--- ~ ---
Karina and Ryan sat on threadbare couches in the back room of the Hope Falls High School Auditorium, the location of the Winter Festival. They had told Henry that they would agree to play, since the money benefited the High School's music department.
Karina didn't know what this meant for them professionally. They still needed to get together with Bernie and Davis and hash out all of those details. But, honestly, Karina didn't care. She was with Ryan, no matter what. That was the important part.
Whether that meant a thriving career in mainstream music, or a do-it-yourself indie operation based out of Hope Falls, Karina was through worrying about it. She was going to do her best work, make her best music, no matter what the circumstances – and she was going to be doing it with Ryan. Life could not be better.
As if summoned by her thoughts of them, Bernie and Davis strode into the makeshift green room, wide grins on their faces.
Karina laughed, “Well don't you two look like the cats that ate the canary.”
Bernie clapped her on the shoulder, “That, kid, is because I think we have finally hammered out a deal that neither of you can say no to.”
Karina was puzzled, and she knew Ryan must be, too. After all, Bernie and Davis were acting as though they had been in active negotiations all this time, and she and Ryan thought that things were stalled.
Ryan, brows furrowed, opened his mouth to ask what they meant, but Karina jumped in before he could speak with a simple, “We're listening.”
Bernie proudly brandished the thick papers, exclaiming, “Basically, here's the deal, kid. You get full creative control on 50% of the songs for your next 6 albums. The other 6 will have an outside producer, but you will have final choice of that producer. You get more creative input on art direction, press, wardrobe, etc. as well.
“The idea is that we ease your fans into the idea of the low-key, unplugged version of you as an artist, rather than shocking them.”
Karina nodded, “What about Ryan?”
Bernie said, “Did you think I would forget him? No, I would not. Ryan's deal is completely independent of yours, standard new artist stuff. Of course, we will want the two of you to collaborate, it's key in the strategy of breaking Ryan in as a new act. But neither of your contracts hinges on it.”
Karina raised her eyebrows. This was basically everything she wanted, far more than she had hoped for. Dare she ask, and risk souring the deal? Or should she just rush and get pen to paper before they had a change of heart?
Curiosity got the better of her, and she decided that she could not bear to be in the dark.
“That sounds amazing,” she said, adding, “So what prompted this abrupt change of heart?”
Davis laughed, “As if you don't know! You were right about these two, Bernie, shrewd as foxes. Well, I don't mind admitting I got bested in a game of negotiational chicken. Well played.”
Karina looked at Ryan, asking him with her raised eyebrows if he knew what they were talking about. He shook his head.
Bernie continued, “It was brilliant playing us back and forth between you. 'Oh, I have to talk to Ryan first.' 'Oh, I have to talk to Karina first.' You almost had us fooled into thinking that the deal really was going to fall apart. But, look! Now, everything is settled. We're all a family again!”
Davis put in, “And I, for one, won't be so quick to dismiss your negotiating prowess next time.”
Karina and Ryan laughed weakly.
“Yeah,” Ryan said hollowly, “We really had you going there, huh?”
“Right? We...uh...yeah. We had it planned that way all along.”
Amanda poked her head into the room and said, “30 seconds, guys! Come on!”
Karina and Ryan stood and shook hands with Davis, and Karina gave Bernie a hug, before they rushed out of the lounge and toward the side of the stage, from which they would make their entrance.
Karina could not be happier as they stood there in the wings, waiting to hear their names called, getting ready to go out on stage together, to do the thing that they did best and loved most.
She smiled slyly to herself. Well, she conceded, maybe did second best and loved second most.
Then, it was time. Henry called their names and they strode across the polished wood of the stage together, listening to the roaring, all-encompassing sound of the crowd going wild. They positioned themselves on either side of the mic, took a deep breath, and shared a smile.
Then, when the energy and anticipation in the auditorium was reaching the breaking point, they turned to the crowd and they began to play.
