Different Circles

“Why can’t you drive it?” asked Matt. “Because it’s too fuckin’ small?”

“Because it’s a Cabriolet,” Jake said simply.

Matt understood. “Oh, yeah,” he said wisely. “Unless you’re a dick smoker, you definitely can’t be seen doing that shit.”

Celia and Pauline both rolled their eyes and shook their heads.

“What’s she going to get?” asked Pauline.

“I don’t know,” he said. “She doesn’t know either. I just told her to go out and buy whatever she wants.”

“She’s taking Caydee car shopping with her?” asked Celia.

“No,” Jake said. “Meghan, the girl we’re considering for our nanny, is coming over to watch her today. Kind of a trial run so we can see how she does.”

“Oh, speaking of Miss Meghan,” Pauline said. “I have the background report on her in my office at home. Do you want to swing by after this fuckfest and take a look at it?”

“How’s it look?” Jake asked. “Is she clean?”

“Maybe not sterile, and she’s certainly no nun, but no serious concerns. There are a few interesting tidbits in there though.”

“A nanny named Meghan?” asked Matt, interested. “That sounds like the opening of one of Kim’s porno flicks. What’s this bitch look like?”

“She’s all right,” Jake said with a shrug. “Not that that interests me in the least.”

“Oh ... right, of course not,” Matt said with a grin. “She gonna be living with you?”

“If it all works out,” Jake said.

“Out of fuckin’ sight,” Matt said enviously. “Although I do not recommend banging your household staff, you pretty much have to make an exception to the rule when you’re talking a nanny—especially one named Meghan.”

This time Pauline, Celia and Jake rolled their eyes and shook their heads. “Come on,” Jake said. “Let’s head up. We’re starting to attract attention.”

They piled into the elevator and Celia pushed the button for the sixteenth floor. As the rickety little conveyance began to jerk and jitter its way up, Jake turned to Matt.

“Now remember, Matt,” he told the guitarist, “this is just like the Intemperance days when we sat down to negotiate something with these fucks. Pauline is in charge. We present a united front against these suits no matter what. If there is something you disagree with, you do not bring it up at the table in front of them. We talk about it later.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Matt said. “I’m down with that shit as long as I start getting some fuckin’ cashflow out of this deal.”

“You’ll get your cashflow,” Jake promised. “And so will we.”

“I hate to say it,” Celia said, “but I really wish that Greg was here for this.”

“Yeah,” Pauline said with reluctant respect. “He really was a good person to have in negotiations like this.”

“Hey, what was the deal with him and Mindy Snow anyway?” Matt asked Celia. “Did she really sabotage his fuckin’ rubber just so she could get pregnant?”

“Something like that,” Celia said sourly.

“It’s a bit of a sore subject for Celia, Matt,” Pauline said.

“I understand that shit,” Matt said. “What a fucked-up deal that was! I live in fear of some bitch pulling some shit like that on me. That’s why I always make sure to bring my own fuckin’ rubbers to the game. There’s no little pinholes in my shit.”

Thankfully, the elevator reached its destination at that moment. The doors slid open and the four of them stepped out. The entered the main office and checked in with the secretary manning the desk. She told them that Mr. Crow, Mr. Bailey, and Mr. Doolittle wanted them to come right back.

“All right,” Jake said, steeling himself for the coming encounter. “Let’s do this thing.”

“Let’s fuckin’ do it,” Matt agreed.

It quickly became apparent that the National Records suits did not give a rat’s ass about the new CDs, neither Matt’s nor Celia’s. All they wanted to talk about were the tours that would follow.

“Did you guys even listen to the CDs?” Jake asked them shortly into the meeting.

“Yes, yes, of course,” Crow said. “We gave them a cursory listen when we received them. They’re fine.”

“Fine?” Matt asked, fuming. “Faithless is the best fuckin’ thing I’ve put out since Intemperance. It’s a fuckin’ masterpiece.”

“Yes, yes,” Crow said. “Like I said, it’s just fine. More than enough to justify sending you out on tour again.”

“Your CD is also acceptable, Celia,” said Bailey. “It has some catchy tunes on it and we should be able to get you enough airplay to keep your name up there until your tour starts.”

“Acceptable,” Celia said slowly, just as offended as Matt. She had put her heart and soul into Living in Limbo, had composed music and lyrics that reflected the pain, misery, loneliness, and resurgence she had undergone since the events that led to her divorce. She, like Matt, considered it the best work she had done to date. And they were calling it acceptable?

“Exactly,” Crow said with his weasel-smile on his face. “Acceptable. But enough about the CDs. Let’s go back to talking about the tours.”

“Uh ... let’s not,” Jake said. “We’re here to negotiate MD&P for those CDs. Such negotiation requires that we talk about them.”