relieved when I saw Pippie’s car pull into the parking lot and Aaron climbed out of the passenger side. It had taken a lot of convincing to get him to agree to the meeting, and until now, I’d had my doubts about whether he’d actually show up.
“Hey, man, thanks for coming.” I attempted a brotherly hug, but he left me hanging.
“Fifteen minutes and I’m out of here,” Aaron replied.
“What’s up?” Pippie fist-pounded me in greeting. He rolled his eyes in Aaron’s direction, letting me know he’d put up with the same kind of attitude on the drive over here.
“Aaron, this is a really important meeting. This man could take your career to the next level. I think we owe him more than fifteen minutes.”
“Right now, Ross, I’ve got a lot on my mind and very little patience. You’re supposed to be my manager, so manage. I trust you,” Aaron said as we stepped inside the Red River Restaurant. Jackson had picked a high-end establishment for our meeting. Either he had money to burn, or he was really trying to impress Aaron, I thought, as the maître d’ led us to the best table in the house.
Jackson stood up and reached out to shake Aaron’s hand. “Mr. Mackie, it’s good to see you again. Please, have a seat.”
Once we were all at the table, Jackson got right down to business. “So, can I get you gentlemen anything? Drinks? Food? An agent?” he joked.
“Water is fine,” Aaron responded without any hint of humor in his voice.
“Heineken,” Pippie said.
“I’m good,” I said from my seat between Aaron and Jackson. Jackson made it apparent that as far as he was concerned, what I wanted didn’t really matter anyway.
“Aaron, I’m going to cut to the chase. I think you are being poorly managed,” Jackson said, as if I weren’t even there. “I’ve looked into how things are being handled for you, and I have to say, not only am I unimpressed, I’m disappointed.”
“Excuse me? What the hell did you just say?” I said, leaning close and glowering at him. It was a good thing we were in such a fancy restaurant, because I was about two seconds from putting my foot in his ass. Who the hell did he think I was, some punk who would sit on the sidelines while he ripped apart the hard work I’d put in for my friend and client? I may have been dressed in a suit, but I was more than capable of getting hood if need be.
“Ross, no.” Pippie shot me a look warning me to keep it calm. It wasn’t really necessary, though, because I looked at Aaron and realized he was barely paying attention to Jackson. Aaron’s mind was somewhere else, so there was no reason for me to let this jackass get me all riled up.
Jackson gave me a smug look and a fake apology. “Hey, I’m not trying to offend anyone. I’m just speaking the truth. Aaron, I know that you have a good career in gospel, but frankly, you have an R&B voice.”
Aaron didn’t answer. He looked at his watch, probably checking to see if his fifteen minutes were up yet.
“He wants to be a gospel singer and a choir director,” I answered for Aaron. “This is what God put him on earth to do.”
“Is that right?” Jackson asked Aaron directly.
Aaron finally spoke. “It’s true. I’ve always loved singing in the church and giving back to God, who has given me so much,” he responded, with the stock answer that he usually gave for radio interviews. He was clearly not trying to be here longer than his promised time.
“All this talk about God. What did God do for you on your wedding day?” Jackson asked boldly. This guy had a lot of balls bringing up the worst day of Aaron’s life as part of his sales pitch. “I can make you rich,” he said. “I’m talking about the kind of money where you can buy your mother a house and let her retire so that she never has to work again. Send her on cruises around the world. I’m talking real money. That’s the kind of rich I can make you.”
He waved a dismissive hand in my direction.
“Hey, man, thanks for coming.” I attempted a brotherly hug, but he left me hanging.
“Fifteen minutes and I’m out of here,” Aaron replied.
“What’s up?” Pippie fist-pounded me in greeting. He rolled his eyes in Aaron’s direction, letting me know he’d put up with the same kind of attitude on the drive over here.
“Aaron, this is a really important meeting. This man could take your career to the next level. I think we owe him more than fifteen minutes.”
“Right now, Ross, I’ve got a lot on my mind and very little patience. You’re supposed to be my manager, so manage. I trust you,” Aaron said as we stepped inside the Red River Restaurant. Jackson had picked a high-end establishment for our meeting. Either he had money to burn, or he was really trying to impress Aaron, I thought, as the maître d’ led us to the best table in the house.
Jackson stood up and reached out to shake Aaron’s hand. “Mr. Mackie, it’s good to see you again. Please, have a seat.”
Once we were all at the table, Jackson got right down to business. “So, can I get you gentlemen anything? Drinks? Food? An agent?” he joked.
“Water is fine,” Aaron responded without any hint of humor in his voice.
“Heineken,” Pippie said.
“I’m good,” I said from my seat between Aaron and Jackson. Jackson made it apparent that as far as he was concerned, what I wanted didn’t really matter anyway.
“Aaron, I’m going to cut to the chase. I think you are being poorly managed,” Jackson said, as if I weren’t even there. “I’ve looked into how things are being handled for you, and I have to say, not only am I unimpressed, I’m disappointed.”
“Excuse me? What the hell did you just say?” I said, leaning close and glowering at him. It was a good thing we were in such a fancy restaurant, because I was about two seconds from putting my foot in his ass. Who the hell did he think I was, some punk who would sit on the sidelines while he ripped apart the hard work I’d put in for my friend and client? I may have been dressed in a suit, but I was more than capable of getting hood if need be.
“Ross, no.” Pippie shot me a look warning me to keep it calm. It wasn’t really necessary, though, because I looked at Aaron and realized he was barely paying attention to Jackson. Aaron’s mind was somewhere else, so there was no reason for me to let this jackass get me all riled up.
Jackson gave me a smug look and a fake apology. “Hey, I’m not trying to offend anyone. I’m just speaking the truth. Aaron, I know that you have a good career in gospel, but frankly, you have an R&B voice.”
Aaron didn’t answer. He looked at his watch, probably checking to see if his fifteen minutes were up yet.
“He wants to be a gospel singer and a choir director,” I answered for Aaron. “This is what God put him on earth to do.”
“Is that right?” Jackson asked Aaron directly.
Aaron finally spoke. “It’s true. I’ve always loved singing in the church and giving back to God, who has given me so much,” he responded, with the stock answer that he usually gave for radio interviews. He was clearly not trying to be here longer than his promised time.
“All this talk about God. What did God do for you on your wedding day?” Jackson asked boldly. This guy had a lot of balls bringing up the worst day of Aaron’s life as part of his sales pitch. “I can make you rich,” he said. “I’m talking about the kind of money where you can buy your mother a house and let her retire so that she never has to work again. Send her on cruises around the world. I’m talking real money. That’s the kind of rich I can make you.”
He waved a dismissive hand in my direction.
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