Promotion Comes With Strings Attached

She also had the contacts. The last night of recording, she brought along her agent, who was completely in awe. "Oh my god, Kailami. It's wonderful. We have to release this, a huge party."

Kailami clapped, audibly excited. "Yes."

We all sat together as her agent put together this incredible plan. She would book late night talk show TV slots, where Kailami would promote not only the album, but the release party, which was going to be huge.

Her agent, Kate, had such good contacts that it was going to be a breeze, there was almost nothing for me to do. Just hang on and enjoy the ride.

The publicity was huge. It seemed every newsstand had magazines covered with her photograph and supporting interviews and stories. TV, radio, wherever I turned there she was. I can't explain how it made me feel. Proud, yeah, there was that, but it was the fact my business was going to be successful. I wasn't going to make much money from it, but the publicity was already paying dividends.

The album release party was booked and organized. It was comical when Coby phoned to ask whether I had heard about Kailami's record. I played dumb, but when she asked me if I would escort her to the party, I got nervous. What the hell would Kailami say? How could I keep it under wraps?

"Kailami, the album release. Coby has asked me to escort her, and I still haven't told her about any of it."

"You want me to keep it under wraps?"

It at least brought Coby and I back together. She made me go shopping with her for a new dress. I wondered how big her wardrobe must be. Every time we went somewhere, she got a new dress. We went out to dinner afterwards, and then back to her place to make love.

It was still there, regardless of what happened, there was real emotion, love, lust, desire. I knew I hated her, but I couldn't escape the flip side, that hatred was born of love. I didn't hate her, I hated what she did to us.

The day of the party arrived, and Coby, was in a real tizz. She was having an exigency, a crisis. I watched as she got ready. "Christ, Darren, how do I compete with Kailami? She's a model and actress, and now she's going to have a damn number one hit, and she's fucking gorgeous."

"Coby, you're a beautiful woman in your own right. You're successful. What's all the bullshit about competition? Are you worried Wyatt will lose interest?"

She glowered at me. "Fuck you, it's not about him. It's about you. I've seen the way you look at her. That night of the cookout. She was all over you."

"You're getting your panties in a knot over nothing. You don't have to compete with her. Just be yourself. Remember, you're beautiful, intelligent, successful."

She snickered. "It's easy for you to say. It's different for women, I mean look at you. God, you're not even going to wear a suit, are you?"

"Nope, it's not a formal thing is it?"

"No, but most men will be dressed nicely. You have a suit, why not wear it?"

"Coby, you know that's not my thing. I wear them when I have to, but if not, I'm happier just being me."

We walked into the Palazzo, and the place was packed. There was a crowd stretching all the way down the boulevard. Inside, as to be expected, there were celebrities everywhere, all holding their own photo sessions, making the most of the publicity.

Into the auditorium, and again, it was packed. Coby stood on tiptoe as she scanned the room. "Look, there's Wyatt over there. He's waving."

"Then we will find somewhere else to sit."

She dragged me to a halt. "Babe, tonight's not about him, or us. It's about Kailami. When she gets down off stage, she will sit with Wyatt. Please, just for one night. One lousy night can we put aside the ego and jealousy... Please? I don't want to fight."

What was I going to say? As we arrived at his table, he stood quickly and embraced Coby, then it was handshakes. There were a couple of people I didn't know at the table. They turned out to be actors from Kailami's movie debut.

The conversation quickly turned to her new album, and there was plenty of speculation about it. Like, what would the sound be like, would it be R&B, or an edgy hip-hop theme. There was also some interest in the new recording studio, Firehouse Records. Terrence, one of the actors, asked if Wyatt had heard the album.

He shook his head. "No, she has kept it a tight secret. That's weird in itself, because in all the time I've known her, she has never been able to keep a secret."

Kailami did me a solid. She booked AFU to open for her. When I saw them getting ready on stage, they spotted me at the same time and started waving for me to go up. I found my way on stage, and we shared a group hug. There were fist pumps and back patting. They were over the moon with getting their chance. When I got back, Coby looked stunned. "You know them?"

"Yeah, we've jammed a few times."

When they started, the room exploded with a sonic wall of music. We were close to the stage, and the force of the sound wave smashed us in the face.

