Chart Toppers (Star Maker Book 3)

by J. M. Nevins

  She grinned knowingly. “Yes, you do tend to flip out, that’s true, but babe, let’s not breathe life to anything bad happening. You got another shot from Dr. Franklin yesterday. That will hold you for the next month or maybe even the remainder of the tour.” She stroked his cheek. “You’ll be just fine.”

  The phone rang, and she looked at him. He left her embrace and answered it. He said a few things and hung up the phone. He met her eyes and took her hand. “That was Sean. He’s annoyed ‘cuz I’m late. I need to go. Time to catch a flight with Captain Ben to Tulsa. Please come with me.”

  She shook her head. “I can’t, babe. You can do this. Six more weeks, that’s all. You’ve got this. Say hi to Captain Ben for me.” She leaned forward and kissed him.

  He nodded and let go of her. “I’ll call you when I get to the hotel.”

  She grinned. “Ok. You know where to find me.”

  “I love you, babe.”

  She waved and nodded. “I love you too. Hang in there, Sull. You’re in the final stretch. It’s almost over.”

  Giselle scrambled to jump back into the mix, receiving a debriefing from Lila, who was assisting them. She and Kit had only been back in town two days, and it was complete chaos. The phones were ringing off the hook, and impromptu visits delayed them. She had never seen it like this before. But then again, when they left town to go on the road, Kit had just won two Grammy’s. She had spent a good month on the road dodging as much press about her as possible, focusing on things for Gypsy Tango only and working to keep them on track and make as much peace as possible.

  Kit hung up the phone and shook her head. She looked at Giselle. “Holy shitstorm. Ugh.”

  Giselle laughed. “I know. It’s never been this crazy. So glad we have Lila.”

  “Me too.”

  Lila pointed to Giselle, and she grabbed the phone, picking it up and chatting away. Giselle covered the receiver and yelled to Kit. “Jon Diamond on four.”

  She stared at her phone, noticing all four lines lit up like a Christmas tree and feeling a wave of nausea hit. She staved it off and picked up line four. “Jonny, what’s up? How are you?”

  He chuckled. “I could ask the very same of you, missy. You’re a very popular name buzzing around in the biz right now.”

  She laughed and bit into a donut that had been sitting on her desk from earlier that morning, instantly making a disgusted face and setting it back down. “Apparently. I had no idea. It’s been wild since I got back. Is this what happens when you get a Grammy?”

  “Yep, honey. Get used to it. I won’t keep you, I know you’ve got a lot on your plate. You around today at the homestead?”

  “Uh-huh. Why?”

  “I’m going to have the Mercedes dealer pick up your car. Give the guy your keys, and we’ll be good.”

  She frowned. “Jon, forgive me if I’m wrong here, but I thought I had another year left on the lease. I like this car. It’s all sporty-sedan and cool. It’s fun.”

  “Just turn it in, Kit.”

  She suddenly got serious. “Did I lose my company car privileges?”

  He laughed. “You’re hilarious! No, you didn’t lose your company car privileges. Trust me on this one.”

  “Ok. I guess I’ll have to drive Sully’s Ferrari around town until you replace my Benz.”

  “Yep. I’ll talk to you later, Kit-Kat. Have a good day.”

  “You too, Jon-Jon.” She hung up the phone and shook her head.

  Giselle glanced over at her. “What was that about?”

  “They want me to turn in my keys. They’re picking up my Mercedes today. Oh well. It was fun while I had it. Maybe Jonathan is doing things a little differently. I dunno.”

  Giselle frowned. “I thought you had an important appointment you couldn’t miss today.”

  She nodded, glancing at the clock and practically counting the hours until her first prenatal appointment with her doctor. She took a pregnancy test the moment she returned home, and it was positive. Having had complications in the past, she was eager to make sure she was doing everything right. She stared off into space, wondering what would happen this time around.

  The doorbell rang, and Lila jumped up to answer it. Kit frowned at the donut on her desk. She looked at Giselle. “These donuts are gross.”

  She laughed. “That’s what happens when you let it sit there after a four-hour marathon of calls.”

