Chapter 108: Business and Boundaries
Three days later, while the girls were away at school, Eric was over at his grandfather’s building. He sat on the fourth-floor couch, scrolling through his smartphone. On the table lay several documents from Richard’s office, stating that his legal name change had been approved and was now official from the court. He had just picked them up, marveling at how Richard had somehow managed to fast-track the entire process.
Eric immediately went to work changing all of his identification. He updated his information across every service he subscribed to, his social media accounts, and even his DoorDash app for ordering food. Once that was done, he set his smartphone down and stood up. He walked over to the window, standing right beside the drawn curtains, and parted them just a fraction to peek down below. Across the street, he spotted a man standing next to a pole, keeping a close eye on his building.
"Hmm... who the hell is that guy... he’s been tailing me ever since I left my apartment, tracking me from Mr. Stone’s office all the way here," Eric thought to himself.
He watched as the man snapped a few photos of the building, typed something into his smartphone, and then hopped into a car that pulled up to collect him before speeding away. Eric pulled the curtains shut once more. But before he could even walk away, he heard the sound of a vehicle pulling up below. He peeked back out and saw an F-150 truck stopping right in front of his shop. He immediately spun around, grabbed his keys off the dining table, and headed downstairs.
After making his way down, he unlocked the shop door and stepped outside, spotting Mike and Jade climbing out of the truck. Eric noticed Jade was just wearing a simple sweater and jeans, with no makeup and her hair tied up in a messy high ponytail—the casual, everyday look he used to see on her.
"You guys finally made it, come on in," Eric greeted them with a smile, throwing the door wide open.
"Sorry to drop by and bother you, Eric," Mike said, reaching out his hand.
"You’re not bothering me at all, I was the one who wanted to meet up with you," Eric replied, shaking Mike’s hand.
Eric then glanced over at Jade, who was standing right next to Mike, looking down at the ground without saying a single word. She was gripping the strap of her bag so tightly with both hands that her knuckles were turning white. Shifting his attention back to Mike, Eric gestured for them to head inside.
Once they were indoors, Eric took them downstairs to check out the basement, showed them around the shop space on the first and second floors, gave them a quick tour of the recording studio on the third floor, and finally brought them up to the fourth floor.
After Mike and Jade settled onto the couch, Eric grabbed some drinks from the fridge. He handed two cans of soda to Mike and Jade while holding one for himself, taking a seat right across from them. Mike and Jade looked around, taking in Eric’s current living space with deep curiosity. After taking a sip, Mike turned his attention back to Eric.
"So, what’s on your mind? You called and asked to meet up. And hey... this is actually the first time we’re really meeting face-to-face, isn’t it?" Mike said.
"Let’s get right to it. There’s something I want to ask you, but before that, take a look at this first," Eric said.
Eric showed Mike the messages from Anthony in his inbox. As Mike read through his brother’s texts, his expression shifted several times before he finally settled back into a calm, expressionless look. He then handed Eric’s smartphone back.
"Are you planning on accepting a contract from Anthony?" Mike asked.
"I’m still discussing it with everyone. I know Trinity Entertainment is a massive player with a real name in the industry, but I don’t know Anthony personally. Unfortunately, because of how he showed up at school the other day, he left a pretty bad impression on the girls... The Empress," Eric answered casually.
"Man, give me a break. My brother really does act reckless when he gets too eager, but he always ends up regretting it afterward and has no clue how to fix things. He’s honestly pathetic. I’m really sorry if you guys were bothered by his behavior," Mike said, letting out a sigh and shaking his head.
"Don’t worry about it, I wasn’t bothered. I just want to know why he seems to be in such a massive rush. Reading through his messages, it feels like he’s being pressured by something," Eric said, glancing down at the texts again.
"He’s being pressed by his boss. He was ordered to get to you guys as fast as possible. The second your latest song dropped and immediately went viral, his boss chewed him out at the office. That night, he asked to talk to me, and when we met up, he looked like a guy waiting on death row... I mean, yeah, he messes up sometimes... but trust me on this, he’s not a bad guy. He’s just caught in a tight spot," Mike explained, trying his best to reassure Eric.
"I know he’s not a bad guy, and he doesn’t seem like the type to act reckless either... unless something is pushing him to the edge. That’s exactly why I want to know what’s going on before I do business with him. But are there seriously no other managers over there? Why did his boss specifically demand him?" Eric asked, genuinely curious.
"Hmm... how should I put it... his career hasn’t been great. Compared to the other managers, he’s lagging way behind. I think his boss wanted to give him a real shot, but he panicked instead and blew it. That’s pretty much the story," Mike said.
Eric thought about it for a moment. When he first spotted Anthony at the school, the guy had looked completely confident. But the second Wilson, the gym teacher, called him out, he immediately shriveled up and practically power-walked away, if he could have run, he probably would have.
Then, when Eric saw Anthony arguing with the receptionist and security, he had looked completely panicked, as if his head would literally be on a chopping block tomorrow if he didn’t secure a meeting today. Yet, in the end, he had chosen to diffuse the tension between Eric, the girls, and Jade at the time, offered his apologies, and walked away.
Now that he was hearing what was actually going on with Anthony from Mike, it made it easier to decide whether he wanted to sign with the label or try something else entirely.
Mike, noticing Eric’s silence, grew a bit nervous as Eric seemed lost in thought. He glanced over at Jade, who was still staring intently at the coffee table as if it held the answers to every single question running through her mind.
"Okay... I get it. I’ll just call him directly later and talk to him face-to-face. What about you, Mike? What’s your major?" Eric asked, shifting back to casual conversation.
"Oh, I’m pre-law. Want to be an attorney in the future... well, that’s the plan anyway," Mike answered, holding his soda can.
"I see. Is your campus close by?" Eric asked.
"Yeah, actually. I pass by this building all the time. I had no idea it belonged to you until I came over here with Jade, Ruby, and Anthony. I just never would’ve guessed this whole place was yours, haha," Mike replied.
"Yeah, that’s fair. A lot of people are surprised, not just you," Eric said with a smile. Then, he glanced at Jade, then back to Mike. "So, when are you two getting married?" Eric asked bluntly.
The room went dead silent in an instant. Mike’s soda can hovered inches from his mouth, frozen in place, while Jade’s eyes went wide and her jaw dropped. Time seemed to stop completely for a few seconds before both of their faces flushed bright red and they quickly looked away from each other.
Eric had thrown out the question without any real hidden agenda, just speaking whatever crossed his mind, so he was completely bewildered by their total silence.
"Um... what’s up? Did I ask something wrong?" Eric asked.
"No, man, you’re good... as for that... we’re taking things slow," Mike answered.
Hearing Mike’s words, Eric instantly remembered what Caleb had told him yesterday about them just patching things up. They were definitely still feeling awkward around each other. He immediately rubbed the back of his neck, feeling bad for bringing up something that made the atmosphere so stiff, and realized how completely clueless he had been.
"Sorry... I didn’t mean anything by it, just asking. Don’t worry about it," Eric said awkwardly.
"Yeah... it’s fine, don’t sweat it, bro," Mike said, rubbing the back of his own neck.
Ultimately, the mood turned incredibly stiff and awkward with no one saying a word, making the room feel heavy with a tense silence.
