“Well, you must not be an equal member of the family because I don’t see how what she did helped you at all.”
“She made a mistake, Dexter. We all make them, even you. But her heart was in the right place.”
“Doesn’t that Bible your mom’s always quoting say something about knowing the heart by the actions? Well, I think that applies here.”
When Dexter turned their Buick Lucerne onto the street of the Inman Park rental house they’d occupied since the contest began, she immediately saw the black Hummer parked in their drive. “Who can that be?” she asked.
“It must be Charles Washington, the A&R rep from Legends,” Dexter said, pulling up next to the Hummer. “I told him to meet us here.”
Veronica turned to him. “You’ve got to be kidding. You invited him here and didn’t bother to tell me?”
“I’m only looking out for you, babe,” he said, unbuckling his seat belt. “I believe in you, and so does Mr. Washington. Now put on the shine and confirm for this guy that you have the talent, charm, and professional training needed to make it as a Legends artist.”
Veronica so wanted to slap Dexter upside his head. Had her whole family gone mad? Didn’t anybody think she deserved to be consulted about anything, especially those things that impacted her life and career? Dexter was no better than her mother in that respect. Tamping down her anger, Veronica slipped off her seat belt. Before she could open the door, Charles Washington pulled it open for her. She took his offered hand and got out, a firm smile on her face. “Thank you, Mr. Washington,” she said.
The man shook his head. “No, thank you for agreeing to meet with me tonight. I know it’s been an emotional evening for you.”
“No problem,” Dexter said. “We’re happy you were able to find me and let us know about your interest in Veronica. Her mother didn’t think it was information worth passing along.”
Veronica shot a shut up glare Dexter’s way. She would not allow him to malign her mother in front of this stranger, recording contract or no recording contract.
“Mrs. Monroe is a fine woman,” Washington said to Dexter. “I’m sure she had a reason for her decision. She’s very protective of her daughters.” Then he turned to Veronica. “Any loving mother would be. In this case, I think she made a decision with a mother’s heart that deserved a manager’s head.”
Veronica gave Washington a sincere smile this time. “That’s exactly what I think happened,” she said. “Momma always has our best interests at heart, but like you said, sometimes the head needs to overrule the heart.”
“Let’s finish this inside,” Dexter said, heading toward the front door.
Washington took Veronica’s arm. “I’m honored to meet you,” he said. “I’ve had my eye on you since the contest started. Delilah’s Daughters is a wonderful and talented group. I wish I could have taken you all on, but Legends only goes after stars. And you, dear lady, are a star.”
While a part of Veronica knew Charles Washington was giving her the hard-sell, she still felt herself being sucked in by his words. “Thank you,” she said. “But I’m not a star yet.”
“That’s where we come in,” he said. “You have star quality. We’ll showcase that quality so that everyone else will see it. Give us a year, eighteen months, and you’ll be a household name.”
By the time they were seated in her living room and Washington had laid out his plans for her, Veronica was a believer. She was fully convinced that Legends could make her a star, first in the music world and then later in movies. Washington had laid out a full program.
“So what do you think?” he asked.
“We like what we hear,” Dexter said. “We like it a lot, don’t we, Veronica?”
Veronica could only nod. “It’s more than I ever dreamed,” she said. “More than I could have asked or thought. It’s like a miracle.”
Washington shook his head. “You’re the miracle,” he said. “We’re lucky to have found you. It was only a matter of time before someone discovered the jewel that you are.”
The ongoing barrage of compliments began to make Veronica uneasy. She didn’t know what to say, so she said nothing. Thankfully, Dexter wasn’t at a loss for words. “So when would all this begin?”
Washington opened his briefcase and pulled out a contract. “We need you here in Atlanta within a month after signing this contract, sooner if possible.”
“We have to move here permanently?” Veronica asked.
“There is a cost to being a star, Veronica,” he told her. “We can do everything for you that I’ve outlined here tonight, but it’s going to take a 150 percent effort from you. Once you sign this contract, you no longer have a job; you have a career. So forget about nine-to-five, forget about vacations. Until your first album drops, your life will consist of nothing but work.”
Veronica frowned.
Washington laughed. “You’ll have leisure time,” he said, “but even that will be planned for maximum benefit. You’ll play, but you’ll play with the right people in the right places and at the right times. You’re going to have to put yourself in our hands completely.”
Her thoughts immediately turned to Dexter and the concerns he’d expressed about time together when they were on the cruise. “What do you think about all of that?” she asked him. “It doesn’t sound like we’ll have a lot of time together.”
Before Dexter could answer, Washington said, “Dexter has a look we like too. We want to weave him into our promotions for you. You’re a writer, aren’t you, Dexter?”
Dexter nodded, though a bit slowly. She read the question in his eyes.
“Well, how about you charting the rise of Veronica Y in a book that will drop around the same time as the album?”
“Veronica Y?” Veronica echoed.
Dexter’s eyes lit up, question erased. “Are you serious?”
