Read Online Playing Autumn (Breathe Rockstar Romance Book 1) by Mina V. Esguerra - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Mina V. Esguerra
Ads: Link
apologetically. “But I’m glad you’re here.”
“I’m happy to be home,” he said.
He can’t mean that, she thought as she retreated to the room next door. But it was nice of him to say so.
Chapter 11
Friday
According to the schedule, he had to be done with breakfast by eight a.m. No big deal. He wasn't one for morning meals anyway, and grabbed a mug of coffee. The hotel café, which also looked like an extension of a library, had huge glass doors that opened out onto the garden and a swimming pool. It was starting to get cooler—for Texas at least—and the pool was empty that morning. He didn't spot Haley anywhere, so he took his coffee and stepped out onto the lawn.
“Is that a new one?” Trey had come up behind him, holding a mug of his own, and Oliver realized that he had been humming under his breath the whole time.
“Maybe,” Oliver said. “Won't be surprised if it's a false alarm and I actually have nothing. Is that ginger?”
“Ginger and ginseng,” Trey confirmed, raising his mug.
Trey looked as bright and early as the morning. Oliver did not remember being cheery at this hour at that age, at any stage of success. It made him feel old, and Oliver normally carried himself like he was the opposite of that. They both stood out there, looking at the pool, sipping their morning drink, but Oliver felt the taller, younger, newer model draining something away from him.
“So you know Haley?” Trey said. “You arrived together at the meeting last night.”
Oh no you don't. Oliver cleared his throat. “Yeah, a little.”
“She's awesome. She's Hot Piano Girl, on the Internet. Did you know that?”
“I knew that.”
“She wasn’t Hot Piano Girl yet when I met her. But she was…well, you know what I mean. Everyone wanted to be mentored by her.”
Oliver grunted into his coffee.
“But this year I'm a mentor too,” Trey said, like that was supposed to mean something. “Obviously she wouldn't have wanted to get in trouble back then.”
Trey was, from the looks of the mentor group, the biggest name on the ticket. It was a list that had Haley, Oliver, celebrated jazz musician/producer/label owner Arnie Bolton, some radio personalities, a handful of composers, and other industry “stakeholders” as Victoria described them. And Trey was nineteen years old. He would have no problem charming anyone not living under a rock. Even the rocks would be charmed.
Trey Lewis is going to be at the festival in Houston, Oliver.
So?
So. It’s mostly a closed-door weekend, but it’s beginning to draw big names. Like Trey. Like you.
Is this a blind fucking date you’re sending me on?
You’re going to be in a small hotel for one weekend with the biggest pop star in the world. Do something. Get him to work with you on something.
Get the guys to actually produce my record, and you’ll have something to talk about.
It has to be bigger than you, no offense. You know we need this. And when I say “we,” I mean you too.
No, Oliver didn’t know that until that very moment. Tomorrow’s Talent performed their obligation to him as a winner and then barely spoke to him again. He had suspected that the ratings weren’t great but was spared the usual stunts they had to pull to be kept off the network’s chopping block.
This year, however, it was his turn, he guessed. To be the stunt. It was a sign of how desperate they were that they had turned to him, because they never had before. For anything.
Oliver wasn’t opposed to going to Breathe Music in general, anyway. Former manager Rob had been telling him to ignore the invitation for years, but seeing the circle of mentors reminded him that he needed this. He needed to know more people.
He had always been ill-equipped at finding those breaks for himself, but maybe this was the place to start?
Chris wanted him to do this, in any case, because he apparently knew Victoria from their neighborhood. The TT people ran the idea by him for sure. What the
“I’m happy to be home,” he said.
He can’t mean that, she thought as she retreated to the room next door. But it was nice of him to say so.
Chapter 11
Friday
According to the schedule, he had to be done with breakfast by eight a.m. No big deal. He wasn't one for morning meals anyway, and grabbed a mug of coffee. The hotel café, which also looked like an extension of a library, had huge glass doors that opened out onto the garden and a swimming pool. It was starting to get cooler—for Texas at least—and the pool was empty that morning. He didn't spot Haley anywhere, so he took his coffee and stepped out onto the lawn.
“Is that a new one?” Trey had come up behind him, holding a mug of his own, and Oliver realized that he had been humming under his breath the whole time.
“Maybe,” Oliver said. “Won't be surprised if it's a false alarm and I actually have nothing. Is that ginger?”
“Ginger and ginseng,” Trey confirmed, raising his mug.
Trey looked as bright and early as the morning. Oliver did not remember being cheery at this hour at that age, at any stage of success. It made him feel old, and Oliver normally carried himself like he was the opposite of that. They both stood out there, looking at the pool, sipping their morning drink, but Oliver felt the taller, younger, newer model draining something away from him.
“So you know Haley?” Trey said. “You arrived together at the meeting last night.”
Oh no you don't. Oliver cleared his throat. “Yeah, a little.”
“She's awesome. She's Hot Piano Girl, on the Internet. Did you know that?”
“I knew that.”
“She wasn’t Hot Piano Girl yet when I met her. But she was…well, you know what I mean. Everyone wanted to be mentored by her.”
Oliver grunted into his coffee.
“But this year I'm a mentor too,” Trey said, like that was supposed to mean something. “Obviously she wouldn't have wanted to get in trouble back then.”
Trey was, from the looks of the mentor group, the biggest name on the ticket. It was a list that had Haley, Oliver, celebrated jazz musician/producer/label owner Arnie Bolton, some radio personalities, a handful of composers, and other industry “stakeholders” as Victoria described them. And Trey was nineteen years old. He would have no problem charming anyone not living under a rock. Even the rocks would be charmed.
Trey Lewis is going to be at the festival in Houston, Oliver.
So?
So. It’s mostly a closed-door weekend, but it’s beginning to draw big names. Like Trey. Like you.
Is this a blind fucking date you’re sending me on?
You’re going to be in a small hotel for one weekend with the biggest pop star in the world. Do something. Get him to work with you on something.
Get the guys to actually produce my record, and you’ll have something to talk about.
It has to be bigger than you, no offense. You know we need this. And when I say “we,” I mean you too.
No, Oliver didn’t know that until that very moment. Tomorrow’s Talent performed their obligation to him as a winner and then barely spoke to him again. He had suspected that the ratings weren’t great but was spared the usual stunts they had to pull to be kept off the network’s chopping block.
This year, however, it was his turn, he guessed. To be the stunt. It was a sign of how desperate they were that they had turned to him, because they never had before. For anything.
Oliver wasn’t opposed to going to Breathe Music in general, anyway. Former manager Rob had been telling him to ignore the invitation for years, but seeing the circle of mentors reminded him that he needed this. He needed to know more people.
He had always been ill-equipped at finding those breaks for himself, but maybe this was the place to start?
Chris wanted him to do this, in any case, because he apparently knew Victoria from their neighborhood. The TT people ran the idea by him for sure. What the
Similar Books