Check Out Chapter One of “Sweet Victory”
Chapter 1
Sam listened to the squeak of rubber soles against the shiny wood floor of the Rec Center basketball court and, even though basketball was nothing like snowboarding, struggled just a tiny bit to not feel nostalgia for her former competitive life. It seemed lately that any kind of competition – even board games – made her a little homesick for the adrenaline rush of world class competition.
But then, she looked around at where she was. Sitting in the rec center gym in Hope Falls, her hometown, with her three closest friends, Lauren, Amanda, and Karina. Watching the guys Ryan, Justin, Jake and Eric play basketball. She was surrounded by love and friendship.
She smiled. This made her feel infinitely better. What she had to keep reminding herself was that, for every split second of blood-pounding, heart-racing thrill of competition that Snowboarding gave to her, it also stole years from her life. Years that she spent in training, in isolation, never making her own decisions, and – most importantly – never being around the people she loved.
People like her friends here, the Fabulous Four. She looked at them each in turn, feeling grateful for their unique qualities. There was Amanda, the adorable little blonde kewpie doll. She was the nurturer, she had brought them all back together again. There was raven-haired Karina, the pop superstar on a hiatus from fame. She was the funny one. She had the most biting, sarcastic, and hilarious sense of humor of anyone Sam had ever known. Sam shifted her attention next to Lauren, whose tall, willowy blonde elegance would have shined through even if she hadn't always been dressed in a perfectly tailored suit, her hair and makeup flawless regardless of time of day or circumstance. She was the pragmatist, the organizer, the consummate business woman.
She looked next to herself, and here she drew a blank. Oh, sure, the physical was no problem. She was short and had a strong, athletic body. She had deep auburn hair, emerald green eyes, and a spray of freckles across her nose. That part was easy. But what about the other part? The part where someone would say, oh yeah, that's Sam, she's the fill-in-the-blank one. What went in that blank? What was there about her, aside from snowboarding, that made her unique? What made her a person? How was it possible that, by 27 years old, she couldn't answer that question?
She sat up and straightened her shoulders. Well, that was the point of coming back to Hope Falls, wasn't it? Maybe she didn't know who she was right now, but by God, she was going to figure that out.
Her attention was snatched from introspection by the appearance of the guys at their little bleacher encampment. They had taken a short break from their game of two-on-two and had come over to grab water and take a quick breather.
Justin, Amanda's fiance, and Ryan, Karina's boyfriend, made big shows of trying to grab Amanda and Karina, smothering them with kisses and hugs, even though they were dripping with sweat. Amanda and Karina shrieked and pushed them away, but they were laughing as they did it, and it was clear on both of their faces that they loved the playful game.
Sam felt a small jolt of...envy? No. She didn't begrudge her friends their relationships or their happiness. She wanted them to have every drop of joy that life had to offer. So what was it? Loneliness? Yes. That was it. It wasn't that she didn't want her friends to have happiness or love. She just wanted some of her own.
Sam glanced over at Lauren to see if she could catch some gli
mpse, some small sign, that maybe Lauren felt as bereft as she did not to have someone in her life. At least then she wouldn't feel so alone. Misery loves company and all that. But when she looked at Lauren, Lauren's head was bent over her smart phone, and her thumbs were expertly tapping out a message.
Sam sighed. Of course. Ever since Lauren had made the decision to move back to Hope Falls from New York and qualified for her California real estate license, business had been booming. Lauren specialized in high end real estate, and was finding a great market in Hope Falls and the surrounding mountains, helping people to sell and buy spectacular vacation homes – vacation mansions, really – perched high on the mountaintops, with views that could fool you into thinking you were standing in the middle of the sky.
She had started by helping Sam and Karina find their homes, which were right across the street from each other, and referrals had started to roll in from there. Never one to passively accept just what came across her desk, however, Lauren was in the process of sculpting an aggressive branding and marketing campaign. Not satisfied to be just ONE of the high-end realtors here in the mountains, she would not rest until she was the absolute quintessential high-end real estate pro in the Sierra Nevadas.
