"So Adam Chase is on his way. He's a legendary producer, honey, and it he likes you stuff you can clear of your mantel and hire a maid to dust off your Grammys," Dominique says and then turns to see me sniffing Eucalyptus, "What--what are you doing? What is that?"
"Oh, it's just Eucalyptus, it's to help me keep calm," I replied, breathing in and out slowly.
"Yeah, well, sweetie, enough, you smell like J. Lo," She says and takes it away just at Adam walked in.
"JC."
"Dominique. What's happening baby?" Adam replies.
"Well, clearly you looking all hottie tottie."
"Like wise."
"Here's our find. Adam Chase, Maria DeLuca," Dominique introduced.
"Nice to meet you." I say.
"Nice to meet you." He replies.
"So?" Dominique asks.
"It's a single."
"I knew it!!" Exclaimed Dominique.
"It's called "Behavior" I wrote it about me and my boyfriend breaking up," I explained.
"Right. I've been messing with it, wanna listen?" Adam asked.
"Yes, I would love to listen to it.
Dominique was talking on the phone as I listened to my love song turned into a techno song. "Hi. Yeah, Adam Chase alllllll over it. Oh yeah, the girl is going to be huge. Okay, Okay, bye bye."
"Slammin', isn't it?" Adam asked
"That's me?" I managed to say.
"Yeah, I remixed the vocals, and I added a few song remixes underneath. You know, it's a little ruff around the edges, but you get the point." Adam explained.
"Wow. It's a number one, isn't it?" Dominique seemed very excited.
"You know it." He replied and Dominique squealed.
"It used to be a love song," I pointed out.
"Yeah, well now it's one people can dance to," Dominique said. "So you hate it." She stated when we were in private.
"No. No, I was just going for more of a PJ Harvey and that sounded like Britney Spears," I said controling my temper.
"I--I complete disagree."
"My music is personal to me, Dominique."
"Okay. Maria, it is my job to find artists who can sell records, right? Now, honey, you've got the looks and the voice to do it, but when it comes to the music, baby, you've got to leave that to the pros."
"So, I'm just a commodity?"
"No, No, you're very talented, but this label is prepared to invest a lot of money in you, and you know, they pay the bills, they have the say. That's just how the way it's always been. Well, look, maybe you need to ask yourself if you really want to do this." I nodded and left shortly after.
I waited outside of Micheal's apartment for him to come home.
"Let me guess, you bumped into George Lucas at the video store, and he wants you in his next movie," Micheal joked but seeing my seriousness opened the door and let me inside. "What happened, Ri?"
"Those label people are bogus. They wanted to turn me into some bubble gum pop princess," I said and layed down on his couch.
That's too bad," Micheal said sincerely and sat on the couch, putting my feet on his lap and taking off my shoes.
"They turned one of my songs into complete crap, Michael. It was so humiliating," I said mortified as he messaged my feet.
"So, what are you gonna do, babe?" Micheal asked.
"That's the thing, I don't know! arg! I could be turning down the opportunity of a life time and I need some advice," I replied and rubbed my temples. Micheal stopped messaging my feet and I groaned at the loss. He grabbed my hands and pulled me into a sitting possition on his lap. "I was comfortable laying down, you know." I said, half jokingly.
"Maria, I want you to think for yourself. What do you want?" He asked and I covered my face with my hands. He quickly removed them, looked into my eyes and asked again.
"I don't want them to make me into something I'm not. I-I'm not gonna go, Mich-"
"What if I said I wanted you to at least go to New York to see if you like it? Would you go?" Micheal asked.
"Are you trying to get rid of me, Micheal?"
"No, what I really want is to strap you to my bed and never let you go, but I want you to get out and see the world, too. So your going," Micheal decided and before I could protest he sealed it with a kiss.
Review time...be gentle...