“I take it this would be good for us both?”
“Yes, he thinks so.”
“I can’t wait to hear his ideas.”
Remembering my obnoxious brother was sitting right there, I introduced Beth. “Beth, you remember my brother, Angus, don’t you?”
“Yes. Who could forget Angus Tudor and his romps across the football field or through the hallways buck naked,” she said with a smile. This could be fun. Someone who remembered Angus and his escapades.
“Beth Asher,” he replied with a grin. “It’s good to be remembered for all the right reasons.”
Beth sat down next to me. The three of us chatted about school antics.
Finally, Ethan’s time came. The lights dimmed, and he could be seen in outline waiting. There was already electricity in the room, and once he was introduced, the place went wild. He was clad in black leather pants and wearing only a matching vest. It exposed his tatts and bad boy image as he launched into his first song.
Glancing over, I noted Beth singing along. No doubt who his biggest fan was.
While I’d been doing my own research of his music, familiarizing myself with what he wrote and what he didn’t, I was utterly amazed at his guitar playing. And live was even better. The boy could shred with the best of them.
I was mesmerized, watching him. My son. He was doing the exact same thing I have all these years. I didn’t get to be around when he was growing up, but I damn sure wasn’t going to miss out now.
The next thing I knew, I heard Ethan calling out to me from the stage. What the hell?
“Damien Tudor, come on up here and join me.” That was the tail end of his statement. I suddenly had everyone at the table urging me on.
“Did you know about this?” I whispered.
“No. I swear he told me nothing.”
Reluctantly, I followed Red to the stage. No longer was the stage the comfort zone it once had been. It took every fiber in my being to get through one song. Was I scared? Hell yeah, I was. It was a miracle I could even walk out. But I would do it tonight, for Ethan.
He told me what song he had in mind. One of my old Rypp Tyde pieces. What he said next earned him my respect. The boy might act like an obnoxious, arrogant prick on stage, but that was just a persona.
“I’m not going to mention you’re my dad. This is not the venue for that. We’ll save it for another time.”
“Deal,” I replied as one of his stage crew handed me a guitar.
Nodding my head that I was ready, Ethan launched into ‘The Stranger Within’. Not one of our bigger hits, but a personal favorite of mine. Especially some years later.
The entire seven minutes passed too quickly. The crowd went crazy, wanting more. It was his night, his show, and I wasn’t going to take that away. Instead, I handed the instrument back to his guy, waved at the crowd, standing next to Ethan as I did, and left the stage.
I stood in the wings with Red, catching my breath and my emotions.
“Can you get me back to the table without us getting mobbed?” I asked.
He nodded. “Piece of cake.”
I followed him through the back halls of the club. It brought back memories of being Ethan’s age. “You were smokin’ out there, Dame. So was that boy of yours.”
Stopping in my tracks, I stared at him. “How?”
“No one told me. All I had to do is get a good look at him. Reminded me of you at that age.”
“Pretty scary, isn’t it?”
“Yeah.” He chuckled. “A whole new generation of Tudor boys is scary as hell.”
Afterwards, we waited for Red to give us the all clear. When he came, he explained we were splitting into two vehicles. Everyone nodded, as it was nothing unusual. I kept Beth close to me as we walked. Though she handled the crowd like a trooper, I didn’t let her far from me. As we approached the cars, Red instructed the girls and Angus get in one. Beth and me in the other.
I was quite pleased with the arrangement. I would finally have her to myself. Except for when we’d had lunch earlier in the week, we’d never been alone. Something I was going to change.
We sat there, waiting. For Red, I assumed. Instead, a few moments later, the door opened and in popped Ethan.
“Hi guys. I hope you don’t mind me joining you for a while. Security says the hotel is crawling with the media and fans. Your guy Red said he’d get me over there in an hour or so.”
“Not a problem. If Red doesn’t think it’s safe, he won’t let you go,” I replied. I didn’t dare look over at Beth, because I heard her giggle.