  Lila walked into the office and made a beeline for Kit’s desk. “There’s a delivery guy out there for you. He insists on you coming outside to sign for it.”

  She shook her head. “Nope. I won’t do that.”

  Lila looked her directly in the eye. “Kit, you need to. We can’t get it in here. It’s not possible.”

  Kit frowned, confused. Lila was like Giselle, good at making everything possible. “What? This is lame. Ok.”

  She got up and followed Lila outside where a brand new, silver Mercedes 500 SL hardtop convertible was being carefully off-loaded from a flatbed truck. It had a large red bow on the hood. She stared at it, her eyes wide. She wondered where it came from. She didn’t think it could be from Sully. Jade Riff didn’t have the kind of money yet to pull something like this off. She stared in amazement.

  The tow truck driver, who also doubled as a deliveryman, approached her smiling. “Are you Kit McKenna?”

  She nodded and grinned. “I am.”

  He smiled. “Lucky lady. Got some keys for me? I understand I’m picking up and dropping off.”

  She nodded and asked Lila to retrieve the keys to her 1989 Mercedes 560 SEC that were sitting on her desk. She made small talk with the guy until Lila returned and handed him the keys. Once she did, he handed Kit a clipboard to sign off on the delivery. She provided her signature, and he handed her a large envelope.

  “Enjoy your new ride, Ms. McKenna.”

  She stared at the envelope and opened it to find a card and two sets of keys. She noticed the tow truck driver had maneuvered his truck over to where her old car was. He had inched it out of the garage and was now proceeding to load it onto the flatbed to take it back to the dealership. She stared at the brand new Mercedes, the sun sparkling off its shiny, metallic silver paint job. She was still uncertain of what was going on here, in denial that the beautiful new car with its big red bow could be hers.

  She hastily opened the card. It read, “Congratulations on your Grammy win, Kit. And congratulations on ‘Triple Tango’ going ten times platinum. You’re an invaluable asset to Diamond Records. Thanks for taking our company to the top again and making everything you touch turn to platinum, star maker.” She stared at the words in amazement. The entire executive team and the board had signed the card.

  She laughed and ran into the house. She hopped on the phone and immediately dialed Diamond Records, asking Mindy to put her through to Jonathan immediately.

  His familiar voice answered seconds later. “Hey, Kit. What’s up?”

  She sat down in her chair and giggled. “Well, Jonathan, it seems I received quite a delivery from Diamond Corporate a little while ago.”

  He laughed. “Is it sitting in your driveway now?”

  “Yes! Wow, Jon, thank you. This is so amazing. I am so grateful. It’s been my pleasure to work for Diamond all these years. I want to keep these successes flowing for you guys.”

  “We’d love it if you did. We appreciate all your hard work, Kit. With you as CCO, you’ve singlehandedly put Diamond back on the map as the cool record company that artists want to sign with. And I won’t even go into what you’ve done with GT and Jade Riff. Lots of buzz flying around town about you these days. Any wish list of who you want to work with? Because everyone who’s anyone wants to work with you.”

  She chuckled. “I think that’s a gross exaggeration, but yes, the phones have been ringing off the hook since I got back into town. I haven’t given much thought to a wish list.”

  “Maybe you should. We’d like to do a dinner for you as well with the execs, the board
, and spouses. We want to do this at the best time for you. I know Sully is still on tour. Do you have a preferred timeframe?”

  She thought about it and knew May would be out of the question with his throat surgery coming right off of a massive world tour. “Let’s go with late June or early July. That would work best for us. Thanks for holding off so I can bring Sully. I appreciate that.”

  “Anything you need, Kit. And, by the way, the board has lifted restrictions on the jet for you. It’s at your disposal.”

  Her eyes widened. There were only three corporate jets for Diamond in operation. One was for Diamond Pictures; one was for Diamond Records and one served in tandem to whichever entity was busier. Only the CEOs had unlimited access to the jets. The fact that they were giving her this privilege was unprecedented. “Wow, that’s amazing, Jonathan. Is it just you, Lew and me that can do that?”

