Platinum

by J. M. Nevins

  “Are you sitting down?”

  She chuckled. “No.”

  “Well, you should.”

  She rolled her eyes and sat down on the sofa. “Ok, I’m seated. Lay it on me. Whatever it is can’t upset me on a day like today.”

  He paused before continuing. “Kit, KMK is in trouble.”

  She frowned. “Huh? What do you mean?”

  “I think Dante is cooking the books. There are lots of things that don’t add up based on everything we talked about when I elected to use KMK Management as my model. When was the last time you checked your bank statements?”

  She sighed. “It’s been ages, Spence. I usually have Dante handle that with our accountant. He’s the CEO. He reviews everything. He’s the one in charge. There must be some kind of explanation. I’m sorry he’s been blowing you off, but there’s no reason for you to blame him…”

  Spencer interrupted her midsentence. “Listen to me, Kit. These statements do not add up. There are bands missing on your report. Not just one, several. And the capital inflows and outflows don’t make any sense. It’s like they were made up or something.”

  She was starting to grow frustrated. “That can’t be possible. Maybe you’re reading it incorrectly. Which bands are missing?”

  “Scorcher, for one.”

  She frowned. “What? They were the first band I signed. They’re KMK’s biggest moneymaker next to GT. They came out to L.A. from Philly with me. And don’t worry about GT. They won’t show up on any reports. Which reminds me, I need to have Betsy run the GT report for you. They’re a separate entity for KMK and I’m the only one that controls that side. I thought you knew that.”

  “Well, Scorcher’s off the radar completely.”

  Kit could feel panic slowly rising inside of her. She tried to remain calm. “I’m sure it’s just an oversight. I’m going to give you Sam’s number. He’s our accountant. Tell him you’re working for me now. Ask all the questions you want. If he has a problem with it tell him to call me in London. Ok?”

  “Got it. I’ll call him first thing in the morning. It’s midnight here right now. I’m going to bed.”

  “Call me back once you talk to him. I’m gonna be pretty hard to catch over the next few days. If you can’t get me, call Ginny or Betsy. They’ll track me down. We’ll get this figured out, Spence. I appreciate your concern, but I’m sure everything’s fine and the report’s off.”

  He wasn’t entirely convinced. “I hope you’re right, Kit. Congrats on going platinum. Tell Sull hey for me.”

  “I will.”

  Kit hung up the phone and looked over at her completely relaxed husband. Sully had his feet propped up on the table, crossed at the ankle, munching on an apple from the opened fruit basket. She giggled, happy to see he was fully enjoying the moment. “That was Spence. He says hi.”

  Sully grinned. “Oh, hey. What’s he up to? He doesn’t normally track us down on the road. Did the house blow up or something?”

  She shook her head. “No. He seems to think that something’s wrong over at KMK. I told him he’s just freaking out. I’m sure everything’s fine. I can’t think about that right now. We’ve got a huge show to do tonight.”

  Sully smiled and winked. “Oh yeah, Wembley, baby!”

  She nodded and got up the give him a brief shoulder massage. She leaned forward and kissed his cheek. “Show of a lifetime, babe. You’re the frontman of a band headlining Wembley. You have arrived!” He put his hand on top of hers, grinned and gazed up at her exchanging a knowing look.

  Kit stood out at the boards waiting for the band to start their soundcheck. She looked around in wonder at the sea of empty seats inside London’s legendary Wembley Stadium, knowing later that night they’d be filled with enthusiastic, screaming fans. They were playing to another sold out crowd tonight and for the next two nights to follow. A satisfied grin remained on her face. All aspects of their lives were becoming more like a dream come true as each day progressed. She could hardly wait to hear how they sounded in the stadium. There was something about their international shows that made their success so much sweeter to her and London was no exception.

  When the first song started, she watched intently. The engineer worked diligently, making everything sound flawless before Kit even had a chance to tell him to make an adjustment. The soundcheck was going beautifully and Kit knew this was a sign of how the night was headed. The fans would surely be in for a big treat.

  Sully was on top of his game and eager to perform. She could tell from his performance that tonight was one of those nights where he would rule the stage and easily capture the hearts of tens of thousands of fans.

