Driving Tempo

by Raine Thomas

  To enter, participants had to share the news about the release of “Not Mine” in the most creative way they could imagine. Ten finalists had been chosen by Lily in part by the response they got on social media and in part by the originality they put into their submissions. Those finalists were then cut in half through public voting. The five with the lowest votes received autographed copies of Eternal Muse and tickets to a future Void concert of their choice. The remaining five had received party invitations, all expenses paid.

  The response to the contest had been astounding. Lily had to pat herself on the back for coming up with the idea. There were some incredibly creative people out there who had exponentially increased The Void’s exposure. There had been so much social media exposure that Lily had barely been able to keep up with it. She knew the contest had played a big part in poising “Not Mine” for its Top 10 release. She figured Christopher knew that too, and that was why he had brought up the full-time position again that evening.

  Tonight Lily would be meeting with the five remaining finalists to determine who would win the chance to shadow her as a guest social media coordinator. The final criterion to be judged was a conversation with her where the finalists explained their vision for the guest appearance and why they wanted to do it. She would announce the winner before the party concluded.

  There were still a few legal hoops to jump through before the winner could claim the prize, but Lily sensed each finalist’s excitement as she and Dane greeted them throughout the evening. Each of the five people had been screened in advance by Ordinem to make sure they weren’t a security risk. It still made Lily more comfortable having Dane with her, even if it left each of the finalists tongue-tied for a few minutes as the conversations got started.

  The first finalist they met was a woman in her late twenties named January Vadella. Lily had enjoyed January’s video submission where she simulated scenes from some of The Void’s most popular music videos, styling herself like each of the band’s members and seamlessly inserting footage of herself as though she was part of the actual videos. It had been an outstanding feat to pull off in such a short timeframe. The Void’s fans had agreed, as she had received the highest number of votes.

  “It’s so nice to meet you,” January said, accepting Lily’s greeting handshake.

  Lily wasn’t offended when January’s gaze moved to Dane and stayed there. He was, after all, the sexiest man alive to her eyes.

  “It’s nice to meet you too,” Lily said. “Your video really caught my attention.”

  “Th-thank you.”

  January’s gaze flitted to Lily and then back to Dane. Smiling, Dane lifted his arm and placed it casually over Lily’s shoulder. January watched the movement, her wide blue eyes once again moving between them.

  “Why don’t you tell us why you should win the guest coordination spot, January?” Dane said.

  “Oh, you can call me Janie, Archer,” she gushed, her cheeks filling with color.

  “Okay, Janie,” Dane replied.

  Her blush intensified. “Well, I’m just the biggest Void fan there is. Seriously. I mean, I’ve been a fan since Mark of Prudence,” she said, referencing The Void’s first album. “I’ve been to tons of your concerts and started the most popular Void fan page on Facebook. I already do so much pimping of you guys and I see plenty of room for improving the band’s social media exposure. I feel I’m a shoe-in for the guest spot.”

  Lily’s jaw tightened briefly over the “room for improvement” statement. It was all but a direct criticism of the job Lily had been doing...not exactly a great way to get on her good side. Still, Lily could put her pride aside enough to acknowledge there was always room for improvement.

  “Why are you interested in winning?” Lily asked.

  January’s gaze reluctantly pulled away from Dane. “To work with The Void, of course. It would be the most exciting thing to ever happen to me.”

  Lily received similar responses from the next three candidates, another twenty-something woman named Tabitha Moreland, a guy about the same age named Logan Sanchez, and a guy in his late teens named Carl Rackham. She was disappointed that four people who had been so creative in their contest submissions were so highly unoriginal in their interview responses. Then again, she reasoned, it was probably intimidating coming up with great responses with Dane standing right there. Maybe she had made a mistake by including him in this part of the contest.

  Oh, well...too late now, she thought as they approached the last finalist, Jada Morgan. Jada had won her spot by creating a popular Instagram Story where she carried life-sized cutouts of The Void around with her and staged scenes in photos that she captioned with quotes from The Void’s songs. It had come in second among voters but Lily had personally liked it best.

