From the Top - Chapter 45

As we walked into the sleek, modern conference room, dominated by a massive oak table that could easily seat twenty people and a massive window overlooking LA, I was trying my best to keep my stomach in check.

The week following my victory had been a whirlwind, with numerous interviews, including two on national television, that had been amazing. All of my friends and family, including Kat, had gone home the day after the finale. Besides LA being crazy expensive and people having jobs to get to, they also knew there wasn’t going to be any time for sightseeing or socializing. Every moment not filled with promotion had been spent in locked rooms with Warren, Benny, and Mr. Eaves, planning for this meeting. This was a make-or-break situation, where the future of my music career was going to be settled.

Only Lyla and Seth had stayed behind, because I’d demanded they be involved in the decisions we were making. Unfortunately, just like MAC, they weren’t invited to the actual contract negotiations. Gold Label Records had made it clear they were offering me the deal that came with my victory as a solo artist, and not an entire band.

Everything about the room I was walking into had clearly been designed to put the people on my side of the table off balance. Phoenix West sat in the center of the table, right across from the glass doors, looking crisp and imposing in an expertly-tailored gray suit. Flanking him on either side were lawyers and executives, with notebooks and folios in front of them. A massive monitor took up the left wall and the right had, what I can assume was, a very expensive painting that looked mostly like paint splotches to me.

As soon as we walked in, Phoenix stood with a broad grin and said, “Charlie, congratulations again on your big win. We’re thrilled to have you joining us here at GLR.”

“Thanks,” I said as I pulled out a chair to sit down.

I couldn’t help but notice the glances both Phoenix and the others were giving Benny and Mr. Eaves, but mostly Benny. They were pretty good at covering up their expressions, but I got the distinct impression they were uncomfortable with both men’s presence.

“I’m excited to start working together,” Phoenix continued smoothly as he sat back down. “I expect very big things from you, Charlie. You have immense talent and some of the highest response rates of any contestant in Stage history. I have a feeling once we start working together, we’re going to set some more records.”

“I hope so,” I said as noncommittally as possible.

He gestured to a woman on his right. “Sandra here is head of our talent relations. She’ll walk you through the specifics of what we’re offering.”

Sandra gave me a tight smile. “Charlie, what we’re offering is our standard 360 deal that we put all new talent under. Under this contract, you’ll receive fifty percent of all income streams - touring, merchandise, recordings, streaming royalties - for a period of five years or ten albums, whichever comes first. We project those earnings could be very high, especially the touring, so that fifty percent will be a significant number. At that point, we have the option to renew for additional albums.”

“As part of this deal, you’ll receive the standard two-hundred-and-fifty-thousand-dollar advance as part of your winnings for the show. Of course, this is an advance, so you’ll need to recoup that before you start seeing any royalties. And of course, there are standard terms with this advance about repayment time frame and possible recoup payments to GLR should the time frames not be hit,” she said dismissively, as if it were a minor detail. “But I’m not worried about that. Considering your numbers, I expect you to clear your advance and start earning well before the advance expires.”

I wasn’t a lawyer, but the year dealing with MAC had taught me enough to know when someone in a suit waved away a detail like that, it was because it was actually important, and something I should be very concerned about.

“The contract also comes with the standard non-compete, non-disparagement, restrictions on outside projects, and termination limitations,” she said quickly, as if she were reciting a memorized script.

She turned the contract around and slid it towards me.

“Now all you have to do is sign, and we can get to work,” Phoenix said, flashing his pearly white teeth in another giant smile.

I sat up a little in my chair, trying to steady my nerves. Benny had gotten a hold of a copy of the contract a previous winner had signed, and we’d made our decision before ever stepping into this room. But now that the moment was here, I still felt a knot in my stomach.

“I really enjoyed being on the show,” I began, meeting Phoenix’s eyes. “And I’m incredibly grateful that you see such potential in me and everything you and the rest of the production company have given me. This contract is certainly impressive.”

Phoenix’s smile widened slightly in anticipation.

“But I’m afraid I can’t sign with Gold Label Records today,” I continued.

