"My hands will not stop shaking." Carter whispers to Olive as they wait to be called in for their meeting.
"Take a deep breath, Car. We got this remember." Oli grins, reaching to squeeze Carter's hand. "Just like Calum or Luke. Deep breaths, they're all just humans."
"Right." Carter nods, bitting the inside if her lip as she thinks of Calum. No one knows about the kiss, no one knows she let him kiss her. That it was a great kiss, that his lips lingered the perfect amount of time against hers to make her whole body tingle and warm up. No one knows that the scent of coconut and stale smoke has been on her mind for the last thirty-six hours. No one knows, and for now she's going to keep it her little secret.
Her thought is interupted as her phone vibrates in her lap, turning it to find none other than Calum's contact on her screen.
Calum
Good luck, Car. Let
me know how the
meeting goes.
Remember, you
deserve this. 🖤😙
thank you. I'm
trying to stay
calm. I don't think
I've ever been this
nervous in my life.
I'm taking you to
dinner Friday to
celebrate okay?
Just us?
Are you asking me
on a date, Hood?
Definitely. Don't
turn me down.
Please...
What if we don't get
the label deal?
We still need to
eat Friday night.
Dinner? I'll pick
you up at 7?
I'll be ready.
"Aniston is ready for you ladies now." Carter quickly shuts off her phone, leading the girls past the receptionist into the office.
"Good morning, ladies. I am Aniston White, one of the talent scouts for Hollywood Records, in association with Republic Records." The middle aged woman stands, shaking hands with each girl as they introduce themselves.
"Please have a seat." She motions, taking her own behind the large oak desk. "Now, Carter and I spoke quite a bit on Saturday evening, and she told me about your band and mission with your platform should you get one. It's unique. It hasn't been done before, and it is definitely something that has piqued the interest of many of us here within the building. I have friends in the industry already competing for your band to work with their own artists, and you're not even signed yet. So why don't we work on changing that." Her face breaks into a smile as she says it.
"We would love to show you why we should be signed." Delanee nods.
"I heard the two originals you girls sang Saturday evening. And it sounded like you have more done or partially done as well?"
"We have one that we have nearly perfected. Along with many partials. Carter has been working exceptionally hard to get some songs to final stages for us before today." Ava nods.
"Do you have the lyrics or music to any of those for me to see?"
"I have my notebook with the completed, or nearly so, marked." Carter nods, pulling it from her bag. "As well as some home recorded demos."
"And the one we are almost ready to start playing is here." Olive adds, handing over her book as well.
The girls steal glances at each other as Aniston looks through the pages of Carter's book, tapping her fingers or nodding her head as she looks over the lyrics and music. The room a deathly silent as they wait.
"Carter?" She glances up quickly to meet Aniston's gaze. "You didn't mark this song, and as far as I can tell it is pretty close to done. Is there a reason?"
"What song?" Carter frowns, trying to think why she would have missed one.
"River of Tears."
"Oh. Um, I haven't decided if I really love that one." Carter's body goes cold. She should have pulled those pages out.
"I do. You have a knack for writing lyrics, Carter. I think we could definitely work off these starts and songs. Give me a moment to talk with an associate and I'll be right back." Aniston nods, standing and exiting the room.
"A song you wrote and don't love? That's you finished?" Delanee cocks an eyebrow at Carter, reaching for the open book.
"No." Carter calls out in a panic, stoping Delanee from moving the book.
"Car? What's going on. We know everything about each other's lives. Why can't we see it?" Ava frowns.
"I wrote it in September." Carter sighs, "it's about Zach..."
"Oh." All three girls sit back, moving away from the book.
"I bet it is good though, if it's got all that emotion in it." Olive offers.
"Ya, but all that emotion is going to kill me if I have to think about it all the time because I have to sing it all the time. You know."
"Ya... but you could have shown us. We all know what last summer was like for you, Car, we would have understood." Delanee frowns.
"I know. That's part of why I'm scared to show you. Because all of my raw and messed up emotions are in that song."
