Platinum

by J. M. Nevins

  Ginny grinned. “Is that Sully’s issue?”

  “Let’s see.” She pulled it out and there he was on the front cover again. She chuckled. “Yep. There’s my hubby in all his glory.” She reviewed the article briefly and handed it off to Ginny who proceeded to examine it word for word.

  She studied the return address from Billboard Magazine and felt the considerably thicker, large envelope. She assessed it was the issue that would be hitting the stands in two weeks. She let out a long breath and then ripped into it.

  She gasped and then burst out laughing when she saw the cover. There she was in that crazy, leather infused get-up standing in front of the guys looking like the cat that ate the canary, a devilish grin adorning her face. The headline at the bottom of the cover photo stated in large bold letters: “Gypsy Tango takes ‘Dangerous Curves’ to a whole new level.” Then in smaller print below it read, “GT and their red hot, ringleader, Kit McKenna.” She couldn’t stop staring at the cover. She was still absolutely awestruck.

  Ginny tried to figure her out. “Do you have the Billboard issue with you guys on it?”

  Kit nodded. “Boy, do I.” She kept the issue tightly affixed in her left hand and threw the padded envelope back to Ginny that contained multiple copies.

  She pulled it out and shrieked with excitement. “Oh my God, Kit, you’re such a badass!” She joked. “Ok, it’s official, I definitely want to be you when I grow up!”

  Kit giggled and shook her head, playfully throwing a balled up piece of paper at Ginny. “Be quiet. No more comments from you.” She grinned and winked.

  She strolled into soundcheck later that afternoon. Sean was handling everything and she didn’t need to be there, but upon receiving the magazines earlier that morning, she wanted to be. She was excited to share them. She waited patiently in the wings while they finished out their last song and then sauntered out onto the stage.

  Sully noticed her, grinned and walked up to her, giving her a sweet kiss. “This is a pleasant surprise. I thought you had too much work to catch up on today.”

  She nodded. “I did, but then these came in and I got too distracted. I had to come here and show them to you guys personally.”

  He raised his eyebrows as she handed him the copy of Rolling Stone. He looked over at the band and yelled. “Hey, guys, she has the magazines.” They all congregated around Sully as they quickly read through the article. He looked up at her. “Ok, where’s the other one?”

  She smiled. “Ok, gentlemen. Are you ready?”

  They all nodded in unison with eager anticipation as Kit handed Sully the copy of Billboard Magazine. They stared at the cover in awe as Sully read the headline out loud. He chuckled, looked up at her and winked. They proceeded to read the article quickly while she waited.

  Jimmy finished reading and walked over to her, giving her a hug. “Nice work, Kit-Kat. You’re making us look good, yet again.”

  She grinned and nodded to Jimmy. “Trying my best, Jim.” She chuckled as she headed backstage. Sully handed off the magazine to Bryan and ran over to her. He picked her up, kissed her and spun her around. He gazed into her eyes and smiled. “The cover is amazing. You look super sexy.”

  She giggled and buried her head into the crick of his neck. “This is crazy, Sull.”

  He shook his head. “No, babe, this is fucking fantastic is what it is! Finally you’re getting some credit for our success. It’s about time!”

  She shrugged her shoulders. “I dunno. You know I’m not the one used to being a star. Even when I was on stage with you guys subbing for Jimmy, I never shined as brightly as you. Being high profile… that’s your job and you’re very good at it. You may have to show me how it’s done.”

  He giggled and raised his eyebrow at her suggestively, smiling. “Oh baby, I would love to show you how it’s done.” He grinned and started kissing her.

  * * *

  Dante let out a frustrated sigh. When he and Blake Templeton originally devised their plan, he was gung ho. Now, doubts had crept in and he was uneasy about the whole thing. “I’m telling ya, man, it’s gonna be harder than we think. First off, Kit’s a lot smarter than you ever give her credit for. On top of that, she’s got her little brother sniffing around asking all kinds of questions. And the other day she asked me for financials.” He shook his head and buried it in his free hand.

