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3rd POV
The sound of music filled the soundproof room—fast, electrifying guitar riffs, accompanied by the rapid beat of the drums, creating a loud, raw rock sound. The deep, buzzing bass added a powerful depth, making the room feel like an impromptu concert.
Georgie suddenly halted the performance, stopping Kayla, Edo, and James, who were completely immersed in the music.
"Stop," he commanded, his sharp gaze locking onto James. "You're off tempo." His tone was firm, his disappointment evident.
They were rehearsing for George S.'s concert, and Georgie wasn't about to let them just play around—he wanted perfection.
"What's wrong with you?" he asked, looking at all three of them. "Did I make a mistake choosing you for this team?" His voice carried both authority and frustration.
"Sorry, Georgie. Let me try again." James muttered, lowering his head and staring at his fingers.
They were just kids, not professionals. If they wanted to match Georgie's standards, they had to work much harder.
Yet, despite Georgie's claim that James was off tempo, the others hadn't even noticed the mistake.
"Alright, try again." Georgie instructed, watching them intently.
Outside the room, other musicians observed the session. Rosie had already secured a pedal steel guitarist, a fiddle player, and several others—seasoned musicians who had been playing for years and had mastered their instruments.
"I can't believe you are opener for George S. concert" Alex, the steel guitar player, muttered, glancing at Georgie beside him. Then, his gaze shifted toward James, Kayla, and Edo. "And you're bringing them?" His voice dripped with skepticism.
Alex was 23, a recent graduate from a music school. Though fresh out of school, his skills were more than sufficient for Georgie's band.
Beside him, Beckie, the fiddle player, sighed as she observed the younger musicians.
"It's like we're playing with kids…" she muttered, exhaling deeply.
Like Alex, Beckie had also just graduated and was struggling to find steady work. Rosie's offer to join the label was an opportunity neither of them could pass up.
Why were they here? Because they were cheap.
Why did they accept? Because fresh music graduates had few options. And honestly, it was better to have a steady job here than to hop from one bar to another, earning pocket change from bar owners.
Georgie ignored their commentary, keeping his focus on James' group. He tapped his foot to the rhythm they played, listening carefully.
"Well, they're still young and need more training. You guys are older—help them." Georgie said, turning to Beckie and Alex.
Alex nodded, while Beckie sighed again.
After several more minutes of listening to James' group, Georgie assessed them one by one.
"That's passable." he finally said.
Edo and Kayla let out relieved sighs.
But James wasn't satisfied. He looked down at his guitar, then back at Georgie.
"I need more training. Can I stay the night and practice here?" he asked.
"What about school?" Georgie raised an eyebrow, already knowing that if James made this decision, the others would follow.
"What about it?" James grinned.
Georgie's lips twitched. He turned to Miss Fenley, his former teacher, expecting her to shoot James down.
Instead, Miss Fenley gave them all a determined look. "You can stay and practice more. I don't want any mistakes at the concert," she said.
Rosie nodded in agreement, glancing at the trio before looking back at Georgie. Though she didn't say anything, her eyes silently questioned the credibility of James' group.
"Alright." Georgie said after reading Rosie's signal. He turned back to James, Kayla, and Edo.
"You guys stay the night—but practice until you fucking drop!"
The room fell silent. Everyone stared at him, their expressions tense.
Then Georgie smiled.
"Of course, I'm joking. Keep practicing, but get enough rest. I'll set a limit—you train until midnight, then you must sleep."
James and the others nodded, not arguing.
Georgie left the room, followed by Rosie and Miss Fenley.
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3rd POV
"Damn… I thought he was serious for a second," Alex muttered, scratching the back of his neck. He looked at James and the others. "Is he always like this?"
"Not really… we're still getting to know each other." James replied, then turned to Kayla—who knew Georgie better than anyone in the room.
"Why are you looking at me?" Kayla scoffed, looking away. She was still annoyed at Georgie for pushing them so hard, making her play until her fingers ached.
"He just doesn't want us to screw up at the concert. That's normal," she said.
Edo nodded in agreement. "I think Kayla's right. This is his first debut, after all."
Beckie sighed but nodded as well, "He's so cute when he's mad."
Kayla crossed her arms, a little irritated at how Georgie had spoken earlier.
Well… her body felt a bit itchy thinking about it.
James and Edo exchanged a weird glance before subtly distancing themselves from Beckie and Kayla.
James turned to Alex. "Can you help us practice again?"
Alex sighed, realizing he wasn't going to get a break anytime soon.
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Georgie's POV
I sat across from Rosie and Miss Fenley, sensing that they had something on their minds.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
Rosie glanced at Fenley before turning back to me.
"George S. wants to buy the song you played earlier." she said cautiously.
Ah. Maybe she was worried I'd get ripped off.
I appreciated their concern. At least they came to me first instead of making decisions behind my back.
"Sure. How much does he want to buy it for?" I asked casually.
Rosie's expression barely changed, but Fenley's eyes widened in surprise.
"Why do you want to sell it?" Fenley asked, clearly baffled.
"Why not?" I shrugged. "We need funds. I don't want to slow down the label's growth. If I can help, I will. Even if it sounds like a stupid move—because I know that song will be a hit and boost George S.'s career, But i like him, and I hope we can strengthen our connection with him and his record label."
Why should I be mad about this? I was just selling my song to its rightful singer and making money from it.
Fenley was still staring at me while Rosie nodded.
"I'm impressed. I thought you'd lose your mind and blow up over this," Rosie said.
"Please. If you had done this behind my back without telling me or without getting my approval, then I'd be mad," I said, waving my hand dismissively at both of them.
