Noah (The Mitchell/Healy Family #1)(46)
Author: Jennifer Foor

I know you won’t call me right now, but I’m enclosing my number in hopes that we will see each other again.

One day I’m going to hear that voice of yours on the radio, and it’s going to remind me of the way you felt when you were in my arms.

Don’t take your talents for granted. You have nothing to worry about with the gift you hold.

Noah Mitchell

I folded the paper back up as I wept. Not even my ex-boyfriend had ever affected me like this. I don’t know whether I felt more betrayed or abandoned. He’d promised to go with me, to stand by my side at my meeting, and instead he’d snuck out in the middle of the night, so he didn’t have to tell me in person.

He was a coward, and if he thought for one single second I was going to call him, he was very mistaken.

Two hours later I picked myself up off the bed and showered. I knew my eyes were puffy, and that I wouldn’t look good, even if I caked makeup all over my face. My heart was broken, because I’d opened it up to a complete stranger. Honestly, I don’t know what I expected from him. He owed me nothing.

It wasn’t like he’d left me a bill for everything he’d purchased for me. No, Noah had not only treated me to those three days, but he’d left with me enough to get by. I didn’t know how I was going to do it, but I’d find a way to repay him, no matter how long it took me.

I’d never hailed a cab myself. While flailing my arms in the air, looking ridiculous, a handsome man in a business suit approached me. “Allow me.” He whistled and waved one time. A cab pulled up and he held the door open for me.

“Thank you,” I said with a smile.

“It was my pleasure.” Even with his quick grin I got this creepy vibe from him, as if he just wanted to watch me bend over and climb in the cab. It was probably a good thing that the driver took off even before I could spat out an address.

Traffic was horrendous, forcing our drive to last a half hour instead of ten minutes. I was positive that I could have walked to the location faster than the ride took. After paying my fare, I climbed out and stared at the tall building. The business information was listed in the foyer and I took an elevator up to the level they were located on. Before walking inside I had to take a couple of breaths. I probably should have practiced while in the shower, but I was too distracted to stay focused.

A young blonde, looking to be my age sat at a large desk when I first walked inside. “Welcome. Do you have an appointment?”

I told her my name and was led into a huge conference room that overlooked the city. I suppose I should have sat down, but nerves were making it difficult to do anything that required thought.

The couple from the previous night came in, causing me to sit quickly. “Shalan. So glad you could meet with us today.” Tony and Shelly both shook my hand as he greeted me.

Once we were done, I smiled and folded my hands together on the table. “Thanks for having me.”

“Where’s your partner?”

Even though I knew the question was coming, I couldn’t have prepared how it affected me. I clenched my jaws together like Noah always did and answered with as much composure as I could conjure up. “He decided that he wasn’t interested. He’s got family drama back in Kentucky and knew he wouldn’t be able to commit to something.”

The secretary from before opened the door and let an older man inside. He shook hands with the couple and reached over to do the same to me. “My name is Howard Schwartz. I’ve heard so much about you in the last twenty-four hours that I decided to come across town and meet you myself.”

I smiled, unable to say anything else.

“Shalan, I’m sure you already know why you’re here. Mr. Schwartz happens to be one of our partners. When we find new talent, we always make sure he agrees with us before any ink is exchanged.” The wife, Shelly, explained.

“Okay. What would you like me to do? Do I need to submit a demo or something?” I hadn’t prepared myself for this meeting in any way. It also sucked that I was wearing jeans and a t-shirt when they were all three clearly in business attire.

The old man folded his hands together and smiled. I was pretty sure he had false teeth, because his lower jaw kept adjusting, as if he were holding something in his mouth. “Just stand up and sing something.”

“Anything?”

“Anything is fine,” he agreed.

I looked at the three of them before standing up. I kept my hands folded in front of me and closed my eyes, knowing that if I messed this up I’d be on the first bus home, to face possible jail time.

I was going to perform the song I’d written for my mother, but instead decided to sing the one that I’d made up on the car ride over. It seemed fitting after the day I’d had, and the way I was missing Noah. I also knew that I could sing it with emotion, and with meaning. It would pack a punch.

I started humming to get a good melody going to go off of. I’d never done a song like this before, not that I doubted my ability. With my eyes still closed, I pat on my leg to keep my rhythm and just let go.

“Our eyes met in vain,

and I knew nothing would ever be the same.

You took my breath away that night you asked me to stay.

It was lust then, just like it’s lust now.

Give me one last try, give me one more goodbye.

Let me show you. Let me know you.

I’ll make you feel it. I’ll make you mean it.

That’s the power of sex

It’s the reason we’re so wrecked.”

I opened my eyes and looked at the three people staring back at me. The old man got up from his chair and whispered in the woman’s ear. She nodded and they all three started clapping.

“You’re even better than they explained. Did you write that?”

“Sort of. I made it up on the car ride here.”

“Can you do it with an edge to it? I’d like to hear your range.”

I tapped on my thigh and sang it again, this time with a more raspy edge. I sang the last bit with power, making sure he could hear how high and low I could get.

“Impressive.” He motioned for me to sit back down. “Okay, sweetheart, this is what I’m prepared to offer you, just based on that.” He slid over a contract and I almost felt like I was going to pass out. “Now, this is just a temporary agreement stating that you can’t sign with anyone else while we are drawing up the final paperwork. That just means that we will represent you solely.”

He flipped the page and pointed to another document. “I’m not sure where you’re from, but this is typically the schedule you will have for the first year. As you can see, we’ll start you out on tour with another musician that we rep. This will allow you to work with our voice coaches, get familiar with the business, and also be making cash while we’re preparing you for the recording studio.” He pointed to a list of steps. “As you can see here it isn’t just walking into a business, singing a couple of songs and being on the radio. We work with several companies that provide us with prewritten music. I can tell that you are capable of writing your own material. For right now I’m going to ask that you stick with what we have until you can familiarize yourself with the business. Once we’ve got a couple singles under your belt, we can talk about those songs.”