“Honey,” Patti says, “I think the time has come for us to have an honest conversation about your employment.”
“Huh?”
“I’ve loved having you as my employee. Everyone loves you. But ever since you told me you got signed, you’ve been distracted. I’ve been wondering when you’re going to give me your notice.”
I place my palms on the kitchen counter, feeling the need to steady myself. “I wasn’t planning to give my notice. It’s just one song, Patti.”
“You just told me the label has hired an Oscar-nominated director to shoot the music video for that one song.”
“But that’s only because Maddy is a friend of Reed’s. Reed’s got all these friends who—”
“Alessandra, you’re already taking time off for your trip with your boyfriend next week—which I think is wonderful, by the way. Good for you. But I’ve got a business to run. I think the time has come for you to focus all your time and attention on your budding music career. Surely, the record label paid you some up-front money? You’re not going to go hungry while you wait for the song to be released?”
She’s right. River Records did, indeed, pay me a small sum when I signed the contract—an amount Fish’s lawyer said was double the market rate, in fact. But, still, I wasn’t planning to live off that money. I was planning to save it and use it for my tuition in the fall, in case my single tanks spectacularly, and that money turns out to be the only income I ever see from my so-called “music career.”
“I did get paid some money,” I admit. “But it’s not a lot. And I’m almost certainly going to need it for tuition in the fall.”
“Tuition in the fall?” Patti makes a little tsk noise. “Oh, sweetie. After everything you just told me, it’s clear you’re not coming back to school in the fall!”
“The contract is for only one song, and the music industry is a brutal one, even when River Records is backing you. I’m not expecting anything life changing to happen here, based on one song. I can’t let myself expect anything too big to happen—if only to keep myself from feeling crushed when nothing does.”
“If I’m wrong about this, I’ll figure out how to rehire you in the fall. But for now, I’m going to give your hours to Kendall and release you to focus all your attention on this incredible opportunity. Have fun, Ally. Give it your all, without holding back or trying to juggle your old and new lives.”
I say nothing. Did I just get fired from a job I love?
“You’ll thank me one day,” Patti says, breaking the silence between us. “One day very soon.”
I take a deep breath to keep myself from crying. “Okay. Well, tell Kendall thank you for covering my shift today.”
“I will. She loves that band your boyfriend is in, by the way. She was going on and on about them to me the other day.”
“Yeah, they’re amazing.”
“Honey, everyone here is rooting for you. We can’t wait to say ‘We knew her when.’”
“Thank you. I hope I don’t disappoint you.”
“You won’t. No matter what, we love you.”
We say our goodbyes and end the call, and I collapse onto my elbows over my kitchen counter. With the end of my job at the café, I’m now officially a full-time River Records artist. Or, I guess, I will be, technically, in a month, when my single is out and my summer class is officially over. But, quickly, I’m not thinking about any of that. I’m too busy remembering I’ve just received objective confirmation that Fish is ‘head over heels in love’ with me, his ‘hot girlfriend,’ every bit as much as I’m head over heels in love with him.
Twenty-One
Alessandra
I plop onto my bed and place a call to Fish, eager to tell him about my conversation with Reed. But, unfortunately, my call goes straight to voicemail.
“Tell me something good,” Fish’s outgoing message says. Beep.
“It’s me!” I chirp. “Call me whenever you can. I just got some amazing news from Reed!”
I hang up and sigh.
I can’t believe how quickly Fish has become my rock. My best friend and lover, even though we haven’t even kissed yet. But so what if we’ve never actually touched? We’ve had some good, hot times, remotely! Since Fish first let me watch his face as he jerked himself off out of frame, we’ve been exploring the physical side of our relationship more and more, over the past several weeks. I’ve now seen him standing before me totally naked, with an erection. And he’s seen me, standing before him, in nothing but cotton undies. No tank top or bra. And, man, does it turn me on to see how much that boy loves my boobs.
A few days ago, Fish let me watch him masturbate to completion—this time, with the camera framing his head and torso, so I could see every detail as it unfolded. And, holy hell, did I get turned on! Right after that, during the same call, I let Fish watch me touch myself. Granted, I only let him see me reaching into my undies. And I wasn’t able to reach the finish line in front of him. I did that after we hung up. But, still, it was massive progress in terms of me letting go of my inhibitions. Indeed, the intimacy I’ve been feeling with Fish these past weeks—the bond I feel with him—is incredible. So amazing, I don’t have a doubt in my mind I’m ready to give him every inch of me in New York. In fact, I can’t wait.