Dual Wielding, page 16
I sent Danny on his way with a kiss, which was so odd but so right. The thought about Brandon wouldn’t leave.
Going to see him was probably a bad idea, but it wasn’t like he’d take my calls. And who knew? Maybe I’d piss him off enough for him to stop being a dick and go after who he needed.
I made myself wait, to give me time to talk myself out of the stupid idea, but by ten, I couldn’t think of anything else. When I got to Brandon and Danny’s—I had to still call it that, or I was giving up—Brandon’s car was in the driveway.
I knocked and waited.
He opened the door, rolled his eyes, and flung it shut again as he turned away.
This wasn’t going down like that. I wedged my foot into place, and stepped into the house behind him.
“You’re literally the last person I want to see right now.” Brandon walked into the living room, never looking back.
I followed him. “So don’t look at me while I talk.”
He stopped in the middle of the room, his back to me. “What do you want, Reese? If you’re here to gloat, fuck off.”
“I’m not.” Did he really think that little of me? I was going to bet on he’s being pissy, don’t take it personally. “I’m here because this isn’t right. Because you’re about to fuck up like I did. Don’t do that.”
“In case you heard a different story, I wasn’t the one who left.”
I wouldn’t argue semantics with Brandon. “Adam told me what happened to your dad.” Why did I say that?
Brandon faced me with a scowl. “Now I think you’re just trying to make things worse.”
“Maybe. I’m not good at this giving advice stuff.”
“No shit. If the next thing you say is comparing your loss to mine, the two aren’t even in the same country. Your mother didn’t want to leave. My dad couldn’t find a reason to stay.”
“But Danny wants to find one. Just one.” I really was bad at this.
Brandon clenched his jaw. “He has one. I love him, he loves me. How is that not a reason?”
“Do you think your dad didn’t love you?”
“Don’t try to psychoanalyze me. You suck at it.”
“Fine.” I let out a growl of frustration both at me and him. “How about I be blunt, then? I don’t want to see you broken up, and it’s only partly because it kills me to see Danny hurting. The two of you are amazing together. Pull your head out of your ass, consider what he’s asking of you, and decide if your stubbornness is worth the cost of losing him.”
“Get the fuck out. Now.”
Twenty-Seven
Danny
I was numb. I had to be. It was the only way to make it through Friday. Through Reese’s sympathy. Through being conscious.
When Adam called me on Saturday, I almost didn’t answer. Not because of him, but he made me think of Brandon and if I did that for too long, this carefully crafted bubble of Novocain would crumble.
This wasn’t his fault in any way. “Hello?” I answered.
“Hey. Um… how are you?”
“I’ve been better. What’s up?”
“What’s wrong?” Adam asked.
Telling Reese was hard. Adam was a good guy, but he wasn’t a let me air my dirty laundry with you kind of friend. If he was asking, he didn’t know what happened between Brandon and I, which meant he probably still wasn’t speaking with his brother either. “Some stuff.” I’m coping. The words nearly choked me.
“I need a favor, please. I hate to ask, I know you’ve done so much, but I don’t dare ask Brandon—I don’t care if you tell him, just don’t get him involved—and I don’t want my friends to see me if I flip out and—”
“What’s up?” I was not only curious, but helping Adam meant I didn’t have to think about my own problems.
He sighed. “Richard called me. From jail. He wants me to visit. He wants to talk to me.”
Oh. “Wow.”
“Yeah. I don’t know what to think, but I need to confront him. I was hoping you’d go with me. Moral support or some shit.”
Sounded like a weird outing, but it was a distraction. Adam let me pick the time, and it made the most sense for me to go while Reese was working. She didn’t need me staring at her and moping while she was talking to clients.
I met Adam in the parking lot. This entire place was intimidating, which was another distraction from the bleakness that had moved into my heart. Inside, we were processed and shown to a waiting room. A moment later, Richard was shown in from another door. He took a seat across from us.
He and Adam stared at each other as seconds ticked away.
“I’m sure you have a lot of questions,” Richard finally said.
“Just one. Why?”
Richard dropped his head so his chin rested against his chest. “I made a few bad business deals. More than a few. Before I met you. What you’re doing really is incredible, I was honest about that. But I’m in so far over my head… I’m drowning and I couldn’t find my way to the surface.”
I couldn’t imagine that being in here helped, especially with the charges he’d face for opening fire on the police, but I kept my mouth shut.