“We don’t say things we don’t mean at Legends, Dexter. We’ve thought this through completely. With our guidance, Veronica will become the face of Generation Y. Before we’re done, she’ll own social media and the top of the music charts. And you’ll be right there with her as a New York Times best-selling author.”
Veronica could feel Dexter’s enthusiasm for Washington’s plans, while she had to resist the urge to pinch herself. Could this miracle really be happening to them? “What about my sisters?” she asked, addressing the missing component that would make her dream complete. “Isn’t there something you can do for them?”
Washington shook his head. “I’m sorry, but we only take on one or two artists a year so we can give them the attention they need. We don’t have the resources for your sisters.”
Veronica wasn’t convinced that a big production company like Legends couldn’t find room for two more artists, but she let it drop for now. She didn’t want to be too demanding before she’d even cut her first album. She’d take care of her sisters after Legends took care of her. “I’d like to submit a couple of my sister Alisha’s songs for my album.”
Washington’s lips curled a bit. “I know you love your family, Veronica, but this deal is about you, not your sisters. We have a stable of well-known, award-winning songwriters and producers on our staff who will be dedicated to your album. We don’t need or want another songwriter.”
“She understands, Mr. Washington,” Dexter said, “but old habits are hard to break.”
Washington met Veronica’s eyes. “Sometimes you have to break free completely of the past in order to build a bright future. That’s where you are, Veronica.”
Veronica didn’t like what she was hearing now. The more Washington talked, the more she felt as though she were deserting her sisters. Well, she wouldn’t desert her mother. “I want my mother to look over the contracts.”
“That’s fine with us,” Washington said, “but I’ll also leave you the cards of a couple of the top entertainment lawyers in the business. You need experienced people looking out for you.”
Before Veronica could respo
nd, Washington dropped several business cards on the coffee table and stood. She and Dexter followed suit. “I hope to have you on the Legends team soon,” he said to her. “We can work miracles together.”
“Thank you,” Veronica said. “We have a lot to think about.”
“But I think you know what our answer will be,” she overheard Dexter add as he escorted Washington to the door. She dropped back down on the couch. Her mother had been right about one thing: this would be one of the most difficult decisions she ever made.
Chapter 10
Alisha tugged at the hem of her sleep shirt as she studied the laptop screen in front of her. “This is exactly what I need,” she murmured.
“I should have known you’d still be up.”
Alisha looked up to see Roxanne standing next to her. “I didn’t wake you, did I?” she asked.
Roxanne pulled her pink robe close around her torso. “Please,” she said. “I couldn’t sleep either.”
Alisha closed the laptop cover and moved over to make room for her sister on the couch. “I know what you mean. It’s been that kind of day.”
Roxanne sat on the couch and folded her legs under her body. “You didn’t say much tonight.”
Alisha shrugged. “Too much had happened. I was on overload.”
“I know what you mean.”
Alisha looked up at her sister. “You didn’t seem to need a lot of processing time. You seemed pretty sure about what you thought Veronica should do.”
Roxanne rolled her eyes. “Well, yeah, it’s a clear case of Veronica choosing either to go for herself or stick with the group. The group comes first; it always has.”
Alisha smiled. “Now you’re sounding like Daddy,” she said, recalling her father’s oft-spoken words to his daughters. “He drilled that into us from day one.”
“I can’t believe he’s been gone three years. I miss him,” Roxanne said. “Every day.”
“Me too,” Alisha said. “The first Gospelfest after his death was the most difficult day of my life, after his funeral. It didn’t seem right to be up there singing without him.”
“Believe it or not, Gospelfest wasn’t hard for me. I can’t explain it, but I feel him closest each year at Gospelfest.” Roxanne shrugged. “It’s like he’s there with us.”
Alisha nodded. “He’s always with us in spirit.”
“I know that,” Roxanne explained, “but Gospelfest is different. It’s like he’s actually there.”
Alisha smiled. “You were always his favorite, so maybe he is there for you.”
“Daddy didn’t have favorites.”
Alisha lifted a brow. “I loved Daddy, and I knew he loved me, but you were his favorite.” When Roxanne would have interrupted, Alisha added, “It’s okay. I figured it was because you were the oldest child. And because you could hold your own when you sang with him.”
Roxanne laughed. “Do you remember those duets he and I used to do?”
Alisha joined in the laughter. “How can I forget? You two were a mess. You and Daddy would go at it every time you sang together. Why did everything have to be a competition between you two?”
“We weren’t really competing with each other,” Roxanne said. “It’s more that we were challenging each other, forcing each other to dig deep for the heart and soul of each lyric. Daddy understood how I feel about music and singing because he felt the same way.”
“And Momma understood me and my need to compose. I guess that’s why you being Daddy’s favorite didn’t bother me—I always felt I was Momma’s favorite. At least, I always felt that she understood me best.”
Alisha was quiet as she thought about the family dynamics of the Monroe clan. As the oldest, Roxanne had been Daddy’s girl, and as the youngest, she had been Momma’s baby. Where had that left Veronica? She was surprised she had never considered that question before. “I wonder how Veronica saw things.”
