Wilde Velvet (3 page)

“I want to start by thanking you Miss Scott Harper for meeting with me today.” I blush because I know that I am about to correct him.

“It’s just Harper, Scott is my middle name.” Mr Phillips nods and he runs his hand across is clean shaven head. His eyes are small, but very intense. I am very nervous as I sit in front of him and I have to remind myself to stay calm.

“Thanks for telling me. Now how have you been?” I am a little confused, what’s with the small talk? I fidget in my seat as he stares at me.

“I’m good, thanks.” I must sound confused, Mr Phillips quickly fills me in on what he expects from me.

“I have brought you here today because I was really impressed by what I heard last night. You have a very unique, chilling voice. I don’t usually get Goosebumps when I hear someone sing, but I did when I listened to you. Your voice is very moving. It seems as if you have pain hidden underneath. I would really appreciate it if you could sing for me again.” I blush at his kind words. He likes my voice. I am really humbled and flattered that he has asked me to meet him again. He seems really nice and very passionate about music. I would love to sing for him.

“It means a lot to me that you have acknowledged me. I would love to sing for you.” Mr Phillips smiles and he leaps out of his chair. He makes a gesture with his hand for me to stand. I do as he says and he leads me over to the small stage area. I sit down in front of the microphone and I pull it towards me. Mr Phillips leans against another desk and he is holding a remote control in his hand.

“Do you know ‘Because of you by Kelly Clarkson’?” He asks as he folds his arms across his chest. I nod
. I love that song. He pushes a button on the remote and the backing track for the song rings through an expensive set of speakers. I close my eyes as I prepare to sing.

“I will not make the same mistakes that you did

I will not let myself

Cause my heart so much misery

I will not break the way you did,

You fell so hard

I've learned the hard way

To never let it get that far

Because of you

I never stray too far from the sidewalk

Because of you

I learned to play on the safe side so I don't get hurt

Because of you

I find it hard to trust not only me, but everyone around me

Because of you

I am afraid”

Mr Phillips signals for me to stop. My heart begins to race, did I disappoint him?

“Wow. Wow. Just wow.” He gushes. “I want to sign you.” I can’t breathe. He wants to sign me? This isn’t real. I must be dreaming. “I would like to sign you up for an eight week trial. That means you record with us, we promote your music and we schedule your gigs and so on. I will set you up in an artist’s penthouse. Give you an advance and I will assign one of my best producers to help you every step of the way. In eight weeks’ time if you haven’t made it
, then your contract will end. You won’t owe the label anything. If you don’t make it then we call it quits. What do you say; do you wanna give it a shot?” My mind is spinning. I want this more than anything. Music is my passion and I can’t turn down this amazing opportunity.

“Where do I sign?” Mr Phillips laughs and then his phone rings again. He answers his call as he walks back over to his desk. He talks for a few moments, something about a meeting. I don’t have a clue what he is saying, I don’t care. I am in total shock about what he has
just offered me. I can’t believe that my dreams have come true. Mr Phillips wants to sign me to a real record label. He is offering me so much, an advance, a penthouse. Sydney and I can finally move out of that hovel we call an apartment. My dreams are coming true. This is awesome.

“Sorry about that,” Mr Phillips says as he ends his call. “I don’t have the contracts in front of me and I gotta run. I will have my assistant Lisa escort
you to meet your producer. He is one of the best in the business. He has a really good eye for young talent. He will be much more than just your producer. He will be your manager, adviser and friend. Where ever you go, he’ll go. He will make the right decisions; he will be there to answer any of your questions. Don’t be scared, he is an amazing guy and I think that you two will get on like a house on fire.” I smile at him as he slides himself out from behind his desk. He marches over to the door and he looks back as he reaches for the handle. “I believe in you.” I can feel a gentle tear forming in my eye, but I manage to compose myself.

“Thanks, this means
everything
to me.”

Lisa escorts me back into the elevator and then into another office. This one is smaller than the last one, but equally as grand. There is also a large wooden desk, but this one has an apple computer sitting on its surface. There is a TV also mounted on the beige wall. Posters and picture frames of all my favourite musicians are hanging on the walls. There is a familiar smell. I can’t quite place where I have smelled the scent before
. It just reminds me of someone. I shake my head as I take a seat opposite the desk. Another assistant enters the office. She is small and has blonde hair. She walks over to me and she hands me a bottle of water. She eyes me up and down and then she introduces herself.