Phoenix’s smile vanished, replaced with a look of shock. The lawyers and executives exchanged glances.

“Charlie, I urge you to reconsider,” Phoenix said evenly. “This contract comes with a quarter of a million dollar advance. Not to mention, you’d be walking away from the deal of a lifetime - a fifty percent split is exceedingly generous for a new artist.”

“Let’s cut the bullshit here, Phoenix,” Benny said bluntly. “This contract is downright usurious. Fifty percent isn’t excitingly generous, it’s damn near double the industry standard. Locking him in for five albums isn’t terrible, but giving you the sole option to renew indefinitely with no escape clause? That would basically make Charlie your indentured servant. You could lock him in a dark room for ten years if you wanted to, and he’d have no way at all to walk away from it.”

Phoenix’s jaw tightened more and more with every word Benny said until I started to worry he might crush those perfectly white teeth.

“And the advance payment? I looked at your language there, too. A year to pay back a quarter of a mil based on fifty percent of his total earnings, and a requirement that he pay back the full two-fifty if he misses by even a dollar? You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

“Charlie, don’t let these men lead you astray,” Phoenix said, ignoring Benny and talking directly to me. “If you walk away now, you’ll find it very difficult to get another record deal. You’re an unproven artist listening to shark lawyers looking for a quick payout.”

“I appreciate the concern, but I trust my team. My decision is final - I can’t sign with Gold Label Records.”

There was a long silence. Finally, Phoenix sat back in his chair.

“Then I suppose there isn’t much left to discuss,” he said evenly. “We presented you a very generous offer that would have made you a wealthy man. If you want to throw away your winnings and the contract, we can’t stop you.”

He stood, straightening his suit jacket. “I wish you luck, Mr. Nelson. You’re going to need it out there on your own.”

Instead of standing up in turn, Benny leaned forward and said, “Charlie isn’t giving up his winnings. This contract may call it an advance, but the contract he signed when he joined the show, along with all of the show’s public branding, clearly defines it as ‘winnings.’ The money being an advance, especially an advance that must be either earned out or repaid, is never mentioned. And as we all know, there’s a significant difference between the two.”

“Indeed, there is,” Mr. Eaves said. “I’ve studied the details of the contest thoroughly. The contract you’re presenting isn’t required for Charlie to sign, and if he were to do so, it would be in direct violation of the contest rules. There are several laws against such practices, dating back to the famous battles over a TV contest in the nineteen-fifties dealing with coercive tactics and altered contest rulings.”

“This is a very settled area of law,” Benny said, picking up the point like he and Mr. Eaves were playing a game of tennis. “We can settle it in court, if necessary, but there is a lot of precedence on the subject, and it’s all very firmly on our side. But if you want to turn two-fifty into a half a million dollar settlement, we’re willing to let you.”

Phoenix’s jaw tightened, his polite facade clearly strained. “Gentlemen, I assure you Gold Label Records would never attempt to coerce anyone into a contract against their will.”

“That all being said, I don’t want to end things on a bad term here,” I added, sticking to the script Mr. Eaves and Benny had given me during our planning sessions. “I’m willing to work with GLR and Crossover Productions to some degree. I know you have the finalist tour planned for this spring, and I know that is a big part of the marketing and revenue for the show. I’m willing to play the tour for the very small rates you list here, but I’ll limit it to six performances instead of the unspecified amount in the contract. Additionally, I’m willing to work with you on a case-by-case basis in the future to both help promote future seasons of the show and any performances you might request, but I can’t make any guarantees. I really am willing to work with you, GLR, and everyone else involved, since I’m a believer in making good for those who’ve helped me. I hope we can find a way to make this work for everyone involved.”

Phoenix’s smile had vanished completely now, his expression hard. He turned slightly, conferring in hushed tones with the lawyers and executives beside him. Their body language was tense, and at times it seemed on the verge of breaking into a full-out argument. I couldn’t tell what they were saying, but I caught a few snippets about revenues and bad publicity.

