"Have you made it to Nashville yet?" Ryan had just turned on his phone when he saw a text from Aomei.
The Navigator was in the parking lot outside the airport. After dropping Joel off at home, Ryan got a call from Scooter.
"Ryan, you'll have to come to Atlanta again in the next couple of days. Robin Thicke is only available soon," Scooter said over the phone.
"I'm not considering working with him right now... I've thought about this for a long time, and I still don't think his voice is right for the song." Ryan flatly rejected the collaboration with Robin Thicke.
"Listen, Ryan, we've already made a commitment to him. Backing out now would be incredibly unwise. It'll make you seem unreliable. Who's going to want to work with you after that? We can't just sit still. Do you really think you can find a better collaborator?" Scooter continued.
"Of course. The truly wise choice is me."
"What?"
"I'll sing Wake Me Up. It's my song, so I should be the one to sing it."
"Ryan, you're a DJ. DJs are performers and producers, but they're not singers. This isn't the right direction for your career."
"Maybe that's true for other DJs, but I'm different. I've been on Nashville Star before," Ryan reminded him.
"I'd advise you to think carefully. In fact, I've already found you quite a few potential collaborators—Usher, Ludacris, Lil Wayne. They're all huge names. You'll shoot straight to the top!" Scooter still wouldn't let it go.
"You and I both know what's best for me."
"Then let me put it another way. If you sing this song, there's a chance it won't make a splash at all. Are you willing to take that risk?"
"Of course. Risk and reward go hand in hand."