Friends and Rivals. Tilly Bagshawe

Franklin.’

      Jack went silent. When he spoke again, all the warmth had drained from his voice. ‘Have you been drinking?’

      Kendall was about to deny it when a loud hiccup gave her away. She giggled. ‘Jusht a little bit. But I had a very good reason. You are talking to the new, frontline act for …’ She made a boom boom boom boom noise like a drum roll: ‘Fascination Records!’

      She waited for Jack to respond. He didn’t. Holding the handset away from her ear, Kendall looked at the swirling keypad curiously. Had she accidentally pressed mute?

      ‘Are you there?’ she said eventually. ‘I think I losht him,’ she called to Ivan.

      ‘I’m here.’ Jack’s voice was icy cold now. It began to dawn on Kendall that all was not well. ‘I sincerely hope you’re joking.’

      ‘Why would I joke about a thing like that?’ Kendall asked, defensively. ‘I thought you’d be pleased. Aren’t you going to ask me how much it’s for?’

      ‘No,’ said Jack. ‘Because whatever damn fool agreement you’ve made, you’re gonna unmake. You are under contract with Matador.’

      ‘Not any more I’m not.’ Kendall felt her anger rising. ‘Polydor are buying me out.’ Why could Jack never, ever give her the benefit of the doubt? He was against this deal before he even knew what it was.

      ‘I assume Ivan’s behind this. Is he with you?’

      ‘Ivan was kind enough to set up the meeting. But it was my—’

      ‘Is he with you?’ Jack interrupted tersely.

      ‘Yesh. We’re at the flat,’ said Kendall.

      ‘Put him on.’

      Ivan, who’d been hovering in the kitchen doorway listening to the conversation, smiled encouragingly at Kendall. ‘He’ll calm down,’ he reassured her in a stage whisper, before taking the handset. ‘Jack. It’s Ivan. How are you, mate? Your protégée here told you the good news? As of today, she’s officially Jester’s highest-paid client.’

      Jack exploded. ‘What the fuck are you playing at?’

      ‘I’m not playing at anything,’ Ivan said smoothly. ‘I’m doing my job. Getting the best deal possible for Jester’s clients.’

      ‘Kendall’s my client!’ Jack roared. ‘I sent her to you for a few weeks to do a handful of concerts. And you go and blow up her record deal?’

      ‘Don’t be so melodramatic,’ breezed Ivan. ‘Nothing’s been “blown up”. Matador are getting their money. Kendall’s moving on to bigger and better things, that’s all. It happens all the time. Besides, you were the one who wanted her to raise her profile over here.’

      ‘I didn’t want her to move to a British fucking label!’

      ‘Why not? They’ve got The Jonas Brothers and Miley Cyrus.’

      ‘Yeah, as side deals! Not as their primary label.’

      ‘Which is exactly why they wanted Kendall. She’ll be the first big US act they’ve signed exclusively, and they’ve paid handsomely for the privilege. It’s a forty-million-dollar deal, Jack. If you’d pull your head out of your arse for five minutes, you’d realize this is a good thing.’

      Ivan rolled his eyes at Kendall, who was looking increasingly tense and miserable on the couch. Whatever happened, he must not let Jack talk her out of this. This morning’s paperwork would take weeks or even months to finalize. If Kendall wasn’t committed, the whole thing would unravel, and any hopes Ivan had of making the move across to the pop market would be dead in the water.

      ‘You know, if you really cared about Kendall, you’d be happy for her,’ he said slyly. ‘Forgive me for saying so, but you seem mightily concerned about your own, personal interests here.’

      Jack started yelling so loudly that Ivan had to hold the phone away from his ear. As a result, Kendall heard everything.

      ‘Kendall’s a child,’ he roared. ‘She’s spoiled and short-sighted and completely emotionally immature.’

      Kendall blushed scarlet. Was that really what Jack thought of her?

      ‘She has no idea of the kind of risk she’s taking, walking away from a US record deal at such an early point in her career. She’s an addict, Ivan. She’s unstable and needy and she’s simply not ready for the kind of pressured environment you’re throwing her into.’

      Ivan responded, fixing his eyes on Kendall as he spoke.

      ‘I disagree. I’ve found the young lady to be smart, savvy and very much in control of her own career decisions. I made the introduction at Fascination. But it was Kendall herself who’s been driving this thing.’

      ‘Bullshit,’ said Jack, again loudly enough for Kendall to hear. ‘Kendall’s no more capable of driving a deal than she is of staying off the booze. I should know. I’ve been wiping the girl’s nose for the last two years. She’s a walking disaster.’

      Suddenly sober, Kendall got up and snatched the phone back from Ivan.

      ‘You listen to me, you smug asshole. You’re not my father, and you’re not my boss. You’re my manager. Which means that you work for me. I’m not going to be held back in my career just because your nose is out of joint that I finally made a decision without you. And it was a good decision.’

      ‘It was a terrible decision,’ said Jack, deadpan. ‘Let me speak to Ivan.’

      ‘No!’ said Kendall. She was angry, but she also felt close to tears. She was pleased about the money, of course she was, but what she wanted more than anything was Jack’s approval. She hated herself for wanting it, and she hated him more for not giving it. ‘I’m the client. You can damn well talk to me.’

      Jack hung up.

      ‘I don’t believe it,’ Kendall spluttered. ‘Of all the arrogant—’

      Ivan’s mobile rang. ‘Let’s talk about this calmly, OK?’ Cupping his hand over his mouth, Ivan walked back into the kitchen and pulled the door closed. ‘We’re supposed to be a team, Jack. Team Jester.’

      ‘A team?’ If it hadn’t been so outrageously hypocritical it might have been funny. ‘You got my client to sign a deal behind my back!’

      ‘Our client,’ corrected Ivan. ‘They’re all our clients, remember?’

      This was one of Jack’s favourite catchphrases back in the old days. He wasn’t amused to have it used against him.

      ‘And it wasn’t done behind your back. It was an opportun-ity; it came up very quickly, and Kendall wanted to take it.’

      ‘You should have called me.’

      ‘It was the middle of the night in LA. I took an executive decision, as your partner. I genuinely thought it was what you wanted.’

      Jack let out a mirthless laugh. These days, Ivan was about as ‘genuine’ as a plastic Rolex.

      ‘You know, sometimes I really think you’re intent on holding Jester’s European business back.’

      ‘That’s crap,’ said Jack robustly.

      ‘Is it? Then why are you so against me diversifying and pursuing our interests in reality television?’

      ‘Because they’re not “our” interests, they’re yours,’ said Jack. ‘You want to take time out from the clients to become a TV personality.’ He injected these last two words with as much disdain as humanly possible. Ivan, who’d been about to casually drop his ITV offer into the conversation – Kendall’s deal probably made this his best opportunity to ‘bury’ any other bad news – suddenly thought better of it.

      ‘And