Fireworks 3 and 4

Fireworks: Forever Chapter Fifteen

    "We need to call order to this meeting."

    Boisterous voices hushed, and those standing moved to sit.

    "Our artists have had their assignments in their possessions for the better part of two weeks. Our Marketing team has taken the information each of us have provided for our artists and compiled them into a single presentation. These are the updates we have thus far:

    "The storyline provided for Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce is a cheating scandal that will result in Travis getting caught with his ex-girlfriend, Kayla Nicole. Kayla was not informed that this is a storyline, so it is up to Travis to get back in her good graces. He will tip off paparazzi as necessary and Taylor will play the role of jilted lover to the press and fans. It was advised that she write an album dedicated to this storyline, because that would result in profits for both her and the label."

    "Not to interrupt this update-"

    "Which you are doing," came the irritated reply.

    "Are we ever going to discuss the fact that she owns her own masters to some of her biggest hits? When are we going to address our approach to that?"

    The suited man standing at the front of the room had icy eyes and a stare just as cold. "We will address that when it's time. That is a conversation for another day."

    "But she's gaining too much power, maintaining too much control over her own career. With these assignments, we have the opportunity of really humbling her. In the past, we've done much worse when artists have attempted to wrestle this much control."

    "This is a multi-label meeting," the man at the front of the room said. "The topic you're attempting to discuss is a conversation to be had on our own turf."

    "Right. I'm sorry."

    "No other interruptions, please." The man at the front of the room turned towards the images projected on the canvas screen. "It has been advised to Taylor to write an album about Travis's betrayal. It's a betrayal that has been predicted by his haters. Their relationship has done a good job of keeping fans divided. Some are rooting for them, some want a better match for Taylor. Many are under the impression he's taking advantage of her for some reason. This is a very fun storyline that we can play with and add to. Taylor doesn't know it, but her communication is being monitored. She has expressed rage and disbelief that this storyline is being asked of her, and she is hesitant to play the role she's been assigned. She has reached out to her friends in the industry to whine and complain. Everyone she has reached out to so far is on the approved list. No concerns there. Travis's communications are also being monitored. He is a lot more willing to comply, and has even expressed excitement at the challenge of wooing Kayla, along with having the chance to sleep with her again. As Travis is a part of another industry, this dalliance with Kayla is his only assignment."

    Several of the seated men murmured at that revelation. One of them muttered, "Listening to this shit reminds me of the days when my wife forced me to watch All My Children and Young and the Restless with her."

    "The next update we have is regarding Drake and Mia," the man at the front of the room announced, signaling for the next slide to be accessed. Images of the two stars filled the screen. "We went easy on Mia, because she hasn't been a major player for long. She's just beginning to come into her own as a superstar. There's still a lot of money she can make for us, so we don't want to scare her off. The concern with that is that she has quickly made friends with some of the bigger stars in the industry. Those stars might vent to her about the storylines they've been given, which could scare her off anyway. Her communication is being monitored and as it stands, she isn't venting to many stars."