Read Online Red Lines by T.A. Foster - Free Book Online Page A

beers. Sit tight.”
    He pushed through the crowd and waited his turn at the bar. It looked like everyone had turned out tonight. He threw a twenty in the tip jar and carried the two brown bottles back to the table.
    “Here you go.” He handed one to Haven.
    “Thanks.” He watched as her lips touched the bottle.
    “You excited about going into the studio with Carly tomorrow?”
    She nodded. “I am. The whole thing is surreal. I’m going to hear her sing one of my songs.”
    “I can’t wait to hear it. But, you know, I think we’ve been sidetracked the past few days. You needed some business advice, didn’t you?”
    “It’s no big deal.”
    He remembered how she had come to him a few days ago after her first meeting at Blue Steel, but all he could think about was her and Red Lines . He felt like an ass for taking the spotlight away from her big moment.
    “It is a big deal. This is your first contract. Tell me what’s going on. I want to help you.”
    She sighed. “Ok, so it’s not about the music I’ve already written. It’s about what they want me to write.”
    He nodded, waiting to hear the entire story.
    “Bruce wants Carly and me, mainly Carly since she’s the face of the label, but anyway, he wants us to put out music that will bring the female listeners back.”
    “I don’t follow.” He swallowed the beer.
    “There were all these charts and reports. Bruce said they had focus groups and had done surveys. I don’t know. But they want us to make it more girl music. Not girl power, but whatever we can write that will speak to girls like us.”
    He listened to her words. She would pick up speed then slow down. He hated seeing her unsure of herself. Her music was beautiful. This was the nasty part of any business, breaking down artists who just wanted to make art.
    “Darlin’, I love your songs and a million other people are going to love your songs. Bruce has a business to run. God love ‘em, I get it, but that doesn’t mean you have to write music that isn’t still important to you. Look at me. I’m a brand, a damn label because that’s how the game’s played.”
    “But I don’t want to play a game. I just want to write. That’s all.”
    The look in her eyes had him convinced he should buy his own music label tomorrow and let her write whatever songs she wanted. This was pure garbage. Hell, it was insane.
    “Haven, you are talented and they want that talent, but you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to once your contract is up. I think sticking with Carly is the way to go to start with. She’s strong and she doesn’t usually bow down to the boys club, if you know what I mean. If you’re looking for my opinion on whether you should write these songs, I think you can do it and still be you.”
    “You do?”
    “Of course I do. I think you can do anything. You have the one hundred percent Evan Carlson seal of approval.”
    “She wants to start writing together next week, as soon as the current songs are recorded. It seems kind of fast.”
    “Speaking of that.” He leaned closer so she could hear him over the steel guitar. “You know I have to leave to start the movie shoot.”
    “I knew it was coming up, but when do you have to go?”
    “Next week.”
    She bit her lip. “That soon?”
    “Yeah, darlin’. I know it’s soon, but I want you to stay at the ranch while I’m gone. I can fly back and forth on breaks, and maybe even fly you out when you and Carly wrap up. How does that sound?”
    “Well, I had kind of thought about getting my own place in Austin. Everything I have is still back at the beach house, but if things work out with Blue Steel, I was planning on moving to Texas.”
    He beamed. “Then just move your stuff into the ranch. You don’t need some place in town that’s going to be forty-five minutes away. The ranch is plenty big for both us, don’t you think?” He waited for her to see his perfect plan.
    “I-I don’t know, Evan. Isn’t this kind