“They really liked the song we did together, didn’t they?”
Ah yes, the adrenaline rush after a performance. Wide open, ready to go. Can conquer the world.
“They did,” Beth agreed. “Make you want to go back on the road, Dame?”
“Not particularly. It’s fun once in a while, but at this point, I’m happier going into the studio. That’s my rush.”
We reached my building quickly. The club was not far off. Red pulled the SUV under the building, pulling up to the door. The three of us got out. I leaned in and invited Red up to the condo. He knew where to park, but said he’d rather keep an eye on things downstairs. Just in case.
Nodding my head, I shut the door and led Ethan and Beth to the elevators.
“So, this was your brother Amadeus’s place first?” Beth asked.
“Yeah. They had another unit then decided a larger one was needed. This was before the kids.”
“Pretty centrally located,” Ethan remarked.
“It is if you like being in the downtown area.”
The elevator stopped on my floor. Beth and I stepped out, followed by Ethan. I wasn’t sure if the girls were here yet or not.
Unlocking the door, we were greeted by not only the three young women, but Angus as well.
“Surprised to see you here,” I remarked to my brother. “Red decide you needed to sit for a while?”
“Yep. He said there’s some very interesting folks who attended this evening.” He stuck out his hand to Ethan. “Angus Tudor.” He snickered.
“Angus?” I chided.
“Man, it’s like looking at you at twenty-five all over again. It’s almost spooky.”
“Nice to meet you, I think,” Ethan replied.
“He’s the one we warned you about. He’s a prankster. If he’s quiet or not around during a family get together, be on your guard. It means he’s up to something.”
“Hey! I resent that. Someone has to have some fun. You and Amadeus get too serious.”
“Consider yourself warned, Ethan,” Court interjected. She had me by the arm. “You did great tonight, Daddy.”
“Thank you.”
“And this must be Beth,” Angus said seriously for the appearance of the others, acting as though they hadn’t been introduced earlier. “I vaguely remember you. Can’t be sure. We all ran amuck back then.”
“Oh, I remember you, Angus, and some of your stunts.” Beth grinned at him.
“I want to know what he did,” Destiny added.
“Come on, let’s go sit down,” I said. “Angus, go grab us some beer. Beth? I do have some wine.”
“Beer’s fine.”
“Now we’re talking,” Angus crowed, walking into the kitchen.
We sat and talked, sort of inducting Ethan into the family. This was the first time he’d met one of my brothers. Beth sat back in one of the leather recliners, taking it all in.
****
Early the next morning, I got a text from Beth inviting me to breakfast. I replied I was interested. She told me to come to Ethan’s suite in an hour. They had a proposal they wanted to discuss. Intrigued, I accepted.
I grabbed another cup of coffee and headed to my bedroom to dress. I was quite curious about this proposal. Ethan, I’d come to learn, was far more shrewd and knowledgeable about the business side of his career than most musicians his age. A lot of that came from Beth’s involvement. She insisted he keep h
imself in the loop on the inner workings. Smart lady. It would serve him well in the long run. Keep him from being taken advantage of.
Writing a note to the girls, I left it where they would most definitely see it—in front of the coffee maker. I told them I had gone to run errands. That would keep their overactive imaginations at bay for a while.
A short time later, I pulled into the valet parking at the Four Seasons. Looking around the lobby, I saw the usual. People checking out, going out to see the sights. I looked over at men and women sitting in the lobby reading newspapers or on their laptop. I noted a familiar local journalist sitting, engrossed in his computer screen. Probably staked out, waiting on Ethan. He was a music columnist, so that made sense. I quickly moved out of his view and toward the bank of elevators, chuckling to myself at how he’d not even seen me.
Ethan answered the door dressed in jeans and tank top and barefoot. “Good morning,” he said holding it open.
“Morning. I see Angus didn’t scare you two off,” I joked as I made my way into the living room of his suite.
