Chapter 31
A/N: I don't own Pitch Perfect, or any of its characters.
Beca glanced up at the modern building that housed her new attorney before making her way inside, her parents following a step behind. They didn't have to wait at all, and were immediately escorted into the small conference room she and Sheila had been in during their previous meeting with Theodore J. Rook, Esquire. Beca had taken an instant liking to him, already knowing that Sheila had received his name from a highly respected colleague, and enjoyed his calm demeanor. They sat down around the table in comfortable chairs as an assistant brought them each a bottle of water, placing a fourth in front of the empty chair that the lawyer would soon occupy.
Beca grinned as he walked through the door dressed in an expensive black suit, giving her a wink as he greeted everyone. He had a charming personality to match a razor sharp wit, but Beca's favorite thing about him was the fact that he insisted upon wearing bow ties, that he said took at least ten years of stress off his face and gave him a youthful look.
"Beca! I've got great news for you," he said confidently, sitting down and setting a folder on the table.
She smiled back at him, asking, "Whatcha got for me, Teddy?"
By the end of their first meeting, he'd refused to answer when she called him Mr. Rook, instead insisting that all his favorite clients called him Teddy, and that she was already fast-tracked to the top of the list.
He got straight to business, pulling a small stack of papers out of a large yellow envelope and slid them in front of her, saying, "They gave you a great deal, but I knew we could push for a few things." He reached forward across the table, flipping a few pages to one that was flagged with a red sticky note.
"First, and most importantly, we negotiated them down from five albums to two," he said, pointing to an amended section.
Beca looked up at him confused, asking, "Wait, why would I want a contract with less albums?"
He answered immediately, "Because, the longer you're tied into this initial contract, the longer you have to wait to negotiate a better one. You need to go into this with the confidence that you're going to be a star. You'll be able to negotiate much better rates in your next contract if you have a proven track record of selling albums."
At her hesitant look, Teddy explained further, "Beca, the label doesn't have your best interests at heart. They want to sign you for as many albums as possible at the highest royalty rates for them. Look at it this way, if your first or second album goes Platinum or Multi-Platinum or God willing, Diamond, you'll have an incredible amount of bargaining power over your next contract. You'll be able to negotiate much higher royalty rates for yourself, instead of being trapped into the same contract for three more."
Beca nodded, finally understanding what he meant. "And if I'm not that successful?" she asked nervously.
Teddy answered, "Then we can still negotiate another contract with them, or with a different label if you're unhappy with how things are going. Either way, you want less albums on your initial deal. It just allows you more flexibility to change your situation if things aren't going the way you want, whether you should be making more money or different music."
"Okay, sounds good," she admitted, shooting a quick look at Sheila, who gave her an encouraging smile.
Teddy added, "Just trust that I have your best interests at heart, Beca. The label's representation is not on your side. My only goal is to make you happy and get you the best deal possible, and that's what I'm going to do. I've heard some of your music, and I'm looking forward to working with you for a long time."
Beca watched as Teddy flipped to another marked page, pointing out the section that laid out the terms that made her a co-producer on a minimum of three tracks per album, capping at a maximum of six tracks. She nodded, happy that she was going to get the opportunity to work with an experienced producer on her first album.
He explained some of the more minor adjustments he'd negotiated on her behalf, and answered the few questions Beca and her parents thought of, before flipping the contract closed and sliding it back inside the yellow envelope.
"Well, Beca, are you sure you understand everything that we've gone over today? I don't want you to sign something that you don't feel completely comfortable about," Teddy said, his tone serious. "This is a binding legal agreement with your signature, so make sure you take your time and be fully committed to these terms."
Beca looked up at him, replying, "I think I've got it all. I'm definitely going to take a little more time to think about it. When do I have to let them know?"
Teddy nodded his approval. "Right. I know they initially said the offer was good for thirty days, but since we made some fairly serious alterations to the original contract, they've given you a new thirty days starting from when they made the adjustments. So you've got about three weeks to let them know. The exact date is laid out on the last page, just above the signature line."
