but at this point, you know it’s ultimately your call. You don’t need my blessing or Jonathan’s. Did you already put them with KMK?”

  Her head bobbed enthusiastically. “Yep. So we want them, huh?” She looked him in the eye. “That means a no go for Flat 5.”

  Pete sighed. “Correct, boss. Kit, the Templeton artists are great, and they are filling the void since GT moved over to Flat 5, but we’re still a little vulnerable.

  You’ve clearly picked another winner. Word on the street is Jonathan thinks this band is going to be a huge feather in Diamond’s cap. Grunge seems to be bubbling closer to mainstream every day.”

  She nodded. “I predict, by next year, it’s going to be on mainstream radio and charting. 1991 will see a major shift in the industry. I call Nirvana to be the one to usher it all in. They’ve already got major skin in the game.”

  Pete’s ears perked up. “Who?”

  She rolled her eyes and then stared at him. “Pete, really? Haven’t you heard of them? Please pretend like you have for my sake. You’re my executive VP of A&R. They’re white hot.”

  He frowned. “Why didn’t we get them?”

  She shook her head. “We were snoozing on the job, man. They got swooped up last year. They’re the frontrunners. Jade Riff and a few others like Pearl Jam and Soundgarden are hot on their trail though. We’re in a good position. I suggest you get your reps on Seattle. I want to see more artists. I know they’re out there. We’ll take Jade Riff to the top.” She playfully joked with him. “Now go get your ass up to speed on grunge and get your team on it or you’re fired!”

  They both shared a laugh, and he nodded. “You got it. I’ll have an update for you next week at the latest. I’ll get a flight into Seattle tomorrow. I’ll take JR with me. He’s my best hunter.”

  She smiled. “That’s what I like to hear, Pete. Oh, and please continue to coordinate with Malcolm in New York on the hip-hop and rap front. I hear he’s got a lot of good leads. I haven’t been able to make it out there to meet with him or any of these artists, but it is on my radar. Maybe you can go out there after Seattle and let me know?”

  He nodded as he got up to leave her office. “You got it. Malcolm is killin’ it out there. I think we’ll have no problem building up a new urban roster.”

  Kit smiled. “Fantastic! Thanks, Pete.”

  As he left her office, Giselle walked in and grinned. “Kit, Billboard Magazine keeps calling. There has been a total of five calls today. I’ve run out of excuses. What do you want me to tell them?”

  Kit sighed. “Next time they call, put them through. I’ll talk to them. Why are they calling this late? It’s almost ten in New York.”

  She shrugged her shoulders. “Maybe they’re calling from the L.A. offices. By the way, Alexa called.”

  “I’ll call her right now. Any word from The Mint?”

  Giselle shook her head. “As far as I know, business as usual. I assume the guys are enjoying their day off while we slave away here at Diamond HQ.”

  She laughed. “You’re probably right.” As Giselle left her office, she picked up the phone and dialed Alexa’s number from memory. When she answered, Kit smiled. “Lex!”

  “Kit! Wow, we actually get to talk instead of playing phone tag.”

  “I know. Pretty crazy, isn’t it?”

  “I’ll say so. How’s your double title life now that it’s official.”

  Kit chuckled. “Blissfully crazy. How’s life treating you, preggers? And how are things over at Platinum Magazine these days?”

  “Good. Busy. And I’m gaining weight much too rapidly. As much as I would love to sit and chat all night with you, this is a business call, unfortunately. I’m looking for my big cover piece for next month. Hint, hint.”

  She groaned. “Oh no. Is that the real reason you were calling me? To pitch me on an article for GT?”

  “No. I don’t want to feature GT. I want to feature you, Miss Thang.”

  Her eyes widened, and she felt her heart skip a beat. She thought she was done with being the center of attention, apparently not. “What? Me? Why?”

  Alexa chuckled. “Duh. Yes, you, silly. C’mon, I want to do a series on big hitters in the music biz. I want you to kick it off! Ladies first.”

  She sighed. “That depends. Who’s my successor?”

