“I’m good. How are you, Berk?” she asks as her gaze stays trained on him.
He glances at me with a soft smile on his face. “I’ve never been better.”
An hour later, I finally have a chance to stand in front of Berk with no customers scurrying about.
A group of five people walked in as soon as Eloise left.
Each of them had an idea of what the greatest genre of music is. I had to dive into that debate. Berk sat on the sidelines sipping on espresso and laughing whenever someone declared they were right and everyone else was wrong.
Three of the group of five people bought records. The oldest man bought a dozen.
Before they left, I thanked them all.
One woman said she’d see me again soon.
She might. I can’t say for sure if she will.
“Your customers love this place.” Berk approaches where I’m standing. “They love you too.”
I want him to love me, but now I may never get that chance.
“Can I make you an espresso?” His brow perks. “Or do you want to finally take me out of my misery and tell me about Keyline and your future as a music superstar?”
Those were the exact words that Heidi used during our call.
She told me that my future is bright and if I follow the path they’ve set out for me, there’s an excellent chance that I’ll be the next big thing in music.
I reach for Berk’s hands. “They want me to sign a recording contract with them.”
“I knew it.” He leans forward to kiss me softly. “I fucking knew it, Astrid. I’m so goddamn excited for you.”
“You owe two hundred dollars to the fund,” I say quietly.
He laughs. “You’re a part of the family now. You know that, right? If you call me out on cursing, you’re a Morgan by default.”
He may be joking, but those words spear my heart.
My emotion is racing to the surface, but I bite it back with a half-assed smile.
“Tell me more,” he goes on. “When will you sign? They are going to produce a vinyl version, aren’t they? I’ll buy a thousand and hand them out to everyone I know. I’ll tell them my girlfriend is the masterful singer and songwriter, and they need to listen to every song.”
His girlfriend?
It’s the first time I’ve heard him say that.
I lock eyes with him and tell him everything. “My lawyer will look over the contract tomorrow. If it’s good to go, I have to find someone to take over Vinyl Crush full-time. I need to go to Los Angeles to record my songs and a few music videos. Heidi said that now is the time to capitalize on my online popularity. A big part of their marketing push will involve sending me out as a surprise opening act on other artists’ tours.”
He stares at me with an expression I can’t read.
“I’ll have to leave New York for a while.” My voice trembles. “For a long while. I can come back to visit when I have time, but…”
“But that won’t be often,” he interrupts. “Your life will be focused on your music.”
I nod. “It’s all happening so fast. I need time to think about it.”
“Time to think about whether you should sign the contract?” he asks.
“Yes,” I whisper. “My life is here. I have the store, and I like playing to people on the subway platforms in the morning.”
His eyes search my face, but he doesn’t say anything.
I scrub a hand over my forehead. “And you’re here, and I know that what is happening between us is new, but it feels special. I don’t think I can leave New York right now.”
Something inside of him shifts.
I see it when his gaze leaves my face and falls to the floor. He takes a step back, and with it, the invisible string that I felt was connecting our two hearts pulls taut.
“Astrid,” he says my name in a low whisper. “You need to sign that contract. You need to go to L.A. to record your music.”
“It’s a huge step,” I say. “I’m not sure I’m ready to turn my life upside down.”
“Because of me?” he asks. “I need you to answer a question for me, Astrid. You have to be completely honest with me.”
I nod. “I will. I promise.”
“If this opportunity came along before we met, would you be hesitating?”
That answer is simple, but confessing it isn’t.
“I don’t know,” I lie.
“You know,” he insists. “You would have jumped at this chance. A record contract is your brass ring, isn’t it? You’ve wanted that forever.”
“Yes,” I admit quietly. “It’s something I’ve always thought about.”
“Then don’t walk away from it.” He cups my face in his hands. “The world deserves to see your talent. They need to hear it.”
Tears well in my eyes as I listen.
“You’re such an incredible woman.” His tone is low. “I’m so grateful that we had the time together that we did.”