"Okay, thanks," Beca said, taking the envelope he held out to her.
Teddy smiled around the room, leaning back slightly in his chair. "I'll always be honest with you, Beca. If it wasn't a good deal, and they weren't willing to work with you, I'd tell you. I have no problems telling you flat out to find a different label," he said, leaning forward again and turning slightly more serious. "This is a fantastic deal for you. They want you, bad. That much is clear, solely based on my experience negotiating contracts like this. Label's hardly ever budge and give in to demands like yours. I doubt you'd get a better deal anywhere."
Beca grinned, her eyes falling to the envelope she held carefully in her hands. "Thanks for everything, Teddy. I'll let you know what I decide, either way."
They all stood up, Teddy shaking hands with Ben and Sheila before giving Beca a fist bump. They were interrupted by his assistant knocking on the door, cracking it open to remind him of his next meeting. He nodded in acknowledgement, before saying goodbye and exiting the room.
Beca trailed slowly behind her parents as they walked out of the building onto the busy street. She was twisting the large envelope around in her hands, hardly able to believe that she was holding the papers that would turn her dreams into reality.
Ben spoke up, cutting into her thoughts. "I can't believe that a week from now you'll be a high school graduate," he said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "And then you'll be jetting off to Tennessee and leaving poor Sheila and I behind to fend for ourselves."
Beca laughed, slipping an arm around her dad's back, replying, "Somehow, I think you two will manage."
"Yeah, but it'll be boring without you causing trouble all the time," Sheila interjected, shooting her a wink. "Have you spoken to Chloe about all this?"
Beca felt her dad stiffen at the mention of her girlfriend, and let out a sigh. "No, I haven't. I mean, she knows that I visited the label in Tennessee, and she's smart enough to assume that I was offered a contract, but I wanted to make sure it was going to be a real possibility before I spoke to her about it. It's only been a couple days since we patched things up."
Ben turned down the street towards the parking garage, saying pointedly, "Why don't we talk about this at home?"
Beca and Sheila nodded, and he continued with a different question. "Who's hungry? I was thinking we could pick up some Thai on the way home."
"Yes!" Beca cheered, jumping into the air in happiness.
Ben and Sheila only laughed at her excitement as they finally reached the car.
In no time at all they were seated around the kitchen table, open containers of takeout scattered between them. Beca hadn't said much about the contract, thinking over it and weighing her options carefully in her mind. On one hand, she trusted Teddy completely when he told her she wouldn't get a better deal than the one in front of her. It was literally everything that she wanted, plus a few things she hadn't anticipated.
On the other hand, things were amazing with Chloe. They'd spent the day after prom making up and getting their relationship back on track, both apologizing for their mistakes and mishandling of the situation. It had been a clothes-optional day, Beca finding it hard to leave for her house at the end of the night to follow her parent's rules.
Ben had been less than thrilled at finding out the pair had patched things up, but Beca knew he had taken their conversation on the plane to heart when he gave her a hug and invited Chloe over for dinner that week. He'd promised to try harder with Chloe, and that was all Beca could ask for.
She was not as happy about the idea of leaving for Tennessee as she knew she should be. The thought of leaving Chloe and moving across the country was deflating, like having the wind completely knocked out of her, especially when they were so close to being able to be together openly. Beca had been honest with Stacie when she told her she didn't want to give up what she had with Chloe, and that she would be willing to give up this deal in favor of staying in San Diego.
Sheila interrupted her thoughts, asking, "What are you thinking, kid?"
Beca sighed, looking up at her. "I don't know what to do. I don't know if I can move across the country by myself."
Ben hummed thoughtfully, before asking, "Beca, is this still what you want? It's okay to have changed your mind."
"I wouldn't say that I've changed my mind," she started, moving rice around her plate with her fork. "More like there are more things that I have to consider now."
Ben frowned, realizing what she was talking about. "Beca, you cannot base this decision on Chloe. No," he cut her off, giving her a sharp look. "I understand that you're in a relationship and that you love her, but we're discussing the rest of your life, here. You have been working for this for years and you'd be willing to give up your shot? Deals like this don't just grow on trees."