I knew they would be popular, but I never expected the response they got. The floor filled almost immediately with dancers. Coby had her head nodding in time with the music. The other people at the table all loved it. Well, except Wyatt. He didn't seem impressed at all.

"Oh my god, they're good aren't they?" Coby screamed.

"Yeah, they're gonna be big."

They played a short half-hour set, to riotous applause. At the end of the their set. Jeremy, the guitar player, gave me a thumbs up. I responded in kind.

"How well do you know those guys?" Coby asked.

Then the stage cleared as Kailami's band hit the stage.

I watched the guys from the band getting ready, and decided to go say hi and wish them well. I walked over to the edge of the stage and called out. When they saw me, they all came over and jumped down. We shared high fives and chatted for a while. We talked about the sound and levels, what it sounded like on stage. The usual shit.

When I returned to the table, Coby sneered. "God, don't tell me you know them as well?"

"Yeah, we're old friends."

We talked a little more and Coby couldn't hide her excitement. "Do you think she will be any good?"

"Yeah, I think she will be fine."

She screwed up her nose. "But you said her songs were shit."

"Yeah, that beat-box shit was horrible. I don't think this will be like that. Not with these guys playing with her."

"Oh god, I'm so nervous. I hope she is okay. That last band were killer. What a hard act to follow."

We had a few drinks, the lights dimmed and the MC's voice cut through the smoke floating across the stage.

"All right, folks, we're almost there. Lets put our hands together for the worlds next superstar, Kailami!"

The room erupted, the spotlights flashed and raced over the stage. A deep hum echoed over the floor, and it got louder and louder until the spotlight lit up center stage. There was Kailami, looking spectacular, as you'd expect.

She stood at the mic and waited for the crowd to quieten down.

As the hush descended, she started. "I have a lot of people to thank for not only tonight, but for the album. The reason it exists at all is all down to one man." There was a pause, and I'm sure Wyatt thought she was talking about him. I mean she may have been. I didn't know what she was going to say, but the way he puffed his chest out made me laugh.

It soon became obvious she wasn't talking about him. She continued, "This album, these songs, they're all because of the owner of Firehouse Records. It was his belief in me and his guidance that made this possible. I wanted something special for my songs and it was his magic that made it all happen."

She glanced down at me imperceptibly. "So thanks, dude."

I could see Wyatt looking all around, searching for this mythical man. As Kailami walked away from the mic, towards the band who were all standing grouped together. she stopped. I suspected it was part of her stage act. I knew she had been working with choreographers. She stood there, her back to us, legs apart, her arms down by her sides like a warrior princess, we could see her breathing...

She turned and walked back to the mic. She glanced at me quickly, and said loudly. "Sorry, dude, I know I agreed not to say anything, but to hell with that. This wouldn't be happening without you. Get your fat ass up here on stage. I'm not doing it without you."

She walked over to the edge of the stage, her hand reaching out. "Come on, we haven't got all night.

Coby stared, open mouthed. "Darren..."

I was fucked anyway. Truthfully, I was sick of lying about it. With the aid of a security guard, I clambered up on stage and Kailami pulled me into a huge embrace.

"Folks, this is the man, the owner of Firehouse, Darren Relich."

The guys in the band all came over for a hug, and then the show started in earnest. The noise was off the wall. It roared into life as Kailami danced her elfin jig. The choreographers had taught her well. She always had the grace, now she had the power. The songs filled the room, her fans soon rushed the stage and all the seated people had to be moved.

It became one giant mosh pit.

I played the first six songs before taking my chance to escape. I searched for Coby, but couldn't find her anywhere. I tried her phone, and it went straight to message bank.

I searched for Wyatt, but it looked like he was gone as well.

I waited until after the set was finished. When Kailami emerged, she ran right into my arms and the kiss we shared was hot. I stayed for a while, but needed to talk to Coby.

The drive to her apartment was filled with dread. Were they there together? I knocked on her apartment door for what felt like an age. There was no response at first, but as I continued to bang on the door. She screamed. "Fuck off. You cheating lying fucking motherfucker. If your ass isn't out of here in ten minutes, I'm calling the cops."

