The Singer and Her Arranger

When she said something to that effect, Charlie laughed.

"This is one of the rooms that the casino normally comps for high dollar players. Like people who will sometimes lose a $1milllion or two over a weekend! But in my case, they put Maddi into one of the suites down the hall, and she insisted that they put me here, close, for as long as we were prepping the show. I imagine that they will politely kick me out before the end of the weekend — after we've had a couple of shows to be sure everything is working right. But I don't think that we will have any problems."

"Okay, Herb," Charlie said, looking at the agent, "show her the papers and have her sign off on the agreement."

"Right," Herb replied, as he handed Sid the contract.

"Sid, I've already looked over this contract, as has your attorney. Jack agreed with me that you can sign it. For one thing, Jack is familiar with the contract — this is a standard contract with Charlie. It really doesn't tie you down. You will pay Charlie for the work he does, but if you don't like what he is doing for you, you can just stop doing any more work with him and walk away. No penalties. But understand, Charlie can walk away from you as well if you and he don't get along with each other or you don't like the results. Or if there are payment issues.

"You both have minimum risk.

"On the other hand, just so you know: Charlie has never had a client dump him, and he has never walked away from a client until they had completed the project. And even that was only one time."

Charlie had been looking at Sid as a woman, and not just as a client, while Herb went over the details of the contract with her. What he saw was a young, more athletic than curvy, girl 'next door' type. Charlie wasn't put off by that — he was more of a face man, neither especially a breast or legs or ass man — and she had a pleasant honest face. Dirty blond hair (with some reddish undertones,) hazel eyes, a nose that was straighter than any nose deserved to be, and lips that were just a little on the pouty side. Pretty kissable looking lips, in his mind. Average in the tits department, but with a fine set of legs — muscular, not fat. Her buns were tight and looked like she worked them out on a regular basis. All of this assessment took place in an instance, before Charlie decided to insert himself in the conversation.

Charlie interjected, "Herb isn't mentioning that I have refused to work with some of the industries' ego maniacs. But I knew what they were like before they came to me. Take that for what it's worth."

Sid nodded at her agent before looking over the paperwork and signing. It wasn't a long or complex contract, not allowing either party to exploit the other.

That done, everyone relaxed.

After making sure that everyone had a drink in hand, Charlie went over to his computer/synthesizer setup and prepared to provide a sample of his work to Sid.

"Okay, when Herb talked to me about your interest in having me do my thing for your album, I listened to the raw recordings that you and your band had recorded, both in the studio and from some live performances. I picked out one, 'See you in Heaven', and used the original music, with you singing, and edited it with my suggested changes. Now, I did this before was had an actual contract, but one way or the other, it is yours gratis."

Charlie started the file playing from his computer over the speakers and began to amaze Sid from the first few notes.

Sid had written the song shortly after her father had passed away, and even though it was sad, it was one of her favorites. It also had tremendous emotional appeal to anyone who had lost a loved one.

The first bars of the music were the same as the intro that Sid used but played on a sweet-sounding harp.

When Sid looked at Charlie, he knew her question without a word between them.

"An Irish Harp."

The next four measures had been taken from the middle of the verse and introduced a violin playing the original melody as a counterpoint to the harp. That was followed by four measures from the chorus adding a full string section, followed by the entire orchestra, still led by the Irish harp, returning to the first four measures, but with some subtle chord substitutions. Sid was amazed, because the 16-measure intro, taken from different places in the music, sounded as if the music had been originally written that way.

Then, Sid and her band were added to the mix, with the background filled with the depth of sound that only an orchestra could bring.

When the modified song was finished, Sid had tears in her eyes. She ran over to where Charlie was standing and grabbed him in a huge hug, holding him and putting her head into his chest. Charlie hugged her back (this wasn't his first rodeo with a new client getting emotional) and patted her back. Before he could react, she stood on her tiptoes and gently kissed his cheek.

Then they parted about six inches, still holding each other.

"Charlie," Sid said, once she had her voice under control again, "that was my song, but you made it so much more. How did you do that? But don't get real technical with me on theory and all that stuff. You know, I write songs, but I never studied a lot of music theory."