  As she and Dane reached Jada, the first thing Lily noticed was her exotic beauty. Her deep brown, almond-shaped eyes tipped up at the corners, hinting at Asian heritage. Her sharp cheekbones and straight, lustrous black hair added to that impression, whereas her tawny brown skin, full lips, height, and lush curves leaned towards African American. Lily guessed she was some blessed mix of both races.

  “You must be Jada,” she greeted the young woman, whom she gauged to be around her own age. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “A pleasure to meet you too,” Jada said with a beautiful smile. “I’m so excited to be here. Thank you for giving me this opportunity.”

  It occurred to Lily that Jada was the first finalist to express gratitude. That and the fact Jada gave her and Dane equal attention earned her a point in Lily’s favor.

  “You certainly earned it,” Lily said, returning the other woman’s smile. “I loved your Instagram Story. It was genius.”

  “Thanks,” Jada said. “There were a number of amazing submissions. I’m really honored to have made the cut.”

  Lily exchanged a brief look with Dane. Unspoken approval passed between them.

  “Why are you interested in winning this spot?” Dane asked.

  “Well, I’m interested in social media marketing and The Void’s is among the best I’ve ever seen,” Jada replied. “I’m embarrassed to admit that I only recently became a fan of your music after reading some of your social media content. I’m more of an R&B girl.”

  Her self-deprecating smile charmed Lily, as did her compliments about Lily’s efforts on social media. Whether they were carefully crafted responses to win the spot or genuine opinions, Lily couldn’t deny that she enjoyed hearing them.

  “I would love the chance to learn from you, Ms. Montgomery,” Jada went on.

  “Lily,” she automatically corrected.

  Jada smiled again. “Lily. I feel as though I could learn so much from even one day working with you. I’m also a photographer, so I’d love to capture The Void with my camera and share it with the world if I’m chosen to guest post. Social media is so visual these days. I feel the two worlds go hand-in-hand.”

  It was more than enough for Lily. She and Dane wrapped up the conversation with Jada and thanked her for her time and participation. Dane then had to move on to fulfilling his meet-n-greet expectations so Lily took a minute to break away from the crowd for a brief break.

  Ryan, who had stood nearby through each of the interviews, walked with her over to the refreshment table where she selected a bottle of water. “She’s the winner, right?” he guessed.

  “Yep.”

  Seeing that she was struggling with opening the bottle, Ryan took it from her and twisted the top off before handing it back. She toasted him with a lift of the bottle before taking a sip.

  “Thanks,” she said. “God, that was a lot of talking.”

  “You’re not done yet,” he said as his steady gaze swept the room.

  “Don’t remind me.”

  Barney, Lily’s other dedicated bodyguard, joined them. “Mr. Donnelly was just asking about you, Miss Lily,” he said, his expression as impassive as always. “I believe he would appreciate you joining Mr. Archer
in making the rounds.”

  Sighing, Lily glanced over at Christopher, who was looking her way. He gave her a nod from his position among Wilde and a number of his staff members. His gaze shifted to Dane, so Lily also looked in her fiancé’s direction. Not surprisingly, she saw that he was surrounded by fawning females.

  It never ceased to amaze her how shamelessly some women flirted with him, even knowing he was engaged. Her gaze narrowed when she spotted January among the groupies. Did she think flirting with Dane was the way to go when Lily was choosing the contest winner?

  “I’ll join him in a minute, Barney,” she said, re-capping her water and handing it to Ryan. “Just let me touch up my lipstick.”

  Both men followed her to The Void’s table where she had left her small clutch in her seat. She opened the purse and frowned.

  “What’s wrong?” Ryan asked.

  “My lipstick is missing.”

  “Are you sure you put it in there?”

  “Yes,” she said, issuing a perturbed huff. “Serves me right for leaving my purse at the table. Good thing I only had a few makeup items and a hairbrush in here.”