“Hi I’m Emily. Mr Wilde will be another five minutes. Just relax he won’t be long.” Her voice is sweet and sassy. She is a typical California girl. I smile at her and then I take a sip of my water. My foot starts to tap against the wooden floor as I wait for Mr Wilde. I wonder what he is like. Is he old, young, short or tall? He is going to be my music producer. I can’t believe that I am actually saying that. Mr Phillips said that we would be spending a lot of time together. I just hope that he likes me. The door opens and the bottle of water falls out of my hand. It crashes onto the floor. Luckily the lid was on. I franticly pick the bottle off
of the floor. I grab the bottle and then a sleek pair of Gucci sneakers comes into my vision. My heart starts to race. The beautiful smell is stronger and I can’t breathe as I look at up at Mr Wilde. Crap its Mr Gucci. He looks sinful as he stares down at me. My mind flashes back to last night. I turned him down and he stormed off.
Crap, crap, crap.
My subconscious is shouting at me. What I am going to do? My mind is spinning as I meet his stare. His dress sense is amazing. He has on slim-fit dark jeans and a tight polo shirt. His Gucci belt and sneakers round of his look. His arms are toned and very tanned. His hair is jet black and greased to perfection. His dark eyes are young and playful, his lips are tempting. He bites his lower lip as he slides himself into his leather desk chair. He rests his arms onto the desk and his square Cartier watch sparkles in the sun. I can’t bring myself to meet his stare. I am embarrassed and very uncomfortable. Why did he have to be my music producer? Why did I have to meet him last night? And why didn’t I just take him up on his offer to buy me a drink? I shake my head. Who am I kidding, he probably doesn’t even remember me, and if he does then I am sure that he will be professional about it. I decide to think positive and I meet his sexy, intense stare.

“Miss Scott Harper,” he says in a sexy voice. I blush –how many people have I corrected today?

“It’s just Harper,” I say coolly. My mind flashes back to last night. I’m trying to remember his name. My eyes narrow as I think back … Jonathan… my friends call me John. I smile, he is really cute.
Stop it Ashley.

“I understand that Don has offered you a trial, is that correct?” I nod at him. He is really intense and I don’t get a friendly vibe from him. Is he still mad at me for last night? “Before I agree to work with you, I’ll need to hear you sing.” I blankly stare
at him, he is so rude. My heart is pounding. I don’t know if I can do this. He seems too angry, too intense. This is never going to work.  He is mad at me and this is really awkward. I feel super uncomfortable. I need to apologise for last night.

“John,” I say, but he butts in.

“Excuse me, its Mr Wilde to you.” I blush and my hands begin to shake. I manage to compose myself so that I can look at him.

“Mr Wilde, I want to apologise for last night. I didn’t mean to offend you or to upset you. I hope that you can look past what happened and we can start fresh?” He bites his lower lip in a sexy manner. His eyes narrow and he presses his lips into a soft smile.

“As far as I’m concerned last night never happened. You never happened. We never met. So there is really nothing for you to apologise for. Is there Miss Harper?” He is so intense, but I am happy that he is willing to forget about what happened.

“Okay,” I say in a smooth tone.

“Good, now sing for me.” His voice is urgent and I am frozen in my chair. My heart is racing and my lips won’t open. “I haven’t got all day!” Mr Wilde says in a serious tone. He is staring at me and I can’t breathe. If this is how he is going to treat me then us working together is never going to work.

“I’m sorry but I gotta go.” I jump off the seat and I march over to the door. I can hear Mr Gucci’s footsteps behind me, and then I feel his hand grabbing onto my arm. He spins me around and my eyes lock onto his. He is so intimidating and smug, I can’t look at him.

“Running away like a little girl, that’s pathetic. We are offering you a once in a life time opportunity and here you are running away from it. Most musicians would kill for this and here you are, giving it all up because I make you feel uneasy. Seriously how old are you?” I pull my arm away from him and I look into his eyes. He knows that he is making me feel uncomfortable, yet he continues to do it. He is smug, repulsive and utterly disgusting. Who does he think he is? What is his problem?

“If you know that you’re making me feel uneasy, why do you continue to do it?” He laughs at me.