"Alright. George is offering $50,000 for the song. I've already contacted our lawyer to negotiate the terms. I want to make sure the deal benefits us as much as possible," Rosie explained, jotting something down in her notebook.
Fenley sighed, then turned to Rosie, "Make sure Georgie can still perform his song without having to pay for it."
Rosie nodded. "Yes, I was thinking the same thing. Georgie should retain the rights to perform it live or at special events."
I nodded in agreement. "Alright. Anything else you want to discuss?" I asked, looking at Rosie.
She handed me a document.
"I've set up a schedule for you. You'll be performing at several bars and events. I want your name to be heard all over town," she said.
Scanning through the schedule, I frowned. "I can't make it this Saturday. I'll be out of town with my family."
"That's fine. We'll cancel it for this week only. Besides, you were going to do that gig for free," Rosie said with a shrug.
I grumbled at the word free.
Such was the struggle of an unknown singer trying to climb his way to the top. Without social media, TV and radio were the only ways to get my name out there in America. But right now, I was just a country bumpkin with no official debut.
Fenley smiled at me. "It's okay. You'll be famous in no time."
I sighed and leaned back on the couch.
"I hope so," I muttered, massaging my temples. This job was exhausting.
Rosie finally voiced the question that had been on her mind from the start.
"Are you sure about bringing James and his friends?"
"Why? Don't you trust them?" I asked.
"No," Rosie answered instantly, dead serious.
I leaned forward slightly. "Give them time. They'll master the music I want and support me soon enough. Just trust them."
"…This is a big deal, Georgie," Rosie insisted. "We could hire more experienced musicians…"
She wasn't wrong. But somehow, I felt that James, Kayla, and Edo would get there soon.
Why? I had no idea.
"I want to believe in them," I said, locking eyes with Rosie. "Besides, they're cheap, right? Isn't that what matters right now?" I grinned.
"It's not about cheap or not, Georgie. It's your debut," Fenley reminded me, her tone serious. "I want to trust them too. But this is important for you, and I don't want anyone to mess it up."
"Nah, it's fine. Those three will train until their hands go stiff and bleed—I can see it." I smirked.
Rosie and Fenley exhaled in sync.
Well, in the end, the final decision was mine.
"Alright, let's move on. What else is happening?"
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3rd POV
"I'm home," Georgie announced as he stepped inside, having just been dropped off by Fenley.
"Hey, Georgie."
A familiar voice caught him off guard.
"Veronica?" He blinked, looking around until he spotted her watching TV with Missy and Sheldon.
Well… technically, Sheldon was reading a book and ignoring the TV, so it was just Missy and Veronica watching.
"What are you doing here?" Georgie asked.
"Nothing much, just hanging out with Missy. How was your day?" Veronica asked, standing up. "Let me take this to your room." she added, picking up Georgie's bag and heading toward his room before he could respond.
Georgie turned to Missy, confused.
"What's up with her?" he asked, plopping down beside his sister.
"Not much. She came over with Mom after church." Missy replied.
Georgie had skipped church to go to the studio and focus on preparing for the concert. Of course, Mary had her doubts about Georgie's increasing absence from church, wondering if he was turning away from his faith.
But she chose to support him.
As long as God was still in Georgie's heart, she was happy.
That was what Mary believed.
"Oh, alright," Georgie said, shifting his attention to the TV, "How was your day? Did the Sparks family like the brisket?" he asked, starting a new conversation.
Missy's eyes lit up.
"Oh yeah! Mrs. Sparks said it was the best meat she's ever had!" she exclaimed, as if she had been the one to cook it.
Veronica returned just in time to hear the conversation.
"That's good. I was worried they wouldn't like it," Georgie said, standing up.
Then, he turned to Sheldon, "Shelly, are we still going to Florida?"
Veronica's head snapped toward Georgie, "Florida? Why?" she asked, sitting down again.
Sheldon, hearing his name, finally looked up from his book.
"Yes," he answered, then looked at Veronica. "There's a space shuttle launch this weekend in Cape Canaveral, Florida."
"It's just us Cooper boys going," Georgie grinned from the floor, looking up at Veronica, "You girls do whatever you want. Meanwhile, we'll be driving to Florida, soaking up the sun on the beach, and watching girls in bikinis—OUCH!"
Before he could finish, Missy and Veronica both smacked him on the head.
"You sound like an old pervert!" Veronica scolded.
"Boys… all they care about is girls in bikinis." Missy shook her head in disapproval.
On the other hand, Sheldon frowned.
"No, we're not. We're going to watch the shuttle launch, and then we're going home." he stated matter-of-factly.
Veronica chuckled and patted his shoulder, "He's just joking, Sheldon."
"Oh, alright then," Sheldon said before promptly returning to his book.
Missy shrugged and went back to watching TV, "Why do boys want to see girls in bikinis, anyway?" she asked out of curiosity.
Georgie gave her a deadpan stare.
"You should grow up first, princess. Then I'll tell you."
Missy shrugged again.
"You mean they want to have coitus, right?" Sheldon chimed in, enlightening Missy in the most scientific way possible.
Veronica let out a nervous chuckle before smacking Georgie on the head again.
He groaned, rubbing the sore spot.
Looking back at Missy, he sighed.
"Grow up first, then I'll tell you…" he paused, then quickly corrected himself. "Actually—no! Don't grow up! Be my little princess forever."
"No! I want to grow up too!" Missy argued, pouting.
"No!" Georgie countered. "You can't be an adult!"
Veronica and Sheldon simply sighed, exchanging knowing glances.
Their expressions practically screamed the same thought.
Kids.