Chapter 4

After a day spent in LA, mostly just sightseeing, it was time to get started on the reason I was really here. Thankfully, the rehearsal phase of the tour was on the same lot where we had filmed everything, so at least it was easy to find my way around. I still had to go through the normal check-in procedures at the guard stand, where the guard seemed completely bored by it all.

Between that and how the Late Show had gone, it was easy not to get a big head. Of course, this was a studio lot where movies and TV shows were filmed, so I’m sure he got to see all kinds of famous people. I might have done okay on a reality show, but I was still small potatoes. It was helpful to remember that after all the hoopla at the airport.

He directed me to a different stage, one building over from where we filmed the show, so at least I was going to know where everything was. Our first show was here in LA on Monday, and we had rehearsals scheduled pretty much straight for the next three days, I guess, so everyone knew where they needed to be and what was going to happen.

Which I was glad about. For my gigs, it was just us up on stage playing, but if this was anything like the show, it was going to be a much bigger event and would be managed by the production staff. There were about fifteen or so of us performing, so there was going to be all that to deal with.

One of the PAs checked me in and sent me to a holding area to wait.

I made my way down the corridor, following signs put up leading to the performer holding area, when I turned a corner and almost ran headlong into Phoenix West. He was looking at his phone, and I’m not sure he even saw me until I twisted sideways to avoid smashing into him. He looked up with a scowl that shifted into something unreadable when he saw me.

For a moment, we both just stood there, staring at each other. I hadn’t seen him since the meeting at GLR where I’d turned down his contract offer, and to say I’d left under not great terms was an understatement. Still, he was also the executive producer of the tour and someone I’d have to deal with, so I gave him a polite nod. The contract business aside, it wouldn’t do to burn bridges that I didn’t have to.

“Charlie,” he said, his tone completely neutral. “I trust you’ve been well?”

“Yeah, thanks. It’s good to see you again.”

“Indeed. I imagine you’re excited for the tour. It’s a wonderful opportunity, especially for someone just starting out.”

I wasn’t sure if that was a crack or not, and was about to respond when he said something that made it very clear what he was getting at.

“Of course, long-term success in this industry requires making wise choices. Surrounding yourself with the right people, signing with the right label...”

Ah. There it was. He was definitely still mad about me turning down his offer.

“Absolutely, it’s why I’m so happy with the people I have around me,” I agreed, trying to sound as non-confrontational as I could manage.

Phoenix hummed noncommittally. “Well. I suppose time will tell. If you’ll excuse me.”

With that, he walked away, his head dropping back down to look at his phone. I just shook my head and continued on, wondering if every record label was run by assholes.

I put him out of my mind as I entered the holding area. I hadn’t seen a full headcount of everyone that was coming, but there were a larger number of people in the room than I expected. They were all familiar faces, although I hadn’t gotten particularly close with any of the other finalists.

It wasn’t just finalists, though. I also spotted two of our judges from the show, Dakota Rayne and Dexter Heart. The pair made a b-line for me when I walked in, direct enough that I actually turned to see if Phoenix had doubled back and come in behind me.

“Charlie Nelson, as I live and breathe! Get over here, sugar, and give me a hug.”

I awkwardly did as she ordered and stepped back, feeling a little self-conscious. The judges had all been very nice, but we hadn’t had any kind of relationship. They’d stayed separate from the contestants except when judging performances, so having them be buddy-buddy all of a sudden felt weird.

I couldn’t get a sense from either of them if they were being friendly, or if this was some kind of ploy. Not that I thought they were being nice to use me, but neither had had a hit in quite a long time, and after the thing with Hayden, I was starting to second guess my interactions with anyone famous.

“It’s good to see both of you again,” I said. “How’ve you been?”

“Oh, you know me, just keeping busy,” she said with a wink. “Been in the studio, working on some new material. Gotta keep the fans happy, right Dex?”

“Indeed we do. Actually, I hear you’re doing quite well. I swung through Nashville last week, and a friend of mine mentioned you’d played a pretty big show out there. They said it was amazing.”

“Really? I’m glad they thought so. My manager’s been getting calls since the show, but that was my first time out since the finale. I know a lot of people were there because of it, and I wanted to give them a good time, with it just being me and not the whole shebang we had on set.”

“From what I heard, you absolutely did.”

“Listen, Charlie, I’ve been talking to the producers, and I’ve got a little proposition for you,” Dakota said. “I don’t know if they mentioned it, but Dex and I are joining you all on the show, getting out from behind the judges’ desk and having some fun with the rest of you. While we’ll both have spots right before you go on, I was wondering how you would feel about doing a duet with me, to kind of bridge from when we finish to when you start? I’d then head off and let you finish the show with the big finale, but I thought it might be some fun.”

“Really? Yeah, that’d be great.”

Dakota may not have had any big albums recently, but she was still a huge name in the business and had gold records going back from when I was born. If she wanted to sing with me on stage, I would do it.

Besides, while I preferred classic rock, country wasn’t a big stretch for me.

“Excellent. I’ll talk to the producers and get it all set.”

“It’ll be good for both of you,” Dexter said. “A little boost, if you will. Lord knows we could all use one these days.”

Dakota waved off his comment. “Oh, hush, Dex. We’re not dead yet. And with fresh talent like Charlie here, the future’s looking bright.”

