Page 65 of Love Deep

“I think the guys are looking at their options.”

My jaw tenses, and I take a swig of the beer that’s in front of me so I appear more relaxed than I am. “Oh yeah? Tell me what they’re looking at.”

He meets my eye and holds my gaze for a second. “You know I like you, Fisher. You’re a good guy. Decent. Straightforward—unlike lots of people in this business. But the game has changed so much.”

“For the record, I like you too, Benny. For the same reasons. And you’re right, the business is changing. But it’s always been changing. What’s great about Right Records isthat we’re smaller, so we adapt to change quicker. We’re nimble.”

Benny nods.

“Just level with me, Benny. What’s going on?”

Benny sighs and shakes his head. “The guys have been… I don’t know how to say it. They’ve been approached by… Re Records.”

He didn’t need to tell me.

“There’s a new head honcho over there. Talks a very good game.”

“Gerry Banks,” I say.

“Yeah, that’s right. He was a manager before. I knew him from that. Always liked him, although he was a little too polished for me to want to sit in a pub with him.”

I know exactly what Benny means. Gerry Banks wears a veneer of affability that’s believable if you don’t know him well enough.

“I used to work in A&R with him at EMG.”

“It’s a small world,” Benny says. “Anyway, he’s been courting the guys pretty hard. Turning up during the last part of the tour. And this was before he landed at Re Records. I thought he was trying to poach them from me.”

But no. He was trying to poach them fromme.

“And he goes to the same gym as Damien. And they’ve struck up a friendship.”

Fuck.

“That’s a coincidence. Him being at the same gym as Damien.” There’s no way it’s a coincidence. Gerry is aggressively pursuing The Homecoming Kings and has clearly figured out where Damien goes to the gym.

“Yeah,” Benny says and takes a sip of his Guiness. “It is a coincidence.”

“Or Gerry’s found out which gym Damien goes to andis stalking him.” That would be consistent with what he’s done before.

Benny holds my gaze. “Either way, he’s still managed to gain Damien’s trust.”

“And what does that mean, Benny?” I was sick of fucking around. If they’re not going to sign with Right Records, I want to know.

“They don’t want to re-sign with Right Records. They want to go to Re.”

I swallow down the hurt and anger swirling inside me. “I discovered The Homecoming Kings. Fuck, I introduced them to you.”

“I know,” Benny says. “This isn’t my decision.”

“But you advise them. You think signing with Re is the best thing for the band?”

Benny pulls in a breath. “I think it might be good.”

My stomach falls. The decision is made. If Benny is on board, there’s no changing any minds.

“Well, thanks for telling me.” My tone is slightly sarcastic because if I hadn’t suggested a drink tonight, I wonder when Benny would have told me. “It would have been nice to have had a discussion.”

“The decision was made, Fisher. There was no point dicking you about, getting you to jump through hoops. Even I haven’t been involved in lots of the discussions. Gerry and Damien’s friendship meant it crept up on me. Basically, Damien has been talking to Re every day. Gerry has gained his trust. And you know how the guys are, if Damien’s happy, they’re all happy.”