Charlie laughed.

"Yeah, I don't get all stupid following someone's silly rules based on music theory! I just pick those elements that I think will work for a song. I really didn't make that many changes to your original vision.

"So, for example, sometimes where you used a simple '1st inversion' of a G-minor chord, where 'D' is the high note, sometimes I substituted a '3rd inversion', making the B-flat the top note. I also added some 9ths and 11ths, I don't recall adding any 13ths to the chords. But those are pretty subtle changes to the sound. Now on the last verse and chorus, I stepped the key up by a full step. I know that your range easily extends up that extra note, which adds some excitement and the feeling that the song is coming to a conclusion. But then in the last couple of measures, where you are saying to your father, "Someday, I'll see you again, but this time in heaven," I switched the music from the minor key into a major key, to end the song on a positive feeling of hope. Then the Irish harp plays a slow arpeggio that ends in the same note as your voice, and you and the harp slowly fade away."

Sid turned and looked at Herb with wide-open eyes.

"Nope," said Herb, understanding her confusion, "I don't understand a word of it either. But I'm just a simple agent, not some sort of musical genius!"

Charlie just laughed.

"Sorry, Sid, but sometimes I just get carried away. Most of what I'm talking about is really simple stuff, but I was expressing it in 'musical jargon'. It will only take me a couple of minutes. I assume that you didn't take any theory classes?"

"No. I've always just took the chords that I know and played around with them until I got a song that I liked."

"Well, let's take a couple of minutes and I can go over what I'm doing with the song..."

Herb stood up.

"Charlie, can I trust you to entertain Sidney tonight at Maddi's show and then get her back to L.A. in the morning?"

"Sure, I'll be happy to, if it's alright with Sid."

She looked at Herb and then back at Charlie, "That will work for me."

With that Herb left.

~~** Last Night I couldn't get to sleep at all... **~~

Charlie looked at Sid with a grin, "So, I guess if I'm responsible for you I need to ask a couple of questions. First, where are you staying?"

"I have a reservation here in the hotel, but I haven't checked in yet."

"Good. We'll call Ross, the hotel manager, and have them cancel your room, and you can stay in the second bedroom here in the suite. Save you some money. Second question: do you bring some nicer clothes with you. We will both need to be a bit dressy tonight for Maddi's initial show. I have my tux that I was fitted for, that will be sent up."

"No, I don't have any kind of dress. I didn't expect to be going to anything that needed nicer clothes!"

"Okay, no worries. Here, give me a minute."

Charlie got out his cell phone and dialed a number.

"Hi. Is this 'Styles for the Night"? This is Charlie Turner, in the Ravel room on the 18th floor. I have a client visiting, who needs an upscale outfit for the 'Maddi' premier tonight. Can you help us out?

"Hmmm," he paused as he listened to the speaker on the other end of the call, "That would be great! We'll be here.

"Okay, Sid. The woman's clothing store in the mall here in the hotel is sending up an assistant to take you down and get you outfitted for the show tonight. She will be up here in a couple of minutes."

"Charlie!" came a timid voice, "I don't think that I can afford that place...I saw a couple of things in the window as we passed on the way to the theater..."

"Sid, Sid, Sid. Don't worry about that. It will all be charged to the room. Get used to it: you are a VIP now, so expect to be treated like one."

"Now as far as the room goes. Where is your luggage?"

Sid pointed to a duffel bag that she had dropped on the floor next to her chair.

There was a knock at the door.

"Great. While you are clothes shopping, I'll arrange for your room to be cancelled and you will stay up here."

A young, and fashionably dressed woman, came in and introduced herself, and shortly thereafter, Sid left with Piper to acquire a fitting wardrobe.

As she left, Charlie sighed, thinking to himself, "She's pretty cute in a kind 'girl next door' sort of way. Too bad that she is a client. But maybe that's for the better, long-term." And then he went about getting her room changed and arranging for his tux, newly cleaned and ironed, to be sent up to the room.

