by Lisa Lace
“Perfection,” Harvey says. He wets his lips, and it makes my stomach turn. He’s like a tiger eyeing its dinner. “I trust you’re both happy with the representation you’ve received so far?”
“Lucas is wonderful,” Jane replies. “He gives the best advice. He’s always available, night or day.”
Harvey meets my eye and raises one eyebrow suggestively. “That’s what I hear. My son, available day…or night.”
I feel my cheeks flaming. He knows. I wonder what else Harvey knows. Does he know I’m Gregory Evans’ daughter?
He looks between Jane and me with a sleazy smile. “I want you girls to know I’m available, too. I also want to tell you how much I appreciate the compromises you’re making for us. I’m sure we’re going to enjoy a lot of success together.” He winks at Jane. “Maybe we could enjoy other things, as well.”
She giggles again, bowing her head coyly.
“Anyway, I was just dropping in. I’m off to a charity auction. I might get another yacht.” He laughs. “It’s hard being selfless, am I right?”
Jane flutters her eyelashes at him. “It’s all for a good cause.”
“Yes, my love life.” He snickers. “The ladies love a yacht. Perhaps you’d join me one day? There’s Santa Monica or Long Beach, or, if you’re feeling really adventurous, Europe or the Caribbean. A man’s got to have a break sometime.”
There are stars in her eyes. “I’d love that.”
“Keep working hard, doll, and you’ll have all of that to look forward to and more. I don’t doubt you’ll have a few yachts of your own someday.” He looks around once more, and nods, satisfied. “Until next time.”
After he’s gone, my discomfort remains. There’s a gnawing, uneasy feeling in my gut. I don’t trust Harvey Fox.
Jane, on the other hand, is giddy from his visit. She grabs my arm and jumps up and down with excitement. “That was Harvey Fox. The owner, Ivy! He told us we were good!” She’s breathless. “If he thinks we’re good, then we must be. He’s, like, the biggest thing in music right now.”
Lucas smiles. “You are good. Shall we carry on?”
We keep recording, but for me, the enjoyment is gone. I can’t help feeling there’s a target on my back. I’ve never felt more like fresh meat.
Jane and I go grab a shake from a nearby diner. She’s on cloud nine, but she senses I’m not overjoyed. We sit side by side at the diner counter on high leather stools.
She nudges me. “What’s wrong?”
“Did Harvey make you…uneasy?”
“No. Why?”
“I don’t know. He gave me a weird feeling. I’m worried he’s going to take advantage of us somehow.”
“By turning us into stars?” She laughs. “Sign me up.”
“No, not like that.” I twist a strand of hair around my finger. “Didn’t you feel he was hinting at something? The way he looked at us…” I shiver.
Jane rolls her eyes. “You were never going to like him, not after everything you’ve heard from your dad.”
“All that talk about enjoying more than success, and the yachts…It’s like he was trying to send a message.”
“You think he’s asking for sex?”
I drum my fingers on the marble. “Yes. Maybe.”
“Just because Lucas went straight to bonetown doesn’t mean his father is the same.”
“Jane!”
“What?” She glares at me. “It’s true, isn’t it? You slept with him like that.” She snaps her fingers. “Now I feel like you’re judging me for being nice to the guy who’s holding our golden ticket.”
“I never said anything like that.”
“I can tell you’re thinking it. When I laughed and played along, you gave me a look that could kill.”
“I don’t think I did.”
She shrugs. “I’m not about to get on his bad side. That man could do great things for us.”
“We’re going to do great things for us,” I correct her. “Remember, we’re the artists. They need us more than we need them. Let’s not undermine ourselves.”
“We both know that’s not true. We’ve been scrambling for nothing gigs for years. This is the first real chance we’ve had. If I’ve got to suck up to Harvey Fox to make it a sure thing, then that’s what I’m going to do.”
“It’s one thing to stay in his good books, but another to…you know.”
“And what if I did?” she challenges. “Would you lose respect for me?”
I’m speechless. “Jane—”
She holds up her hand. “No, I’ve had enough of this. You think I haven’t noticed how you’ve been getting preferential treatment since this thing started with Fox Records? I feel expendable. Don’t try to make me feel bad for trying to keep up with you.”
Tears sting behind my eyes. “You’ve got no reason to feel that way.”
“Don’t I?” She stares at me, her own eyes welling up. “You and Lucas are still so chummy. It’s obvious to anyone with eyes there’s something there. Don’t treat me like I’m an idiot.”
“I promise you there’s nothing between me and Lucas. We spent one night together. That’s it. You know I’d tell you if there was anything more.”
Jane breathes in deeply, wipes her eyes, and nods. “Alright. I believe you. Sorry for being crazy. I guess this whole thing is just getting to me. A lot of eyes on you, you know?”
I lean across to hug her. “You don’t have to worry about a thing. Nothing’s changed.”
Lucas
After the recording session, Jane takes off with Sam to grab some lunch. Ivy watches them go with a hurt expression.
“What was that about?” I say. “It’s unlike you two not to be joined at the hip.”
Ivy sits in Sam’s seat at the board and fiddles with the sliders, looking morose.
