When the door opens, I realize I hadn’t even noticed it was shut until a very tall man closes it again behind him and looks over at me with a huge smile on his face. On the phone, I thought I was meeting with an older guy. But this guy is young and huge. Over six feet, with broad shoulders and thick arms. His brown hair is long, dusting his shoulders, while his brown-eyed gaze is very intimidating. Despite his age, which can’t be over thirty, he looks distinguished. Like one of those high-up guys, and my heart is pounding so hard against my ribs as he pins me with a look.

“Avery Rose! Nice to meet ya! I’m Stu Waters,” he says, shaking my hand and I plead with myself to remember how to talk.

“It’s wonderful to meet you,” I somehow say and he grins as he pulls out a chair, setting his computer down.

“Really excited to talk with ya, feel ya out, see what you’re thinkin’,” he says quickly, his Southern drawl lacing his voice. “So, tell me your story.”

“My story?” I croak out and he grins.

“Yeah, who are you?”

I shrug. “I’m me.”

“And that is?” he asks, leaning on his hand, and I smile.

“Amazing,” I say, taking a page out of Jace’s book, and he grins back at me. “I moved here from Princeton, New Jersey to follow my dreams. My parents didn’t believe that I could or would do it when I started talking about it back in March, but I knew I was leaving. I want to be a singer or a songwriter. Maybe even both. I go to school at Bellevue, pursuing a music degree, and I start my internship at Empress Records in January. I do at least four gigs a week, and I’ve gotten pretty popular on campus—”

“Yeah, I came to your show downtown at Lyrics last week.”

I cringe. “You did?”

“Yeah, it was great. I love how you work that loop pedal.”

“Thank you.”

“Very Ed Sheeran of you.”

“I learned how to do it after watching one of his shows. I thought it was amazing.”

He nods. “For sure! Awesome, yeah. I mean, you’re great, love your style, love your voice. It’s very smoky, I love it. Kinda a mix between Alanis Morissette and Sara Bareilles.”

“Wow, thank you,” I say, and I pray he doesn’t see that I’m freaking the hell out. Those women are my idols, and he’s saying my voice is like theirs? Eek!

“For sure, and you are good lyrically. You could be better, and I think with some work, I can get you there.”

“You can?”

“Oh, yeah. I’m not sure if I can sell you, though,” he says, shaking his head as he looks me over. Sell me? Why? Am I doing something wrong? Shit, I wasn’t ready for this. “You’re like every other girl out there with this dream, a female version of Ed. And I don’t know, I don’t think it will sell.”

“I think I would sell well.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. I mean, sure, I’m like every girl out there, but I feel my voice is unique, rustic, and I’m likable. Plus, I have drive. I fight for what I want.”

He nods. “Yeah, I agree. I like you, but I don’t know if everyone else will. Okay, hold on. Let’s see what you think about this,” he says, pausing before leaning forward and hitting the button on the phone in the middle of the table. He then leans back in his chair to cross his arms as the receptionist’s voice fills the room.

“Yes, Stu?”

“Hey, do we have any internships open?”

“Yeah, you fired that kid last week, remember?”

He pauses. “What? I did?”

“He spilled your coffee down your shirt in front of Diddy.”

“Oh!” he says, laughing, and my eyes widen. “That’s right. But I fired him?”

“Yes.”

“Hm, seems a little drastic, don’t you think?”

“Diddy didn’t think so.”

“Then I’m awesome! Okay, and I haven’t hired anyone else?”

“Nope, you have a whole stack of applications on your desk.”

“Cool, thanks,” he says before clicking the button again and looking at me. “Blow off that unpaid internship at Empress and come work here now. My interns get eight bucks an hour.”

“Wow, sign me up.”

“That’s my girl.” He grins. “And then, wait,” he says, pausing and hitting the button again. He’s very erratic. I like it, but at the same time, it makes me twitch. I want to slow him down, make him think, but he’s working at a thousand miles an hour.

“Yes, Stu.”

“Hey, when is our next showcase?”

“March fourth,” she says and he nods.

“That’s right, thanks,” he says, clicking off and looking at me. “We have a showcase coming up. All the talent I believe in comes and performs. Invite your family, your boyfriend, and rock the socks off not only them and me but my colleagues, too. I really believe in your music, and I think it’s going to be awesome. In the meantime, though, you’ll work here, we’ll work on your songwriting, and you’ll learn the ropes. Meet people, do the damn thing, you know?”

I can only nod as my cheeks start to hurt from smiling so hard. This is happening. This is really fucking happening. Holy crap.

“Cool, so what do you say?”

Grinning, my heart is in my throat and I have to keep myself from screaming out. “When do I start?”

When I’m done with all the paperwork and I say bye, I practically sprint down the stairs and out of the building to where Jace is waiting for me. When I throw the door open, he jumps and I realize he was sleeping. But unlike normal people who wake up all slow, Jace is wide-eyed, his eyes on me as he turns to face me.

“So?”

“So! Ah!” I yelp and he grins.

“Tell me!”

“I have a showcase on March fourth, and he wants me to intern here. Now! Like, tomorrow, and he’s paying me. Like, money! I was working for free at Empress. Holy crap! And we will work on my writing and everything. Holy crap, Jace. This is happening!”

“Hell yeah, it is! Told you,” he says, taking me by my face and kissing me hard on the lips. “I’m so proud of you.”

“Thanks. I can’t believe it!”

“How? Baby, you’re fucking amazing. This was bound to happen.”