After a few minutes, Phoenix faced me again, his polite smile back in place. “Very well, Charlie, we certainly don’t want this to turn into an unpleasant legal situation for anyone. Your offer seems reasonable enough. We’ll be in touch with your team here in the next few days to finalize details for your participation in the tour and any other promotional events we may request in the future. I’m sure we can come to an agreement that satisfies all parties.”

“Thank you, Mr. West. I appreciate your time and consideration. I’m looking forward to it as well,” I replied, shaking his hand firmly.

And with that, we were done. There were still details to iron out and Warren had a lot of work ahead of him, but he seemed genuinely excited in a way I’d never seen before. I’d also still have about two hundred thousand to split between me, Lyla, and Seth, which was going to be a big payday for all of us, and help carry us through. Benny, Warren, and Mr. Eaves were all getting between twelve and fifteen thousand out of this too, so not a bad payday for anyone.

***

On New Year’s Eve, Kat and I cuddled together on a blanket in front of the warm, crackling fireplace as snow fell gently outside the window of the Phillips home. Mrs. Phillips and Hanna were in Raleigh, spending the holiday with Hanna’s aunt. I had begged off more travel, claiming I’d had my fill over the last few weeks.

That had been mostly true, but I also wanted to spend the holiday with Kat, just the two of us. After our half week in LA, we’d grown even closer, if that was at all possible, and I wanted more of it.

“Do you think we should have taken the deal with Gold Label Records?” she asked as she nuzzled against my chest. “I know the terms weren’t ideal, but it could have been an opportunity.”

I sighed, running my fingers through her hair. I’d asked myself the same thing several times. Everyone had been shocked when I’d come back with the news, but I guess they decided since I had Benny, Mr. Eaves, and Warren behind me, I was making decisions well advised now. Or at least, I’d thought that’s what they decided. Clearly, it was still bothering Kat.

“Honestly? I’ve been asking myself the same thing all week. It was a tough call.”

“I mean, it’s Gold Label Records. They’re one of the biggest labels out there. Most musicians would kill for a chance to work with them.”

“I know, I know. And being able to say I’m signed to Gold Label, that I made it that far, is huge. But the contract they offered was just... wrong. They wanted too much control, too big a cut of everything for too long, with no way for me to get out of it. Benny and Mr. Eaves made that very clear.”

“But what if turning them down comes back to haunt you?” she asked, shifting to look up at me. “Gold Label is huge; they’ve got connections everywhere. What if they come after you like MAC did?”

I pulled her closer, kissing the top of her head. “Benny and Mr. Eaves are confident that isn’t going to happen. Warren’s already getting calls, and with my levels where they are, if I can continue it, they’ll want me to participate in upcoming events and probably even next season as a guest.”

“I just worry about you.”

“Hey, don’t go borrowing trouble, okay? I’ve got good people on my side now. We knew the chance of them offering fair terms was slim. I’ll be okay no matter what,” I said, tilting her head up and brushing my nose against hers before giving her a soft kiss. “You know what I can’t wait for? Watching you dominate at the Olympics this summer.”

A hint of a smile touched her lips. “I think ‘dominate’ may be too strong of a word. There are some really good swimmers out there. There’s this girl from France; she’s destroying records already.”

“And so are you, if I remember all those record times you set at the team trials. You’re going to do amazing, I know it.”

“I hope so,” she said, getting a far-off look before shaking it off. “We’ll see. I’m just trying to stay focused on training and not think about the competition yet. It makes me too nervous.”

“I get that, now more than ever.”

“Hah, yeah. I guess you would. You know, by then you’ll be done with high school, and we should know what you’re going to be doing the next year. While I still think you shouldn’t limit your choices, I can’t help but be a little excited about us going to school together, living in Chapel Hill.”

“That would be amazing,” I agreed, taking Kat’s hands in mine, gently rubbing my thumbs over her knuckles as I gazed into her eyes. “I don’t know exactly what’s going to happen this next year. We’ve both got all of these things in front of us; it’ll probably be wild. The only thing I’m completely sure of is that we’ll be together for all of it.”

“You think?” she asked, squeezing my hand.

“I know so,” I said, leaning forward and kissing her.

To Be Continued…