She shrugs. “The stress is getting to us, I guess.”
“What stress?”
“This.” She lifts her hands to gesture to the recording equipment all around us. “Jane feels like she’s being overshadowed.” She looks up at me. “I think she’s right. She’s being pushed into the background. Why?”
I let out a slow breath and sink down into a chair at Ivy’s side. “She’s not as marketable as you are.”
That’s one way of saying she’s average.
“You mean she’s not blonde? She’s shorter? She’s got a tattoo? What’s the problem? I’m not comfortable hogging the limelight, and she’s starting to feel hurt. We need to fix this.”
“The song lyrics are divided the way they’re written. I’ll see if we can find something a bit more balanced for you two.”
Ivy frowns. “I feel like you’re just saying that to keep me quiet, Lucas.” She turns to me, folding her arms across her chest. “This is going to come between me and Jane, and I don’t like it.”
“What’s coming between you and Jane is the fact she’s afraid you’re going to outshine her.”
“She doesn’t need to be—”
“She does.”
Ivy closes her mouth and looks down at the desk. “Jane’s the one who has always managed to get us places.”
“Your voice is what gets you places, Ivy.”
“I don’t want her to be overshadowed.”
“It’s out of my hands.”
She scoffs dramatically and glares at me. “Everything is out of your hands! What exactly do you do here, Lucas? You’re not helping us at all.”
I hold my tongue. I want to tell her keeping Jane as quiet as possible is helping her, but I don’t want to come across as the heartless bad guy she thinks I am.
“Jane shouldn’t be blaming you for anything. If she’s got a problem, she should come to me. I’m the manager.”
“That’s the thing.” Ivy sighs. “She thinks there’s something going on between us. She’s angry about it. I thought we’d worked it out, but I guess I smiled too brightly or made too much eye contact with you or something today. She’s reading too much into everythin
g. She thinks there’s some kind of conspiracy where I’m using you to get better singing parts for myself.” She rubs her forehead. “She’s never been so jealous.”
“She’s jealous because she recognizes your talent.”
I stand up and pace the little room for a moment, my hands on my hips. I pull a chair opposite Ivy and sit down again a moment later. “Do you want me to talk to her about this?”
Ivy lets out a panicked laugh. “God, no! The last thing I need is for her to think I’ve been buddying up with you behind her back.”
“She’s punishing you.”
“I don’t know what she’s doing, but I don’t like it. We’ve been closer than sisters for years, and now she’s treating me like a rival.” Ivy tears up. “First, my dad makes me feel terrible about everything, and now Jane. Is this the price of fame?”
I place my hand on Ivy’s knee. “She’ll come around. She’s insecure. It’ll pass.”
“She got mad at me for saying she shouldn’t flirt with your dad, but I’m worried about her. I don’t want him to use her.”
“I’ll talk to him.”
Ivy shakes her head, tears flying from her eyes. She wipes them with the back of her hand. “She wouldn’t want that. She wants him to stare. She’s dreaming of yacht parties.”
“That’s why you’re going to go further. You’re in this for all the right reasons.”
“I always saw us doing this together, but the cracks are already showing. We haven’t even recorded three tracks.”
“If it takes that little to stir her up, she’s probably going to struggle in this industry. People get paranoid as soon as they’ve got to share the spotlight. Don’t let her get to you.”
“It feels like I’m losing all my friends.”
I shift closer, putting my arm around her shoulders. “I’m your friend.”
She looks up at me with a forced smile. “Everyone seems to think you’re shifty and conniving.”
“Is that what you think?”
Ivy pauses then shakes her head. “I know too much what it’s like to be desperate to please your father to judge you for trying to please yours. He might be your dad, but he’s also your boss. I get that.”
“I’d still like to be your friend, Ivy. You need friends in this business.”
“It’ll only make Jane feel more left out.”
“That’s all in her head. You’ve done nothing wrong.”
“She’s being cut out.”
“She’s a jealous little girl.”
I draw back from Ivy, resting my elbows on my knees and fixing her with an intent stare. “If Jane weren’t in the picture, would you have accepted my offer for a date?”
Ivy’s eyes widen. “What? Oh, Lucas…I don’t know.”
“I hate to see you getting beaten down. Everybody—your father, my father, Jane—is treating you like an asset. I’d like the chance to treat you like a woman. A woman I’ve come to care about very much.”
“You’re sweet, Lucas.”
“But it’s still a no?”
She rests her hand on mine. “For now. Let the air clear a bit, then we’ll see.”
“So, it is all this drama standing in the way, then?” I wave my hand. “It’s not me?”
Her face softens. “No. You’re wonderful.”
“Even if everything is out of my hands and I do nothing around here?”
“I didn’t mean that.”
I hold up my hand. “It’s okay. God knows I’ve wished for a little more autonomy around here, but nobody will ever be as good as my father. He’ll never let go of the reins. If I didn’t think he’d start a smear campaign against me all over Hollywood, I’d go my own way.”
“You think he’d do that?”
“I wouldn’t put it past him. He’s ruthless when it comes to competition.” I look down at my lap. “For what it’s worth, I’m more inclined to believe your father’s version of events than mine as to what happened between them.”
