Purple Blues [Elvis]

Chapter 12 - We're In This Together Now

"Acting."

"Psht, I don't think so."

The notion that the Elvis Presley could have feelings for me sent my insides through a loop. Yeah, he was just being nice, and maybe I read too much into him glancing at my mouth that time. Plus, he was twenty-one, five years older than me. Well, he did date a teenager when he was in his mid-to-late twenties.

"Well, I think we should get going," Sharon said and stood up off the sofa. "You should get ready. Have your hair in the same way it was on the show. That was pretty and really shows the purple. That's your mark now."

Like Elvis's smirk was his. I might as well go along with this. "Okay, okay."

I got up and went on to my room. Sharon said, "And wear that powder-pink dress. It's professional, and pretty at the same time."

I snickered. "You're getting the hang of this manager thing, huh?"

"I have to."

I went and started getting ready. As I put the dress on me, a dress that I would never wear at home, not even to an Easter family gathering, I thought about this. I would be a part of the same agency as Elvis. Would I see him there? I looked down at the dress. Maybe I should wear something different. This was way too girly. Not my thing. But would Elvis care about what I wore?

Sharon poked her head in. "Hey, don't you dare change that dress."

She left. She knew me all too well.

~ ~ ~

I had seen the pictures of Elvis signing his first contract with the William Morrison Agency. Who knew that I would be meeting with those same men in that picture?

I sat in a spacious office, along with Sharon and those men. One of them sat behind the desk, while the other one sat off to the side. Both were older with gray hair. We had just gone over Sharon's contract, and she had just signed the papers. Now it was on to mine. My heart pounded in anticipation. When Elvis and I thought we would be seeing more of each other, I hadn't thought that it would be because we would be a part of the same agency! Did he know about the agency wanting to sign me?

"Now, Miss Brier," said the man sitting behind the desk, who introduced himself as Richard Willis, "Before we move on to your contact, I would like to ask if you would rather have a manager more experienced since Miss Young is just starting out? You are new to stardom, so would you rather have a more seasoned manager?"

I looked at Sharon. "I wouldn't be offended," she said. "I wouldn't blame you. I would actually recommend you have someone more experienced."

Have some random manager like Elvis got, a manager who people think was the death of him? "Um, well..."

"How about this?" said Mr. Willis. "We pick a good, seasoned manager for you, and have Miss Young shadow this manager so she can learn. Then later, you can pick one out of the two. We've done that with other stars."