Sam smiled a little to herself. Even though she was the former Olympic athlete among the Fabulous Four, she certainly wasn't the only one who had more than a little competitive fire in her bones.
The guys got back to their game, and Lauren looked up from her text messaging. She looked around at the faces of the other three, who were staring at her.
“What?” she asked defensively.
“No text messaging during hang time. We're not here to converse with the top of your head!” Amanda said accusingly.
Lauren smiled, “I only started text messaging after you started playing grab-ass. I guess we're both done now.”
Amanda blushed.
Karina chortled, “So, how are things going with you and Justin, Mand?”
Amanda sighed dreamily, “It's so great, you guys. We're so happy it's almost sickening.”
The other three replied in unison, and without hesitation, “It IS sickening!”
Amanda laughed along with them, not bothered by the good-natured ribbing, “OK, so how about the other happy couple? How are you and Ryan doing, Karina?”
Karina beamed. It was clear that she was happier than she had ever been.
“Oh, man, you guys, it's so great,” she gushed, “I'm finishing up my album, and Ryan and I have decided to move in together, since he's basically always there anyway. He's still helping Sue Ann out in the cafe quite a bit, but he's also been working on his own material. Which is brilliant, if I do say so. And I don't think I'm biased at all!”
She stopped to take a breath, then continued, “We've basically either been in bed or in the studio for a solid month. Things couldn't be going better! I'm so happy!”
They all congratulated her, happy that their friend had found someone so wonderful to share her life with, and also happy that it had been someone who didn't want to whisk her away from Hope Falls! They liked having her around.
Sam said, “OK, that's that for relationships, what about professional lives? We need to catch up there, too. Lauren, I know you're killing it in the real estate world, and we heard about Karina's album progress. What about you, Amanda? How is Mountain Ridge Outdoor Adventures doing?”
Mountain Ridge Outdoor Adventures was the outdoor mountain activities theme park that Amanda and Justin had inherited when Amanda's father, Parker Jacobs, had died. It was her father's legacy, and the girls knew how seriously Amanda took the responsibility of running the place, and making sure that it stayed the vibrant and thriving business that it had been when Parker was still alive.
“Oh, things are going really well at the resort!” Amanda exclaimed, “We've even decided to expand.”
“Wow, that's fantastic!” Lauren said.
“Yeah,” Amanda said, with a melancholy smile, “The only thing that would make it perfect was if my Dad was here to see it.”
“He's here in spirit,” Karina assured her, “He'd be proud of you.”
The rest of the girls agreed.
Amanda smiled, “Well, what about you Sam? When are you hopping back on a snowboard?”
Sam took a deep breath and then said, “Funny you should ask, actually. I have a pretty monumental announcement to make. I'm taking a year off from competitive snowboarding.”
The three girls' jaws dropped, and Sam rushed to explain, “It's just that I want to have a real life, a normal life. I've never had normal before. In fact, I'm not even sure if I ever want to go back to it, not at that level.”
The girls continued to just stare at her, speechless.
She went on to explain, “Don't get me wrong, I love competition. I just feel that it may have stunted my growth. You know, on a personal level. And now is the time to make up for that.”
Karina slapped her palm to her forehead in sudden revelation.
“Oh, I get it!” she exclaimed, “You don't want to be a virgin anymore!”
“Karina, Shut up! ” Sam rage-whispered, mortified, as Lauren and Amanda both smacked her upside the head.
“What?“ she asked innocently, “I was just trying to clarify precisely what her ‘stunted personal growth’ was.”
“Fine but you didn’t have to announce to the whole gym the extent of my sexual experience or lack thereof,” Sam grumbled quietly, hiding her face in her hands.
“Oh, no one heard anything.” Karina said dismissively.
