She frowned at her friend.
“Sorry, we take our breaks when we’re scheduled to take them.” She gave an apologetic smile. “What’s up, drama queen?”
Grace resisted the urge to argue this. Instead she launched into yesterday’s meeting with Mossy. “I couldn’t believe it,” she said. “He’d come all this way to see Dad. And he’s working for Sapphire Music. You know that’s Renae Taylor’s record company too. So Mossy informs Dad that his one-hit-wonder ‘Misunderstood’ is making a serious comeback because some Swedish kid sang it on Idol and won.”
“A Swedish kid won American Idol ?” She frowned.
“American Idol, Sweden,” Grace corrected. “Anyway, he’s offering my dad this incredible deal—like on a silver platter—you can record anything you want, man, just sign on the dotted line.”
“Uh-huh?” Rachel offered Grace her bag of chips.
Grace waved her hand. “And my dad rejects his offer. Flat out rejects it. Mossy offered to let Dad think it over, but no, Dad says he’s certain. He did not want a record deal.”
“But why not? I thought your dad was getting ready to do a worship album. Why not just do it with this Mossy character?”
Grace sighed. “Because they don’t want religious songs.”
“Oh.” Rachel nodded with a knowing look. “Well, then I don’t blame your dad at all. He made the right choice.”
Grace fought back the urge to yell at her best friend. Why was Rachel acting like this? Always taking her dad’s side? Whose best friend was she anyway?
“I honestly don’t see why you’re so upset about this, Grace.”
Grace honestly did not see why Rachel was being so dense. But somehow she had to make Rachel get it. She had to get Rachel to act like friends were supposed to act—sympathetic, seeing her side of things. “So then Mossy leaves, and my dad launches into this, like, ten-hour speech on motives and temptation and how the world was so empty for him when he was making music. And he was talking about how everyone has a different calling, and how he’s so fulfilled now, and everything. Like it was supposed to be this fabulous teachable moment for me.”
“What’s wrong with that?”
Grace rolled her eyes. “Nothing! Except that I’ve heard it, like, a million times. He said it in every single church we ever played at! Sheesh, I was there, okay? And yet my dad acts like I’d never heard it before.”
“Oh.” Rachel set down her soda can with a thoughtful look. Like maybe she was finally getting it. “You have to admit that it’s pretty cool your dad’s song is getting so many hits.”
Grace just shook her head.
“Sorry.” Rachel sounded defensive. “I just think it’s kinda cool.”
“Whatever.”
“I mean ‘Misunderstood’ was recorded so long ago. And now it’s making this great comeback. That’s got to feel good.”
“What difference does it make?” Grace demanded. “Dad turned them down. He’s so lame. Do you know what he told Mossy?”
“Obviously not. I wasn’t there, Grace.”
“Dad told Mossy that if ‘Misunderstood’ was so big, Sapphire should just get someone else to do a remake. Can you believe that? He just handed over his one and only big hit. Like he didn’t even care.”
“What did the guy say?”
Grace’s mind was moving down another track now. Suddenly she saw the answer to this dilemma—as if it was written on the sky or at least on a rock concert poster. “Huh?” She looked back at Rachel who seemed to be waiting for some answer.
“What did that Moss guy say when your dad told him to get someone else to record ‘Misunderstood’?”
“I don’t remember.”
Rachel downed the last of her soda then pointed at the clock by the door. “That’s just as well since my break time is officially over. See ya!”
Grace kept sitting there in the break room, running a crazy idea around and around inside her head. Who was to say it couldn’t happen?
Suddenly Grace remembered that today
Robert & Lustbader Ludlum