Charttoppers - 8. Candid Camera

“Would you like some more pudding?” Marissa Edwards asked, standing by the refrigerator in the kitchen. It was a dreary, rainy Saturday, so she had put off all of the errands she planned to run for some other day. Instead, the forty-something decided to spend the day indoors, catching up on her household chores, which included cooking lunch for the family and making sticky toffee pudding for dessert.

At that moment, however, Tyler was too lost in his thoughts to even hear his mother’s words. His life had become a whirlwind in such a short amount of time, and he often felt he could not control what was happening. Ever since he released his song and got his first taste of fame, his schedule was packed. TV and radio stations wanted him to do interviews, magazines wanted him on their covers and companies were willing to pay whatever he wanted to promote their products.

It was not all bad, though. His song quickly catapulted to the top of the charts not just in his native country, but also in Ireland and other countries across mainland Europe. It was even rapidly gaining traction overseas, and Tyler was just stunned at the sudden success and positive reception he was getting. Fans and publications were especially praising his powerful, soulful vocals, which filled him with immense joy. Also, the encouraging messages he was receiving from fans on social media were often a highlight of his day, even though he felt bad he couldn’t respond to all of them.

However, Tyler quickly realized that fame would come with a hefty price. Firstly, he had almost no free time anymore. The label wanted him to promote as much as possible in preparation for his album release, which caused him to be on the road nearly every day. His relationship with his girlfriend was suffering as well, which hit the singer especially hard.

“Hey, pumpkin,” his mother spoke gently as she sat at the table next to him and pushed a plate with pudding in front of Tyler. “Can I guess what you’re thinking about?”

“You already know,” the boy sighed, picking up the spoon and scooping up some of the dessert. He always had a sweet tooth and his mom was happy to indulge him - in reasonable amounts.

“Stacy, huh? I understand it may seem like the end of the world, sweetie, but you’re both still so young. Of course you’ll go through some ups and downs, you still have so much to learn.”

“But it’s never been this serious. I don’t know if she’ll get over this,” Tyler was concerned. When he last spoke to Stacy, she had seemed so resigned, as if she was unwilling to try to make it work.

“I think she will, darling. She just needs to realize that things between you can still work out. Your feelings for her haven’t changed, right? And you’re willing to make an effort so that you can be together?”

“Of course,” Tyler nodded.

“Then I think you should let her know that,” Marissa said, offering a gentle, reassuring smile. “Perhaps that is what she needs right now.”

That very same afternoon, Tyler found himself in his girlfriend’s home, sitting in her bedroom. He looked around, observing all the things he had memorized a long time ago - the bed with too many soft pillows, the desk with a wonky leg underneath the window, the potted plants in colorful pots, and the shelf stuffed with knick-knacks.

The door opened and Stacy entered, carrying two mugs of steaming hot Earl Grey tea.

“Here you go,” the girl offered him a mug and sat down on the other end of the bed, facing him.

“Thanks,” Tyler politely accepted it. “I hope you don’t mind that I came. I know things between us are kinda… not good. But, I needed to talk to you.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t call or anything. I just didn’t know what to say,” Stacy spoke, almost whispering. “I… I saw your song went number one. That’s amazing, congrats.”

“Thanks,” the singer smiled weakly. At that moment, chart positions were the last thing on his mind. “I just wish you were there to celebrate with me.”

“I know, I just…”

“It’s ok, I understand. Look, I wanted to say that I don’t know what’ll happen with my career. Maybe it’ll take off, maybe not. But whatever happens, I still want to be with you. My feelings for you haven’t changed.”

“Mine haven’t either, but I don’t know if that’s going to be enough,” Stacy looked at him sadly. “You’re going to always be busy and I’m going off to college in a few months. We won’t be able to see each other often, and even when we do, we’ll have to hide so people don’t think we’re together.”

“It doesn’t matter what other people know, as long as we know the truth. I know it sucks, but this hiding thing is hard for me too. I just don’t think it’s worth giving up over that,” the singer said, reaching out to take Stacy’s hand in his own. “Anyway, I just needed to tell you that before I go. The label is sending me to the US.”

“What? When?” Stacy looked up shellshocked, her eyes meeting Tyler’s. “How long will you stay?”

“A few weeks, probably. They want me to promote the song there since it started blowing up. And then I’ll also have to go again in June for the album release. Mom and dad are going to take a few days off work and come with me. Lucy and Kit too. And I was thinking… maybe you’d want to come with us?”

Stacy’s jaw dropped as she realized how big of a deal that was. Sure, Tyler had dreamed of becoming a popular singer in his home country, but to have the chance to make it in America was something that didn’t happen easily, especially not that early in one’s career.