  “I want to feature Clive Davis for the November Issue and David Geffen for December but that’s only if you do October.”

  She giggled. “I hope I don’t live to regret this, but I’ll do it. Make it classy, though, ok? No pin up shots or shit like that. I’m a professional, Lex. My modeling days are well behind me, and I have no desire to relive them. Portray me as a respectable, viable executive, please.”

  Alexa joined in her fit of giggles. “Don’t worry, Kit-Kat, I won’t bimbify you.”

  “I’ve got to be honest, Lex. Billboard is hot on my trail too and to be fair, they were calling before you.”

  “No problem. The more, the merrier. Do Billboard too. It will be good exposure for you. They won’t scoop us. Platinum is virtually unscoopable, knock on wood.”

  She grinned, knowing there was a story behind this she was determined to hear. “And how is that?”

  Alexa chuckled. “We’ve got rock solid sources and some pretty serious loyalty. Yes, that may be fleeting, we are in the media business, but I’m going to ride that wave while we have it. I think you should prepare for a media storm, my dear. You’ve hit the big time. Can’t beat top of the music food chain.”

  She shook her head, still in disbelief at her recent catapult to music industry superstardom. “This is weird.”

  Alexa laughed. “Why? This is what you always wanted. C’mon, Kit. We both know that music is where your heart is. You’re developing artists, have full creative control and are producing one of the hottest rock bands in the world right now. You’ve arrived, honey. It’s about time you bask in it.”

  She sighed. Alexa always knew how to put things into perspective for her, and she was grateful for the new reality. “Yeah, you’re right; I’m just a little apprehensive. I don’t want to steal Sully’s spotlight. He’s sensitive about stuff like that.

  “It’s one of the dynamics of our relationship that has always been difficult to navigate. I’ve always felt like there was an unspoken rule in our relationship after we had that big blowout. He’s the star, and I take the backseat. You know that wasn’t how it was in my previous long-term relationship.”

  She sighed and shook her head, ashamed at how easily that rolled off her tongue. Her grandmother’s death had triggered some ghosts from her past that she was finally able to speak about after years and years of chosen silence. She swallowed hard, not liking her mental slip.

  Alexa caught on immediately and let out a long sigh. “Kit, I know you still love him and you always will. He was an amazing person with a beautiful spirit. It’s ok for you to carry a piece of him in your heart for the rest of your days on this planet. What you and Kirby shared was special and unfortunately not replicable. It was a very rare connection, kind of like you and Sull, but different too. Baby, let’s be honest here. He always stood two steps back to let you shine. You had the reverse of you and Sully. Are you having regrets? Are you and Sull having problems?”

  She frowned and shook her head. She honestly didn’t have regrets or issues with their relationship. She was deeply in love with Sully, but memories of Kirby had been filling her mind, haunting her existence. She forced herself to push him and their relationship out of her mind and heart. “I’m totally fine with the nature of things with Sully. I don’t want my ego to get the best of me again like it did back then when he and I had that fight. I turned into a monster for a few months there. It wasn’t pretty.”

  Alexa chuckled. “I understand your concern, Kit. First of all, Sully has been pushing you to do this for a while, and he’s very proud of you
. He knows you’re talented and has wanted this for you as much as you’ve wanted it for you. If anything, he’s going to be supportive of you stepping into the spotlight next to him, not competing against him. It’s not like you’re an artist. And you learned from your mistakes before. Keep your ego in check and the cocaine out of your nose, and you’ll do just fine.”

  She nodded and shuddered, thinking about her sordid past. “No shit. I haven’t touched blow since that awful time, and I don’t plan to again. Sully and I made a pact when we got married, no more drugs—ever. Not even recreational use. It’s too risky for us at this point—too much at stake for both of our careers and our relationship.

  She sighed. “I guess you’re right. He has been pushing me toward this for a while. He wants to see me get to the top of my game, where he’s sitting right now. I guess in a lot of ways, the relationship is evolving and mirroring the dynamic I once had in my past. I like that. Ultimately, though, I would feel better if I could run this by him before I give you a solid yes. Cool?”