“I panicked when I saw the bills stacking up, and that insurance money on the workshop was so tempting,” Richard said. “I thought I had it figured out. That I knew exactly how to start the fire so they wouldn’t know it was me.”
Adam stared at him, eyes wide. “Fucking hell, dude. I lost so much work. I could’ve been killed. I… I can’t even.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“What about the game demo you stole from us?” I didn’t mean to speak up, but we were here and he was confessing.
Richard looked at me as if he'd forgotten I was here. “You figured that out. I didn’t mean to.”
“You obviously did.” Adam picked up on my cues despite me not having told him the details. I’d owe him that information later. “Something like that doesn’t happen by accident.”
“I just, I saw the assets on the network, and games get funded all the time that never get made. It should’ve been easy money. No one was supposed to get hurt.”
“You stole someone else’s work.” Adam scoffed. “You set fire to my apartment. You shot at the police. What the fuck?”
“I wanted them to shoot back.” Richard’s voice was quiet.
“Fucking coward.” Adam stalked up to the door and pounded until they let us out.
I followed Adam outside, sifting through any appropriate response. I was dating Brandon when their father took his life. I knew how hard it hit both brothers.
“Why do people think that’s an answer? I don’t understand.” Adam was talking more to himself than to me, and he was more concerned about the shootout than the money.
I wasn’t surprised, and I didn’t have an answer he wanted to hear.
“I get it.” Adam kept talking and walking without input from me. “There’s not always a way out of a bad situation, besides to go through it. But he let himself fall that far…” He stopped at his car, hands on the hood and face dropped between his arms as he dragged in shuddering breaths.
The only thing I could do was give him the truth. I’d never reached the point where I decided to end it all, but there was more than one night where I wished I could drink enough I never woke up. The memory rushed back raw, like an old wound being sliced open again, reminding me how much I didn’t want to lose Brandon.
“Sometimes it’s hard to see how far you’ve fallen until you hit rock bottom. And once you’re there, it’s hard to climb out. There’s no will left. No strength.” God I hoped I’d done the right thing with Brandon.
“I can’t… Just no.” He wouldn’t look at me. “Thank you for coming with me.”
“Any time. Will you be all right?”
Adam shook his head. “I’m going to be pissed off for a long time. If that’s okay, then sure, why the fuck not.”
I didn’t have a comeback.
Twenty-Eight
Reese
I didn’t like seeing Danny mope, but I didn’t know what else to do. Focusing on the fact he was here, with me, helped. I still hated seeing him so sad, though.
After he got back from the jail with Adam, his mood was even more somber. Through the rest of Saturday and most of Sunday, he said very little.
Sunday night, Dominic called, to see if I was available for a face to face with Todd on Monday.
The thought of seeing Todd again churned my gut. “I might not be able to resist punching him in the throat.”
“I’ll make sure to keep the two of you separated, then.” Dominic chuckled. “When the conversation is over, if you still want to clothesline him, I’ll look the other way so there are no witnesses.”
“I’m going to hold you to that.”
Monday, I sent Danny off to work, dressed in my most professional attire, and headed to the address on Dominic’s business card. The firm had his name on it, which was impressive by itself. What little I knew about lawyers told me if the guy at the top was willing to carve out time for me, I should feel special.
Their offices were downtown, only about six blocks from AcesPlayed. Close enough to visit Danny when I was done, but far enough that this was an older part of town. The buildings here were a mix of classic architecture and new high rises.
And the law firm was in one of the restored older three-story buildings. The sleek metal and glass lobby with leather furniture screamed money. If I were paying for this, it wouldn’t be cheap.
I gave the receptionist my name, and expected her to ask me to have a seat. I’d be waiting a while.
Instead, I was immediately shown to a small conference room. “Dom will be with you soon,” The young woman told me.
Dom? I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. “Thank you.”
He walked into the room just a few minutes later, and took a seat next to me. “Sorry to make you wait.”
“You really didn’t.” I tempered politeness with my anxiousness and the urge to get this over with. If I was going to hear there’s nothing I can do I’d rather know it up front.
“Todd and his attorney are in another room already,” Dominic said. “I asked them to arrive a little earlier. Figured it wouldn’t hurt to make them wait.”
I smirked. “I’ve always wondered if people do that.”