“Because I like to see you squirm.” I feel like slapping him. He is so arrogant and into himself. He may look perfect on the outside, but inside he is hideous. I feel like storming out of here and slamming the door in his perfect face. But he is right this is a massive opportunity and I would be crazy to let him ruin it. I am going to smile and play along. I won’t let him get under my skin. I pull my hair away from my face and I clear my throat. I part my lips and I sing.

“You'll never change me.

Remember we are through.

I am staying here to betray all of you.

And nothing will change."

My voice is loud as I sing my favourite angry song. Mr Gucci looks impressed but he will never admit it. He walks back over to his desk and he gathers some paper work into his hand. He looks over at me; he wants me to come over. I glide over to him and I sit myself down onto the chair. His eyes meet mine as he slides the paperwork over to me. He throws a pen in my direction and he urges me to sign. I bite my lower lip, as I give in and sign the documents.

“Welcome to BeatBox. It’s gonna be a blast working with you.” His words are smug and I still want to slap him.
Mr Gucci why have you come back into my life?

Three

After our dramatic first meeting, Mr Gucci and I have talked about our partnership. He has filled me in on what he expects from me, and he has also given me my orders. I am not allowed to do anything that he doesn’t approve of. He has made it clear that he will call all
of the shots. He will decide when I play and where. When comes down to recording he will decided on the songs and which style I should be recording. He is very bossy and strict and I am finding it hard to keep up with all of his demands.

“How much do you weigh?” He asks as he looks at me intently. I blush –is he suggesting that I am fat?

“Excuse me?” I say as I try to hide the horror that has taken over my face.

“Do you have a hearing problem?” I shake my head at him.

“No … I don’t.” He smiles.

“Good, now what’s your weight?”

“Do you really need to know that?” I say in a bitter tone. He smiles at me –it should be against the law to be that gorgeous.

“Yeah I do,”

“One-twenty,” I say defeated.

“Well you better decrease that one-fifteen.” I am offended and horrified. He wants me to lose weight. Who does he think he is?

“I’m sorry but no way. I’m happy with my weight.” he rolls his eyes at me.

“You might be happy with your weight, but the
guys that are coming to see you sing, aren’t gonna be. Take my advice, drop five pounds.” God he’s annoying. How can I fight him on this? He is my manager, my producer and my adviser. I have to listen to his advice.

“Fine, but I’m not happy about it.” I agree. He lightly licks his lower lip as he meets my stare.

“Do you work out?” he asks in a smooth voice. I blush, I don’t work out and judging from the size of his arms, I am guessing that he does. I feel stupid and lazy as I look at him.

“No, I don’t work out.”
he shakes his head at me.

“That’s not acceptable. You will join me for weekly workout sessions.” I laugh at him.

“I’m not working out with you. You're crazy.” he slams his hand down onto the desk. He doesn’t look impressed by my constant disobedience.

“Do you want to be successful? Is music your passion?”
he says firmly.

“Of course I want all that. Music is my life.”

“Then prove it. Put in a little effort. Show you care.” he has just made me feel really small. How is this going to work? I can’t keep fighting with him. We are never going to agree on what’s right and wrong. He is going to make this difficult and awkward and I can’t help but wonder if he is mad at me, because I refused to let him buy me a drink. He says that guys aren’t going to be attracted to me, but he must have been that night at the club. I am used to guys coming onto to me, so why is he insisting that I lose weight? I don’t want to spend time with him, and I can think of nothing worse than working out with him. But he is right, I do want this and I am going to fight until my dreams come true. I am not going to let him bother me. He is here to help me, or at least that’s what he is supposed to be here for. It’s not going to be easy, but I have to make this work. I wish that I never met him at the club. I wish that we could meet today for the first time. But there is nothing that I can do to change the past. I need to focus on the future and I need to get on with him. I won’t risk losing this opportunity over a feud with Mr Gucci.

“You’re right I need to put in more effort. We can work out together.”
he smiles at me and he gently licks his lips. I frown at him. He is crazy, but in a perfect way. He lifts the handset of his desk telephone and he hits one of the numbers on his speed dial.

“Emily, I need the keys to Miss Harper’s new apartment and can you get me Kathy Blake’s number.” Mr Wilde says down the phone. My mind goes into over drive. I am getting a new apartment. I am in a state of shock, this is so unreal. I can’t wait to tell Sydney, she will be so excited.