Beca stayed still as the room descended into silence, her eyes looking anywhere but at her father.
Sheila cut in, saying, "Kid, I'm with your dad on this one. I know you love her, and I think she's great, really. The changes in you this year have been monumental, and I honestly believe she has a lot to do with them. But if you're heart is still set on making music, you need to sign this contract."
Beca glanced up at her stepmom, recognizing the seriousness in her tone. "Of course I still want to make music. It's all I've ever wanted, but...we'll never make it if we do long distance. It'll be too hard. I don't want to lose her."
Sheila sighed, leaning back in her chair and looking across the table at Ben. He only shook his head, his mind clearly made up on what his daughter should do.
"Becs, you fought me for years when I thought this was the wrong path for you. Would I be sitting here telling you to sign if I honestly thought it was the wrong decision?" he asked gently, hoping that Beca would realize that it was the right choice.
Beca shook her head with a wry smile, finally looking at him. "It must be killing you to say that," she joked, trying to lighten the tension.
"Believe me, it is," he answered with a laugh. "But it's what's best for you, and that's what I want more than anything."
"Dad, I could go to college though. I could record at with Luke and go to college. I got into San Diego State. I could do it all...make music, go to college, and be with Chloe. What's so bad about that idea?"
Sheila's voice was steady as she said, "Because it's not what's best for you, and it's not what you really want, kid. If you're honest with yourself, you know deep down that you don't want to go to college. You want to make music, and the best way for you to be successful doing what you love is to take this deal."
Beca was starting to get irritated, and it showed in her tone. "Dad, are you seriously going to tell me not to go to college?"
Ben hesitated, running his fingers through his short hair before answering her. "Beca, I would never tell you not to pursue higher education. I'll say it again, I will support you no matter what you choose. But I beg you to think long and hard about the decision you make. This choice will affect the rest of your life, so please don't take it lightly and make a rash decision over a relationship that might not last."
That pushed her past the limit, angrily rising from the table to grab her car keys.
"Beca, where are you going?" her dad called as she opened the door.
"Chloe's," she called over her shoulder, not turning around as it shut behind her.
Her mind was swirling in every direction on the drive over to her girlfriend's apartment, replaying her dad's final words. If she was honest with herself, she knew that the only reason she was so angry was because he was right. This was the biggest decision she had ever been faced with, and it would affect the rest of her life. As painful as it was to think about her and Chloe not lasting the test of time, it was ridiculous to turn down a recording contract in order to stay with her girlfriend.
But Beca wasn't thinking rationally at the moment. She was angry and hurt and the only thing she wanted was to be with Chloe. She parked in a visitor's spot and walked the short distance to the door, knocking a few times. When there was no answer, she knocked again. After a minute or two, she headed back out to the parking lot to look for Chloe's car. She spotted it almost immediately, and Beca returned to knock a few more times before admitting defeat.
Pulling out her phone, she walked back to the parking lot and called Chloe, perching on the hood of her car while it rang before eventually going to voicemail.
"Fuck!" she swore, letting her frustration get the better of her. "Fuck it all."
A familiar voice behind her caught her attention, saying, "Tut tut, do you kiss your...stepmother with that mouth?"
Beca let out a small laugh as she turned to see her girlfriend walking up the path, clearly coming back from a run. She let her eyes travel over the redhead's toned legs in running shorts and muscled abs left bare by the sports bra she was wearing, her earbuds hanging around her neck.
"What are you doing out here? Did we have plans?" Chloe asked curiously, walking over to sit beside her on the hood of the car.
Beca remained silent, turning her head to watch the beads of sweat slowly drip down Chloe's neck to her chest, momentarily forgetting why she was there.
"Hey, perv, my eyes are up here," Chloe quipped, using a finger to tilt her chin up to meet her gaze.
Beca shrugged, replying, "I mean, can you blame me? Your body is perfect."
Chloe laughed, standing up and pulling her off of the car. "I know. Come on in and tell me what's going on," she said, leading the way up the path to her apartment.