  Barney’s eyebrows lowered the slightest fraction. “I find it odd that they wouldn’t have taken the entire purse. Why just your lipstick?”

  The question had Lily’s skin prickling. She glanced at Ryan, who also seemed to be considering Barney’s words.

  “Maybe they figured the lipstick was easier to transport without getting caught,” he said.

  That made sense. Lily’s tension eased over the logical thought. That didn’t make her any happier to be without her lipstick with all of the cameras in the room.

  “Lily, I’m glad I caught you.”

  Turning, Lily spotted Erica St. James, the lead singer of Brewer Street, as she paused a few feet away. Ryan and Barney discreetly stepped back as Lily smiled and accepted Erica’s brief embrace.

  “How have you been, Erica?” Lily asked. “Things have been so crazy that I haven’t had time to talk to you guys.”

  “I know you’re busy,” Erica said, waving at the party around them. “Just look at everything you guys have accomplished. I’m so happy for you.”

  “Thanks. It’s been exhausting but exciting.”

  “I can only imagine. With everything else you’ve got going on, this might be the last thing on your mind, but I was curious if you’d heard anything about the article.”

  Lily’s mood dimmed over the mention of the article she had written about Gregg Hoover’s cancer recovery. “I’ve gotten a couple of rejections,” she admitted, “but I’m hopeful that it’ll get picked up soon. Is that okay?”

  Erica looked puzzled. “What do you mean?”

  “I just wondered if you were asking because you maybe wanted to release the news about Gregg’s recovery yourselves rather than wait for the article to get published.”

  “Oh, no,” Erica replied, snorting dismissively. “Are you kidding? I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your persistence and interest in writing the article in the first place. We don’t exactly get a lot of talented writers knocking down the door wanting to feature a largely unknown Canadian band.”

  Lily smiled. “Of course. It was my pleasure.”

  “We’ve already benefited so much from the attention you’ve shown us on social media, Lily. That’s the reason I hunted you down...well, aside from congratulating you on the success. The boys and I are so grateful to you. I have every confidence that the article you wrote will be published and that it will help bring more awareness to Brewer Street and our dedication to cancer-related causes.”

  Erica’s words stuck with Lily long after their conversation ended. Erica’s gratitude was both humbling and motivating. This was why Lily so desperately wanted to pursue a writing career focused on articles that shared people’s real stories. Could she really push that goal aside?

  She didn’t have time to dwell on it as she joined Dane in maneuvering around the room and interacting with the media and their guests. What had once been a dreaded chore for her now came more naturally, making the time pass quickly.

  Before long, it was time for her to announce the winner of the contest. The five finalists joined Lily and The Void on a stage that had been set up on one side of the room. They stood facing each other, Lily at the forefront. She saw the hope and expectation in each of the finalist’s expressions. It made her feel bad that she would have to dash those emotions for most of them in just a few minutes.

  But she would potentially change the life of one of them. That had to count for something.

  One of the event staff handed Lily a wireless microphone and then hurried off the stage. The moment she turned to the crowd and lifted the microphone, the entire room went silent. Lily heard only the sound of clicking cameras and the sound of her own heartbeat.

  Fighting a bout of nerves, she took a calming breath and spoke into the mic. “This is more Archer’s place than mine,” she began, glancing up as though blinded by the spotlight centered on her. When everyone laughed, it put her more at ease. “I’m very excited to have the pleasure of announcing the winner of the Single Spotlight contest. First I’d like to thank all of the fans who entered the contest. We appreciate everything you did to support the release of ‘Not Mine.’ You’re all remarkably talented.”

  After some applause, she continued, “Archer and I took the time earlier to speak with our five finalists. The winner was chosen carefully after determining how their goals and vision meshed with the guest opportunity we’re offering. I’m happy to announce that the winner is...” She paused for dramatic effect, then finished, “Jada Morgan!”

  The resulting applause filled the room like a crashing wave. Jada brought her hands up to her mouth and her lovely eyes went wide. Lily smiled and added her own applause, careful not to jostle the microphone.

