𝐜𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧' 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝 ─────⋆⋅★𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘸 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘺

𝟐𝟗. 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭

The conference room buzzed as Suki Monroe walked in, already feeling the familiar knot in her stomach tighten. It was the same knot she felt every time her label scheduled a "priority meeting," which really just meant a room full of suits and strategists laying out exactly how they planned to keep her relevant. Necessary, she reminded herself, but exhausting.

Her manager, Allie, was already pacing, tapping her tablet screen as she greeted Suki with a tight smile. "Alright, we're in crunch time. Suki, you're a major presence right now, but this tour postponement? It's a liability for ticket sales. So, what we need is to keep you constantly visible, constantly trending."

Suki nodded, sinking into a chair. She barely had a moment before her PR manager, Marcus, jumped in, his face lighting up as he listed ideas. "First up: Skims wants you for a new line. Edgy, basics-focused, lots of classic black-and-white shots, very vibe, and with Kim Kardashian on board? This would be everywhere. Next, Erewhon wants to launch a Suki Glow Smoothie. Think greens, goji berries, collagen—the Gen Z wellness crowd will eat this up."

Suki ran a hand through her hair, nodding along, even though it felt overwhelming. Sure, she was game for a wellness smoothie if it meant engaging fans, but it was hard to ignore that constant pressure to sell, to promote. There was barely a second to process the last idea before Sasha, the brand strategist, leaned in eagerly.

"Victoria's Secret is asking for you. As a headliner for their Angels Return show. You would be the opening act—front and center. Suki, this is major. Everyone's been begging for this kind of comeback. The timing's right. You're not the typical model, but that's exactly why they want you."

Suki's heart picked up. Victoria's Secret? She'd idolized that runway as a teen, watching those shows like they were gospel. But the thought of standing there in front of everyone, in lingerie... Did they not understand that pressure? And the world of "Angels" didn't exactly look like her. The self-consciousness simmered beneath her usual confidence. She could see herself on that stage, but it wasn't as effortless as they made it sound.

Marcus glanced at her, picking up on her hesitation but brushing past it. "You'd be perfect for this, Suki. You represent something the world wants—authenticity. This would blow up for the right reasons. People want to see you, the real you."

"And then there's the label," Allie jumped in, cutting straight to it. "They want to know when you'll have a summer single ready to drop. We've already missed one deadline, and they're not thrilled. They think a new song will hype your tour, get people talking again. Everyone needs a hit to stay in rotation, and there's a lot riding on this. They've even got a shortlist of potential producers lined up."

Suki's chest tightened. "The label wants a single? Like, this summer?"

"Yesterday would've been their preference," Allie said, her tone serious. "They want it to hit the charts and start the buzz again. They think we should get you back in the studio ASAP to work on it—and maybe start on the next album."

Suki's heart raced. She'd just wrapped up months of tour planning and promo; the idea of launching into studio sessions felt like sprinting without ever catching her breath.

"Wait, they're talking an entire album?"

Allie nodded. "This isn't small, Suki. They want you trending all year—music, collabs, everything. And on top of that, there's talk about you being the new face of a detox tea."

"Seriously? Detox tea?" Suki grimaced, immediately repulsed. "That's the opposite of what I stand for."

"They're saying it's all-natural, no chemicals," Sasha added, trying to smooth it over. "Look, we can say no to that one if you're not into it."