  When the band launched into their final song in the check, Kit giggled as she got chills. Everything sounded amazing. This was one show that she was looking forward to seeing from the perspective of a fan rather than a manager.

  She had arranged to sit in the VIP section with Diana for the first half, something she rarely did. She was always in the wings doing double duty, but tonight she was going to have Betsy and Ginny running the backstage mayhem with Sean, Jay and Danny in the first half. Tonight was the opportunity of a lifetime that she couldn’t miss.

  * * *

  Dante anxiously sat at the shiny, new boardroom table in a luxurious conference room that overlooked the Manhattan skyline. He watched quietly as the lead singer of the band, Shock Value, signed on the dotted line. Feeling relieved, he looked up and exchanged a look of victory with Blake who sat across from him.

  The lead singer pushed the contract back to Dante. He stood up and shook his hand. “Thanks, Erik. We’ll take good care of you guys, guaranteed.”

  He nodded. “Cool, man. Sorry to hear about KMK. Guess a woman really can’t run a management company competently in this industry. Glad you guys were able to start your own gig. That’s a huge lifesaver for us. You got some nice digs here. Looking forward to working with you.”

  Blake flashed a grin. “Looking forward to taking you and the band to the top.”

  Dante escorted the lead singer out of the glamorous, new office that reeked of a high rent district and a fresh coat of paint. He returned to the boardroom where Blake was reviewing a pile of documents. “Ok, so that’s eighteen down and six more to go. Let’s not drag our feet, Dante.”

  He nodded. “I’m doing the best I can. The last six are going to be tricky.”

  “Why?”

  “Two are with Virgin and Branson knows who she is and loves her. He’s loyal and if he gets wind that the artists are moving it’s going to raise a red flag. The other three are with Diamond Records. Those contracts may have to go directly through her. And the last one is with Fisher and they’re currently on tour with GT as their opening band.”

  Blake frowned and waved his hand dismissively. “So what? Kit’s too busy. How can she possibly review contracts? I mean I know she’s chief counsel and all, but I’m sure she’s just a figurehead to make Diamond look good.”

  Dante shook his head and paced in the conference room. “Nope. She reviews shit from the road, dude. Why do you think Lew Diamond loves her?” He stopped and planted his hands firmly on the table and stared at Blake. “There are some things that she passes off to the director below her, but with something like this there’s a good chance it will end up in her little hot hands wherever she is on the planet.”

  He sighed. “Hmm, interesting. Ok. Well, we can try. I trust your judgment on this one. So, no go on the other account?”

  Dante started pacing again and shook his head. “I’ve been locked out of that one from the beginning, dude.” He stopped and stared out the window at the skyscrapers surrounding them and felt his rage start to stir. “She controls that one with a business manager here in Manhattan that I’ve never been introduced to. If I try to make nice with that guy at this point in the game, it’s going to look really suspicious.”

  He spun around and looked at Blake, unable to mask his anger as he spoke through clenched teeth. “She h
as always handled everything for GT from day one and she probably always will. She has a tight grip on them. They are technically part of KMK, but they’re on a totally separate branch that I’ve never been authorized to touch. That’s always pissed me off!”

  Blake frowned. “That’s too bad. No doubt there are millions upon millions in there by now with the way they’re ripping up the charts and selling out shows. Oh well, doesn’t matter. We’ll be able to make it up with all our success from these bands. It’s all good. Don’t fret. We’ll win.” He grinned arrogantly.

  Dante stared at him evaluating his statement carefully and not entirely buying into it. “I sure hope you’re right.” He shook his head and cast his eyes down.

  * * *

  Kit walked in step with Diana as she threw her all access VIP pass over her head. She heard the crowd chanting the band’s name. Skid Row and Indecent Xposure had both successfully opened for them and had finished their sets back to back. The crowd was getting impatient. They wanted Gypsy Tango now. Sean stopped her by gently tugging her arm while Diana continued, oblivious that Kit had gotten detained.

  She looked at Sean. “What?”

  “The guy from Diamond UK confirmed. We just got word.”