“Wow, this is really happening, isn’t it? You’re going places. And it’s all happening so quickly.”

“Yeah, I know,” Tyler nodded, letting out a soft chuckle. “I’m so excited, but also kinda terrified. I’ve had a lot of training, but I’m still not really prepared for this. I feel like a five-year-old who’s been allowed to play with a nuclear reactor. What if I mess something up?”

“Well, the worst thing you can do is say something dumb on TV, not wipe out half a country,” Stacy shrugged, causing them both to burst into laughter.

When their hands touched again, Tyler was on cloud nine. Just for that moment, it felt like they were their old selves, before any of the problems began. It felt like they were just a normal couple like they used to be.

Eventually, he left Stacy’s home uncertain, but hopeful that maybe there is still a chance for them to go back to how they were. The singer was not even halfway to his apartment when his phone rang. Seeing his manager’s name on the screen, he rolled his eyes, bracing himself for at least a twenty-minute conversation.

“Hey, Florence, what’s up?”

“Hey, superstar. I’m in the record label, when are you coming? Everyone’s here,” the woman’s voice was loud as if she was standing right next to him.

Tyler stopped in his tracks as the realization hit him. He checked his watch and bit his lip. Saturday, five o’clock. It was the only time everyone was available for a meeting about his upcoming trip to the States. How could he have forgotten about it?!

“I’m sorry, I’ll call an Uber and be right over,” he apologized, hoping Florence was in a good mood that day.

“You forgot about the meeting? Tyler Edwards, you may be cute and popular, but you’re still too young to be acting like a diva. I’ll hold everyone, but hurry up,” the woman said, her voice completely serious this time.

“I know, I’m so sorry. I’ll be over there as soon as I can,” the singer hung up, immediately opening the Uber app on his phone.

When he arrived some twenty minutes later, Florence was waiting for him in the lounge. At first glance, Tyler could not really tell how angry she was at him - her face did not betray any emotion other than that of a busy woman who did not like to be kept waiting.

“Here I am. I’m so sorry, it won’t happen again,” the apology was the first thing the young man uttered once he approached his manager.

“Don’t apologize to me. There’s a room full of people there who you’ve kept waiting, and some of them like to pretend they’re even busier than me,” the tiny woman rolled her eyes as she grabbed the singer by the arm, walking with him to the meeting room. “I hope you have a good excuse at least?”

“I just… I went to see Stacy and it sort of slipped my mind,” he winced, not wanting to lie to his manager.

Florence sighed, stopping them both in the middle of a hallway. When she turned to look at Tyler, her gaze was as cold as ice. “I trust that no one saw you together? You will become a target for the paparazzi before you know it, and we must maintain the illusion that you are single. I hope that much is clear to you,” she said sternly.

“Don’t worry, no one saw us. We met at her house,” Tyler frowned.

“I hope so. You have contractual obligations you need to fulfil and faking being single is one of them, so you better wipe that frown off your face. If you think that’s the most difficult decision you’ll ever have to make, you are in for a rude awakening,” the woman proceeded with her lecture, staring daggers at the singer. “And another thing, you really have to become a better liar. It will be essential for your survival in this business, trust me. So, your mother had food poisoning and ended up in the hospital. That’s why you’re late, because you had to drive her. Any questions?”

“Um, not right now…”

“Very well, let’s go inside then. This has taken long enough already, and mama has tickets for the opera tonight,” Florence said, finally entering the meeting room with Tyler in tow.

~~

Despite the noise and commotion around him, Ash had withdrawn into his own world for a moment, something he did not do often. He was in his dressing room, waiting for the video shoot for his next single, Shallow Waters, to continue. His publicist Lauren was pacing by the door, talking on her phone, while the stylist, hair and makeup person, and the rest of the crew came and went, making preparations for the shooting of the next scene.

Ash had decided not to leave his dressing room until he was called for. He needed some rest, as he had been dancing hard for several hours, but there was another reason for his self-imposed isolation. Kelly Marvel, who was at the other side of the studio, had already managed to rile up most of the crew with her demands, and Ash was determined to avoid her as much as possible. He thought of the girl as an ungrateful little diva and wondered how she got to be so popular. Her fans obviously knew nothing about the real Kelly.

The Korean singer ignored everyone around him as he sat curled up on the couch, focused on the phone in his hands. He had opened Twitter to read messages from his fans, but then saw something that took him back to his boyband days. It was the birthday of one of his ex-bandmates. Ash still followed all of them on social media, even though they barely even communicated anymore. Unfollowing them seemed petty, and he was never like that. Besides, they had shared some good times when they were not being overworked by their agency.

When they had no photoshoots, performances or other appearances, their days would consist of long hours of vocal lessons, dance practices and fitness training. It was a gruelling schedule that was both physically and mentally demanding, but they were only young boys locked in unfavourable contracts they could not get out of.