Then he sat down with the playlist of songs that the producer wanted on Sid and her band's album, and began listening to the original raw recording, imagining in his head what it could sound like and how to modify it without detracting from the original.

Charlie was so deep into his thoughts that he was startled when his tux was delivered to the suite.

He was surprised that Sid hadn't shown up yet. He decided to text her.

"Sid — we have reservations at 'La Champignon' for dinner at 7:00. That gives us enough time to eat, and we can make Mandi's show which starts at 8:30."

She texted back.

"Okay. The girls are telling me that I should be done a little before 7:00. I'll meet you at the restaurant, if that's alright with you."

"Sure. See you there."

Satisfied that the logistics were settled, Charlie took a quick shower and then dressed in his tux. As a musician who was frequently in the limelight, he had his own very tailored tux. It fit him like a glove. But, although he used the same basic suit, the accoutrements would vary each time, depending on the occasion. Since he anticipated possibly being asked to stand and be acknowledged, he was going with some bling, but nothing so over-the-top that it would detract from Maddi's outfit. He selected gold cufflinks with small diamonds, along with gold studs for his shirt, again with small diamonds. His tie and cummerbund were both in a deep red color.

He looked good.

He was humming one of the Precious Jewel's songs as he descended to the second floor, where the restaurant and the theater were located. He walked to the entrance, oblivious to the looks of the women who saw him passing by, then looked back at their husbands, then back to Charlie with lust on their minds. Alas, such was not to be. Que sera sera!

They recognized him at La Champignon, as he had been eating there frequently over the past four months. And, not infrequently, he was accompanied by the famous entertainer, 'Maddi'. The staff was very attentive to them, not really understanding the dynamics between the composer and her arranger. Occasionally, the staff had to call security to chase away paparazzi waiting in ambush to catch the pair unaware, hoping to sell photos to the glamour rags.

But tonight, he was alone.

Not for long.

The staff had seated him at a table that they knew he preferred, just a couple of minutes shy of 7:00 o'clock. He explained that he was expecting a guest and would wait for her to arrive before ordering a drink.

He had just glanced at his watch when he felt a stirring in the room around him. He looked up at the entrance where the maître d' himself was walking a guest. And it looked like he was heading Charlie's way. Charlie always thought that lines in stories like, "Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing to look at her," were clichés, but it was the only way to describe her entrance.

Charlie looked carefully at the woman and finally recognized her. He couldn't help himself — he automatically stood at the table to await her arrival. It was Sid, but it was a Sidney who took Charlie's breath away.

Sid was dress in an evening gown of royal blue. Charlie wasn't any sort of expert, but he thought it might be silk. It was off on one shoulder and had a slit up the opposite leg that went about half-way up her thigh. She had a matching blue pair of heels, not too high, but maybe three inches. She also had a double string of pearls connected that the ends with gold fittings and clasps.

As surprising to Charlie, though, was that her mid-length, dirty-blond hair, was now a honey blond, and reached loosely down to a point below her shoulders!

Charlie found himself, for the first time in his life, completely gob smacked. He realized that he was standing there with his mouth hanging open.

When they reached Charlie's table, the maître d' smiled at the two of them and parted with a jolly 'Bon appetite!'

They stood there looking at each other for perhaps five seconds, but it seemed like an eternity.

"Do I pass inspection?" Sidney asked with a grin.

Finally, remembering his manners, Charlie pulled out a chair and seated her.

"Sidney, you look absolutely fabulous! Gorgeous. Stunning. Beautiful. And any other superlatives I can think of."

Sidney blushed at Charlies praise.

"Why, thank you kind sir! You are a gentleman and a scholar." She laughed at her own witticism.

"Now you know why I was gone all afternoon. The ladies are the shop were so helpful. They helped me pick this dress, and then fitted it for me. They took it off to their seamstress in the back and had it done about an hour later.

"They got me the set of real pearls (aren't they lovely) from the jewelers next door, and then sent me off to have my hair done." She unconsciously touched her hair with her hand.

"They did some coloring and added extensions. Then the manicurist did my fingernails and toenails, and their make-up expert did my face. Oh my! What a day. I've never had an experience like it!