“Normally I wouldn’t, but this guy’s sleezy with a capital Z. If I’d found your case, even without Judith’s prompting, I’d have taken it. And I can’t tell him this, because it might be interpreted as a threat, but I’m looking for every contract he has with bands. A lot of his deals are about to be broken, because there’s no way you’re the only one.”
“You’ll get no complaints from me.” Was that hope blossoming inside? It was kind of hot.
He smiled. “When I get them in here, answer any questions I ask, but not any of theirs. Only talk to me.”
Nothing else I’d tried so far had worked, and this sounded simple. “I’m not sure how much worse it could be so I put my musical career in your hands.”
“I promise you’ll love this.” He picked up the phone in the middle of the table and told the person on the other end to show in Todd Grude and his lawyer.
As they sat down, Todd looked at me and opened his mouth.
“We have a counter offer to your lawsuit, and we’d like to settle today.” Dominic talked over him.
I really liked this guy.
Todd snorted. “I’m listening.”
“Good. Make sure you do,” Dominic said. “The offer is, you let Ms. Ellis out of her contract, pay her any fees owed for the last five years—we’ll arrange for the audit—and erase, delete, or otherwise destroy any copies you have of her work. You’ll revert any and all rights you have to her recordings, songs, and anything else you currently control associated with Ms. Ellis.”
“No.” Todd laughed out the word.
Because really, what else was he going to say? Did Dominic think that would work?
He looked unfazed. “We have irrefutable evidence that you were associated with the posting of the video you’re suing her for, which means she’s not in breach of her contract.”
Todd worked his jaw.
His lawyer shot him a look.
“N— No you don’t,” Todd stammered. “Because I wasn’t. Why would you think that?”
“A case can and will be made for revisiting Ms. Ellis’s contract. We’ll present that it’s out of date, intentionally vague, and needs to be updated for a modern era,” Dominic said. “If you wish to pursue this part of the case, Mr. Grude, you may. You’ll be responsible for your legal fees and court fees, as is standard in cases like this. You can listen to me explain to a judge—a jury if you decide to pursue things to that extent—that the only reason you’re doing this is because you didn’t get your dick wet fifteen years ago.”
“Excuse me?” Todd’s lawyer finally spoke up.
“You can’t prove that, either,” Todd said.
Dominic silenced both of them with a look.
I hoped whoever he was fucking appreciated how hot he was.
“Can you afford to fight me when I try?” Dominic asked. “Ms. Ellis can. I will dedicate an entire team to ensuring you’re tied up in court for at least as long as you’ve consumed this talented woman’s career. I doubt it will cost what she could have made, but it will be expensive.”
Todd’s furious look was priceless. Merry Christmas to me.
His lawyer looked at Dominic and then Todd, completely ignoring me. “You still owe me for the work I’ve already done. I have to advise you now, to take this offer.”
“Don’t fucking say that in front of them,” Todd barked.
His lawyer shrugged. “It’s true. That’s my legal advice. Sign the paperwork and walk away. Or find another lawyer.”
I was almost turned on right now. It was a good thing Danny’s office wasn’t far.
“Fine. I’ll have someone else look over the offer and sign.” Todd spoke through clenched teeth.
Dominic slid him a single sheet of paper. “This says that you’ll do exactly what you just agreed to, and that as long as there is nothing in the settlement that we haven’t discussed, you’ll sign. I assure you, there’s not.”
Todd gripped the pen so hard it cracked as he signed the paper, and he stormed out of the office.
His lawyer gave us a short nod and followed.
“Oh my goddess, thank you so much.” I let my gratitude tumble out the instant we were alone again. “Seriously. Thank you, thank you. I don’t know what else I can do.”
Dominic shook my hand. “Go. Sing. Use the second chance. And let me remind you Judith would like a bit of your time, on behalf of AcesPlayed, now that you’re a free agent.”
“What did she offer you in return?” Maybe it was rude to ask, but I had to know.
He shook his head. “A favor for my husband. That’s all.”
Did she always deal in favors? That sounded like a dangerous deal to make, and made me glad I’d made my arrangement with her up front. “Thank you again.”
I could’ve walked to the Aces offices and it wouldn’t have taken any longer, but I wanted to crank the stereo and sing along at the top of my lungs. I felt like a million bucks, and I was going to go surprise Danny and Brandon with the news.
No. Just Danny.
The mental slip made me stall. I wouldn’t let it ruin the rest of the day, but it did put a damper on things.
I found Danny in the office he was sharing with Luna.