Beth was nowhere to be found.
“Coffee? Mom will be out in a little while. She’s taking a shower and getting dressed. She said for us to get started without her.”
“Yes on the coffee. If you’re sure she won’t mind. I am hungry.”
“No, she won’t mind. She’s not a huge breakfast person.”
I followed him over to the small dining room area where there was a cart filled with covered pans. I grabbed a plate and dug in while he poured us coffee. There was quite a selection, and far more than two or three people could eat. That thought was quickly diminished as I watched Ethan fill his own dish.
“That was quite the turnout last night, don’t you think?”
“Yeah. A lot of industry people. They’re all circling like a bunch of vultures, wanting a piece of me.”
“That’s to be expected. You’re not obligated to your current label now. Everyone wants to court you. Win your hand, so to speak.”
“Which is part of what Mom and I want to discuss with you this morning.” He grinned before he took a bite of scrambled eggs.
“Me? How can I help?”
“Your idea for having everything under one roof? I’ve got the chance right now to make some changes. I want to form my own label, our label. Move everything to this company. Have Mom continue to be my manager and PR person, as long as she wants to of course.”
I sat back in my chair, stunned. While I’d certainly considered collaborating with him, I never expected he’d ever want to make this sort of move. “I’m flattered. Shocked, but flattered. You’ve obviously put a great deal of thought into this. What else do you see?”
“I’d love for us to collaborate, but I also would like you to produce my next CD. While I’d love to have my own name listed as producer, I’m smart enough to know I’m not at that point yet.”
“Don’t sell yourself short. If you’re truly interested in learning to do that, it’ll happen.”
I bit into a piece of toast. I was excited as hell. For the first time in a long time.
We were interrupted by a female voice. “Good morning, Dame. I see by the look on your face, Ethan’s told you his idea.”
“Yes. Good morning. We were just discussing it.”
“What do you think so far?”
“I’m impressed that Ethan would even think of me.” I turned to him. “You have the money and the means to do this on your own. Why coattail with me? I’ve barely got anything off the ground since Alana.”
“Yes, I do have the money, and yes, I could go out on my own. The problem with that is I’ll have to bring outsiders on board. That’s not the direction I want to go.”
“Having Ethan with your firm would certainly be a boost for you. And it would insulate him from money-grubbing outsiders. Who we all know are interested only in their pockets.”
“True. That’s part of the reason I formed this.”
“I can continue on as Ethan’s manager. I can do his PR as well.”
“Mom’s a great negotiator.”
“I imagine she is.” I grinned. “I like the idea so far. Zara’s been handling my PR as a favor. I know she doesn’t want to get back into it fulltime because of the kids. She might be open to something part time. She’s damn good at it.”
“What is the name of your firm?” Beth asked.
“The Consortium,” I replied. “I wanted to keep family names out of it.”
“Makes sense.”
“We could call the label Consortium Music,” Ethan interjected, picking up a glass of orange juice.
“That’s perfect. I’ve got a five-year business plan. How about I email it to you, Beth? You and Ethan can read it over. Then, we can get back together and discuss it, make changes to fit.”
“That’s fine, Dame, but the only part Ethan’s interested in is the record label. He entrusts the rest to you. It’s your business.”
“I’m flattered. That’s agreeable. I’d like to be selective with who is signed.”
“Me too. Not let it get out of hand.”
“Agreed. We’ll proceed. I’ve got an excellent entertainment attorney here. He’s been helping me set this up. I’m sure he can do the same for getting the label off the ground.”
“That’s great because I didn’t want to fool with one out of L.A. Someone local is much more fitting.”
“You’ll both like him. Very down to earth. Doesn’t believe in taking huge risks,” I replied. I felt my phone vibrate in my jeans. “When do you want to make an announcement about Consortium Music?”
“Before I go back on tour. Which begins in three weeks. The sooner, the better.”