An awkward silence fell over us for a moment before Dakota clapped her hands together.

“Well! We best be off. Dex and I have an appointment with the producers to make sure they don’t give away our good spot. You behave yourself, you hear?”

“Yes, ma’am,” I said, smiling back as the two of them left.

Dexter wasn’t wrong. I know he meant it as a self-deprecating dig, but doing a set each night with Dakota would help give me a boost, since she still had an audience that would come out to see her, even if she wasn’t the focus of the tour. I might be riding high, but I was still a minor player in the industry, so any boost I could get would be worth it.

I started looking around and saw Marissa and Dillon standing together. Marissa saw me at the same moment.

“Hey, Charlie,” she said, waving me over.

While the only person I had actually made friends with on the show was Cole, Marissa and Dillon were both okay. Dillon had struggled, but Marissa was a heck of a musician.

“How’ve things been?” I asked, making my way over to them.

“Good. I started booking more gigs after the show, which was great, and the events are a lot bigger than the coffee house open mics I’d been doing. I actually got booked as the opener of this big outdoor venue in Tucson. There were almost fifteen-hundred people. It was a rush.”

“Man, puts mine to shame,” Dillon said. “I got offered to play at a bar and it went pretty good, but there were maybe a hundred people there. A far cry from fifteen-hundred and miles from being on the Late Show.”

“I know, I saw that,” Marissa said. “How awesome was that?”

“It was weird. Don’t get me wrong, it was an amazing experience, and I can’t believe how lucky I was to get a spot, but it was nuts. The whole thing was scheduled down to the second and producers and whatever were constantly moving me from here to there. I was so busy trying to be in the right place and not screw up, that by the time I looked up, it was all over.”

“You seemed pretty comfortable on the couch with Hayden,” Dillon said.

“I really wasn’t. I mean, him on one side and a movie star on the other. I can’t even remember what came out of my mouth. I was fighting not to look like a fool.”

I tried very hard to dance around some of the stranger things that had happened, the way I was kind of ignored by the host and how everything we see on TV feels completely phony once you see it being made. I knew I had it good, and I didn’t want to seem ungrateful or like I was throwing it in their faces. It’s why I hadn’t mentioned any gigs I’d had. I’d gotten my first real, thousand-plus venue last year, and I knew how amazing that had felt. The last thing I wanted to do was take the wind out of her sails.

“Poor baby, sharing the life of the rich and famous,” Marissa said.

“Hey, I’m not complaining. I just meant it was kind of wild.”

Whatever Marissa was going to say next was covered up by a frown as she looked past me. I turned to see what had shut her down and was shocked to see Vince Fiore and Larry Walsh. Neither had made it past the prelims, and I hadn’t expected to see either of them here. If it had just been Larry, it would have been a nice surprise.

Vince, however, was a completely different story.

I ignored Vince and waved Larry over.

“Larry! What are you doing here, man? I thought you got cut in the prelims.”

He grinned, clapping me on the shoulder. “Charlie, good to see you. Yeah, I did. But apparently, a few people dropped out last minute, so they brought us in as alternates. Lucky break, huh?”

“Well that really worked out for you. Glad to have you with us.”

Vince didn’t take the hint of my just talking to Larry, because he made his way to us and said, “Nelson. I see you’re still riding that winner’s high. Enjoy it while it lasts.”

“I see you got lucky, and made the cut for backup players,” I said, and then winced.

Larry made a face as I said that. I hadn’t actually meant to include him in the dig, but he was in the same boat as Vince, and so could be considered a “backup player” himself.

“Please.” He rolled his eyes. “Everyone knows you winning was a joke. You’ve got one sound, and it’s tired and played out. I swear to God, how the judges ever got fooled by your fifteenth ‘stripped down’ version of a song, I’ll never know. I’m guessing they finally figured out they needed to get real talent for a live show and brought me back to make up for their biggest mistake.”

“Come on, Vince,” Larry said. “The show needed some last-minute replacements, and you got lucky. That’s all there is to it.”

Vince sneered. “Keep telling yourself that, Walsh. We all know I’m here because I deserve to be. Unlike some people.”

He shot a pointed look in my direction before walking off. I just shook my head, turning back to Larry.

“Some people never change, huh?”

“Ignore him, man. He’s just bitter. You killed it in the finals and everyone knows it.”

Both Dillon and Marissa seconded his sentiment. I wasn’t worried about Vince, but it was nice to know some people had my back.

“Thanks guys. I really just want to be done with the drama and focus on the tour.”

As if on cue, a PA entered the room and called for our attention. It was time to start rehearsals.

Unlike every other time I’d performed in Los Angeles, this time, I wasn’t on some theater inside a soundstage. They sent a car to my hotel, and we pulled into the parking lot of the Hollywood Bowl just as the sun was going down, backlighting the classic white shell in a golden hue.

It was breathtaking. This was also going to be, by far, the largest venue I’d ever headlined. I’m not sure, for raw numbers, that anything would beat the Times Square New Year’s Eve Show, but I’d been early on the ticket, which was a far cry from headlining. My largest show where we were either the only performers or the headliners was twenty-five hundred people. The Hollywood Bowl held a whopping eighteen thousand, and it was sold out!