“Miss Harper,” he says as he slams the handset back onto the base of the phone. “Come with me, I’ll take you to your new place.” He jumps off the seat and he shoves his Blackberry into the back pocket of his jeans. He marches over to the door and he grabs his brown leather jacket from the coat stand. He holds open the door as he waits for me come over. I climb off of the seat and I walk over to him. He pushes me out of the office and into the hallway. He is towering over me and he surprises me when he places his hand onto my lower back. His footsteps are massive and I almost have to run to keep up with him. To my relief, he stops at the door of a small office. He pops his head around the doorjamb and Emily, his assistant rushes to greet him. She throws him a set of keys and he flashes a massive grin in her direction. She beams at him, and I can’t hold back my smile. She obviously has a crush on him. Mr Wilde notices my assumption so he pulls me away from the office. He slides his hand back onto my back as he leads me along the hallway. We reach the bottom of the stairs and he rushes me out into the street. We wait on the sidewalk and I begin to wonder if he is waiting for cab or something. I have to ask.

“Why are we waiting?” He looks down at me.

“Are you always this inquisitive?” I smile to myself.
If you think I am bad then you should really meet Sydney.
I don’t answer him. I wait, just in case he wants to fill me in. “I’m waiting for my car. We have valley parking, I’ll you get singed up.” I smile at him.

“There’s no need, I don’t have a car.” His smile fades at my words. His intense eyes soften, and a mind blowing compassion fills them. I can tell that he has a softer side to him.

“I see, well I guess I’ll need to get you a car then.” I scowl at him.

“No, there’s need. My friend Sydney has a car and she takes me everywhere I need to go.” Mr Wilde smirks at me.

“You must learn that you can’t rely on other people. You need your independence, trust me.”

“If I can’t rely on other people, then what are we doing here? I’m relying on you to produce and help me create a record. You’re sending me mixed signals.” Mr Wilde laughs. He is so young and playful when he laughs. He’s stunning, too gorgeous and too tempting.
Don’t even think about it Ashley.
 

“You
’ll learn that I’m the only guy that you can trust. I’m here to help you. I’ll advise you and I’ll show you right from wrong. You must put all of your faith in me. I will make all of your dreams come true.” His voice is seductive and frim. I am staring at him, like he is the answer to all of my problems. I adore what he is saying and I want it to be true. I want him to make all my dreams a reality. I need to succeed.

A fancy Maserati spins around the corner and stops in front of us. I smile at the car. Of course Mr Gucci drives a drop top Maserati. The
driver jumps out of the car. I am surprised when Mr Wilde opens the door for me. I climb into the car and the white leather seats are roasting against my bare legs. I try to hide my situation, as Mr Wilde jumps into the driver’s seat. He revs the engine and I buckle up. He slams his foot down onto the gas pedal and I fall hard against the seat at the sudden acceleration. He navigates the car around the streets of LA and I begin to feel a little embarrassed, when we stop at a red light. Everyone on the side walk is staring at us. I feel really uncomfortable and I wish that we would just hurry up and get to the apartment. The light turns green and Mr Wilde slams his foot down onto the gas pedal again. I hold onto the arm rest for support. He looks at me and he laughs. He extends his long tanned fingers and he pushes on the radio. I love the song that’s playing and by the look on his face, so does he. He turns the volume up so loud that I can barely hear myself think. But I love it. I love the music and driving around in his fancy car isn’t as embarrassing as it first was. My hair is blowing in the wind and my skin is warmed by the sun. I feel carefree as we listen to ‘Justin Timberlake’s sexy back’. Mr Wilde reaches into the glove box and he pulls out a pair of aviator sunglasses. He slides them onto his face and I can’t help but stare at him. He is the most beautiful guy that I have ever seen, and what annoys me is that he knows it. He knows that he is stunning and can see right through me. He knows that I find him attractive and every now and then, I catch him staring at me. We have so much sexual tension; I really hope that it doesn’t affect our working relationship. I don’t want him to distract me from my dreams of music. But at the same time, I can’t stop imagining what it would be like to kiss him. His lips are full and they look really soft. I wonder what his passions are. I bet he is sweet and caring under his hard shell. He probably loves animals and children. I bite my lip as I look at him.
Stop thinking about him Ashley. No guys, remember?
  I snap out of my day dream as he pulls the car into a large parking lot. He slides himself out of the car and he opens my door for me, again. I smile at him as I step out of the car. He slides his hand onto my lower back again and I tingle at his touch. He pushes his sunglasses further onto his face as he leads me across the lot. We stop at the entrance of the building. He opens the door with the key and he pushes me inside. The hallway is bright and as soon as we enter, we are greeted by a brown haired guy. He is tall, but not as tall as Mr Gucci. He looks about the same age as me, and I am surprised when he rushes up to us.

