They finished the remainder of the tour and got home just in time for the Grammys. Once again they had been nominated several times and the general consensus was they were gonna sweep. They'd had a very good year as far as radio play and singles sales went. Critics also enjoyed the album.
The process of getting ready for an awards show was ridiculous. There were sound checks, rehearsals and all sorts of press and other crap to do. They were asked to perform at this years ceremony and they were excited about it. They asked Lzzy Hale to sing with them and she agreed. They'd been rehearsing with her for the past week and at some point they'd asked her to record a studio version of the redone song. They were currently in the studio putting the finishing touches on it.
Val and Jamie had been prepping them all week for the red carpet interviews as well. The big question was going to be about the fact that they let heir record contract expire and had yet to sign with a new label. As of this very moment, they were independent artists. I wasn't exactly sure what their plans were because we hadn't really talked about it. It was a business thing and I didn't mix the business aspect of my relationship with them with the personal side of things. They'd have to set up a meeting like everyone else.
I was currently in my office behind closed doors trying on dresses for tonight's ceremony. Demi wanted me to wear red so I was currently attempting to find the perfect dress. She enjoyed plunging necklines and anything that showed off my legs. I was trying to find a happy medium that didn't scream out slutty, not that she would care but I did.
"I think this one is beautiful and sexy." My stylist said as she examined me in the dress.
It was deep color of red. It exposed my back, had a plunging neckline, and a thigh high slit on the right side. It hugged my curves perfectly and at the risk of sounding conceited, I looked fucking sexy in it. Demi wouldn't be able to keep her hands off me and I couldn't wait.
"This is the one." I agreed as I turned around to get a look at my ass. "Oh yeah. Definitely." I added as I took in the view.
"I figure we can go with dark smoky eyes and red lips. I want to keep your hair down and we'll add some nice jewelry."
"Sounds fine." I smiled. "Unzip me." I asked as I turned around.
She helped me out of the dress and started packing everything up. I had a couple hours before I had to meet her at the house and get ready. Demi would be meeting us there as well. I had no clue what she was wearing so it would be a surprise. It usually was.
Once I was dressed, I opened my office door and stepped out into the main office area. I loved the busy atmosphere and sometimes I'd just wander around and watch everyone as they worked. Today however, I was just passing through on my way downstairs to the studio. I wanted to check on the guys, Lauren and Demi. They had been down there most of the day and knowing them, they hadn't eaten yet. Someone had to take care of them.
I walked into the sound booth to find them all messing around as usual. Lzzy was with them and she waved as soon as she'd seen me walk in. I'd met her a couple times before and I thought she was a sweetheart. She was also a bad ass and I was excited that they were working with her. She was a classic rockstar and an amazing vocalist.
"Marie." Demi said cheerfully as I stepped into the recording area.
"Hey baby." I said lovingly.
"Whatchu up to?" She asked.
"I missed you and wanted to see what you were doing." I answered as I smiled at her. "Have you guys eaten yet?" I asked no one in particular.
"No." Lzzy answered. "Unless Jäger counts." She grinned.
"Umm...no it doesn't." I chuckled. "I'll go get you guys some food."
"In N Out." Johnny said as he picked up his bass. "Animal style everything and chocolate shakes."
"Oh my god. Fuck yes." Lauren said from behind her kit.
"The tribe has spoken." Demi smiled.
"I'll be back in a few." I said before giving Demi a kiss and heading out to grab their food.
I couldn't help but smile as I walked out to my car. I literally had the best life and I was so thankful.
***
I was upstairs getting ready when I heard the front door open. I could hear Demi and Johnny laughing as they walked into the house. Apparently Johnny was getting ready over here. They were basically attached at the hip anyway so I can't say I was surprised. They were like sister and brother. They loved each other very much.
"Sel!" Demi called out.
"I'm in here baby!" I answered.
"Are you decent?" She asked peeking her head in.
"Yes." I smiled at her. "He can come in."
"Hey Sel." Johnny grinned as he appeared in the doorway.
"You guys need to hurry up and shower." I told them as they watched Victoria apply my make up. "We've got to leave in like two hours."