“How’d it go?” he asked.
I couldn’t drag this out even for a heartbeat. I had to share. “I’m out of the contract. It’s over.”
“Oh my God, yay!” Luna clapped and reached for her phone.
Danny wrapped me in a tight hug, and a long kiss, and I was happy to return both.
I was vaguely aware of Luna repeating the news to someone, and I heard the shout both over the phone and down the hall. That would be Adrienne.
“So I can post videos of you singing online now?” Luna asked.
I didn’t let go of Danny, but I maneuvered so I could see her. “Why do you have videos of me singing?”
“Because you guys wail in concert, and why wouldn’t I get that on my phone?”
“You have to wait until the ink is dry and the rights reversion is official,” I said. “But otherwise, yes.”
“So happy for you.” Adrienne came from behind, almost knocking me over with a hug.
I couldn’t stop grinning. We celebrated for a while longer, and I walked down the hall to Judith’s office.
She looked up, impassive expression in place. “I assume you’re responsible for turning my office into a zoo?”
“Today I am.” And I didn’t even feel bad about it. “Thank you for introducing me to Dominic. I’m not selling my soul again, but my music is yours on a contract basis.”
Judith cracked a smile. “I’m glad to hear that. I’ll be in touch.”
I turned away.
“Reese.” A hitch in Judith’s voice stopped me, and I looked at her again. “I realize it’s not appropriate to ask, but you seem most likely to have and give me an answer. Is Brandon okay?”
Some of my mood faltered.
“That good, huh?” she asked.
I shook my head. “Give him a little more time? I get that you’re running a business and you don’t have a lot of time, but just a little longer.”
“I don’t wait on things for most people, but he really is a friend, despite the way our working relationship has changed,” she said. “If you talk to him before I do, tell him I said Merry Christmas.”
I doubted I would, but I agreed anyway.
A group of us went to lunch to celebrate, and mostly managed to ignore the empty spot where Brandon would normally be. At the end of the meal, I gave Danny a goodbye kiss and told him I’d see him at home.
Back at my apartment, I put on my headphones and danced and sang around the room. This felt good. Ridiculously good. Like a giant weight had been lifted from my chest.
Danny brought takeout home, and we celebrated some more with alcohol free bubbly grape juice and curry from my favorite place.
Going to see him was probably a bad idea, but it wasn’t like he’d take my calls. And who knew? Maybe I’d piss him off enough for him to stop being a dick and go after who he needed.
I made myself wait, to give me time to talk myself out of the stupid idea, but by ten, I couldn’t think of anything else. When I got to Brandon and Danny’s—I had to still call it that, or I was giving up—Brandon’s car was in the driveway.
I knocked and waited.
He opened the door, rolled his eyes, and flung it shut again as he turned away.
This wasn’t going down like that. I wedged my foot into place, and stepped into the house behind him.
“You’re literally the last person I want to see right now.” Brandon walked into the living room, never looking back.
I followed him. “So don’t look at me while I talk.”
He stopped in the middle of the room, his back to me. “What do you want, Reese? If you’re here to gloat, fuck off.”
“I’m not.” Did he really think that little of me? I was going to bet on he’s being pissy, don’t take it personally. “I’m here because this isn’t right. Because you’re about to fuck up like I did. Don’t do that.”
“In case you heard a different story, I wasn’t the one who left.”
I wouldn’t argue semantics with Brandon. “Adam told me what happened to your dad.” Why did I say that?
Brandon faced me with a scowl. “Now I think you’re just trying to make things worse.”
“Maybe. I’m not good at this giving advice stuff.”
“No shit. If the next thing you say is comparing your loss to mine, the two aren’t even in the same country. Your mother didn’t want to leave. My dad couldn’t find a reason to stay.”
“But Danny wants to find one. Just one.” I really was bad at this.
Brandon clenched his jaw. “He has one. I love him, he loves me. How is that not a reason?”
“Do you think your dad didn’t love you?”
“Don’t try to psychoanalyze me. You suck at it.”
“Fine.” I let out a growl of frustration both at me and him. “How about I be blunt, then? I don’t want to see you broken up, and it’s only partly because it kills me to see Danny hurting. The two of you are amazing together. Pull your head out of your ass, consider what he’s asking of you, and decide if your stubbornness is worth the cost of losing him.”
“Get the fuck out. Now.”