Once inside, the redhead removed the armband strapping her phone to her bicep, placing it on the table with her headphones. Turning back to Beca, she said, "Come on, explain while I shower."
Beca's eyebrows rose as she said, "Or I could just help you shower. That sounds like a much better idea to me."
"Tempting," Chloe admitted, pulling a Gatorade out of the fridge and chugging half of it. "But no dice, Mitchell. Something's wrong and you're not going to use sex to get out of talking about it."
Chloe left the half-empty bottle on the counter and disappeared into her bedroom, Beca trailing slowly behind her. She paused in the doorway as Chloe stripped off her sweaty running clothes, fully appreciating the view with a low whistle. Beca grinned as Chloe shot her a wink over her shoulder before heading into the bathroom and turning the shower on. Beca followed her inside, closing the lit to the toilet and sitting down on top of it.
Chloe spoke louder than usual from under the spray, saying, "Spit it out. What's going on?"
Beca wasn't sure where to start, and decided from the beginning would be best. "Well, you know I visited Big Machine a few weeks ago, and they offered me a deal. I met with a lawyer, and after some negotiations, I've got a finalized offer sitting on the kitchen table at home. I just don't know if I'm going to sign it."
"Why wouldn't you sign it, baby? It's what you want," Chloe reasoned.
Beca looked at the profile of her girlfriend behind the opaque curtain, smelling the familiar vanilla body wash that she used. "No, yeah...I know that, it's just..." she trailed off, unsure how to continue. "It might not be the right thing."
"I don't understand. This is exactly what you've been working for, Becs."
Beca rubbed her face, frustrated that her girlfriend's response was the same as her parents. The same as Stacie's. Why did this seem so much easier for everyone else? Beca had never imagined being so conflicted over getting exactly what she wanted. She'd never prepared herself to discover that the thing the thought she wanted more than anything was actually not what she wanted at all.
"Ugh, Beca that doesn't make any sense. You're going crazy," she mumbled, looking down at her hands.
The shower cut off, the curtain pulled back to reveal her very wet, very naked girlfriend. Beca stared shamelessly as Chloe wrapped a towel around her body, tucking it neatly into her cleavage before stepping out of the shower.
"Pick your chin up off the floor. You've seen me naked before," Chloe said with a smile, rolling her eyes as she used a second towel to dry her hair.
"Yeah, and every time is the best day of my life," Beca replied, standing up and moving behind the redhead, placing kisses over the bare skin of her shoulder.
Chloe hummed happily, letting her head fall back as Beca moved her lips over her neck, her hands sliding up to pull at the towel.
Suddenly, Chloe pulled away, pointing a finger in Beca's face saying, "No. We're not finished talking about this."
Beca groaned as she watched Chloe secure the towel again, giving her a warning look. "Talk first, sex later."
"Promise?" Beca asked, leaning against the opposite wall as her eyes traced down over her girlfriend's perfectly toned ass, hidden under the towel.
Chloe winked at her, answering, "Promise."
Beca sighed, "Fine. I'll wait for you on the couch, because you won't be able to stop me if I see you naked again."
Soon they were comfortably settled on opposite ends of the couch, facing each other. Beca was having a difficult time focusing on anything beyond how gorgeous her girlfriend was. How could she possibly leave Chloe and move to Tennessee?
"Becs, why don't you want to sign the contract?" Chloe asked, studying her carefully.
Beca shrugged, her fingers twisting together absentmindedly. "I don't know if I can do it, Chlo. I don't want to leave here, not when things are finally okay between us and we'll be able to really be together. I don't want to leave you."
"You can't make this decision for me though," Chloe said gently. "You can't stay here for me. You'll regret not taking this opportunity, and then you'll resent me for being the reason why you stayed."
"No, I wouldn't," Beca shot back, frustrated already. "I love you...I'm not going to move away and just give up on us."
Chloe frowned, replying, "Who said anything about giving up on us? Long distance isn't ideal, but we could do it."
Beca shook her head, saying, "Come on, Chlo. Long distance? It wouldn't work. It's too hard."