"Where's Natalie?" Demi asked inquiring about her assistant.
"She's on her way." I answered.
"She's so bossy." Johnny said loud enough for me to hear as he left the room with Demi.
"I heard that asshole!" I yelled at him.
"I know." He laughed.
I finished getting ready before both of them since I was basically done by the time they'd arrived at the house anyway. I went into the guest room, where Johnny basically lived to check on him and found him sitting on the bed playing Call of Duty. He was halfway dressed and yelling at the tv screen.
"Johnny!" I said loudly causing him to jump.
He looked in my direction and dropped the controller. "For fucks sake Sel." He said as his jaw dropped. "You look...amazing."
"And you're half dressed." I said as I picked up his tie. "Come here."
He did as I asked and finished buttoning up his shirt as he walked toward me. I wrapped the tie around his neck and tied it for him. I tightened up the knot then slapped him upside his head.
"Ouch." He chuckled.
"Stop looking down my dress." I scolded.
"Sorry." He smiled.
"No you're not." I said as I shook my head. "Hurry up. We'll be downstairs."
I left the room and went back into my bedroom to get Demi. She was putting on her studded heels when I walked into the room. She looked fucking amazing. She was wearing a form fitting, short black dress and I was in heaven. It was simple just like she was. I didn't doubt she'd throw a leather jacket over it once we left the house.
"I can't decide who looks hotter." She smiled. "Me or you."
"I think our opinions might be biased." I smirked. "Let's go. Limo's here."
"Grab that garmet bag." She instructed Natalie. It had her performance outfit in it.
"Ya'll look fine as fuck." Johnny said once we joined him downstairs.
"You're looking pretty handsome yourself." I complimented him. "You clean up nicely."
"Gross." Demi grimaced. "I'm just kidding." She added. "You look really good John."
"I try." He sighed dramatically.
We loaded into the limo and headed to the Staples Center. We met up with the rest of the band before arriving so they could walk the carpet together. Once we pulled up I immediately felt the butterflies in my stomach. Formal events made me nervous for some reason.
"You ready?" Demi asked softly.
"Yeah." I nodded.
"I'll go first." Johnny smiled.
Ritchie opened the door and Johnny stepped out causing the crowd to start screaming. I could hear the clicking of cameras and the flashes went off and paps called his name. He immediately walked over toward the barricades and started taking pictures with fans.
Demi stepped out of the limo before me and helped me out. Once again the crowd starting to go nuts. She held onto my hand and like Johnny walked over to greet fans. Ritchie kept a close eye on them as they interacted with people and took pictures. They spent as much time as they could fretting people before they had to continue up the carpet. They took group shots as well as individual shots with whomever they came with.
"Ryan's waiting to interview you guys." One of the carpet coordinators informed us. "He's right over there."
They made their way over to him and Demi pulled me with her.
"Let me go inside." I laughed.
"Nope." She said before I could protest further. "You're gonna stay with me."
"Ok." I said gently before giving her quick kiss. "I'll stay."
"Alright." Ryan said as they gathered around. "The question on everyone's mind right now is what label do you plan to sign with and when can we expect that to happen."
"Umm." Matt said into the microphone. "Well, we have a lot of options obviously and we haven't really given it much thought as of this moment but once we know we'll tell everyone."
"The general consensus is that well, I mean for obvious reasons that you'll sign with SMG entertainment. Is there any truth to that?" He asked.
"It's definitely an option." Demi answered. "It just depends on what the president of the label wants to offer. We're the biggest band in the world." She smirked. "So we'll see."
"Speaking of the president of SMG entertainment, Selena any thoughts?" He asked me.
I laughed before I spoke. "Your guess is as good as mine." I shrugged. "But I will say the label would be thrilled to add them to the roster. Like Demi so eloquently pointed out, they're the biggest band in the world right now. It's a win win situation."
"So basically there's no information for you guys to announce right now?" He asked.
"Bingo." Lauren winked.
"On a scale of one to ten how excited are you guys tonight?" He asked before holding the mic up to Joe.
"I'd say we're at about an eleven."