  Blake immediately barked. “Why is her little brother sniffing around?”

  He let out a frustrated groan. “He’s got some project or something with school.”

  Blake raised his eyebrows and then let out a smug chortle. “School? Are you kidding me? You’re worried about some kid’s midterm project? Really D, you’re losing your composure over nothing.” He leaned forward and his eyes narrowed. “Get it together. There is nothing to worry about.”

  Dante was desperate to get his point across. His voice was stern and persuasive. “No. He’s not a kid, Blake. The guy graduated top of his class with a double degree in Econ and International Business from Wharton. He was supposed to go on to Harvard, but decided he wanted to follow in his annoying sister’s footsteps. He goes to Anderson at UCLA. He’s an MBA candidate.”

  “Hmm.” Blake paused while the wheels turned in his head coming up with an instantaneous solution. “Ok, I get why you’re feeling a little perturbed, but you really need to relax. It’s simple, Dante. Just give him fake reports, take a Xanax and be done with it.”

  He rolled his eyes and could feel his level of frustration increasing by the second. “I can’t do that! If he shows it to Kit that will really fuck up the plan. We’re not in a place to handle that yet.”

  “Ok, true.”

  He sighed. “Blake, I don’t know if now is the best time.”

  Blake’s smooth lilt carried an air of calculated satisfaction. “Oh, I disagree, my friend. Now is the perfect time. She landed on the cover of Billboard Magazine with her band two weeks ago. She’s probably flooded with a sea of calls and even more interviews. She’s got a ton of attention on her now, very high-profile attention, not to mention she’s in Europe on the road with her band who’s blowing up and she recently got married to that asshole, Sully Foxx.”

  Dante shook his head and rolled his eyes realizing that part of Blake’s motivation was still rooted in jealousy. “C’mon, man. Sully’s not an asshole. That was kind of harsh. He’s a cool guy.”

  Blake ignored his comment and proceeded, not missing a beat. “Seriously, dude, there’s no time like the present. Why aren’t you seeing the tremendous opportunity that I am? Maybe you should get your eyes checked. We have to strike when the company is vulnerable and that’s right now. Maybe I have the wrong guy. Maybe you aren’t up to this. Tell me now, are we gonna do this or not?”

  Dante let out a long, defeated sigh. “Alright, alright, yes. I’m still in. I’ll start the process.”

  “Excellent. Start today. We cannot afford to waste one moment of time on this one. Kit McKenna is going down.”

  * * *

  Kit sat at the edge of the bed in her robe staring at the financials for KMK Management, frowning. Dante had dragged his feet getting them to her. They had been sitting in her low priority pile all week. She struggled to focus on the profit and loss statement in her hand as Sully knelt behind her on the bed, kissing her neck. She felt herself giving in. Their schedules had been off all week and she had been unintentionally neglecting him.

  He played with her hair and started massaging her shoulders. “C’mon, come back to bed, Kitty-Kat. We’ve only got an hour before I have to get ready to go over to that TV studio.”

  The band was doing a special appearance on a popular music show in Paris where they were closing out their last of the dates in France that night.

  She couldn’t hold back anymore. She giggled, threw the statement in the air and jumped onto the bed with him. Business could wait. Keeping her gorgeous husband and herself satisfied could not.

  An hour and a half later, Sully was out the door with
Sean, the band and Ginny, who was stepping in for Kit to make sure things ran smoothly at the show taping. She was left to her own devices. She called Betsy in to go over the day and she arrived moments later.

  Kit strolled around in her bathrobe talking while Betsy rummaged through the piles of messages and documents, simultaneously scribbling notes. She then noticed the time. “Oh, crap! I didn’t realize how late it is. I need to pack and get ready. Betz, why don’t you head out and get ready for tonight? We’ll be meeting up with the band for a private dinner before the show to celebrate the success of the European leg of the tour.

  “After the show closes tonight, we’re off to the UK, so make sure everyone is packed. You know what to do from there. Sully’s bag is right there. He packed before he left. You can go ahead and take it to Jay.” She pointed to the large suitcase sitting next to the door.

