Chapter 63: One Track, Two Treats

[Chapter 63: One Track, Two Treats]

"Wow, you pulled out the contract that fast? Think Ryan is a newbie you can push around? If you want to litigate, I'm all for it," Taylor scoffed immediately.

"Country girl, don't be so hasty. This won't do your boyfriend any favors! I don't care, but he can't just sit at home waiting for a year or two," Scooter replied with a smile.

If things got ugly, a civil lawsuit could take at least a year or two to resolve. During that time, Ryan would be denied any promotion, essentially being put on ice.

"So what? I can offer him opportunities; worst case, I can support him," Taylor shot back, fiercely protective of her man.

"That's fine; we can completely renegotiate. I'll talk to Scott myself," Ryan shrugged, showing a willingness to compromise.

He wasn't as impulsive as Taylor. Scooter was all about the money; if they could maintain the partnership between the two record labels, allowing Scooter to cash in, this situation could easily be resolved.

"Ryan is the smart one. You, little lady, should learn from him," Scooter said as he turned to leave.

"He really is something else, showing his true colors so quickly," Taylor murmured into Ryan's ear.

"Just a businessman, plain and simple," Ryan shook his head.

Taylor had indeed overreacted. First, she was usually the aggressive one at Big Machine, and second, she feared Ryan would get the short end of the stick. Plus, being young and impetuous didn't help.

...

As Ryan and Taylor left the studio, they headed back to Big Machine. Outside Scott's office, his secretary informed them that Scott had already left to go to another one of his companies.

Currently, Taylor was the only signed artist with Big Machine, while Scott had a few other labels with various signed acts.

Ryan had no choice but to call Scott, letting it ring several times before he answered.

"Is there a problem with the recording?" Scott asked on the other end.

Ryan could vaguely hear the sound of a woman's voice, likely one of the young artists Scott was mingling with.

Ryan explained the situation: "We need to renegotiate now..."

He proposed a standard revenue share in the industry. It seemed like a concession, but this collaboration was entirely different. The new version was to be produced and recorded at Blackbird Studio, featuring Taylor, with where Big Machine handled the promotion -- meaning Schoolboy Records did nothing but took away a considerable portion of the profits.

"Did Scooter send you over to discuss this? Ryan, it's not that I don't want to agree, but doesn't this split feel unfair to us?"

"Aren't you worried about how to deal with Walmart to get this song into the EP? Making a little less is better than being stuck, don't you think?" Ryan countered.

"So that's what you had in mind," Scott scoffed, realizing he'd been played. He then said, "Forget it, who told Taylor to be so devoted to you?"

Then Taylor took the phone, indicating she would only take a symbolic portion of the song's proceeds, most of it going to Ryan as the creator.

Thus, the revenue split ended up like this:

The original electronic version would still be fully managed by Schoolboy Records.

Meanwhile, the new unplugged version would be a collaboration between Schoolboy Records and Big Machine, splitting net revenue evenly.

Scooter achieved his goal, pocketing a little extra cash out of thin air.

Scott and Taylor ended up being the ones at a loss for this collaboration.

And Ryan became the biggest winner, earning a share of royalties from Schoolboy while also receiving a part of the creator's share from Big Machine -- essentially double-dipping.

...

That night, Ryan met with Scooter at a hotel. He was alone when he came, but in the hotel room, there were two young women with good looks and figures around Scooter, obviously high-end call girls.

"You two can head out," Scooter said as he fished out a hefty tip from his wallet. The women skillfully took the cash and left gracefully.

"Give them a little, and they'll love you more than any woman in the world. Give them a bit more, and they'll play different roles. Cash is the true ruler of this world, so sometimes I have to do things I may not want to," Scooter's tone softened, as he knew Ryan was bringing good news.

Hearing Ryan's details made Scooter beam with delight: "You did great! If you keep Taylor like that, you're halfway to stardom." Scooter thought it was Taylor who had forced Scott to yield.

"Help me contact someone, Aloe Blacc." Ryan said.

Being struck by a sense of urgency about the original creator, Ryan had done his homework online before arriving. Aloe was currently a soul singer based in New York. As for the bizarre name, AVICII, it mostly linked to pages about Buddhism and the term used to signify infernal realms. Clearly, AVICII had yet to debut like Martin and the Belgian brothers.

"Do you know him?" Scooter quickly inquired.

"Just heard his music. I think he would be perfect to sing the original of Wake Me Up," Ryan responded.

"Not a problem, I'll send someone to reach out to him. Since this song is yours, you'll have full authority on personnel choices. As long as it makes money, I won't interfere," Scooter nodded in agreement.

Given that he hadn't meddled with Ryan's team before, Ryan decided to trust him on this one.

...

For the next few days, Ryan stayed in Nashville, smoothly wrapping up the unplugged version of Wake Me Up while waiting for news from Scooter.

"Do you think this song will take off?" Taylor asked as she and Ryan left Blackbird Studio.

"Most likely," Ryan wrapped his arm around Taylor. They had spent so much time together working that they were practically inseparable.

"Ryan, you're getting better and better!" Taylor suddenly exclaimed, her expression hinting at anxiety.

Being proud, she believed her songwriting skills surpassed Ryan's, and if his song did better on the charts, that would be a real blow to her ego.

Having spent plenty of time together, Ryan understood her temperament well. Taylor didn't care for minor details. She even acted as a shadow girlfriend, as long as one thing went unchallenged -- her music career, which was central to her confidence.

On stage and when meeting fans, she exuded utmost confidence, even bordering on self-absorbed.

If that confidence was shattered, then Taylor Swift wouldn't be the Taylor Swift everyone knew.

...

As they walked, they reached the parking lot, where Ryan spotted a brand-new, unregistered white Lincoln Navigator and couldn't find the usual personal ride she drove.

"What are you looking for? That old junky Dodge of yours is way too small. You need to upgrade," Taylor said as she suddenly pulled the keys to the Lincoln out of her bag and handed them directly to Ryan.

"You bought this?" Ryan asked, shocked yet excited.

Taylor nodded. "From now on, you drive this to pick me up."

It turned out they were on the same wavelength this time. To reward Ryan, she had generously spent on a new vehicle.

"Why this one?" Ryan walked around the imposing full-size SUV, feeling its presence. Competing directly with the royalty of SUVs, the Lincoln emphasized comfort, with the rear and second rows folding flat, allowing ample space for up to four people to lie down comfortably.

"I like big, comfortable rides," Taylor casually responded.

Her family had always preferred larger vehicles. Cayenne, Range Rover, Sequoia -- those were all similar styles. Taylor also preferred not being in compact cars.

When she noticed Ryan staring, Taylor suddenly became aware of how her words could take on another meaning, which made her blush.

"Wanna take it for a spin?" Ryan teased with a mischievous grin.

Taylor shot Ryan a glare, her face turning even redder.

*****

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