He arrived on a rainy night, as the day faded with the st bit of warmth ebbing in the wind, brushing against his sun-kissed skin. He was exhausted, and the ge in sery was more disappointing than he’d anticipated, catg his breath entirely off guard. He yawned zily after such a long trip, following a huge party.

  -Billy, man, we o hurry. Someone leaked the news, and we’re swarmed with paparazzi; more could show up any sed, - murmured Jerry, as London loomed under a dark sky.

  o him stood Alessandra, with her usual elegance. Cameras fshed from every angle as soon as they stepped into the public area, with Billy pushing forward, uerred by the crowd that blocked his path.

  -I thought you’d e alone, - Jerry ented, adjusting his gsses, uo scold Billy’s knack for stirring up a se—at least she was beautiful.

  -I thought so too. I guess I was wrong. Turns out I’m irresistible, - Billy replied.

  Alessandra heard him, knowing that, in every instance, Billy’s nature was always a little wild. That night he’d sung, pyed guitar, and made love to her. After two days with him, she’d be ba the States, flying first css—a detail arranged by Michael Ocks, who was alart of why she kept following him.

  -Your new album’s selling like crazy. We almost call you one of the top-selling artists of the era, - Jerry ented, weighing the stats. -Tomorrow we’ve got a meeting that might be a bit unfortable, maybe more than usual, but I hope you uand where I’m ing from. For now, all I want is for you to enjoy the night. We’ll be back to work tomorrow. Your tattoo artist has scheduled the first of two four-hour sessions to outline and fill in some details I holy didn’t get, - he added.

  Billy hey arrived at the house; it was night, and a chill was in the air. Waiting for them was a woman in an apron and Mrs. Greenwood, his housekeeper, who managed everything in Billy’s home and was one of his most trusted people. At present, he only had two residences, one in New York and this highly secure home within a gated unity, valued at 900,000 pounds—a deal facilitated by Warner. Politis, a few business families, and other families lived here, all urict rules on noise, pets, and unity upkeep, which Billy found surprising. It expined why people might find pces like this b.

  -How did you nd a pce like this? - Billy asked, surprised by how well everything seemed to fun, seeing it as the perfect way for Jerry to address matters with a sihrow of the dice.

  They stepped out, and Alessandra held Billy’s hand, gazing around. It felt like a small vil, shaded by buildings no taller than three stories, separated by a low fend adorned with pine flowers.

  -Some tacts, - Jerry replied.

  -How did the unity feel about a rock star moving in, causing chaos? I suppose I follow the rules as long as people here vibe with my tastes. That should keep things normal…or at least friendly, - Billy said.

  -I have some soup and a delicious spinad meat pie, - Mrs. Greenwood chimed in, alongside Mrs. Stuart.

  -Thanks, we’ll be down in a moment, - Billy replied, notig how every part of the house was arranged: rge, sophisticated sofas and various details tailored for Billy—music posters, replicas, a huge s, and his gaming sole. The musi was the rgest space, which appeared to be a lounge, with a grand piano, an array of electrid acoustic guitars, and an area for mixing sound and practig vocals.

  -What do you think of our love ? - Billy asked, giving Alessandra a lingering kiss that she accepted.

  -Liar, who knows what nonsense you’ll get into. Don’t waste your breath on me, fillih lies, - she teased, ing her arms around his shoulders, giving him a long, pleasure-filled kiss.

  They teased each other with passionate kisses—a on thing with Billy—as he held her close and lifted her, making her softly gasp as he pressed her against the piano and kissed her again. He loved how she would sigh,

  -We’ve got soup downstairs, menino, - she joked, her lips swollen.

  ***

  -Yes, sir, I spoke with Billy, and he’s in London, though he arrived with a woman, - Jerry reported to Warner Music’s CEO, one of the key people in Billy’s career and in arranging Billy’s work schedule. Billy was close to signing a tract renewal, and with his four-album deal fulfilled, Warner was likely to extend it for anht years through 2015. This time, they included a non-pete cuse with tractual penalties exceeding 500 million, a figure refleg Warner’s substantial profit from his work.

  -Ahhh, that’s fantastic. We’ll make a killing if we keep the industry plexities in check. Tell the boy this is essential—several studios felt sidelined by rammy wins, - said Roger Ames.

  -He’ll do it, for the money and for the ce to act. Maybe you could help with that—talk to people at the top or at Sony; they’ve been pushing for it. As long as he enjoys it and has time for ag, he doesn’t mind passing on or skipping the Grammys, - Jerry replied.

  The boy loves awards and having fun, but winning so many has left some in the industry a bit uled. Yet his songs, and the way his albums reach the public, drive industry io vote for him. It’s a strong influence, although Warner’s and Billy’s leverage isn’t making it any easier. Now they’re asking to buy Warner’s power to sidelihese campaigns. The price is steep, enough to keep Billy happy, but more so for Warner. Only if he gets a role in other films might he be satisfied.

  -I like what I’m hearing, - Roger Ames remarked.

  It wasn’t taken very seriously that the boy might turn down Jerry’s suggestion.

  -Remember, Roger, the role, for year—I hope it’s something signifit, - Jerry said.

  -Don’t worry. As long as the kid keeps up with his ag practid auditions, he’ll nd a role. We’ll discuss it wheime is right. We have favors to call in if he decides to skip the awards season, - Roger replied. Billy was sweeping the Billboard, MTV, and Grammy awards.

  ...