  Kit nodded and smiled. “Wally is going to make it here for closing night tonight? Fantastic! He heads up all the UK operations. I’ve talked to him zillions of times, but have never met him in person. You’re going to make sure he’s all hooked up, right? I want the band to do a meet and greet with him first thing after the show, before any press.”

  Sean calmly nodded. “Already on it.”

  Ginny rushed over looking frantic. “Kit!”

  “What’s up Gin?”

  She was out of breath when she spoke again. “Spence called again. He said it’s really urgent and for you to call him immediately.”

  Kit saw the backstage crew in action and heard one of them call out on the walky-talky “band to the stage now… Gypsy Tango to the stage.” She noticed the guys walk out from the small private dressing room in the back and into the large backstage interior, shepherded by Danny, who was smiling and laughing with Sully. Maxine walked alongside, snapping shots. Diana urgently motioned Kit over so they could go find their seats.

  She looked at Ginny. “Gin, this is going to have to wait. If you hear from Spence again, tell him I’ll call tomorrow. Tonight is just too important to GT and me.”

  As she ran toward Diana, she noticed Sully. He glanced over at her at the same time and smiled wide. She leaned over and gave him a quick kiss. “Break a leg, babe. Kick ass!”

  He couldn’t wipe the smile off his face as he mouthed, “I love you,” and climbed the stairs to the stage.

  Kit and Diana stood side by side, holding hands in anticipation. They had both seen so many Gypsy Tango shows from the side of the stage and Diana had even seen a handful of them from the VIP seats before, but there was something magical about this show.

  This was the inaugural performance of a platinum recording artist in a legendary, international stadium. The crowd roared as the lights came up and the band started their first song. Kit stared up at Sully, mesmerized by his performance. The set, the lighting and the pyrotechnics only added to the impact of the show and she was thoroughly amazed. She wondered why she hadn’t taken the time to watch one of their shows earlier from this perspective.

  Halfway through the set she headed backstage to get to work. The media circus she expected greeted her with open arms. She worked the room scrambling to keep up and was relieved to see Betsy and Ginny pitching in, working press angles successfully and saying the right things at the right time to reporters, artists, managers and the like.

  Once the band arrived with Maxine in tow continually snapping shots, the mania entered a fever pitch. They easily flitted around like butterflies going from reporter to interviewer, radio personality to promoter, to posing for pictures with fans.

  Kit was able to spend the time she wanted with Walter Byers from Diamond Entertainment’s UK division. He was so excited about the band’s platinum achievement, he hired out a top nightclub in London to host a private party for the band and their entourage that night. The band was delighted about the idea and so was Kit. By the time they reached the nightclub it was midnight and they were just getting started. Kit knew it was going to be a very long night.

  She and Sully mingled easily, chatting and partying with their team. She was in the midst of talking to Walter about business, when Nicky approached her. She frowned and chuckled when she noticed the intense look in his eyes. Nicky was always happy go lucky and had a tendency to be a joker. She reached out and rubbed his shoulder. “What’s bugging you, Campo? It’s a party night and you just played Wembley! You guys did awesome opening for GT. And don’t tell Sebastian this, but you were better than Skid Row. It’ll be our secret.” She giggled and winked.

  He stared and unsuccessfully forced a grin. His grey eyes bore into her and she immediately realized something was up. She stared back waiting for him to speak. He pulled her aside to a quieter corner and when he finally spoke, his Brooklyn accent sounded stronger than she’d ever heard before. “Kit, doesn’t that jerkoff Dante work for your management company? Isn’t he like high up on the food chain or somethin’?”

  She nodded slowly. “Yeah. He’s the CEO of my management company.” She put her hands on each of his shoulders and gently shook him as she giggled. “Why Nicky? Are you guys and Frank finally taking me up on my offer to jump on board with KMK?”

  His face finally melted into a genuine smile. “No. Always tempting, but no.” He waved Frank over and then sighed. “Kit, there’s some funny business going on. I think that Dante guy is screwing you.”

  Frank walked up and caught the tail end of Nicky’s statement. He nodded in agreement. “I hate to tell you this, Kitty, but there’s foul play.”