  Betsy nodded and got up to leave as Kit headed toward the closet to find her own suitcase and start packing. As she pulled it out, she heard Betsy’s voice. “Hey, Kit, what’s this on this floor? Is it important or should I trash it? It looks like some kind of, uh, spreadsheet thing with lotsa numbers?”

  Kit put her suitcase down and headed over to Betsy. She took the document from her. She quickly scanned the income statement for KMK Management that she had attempted to analyze earlier that morning, but promptly abandoned upon Sully’s insistence to lead her into a solid hour of hot, blissful passion. She grinned, easily recalling the memory.

  Betsy’s voice brought her back to reality. “Kit?”

  She focused her attention to Betsy who was staring now, awaiting her response. She instantly remembered the question again, glanced at the statement and handed it back to her. “Call Spencer and find out where he wants you to fax this. I’m guessing it will be my home office, but please double check. And do it today. He’s been waiting for this for a while and I’ve been slacking. Make sure to give him the number where he can reach me in London too.”

  Betsy nodded. “Got it. Anything else?”

  She shook her head. “No. See you at dinner.”

  Kit stood in the lobby at the hotel in London, kissing Sully, oblivious to what was going on around them. Since they married, they were fully relishing the life of newlyweds. She knew that work was slipping in certain areas, but she didn’t care. For the first time, she was letting herself fully enjoy every moment she had with Sully, making him priority over everything else. She never thought she would be that girl, but now she was and she loved it. Moments later, Kit felt a light tap on her shoulder and she glanced over.

  Ginny grinned at her, feeling a little awkward that she had to interrupt them. “The bellhop will be up with your bags in a bit. The hotel manager said that there were some deliveries that were made to the room at a personal request from the sender. I’d like to go check it out before you and Sully go in. I want to make sure it’s totally cool.”

  Kit nodded and grinned. “Thanks. We really appreciate that, Gin. Don’t get blown up.” She winked and laughed.

  When Sully and Kit approached their suite hand in hand ten minutes later, Ginny stood outside the door smiling from ear to ear. Kit raised her eyebrows. “Everything ok in our room with those deliveries? Or did the CIA bug our suite?”

  Ginny giggled. “No bugs and way better than ok. Enjoy, Kit. Call me if you need anything.”

  As she walked away, Kit and Sully exchanged a curious look. Sully strolled into their suite and stared in amazement. On the table toward the window were six large bouquets of roses, six large fruit baskets and six bottles of Dom Perignon champagne, complete with name tags for each member of the band plus Kit. Her eyes widened in wonder and her mouth dropped open. “Where did all this come from?”

  Sully smiled and shrugged his shoulders. “I dunno, but we’re about to find out.” He plucked the envelope with Kit’s name off of one of the fruit baskets and handed it to her. He leaned over her shoulder to get a glimpse.

  She opened it and pulled out a note card with a handwritten message that read, “Huge congratulations in order. Call me now!” She looked up at Sully. “It’s from Lew.”

  He raised his eyebrows, surprised. “What for? What did we do now?” He chuckled.

  She gave him a quick kiss and grinned. “I have no idea, but I’m gonna find out. It’s about six in L.A. I should get him.” She eagerly dialed Lew’s number from memory and was pleased to get him on the line. “Lew, hey! Thanks for the flowers, champagne and fruit baskets.”

  “Kit-Kat, glad to hear from you. Happy you like them. You certainly deserve it.”

  She couldn’t repress her grin. “What’s going on, Lew? What’s up?”

  He chuckled. “‘Dangerous Curves’ was certified platinum yesterday. Congratulations! I guess having a record in the top five of the Billboard 200 for thirty-five consecutive weeks so far and three singles still sitting in the top five of the Billboard Hot 100 may have something to do with it.”

  Her head was spinning as she grappled to take it all in. Everything they had worked for was finally coming to fruition. She sat down on the sofa, wanting to fully absorb a moment she knew she would cherish forever. “Wait, wait, wait, backup. Did I hear you say platinum?”