There was no sense trying to talk to her when she was in that sort of mood. I decided discretion would suffice for valor.

That night changed my world. I had so many requests for work I had to quit my day job. I was now committed to Firehouse.

Kailami called me to say they were leaving on a short West Coast tour. I figured it was the end, but I guess part of me was hoping that maybe, just maybe...

It took her a week, but I was in the studio working on my own songs. I glanced up to see Coby. She stood there staring at me., her eyes were like lasers, I could feel the searing heat.

I walked out to meet her.

"Hey, Coby."

"So this is it, this is where all our money went?"

That hurt, but it was true. "Yep, this is it."

"You recorded that, Shenandoah, as well, didn't you?"

I nodded. "Yep."

"Why didn't you tell me? Why did you lie to me for all those months?"

Shrugging casually, I replied. "I can't explain it exactly. But after you tried to get loverboy involved, even although I specifically asked you not to, I didn't feel like I wanted let you in, or that I could trust you."

"You had this place back then, even though I kept asking what you were doing, you lied to me."

"Yeah, look, I'm sorry, Coby, but we weren't exactly getting on. I felt like you had lost all respect for me. I decided to see if I could make this work, and if I could, maybe I might win back some of that respect."

"I never lost respect. I admit I fucked up that night. I should never have gone with him. I was just confused." She started to cry, her hands working frantically to try and wipe away the tears.

"I wanted to be part of it, Darren. I wanted to help you build your dream. It hurts that you cut me out."

"I didn't tell you because your first response to my problem was to ask Wyatt for help. You didn't talk to me, you went straight to him."

"Yes, because he had so many contacts. I was certain he could help."

"Coby, you never grasped this. I hate the fucker. I hate the fact he has my wife. I hate the fact you make love with him, have a romance with him. That fucking hurts. I wasn't going to let him get involved in this. I didn't fucking need him anyway. If you hadn't thrown me under his bus, I would have involved you."

There was a long drawn out pause, the only sound her sniffles. "You and Kailami, it was more than just music. You slept with her, didn't you?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I didn't set out to, but one night we got drunk after a session and ended up in bed."

"You fucking liar!" she screeched. "You set out to fuck her as vengeance. You did it just to destroy, Wyatt's relationship with her. You low-down slimy fucker. Christ, I never thought you could be so cruel, so malicious. Their relationship is over. You know that, don't you?"

"It was over before this started. That night at the cookout, she told me she knew about you and Wyatt. Their relationship was doomed long ago."

She gasped in horror. "She knew?"

"Yeah, she knew all right, and she wasn't happy."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want to get involved. At that point, I didn't even like her. I just decided to let her make her own mind up about what she wanted to do."

"But, if you'd said something, maybe they could have saved it."

"There was no saving it, Coby. I knew from the way she said it that she was taking him down. I fully expected her to tell some of your colleagues. I guess unlike him, she had some ethics."

"So that's why you stopped staying with me. You were fucking her."

"No, I was busy recording every night. It wasn't just Kailami, it was AFU, as well. The only time I had was in the evenings. I was still working at that stage."

"Fuck you, Darren. All that shit you threw at me about Wyatt. You're even worse. At least I was honest about it. I didn't do it behind your back."

"That makes it better, does it?"

"At least I wasn't cheating."

"No, you were parading your lover in front of me, rubbing my face in it. Made me sign that fucking contract. You think that's better?"

Her face darkened into a nasty twisted evil snarl. "Lets not forget, buddy, if it wasn't for me, you wouldn't have this. I fucking I paid for everything you have here. It was me who earned the money for your dream."

"Earned it, my ass. You made that money on your back, with your legs spread. You sold your body for a job."

"You fucking hypocrite. You cheating lying fucking hypocrite. You were happy to accept all the kudos and the pats on the back. Up on stage enjoying the spot light. Just remember, if I hadn't given you the money, encouraged you, it would be nothing but a long forgotten fantasy."

She turned and ran out of the building before I could even respond. I heard her car screeching as she sped off up the road.

I cursed silently under my breath. Her comments really hurt, and the reason they hurt... They were somewhat true, and I hated that. I had allowed myself to get sucked into this thing because I got something out of it. Dreams I had harbored for so long became reality. The word hypocrite ricocheted around my head like shrapnel.