  “You got it, baby. I would love to continue our convo, but I have to run. I have one of the execs from New York now sitting on hold for me about a retraction. Can you give me an answer by the end of the week?”

  “I’ll have an answer for you by tomorrow. I’ll talk to Sully tonight.”

  “Good. It’ll be fine, Kit. You’ll see.”

  The clock on the digital display in her car had just struck eleven as Kit pulled into the garage. She proceeded into a dark house, feeling the fatigue of her day promptly catching up with her.

  She looked around and wondered if Sully was out in the studio. When she approached the hallway, she noticed a faint glow coming from the TV in the entertainment room. She walked in and chuckled quietly at the sight before her. He was lounging on the couch with his guitar, in mid-snooze, in front of a turned down TV. She leaned down and gave him a gentle kiss.

  He opened his eyes slowly and smiled. “Ooh, I like that. I must have dozed off. Where did you come from, you gorgeous creature? Who let you in? We better hurry up, can’t let the wife find out.” He put his guitar aside and pulled her toward him, kissing her deeply.

  She giggled. “Newsflash, I am your wife.”

  He snickered. “Even better. How was work, babe?”

  “Good. The days always seem longer when I work at that office and not here. Maybe because I don’t get breaks with you.”

  He grinned. “Maybe.”

  She gazed into his eyes. “How was your day?”

  He shrugged his shoulders. “Ok, I guess. I’m still having trouble with the bridge on ‘Road Warrior.’ Been working on it all night. Hitting a wall.”

  She stroked his long, messy locks. “Sorry, babe.”

  He shrugged his shoulders. “It’s ok. It’ll work itself out. Any interesting things today at the office?” He reclined and folded his hands, resting them on his stomach as he smiled like a cat that ate the canary.

  Kit scrunched up her nose and then grinned. “Alexa called you, didn’t she?”

  He nodded. “Of course she did. I told Lex you’d figure it out. She called me a few hours ago after she talked to you.” He sat up and noticed her apprehension as he took her hands in his. “Do the cover story, babe. It’ll be great for you.” He grinned and met her eyes. “And I totally support this one hundred percent.”

  She wasn’t convinced. She wanted to make sure she didn’t step on his toes and cause world war three between them. She surveyed him closely. “Really? You’re the big star in our relationship.” She watched and waited for his reaction.

  He grinned. “Listen, I’ve always known, since I met you, that you were destined for something really big. When I married you, I knew eventually you’d be in the spotlight with me, and I’m totally ok with that. I’m not one of those assholes that will feel threatened by it.” He leaned forward and stared deeply into her eyes. “Baby, do this. It’s time.”

  She chuckled. “Just as long as I don’t turn into an asshole.”

  He laughed loudly. “Babe, you won’t do that. C’mon! I think you learned from what happened last time. I think we both did.” He shook his head remembering the out of control escapades that led to the temporary demise of their relationship.

  She grimaced. “Oh yeah. I certainly don’t want a repeat of that.” She grinned, and her emerald eyes twinkled. “And besides, I can’t do it without you anyway.”

  He kissed her hand and gazed at her lovingly. “Thank you for that, but I think you underestimate your power. It’s time you step into it.”

  She gazed into his hopeful steel blue eyes and suddenly felt safe. She nodded. “Ok, I’ll do it, but on one condition.” She pointed at him.

  He raised his eyebrows. “What?”

  “You come to the photo shoots with me for support.”

  He nodded contently. He was happy she wanted him to accompany her. “If you can work it into our recording schedule, I’ll absolutely do that for you. I’d be honored to.”

  She grinned. “I’ll work it in. Thank you.”

  He suddenly got more excited and animated thinking about the possibilities. He leaned forward on the edge of his seat and his eyes lit up. “Kit, think about this. It would be a great opportunity for you to plug the new non-profit foundation we just set up. Y’know, get the word out in a big way. It could get us some fantastic exposure. We could get more people behind us, totally engaged. We haven’t had a chance to get that off the ground since we created it right after Nana passed away. C’mon, the momentum alone would be amazing and get people interested in donating. We can change lives with this, babe.”