Even though his current contract with Pinnacle Records was much better, Ash realized it was still quite limiting. Cliff Sanders had too much power over the singer’s career and he was not afraid to exercise it.

As he reminisced about his past, Ash’s finger hovered over the ‘private message’ button on Jin’s profile. He hesitated before finally tapping it, writing his former bandmate a brief note. When he was finished, he re-read it and hit ‘send’, immediately feeling some kind of relief. Even though he was not sure if he would even get a reply, he felt good about it.

Pocketing his phone, the singer got up and approached the stylist, finally ready to get back to work. No matter what Sanders demanded of him, he had an obligation to his fans and to himself, and that meant the video had to be perfect. Even Kelly would not want to star in a badly-produced video.

“Hey, Myra, what have you got for me?” he asked the stylist as she sorted the clothes on the racks.

Myra was a short woman in her early thirties, with an hourglass figure and long hair dyed purple. She wore a figure-hugging dress, almost as dark as her skin. Whenever they collaborated, Ash knew she would have something fantastic for him, not that he was ever picky about outfits. Perhaps that was why she always praised him as one of her favorite artists.

“Oh, I think you’ll love this, Ash. Take a look,” the woman said, pulling out an outfit she had already prepared for the next scene - black pants, red silk shirt and black suspenders.

“What can I say, you know my style so well,” Ash nodded with satisfaction. “Thanks, I’ll go try it on.”

When he returned a few minutes later, Myra whistled, eyeing him from head to toe.

“Yup, this is the one! It looks great, thanks again!”

“Oh, I wish all of my clients were as easy to please as you,” the stylist rolled her eyes.

“Now who could you possibly mean by that?” Ash chuckled. “Is she being obnoxious again?”

“She asked for five dressing rooms. Five! We gave them to her, of course, and then ten minutes later her assistant rushes in saying she needs another one… For her shoes.”

“You’re kidding? How many pairs did she bring?”

“Just the one. But apparently, when she takes them off, they have to be taken to another room,” the stylist explained, shaking her head in annoyance. “Good luck, darling.”

“Yeah, I’m gonna need it. I just hope we wrap this up today, but I doubt it,” the Korean added as he left the dressing room.

The shoot was about to continue and everyone had gathered in front of the studio, where the big scene with Ash and Kelly was to be shot. The dancers stood to the side, dressed as waiters and waitresses, observing the crew set everything up. The set was to resemble an outdoor restaurant, with several round tables already set at the scene, while a long, red carpet was rolled down the middle.

As Ash came out, he glanced over to the dance crew, catching Marcus’ eyes for just a moment. The two smiled at each other, too brief for anyone but them to notice.

Next to a table with refreshments, Kelly Marvel sat in a chair under a parasol, as her assistant fanned her. The tanned brunette wore a long red skirt with a big cleavage that left little to the imagination. Her heels must have been at least six inches, Ash noticed, wondering how she was going to dance in them. They had a big choreography scene to shoot and it had to be just perfect.

“Honey, what is with that lighting? It looks like a damn UFO beam,” Kelly groaned at one of the crew members who was setting up the lights. The poor man merely glanced at the video director, silently asking for support.

“What now, Miss Marvel?” the director asked, raising an eyebrow. His patience was wearing thin, but he never let the girl get to him. He had been in the business for decades and was used to what he considered spoiled brats who became famous overnight.

“The lighting, it’s too harsh,” Kelly said, pointing at the spotlight next to her.

“It’s supposed to be that way. Just do your job and let me do mine. You’ll look great, I promise.”

“I better,” the girl muttered, grabbing her mirror to check her makeup. “Ugh, you better reapply. And lay off the eyeliner! I’m not a raccoon,” she told the makeup artist standing next to her.

Once everything was finally set up and the director called everyone to assume their places, Ash and Kelly stood on the opposite ends of the long red carpet, just as planned. Nearly two dozen extras sat at the tables, pretending to be customers, while the dancers served them drinks and food. As the second chorus finished and the instrumental part began, Ash and Kelly started walking toward each other as if they had no eyes for anyone else, until they were mere inches apart.

Just like clockwork, the dancers dropped their trays and stood in formation behind the two singers, and everyone launched into their intricate dance routine. The Korean was impressed with his partner. Even though she may have been a difficult person, she was a true professional, excellent at what she did. Kelly started spinning, her long red dress twirling around her, until Ash grabbed her by the hand and pulled her close. They moved in unison, gracefully and with ease, as if they had been preparing for that performance their whole lives.

“Cut! Great job, everyone,” the director finally shouted as the song ended and everyone was done with their routine. “Take fifteen before we move on.”

