Ashes

Chapter 25

"Stars and bars and steel guitars. Heh. I love it."

Bryce studied the lyrics while Ashanté watched him with hopeful eyes.

"Hmmm..."

"Yes?" Unconsciously Ashanté leaned toward the edge of her chair. "So what do you think?"

"Hn. I think..."

"Yes?"

"I think it sucks."

Ashanté's jaw dropped. "Are you kidding? I stayed up all night writing those stupid lyrics! I could've been doing homework."

"Well, they suck. Don't worry about it. There's a good idea here. I like the realism approach and the experiences of a black woman in a white world trying to make good while everyone's keeping her down. Gives us a good launch point to work from. I'll have Cody or Zack take a look at this and work it up. It'll be fine. In fact, I'm thinking we'll call the album Stars and Bars and Steel Guitars.  What do you think?"

"Argh."

"You say argh  a lot. Are you part pirate?"

Ashanté wanted to whack him, but controlled herself. For the love of Mike, I stayed up all night writing those damn lyrics, and now white boy says it's not important? Grrrrrrrr.

She looked like a zombie today and could barely focus, but that was fine; Cody and Zack would take care of business. Why didn't he just make Cody and Zack take care of it in the first place? And why did everyone around here sound like a character from a Gene Autry film?

She sighed and leaned back in the armchair in front of his desk. He did have good taste in furniture, although it was probably his secretary who'd hired the decorator.

Bryce watched her with a boyish simper until she laughed. "Heh. That's better. I have some good news. I've found you a manager. His name is Vernon Lynch, although Mav calls him Spur.  Where he got that name, I don't know. I never call him anything but Vern, and I've never heard anyone but Maverick call him Spur."

Honestly, why did he have to look so good? Ashanté noted that he looked darker today.

Nice tan, white boy. You must've paid a fortune for that.

"He's worked at Broken Pony forever, and over the years he's represented a slew of successful artists. Really knows the business inside and out."

Bryce looked almost as dark as she did, and she wondered how far it went. Did he have tan lines and a pearly white bottom?

"We're putting together a backing band for you and setting up some shows around town, starting with the River View Roadhouse. They were keen to have you back since few of the regulars seem to like karaoke, but they've never had a live band before. There'll be a learning curve for both sides."

She couldn't help snickering. It was like white people wanted to be black, only they didn't want your lips, your nose or your hair. But they'd pay a fortune to have your skin.

You know, I don't think I'd mind if you had a lilly white bottom, white boy. Okay, I'd laugh for a few minutes, but then I'd want to wrap my teeth right around your throbbing ─

"Ashanté? Yoo hoo! Are you listening?"

"Huh?" She shook her head to clear the fog. Gaaah!  I really need to stop reading those Zane novels.

"Eh, don't worry about it. Vern will fill you in when he arrives. Ah, this must be him now."

Someone knocked on the half open door, then a thirtyish man stepped into the office.

"Come in, come in. Meet our newest artist. Ashanté, this is Vern. Ashanté needs a big buildup for her forthcoming album, Stars and Bars and Steel Guitars."

Vernon cocked an eyebrow. "This is a full album, not an EP? For a brand new artist? An untried act?"

"That's right. You might want to play up the fact that she's a college kid majoring in music. Working her way through school, you know? As wholesome as pumpkin pie, baseball and cowboy boots; a slice of Americana. We don't want the white listeners out there to find her threatening. Let's make them wonder why country music wasn't more inclusive all along. You know the drill."

Vern nodded slowly, forming a picture in his mind. Yeah, I know the drill. Either you or Mav is shagging her, so I have to make her a star. Jesus.