“Hey Mr Wilde,” he says as he eyes me intently. I politely smile at him as I wait for Mr Gucci to introduce him.

“Mr Perry, this is Miss Harper she is our newest signing.” The guy reaches out his hand for me to shake it.

“It’s nice to meet you Miss Harper.” He says in a bright voice. He has a cute face. His light brown hair is long and shaggy, but his deep blue eyes sparkle in the sun. He looks nice, but average standing next to Mr Gucci.

“Likewise, please call me Ashley.” The guy smiles and he flirts with his eyes.

“I’m Tyler,” he says as he runs his fingers through his hair. “So you’re new to the building?” Mr Gucci rolls his eyes at the guys’ words. I shake my head at him. He is so rude.

“Of course she’s new to the building. Would I be here for any other reason than to show her around?” Mr Wilde shocks me with his tone. I feel bad for poor Tyler as he stands frozen looking up at Mr Gucci. His choice of words and tone are so uncalled for. He needs to apologise for his behaviour. I stare up at him and he looks back at me through his dark glasses. I shake my head at him. He is not going to apologise, so I think it would be for the best if we just left.

“It was nice to meet you Tyler,” I say as I walk away from him. Mr Wilde tries to place his hand onto my back, but I flinch and pull away from him. He hisses under his breath as he pushes the button for the elevator. The doors open and I scramble inside. He follows me and he rests his back against the mirrored wall. I stand in front of him, trying to not look at him as we climb to the sixteenth floor. He exhales and he moves closer to me.

“You’re mad at me, aren’t you?” I shake my head at him. I want to scream at him. But I remember that he is my colleague. He is there to help me with my music, and I don’t want to start fighting with him. I need to just ignore his repulsive behaviour. “Speak to me!” He demands. He fills the gap between us and he clutches my face in both of his hands. I am frozen as he holds me in place. He leans in towards me and he rests his forehead on mine. I am shocked at his actions. What is wrong with him? I start to shake as memories of Brandon flash through my mind. I struggle out of his grip and he pulls his sunglasses off his face. He pushes them into the front of his shirt as he stares at me. My heart is racing and I need to get out of here. I am terrified of him. He senses that I am scared so he moves closer to me. He pulls me into his arms and he holds me firmly. I pant and try to break free from him. I know that he is only trying to comfort me, but as he holds me I can’t escape my fears. I am scared that he is going to hurt me. I flinch and I manage to loosen myself out of his grasp. I fall onto the floor and Mr Wilde looks worried. He kneels in front of me and he tries to soothe me.

“I’m sorry. Are you okay?” I feel stupid as I meet his gaze. He looks really worried and a little scared. I feel terrible, why did I react that way?

“I’m fine, just please don’t do that again.” He presses his eyebrows together as he helps me off of the floor. The doors open and he pushes me out into the hallway. He walks me to a grey door and he uses one of the keys to let himself in. He throws open the door, and he waits for me to enter. I walk into the ultra-modern apartment and I can’t hold back my smile. This place is huge. You could fit our entire apartment in the kitchen/lounge area. The furniture is plush and looks really expensive. There is a massive flat screen TV, which is fully equipped with the latest Blue-Ray player and Nintendo Wii. I move further into the apartment and I scan its beauty. The walls are white and there are little LED spotlights along the roof. The kitchen is black and there is a massive built in refrigerator and two coffee machines. The counters are white marble and the flooring is white and black checks. I am beaming from ear to ear as I explore the house further. I walk along the hallway and I come across a large bedroom. There is a leather bed in the middle of the room. A flat screen on the wall and the bathroom is massive. I push open the door and I smile. What a difference from our messy bathroom. Everything is shiny and clean. The shower is huge and there is a whirlpool bathtub. I run out of the bathroom and I open another door. I gasp when I see the size of the closet. I frown; none of my clothes are worth hanging in here. I close the door and I jump when I see Mr Wilde standing behind the door.