Kelly returned to her chair under the parasol, taking a small bottle of water and a few diet crackers from a bowl. Ash followed, grabbing another bottle of water for himself.

“Nice moves, Mr. Khong. Very smooth,” the girl said, taking a delicate bite out of the cracker.

“Thanks,” Ash smiled, but made no effort to move. “You too. You killed it out there. You always do.”

“We killed it,” she corrected him. “Come on, take a seat. I wouldn’t mind some company, and I won’t bite your head off, I promise.”

Ash chuckled, sitting in the chair next to her. “I don’t get bullied that easily.”

“Is that what you think I do? Bully people?” the girl asked, her smile vanishing. “I guess that’s no surprise, I probably deserve that.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean it that way. I spoke without thinking,” the Korean apologized.

“Don’t sweat it,” the girl waved him off. “I’m used to it.”

Feeling awkward, Ash sat in silence that lasted for several moments, until Kelly spoke again.

“So, how many people have complained about me so far? Let me guess, at least five?” she asked with a slight eyeroll.

“You trying to get me to rat on my colleagues, Miss Marvel?” Ash asked, smirking at her.

“Nah, you’re fine. I am right, though - at least five.”

“I’m sure that-” Ash started to explain, but Kelly interrupted him.

“That’s ok, you don’t have to spare my feelings. I know everyone thinks I’m a big, annoying bitch,” the girl was blunt. She went silent for a moment, looking into the distance as if carefully contemplating what to say next. “Do you know why I’m that way?”

“I admit, I never thought about it,” Ash shrugged.

“And I don’t blame you,” she replied. “You were very young when you started, right? I’m sure you had your fair share of problems - managers, publicists, media, the label… You probably didn’t have much say in anything, right?”

“You can say that again,” he nodded.

“Now imagine being a girl on top of that. You have no idea what it’s like to be a seventeen-year-old girl starting out alone. At least you had your bandmates. I had no one. When I got signed, I had a single female person on my team - my stylist. The rest were all men. Not boys my age - adult, old men. It was an intimidating environment and I was quickly taught to keep my mouth shut. My input wasn’t needed. I basically had no voice and my job was just to do what I was told. I was just a product for them to sell.”

“I’m sorry, I had no idea. Not that I’m surprised one bit,” Ash said. “Did you tell your family about it?”

“Of course not. Mom and dad would’ve made me come back home and finish school, and that was not an option. I worked too hard to give up on my dream just like that,” Kelly replied. “No, I didn’t want to give up, so the only other choice I had was to endure and fight. I hired a new lawyer - a woman - who went through my contract with me, explained to me what my rights were, what I could and couldn’t do. That was an eye-opener for me. With her by my side, I felt encouraged and started speaking up. I realized that if I wanted to be heard and respected, I had to be forceful and loud. I had to play their game and make them see they couldn’t push me around. It took a while, but I got my point across and trust me, it felt so good. So if that makes me a bitch and a diva, then so be it. I’d rather be a bitch than a scared little girl afraid to open her mouth.”

Ash sat silently, staring at the water bottle in his hands and thinking about Kelly’s words. Lost in his thoughts, he failed to even notice when the girl stood up.

“Anyway, thanks for the chat.”

He looked up, only then realizing she was talking to him.

“Uh, no problem. Thanks for sharing. I’m glad to hear things turned out well for you,” Ash replied, standing up as well.

“Thank you for listening. Now let’s go and slay this thing, shall we?” Kelly smiled.

“Wait. You got something... right there,” the Korean said and stepped closer, carefully removing the crumbs from the edge of her mouth with the tip of his index finger.

“Thanks, I guess I was a bit hungry. Now come on, let’s finish this. I’ve got a spa evening planned and nothing is gonna keep me away from it. If the shoot goes well, I may not even get anyone fired,” the girl winked as she returned to the set, Ash following closely behind.

Across the street, an inconspicuous car was parked with an excellent view of the music video set. With a camera hanging around his neck, a man was sitting in the driver’s seat, observing everything like an eagle stalking its prey. He grabbed his cell phone from the passenger seat and dialled a number, pressing the device against his ear.

“Hey, the job’s done. I got the photos and you’re gonna love them.”

“I’ll be the judge of that,” the man on the other side said.

“I’ve already e-mailed them to you,” the paparazzo responded, still keeping an eye on the scene from across the street. “Take a look.”

Moments later, the other man replied. “Well, what do you know... just what I needed. I gotta say, I’m impressed. It’s even better than I thought.”

“What did I tell ya?”

“Alright, I’m transferring you the other half of the money now. Pleasure doing business with you.”

“Likewise,” the paparazzo said, giving a self-satisfied chuckle before hanging up the phone.