After weeks in the studio and Howie coming up to help with recording bass for the track, it was time for the final mastering of the album. Guys sat at the coffee room while producers were giving the last finishing touches to finalize their work.
It was little after four o'clock in the morning, with Howie snoozing on the sofa in the corner, clutching a pink pillow against his chest. Darius stretched out his limbs and cracked his knuckles.
"We are happy that you decided to bring us on it, man," Darius said.
Joseph cast a look at Howie.
"Blame it on the jackass there," he pointed at the sleeping man. "But I am happy with you guys out here."
"How's it going by the way? Looking forward to the first tour?"
Joseph cracked open another beer and handed it off to Darius. Hewitt opened the one for himself and drank half of it.
"I'm thrilled," he said. "I'm not very sure about the benefit coming and I am considering saying no to the performance that night. I want to finish this album and head off. I'd rather play at pubs and stadiums than climbing on a stage for snobby people."
"When the thing?" Howie spoke up, finally waking up from his little catnap.
"In three months."
Three months later
With the album out and tour finished, just one day was left until Joseph had to attend the benefit.
He stood at the manager's office, waiting for instructions for the next evening.
Alex Munoch, his new manager, watched him intensely. His light hair clung to his forehead, deep blue eyes and thin lips framed his face.
"You declined the offer to perform, yet you still wanna go on that awful thing?"
Joseph shrugged.
"Well... I don't want to but I see this as a great opportunity to get signed with that label and when the next album comes out, I will dump them. I want to build a solid concrete base for my independent career and if it takes only a one-year contract to do it, I don't see another way."
"But Joe, this is stupidity on a higher level, ya know?!" He wasn't happy and Alex already knew the consequences that might shake the undersurface of all it and his career. "What happens if he finds out that all of it was planned in advance?"
"Then I have my savings and pay from the sale of the previous albums." Joseph tried to protect his statement. "And all of this scheme is not about money. I have plenty of it. This is about getting a marketing plan and not doing all of the work alone. I know I promised myself that I wouldn't get bounded with a label, but I need a kickstart. My name sells and with the songs we wrote, I am in a good place."
"And the press will get a kick out of it," Alex pointed out, slamming his laptop closed.
The whole plan didn't really make any sense. He didn't need the signing, neither did he need to pursue the whole do-and-dump plan.
"And I am taking Tatiana with me."
Alex gave up and held his hands up, stopping Joseph from continuing.
"Do what you think works. When the press gets a hold of any kind of scent, I am out the door."
