Enslaved - Love in the Future Pt. 17

Back At The Forum

The album sold reasonably well. Titled simply "Meena," it came with a cover featuring a tasteful photo of Meena sitting at the piano, wearing an elegant black gown. It sold more copies than any jazz album in many years, but jazz was such a marginal genre that this was a very minor achievement. It was like being the skinniest kid at fat camp. Still, Charlie had succeeded in his effort to craft an album with the kind of songs and guest artists to attract listeners with no previous interest in jazz. It caused a small ripple in a big pond.

Things began to happen. Artists invited Meena to sing on their albums and at their concerts. That smooth, sultry voice worked in every music format, and her stunning beauty attracted the right kind of attention. Charlie organized a short concert tour designed to support album sales and give Meena more experience performing live.

It was fun. Nav loved sitting in the audience and seeing the growing affection Meena attracted from a small but increasingly loyal following. Her band consisted of members of Charlie's band, billed as Meena and the Swingtime Orchestra. These men and women had labored for decades trying to find an audience for jazz, and they were thrilled to be playing in larger venues than ever before.

And, of course, they loved Meena. Everyone loved Meena. How could they not?

For Nav, the highlight of the tour came with a performance in The Forum in Las Vegas. It was the same auditorium where Meena did so well at the fitness pageant. He invited Diane and her Master to see the show, and they sponsored an after party at their beautiful home. Everybody got naked and swam in the pool. Those seasoned old musicians felt young again. They liked the party almost as much as the pleasure they received from the fresh batch of royalty checks they received for performing on Charlie's back catalog of recordings, which were reissued.

The tour was barely over before they were back in the studio working on a second album. This one wasn't so difficult. They'd learned a lot producing the first album, and many of the same elements were used. This time, plenty of famous musicians were anxious to perform on the album. Everybody loves a winner, and Meena was beginning to look like the Next Big Thing.

The second album featured three instrumental songs that showcased her as a pianist instead of a vocalist. Two songs were Meena's original compositions. You could see Charlie executing a long-term strategy to make Meena a star. It was working; the second album sold a lot more than the first. Afterward, there were more concerts, in bigger venues, with higher ticket prices and larger audiences. Lots of guest artists wanted to stand on stage next to Meena. They could sense that she possessed some sort of aura that charmed everyone it touched.

The third album was the breakthrough. It featured a strategy that made Charlie very nervous; he'd look like a fool if it didn't work. This album, called "Another Side of Meena," was nothing but her original compositions. Half the songs were instrumentals, without Meena's beautiful voice. This was the album that announced to the world Meena was a genius. The first two albums gave her an audience; this album was to reveal her authentic self. She was so pretty, and her voice was so seductive, it was easy to think she was just another product of the music industry. This album would reveal the truth. If nothing else, critics would be dazzled. The reviews would build her reputation.

They had a hard time deciding what image to use for the cover. The first two albums had conventional photographs that capitalized on Meena's cover girl looks. That wouldn't work for an album that showcased her talent. The record company artists suggested several possible album covers. None of them were right.

It was Nav who figured out what to do.

"I have a suggestion," he said.

There was a minor scandal when the album was released. The cover featured the photograph of Meena taken at the fitness pageant. There she was, standing in front of a black background in high heels, a micro bikini, head-to-toe tattoos, anda shiny coat of oil. Her jet black Mohawk with scarlet highlights looked nothing like the sexy, feminine hairstyle she wore today. The words "Another Side of Meena" appeared in matching scarlet. The reverse side of the album showed Meena from the back. It displayed almost nothing but dark, oily, tattooed skin and smooth, powerful muscle. It would be difficult to find a cover that did more to announce that this version of Meena was very different from the sultry singer on her first two albums. All that muscularity was powerfully symbolic.

Fortunately, one major retailer refused to put the album on display. They announced that the cover was too revealing for public display. When this triggered cries of censorship, the retailer agreed to put the album on the shelves if it was wrapped in plain brown paper.

That did it. Consumers hate nothing more than being told they aren't allowed to buy something. "Another Side of Meena" immediately became the best selling album of the year - on all three worlds. The music - and that incredible cover - was the main topic of conversation in the media for multiple news cycles.

People who bought the album just for the cover photo wound up listening to the music. The truth was overpowering. Meena's music was just wonderful. It was complex, yet accessible. Sweet, but not cloying. Unrelentingly joyful. Just as Charlie predicted, the music critics wrote rapturous reviews. Everybody loves novelty, and Meena offered a fresh, original, innovative sound. She'd done it. She was The Next Big Thing.

This time, the concert tour featured stops on every continent except Antartica. Meena sold-out the largest venues in the world. Sales of her first two albums resumed, going higher than when they were first released. Highlights from Charlie's old albums were repacked as a box set that was a popular Christmas present. The members of Swingtime all became celebrities, sought out for interviews, product endorsements, and guest performances with other artists. Many of them were had their own entourage of adoring fans who wanted to have sex. The threesomes were especially nice. Other musicians had ridiculed them for devoting their professional life to jazz. Revenge is sweet.

In every way, it was exactly what Charlie had always dreamed about. He too became a star. He was the mentor, collaborator, arranger and producer of the most important musician of her generation. He'd crafted a campaign to bring back jazz - and it worked! He looked like the biggest genius in the music industry. Lots of budding jazz performers asked for his help. Charlie's wife was very pleased with the effect all this had in the bedroom.

Nav loved it all, of course, but he loved one thing above all else. It was pure joy watching Meena perform. Just as he'd known from their first week together, she was a star, and it was her destiny to act like one on stage. The public loved her as much or more than they loved her music. She grew increasingly confident, learning to hold the audience in her grip.

On the last night of the tour, Nav and Meena made love slowly, gently, and lovingly. There was nothing fancy. Just two people who had more than they'd ever known they wanted.

"You kept your promise," Meena said afterward.

"What promise?"

"You promised you'd do everything you could to get people to hear my music," she said. "I was sure you meant it when you said that."

"Of course I meant it. Your music is a gift to the world. All I wanted to do was put it in a box and gift wrap it."

"You say the nicest things."

"You must admit, the photograph of you at the fitness pageant was particularly good gift wrapping."

"I would have never thought of that," Meena said.

"I guess I'm good for something," Nav said.

Meena reached over and took his cock in her hand. "You're good for all kinds of things, Master."