Denny disagreed.
When I opened the front door of my house, he was standing there in the entryway, waiting for me. “Oh, fuck no. What the hell are you doing here?” I asked, tired and annoyed.
Denny indicated Anna beside him; Anna looked as ragged as I felt, worn to the bone, like she hadn’t slept a wink. “Your wife let me in. She seemed to think it might be a good idea if you and I talked.” Anna had her arms crossed over her chest, and her lips were compressed into firm, flat lines. Listen to him was being broadcasted from her so loudly it made my ears ache. That was about the last thing I wanted to do though.
I held up a hand. “No need. I know exactly what I’m doing, and I don’t need your advice or opinion.”
Denny took a step forward. “I know about the TV show. The guy approached me before he approached you. I said no. It wasn’t a good deal, it still isn’t.”
My jaw dropped open. “You said no? Why the fuck would you do that without consulting us first? We don’t pay you half our earnings so you can withhold information from us.”
Sighing, Denny shook his head. “For the umpteenth time, you don’t pay me fifty percent. But regardless, I did mention this. We had a group meeting about it. Don’t you remember that conversation?”
I tried to think back to what he was talking about, but I was jet-lagged, frustrated, and mentally depleted. And besides, his meetings were always so boring. I usually tuned him out after the first five minutes. “Can we do this later? I’m wasted.” I left the door open so he could exit, but he didn’t leave. Instead, he crossed his arms over his chest, in a mirror image of my agitated wife. Stubborn fucker.
“Fine,” I sneered. Slamming the door closed, I dropped my bags in the entryway and raised my hands. “Go ahead, I’m listening. Say what you have to say.”
Denny glanced at Anna, then back to me. “Anna told me he approached you at Pete’s. Don’t you think it’s weird that he met you in a bar instead of going through your agent?” I furrowed my brows but didn’t say anything to that. I guess it was kind of weird. Taking my silence as agreement, Denny continued. “He contacted me about Kellan doing it first, and I declined for him. Then he called back for Matt, and then for Evan, and then, eventually, for you. He asked for all the guys, and I declined for each of you. We had a group meeting once I realized he was just fishing for a name to sell the show. You pay me to keep your best interest in mind, and that is exactly what I did.”
His words tickled something dark inside of me. They asked for Kellan and the others first? I was last choice? No…that couldn’t be true. They wanted me and only me. He’d said so. “You don’t know what you’re talking about, man. We must be talking about different deals.”
Denny sighed, and a look of defeat came over him. “I know you’re not going to listen to a thing I say, but I’m begging you…for the sake of your family, if nothing else…this is not something you should get involved with, believe me. It’s a step down and a huge risk. There is no guarantee the show is going to go anywhere, and the pay is—”
Lifting my chin, I cut him off. “That’s one opinion. Mine is different. I think it’s a great opportunity, a chance for me to show my worth.” And that’s why everyone didn’t want me to do it.
Maybe seeing an angle he hadn’t tried, Denny latched onto my statement. “Look, I know Kellan’s fame can be overpowering, but you’re important too. The guys—”
I interrupted before he could finish whatever lame argument he’d cooked up. “No, I’m not important too, I’m important period. And I’m going to prove it. I’m doing this. You and the guys will just have to accept that and move on.”
Holding his hands up, Denny tried one more time to persuade me into seeing things his way. “Fine, do the show…but don’t quit the band. Take a sabbatical, see what happens…you don’t need to cut all ties and walk away.”
But that was just it. I did need to. I’d gone as far as I could with the D-Bags, and if I stayed with them, I knew exactly what would happen—I’d shrink further and further into the shadows. They’d clipped my wings, and I was dying to fly. “No. There is nothing left for me there. I want out of the band, permanently. Make it happen.”
Denny closed his eyes and I could almost see him cursing me in his mind. “Okay, I’ll have papers drawn up, dissolving your interest in the band.” With a forced smile, he held his hand out. “Good luck, Griffin. I think you’re making a mistake, but I honestly do hope this works out for you.”
With a genuine smile, I took his palm. “It’s me. Of course it’s going to work out.”
He left with a shake of his head, and the entryway echoed with silence after he was gone. Wondering if Anna would dig into me again, I looked back at her. She didn’t seem mad though. No, she looked terrified. “Griffin…he’s removing you from the band. Legally. This is real, do you understand that? You won’t be a D-Bag after this.”
Her words tickled something in the back of my brain, something chilly and painful. Not moving forward because of some lame sentiment about my past conflicted with my new dreams though. I had to close a door so I could open another one. Right? “I know that, Anna. I’m cool with…not being a D-Bag anymore.” Man, that was weird to say.
Anna inhaled a deep breath, then pressed her hands against her stomach, like she was feeling ill. “Don’t be hasty about this, Griffin. Take the sabbatical if you want to try this TV thing, but don’t quit the band.”