chapter thirty | manager search

THE PAST FOUR days have been the worst few days in Gracie's life. She's been searching for a new manager to replace the last one and has continued to try to get Mila to have this conversation with her, but she has had no luck. She was losing hope in their relationship.

She sat in the studio, Audrey beside her as they looked through files of a few managers the label had picked out for her. The more she read, the more they sounded like Jordan, the one person she wanted to avoid. She wondered why this had to be so difficult.

She tossed yet another folder onto the growing pile of absolutely nots and let out a frustrated sigh. "All of these seem like they want to micromanage my entire life, why is it so hard to find someone who's not like Jordan?" she muttered as she rubbed her temples, leaning back against the couch.

"I have no idea. You're right, though, they all sound like Jordan." Audrey agreed, reading through another folder, her lips pursed in thought. "I hate that bitch, though." She paused, then smirked slightly. "I mean, I hate her so much."

Gracie stifled a laugh as she shook her head. "Yeah, I can see that." She muttered, her laugh escaping.

Audrey grinned as she set her pile of folders on the table, turning to face her. "I can't understand how someone like that can mess with your life that badly and still be able to sleep at night." She sighed, shaking her head, and let out a huff. "It's somehow impressive in the worst way."

"It's because she didn't care. Now that I look back at it, she never did."

"Yeah, I can see that." Audrey frowned as she studied her, noticing the look on her face. It was a look that told her just how much this was bothering her. "Is this really about Jordan, or is it Mila?" She asked her curiously.

With the right information, she could give her the best advice.

"It's Jordan, I swear. I'm letting Mila fix her shit before I try to do anything." Gracie responded with an honest tone. As much as Audrey wanted to believe her, she just knew that it wasn't that easy for her. When it came to Mila, she never let anything go that easily. "I'm serious; I see that look on your face. The ball is in her court, and it's up to her on the steps we take now."

"That's very mature of you, proud of you."

"You should be," she said with a grin. Soon, she returned her pile of manager options to her lap. She opened the new folder, read its contents, and soon showed it to Audrey.

"What do you think of this one?"

"We'll interview him, set it up for tomorrow." She replied with a grin.

The next day, the two friends were back at the studio. Gracie had a file on her lap, Audrey had a notebook, and a young man sat before them. As his file said, his name was Theo Carter. In the short time he'd been in the industry, he quickly became a well-respected manager because of the way he worked with all his clients.

He seemed to have a reputation for putting artists first, making sure they had creative control in their careers. That was already a step up from Jordan in Gracie's book.

It's a good sign for her already.

She studied him as he sat across from them, a relaxed yet professional look on his face, a slight grin present too. He looked to be in his early thirties and seemed to be more easygoing compared to Jordan, who was all business. So far, this was everything she was asking for. She looked over at Audrey to see a look that expressed she was most likely feeling the same thing.

She flipped through the contents of the folder one last time, picking the first thing to touch upon.

She cleared her throat, tapping a pen against the page. "Theo, your track record and reputation speak for themselves, but I have to ask you directly. Why do you want to work with me particularly?" She asked him curiously, looking up at him.

He started his response with a smile and no hesitation in sight. "You seem like the type of artist who cares about the art and has a lot of ideas but didn't have the right team to let you express it." He spoke, her tone clear and firm. He meant every word he was saying. "I can tell that you don't just make music because you like it, you do it because it means something to you, it's like your personal diary. Those are the type of artists I want to work with, the type with an idea of where they want their career to go."

Audrey looked at her with a grin, gently nudging her arm. The look on her face was enough to tell her that she liked him already; Gracie did, too.

"While that does sound nice, what do you plan to do if things go south?"

He leaned back in his chair, holding his hands and resting them on his lap, pretending to think. "The reality of it is that things will get difficult, maybe even instantly, but my job is to help you keep your vision and step in when it's not easily handled." He responded, taking a second to clear his throat. "You need a manager who has your back, not run your life. I know I can provide that for you and step in when needed."

Gracie nodded at his response, glancing over at Audrey and receiving an encouraging look from her. Everything Theo was saying was exactly what Gracie was looking for in a manager. She couldn't just pick him yet, though.

One last question was super important to her, and Jordan always danced around it.