The girls shifted their eyes to the court where they saw all four guys standing still and smiling over at them. Eric waved jauntily, and Jake winked at them as the four men started playing again.
“OK,” Karina conceded, “Maybe some people heard. Soooo what do you think about Jake?”
Amanda and Lauren perked up, interested in the possibilities suggested by this question, and turned their attention to Sam.
Sensing the sudden quiet shift of attention directed at her, Sam slowly lowered her hands and saw all three of her friends staring intently, waiting for her answer.
“Um he’s...nice...?” Sam said cautiously, “Why?”
“No, I know he’s nice but I mean what do THINK about Jake?” Karina repeated, “I mean he’s really good looking. And he's a firefighter. Are there any sparks? Pun intended.”
“And he’s so funny and sweet.” Amanda added excitedly.
“Not to mention, he owns his home and, from what I hear, may make Captain soon. He seems pretty financially secure,” Lauren added, pragmatic as always.
After seeing where this was going Sam blurted out, “Eww, gross! I mean...not gross cause HE'S gross, just gross because I've known him my whole life. I feel like we’re related. I think growing up in a town as small as Hope Falls it’s like everyone is extended family or something.”
Seeing the hurt look on Amanda's face at this assessment, Sam hurried to add, “I mean not like you and Justin or anything, Manda, that’s totally different. You were in love with him since the first day you saw him.” Sam quickly added.
“Yes I was, and still am,” Amanda said dreamily, glancing over at Justin, all traces of hurt feelings instantly evaporating as thoughts of her handsome man filled her mind.
“OK, Amanda, if you’d like to come down from Cloud 9 for a moment, we are talking about Sam here,” Lauren said, snapping her fingers in front of Amanda’s face to break the love spell that she was lost in.
“Right, sorry,” said Amanda, snapping back to earth and focusing on the task at hand, “OK, Sam. So I guess if Jake is out then Eric is out too, what with them being brothers and all?”
“Yes! Definitely out!” Sam said in a tone that left no room for questions.
“Too bad, really.” Karina sighed regretfully, “Cause those are two fine men that would probably know JUST what to do about your ‘stunted personal growth’ problem.”
All four women turned to look at the
courts, enjoying the view of Justin, Ryan, Eric, and Jake.
Breaking the silence, Sam blurted, “I’m not taking a break from competing just to get some nookie.”
Karina laughed, “Keep calling it 'nookie' – that's a good way to keep not getting any.”
“I didn't mean I don't want any, smart ass, I just meant I want more than that,” Sam clarified, “I want more of this – more time with friends, more time to figure out who I am away from snowboarding. I mean, let’s be honest. I'm pushing 30, I don’t have that many more years left, even if I WANTED more years. This hiatus is most likely going to end in me announcing my retirement.
“In fact, I would have already made my announcement, but my coach, Stephan, abso-fricking-lutely LOST IT when I told him. He begged me to give it a year and see how I felt at the end. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that it was a moot point. Year or no year, I have already made my decision.
“He's just put so much into my career, you know? If this is an easier way for him to get adjusted to my decision, then I figure it’s the least I can do for him.”
“Least you can do for him?” Lauren spat disdainfully, “Please! Sam, you have made Mr. Stephan Humphrey a pretty penny over the course of the last decade. I mean, hasn’t he acted as your coach and your agent? Which means he makes a double commission? Personally, I think it was unethical for him to even do that, but don't get me started. The point is, I think you have done plenty for him, Sam.
I am not trying to push you into anything, but if you are absolutely sure that you want to retire, you should announce it. You don’t need to compromise for anyone,” Lauren finished with conviction in her voice.
“It’s fine. Don’t worry Gloria Steinem, I won’t let some man make me compromise myself,” Sam teased the normally reserved Lauren.
“Spoken like a true smartass.” Karina said in a southern accent, imitating Olympia Dukakis in Steel Magnolias.
Sweet Harmonies Page 30