Twenty-Seven
Danny
I was numb. I had to be. It was the only way to make it through Friday. Through Reese’s sympathy. Through being conscious.
When Adam called me on Saturday, I almost didn’t answer. Not because of him, but he made me think of Brandon and if I did that for too long, this carefully crafted bubble of Novocain would crumble.
This wasn’t his fault in any way. “Hello?” I answered.
“Hey. Um… how are you?”
“I’ve been better. What’s up?”
“What’s wrong?” Adam asked.
Telling Reese was hard. Adam was a good guy, but he wasn’t a let me air my dirty laundry with you kind of friend. If he was asking, he didn’t know what happened between Brandon and I, which meant he probably still wasn’t speaking with his brother either. “Some stuff.” I’m coping. The words nearly choked me.
“I need a favor, please. I hate to ask, I know you’ve done so much, but I don’t dare ask Brandon—I don’t care if you tell him, just don’t get him involved—and I don’t want my friends to see me if I flip out and—”
“What’s up?” I was not only curious, but helping Adam meant I didn’t have to think about my own problems.
He sighed. “Richard called me. From jail. He wants me to visit. He wants to talk to me.”
Oh. “Wow.”
“Yeah. I don’t know what to think, but I need to confront him. I was hoping you’d go with me. Moral support or some shit.”
Sounded like a weird outing, but it was a distraction. Adam let me pick the time, and it made the most sense for me to go while Reese was working. She didn’t need me staring at her and moping while she was talking to clients.
I met Adam in the parking lot. This entire place was intimidating, which was another distraction from the bleakness that had moved into my heart. Inside, we were processed and shown to a waiting room. A moment later, Richard was shown in from another door. He took a seat across from us.
He and Adam stared at each other as seconds ticked away.
“I’m sure you have a lot of questions,” Richard finally said.
“Just one. Why?”
Richard dropped his head so his chin rested against his chest. “I made a few bad business deals. More than a few. Before I met you. What you’re doing really is incredible, I was honest about that. But I’m in so far over my head… I’m drowning and I couldn’t find my way to the surface.”
I couldn’t imagine that being in here helped, especially with the charges he’d face for opening fire on the police, but I kept my mouth shut.
“I panicked when I saw the bills stacking up, and that insurance money on the workshop was so tempting,” Richard said. “I thought I had it figured out. That I knew exactly how to start the fire so they wouldn’t know it was me.”
Adam stared at him, eyes wide. “Fucking hell, dude. I lost so much work. I could’ve been killed. I… I can’t even.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“What about the game demo you stole from us?” I didn’t mean to speak up, but we were here and he was confessing.
Richard looked at me as if he'd forgotten I was here. “You figured that out. I didn’t mean to.”
“You obviously did.” Adam picked up on my cues despite me not having told him the details. I’d owe him that information later. “Something like that doesn’t happen by accident.”
“I just, I saw the assets on the network, and games get funded all the time that never get made. It should’ve been easy money. No one was supposed to get hurt.”
“You stole someone else’s work.” Adam scoffed. “You set fire to my apartment. You shot at the police. What the fuck?”
“I wanted them to shoot back.” Richard’s voice was quiet.
“Fucking coward.” Adam stalked up to the door and pounded until they let us out.
I followed Adam outside, sifting through any appropriate response. I was dating Brandon when their father took his life. I knew how hard it hit both brothers.
“Why do people think that’s an answer? I don’t understand.” Adam was talking more to himself than to me, and he was more concerned about the shootout than the money.
I wasn’t surprised, and I didn’t have an answer he wanted to hear.
“I get it.” Adam kept talking and walking without input from me. “There’s not always a way out of a bad situation, besides to go through it. But he let himself fall that far…” He stopped at his car, hands on the hood and face dropped between his arms as he dragged in shuddering breaths.
The only thing I could do was give him the truth. I’d never reached the point where I decided to end it all, but there was more than one night where I wished I could drink enough I never woke up. The memory rushed back raw, like an old wound being sliced open again, reminding me how much I didn’t want to lose Brandon.
“Sometimes it’s hard to see how far you’ve fallen until you hit rock bottom. And once you’re there, it’s hard to climb out. There’s no will left. No strength.” God I hoped I’d done the right thing with Brandon.
“I can’t… Just no.” He wouldn’t look at me. “Thank you for coming with me.”
“Any time. Will you be all right?”
Adam shook his head. “I’m going to be pissed off for a long time. If that’s okay, then sure, why the fuck not.”
