Fireworks 3 and 4

Fireworks: Forever Chapter Five

    Flames spit from Mia's eyes as she lowered herself back into her chair.

    Daniel ran a hand across his forehead and turned his back to her for a moment. He chuckled low and deep, shaking his head. "You're probably the first person who has ever told me that you don't want Beyonce-level fame," he stated. "I dangle that in front of people and that's usually all I have to do, in order to get them to do what I want. Of course, you can't be that easy. You have to provide more of a challenge, right?"

    She shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not trying to be difficult," she insisted. "I'm just being honest about what I want. Beyonce-level fame isn't what I want. All I want to do is share my music with the world. That's all I've ever wanted."

    He turned to face her, folding his arms across his chest. "While that sounds very noble, the goal of any successful record label is to produce as much profit as possible."

    "Right, I realize that," she said, hearing the slightest tremble in her voice.

    "Do you?" he asked, sounding unconvinced. "I'm not sure anyone outside of these offices does. We're entering an era where independent music is being encouraged."

    Her expression brightened, but a glaring look from him caused her to scale that excitement down. "And...that's a bad thing?" she surmised, even more confused than when she'd first walked inside his office.

    "Seeing as there's no way for us to profit from independent music being released, yes, it's a bad thing," he said, speaking slowly. The tone he'd taken sounded like the tone a kindergarten teacher might use for a five-year-old student. Placating. Using layman's terms, so even the dumbest person in the room could understand the message he was tryin to convey. "In this strange era we're entering, it is my job to ensure that the public keeps their focus on the artists that are signed to this label. This task is becoming more and more difficult, as it's becoming easier and easier for artists to go indie. The big guys who attend the big meetings in our big conference rooms have spent months on end coming up with different ideas on how we can make this easier, but ultimately that comes down to you. The artists."

    "How can I help?"

    "The first valuable words you've spoken during this meeting," he said, breaking out into a smile.

    Oh, I hate this man, she thought while watching him pace behind his desk. I rarely use the word "hate," but I can say with certainty that I hate this man's guts. 

    "We held a conference where some of the biggest names in entertainment attended. The music industry held their conference. The film, television, and literary industries are doing the same. During that conference, artists were provided with dossiers on how they can help the cause. Included in those dossiers were storylines for artists to follow."

    "Storylines?" she echoed, hating to sound clueless when he was already talking to her like she was an infant.

    "For you to act out," he said with a wave of his hand. "You were one of the stars I wished could attend, because you have an advantage than many other celebrities do not."

    "And that advantage is?" she prompted.

    "The fact that you're dating Drake," he supplied readily. "You and Drake don't even have to try to drum up public interest. You already have it by the boatloads. People wishing for your relationship to succeed, others praying for the relationship's downfall - as if any of your fans had a shot at dating you or him. Honestly, what you and Drake have is a blessing to our cause. It will come in handy in the months ahead."