"And you know the most surprising thing? They gave it all to me! Well, in exchange for taking some photos of me when they had finished. I agreed to let them post it in their stores here in the hotel only, but I retained all other rights to the photos. We wrote up the agreement and signed it with a notary that works for the hotel witnessing it! You know, 'an oral contract isn't worth the paper it's printed on.' See, I've listened to my lawyers."

"I'm very familiar with the principle; a painful learning experience," Charlie said and laughed gently.

"Sid, I think that you have to get used to this kind of treatment. They can smell an up-and-comer, and they want to have photos of you, just in case you make it big. Then they can point to the photos and say, 'we knew her when'!"

As they ate their meal, Charlie was thinking thoughts that he knew were not according to his rule about not getting into a personal relationship with a client. One part of his mind was telling him that, while another part was telling him there are always exceptions to the rule!

Sid, on the other hand, was wondering how she could convince Charlie to set aside his scruples and give her a chance — client or not!

After dinner, they walked up to the second-floor theater where Maddi's show was going to start in five minutes.

When Charlie offered his arm to Sid, she took it firmly, keeping Charlie close, to the point that his arm was touching the side of her breast. And that was intentional. She debated leaning her head on his shoulder as well, but she didn't want to be quite that obvious.

Charlie at the same time was basking in the warmth of Sid's body, entirely conscious of her breast against his arm and the smell of her perfume. He was repeating a litany in his mind: "not with a client, not with a client..." It wasn't helping!

There were still people waiting in line, hoping for seats whose ticket holders hadn't shown up. Thus far, they were disappointed, because everyone was anxious to see the opening of Maddi's new show.

Some were slightly ticked off when Charlie and Sid walked up and were immediately swept away to the VIP entrance and shown to their box, although just seeing how they were dressed implied that they were VIPs.

The box had four seats, two of them already taken. They introduced themselves, and it turned out that the other two people in the box were Maddi's publicist, and her entertainment attorney. They had both come out from Nashville (Maddi's home base of operations, as well as Sid's) to be at the premier of her show, and the beginning of the next phase of her career.

The four of them chatted about the music business unit the lights dimmed.

When the curtains came up, there was Maddi, front and center, and she went right into the opening number — a medley of four of her first, big hits. Her on-stage band was hyped and playing up to the highest standard; the backup singers and the dancers were as excited as the audience, and it showed. This show WAS going to be the hit of the season!

The audience knew these songs, and many were singing along with Maddi as her band on stage, and the orchestra in the pit, produced a new, fuller and even greater version of the music that made Maddi famous all those years ago.

The medley took a little over fourteen minutes, enough to exhaust most performers, but the adrenaline that Maddi always felt performing for a live audience carried her through. At the end of the song, the curtain fell, with Maddi still in front.

"Thank you all, so much, my friends, my family and my fans, many of whom are almost family, for coming to tonight's performance. It is not only the first performance of this show, so please tell all your friends about how great it is, so that we can have a SECOND night!

"By the way, I'm joking about the second night — my agent, Herb, got them to sign a 6-month minimum contract — so you can come back again and bring your friends."

The audience laughed and applauded, because they KNEW there would be many more nights.

"And this is not only the first night of THIS show, but it is also the first time that I have had a show in 'Vegas!"

There was more applause.

"After all my years on the road, I'm glad to finally have a place where I hang around for more than two or three shows! Thank you, Las Vegas, and our hosts at the hotel.

"Before we continue the show, I would like to introduce some special friends of mine who are here tonight.

"First, my publicist, who flew out from Nashville to be with us — Melody Atwater. Stand up, Mel! A little applause for Mel. And Mel? Stay away from those slot machines! I can't stand the thought of having to listen to you whining and complaining about how much you lost in 'Sin City.'" Again, the audience laughed.

"And next to Melody, also out from Nashville, is my attorney, George Sampson. Believe it or not, George is the exception who proves the rule: an honest lawyer! George always takes care of me and my finances. He writes up all of my pre-nups before I run off and get married!