"It is with that attitude," Chloe joked, trying to lighten Beca's somber mood.
"Chloe, this is serious!" Beca snapped, losing her patience. "This is our relationship on the line here."
"Only because you're putting it on the line," Chloe fought back, realizing how upset Beca was. "It doesn't have to be that way. Becs," she said, her voice turning soft. "I don't want to fight about this. This should be the happiest moment of your life. You're getting everything you wanted...everything you dreamed about."
Beca looked up, feeling emotional all of a sudden. "But if I get it, I lose you. I don't think I can do it."
Chloe refused to let her win, saying, "That's ridiculous. You won't lose me, baby. It won't be easy, but we can do it. You'll visit me here and my mom would be thrilled to have me come to Nashville more often. We can do this. I can't let you pass this chance up."
Beca remained silent, wondering if they could handle the long distance commitment when they hadn't even had the chance to go on a real first date.
Chloe spoke again, tentative this time. "Becs, this is a once in a lifetime chance. You have to take it. I want you to take it. Your...your mom would want you to take it."
That did her in, feeling tears well up hot behind her eyes. Beca was furious because she knew they were all right. Everyone in her life who loved her wanted her to sign the contract, because it was the best thing for her. Her mom would have wanted her to sign it, Beca was certain of it.
"What if I didn't sign it?" Beca asked, looking up at Chloe's confused face. "What if I decided to stay here, and go to college, and record with Luke?"
"Beca..." Chloe trailed off, not sure how to respond.
"Chlo, what if that's what I want. Dreams change...people change," she said, sitting up a little.
Chloe sighed, knowing exactly what her girlfriend was trying to do. "Beca, you should sign the contract. I love you so much, but you should sign."
Beca insisted, "But what if I didn't?!"
"Then you'd be here with me!" Chloe shot back, giving in to her frustrations. "Do you think I want you to move across the country? That I want us to be so far apart when we can finally be together? Jesus, Beca..." she trailed off again, feeling her own eyes fill with tears. "This isn't easy for me either, but we both know what the right thing is here."
Before Beca could respond, her phone rang though the tense room. She pulled it out and saw her dad's name on the caller id, quickly answering it before it was too late.
"Hey, what's up?" Beca asked.
"Time to come home, Becs. It's a school night," her dad said, his tone indicating arguing would futile.
"Okay. I'll be there soon," Beca replied, not realizing how late it was.
"Twenty minutes or you're grounded. I can still do that for a few more days," he said, before hanging up.
Beca dropped her phone into her lap, cursing in frustration. Looking up at Chloe, she said, "That was my dad. I gotta go."
Chloe walked her to the door and gave her a long kiss. "Becs, it'll be okay. We can make it through a little long distance."
Beca wasn't convinced though, nodding halfheartedly as she left the apartment.
Beca trudged inside her house fifteen minutes later, finding her parents still sitting at the kitchen table.
"Have you guys even moved?" she asked curiously, looking from one to the other.
Sheila rolled her eyes, retorting, "Good to see your sense of humor has returned, kid."
Beca grinned, replying, "It's a fair question."
Ben cut in, asking, "What did Chloe say?"
Beca hesitated, before admitting, "She wants me to sign the contract." Not giving her parents a chance to respond, she added, "I'm going to take my time and be sure just like I promised Teddy I would. See you guys in the morning."
They nodded silently, and Beca quickly left the kitchen, climbing the stairs to her room two at a time. Closing the door behind her, she collapsed on her bed, thinking over everything that had happened that year to get her to this point. Never in her wildest dreams would she have imagined considering turning down a record deal. Seventeen year-old Beca would slap her across the face right now. So would fifteen and sixteen year-old Beca.
"Time to decide what you really want, Becs," she mumbled to herself, letting her mind wander back over her visit to Big Machine Records. She must have flipped back and forth a hundred times before finally falling into a restless sleep.
A/N: All mistakes are my own.
Only one chapter left!
Thanks again to everyone who continues to support this story! It's been one hell of a ride :-).