  Sully’s eyes widened when he heard Kit say the word to Lew on the phone. He was now anxious for her to finish her call. He ran over and took a seat smack next to her on the sofa, straining to hear Lew’s voice on the line.

  He laughed. “Yes, Kit, platinum. And by the looks of how many records you’re selling, you’ll probably hit double platinum within the year. We’re really proud of you guys. We’re happy to have you as one of our top superstar artists here at Diamond. You’re making us look good consistently. When do you come back to the states?”

  Kit shook her head in disbelief, still amazed by the news. “Uh, next week. We’re doing Indy on April seventh. Tour ends May twenty-first.”

  “Excellent! We’ll make sure to have a big celebration in L.A. this summer when you and the band are back. In the meantime, enjoy the champagne and keep crushing it out there on the road, Kitten.”

  “You got it, Lew. Thanks again.”

  She hung up the phone and stared at Sully who shifted in his seat with anticipation and seemed like he was about to jump out of his skin at any second. She giggled watching him squirm. She couldn’t hold the news back any longer and smiled wide. “Baby, you’re certified platinum!”

  Sully let out an elated cheer of victory. “Yes! We did it!” He hugged her tightly and gave her a long kiss. He pulled back and put his forehead to hers and grinned. “Couldn’t have done this without you, babe. We’re living the dream. Next stop, empire.”

  She giggled and gave him a quick kiss. “Dreams do come true! Let’s go tell the guys and the rest of the team before we continue to build on our plans for complete world domination.” He laughed loudly and hugged her tightly.

  Moments later, they left the room to share the good news with the rest of the band having Maxine capture it all on film. They rushed out so quickly that Kit had completely missed the urgent message that Ginny had laid out for her on the desk.

  CHAPTER 25

  When Kit awoke the next morning, the beautiful flower arrangement and half eaten fruit basket that she and Sully had torn into the night before came into focus. She grinned, still amazed at how quickly the album had gone platinum.

  She got out of bed and made her way over to the windows in their hotel room. She silently stood and watched a parade of black umbrellas in the hustle and bustle of a gloomy, rainy London morning. Moments later, she felt Sully’s strong arms around her waist giving her a gentle squeeze. He gave her a soft kiss on the neck and rested his chin easily on her shoulder. “Good morning, beautiful.”

  She glanced over at him. “Good morning, gorgeous platinum recording artist, hubby.”

  He chuckled. “I don’t know about gorgeous. I’m more like your hungover platinum recording artist hubby this morning.”

  She turned to face him and
put her arms around his neck. She giggled. “Yeah, me too. Just a little. We had good reason to celebrate last night. We had a lot of fun with the guys.”

  He nodded and grinned. “Yeah, it was worth it. This is a huge milestone. Now, we’ll have something to hang on the platinum wall in our condo.”

  She grinned. “Our condo, huh?”

  He gave her a quick kiss. “Yep. What’s mine is yours.”

  Before Kit could make a comment, the phone rang. She frowned. “I thought I told Ginny to route all the calls to their room. Oh, well. Here we go and it’s only eight o’clock.” She answered the phone.

  Spencer’s voice was urgent. “Kit! Why didn’t you return my call yesterday? I left an urgent message.”

  She remained relaxed and yawned. “Oh, hey, Spence. You left me a message?”

  He let out a frustrated sigh. “Yes, with the front desk and I told them it was urgent.”

  She stretched the phone toward the desk and noticed the message that Ginny had placed out for her in full view. She had completely missed it the night before. “Oops,” she murmured under her breath. She continued. “Sorry, Spence. I see it right here. We had a lot of commotion last night.” She couldn’t contain her excitement any longer. “The guys went platinum!”

  “That’s great, Kit.”

  She could tell he was forcing a happy tone. She frowned. “What’s going on, Spence? You don’t sound like yourself. Everything ok back at The Mint?” Kit, Sully and the guys had coined their estate ‘The Mint,’ based on all the success the band had experienced since recording tracks there. It stuck.