"Is there anyone that you're excited to see perform?"
"Ummm...Nick Jonas." Johnny answered. "I love him." He added batting his eyes.
Thankfully, the interview ended after that and for the second time that night I slapped him upside the head.
"You're a douche!" I scowled.
"Oh come on babe." Demi defended. "It was funny. No harm done."
"Have fun on the Internet tonight." I said as I walked inside in the building and headed toward our seats. We were seated in the third row close to the stage next to several other nominated artists.
They ended up winning two out of the five awards they were nominated for right off the bat. About an hour into the show, they all left to get changed for their live performance. Like everyone else I had no idea what they were going to do. They didn't let me watch any of the rehearsals. I just knew Lzzy was performing with them.
I noticed immediately they had a full orchestra and there was a piano on the stage. Matt sat down as the lights dimmed and started playing. I immediately recognized it as the intro to Don't Lean On Me and I immediately stood up. Once he screamed the first line into the microphone, he pulled it out of the stand and the rest of the band kicked in backed by the orchestra. They sounded incredible. Everyone in the audience was on their feet.
Once Lzzy walked out and started singing the parts Joe usually sang, everyone went nuts. Even I couldn't believe how amazing they sounded. I was proud of Demi for writing this song. It was beautiful and she dedicated it to the fans. Lzzy was killing the vocals.
She and Matt worked the stage effortlessly. People had their phones out so they could record the moment. By the time the song had ended the sheer joy and pride I felt had yet to wear off.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Lzzy Fucking Hale!" Matt said as she waved and exited the stage.
The orchestra suddenly started playing the intro to Born To Die by Lana Del Rey and my mouth dropped open. They were going to do a cover. I had no doubt it was Lauren's idea. Joe and Demi both played along before a female voice filled the arena. I recognized the unclean vocals immediately. It was Maria Brink. Even I was surprised. I had no idea they were going to do this. Matt sang the chorus's while Maria screamed the verses in her signature raspy tone and it sounded amazing. Everyone was shocked in a good way. It was completely unexpected.
They finished playing and it was so loud from all the applause, I couldn't even hear myself think. They brought rock to the Grammys and everyone loved it. Instead playing it safe and choosing a more stripped down song, they brought the noise and featured two of the most dominating female vocalists in rock and metal. It was amazing.
That night they won one more statue and ended up taking home three out of the five they were nominated for including record of the year, and best hard rock performance. I was very proud of them and they were all incredibly happy. It meant a lot to them to see their hard work rewarded.
Once the ceremony had ended and we were in the confines of the limousine, I couldn't help myself. She was distracted by all the congratulation texts and I wanted her attention. I rested my six inch stiletto heels on her shoulder like she was a foot rest as she looked down at her phone. My ankles were crossed and my legs were exposed. I took a picture and posted it. It went viral within minutes and I think it was the caption that people appreciated more than anything. It was one word that basically summed up my thoughts that particular moment.
Daddy.
She looked up at me with a playful smirk and raised eyebrow. "Really?"
"Uh huh." I grinned.
"Come here." She said playfully as she dropped her phone and pulled me toward her. "I'll show you what daddy can do." She teased.
I squealed as her lips tickled my neck causing my body to be covered in goosebumps. I ended up laying on my back in the seat with her hovering above me.
"Driver!" She said suddenly. "Roll up the partition!"
I immediately started laughing. "What are you? Beyoncé?"
She smiled as the window started to roll up.
"No." She whispered. "I'm just madly in love with the most beautiful woman in the world and I don't want to wait until we get home to show her."
Her lips brushed against mine and she settled her weight against me. I was immediately turned on. It didn't take much when it came to her. I connected our lips and for the second time time that day, I couldn't help but think how lucky I was.
***
I woke up the next day to a loud ruckus downstairs. I immediately recognized Lauren's laugh and I could hear Johnny cursing in the background. I was surprised they were all up and lively. They'd stayed out most of the night celebrating. Demi and I came home at a reasonable hour. She didn't drink anymore and being around drunk people didn't exactly appeal to her.