  She frowned. “Huh? What do you mean?” Sully walked over and put his arm around Kit. He sensed the conversation was heavy and hoped to lead her back into the festivities of joviality and celebration.

  Frank nodded at Sully. “Hey, man. Sorry to talk biz, but Kit’s like family and we’ve got her back. Us New Yorkers take that shit seriously.”

  Sully frowned and looked at Kit. “What’s going on?”

  She met his eyes for a moment and then glanced back at Frank. “That’s what I’m trying to figure out. Frank, you’ve lost me. What is going on?”

  He sighed and exchanged an uneasy look with Nicky. “I’ve received numerous calls over the past few weeks, Kit, from both Blake Templeton and that Dante guy. They’re trying to poach me from Fisher. They want to take over management of Indecent Xposure, keep me in the mix and make the terms more favorable. But, the call from Dante wasn’t from KMK. He said some other company. So did Blake. I can’t recall it. I have the messages in my things at the hotel. Watch your back, Kit. My gut says they’re up to something and my sources in the city agree. They’re being watched. I’ll keep you posted on my findings.”

  She swallowed hard and started to feel anxious. She nodded. “Ok. Thanks for keeping me in the loop, guys.”

  Nicky reached out and rubbed her arm. “Kitty, like Frankie said, we’ve got your back. We’re staying with Fisher’s internal management department. We’re not going anywhere and if we do jump ship to any management company, it’s gonna be KMK. You’ve got our word.” He looked at Sully and nodded. “Sorry, man. We didn’t want another day to pass without telling her about this.”

  He grinned and clapped Nicky on the shoulder. “Thanks, man. You’re a good friend. We appreciate it.” He looked at Kit. “No sense in worrying about this right now, babe. We can’t do anything tonight, so let’s get back to celebrating, shall we?”

  She forced a grin and nodded, unconvinced, but put on a good front for his benefit. “Yeah, let’s get some more champagne.”

  CHAPTER 26

  Sully and Kit started stirring at the same time the next morning. He groaned and suddenly reg
retted the events of the night before. “Ugh, I drank way too much. How are you feeling, babe?”

  Kit’s eyes fluttered open. She looked at him and made a disgusted face. “Really crappy. I don’t know what possessed me to do so many shots last night.”

  He nodded in dismal agreement. “I can tell you who, not what, possessed you, babe.”

  In unison they chanted “Walter,” and started laughing. She held her head, a faint smile still lingering on her face. “Oh, shit! It hurts to laugh.”

  Sully propped himself up on his elbow and looked over at her. “I gotta say, you execs can certainly party hard. Wally is a fucking animal!”

  She chuckled. “I think Wally is the exception to the rule. He’s just a party-crazy limey, that’s all. Cool guy. Do you remember what time we got back last night?”

  He flopped back down onto the bed. “No clue. Barely remember the drive back to the hotel.” He rolled over onto his stomach and closed his eyes again. “I need more sleep. Please tell me check out isn’t for a while.”

  Kit glanced over at the clock on her bedside table. “Oh, shit! We’ve got precisely an hour to get packed, showered and out of here.” She swatted him on the butt. “Shake a tail feather, my love. We can sleep on the jet on the way to Manchester.”

  She hopped up and noticed the blinking red light on the phone, indicating she had a message. She seized the phone and dialed down to the front desk, positioning the pen in her hand on top of the pad of paper next to the phone. She was primed and ready. The clerk gave her the message that she didn’t need to write down. Spencer had called again. She opted to get into the shower and pack before calling him.

  Sully walked toward the door of their suite carrying two suitcases. He watched Kit who was sitting down on the side of the bed, about to make a phone call to her brother. “Is this everything?”

  She nodded silently as she dialed Spencer’s number. Sully gave her a nonverbal cue that he would wait for her in the lobby. Spencer answered on the first ring, sounding sleepy. It was 3:14 a.m. in L.A., but Kit didn’t care. They had been playing phone tag and the game had to stop now. “Spence, what’s going on? Sorry I haven’t been able to hit you back. It’s been crazy here in London. Did you get a hold of Sam? Everything figured out?”