in turn, my dear, is going to rocket your song to the top of the charts.”
Alessandra is quite obviously flabbergasted. She looks at me, her blue eyes wide, and I nod, letting her know I wholeheartedly agree with Reed’s assessment. Indeed, with a launch like this for her little song, I can’t imagine it not becoming a monster hit. Top 20, at the very least, by the time it peaks.
The group on our end of the table peppers Reed and Maddy with questions about the video concept, and they describe their ideas in further detail, the gist of which is that Alessandra and I will be unrequited lovers at the coffeehouse. Alessandra, the shy performer onstage. And me, the shy barista behind a counter who watches his crush from across the room while writing secret love notes to her. Notes, by the way, the barista never gives to her, but, instead, always throws into the bin.
Keane, for his part, will play a douchebag customer who finds my discarded love notes and uses them to seduce and two-time the waitresses of the coffeehouse—Laila and Georgina. Neither of whom knows the other is being romanced by Keane.
“All those famous faces down there will make cameos as customers of the coffeehouse,” Maddy explains. “They’ve all agreed to drop by tomorrow, whenever they can, to shoot their cameos.”
Alessandra looks a bit overwhelmed. “Can I ask a question?” she asks timidly. “I’m not trying to look a gift horse in the mouth here. I can’t believe how lucky I am. But why are all these famous artists willing to make cameos in some nobody’s video?”
Reed shrugs. “Every last one of them owes me a favor. But also, and this is the truth, Alessandra, none of them would do this if they didn’t genuinely like you and believe in your song.”
“Oh my gosh,” Alessandra whispers, squeezing my hand. “Thank you so much, Reed. I’m going to hop up and thank each artist around the table, individually!”
“No, no,” Reed says, laughing. “Thank them tomorrow if they actually show up. Also, there’s no need to thank me. I wouldn’t be doing any of this if I didn’t think I’d make my money back, and then some.”
Alessandra looks at me, her eyebrow cocked at Reed’s last comment. She’s told me before she thinks Reed wouldn’t have signed her, if not for his love for Georgina. And I’ve told her in reply, “It doesn’t matter how you got there, sweetheart—it’s what you do with the opportunity.” But even as I’ve said those words to her, I’ve understood her self-doubt, since I’ve experienced similar doubts over the years about myself, and how I came to be where I am in life.
But now, I know, for a fact, Reed is being sincere. Yes, he loves Georgina. That much is clear and would be obvious to anyone who spends more than two minutes in their presence. The man is absolutely head over heels in love. But I also believe now, with all my heart, that Reed wouldn’t throw this much weight and clout and resources behind Alessandra and her little song if he didn’t sincerely think he was holding a tiger by its tail.
“Reed is telling the truth,” I whisper to Alessandra, squeezing her hand. “He’s a businessman, through and through. His reputation is too important to throw this much firepower at a ‘present’ for his girlfriend, no matter how much he loves her.”
Alessandra’s shoulders soften, and I know, for the first time, ever, she genuinely believes me this time. “Thank you, love.”
Love.
We said it to each other during the show, from afar. But we haven’t said it intimately yet.
“I love you, Alessandra,” I say simply.
“I love you, too, Matthew. With all my heart.”
And that’s it. We’re in love and we both know it. And it feels so good.
“Open a case of your finest champagne!” Reed shouts to the waiter. “We’re celebrating an amazing charity concert and the imminent birth of a superstar!” He indicates Alessandra with his whiskey glass at those last words, and then shouts, “Mark my words, this girl here is about to make every person at this table look like a fucking amateur!”
Twenty-Five
Alessandra
Wrapping up his story, Fish says to the group, “So, if any of you want Dax and me to grant your lifelong wish like two genies in a bottle, just say the word, and we’ll cast a magic warlock spell for you on German TV.”
The entire group laughs. The same way everyone laughs whenever Fish makes any