I got out of bed and brushed my teeth and hair before making my way downstairs. Sure enough Lauren, Johnny, and Demi were all in the game room playing Call Of Duty. I could tell they were all playing online based on the fact they were wearing headsets and the amount shit talking Demi was doing.
"You guys are loud." I stated announcing my presence.
"And you're lazy." Johnny shot back as he focused on the screen.
"Baby." Demi smiled as she pulled off her headset and walked over to me. "Did you sleep good?" She asked as she pulled me against her.
"I did actually."
She leaned in and kissed me softly, gently sucking on my bottom lip and threading her fingers through my hair as she did so. She had the ability to take me from a zero to a one hundred real quick. It was almost effortless for her and I was completely in love with everything about her.
"I love you." She said as her eyes settled on mine.
"I love you too." I breathed.
She had this amazing way of making me feel like she could see straight through me and into my soul. There wasn't a person on this planet that could love me the way she did. There wasn't another person on this planet that I could love as much as I loved her. The words didn't even need to be spoken anymore, they were just understood. That didn't stop either of us from saying them, but the fact remained we didn't have to.
After I left them to continue their gaming session I went into the kitchen to make lunch. I also had some emails to answer since I was currently in negotiations with their former label to purchase their entire back catalogue. I wanted the publishing rights for the music. Surprisingly, I'd get responses back almost immediately. By the time I finished making the fajitas I had prepared for lunch, I had reached an agreement. They faxed over the paperwork and I signed it. It would be interesting once the band found out.
"That Lana cover was surprising." I said as we all sat down and ate.
"Lauren suggested it. Maria was stopping by to say hi to Lzzy and when she heard us rehearsing it, she wanted to sing with us. Naturally we said yes and it all worked out perfectly." Demi explained.
"It was amazing. You guys killed it."
"Can you tell Val to stop treating my girlfriend like a workhorse and let her come please?" Lauren asked with a smirk. "She's been in New York the past couple of days and it's annoying. I don't care about Taylor Swift.
I couldn't help but laugh at her outburst. "Well the rest of the world does and no, I cannot make Val do anything. Jamie has a job and she's doing it."
"I don't even know why she needs a job." The green eyed woman complained.
"Oh god. Here we go." Johnny sighed.
Demi just sat and ate as she listened in complete amusement.
"Probably because she enjoys it." I answered as I shook my head. "Did you know she started this company with me? She's one of the original five people that I hired when I started the firm."
"I make more than enough money." Lauren insisted. "That's all I'm trying to say."
"So are you admitting you guys are dating?" I grinned.
"I didn't say that."
"Sure you did." I smirked. "She also makes more than enough money." I challenged. "Maybe you should stay home and fold laundry."
"Dude." Demi laughed. "Let it go Lolo. You're going to lose. They don't call her hell on heels for nothing. She's like an angry shark." Demi winked.
"Really babe?" I asked as I narrowed my eyes at her. "An angry shark?"
Johnny picked up his phone as we continued the great debate over whether Jamie should work or not. Lauren was losing...badly.
"Well that's interesting." Johnny said once he sat his phone down. "Jimmy Sullivan from Capitol emailed me to tell me that the label has sold our entire back catalog to an undisclosed buyer. Once they finalize the details they will let us know who it was."
"Hmmm. That's weird." Demi said as she looked directly at me.
"I don't know what you're talking about." I said before taking a bit of food.
They all watched me as I chewed and tried not to smile. They knew I bought the music, I wasn't going to give them satisfaction of confirming it. Not yet anyway. I was a business woman and intended to behave like one.
"Spill." Lauren said as she looked at me warily.
"These fajitas are delicious." I said changing the subject.
"Smooth babe." Demi chuckled. "Smooth."
I made it through lunch only to get an email from Val requesting a meeting this evening between myself and the band. My guess is the purchase of their music and publishing rights got their attention. Luckily for them I was the one that bought it. I knew that they were going to sign with me anyway so it just made sense that I'd own them completely. I couldn't help but smile at the thought of "owning" them. It was funny to me.