"You've made a good case for yourself so far, but we have one last question for you," Audrey spoke, her gaze shifting to the man in front of them. He looked at her intently, ready for whatever question would be thrown at him. Audrey noticed that immediately. "Are you in this for Gracie, or what she can do for you?" She asked him curiously, her tone coming out as serious as possible. She needed him to know how important this was to Gracie.

"I don't do this just to climb a ladder; I do this because I believe in them, " he replied calmly and honestly. He was prepared for that question and said it as if he truly believed that about himself. "It's clear that she has a lot of unfinished business, too, which I will work hard to make time for."

Her breath hitched at his last sentence. He had to be referring to Mila, just without knowing it. She didn't know how to handle that one yet, but he was willing to let her figure that out.

That meant a lot to her.

"I'll tell you what," She started, clearing her throat. She flashed him a professional yet easygoing gaze, slightly smiling. "We have to interview a few more people, but we'll get in touch once we've decided." She stood up, extending a hand toward him.

As Audrey followed suit, Theo stood up with a smile, shaking Gracie's hand and then Audrey's.

Once the man left, Audrey looked skeptically at her best friend. "Do we have to interview other people? He seems like everything you wanted." She crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow.

She let out a breath and ran a hand through her hair. She knew that Audrey was right, but there was someone that she was still waiting to hear from. Adam, Mila's manager and best friend.

If she were being honest, she hoped that she would hear from him first. It appears that it won't be the case like she wanted. She hoped that if she gave him a little more time, she might get a response from him.

"I know, but there's still someone I'm waiting to hear from."

Audrey let out a sigh, nodded, and stood up from her seat. "That's fine. I'm going down to the lobby for our food. I'll be back." She spoke up and walked out of the studio.

Maybe Theo was the best match for her.

The sun peeked through the curtains of her apartment. The phone rang. She groaned, disturbing her sleep at the annoying sound of the ringing over to see Adam's name on the screen.

She sat up, and she grabbed her phone, accepting the call.

Once the phone reached her ear, she immediately heard Adam's voice. "Care to explain why I saw your email asking if I wanted to be your manager?" He asked her curiously. This was it, the call she was waiting for. "You know I'm Mila's friend and her manager, doesn't it seem fishy to ask me to work with you, too, after I'm already helping you out a little bit?"

She let out a sigh, running a hand through her tangled hair. He was right, but at the time, it felt right because she trusted him. She still does. "If you think this is about Mila, then you're wrong." She paused to take a breather before she continued. "I trust you since I somewhat know you. I know you care about Mila, and so do I, and I'm not going to force you to accept anything."

"I would love to help you with this, but for Mila's sake, I can't." He replied softly. She knew he meant business, but a part of her hoped that he would at least consider it, but that wasn't the case. It never would be. "She's still figuring things out, and I don't want to make things worse for her. She's been through enough already, not that you haven't, but you know."

"Yeah, no, I get it. How's she doing, by the way?"

She was expecting an answer, but all she got was silence. It was clear that he wasn't sure how to answer, he probably hadn't heard from her in a while. "Last time I heard from her, she was okay, just taking some time to get her shit together." He replied and cleared his throat. After hearing that, she wondered what she was up to. "She's also been getting ready for her tour, so that keeps her busy. Not enough time for anything. She's been keeping herself busy."

She nodded, although he couldn't see it. Mila had been shutting a lot of people out recently, including her. She hated it, but she knew that it was expected, she knew that Mila had to do what was best for her. She admired that about her. "I know she'll be okay and reach out when she's ready. I'm glad she's doing okay, I'm proud of her," She replied with a soft smile. However, a part of her ached at the thought of being so distant from her.

"If you need any help with this whole thing, feel free to reach out, and I'll help any way I can."

"Thanks, Adam. I'll be sure to remember that. I'll talk to you later." With that, the line was cut, and she let out a breath.

For now, she had her album to worry about now. Trying to get Mila back would have to be on pause for a little while. Both of them needed the break; maybe the distance would make it a little better for both of them.

That's what she hoped for anyway.

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AUTHORS NOTE !

and that wraps up act

three! i'm so excited to

start act four but i hate

for this story to end 🥲.

thank you all for supporting

the story and i hope you

all enjoyed!