The only sound in the silent conference room was the rustle of turning pages. Jesse, an older white man, held a cup of coffee as he conducted the final review of the contract.
Ryan and Scooter watched him, while Taylor's father sat dozing in his chair.
Jesse looked up and pushed a copy of the contract toward Ryan. "It's basically fine. Take another look at the key figures, like the royalty split. If you have no questions, we can get ready to sign officially."
Scooter let out a long sigh of relief. He seemed even more relaxed than Ryan.
Ryan and Scooter took a final photo together, shaking hands and smiling for the camera.
"I'm only a few years older than you. I grew up in Greenwich, Connecticut. It's just across a stretch of water from Long Island, New York. I came to Atlanta for college, but I didn't graduate." With his "college dropout buff," Scooter seemed to be introducing himself to Ryan.
"Today, I'll contact Republic Records' legal department and crack down on the impersonators on digital download platforms," Scooter said right away.
He'd learned about the situation during their first formal meeting at Ryan's house.
"Harlem shake is really hot right now, so we need to strike while the iron's hot. You'll start your radio tour this week. You might also get interviewed by some reporters, so I'll give you advance notice," Scooter continued.
A radio tour was the first step every artist had to take, and Ryan was no exception.
"Also, give my assistant the passwords to your social media accounts later. She'll take over from there, so you can focus on radio promotion." Scooter patted Ryan on the shoulder.
"I've already got someone else to handle that. I just hired them," Ryan said quickly.
In truth,