  “Yep. You can use it for anything you want. Business or pleasure.”

  “That’s very generous, Jon. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. And, by the way, that was Lew’s idea. He misses working closely with you. He had a great time with you at the Grammy’s.”

  “I miss him too. I’ll have to pay him a visit at Diamond Pictures soon.”

  “You should. I know you’re a busy girl these days, but he’d love a drop by if you have the time.”

  She giggled. “I may have to go show off my new wheels. Take him out for a spin.”

  Jonathan laughed. “He’d love that.”

  Giselle waved to get her attention. She frowned, questioning why silently. Giselle tapped her wristwatch and widened her eyes. Kit bobbed her head and gracefully concluded her call with Jonathan, grabbing her purse and new car keys.

  As she ran out of the office, she waved. “Thanks for the reminder, G. I won’t be long.” She hopped in her new car and took a moment to relish the experience. She giggled as she started the car and headed out.

  The light turned green, but Kit didn’t notice. She remained in a daze until the honking horn of the car behind jarred her back into the present moment. She grinned and pressed the accelerator. Her mind had temporarily lapsed into baby land.

  She was returning from her doctor’s appointment where she received the confirmation that she was indeed pregnant and due in late November. She turned the corner and climbed the hill to her home, pulling past the gates and into the circular driveway. She felt a rush of excitement, having a good feeling about her pregnancy. She drew on her strong belief that this time it would work out and come November; she’d have a healthy newborn baby in her arms.

  She strolled into the office and threw down her purse, noticing Lila and Giselle completely occupied with calls. She approached Giselle’s desk and planted her hands on it, staring until Giselle looked up and met her eyes.

  Giselle asked the caller to hold. “What’s up? Do you need me?”

  She grinned. “Yes, but finish your call. I need a moment, in private.”

  Giselle nodded and continued her call, trying her best to wrap up quickly. She watched Kit leave the room and wondered where she was headed.

  Kit sat down at the keys of the vintage Steinway and started playing, feeling a tremendous peace overwhelm her so much it made her smile and pause to enjoy it. She resumed playing until she heard Giselle call out to her.

  “You wanted to see me, boss?”

  Kit stopped playing and looked at her. “Yes. Come with me.” She stood up and made her way up the stairs to one of the bedrooms that were in proximity to the master bedroom she shared with Sully. She walked into the room and looked around. It was furnished as a standard guest room. She looked at Giselle and grinned, her emerald eyes twinkling. “I’m going to need your help with something. You’ve always had a good eye for interior design. My office looks like a million bucks because of your suggestions.”

  Giselle nodded. “Ok. What would you like to do with this room, in particular?”

  Kit smiled wide and nodded. “I’d like you to turn into a nursery, G.”

  Giselle’s eyes widened. “Oh my God. Kit, are you pregnant?”

  She giggled and nodded. “Yes. I just got the confirmation from my doctor. I’m due in November.”

  Giselle screamed with delight and hugged her tightly. “Oh gatinha, I’m so happy for you! This is the best news ever!”

  She pulled back and grinned. “Thanks. I want to wait to tell Sully until I see him in person. Also, I’m only at eight weeks. I’d prefer to hold off on telling people until I’m into my second trimester. Alexa already knows, but other than her, I’d like to keep a lid on this for at least a month if not a little longer.”

  Giselle was unable to wipe the large grin off her face as her head bobbed. “Of course.” She giggled. “It will be our little secret.” She reached out and squeezed her hand. “Anything you need, I’m here to do it. I’ll watch your schedule even more carefully and if it gets too heavy, just say the word, ok? Don’t be a hero, Kitty. Keeping your little bambino safe and healthy is much more important than your professional duties in my opinion.”

  She nodded. “Agreed. That’s why I wanted to share this with you. I will need your help with that. And I may have you step in to manage the band more actively. You know how to do it, and you do it well. Those guys have mad respect for you. It will be a good transition.”

  Giselle nodded. “Do you want to start that transition immediately?”

  Kit hadn’t anticipated that question and took a moment to think about it. Recalling what happened with her previous pregnancy and also her doctor’s urging to take it easy, she nodded. “Yes. Let’s start that transition, but we have to be careful that Sully doesn’t suspect anything.”