“Really?” Ivy looks up with grateful eyes. “That means a lot.”
“I’ve got something else that will cheer you up.”
“What’s that?”
“We had our first clean take today of your first official Fox Records track.”
“You did?”
“Do you want to hear the playback?”
Ivy bites her lip. “I shouldn’t. Not without Jane.”
“Jane can hear it later. I want to see you smile.”
She does smile. “Okay.”
I lean over the board to initiate playback.
Jane looks over my shoulder with interest. “I didn’t know you could work the board.”
“I’m a fully trained sound engineer.”
“Really?”
I laugh. “I wanted to know what I was doing. There’s nothing worse than some clueless manager barking orders. I know the recording process inside out from discovering an artist, to making a track, to releasing, to promotion.”
“That’s amazing.”
“No. This is amazing.”
I play back the track. I watch the expression on Ivy’s face as she hears her own voice on a professional recording for the first time. It starts as disbelief then grows into joy.
She curls her hands into little excited fists, and her tears dry up almost instantly. “Is that us? Oh my God, is that really us?”
“That’s you.”
“Wow. We sound like professionals.”
“In a few months, you’ll be all over the radio.”
She covers her mouth with her hand. “I can’t believe it. It’s really happening.”
“I’m proud of you, Ivy.”
For a moment, she just looks at me, then something in her expression softens, and she leans forward to kiss me. Her lips are soft against mine. Her kiss is still hesitant. She rests her palm on my jaw. I thread my fingers through her hair and pull her closer. Everything about the kiss is perfect.
Ivy
“Are you fucking kidding me?”
I turn around quickly to see Jane standing there with a store-bought sandwich in her hand. Her face is screwed up in anger, and she slams her sandwich down on the mixing board.
“Jane…I…”
“I can’t believe this. You swore to me.”
“It’s not what it looks like.”
“Really? Because it looks like you had your tongues down each other’s throats.” Her voice catches with tears. “And you’re listening to our track? Without me? You’re unbelievable!”
She turns on her heel and storms out of the room. I bury my head in my hands. My heart is thumping with guilt and adrenalin. I instantly feel guilty. I’ve never broken a promise to Jane before.
Lucas puts his hand on my shoulder, but I tear myself away. “Please, Lucas. Don’t. I have to go talk to her.”
“Ivy…”
I ignore him and tear out of the room to find Jane. I spot her as she’s leaving the building and catch up with her halfway down the street.
“I don’t want to talk to you, Ivy,” she snaps. “Stay away from me.”
“What I promised you was true. Nothing has been going on between us since the masquerade. What just happened was the first time that—”
“Am I supposed to believe you?” She comes to a halt. Her face is flushed with anger, and she’s gripping on to her purse like it’s a grenade she’s about to throw. Her dark hair, smooth a moment ago, has become wild from her throwing it over her shoulder in a rage.
“I swear.”
“You swore to me before.” She stamps her foot. “Who are you?”
“Nothing’s going on.” I stumble over my words. “I mean, it’s not like I’m sleeping with him to get ahead.”
“But you are sleeping with him?”
“No!”
“Then why are you kissing him in the studio?”
I blink back tears. “Because he’s the only person who seems to care about me right now.”
“Are you serious?”
“But you’re sleeping with his son.”
“Once.” I hold up a single finger. “Lucas and I spent one night together. That’s it.”
Jane gestures back toward the building. “It’s clearly not over. Why are you doing this, Ivy?”
“He said he was proud of me.” I hear the wobble in my own voice. “Everyone else has acted like I’m some kind of monster, picking apart every choice I make. I’ve doubted myself. I’ve questioned everything.” I take a deep breath. “But Lucas isn’t looking to blame me or take something from me. He’s just happy I’m getting close to where I want to be.”
“What Lucas wants is to get laid.”
“You don’t know him.”
“Clearly not the way you do.”
“Why are you being such a bitch?”
Jane gasps. “Me, a bitch? You’re the one who tried to convince me to throw this opportunity away because you didn’t want to upset your daddy. The next thing I know, you’re sleeping with Lucas. You tell me there’s nothing going on, but strangely, you’re singing eighty percent of the lyrics to every song. Then I walk in on you necking with him. And you still want me to believe you’re on my side? You’ve changed.”
“You’re the one who’s changed. We used to have our own style. We had a cause, principles. Yet as soon as we signed with Fox Records, you’d do about anything to please them, even if it means we change everything that makes us who we are. It’s not what I wanted, but I’ve done it— all for you.”
“Don’t act like you’ve done anything for me!” She scoffs. “We weren’t drowning in offers before Fox Records came along, and you would be nowhere without me. I remember our first open mic. You barely made it to stage because you couldn’t push through the crowd when they called our names. It was me who took your hand and pulled you through to make sure we got our turn. It’s always been me pulling you forward.”
“You don’t think I know that?” A sob catches in my throat. “You think I’m trying to steal from you, but I’ve always given you credit for everything you’ve done. Just today I was arguing with Lucas about the way the lyrics are getting divided between us. This morning I told him you were being cut out, and I didn’t like it.”