“I agree. It’ll put an end to any speculation, and the vultures will disappear. Leaving you to make music on your tour.” I pulled my phone out of my pocket. “Sorry. This might be one of the girls.”
I stared down at the group text Peter had just sent out. I chuckled.
“Good news?” Beth asked.
“Yeah, it’s from Peter. Seems my sister just gave birth to triplets.”
“Oh my,” she whispered.
“Said details to follow. They knew they were having three. Just not sure if they knew what they were having.”
“That’s a lot of babies all at once,” Ethan drawled, spearing a piece of sausage.
“It is, but Mary’s waited a long time for this. I’m sure they’ll do fine.”
“That’s incredible,” Beth replied. “Come, let’s sit somewhere more comfortable. We’ll have to be headed back home in a while, but at least let’s talk some more about this before we have to go.”
Getting up from the glass top dining table, we followed Beth into the living area. I found an upholstered chair to sit in. Best to stay on my toes. Beth found a chair and tucked her feet up under her as she sat. Ethan chose the leather couch to stretch out on.
“You know, we’re going to need an actual office at some point,” Ethan said.
“I know. I’ve looked a little, but haven’t found anything to my liking.”
“It’ not something that has to be done right away,” Beth replied, holding her coffee mug in both hands. “So much is done virtually, until you start adding artists outside of family, there’s no big hurry.”
“And I’m not sure outside of Ethan and me, who, if any of them, will sign on. Courtney has expressed an interest in spreading her musical wings. So she may be a possibility. The other two, I’m not sure at all.”
“What about your brother-in-law, Daniel?”
“He’s classical, but he’s also crossed over. Might be a matter he and I need to discuss.”
My phone vibrated again. This time it was Amadeus. I texted that I was in a meeting and would call later. He told me not to forget—he had important things to talk to me about. “Sorry, that was Amadeus. Probably wanting to brag about Mary. They’re twins, you know.”
“What’s his deal?” Ethan asked. “Is he going to to
ur, or put another album out?”
“I know he’s working on new material. He’s expressed an interest in collaborating with me. We just haven’t been able to make it happen.”
“Maybe it’s time. You’ve got three hit songs out right now.”
“Yeah,” I scoffed. “That’s a complete freak of nature.”
“Don’t sell yourself short, Dame. They keep climbing. They’re all in the top twenty.”
“I know, but I don’t like to get too cocky.”
“Somehow, I don’t see that happening with you.”
“I hate to break this up, but we need to get going, Ethan,” Beth put in.
“Yeah, we do,” he replied, turning to me. “How about I give you a call after we’ve had a chance to go over your business plan? We could set up another time to meet before I go back on tour. I’d really like to get the ball rolling on this.”
I chuckled. “So would I. Give me a call, and we’ll go to the next level, as they say.”
Beth walked over and pecked me on the cheek. If Ethan hadn’t been standing right there, it could have been lethal. “Thanks for coming down so early. I guess I’ll talk with you later in the week.”
“I look forward to it.” I walked out into the hall alone.
Chapter Twelve
The days dragged on the following week. I sent the business plan immediately following our meeting at the hotel. Ethan and I set up a time to discuss it at Beth’s place. She told me they were excited about this new endeavor. So was I.
This had been a dream of mine for some time now. Alana had been my first client, and we know how that ended. With Ethan, I saw the door opening for many possibilities. This was something I was doing on my own, after all that had happened to me. No brothers—just me, Damien Tudor.
Shutting off the engine, I sat and glanced around at Beth’s house. It was Beth. Quiet, natural, blending in with the surrounding landscape. The odd thing that struck me was there was no fence. With Ethan’s fame, and given how popular Bainbridge Island was as a tourist destination, it surprised me. It was well known he and Beth lived here, I’d seen that already. Might not be a bad idea to mention it.
Tudor Redemption (Tudor Dynasty Book 4) Page 9
