Ravensong (2 page)

“
Pretty eyes? Hell, Elena,
are you dead? What about his body? His hair? Do you think his eyes
are real?”

“
Real? What a question?
What does that mean?”

“
Not contacts. I mean
he
is
Indian, so
they probably are, but…”

“
Native American,” Elena
corrected to annoy Kate.

“
Whatever? Are they really
black?”

“
They looked black to me,
but why don’t you have lunch with me tomorrow and find out for
yourself?”

Kate drew a ragged breath. “You mean
it? Do you think he’ll be there?”

“
He works there, Katie, of
course he’ll be there.”

“
And you’ll introduce
us?”

“
Of course,” said Elena,
smiling to herself.

“
Just think of it, Ellie.
Me and Ravensong. The tabloids will have a field day.”

“
Yeah, rock star and
unknown crazy woman...”

“
It could happen. Just one
look and I’ll bet I’ve got him eating out of the palm of my
hand.”

“
Oh, I’ll bet. Listen,
Katie, it’s been a long day and I’ve still got to call John so he
won’t wake me at five tomorrow. Meet me at noon, okay?”

“
Calling the stiff again,
eh?”

“
You’re a terrible
friend.”

“
See ya
tomorrow.”

“
Bye.”

Elena hung up the phone and ran her
hands over Savanna’s sleek black coat. Black like Ravensong’s hair
had been. She smiled to herself, thinking of Katie’s crazy
obsession with the rock star. He was handsome, she’d noticed that
much, but he was a rock star with a drug addiction and a young
daughter - hell, no one needed that kind of baggage no matter how
handsome the package.

* * *

Elena waited patiently outside David
Forbes’ office. She studied the pictures on the wall, pictures of
the various band members. Elliot Evans, the guitar player, was
smiling like a cat with a canary in its mouth. Ralph White, the
bassist, was making a characteristic face - he was known in the
music business for his crazy sense of humor. Michael Smith, the
drummer, was looking a little nervous and shy, while Robert
Downing, the keyboardist, seemed very mellow and
centered.

Then there was the photo of Ravensong.
Elena’s eyes kept being drawn to it, despite herself. He was
sitting sideways, his head turned slightly toward the camera and
tilted seductively. His black hair had fallen over one shoulder and
down across his bared chest. His open white shirt contrasted
starkly with his black hair and copper skin.

The man was gorgeous on film. She had
to admit that. Somehow the photographer had caught a sensuality in
his eyes that made Elena catch her breath. There was something
primal in his look, something almost predatory.

She didn’t realize how absorbed she
was in studying the photo until someone cleared his throat behind
her. She turned and caught David’s placid smile. The Head Manager
was a short, heavyset man in his late thirties with a shock of
thick brown hair and a round face that seemed inclined to
smile.

“
Great picture, huh?” he
said.

“
He’s very photogenic,” she
said, feeling her cheeks heat with an embarrassment she didn’t
quite understand.

“
Photogenic, talented and
brilliant. They don’t come along too often, but when they do...I
keep wondering why I was the lucky bastard to get him.”

Elena smiled. “Sounds like a
god.”

“
No, enough flaws to make
him completely human, but the looks and the genius. Believe me, you
don’t see many living legends and those you find don’t live too
long.”

“
You wanted to meet with me
this morning?”

“
I wanted to escort
you to your first
Avalanche
meeting. We have them every morning promptly at
eight. They can be...well, traumatic sometimes, so I thought it
might be good to forewarn you. When you work with artists it can
get insane.”

Elena returned the smile. “I know.
I’ve been in the music business for ten years, remember? On the
recording side. I can’t imagine there’s a more temperamental time
in an artist’s life.”

David laughed. “Guess not. Well, after
you.” He motioned toward the door leading into the hallway and
waited for Elena to precede him. They passed many offices on both
sides of the hall and David told her who each belonged to. Then he
halted in the enormous reception area in front of the
elevators.

“
I want to make something
perfectly clear, Elena. This is a predominantly male
business...”

“
No kidding,” she said with
a laugh to lighten the mood.

“
Well, it’s important you
understand. I expect you to hold your own, speak your mind when
necessary, and don’t feel like you can’t give back as good as you
get. I hired you because I knew you were a strong person - all of
your references confirmed my instincts. If you find something
offensive or sexist, I expect you to point it out...”

And not bring it to
you
, thought Elena
.

“
I’ll be just fine, David,
and don’t worry, I always speak my mind.”

David returned her smile. “Good.” He
motioned down the other hallway and they moved off side by
side.

“
Where did you get the idea
to expand the business beyond the touring and recording?” asked
Elena, impressed with the size of the company David and the band
members had founded.

“
Bands come and go, as you
know. Styles change, music changes. I didn’t want us to be a flash
in the pan. I wasn’t sure we’d ever be more than a garage band to
begin with until...”

She glanced at him from the corner of
her eyes. “Until Ravensong came along.”

David nodded. “He changed everything.
In a short year, he catapulted us into stardom. Ravensong has a
vision that will outlast time itself.”

Elena laughed. “Isn’t that a little
long?”

David laughed also. “Well, you haven’t
seen him work yet.”

“
Then why isn’t he
part owner of
Avalanche
?”

David halted in the hallway and
studied her. “Joshua came to us in a very vulnerable part of his
life.”

“
After rehab?”

