Chapter 58: Rising Tide
[Chapter 58: Rising Tide]
"Are you kidding me? There's no way I'm putting any tracks from the album on this EP. This isn't negotiable," Taylor said firmly.
"Look, I'm not crazy about it either, but Walmart is counting on us. They're our most important physical distributor," Scott Borchetta replied, showing a strained expression as he glanced at Ryan sitting on the sofa behind Taylor, offering him a helpless smile.
He was a middle-aged man with curly black hair, looking typically Hispanic. In the wider sense of the term, Latinos included Mexicans, Central and South Americans, as well as Portuguese and Spaniards, making up a larger population than African Americans. The U.S. boasted Spanish TV networks, and many stars released Spanish albums, reflecting their significant social influence.
"This is your problem. Bottom line: you can't dictate content to me," Taylor crossed her arms, dismissing Scott's concerns with a scoff.
The boundaries of collaboration between Taylor and Scott were clear; Taylor managed the creative content while Scott handled marketing. Strictly speaking, Taylor wasn't being unreasonable. An exclusive EP wouldn't sell very many copies, and giving quality songs to the EP would inevitably impact the sales of her second full-length album due later in the year. With the market so fiercely competitive, any misstep could easily get her overshadowed, so it made sense that Taylor didn't want to back down.
Scott raked his fingers through his hair, both of them caught in an uncomfortable silence.
"Okay, Taylor, you can leave for now, and we'll talk about this later," Scott finally managed to squeeze out a smile.
Without looking back, Taylor turned and walked out, but not before glancing back to give Ryan a look that said she would be waiting for him next door.
...
After Taylor left, Scott motioned for Ryan to sit across from him, his face full of genuine concern for Ryan's situation.
"Signing with Scott (Scooter) is a solid move for you. Just like I said before, he knows the real big players in this industry," Scott said.
"Only a year-long contract? Ha, kid, you hit the jackpot!" Scott added.
"By the way, what do you think of Taylor?" he asked, suddenly curious.
The question seemed a bit out of the blue.
"Nothing much, just curious to hear your thoughts on her," Scott explained.
"I don't have any strong opinions," Ryan shrugged.
"Do you like her? Or do you think she likes you?" Scott pressed on.
"Do you even need to ask that?" Ryan frowned, starting to feel like Scott was being nosy.
"Okay, I'm not trying to pry into your personal life with Taylor. I'm just a businessman, and with promotion season approaching, her relationship could be a great publicity angle," Scott clarified.
Ryan realized what Scott was driving at.
"I don't see why not," Ryan nodded immediately.
Ryan had always been indifferent to publicity stunts centered around relationships. After all, making money came from selling music, while publicity was just icing on the cake. However, Taylor was different; her fans were primarily teenage girls. Through a relationship, both their fanbases could mutually benefit. Since Ryan already had a small following, this "relationship publicity" was a big win for him.
Of course, he needed to let Abigail know ahead of time.
"Great! I can see you're a smart guy," Scott remarked, initially thinking Ryan might hesitate but pleasantly surprised at how quickly he agreed, rendering his pre-prepared warnings unnecessary.
"So, you two are something now? No offense, but I'm just asking out of personal curiosity," Scott said quietly during their handshake.
Wow, such a gossip, Ryan shot him a look that said, "You figure it out."
...
In the parking lot, in the dark red Challenger, in the back seat.
"I see now why he wanted to talk to you; it was all about this," Taylor had a smile on her lips, knowing fully well how to solidify their relationship.
"This way, I can also casually mention to Abigail that we're more than just friends." She leaned back against Ryan, lifting her face to kiss him.
The two were half-lying in the back seat, Taylor nestled in Ryan's embrace.
"Tastes like strawberries," Ryan commented after they kissed, their lips parting for a moment.
"This is my new lip balm; want to try it?" Taylor laughed, leaning in for another kiss that lasted quite a while.
When they finally pulled away again, Taylor's eyes looked dreamy, her cheeks flushed, and her warm breath brushed against Ryan's face.
"Ryan... Ryan," she breathed softly, calling his name twice.
Her racing heart and the rush of hormones made her feel lightheaded.
"Best friends shouldn't keep secrets from each other," Ryan continued to tease.
"I'm not doing that," Taylor playfully swatted him.
"By the way, I mentioned the local Nashville radio event to you a while back, and they called me again yesterday. When are you planning to go?" Taylor suddenly remembered. She'd brought it up when Ryan signed on, but it had already been half a month.
"I'm free this afternoon," Ryan thought for a moment.
"Not today. You have to spend the day with me," Taylor said, nuzzling against Ryan's shoulder, her thick, curly hair falling around her like a golden waterfall in the sunset.
"I can't just sit here with you all day," Ryan replied.
"Where do you want to go?" Taylor asked, eyes closed and smiling.
That question didn't need an answer.
...
Later that evening, after dropping Taylor off at home, Ryan returned to Trey's place. He found Trey lounging on the couch, looking a bit bored.
When she saw Ryan come in and noticed he wasn't paying attention to her, she picked up an orange peel from the coffee table and tossed it at him.
"What's that for?" Ryan asked with a raised brow.
"I'm hungry," Trey pouted, putting on a pitiful expression.
...
After having dinner with Trey, Ryan headed to his study and opened his laptop to find three emails from Elizabeth Olsen that had arrived in the last few days.
The first was another inquiry.
The second was somewhat desperate, likely because she thought Ryan had lost interest.
The third was more of the same, echoing the sentiments of the second.
In just three short emails, Elizabeth's fluctuating emotions came through clearly.
'Stars really did seem to thrive on indifference; the colder they were, the more you wanted to pursue them,' Ryan chuckled as he typed out a response.
He checked the count of the Harlem Shake videos on YouTube. Compared to a week ago, the daily uploads had surged to over a thousand -- this wasn't total count but daily uploads! Although most of them likely went unnoticed, it proved that regular folks had begun to mimic and film their own Harlem Shake videos.
Searching online, Ryan even discovered that a dozen students from Milford High in Michigan had been suspended for filming their own Harlem Shake entries.
Upon checking his YouTube backend, he saw that his earnings for last month had just come in, yielding over ten thousand dollars, clearly indicating that Harlem Shake was still on an upward trajectory. In other words, good times were ahead.
As for Tremor, not only had it not dropped in rank on Beatport, it had actually climbed two spots. Given that the music video was about to launch, Tremor's attention and sales were sure to hit a new peak.
While Harlem Shake spread like wildfire online, public interest was bound to eventually wane, a trend expected to last two to three months.
As for Tremor, at this pace, its popularity would likely outlast that of Harlem Shake, possibly becoming a classic in electronic music.
In short, Ryan was entering a phase of rapid ascendance.
Just then, Ryan's phone rang.
...
"Ryan, I heard the music video has been completed?" Mary's voice came through the line.
She'd surely heard it from Irina.
"Yep."
"Is Irina... is she not with you?" Mary suddenly asked.
"I introduced her to a modeling agency in New York. Is there a problem?" Ryan responded, a bit defensively.
"Of course not! I'm happy for her if she's found a better opportunity. If you ever need girls in this area again, just hit me up anytime," Mary reassured him, her tone especially amicable.
As an intermediary, this was sort of her 'resume,' and she stood to gain as well.
"You don't have to film a music video; we could always have a party, hang out, or if you're feeling lonely," Mary pivoted to selling her 'business' and continued, "I'll send you a list right now."
*****
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