  She nodded. “We’ll pull it off. By the way, Gina confirmed Lew for tomorrow. You’re good to stop by and spend some time with him. He’ll be on the lot.”

  Kit grinned. “Great. Looking forward to it.”

  Lew’s assistant, Gina, led her into his office. He looked up and smiled. “Kit!” He got up and walked toward her, arms outstretched to give her a hug.

  She remained in his embrace for a while. Lew was like the father she never had and always wanted. It had been a while since she had seen him in person or received one of his legendary bear hugs, and she wanted to relish every moment of it. They weren’t able to spend as much time together at the Grammy’s as they would have liked.

  She smiled at him. “Hey, Lew.”

  He grinned at her. “How’s my favorite girl doing?”

  She giggled and took a seat in front of his desk as he headed back to his seat. “I’m doing well. Things have been a little crazy since the Grammy win. Thanks for the car, by the way. It’s gorgeous. I love it.”

  He nodded. “You’re welcome. You earned that car. How’s Sully doing? How’s the tour?”

  She sat back and got comfortable. “The tour wraps in six weeks. He’s doing ok. Tired of the road for sure.”

  “How many dates was this one?”

  She chuckled and shook her head. “It will be two-hundred-forty-seven when they’re done.”

  Lew cringed. “Ouch! That’s a big tour. How long have they been on the road?”

  “Since February of last year.”

  His eyes widened for a moment, and he grinned. “Hardest working band in rock n’ roll. Those guys are going to need some serious rest before going back into the studio for another album.” He wagged his finger at her. “Don’t let Jonathan push you.”

  She shook her head. “I won’t.”

  “So, Kitten, what can I help you with? You mentioned you wanted my help with something? Want me to write another big check for your foundation again?” He smiled wide.

  She chuckled. “I’ll always take one of those, sure. In fact, we have a gala coming up this weekend that I would love you and Sheri to attend, but that’s not why I’m here. Sully wants to experiment with acting. He’s had some bit parts and faired well enough that he’s gained favorable attention from some directors and produc
ers.

  “He’s good. He’s got some pretty decent acting chops, but I don’t want to manage that part of his career. I know nothing about the film and TV side of the biz yet.

  “I need to find him an agent or manager for this. I’ve had people calling wanting to represent him daily, and he’s got three roles right now that he’s up for, so I need to find him someone quickly. I don’t want to choose just anyone. I was hoping you could recommend someone or point me in the right direction.”

  Lew didn’t miss a beat. “Edwina Morrison. Everyone calls her Winnie. She’s the best, and she’s a bulldog. She’s been in this industry for thirty years. Let’s give her a call right now.”

  Kit smiled. As Lew put the call on speaker and Edwina’s line was ringing, she sat back pleased. This was what she wanted. Edwina was pleasant yet seemed to be a hard driver. She didn’t instantly jump on the Sully Foxx bandwagon as all the others had. She was more concerned about true talent and longevity.

  Lew sweet talked her, and she agreed with the caveat that Sully had to take lessons with an acting coach of her recommendation and that he meet with her when he was back in town. Kit agreed to the terms on his behalf, and the call ended.

  Lew donned a satisfied grin. “And that’s how it’s done, Kitty-Kat. Anything else you need?”

  She shook her head. “No, just your attendance at my gala on Friday night. And aside from that, I wouldn’t mind spending some extra time with you to catch up.”

  He nodded. “Sounds good. How about I give you tour of the lot? Have you ever been on set before?”

  She giggled. “No. Only for music videos, but I know that doesn’t count.”

  He smiled and shook his head. “No, it doesn’t. It’s time I give you an education. I sense a migration to this side of the biz in your future. We’ve got a big action film in production right now on the back lot. I’ll take you over there. You can get a feel for what Sully will be doing soon.”

  She nodded. “I’d like that.”

  Lew winked. “Good. And after we’re done with that tour I’ll take you to lunch, but you’re driving. I want to get a ride in that sweet, new car of yours.”