| Chapter 35: The Big Break Lauralee invited the girls over the house. She was pacing the floor, flicking the card between her fingers. �Lau?� �Come in.� The girls walked inside the house all at once. �What�s this all about?� Veronica and the others took a seat. Lauralee held up the business card. �You didn�t rip it up,� Laura smirked. �Nope, I�ve been looking at it for the past 2 days. I think�� �Are you saying what I think you are?� �I� don�t know what I�m saying.� Elizabeth took the card from her hands. �The least we could do is meet with the guy. What else could happen?� �I guess. Should I call?� The others nodded. Lauralee picked up the phone and dialed the number on the card. �Riley Thomas�s office.� �Yes is Mr. Thomas in?� �One moment.� �Riley Thomas here.� �Riley? It�s Lauralee Deverson calling�� �Well, it�s about time. I�ve been waiting for your call.� �You have?� �Yup. Are you girls busy about 2 today?� �Uh, no.� �Good, why don�t you all come down. I would like to meet with you.� �OK. See you at 2.� �Look forward to it. It�s at the address on the card, well, the New York one anyway. Bye.� �Bye.� Lauralee hung up the phone. �2 o�clock.� �He wants to meet with us?� Bianca looked at Lauralee as she nodded. �Is this a dream?� Elizabeth pinched her arm. �No I�m awake.� ~*~ They walked up to the office where they went to the receptionist. �Excuse me?� Lauralee stood at the desk. The receptionist folded her hands. �Yes?� �We have a meeting at 2 with Mr. Thomas.� �Yes Miss Deverson. Why don�t you all have a seat and I�ll tell him you�re here.� They didn�t even have to sit as Riley came out of the office. �Right on time.� He shook their hands and led them into the office where they all took a seat. Riley leaned on the desk facing them. �So� you�re wondering why I called you in here.� �A little,� Veronica nodded. �Look, it�s my job to look at people all the time. I�ve got tapes stacked as high as warehouses for me to listen and tell if there�s something there. But you guys got something, something I haven�t heard in a while. I usually never do something like this, but I knew I had to check you out.� He went to the stereo, put in a tape, and gave them a microphone. �You think you could do what you did in the studio?� �I guess so,� Lauralee grabbed the microphone. �OK, what�ll it be?� �The chorus of �Weak�?� Riley leaned back as the girls gathered around the microphone. I get so weak in the knees I can hardly speak I lose all control then something takes over me In a daze You look so amazing It�s not a phase, I need you to stay with me by my side I swallow my pride Your love is so sweet, it knocks me right off of my feet Can�t explain why your loving makes me weak Riley rubbed his chin and smiled. �I�m glad you didn�t lose it.� �Lose what? What�s this all about Mr. Thomas?� Laura looked at him. �Ladies, I�m offering you my services as a consultant. I think with talent like yours, you could get a deal in no time. Not as a pop group, but as an R & B group.� �Oh yeah, 5 white girls singing R & B. I�m not a racist or anything, but they�ll chew us up and spit us out! No one will go for it.� �Would you sing anything else?� �Straight pop? Nah, not my thing. I think they will agree.� The girls nodded. �I have never liked anything but R & B, well, except Backstreet,� Lauralee smiled. �Girls, I�m not guaranteeing anything, but I know talent when I hear it. I want you to consider it.� The girls got up. �We will,� Lauralee shook his hand. �We�ll be in touch.� �Take your time. Really think about it.� �OK, goodbye,� The girls left the office. ~*~ They went to the coffee shop, and all sat down around a booth. �Talk about life altering,� Bianca grabbed the menu. �This is too weird. I never though I would be considering this,� Laura shook her head. �He didn�t promise a shot you know,� Veronica reasoned. �He would try to set us up with something.� �Yeah, but think about it,� Elizabeth eyes sparkled. �It is a possibility.� Lauralee remained quiet the entire time. She took her menu and pretended to look at it intently. �Lau?� Veronica looked over Lauralee�s menu. �Yeah?� �You OK?� Lauralee put down the menu. �I don�t know about this.� �Are you kidding? This is the brass ring!� Laura looked at her. �This isn�t the brass ring. This is a shot at it. We haven�t even touched it!� �But he�s offering us the chance, Lau.� �Laura, this guy hears us singing for 3 minutes and he wants to offer us his services? I don�t know if it�s all that it�s cracked up to be. What if we never get anything, not even a nibble? We would be just wasting our time. Think of what we would set ourselves up for.� �So you�re afraid of rejection?� Lauralee nodded. �I don�t think we should get our hopes up too soon.� �Lau,� Veronica took her hand. �We�re not making plans for a deal right now. But it is a chance. You have never backed down from an opportunity like this� well, it�s not something you get everyday. We can�t do this without you; we wouldn�t be in this position if it weren�t for you. So what do you say?� Lauralee looked over the 4 eager faces before her. �OK.� The girls all toppled her in the middle of the coffee shop. �Shall we head back and tell him the good news?� Bianca smiled. ~*~ �Great! I thought you would turn me down,� Riley was sitting in his chair. �So, what do we do now?� Bianca asked. �First, we get a contract. Not a management contract, but a consultant/group kind of thing.� �What does that mean?� Lauralee eyed him suspiciously. After seeing what Alex and the boys went through, she wasn�t gonna take any chances. �It means that I will try to get record executives to hear your music, and you�ll sing whenever you can. If something does happen, you�re free to choose whatever management you want. Now, which one of you is under 18?� Bianca raised her hand. �Only for 2 more weeks.� �Great, then no parental stuff to deal with. The contract will be ready by then. But you do have to finish school right?� Bianca nodded. �This shouldn�t interfere, unless something happens by June. OK ladies, looks like you�re on your way.� He shook each of their hands. �Oh God I can�t believe this is happening,� Laura smiled. �It is,� Lauralee said. �Here we go!� Chapter 36 Contents Chapter 34 |