Once I excuses myself, I went upstairs so I could get ready and head to the office. I opened my eyes to find Demi sitting on the counter watching me as I showered. She did that a lot. She'd show up places unannounced and just watch me. I'd gotten so used to it, I hardly noticed anymore.
"That was quick." I said referring to the meeting.
"We like to be spontaneous." She responded. "You better not low ball us." She teased.
"I'll do what I want." I said as I stepped out of the shower and she handed me a towel. "I'm the boss."
"In more ways than one." Demi said with an expression of pure amusement.
***
I walked into the meeting room to find them all sitting at the table along with their ten Grammys. I resisted the urge to laugh because I knew exactly what they were doing. They all had smug looks on their faces, except for Matt, he looked embarrassed. I could tell they thought they were funny.
"Well this is cute." I said gesturing toward the gold statues. "Is there a point?" I asked as I sat down at the head of the table.
"Just a friendly reminder of how awesome we are." Joe replied.
"I would like to just state for the record." Matt sighed. "That this was not my idea."
"Let's get down to business shall we?" I said in an effort to take control of the situation.
"You're worth a billion dollars Mrs. Lovato, the question is, what are we worth to you?" Demi asked with a cocky smirk.
She was referencing an article I recently did in Forbes magazine. My company had recently been appraised at being worth a billion dollars. I personally didn't have that much money, although I was up around the seven hundred million mark. She knew that and I could tell she was enjoying messing with me.
I considered responding with a smart ass comment but decided against it. I was about to turn the tables in the best of ways. I loved them all very much and I wanted them to know that. They were like family to me and I was so proud of them. Without them I wouldn't be where I was today and without me, they could say the same. At least I liked to think so.
"If we're being honest, you guys are invaluable to me. There is no amount of money I could ever use to define your worth. You guys are everything." I said making eye contact with each of them. "That's why I'm prepared to offer you this." I said as my assistant handed them each a copy of the contract.
"Holy shit." Matt said as his eyes snapped up and found mine. "This is too much."
"You guys are worth it." I smiled. "At least to me."
"Marie." Demi said getting my attention. "He's right. This is too much. We won't sign this. It's not reasonable."
I smiled at her as she spoke. I knew they wouldn't sign it, I just wanted them to know how much I loved them and valued them as people. As I looked around the room at each of their faces, I could tell they were emotional. They weren't expecting me to hand them such a reckless declaration of my belief in them. The offer was ridiculous, but if they wanted it, I'd let them have it.
"Tell me what you're comfortable with and we'll do it." I said softly as they composed themselves.
"Less than half that." Johnny spoke up. "Also, fuck you for making me almost cry."
"I love you guys and I'm so proud of you." I said sincerely as they sat there still trying to process what was happening.
They signed their deal that night. It was one of the easiest contracts I'd ever had to do. They trusted me completely and I took care of them. Like I said, they were family and I loved them unconditionally. I'd always give them what was fair. I had their backs, they had mine.
Later that night at the house with Demi, she seemed quiet. It wasn't a sad silence, it was more of a contemplative silence. I could tell she had a lot on her mind. Right before I went ask what she was thinking, her voice cut through the silence.
"You're amazing." She said suddenly.
"Thanks." I smiled, not quite sure what else to say.
"I mean it." She said her tone serious. "You just get it. You are so aware of everything about me and everything about my life and it just amazes me. You amaze me everyday. I can't figure out what I did to deserve you."
"Baby." I whispered softly as I tried to keep my emotions under control.
"I swear, if there was no such thing as words. If there was no way to speak, I would still hear you." She said as her hand cupped my cheek. "I don't exist without you. You're it Sel. You're what life is all about."
Before I could say anything, she pulled into her arms as music played softly in the background. She held me close and I lost myself in her. Nothing but the feel of her heart beat against mine mattered in this moment.
"How could I refuse, yeah you rid me of the blues ever since you came into my life." She sang along as she rested her cheek against mine. "Because you're my medicine. You're my medicine. Yeah you're my medicine."
As I danced with her in the living room of our house, I had never felt more connected to anyone. She was that once in a lifetime kind of love that most people weren't lucky enough to find. She was consuming and beautiful. I cherished every moment I ever spent with her.