  She thought about it carefully and nodded. “That’s a good one, babe. I could spin an angle for the Lindley-McKenna Foundation. I love it! You’re a genius.” She leaned forward and gave him a kiss.

  He snickered when he pulled back. “Really loving you calling me a genius. You just made my night, babe.” His grin faded when he looked at his wristwatch. “I’m not going to be able to get to sleep anytime soon. My head is still swimming with a series of notes and musical phrasing. Will you help me with this bridge tonight? I need your powers of musical discrimination.”

  She nodded and grinned. “You got it, babe.”

  CHAPTER 10

  The unopened padded envelope sat innocently on Kit’s desk, beckoning her and patiently awaiting her attention. She stared at the return address, frozen. The contents inside were from Platinum Magazine. Alexa had called her earlier that morning and told her to expect it, but wouldn’t give her any idea of the headline on the cover or which photo had been selected.

  Giselle watched her carefully knowing what was in the envelope and fully understood Kit’s hesitation. She thought maybe a gentle prodding might help the situation. “Do you want me to open it for you?”

  She abruptly shook her head. “No. I’m waiting for… And there he is.” Her eyes lit up. “Baby, come here!” She yelled to Sully as he walked by.

  He backtracked and entered her office looking disheveled and sleepy. He wore only pajama bottoms that fit loosely and hung low on his hips, showing off his tanned, well-chiseled chest and strong physique. Giselle had never seen this view of him before and couldn’t help but stop and stare for a moment. A faint grin of desire crept up on her face, and her hazel eyes danced.

  He sleepily grinned at Kit. “Good morning, baby.” He leaned over the desk and gave her a quick kiss on the lips.

  She handed him the padded envelope. “Can you please open this for me?”

  He silently nodded and seconds later pulled out the October issue of Platinum Magazine, due to hit the stands in two weeks. He stared at it as a wide smile formed on his face slowly. “Wow! You look fucking hot!”

  She remained in her chair and grimaced. “I can’t look. What does it say?”

  He looked up from the magazine at her and shook his head. “Oh c’mon, babe. Lex did you good; you gotta admit that. You knew she would. She’s your best friend.” He threw the magazine
down in front of her.

  She stared at it. They had painted her in a favorable light, and she was pleased. Even more pleased with the slight airbrushing they had done. The front cover was a headshot of Kit with a devilish half grin, her green eyes vivid and a sharp contrast to her wild red locks that they had curled and teased to make bigger for the shoot.

  The headline screamed in big bold letters “Red Hot!” Kit let her eyes travel down to the bottom right-hand corner where it continued. “The best badass in the music biz, Kit McKenna.” She giggled and looked up at Sully, who had already made his way behind her desk and was waiting with open arms.

  He held her in a long, tight embrace and kissed her on the cheek. “I’m so proud of you, babe.”

  Giselle watched them, bubbling over with suspense. She couldn’t handle it anymore. She hopped up from her desk. “Let me see it. I’m dying over here!” Sully chuckled and held out another copy that she snatched from him and took back to her desk.

  Kit gazed into his eyes. “I couldn’t have gotten here without you. I’m so grateful for you, babe.”

  He stroked her cheek and gazed into her eyes. “Thanks for giving me some credit here, but I’m pretty sure you could have done this on your own. As they said, you are a badass. I knew that the minute I first saw you. It was pretty obvious.”

  She grinned graciously. “Thank you, babe.”

  He playfully swatted her on the butt. “I’m gonna grab something to eat and get myself dressed because we’re gonna have the guys here in less than forty.”

  She nodded. “Yep. I better shake a tail feather too. I have a conference call with Spence.”

  Kit noticed the steady stream of Gypsy Tango members an hour later as they trailed by on their way back to the studio. She was running much later than anticipated and tried to focus on the call, but was sorely failing. Things were busy at KMK and Spence had lots of good news to share.