I didn’t have a comeback.
Twenty-Eight
Reese
I didn’t like seeing Danny mope, but I didn’t know what else to do. Focusing on the fact he was here, with me, helped. I still hated seeing him so sad, though.
After he got back from the jail with Adam, his mood was even more somber. Through the rest of Saturday and most of Sunday, he said very little.
Sunday night, Dominic called, to see if I was available for a face to face with Todd on Monday.
The thought of seeing Todd again churned my gut. “I might not be able to resist punching him in the throat.”
“I’ll make sure to keep the two of you separated, then.” Dominic chuckled. “When the conversation is over, if you still want to clothesline him, I’ll look the other way so there are no witnesses.”
“I’m going to hold you to that.”
Monday, I sent Danny off to work, dressed in my most professional attire, and headed to the address on Dominic’s business card. The firm had his name on it, which was impressive by itself. What little I knew about lawyers told me if the guy at the top was willing to carve out time for me, I should feel special.
Their offices were downtown, only about six blocks from AcesPlayed. Close enough to visit Danny when I was done, but far enough that this was an older part of town. The buildings here were a mix of classic architecture and new high rises.
And the law firm was in one of the restored older three-story buildings. The sleek metal and glass lobby with leather furniture screamed money. If I were paying for this, it wouldn’t be cheap.
I gave the receptionist my name, and expected her to ask me to have a seat. I’d be waiting a while.
Instead, I was immediately shown to a small conference room. “Dom will be with you soon,” The young woman told me.
Dom? I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. “Thank you.”
He walked into the room just a few minutes later, and took a seat next to me. “Sorry to make you wait.”
“You really didn’t.” I tempered politeness with my anxiousness and the urge to get this over with. If I was going to hear there’s nothing I can do I’d rather know it up front.
“Todd and his attorney are in another room already,” Dominic said. “I asked them to arrive a little earlier. Figured it wouldn’t hurt to make them wait.”
I smirked. “I’ve always wondered if people do that.”
“Normally I wouldn’t, but this guy’s sleezy with a capital Z. If I’d found your case, even without Judith’s prompting, I’d have taken it. And I can’t tell him this, because it might be interpreted as a threat, but I’m looking for every contract he has with bands. A lot of his deals are about to be broken, because there’s no way you’re the only one.”
“You’ll get no complaints from me.” Was that hope blossoming inside? It was kind of hot.
He smiled. “When I get them in here, answer any questions I ask, but not any of theirs. Only talk to me.”
Nothing else I’d tried so far had worked, and this sounded simple. “I’m not sure how much worse it could be so I put my musical career in your hands.”
“I promise you’ll love this.” He picked up the phone in the middle of the table and told the person on the other end to show in Todd Grude and his lawyer.
As they sat down, Todd looked at me and opened his mouth.
“We have a counter offer to your lawsuit, and we’d like to settle today.” Dominic talked over him.
I really liked this guy.
Todd snorted. “I’m listening.”
“Good. Make sure you do,” Dominic said. “The offer is, you let Ms. Ellis out of her contract, pay her any fees owed for the last five years—we’ll arrange for the audit—and erase, delete, or otherwise destroy any copies you have of her work. You’ll revert any and all rights you have to her recordings, songs, and anything else you currently control associated with Ms. Ellis.”
“No.” Todd laughed out the word.
Because really, what else was he going to say? Did Dominic think that would work?
He looked unfazed. “We have irrefutable evidence that you were associated with the posting of the video you’re suing her for, which means she’s not in breach of her contract.”
Todd worked his jaw.
His lawyer shot him a look.
“N— No you don’t,” Todd stammered. “Because I wasn’t. Why would you think that?”
“A case can and will be made for revisiting Ms. Ellis’s contract. We’ll present that it’s out of date, intentionally vague, and needs to be updated for a modern era,” Dominic said. “If you wish to pursue this part of the case, Mr. Grude, you may. You’ll be responsible for your legal fees and court fees, as is standard in cases like this. You can listen to me explain to a judge—a jury if you decide to pursue things to that extent—that the only reason you’re doing this is because you didn’t get your dick wet fifteen years ago.”
“Excuse me?” Todd’s lawyer finally spoke up.
“You can’t prove that, either,” Todd said.
Dominic silenced both of them with a look.
I hoped whoever he was fucking appreciated how hot he was.
