Second chances Book 5/6

Chapter 22

"Is Kate Valentine back?"

The information made the rounds of the media, shared with a photograph where we see her getting out of a car and entering the building of her record company. Several media dispatch journalists on the spot, but nobody manages to have information or an official image. Kate's producer canceled all of his meetings the second Kris broke the news to him.

Comfortably seated in his office, he listened to Kate tell him the reasons for her disappearance, her current state of health and the reasons for her return. He listened, wiped his eyes several times because of dust, and listened attentively to what Kate was explaining to him, considering. Kris showed what was coming as she pulled notebooks and thumb drives out of her bag.

"I'm not ready yet, though," says Kate. "I need a little more time.

— Kate, do you want to negotiate a contract? That's it, do you want to talk about the contract right away?

— No, come on! I've been with you since day one, I'm not going to negotiate my contract elsewhere, damn! It's not my style, you know me anyway! Do you think I would be in this office if I wanted to renegotiate a contract? After my last album, big labels could offer me a golden contract, but I'm going to stay with you, for two reasons: I'm faithful to those who helped me, then you always give me total liberty, you never intervened in my projects. You respect me, I respect you. Understand that my operation is still fresh, I don't want to jump into the arena right away. I need time, but don't worry, not too long. It's just that I only have lyrics, I have nothing in music, I haven't touched an instrument since I left.

"Take your time, Kate, I'm glad to see you back and know that you're... that you haven't been... that you're fine," his producer mumbles.

"Thank you," smiled Kate. "Now it's a matter of getting out of here discreetly.

— So off to the office, I've got all your disguises," Kris smiles.

Changed, decked out in a red wig, black-framed glasses, Kris and Kate leave in a car from the record company, returning home to Abigail and Tilly's house. Despite what she had said, she went straight to her studio, and sat on her sofa, reading her notebooks while Kris, her nose on her computer, read the songs on the USB keys. Each selects those who would be on the new album. Then thinking about the music, testing several ways to sing and set the texts to music.

"Hi, girls," Tilly announced to herself as she opened the door, carrying Clara-Rose in her arms.

"Hi," they say at the same time.

"Can you help me get her stroller in, Kris? I left it on the patio. We'll have to think about putting ramps here. So can I help you?" she asks as Kris exits and fetches the stroller, quickly returning so Tilly can lay Clara-Rose down.

"Here are the texts envisaged, but I really have a lot of them. I have zero music on the other hand, not yet. I have to figure out how to sing them, then the rhythm will come.

— Mmmm mmmm," Tilly said, leafing through the notebooks, not listening, reading while cradling her daughter. "Can I have some paper to make bookmarks?"

Kris rips pages from a magazine and tears off strips, handing it to her.

"Thank you Kris. So... yes... mmm yes," she says, slipping in her improvised bookmarks. "Definitely yes. This text is beautiful, Kate! Can you sing it? It is already rhythmic, I hear it."

Kris looks at Tilly smiling.

Here we go again!

Kate smiled, reading the text then starting to sing, finding her rhythm.