At No Time || Bruno Mars

5

"How do you know it won't bring in every profit?"

"Because I know what sells."

"So that would explain why the music you've been producing these past few months have sold so well, huh?" Below the belt, Trystan knew, but she'd grown sick and tired of Peter's berating her expertise.

For the first time since she'd arrived, she saw a flint of anger cross Peter's eyes. If she weren't so angry herself, she would have been amused to finally see something apart from his blandness.

"So you think you're the shit, Trystan? You've only been in this game for what? A year-and-a-half. Don't put yourself in a place you haven't even reached yet."

Trystan ignored the uncertain gazes from Neal and Roger as she stood. "Excuse me? A level I haven't reached yet? Look, Bruno. I may not have been in this "game" as long as the great "P. Dez" has, but don't you dare discredit any of my shit. The sole reason I am here is because Lance, your boss, needed me here."

Peter stood as well. Trystan wished she could take pride in the near two inches she stood over his frame, but if she remembered correctly, Bruno at least, had never been a kid to take anything from anyone. He would hold his ground regardless of the circumstance.

"You think you're needed here? You don't think there are people out there that are just as good, better, than you? Understand something, Trystan. You are not some special diamond that everyone is dying to work with. Go ahead, put that song out, and when it fails, your ass will be back in New York working for that low production company where you came from. One number one hit doesn't make for a number one producer."

Trystan chuckled, taken aback. Surely, Peter had lost his mind thinking he could talk to her that way. "Who in the hell do you think you're dealing with, Bruno? Because let's get something straight here. Your boss knows that your producing abilities are going downhill. Maybe he wasn't that straight with you, but I'm not biting my tongue anymore around you. Your music turned to shit, and must have been some pretty awful shit if it took a girl working from a "low production company in New York" to fix what you couldn't. I know what you're up to, Bruno, and it's not gonna work.

"You don't want me to work with you because you know that I am on my way to being better than you. You've been working on this song for months and I came in for a week and changed it into something that people would actually listen to.

"Have you heard the shit you've put out recently? People don't bump that shit, and if they do, it's only to humor you. I know my craft. I know what I'm capable of.  I may be new to this, but I put fear into production companies all over. And I put fear into you. I'm not going anywhere, least of all to make you happy. Get off this damn high horse of yours and open your eyes. I am the motherfucking shit. Whether you like it or not."

Apart from both Trystan and Peter's heavy breathing, the room was drowning in complete silence as they both stared each other down. Trystan couldn't remember the last time she'd spoken to anyone like that, maybe sometime in college, but she didn't feel as good as she thought she would have getting that off of her chest.

"Uh," Neal's voice spurred awkwardly through the air. "Well, it's obvious you two need to talk some things out. Roger and I will go. See you guys tomorrow. I hope," he muttered the latter before pulling Roger to his feet and escaping from the room.

Neither Trystan or Peter had chosen to say anymore, so Trystan decided to end the stand off by marching back over to her bag to collect her belongings.

"I'm not going to apologize for what I said, because I meant it," Trystan felt as though she could not end the day on such an ugly note, "But seriously, Bruno. I don't know what's going on in your life that has you acting like a bitch toward everyone, but it needs to stop. You still are a great producer, but stop acting like you're the only one here. You have great partners working with you who only want to put out some good stuff, and that's hard to do when they have a partner who's not putting in any effort. I am here to help, and that's all, and I won't leave only because you want me to. Like I told you the first day, I am here to make a bomb ass song, so please spare me with your dramatics, alright? You know full well I don't take shit for long, so don't come at me like that. We can make some magic together, Bruno, but that's only if you're willing to do that, too."