Roxanne turned up her nose. “Please. She always thought she was the favorite of both of them. Veronica has a pretty big ego. I’m sure you’ve noticed.”
Alisha laughed but quickly sobered. “Maybe that’s why Legends chose her. She’s special. Always has been.”
Roxanne poked her on the shoulder. “Yes, Veronica’s special, but so are you. And so am I.”
Alisha knew Roxanne was channeling their father again. The unique specialness of each of them had been his mantra. Delilah’s Daughters was great because of the individual talents and strengths they brought. No one of them was any better than the other two. Their greatness was as a group. “You think Daddy was right about the group coming first?”
“Don’t you?”
“I don’t know,” Alisha said. “This situation with Veronica is making me rethink a lot of things.”
“What do you mean?”
Alisha shrugged. “What’s wrong with each of us developing our individual talents?”
“There’s nothing wrong with it, but we develop individually to build the group, not to tear it apart. I hope Veronica doesn’t forget that.”
Alisha wasn’t so sure. Maybe there was more to be mined from their individual talents than what was required for the group.
After a few minutes of silence, Roxanne pushed at Alisha with her foot. “What’s going on in that big head of yours?”
Alisha flipped open her laptop. When the browser appeared, she turned the screen to Roxanne. “Take a look.”
Roxanne leaned closer. “What am I looking at?”
“It’s the conference schedule for the ‘I Create Music ASCAP Expo.’ This is the conference for songwriters, composers, and producers.” Alisha directed the laptop’s pointer to the Panelists button and clicked. “Look who’s going to be there.”
“I don’t know many of these names,” Roxanne said, skimming the page.
“That’s because everybody always focuses on the artists who sing the songs. Nobody cares about the behind-the-scenes work of the songwriters, composers, and producers. Well, not unless those songwriters, composers, and producers are household names like Sean Combs or Simon Cowell or Smokey Robinson. Believe me, if I listed the songs these panelists helped create, you’d know who they are.”
Roxanne looked at her, a little too closely. “You certainly sound excited about this conference.”
“I am,” Alisha said. “It’s being held in Los Angeles in a couple of weeks. I had planned to go this year, and then I put the idea aside because of the way we advanced in the contest.”
“And now that we didn’t win, you’re going to go?”
Alisha hadn’t fully decided until now. She knew going to this conference was more than merely attending a conference. It was her first step in working toward her own dream rather than the group’s dream. “Yes, I’m going to go.”
Roxanne caught her sister’s eye. “So you think Veronica is going to take the Legends deal?”
Alisha let out a short sigh. “I really don’t know what she’s going to do, but I know I have to have a fallback position. I can’t go back to my job, Roxanne, not after all we’ve experienced with this contest. I know singing for Dreamland isn’t your ultimate goal, but at least you’re doing what you love every day. Veronica is in school studying dance, doing what she loves. And I’m writing jingles. Well, I don’t want to write jingles anymore. I’ve figured out what I want to be when I grow up, and I want to get started on that path. I’d love for that to be with Delilah’s Daughters and Magic City, but if it’s not, I have to have a backup plan. You understand, don’t you?”
Roxanne nodded. “Of course I understand, but don’t give up on Veronica yet. She may surprise all of us. I’m praying she will.”
Alisha didn’t respond. She believed in prayer as much as her sister did, but she couldn’t pin her future on somebody else’s decision, even if that somebody else was her sister. She had to forge her own path.
Chapter 11
Veronica stabbed into the waffle that came with her Midnight Train, a menu favorite at Gladys and Ron’
s Chicken and Waffles Restaurant in midtown Atlanta. “Enough already, Dexter,” she said to her husband, who was sitting across the table from her. He’d yammered at her all night about the decision they needed to make. Then he’d started up again as soon as she’d awakened this morning. “You’ve made your point. Now eat your food before it gets cold.”
He lifted a brow. “You mean before your mother gets here, don’t you?”
Well, he had her there. “I need to talk to Momma, and your being here is not going to make it any easier.”
Dexter shook his head. “Just remember that she does not have your best interests at heart. If she had her way, you wouldn’t even know about the Legends offer. Just remember that.”
“I know what Momma did, Dexter, and I know why she did it. In her own way, she was doing what was best for me.” Veronica willed herself to believe her words and forgive her mother, but it was hard when she considered everything Legends was offering her. And Dexter’s constant harping wasn’t helping. “She’s my mother.”
Dexter picked up a chicken wing from his plate. Before he put it in his mouth, he said, “I think I should stay here for your talk with Delilah. I’m afraid she’s going to guilt you into doing what’s best for her and your sisters rather than what’s best for us.”
Veronica shook her head as her husband chewed. “I want to do what’s best for all of us: you, me, Momma, and my sisters.”
Dexter wiped his mouth with his napkin. “That’s not going to happen, Veronica. This is one time when you’ll have to make a choice. You either do what’s best for the two of us as a family or you do what’s best for your mom and sisters.” He reached across the table and put a hand on top of one of hers. “Think what this could mean to us. This deal could launch your recording career and my writing career. It’s a double blessing.”
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