"Fuck." I screamed, slamming the door as I stormed upstairs. I needed a drink.

That little exchange kept replaying over and over in my head. It shattered my little illusion, I had been telling myself I built this, which was true, but the idea, that came from Coby. It had been nothing more than a dormant fantasy; I had suppressed it so long it was nothing more than a faded distant light.

Perhaps her motives weren't pure, she suggested it to get me to accept her affair with Wyatt. Still, it was her idea, and yes, she funded ninety percent of it. Now I had a successful studio and my own label. Every day I had new clients walking through the door. My bank balance grew so quickly I had to take on an accountant, and now I had three people working full time at the studio...

I retreated into myself a little, my own songs giving me solace. One of the techs I employed at the studio liked my songs, and it was he who suggested I needed to share them with the world. I wasn't ready to release an album, as such, but it did ignite the urge to perform.

That's how I found myself at that bar. I rejected the idea of a band; it was just going to be me, my guitar and my songs. I had been playing this little circuit, just local bars that liked some music while the customers enjoyed their meal.

It wasn't a dance crowd; my songs were to morose for dancing. There she was, a petite woman, maybe late thirties, maybe even older, who can tell? Certainly not me; I'm hopeless.

She stood in front of me, swaying to and fro as if a gentle breeze was moving her, eyes closed, her head back, listening. She cut an attractive figure. She wasn't tall; she was slender, but lithe. Her face was an angelic picture as she let the music uplift her.

That made me chuckle. My songs were all about breakups and sorrow and losing somebody. They were hardly the songs to put wind beneath your wings. Still, there she was.

When I put down my guitar and moved over to my little table for a break, she followed.

Standing in front of me, she whispered, "Can I give you a hug?"

I stood up, and she slid into my arms, her embrace was all consuming. It was like her whole body embraced me, and I felt her spirit lifting mine. We stood like that for a few minutes, her head buried in my shoulder.

When we separated, she held my hands. "She must have really hurt you. So much pain."

Too stunned to speak, I just stood there, enjoying the warmth of her hands clasped in mine.

"I'm Sarah."

She let my hands go, and I replied, "Darren."

Gesturing towards the collection of drinks on my table, I asked, "Would you like a drink?"

She pulled out a chair and sat down with me. "Darren, I love your songs, they are beautiful, but the woman they are about must have really hurt you."

Trying to make the conversation a little lighter, I said, "How do you know they are about the same woman. Maybe I just suck at relationships."

"Are they about the same woman?" Her smile was so disarming and her face so inviting, it was impossible not to be drawn into her.

"Yes," I mumbled, taking a long slurp of my drink.

"How did she hurt you so deeply? You must have shared a wonderful love."

I couldn't stop myself, the words just rolled out. The whole sordid story just oozed out of me. The whole time, she held my hands, her thumbs making little circles across my knuckles and the back of my hand.

It doesn't sound like much, but it felt so comforting.

"That is a sad story," she sighed. "You still love her, though, I can feel that."

The barman waved frantically; it was time to get back to work. "Sorry, I have to play my last set."

She sat at the little table and watched intently, her eyes closed, her head lolling from side to side.

She was still there when I finished. Sitting across from her, she whispered, "You have a wonderful turn of phrase, you use words so beautifully. You paint beautiful vivid images. Sad images, but so visual."

As I packed up, I asked, "Would you like to go somewhere for a quiet drink? This place gets noisy once the DJ starts."

I knew the perfect place, quiet and romantic. We found a corner table, and with a bottle of Chianti, we found out about each other. When she told me she was a therapist, I shouldn't have been surprised.

How we ended up back at my place, naked on the big fluffy rug in my living room, I could never explain, but there we were. I was lying on my stomach, her warm hands sliding over my slippery skin. The musky scent of the massage oil overpowered my overloaded senses.

She had searched the place looking for candles, finding only a couple. They set the mood perfectly, though. It wasn't just her hands; as she rubbed her hands over my back, she leaned down, her whole torso gliding over me. It felt like she was massaging my whole body. She worked every muscle, my arms, my legs, and every bit between. When her finger slid into my ass, I jumped, but she giggled and soothed my fears.