“
Yes,” said David,
“We were all worried that it wouldn’t work. Heroin is a horrible
drug and once addicted...but Joshua’s proven us wrong. He’s been
clean nine years. Anyway, when we offered him a partnership, he
refused. I think he likes not having the responsibility of a
business. Hell, he’s got plenty of money and if he added
Avalanche
to his
financial sheet, he’d just have to up his alimony check. His
ex-wife gets more than half of what he makes
anyway.”

“
So back to the original
question...”

“
Yeah, I wanted us to have
a more stable form of income when the inevitable fall out of grace
came. So I thought that if we promoted other starting bands -
helped them record, rented them equipment, set up gigs, etc., we’d
never be without paychecks.”

“
Sounds smart.”

“
And lucrative,” answered
David, opening the door behind him.

Elena followed him into a large
conference room with a banquet table against one wall and a
conference table dividing the room in half. The wall opposite the
door was a bank of floor to ceiling windows that looked out over
the city. From where she stood, Elena had a beautiful view of the
Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz.

At once the band members rose from the
table and crowded around her, reintroducing themselves. Elena
smiled at each of them and took their hands. Finally David waved
them away and pulled a man in a stiff business suit in front of
her.

“
This is my second in
command, Elena, and your immediate boss, Julian Howard.”

Elena extended her hand and accepted
Julian’s, which felt clammy to the touch. “Nice to meet
you.”

“
Sorry I wasn’t available
to meet you yesterday, or to interview you.” He shot a disapproving
glance at David and Elena guessed her hire must be a sore spot
between them.

“
That’s all right. I was a
bit overwhelmed yesterday anyway,” she said, smiling
brightly.

Julian didn’t return the smile. He
simply looked her over. He was a thin man with mousey brown hair
that was receding and a pinched face. His suit was immaculately
pressed and a little stuffy. Elena wondered how he’d ever gotten
into the sordid music business to begin with.

“
We meet every morning,
promptly at eight,” he said, casting a look around the room. Elena
followed his gaze and noticed that all the band members were
assembled, except Ravensong.

“
Even if there’s nothing to
meet about,” said Ralph with a twisted smile. “Julian’s got to have
one grand stand a day.”

Julian shot the bassist a withering
look, but Elena couldn’t help but smile. Turning back abruptly,
Julian caught the smile and frowned in annoyance. Elena tried to
make her face serious once more.

“
And I expect you here at
seven thirty, in your office, in case I need to find
you...”

“
So you can get him a cup
of coffee, black with a splash of cream,” said Ralph.

The other band members snickered and
Elena fought the smile that threatened again.

“
Okay, okay,” said David.
“You can give her your expectations later. Come on, Elena, there’s
coffee, tea, and pastries over here if you’d like.”

As David led her to the banquet table,
she felt Julian’s disapproving stare on her back. Elliot Evans, the
guitar player, placed himself on her right elbow.

“
Try the bear claw,” he
whispered as he poured himself another cup of coffee. “They’re the
best.”

Elena smiled at him as she tore open a
tea bag and placed it in a cup, then poured hot water over it. “I
avoid bear claws and other such sweets.”

“
So should I,” he answered,
patting his stomach.

Elena smiled again and taking her tea,
turned to face the table. “Where should I sit?”

“
Next to me,” said
Elliot.

David shook his head at the guitarist.
“Wherever you’d like,” he answered and motioned her toward the
table.

She took a seat on the right side of
the room so she could look out over the Golden Gate. Elliot
promptly placed himself at her left, Ralph at her right. Next to
Ralph sat Michael Smith, the drummer, and directly across from
Michael was Robert Downing, the keyboardist, who lifted his coffee
cup in salute to her. David occupied the head of the table and
Julian sat to his immediate left. The only other seat that remained
unoccupied was the one directly across from Elena. She studied it a
moment curiously, then decided that since Ravensong wasn’t a
partner in the business, he probably didn’t attend the daily
meetings.

“
Julian,” said
David.

Julian thumped some files together
before him, running his hands down the side to make sure they were
straight.

Anal
retentive
, thought Elena, and wondered if
she was going to like her new boss.

“
We need to make a decision
on the cover today.” He opened the first file folder and pulled out
some cover designs on poster board. He tossed them into the middle
of the table and the band members each moved to select one for
study. Elena glanced at the cover in Elliot’s hand and then in
Ralph’s. Neither were very appealing to her. She reached into the
middle of the table and selected another.

It looked like a cartoon drawing of
the band standing beneath a mountain with a mound of snow flowing
down over the top of them. Each of the band member’s bodies were
cartoon with a real photo of their faces superimposed. It was
childish and obvious, but what drew her attention was the photo of
Ravensong. The others were making silly faces, only Ravensong
seemed serious, his dark eyes piercing in the picture. A shudder
went through Elena and she placed the cover down on the table,
looking up into Julian’s beady little eyes.

“
That’s the one we’re
thinking of going with,” he said, nodding at the cover.

Elena looked down on it again. Why? It
was horrible. Elliot groaned at her side and Ralph made a
face.

“
What do you think of it?”
said Julian.

She knew this was a test. The response
of the band members told her they didn’t like it. Should she tell
the truth, tell him it was awful or should she be diplomatic and
say she liked it to keep in her boss’s good graces? She was saved
for the moment by the opening of the door.

Ravensong swooped into the room,
heading for the table and pouring himself a cup of coffee. Julian’s
attention was immediately diverted. He sat back in his chair and
his lips came down tight over his teeth.