"Hah, you've brought out the contract this quickly? You think Ryan's easy to bully because he's new, huh? If you want to sue, be my guest." Taylor sneered.
"Country girl, don't be so impulsive. This won't do your little boyfriend any good! I don't care, but he can't just sit around at home for a year or two." Scooter smiled.
If they really fell out, a civil lawsuit would take at least a year or two from start to finish. During that time, Ryan wouldn't get any promotion. They'd quietly shut down all his activities—in other words, they'd put him on the shelf.
"So what? I can give him work. Worst comes to worst, I'll support him." Taylor shot back, fiercely protective of her boyfriend.
"It's fine. We can simply renegotiate. I'll talk to Scott myself." Ryan shrugged, showing that he was willing to compromise.
He wasn't as impulsive as Taylor. When you got down to it, Scooter was just after money. Keep the two record companies working together and make sure Scooter had money to earn, and the problem would resolve itself.
"Ryan's the clever one here. Young lady, you should learn from him." Scooter turned and left.
"He really is a snake. He showed his true colors so quickly," Taylor muttered in Ryan's ear.
"He's just a businessman." Ryan shook his head.
Taylor had overreacted a little. For one thing, she was usually the one with the upper hand at Big Machine. For another, she was afraid Ryan would be treated unfairly. And, finally, she was young and had trouble keeping her temper in check.
Ryan and Taylor left the recording studio, then headed back to Big Machine. Outside his office, the secretary told them Scott had already left for another company he owned.
Taylor was currently Big