“Can you afford to fight me when I try?” Dominic asked. “Ms. Ellis can. I will dedicate an entire team to ensuring you’re tied up in court for at least as long as you’ve consumed this talented woman’s career. I doubt it will cost what she could have made, but it will be expensive.”
Todd’s furious look was priceless. Merry Christmas to me.
His lawyer looked at Dominic and then Todd, completely ignoring me. “You still owe me for the work I’ve already done. I have to advise you now, to take this offer.”
“Don’t fucking say that in front of them,” Todd barked.
His lawyer shrugged. “It’s true. That’s my legal advice. Sign the paperwork and walk away. Or find another lawyer.”
I was almost turned on right now. It was a good thing Danny’s office wasn’t far.
“Fine. I’ll have someone else look over the offer and sign.” Todd spoke through clenched teeth.
Dominic slid him a single sheet of paper. “This says that you’ll do exactly what you just agreed to, and that as long as there is nothing in the settlement that we haven’t discussed, you’ll sign. I assure you, there’s not.”
Todd gripped the pen so hard it cracked as he signed the paper, and he stormed out of the office.
His lawyer gave us a short nod and followed.
“Oh my goddess, thank you so much.” I let my gratitude tumble out the instant we were alone again. “Seriously. Thank you, thank you. I don’t know what else I can do.”
Dominic shook my hand. “Go. Sing. Use the second chance. And let me remind you Judith would like a bit of your time, on behalf of AcesPlayed, now that you’re a free agent.”
“What did she offer you in return?” Maybe it was rude to ask, but I had to know.
He shook his head. “A favor for my husband. That’s all.”
Did she always deal in favors? That sounded like a dangerous deal to make, and made me glad I’d made my arrangement with her up front. “Thank you again.”
I could’ve walked to the Aces offices and it wouldn’t have taken any longer, but I wanted to crank the stereo and sing along at the top of my lungs. I felt like a million bucks, and I was going to go surprise Danny and Brandon with the news.
No. Just Danny.
The mental slip made me stall. I wouldn’t let it ruin the rest of the day, but it did put a damper on things.
I found Danny in the office he was sharing with Luna.
“How’d it go?” he asked.
I couldn’t drag this out even for a heartbeat. I had to share. “I’m out of the contract. It’s over.”
“Oh my God, yay!” Luna clapped and reached for her phone.
Danny wrapped me in a tight hug, and a long kiss, and I was happy to return both.
I was vaguely aware of Luna repeating the news to someone, and I heard the shout both over the phone and down the hall. That would be Adrienne.
“So I can post videos of you singing online now?” Luna asked.
I didn’t let go of Danny, but I maneuvered so I could see her. “Why do you have videos of me singing?”
“Because you guys wail in concert, and why wouldn’t I get that on my phone?”
“You have to wait until the ink is dry and the rights reversion is official,” I said. “But otherwise, yes.”
“So happy for you.” Adrienne came from behind, almost knocking me over with a hug.
I couldn’t stop grinning. We celebrated for a while longer, and I walked down the hall to Judith’s office.
She looked up, impassive expression in place. “I assume you’re responsible for turning my office into a zoo?”
“Today I am.” And I didn’t even feel bad about it. “Thank you for introducing me to Dominic. I’m not selling my soul again, but my music is yours on a contract basis.”
Judith cracked a smile. “I’m glad to hear that. I’ll be in touch.”
I turned away.
“Reese.” A hitch in Judith’s voice stopped me, and I looked at her again. “I realize it’s not appropriate to ask, but you seem most likely to have and give me an answer. Is Brandon okay?”
Some of my mood faltered.
“That good, huh?” she asked.
I shook my head. “Give him a little more time? I get that you’re running a business and you don’t have a lot of time, but just a little longer.”
“I don’t wait on things for most people, but he really is a friend, despite the way our working relationship has changed,” she said. “If you talk to him before I do, tell him I said Merry Christmas.”
I doubted I would, but I agreed anyway.
A group of us went to lunch to celebrate, and mostly managed to ignore the empty spot where Brandon would normally be. At the end of the meal, I gave Danny a goodbye kiss and told him I’d see him at home.
Back at my apartment, I put on my headphones and danced and sang around the room. This felt good. Ridiculously good. Like a giant weight had been lifted from my chest.
Danny brought takeout home, and we celebrated some more with alcohol free bubbly grape juice and curry from my favorite place.