"When you're ready maybe?" Ava asks with a small smile.
"Maybe." Carter sighs, all of them turning as Aniston comes back through the door with a man who looks to be in his early thirty's.
"Girls, I'd like to introduce you to Jaydan Hall. Jaydan, this is CODA, the hottest band on YouTube today. They have gained 100,000 subscribers since the new year." Aniston smiles.
"Wow. That's a lot." Jaydan chuckles.
"We had the same reaction." Carter smiles.
"Girls, Jaydan will be going over some forms and contracts to show you what Hollywood is willing to offer you. If you agree to the terms, you will be signed. He will then become your manager, I will still be overseeing things, but he is your go to, traveling with you, booking shows, tours, and organizing all your studio, and writing sessions."
"It's that easy? We are being offered a contract today?"
"Welcome to Hollywood Records." Aniston smiles, leaving the girls with Jaydan.
"Do you have a lawyer representing your band yet?" Jaydan asks as he takes the seat behind the desk.
"My dad has been so far if we needed anything, which hasn't been much. But he's on the east coast. Could we send him the documents to read over?" Olive asks.
"Absolutely. We will email them over so long as you have his work email." Jaydan nods.
"I have it." She nods, waiting for him to pull up the email, typing in the address for him to send it. "I'll text him quickly so he knows to look it over while you explain it to us."
"Great. So, Hollywood Records is offering you a start up contract today. Meaning it is shorter, and contingent on how well your band does for itself between today and the contract termination date. Eighteen months is the start up offer. So you have a record contract until July 29th, 2021. We will first release an EP of 5 or 6 songs, and promote that. Following that we will look into offers for you to open for someone on a small tour, to get your name out there. And depending on how the EP and tour promotion goes we could consider a full length album. And an extension or rewritten contract, for a longer duration of time, for more money, for whatever your band is demanding through your place in the industry." The girls listen intently as he continues to walk them through each bit of the contract laid out before them.
"Wait." Delanee stops him after a while, "housing? The label is going to provide us with housing?"
"Yes. We are assuming you are currently stuck in a cramped apartment with zero room to even step without being in someone elses space?"
"Well, ya. We can afford that. Everything else in LA is so pricy." Olive nods.
"That is not where Republic Record's associated artists live. We will upgrade you to an apartment suite, four bedroom, two bathroom, sizable living space."
"Damn, can we move in today." Ava laughs.
"Tomorrow. If we get these contracts signed. We will be doing a photoshoot this afternoon if you sign. So let me continue." Jaydan laughs, continuing his explanation for another half hour or so.
"So basically that's what it is. If you want to take a moment to discuss it between yourselves and your lawyer representative. I will be back in ten minutes or so."
"Thank you." Carter nods, waiting until she's alone in the room with the others before turning with wide eyes. "Shit girls! This is it. This is our chance."
"So long as papa Tempe agrees." Delanee nods, "I like the contract. It seems fair and organized. And I like Aniston and Jaydan. They both have good vibes about them. Nothing seems tight lipped or fishy. So unless we are just naïve and Oli's dad sees something we haven't."
"I'll call him." Oli suddenly registers what she should be doing, pulling out her phone to Facetime her dad.
The Facetime call is full of waving hands, fast signing, and impatient huffs as all four girls fight for camera space to make their questions known about the contracts. A mess really. When Jaydan re-enters the room, no one seems to pay him any attention as they finish their conversation on the phone. Eventually though, they have their answer, agreed upon by all four girls and Olive's dad.
Hollywood Records
Liked by carterheart, delaneezander, and 204,384.
HollywoodRecords: Welcome to the family @coda. We can't wait to show the world the talent we see in you girls. #newartist
CODA: thank you for the opportunity, can't wait to get to work. 🤟🤘
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So they are signed! What now??
Calum Carter date is next chapter! What happens???
Might (will) double update after I'm off work this afternoon!! Just a heads up.
Vote and comment!
I love you guys!!!
~M =)