  “Bitch!”

  Lily’s smile dropped at January’s loud cry. She almost said something in defense of Jada until she realized the curse had been aimed at her.

  January lifted her hand. Lily flinched, instinctively moving to block an attack even though January wasn’t within physical striking distance. Something stung near her eye. She stumbled back a step.

  Even as she registered the flash of pain, Lily found herself surrounded. From between the shoulders of Dane and Xander, she watched as Barney pulled January from the stage and ushered her out of the room. She spewed curses and accused Lily of all sorts of treachery for not choosing her as the winner until the doors closed behind them, drowning her out.

  Once the threat had passed, Dane turned and reached for Lily. “Are you all right?” he asked.

  Ryan stood next to him. His eyes reflected the same question. She nodded at both of them.

  “I’m fine.”

  Shooing both of the men away from her, she straightened her posture and once again faced the crowd. She wasn’t about to ruin this moment for Jada, who deserved the recognition this contest would bring her. After a moment, the spotlight once again focused on her and the crowd quieted.

  “Well, that was exciting,” she said into the microphone. “No wonder they pay the judges on those reality shows so much money.”

  The round of laughter in the room helped break the tension. Jada looked around uncertainly before eventually smiling at Lily.

  “Now that all of the excitement is over,” Lily said, “why don’t we get back to the main event? Let’s keep celebrating the success of The Void and ‘Not Mine.’”

  Chapter Eleven

  From a distance, Regina watched as Lily managed to turn what could have been a huge scene for House of Archer into a non-event, acting as though she hadn’t just been attacked by a rabid Void fan in front of a crowd. Regina saw the thin red mark marring Lily’s cheek from where she had been struck by whatever the fan had thrown. The injury was major news, but she was downplaying it and pushing the attention onto the winner of the ridiculous contest The Void was hosting.

  Who gave a shit about
that?

  Regina hid a smile behind her glass of wine as she took a drink. Elijah had to be fighting the urge to choke Lily for not playing this up while the cameras rolled.

  Every time Lily Montgomery failed in her duties towards House of Archer, Suddenly Something surely looked more appealing to the producers. Unlike Lily, Regina’s boys knew how to take advantage of every scene opportunity.

  And to think, she had actually considered not attending the event that evening. What a shame it would have been to miss all this.

  Each of The Void’s opening acts had been invited to the party since the Under the Bridge Tour and House of Archer had both contributed to the successful launch of The Void’s new single. Regina knew her invitation was strictly a PR move, a fact that didn’t exactly make her feel like celebrating.

  Indeed, the idea of “celebrating” any success for Dane Archer nauseated her. She wouldn’t ever forgive him for leaving Suddenly Something. He had screwed them over right when they had been poised for greatness.

  Greatness that he had since achieved with his own band.

  “Bitch should have aimed for her heart instead of her ugly face,” Nikki mumbled from behind Regina.

  Regina knew she meant Lily. Noting the heads turning in their direction, she forced a smile and took Nikki’s arm, leading her away from the crowd and the cameras. Nikki stumbled a bit, spilling her drink and revealing her level of intoxication.

  “I’ve warned you about this,” Regina hissed, making sure everyone’s attention remained on Lily as she explained what Jada Morgan had just won. “You’re letting your jealousy rule you. If you aren’t making snide remarks about Lily then you’re taking digs at Sydney Ward. It makes you look pitiful and desperate. Have some pride, for God’s sake.”

  Nikki sneered at her. “That’s fucking rich, you telling me to have some pride.”

  “Why?”

  “You’re the pot calling the kettle black. Am I more pitiful and desperate than the woman sleeping with a bald, fat producer to try and further her career?”

  Regina felt dueling fires of anger and humiliation flame in her chest. “He serves a purpose to both of us,” she reminded Nikki as calmly as she could manage. “You, on the other hand, are bitter because you wanted Archer and he didn’t want you. Then you went and lost the guy you took as a consolation prize.”