"What the fuck!? Dave, this is no joking matter. When did you even get acquainted with her?"
Liam asked with a shocked look.
There was a reason for Liam's shock. Evelyn Baylor wasn't some ordinary artist. She wasn't some black rapper whom you can meet on the streets.
Evelyn Baylor was the hottest diva in the music circle right now. She debuted at the age of 18. Her charming voice and youthful figure made the entire country go crazy the moment she debuted. Her first album sold like pancakes off the shelf.
Cut back to now, four years later, Evelyn Baylor who was once cute and mesmerized the entire country had now grown up into a hot woman. The youthful figure had quietly transformed into a sexy bombshell and she was the current goddess in every young man's wet dreams across the country.
And her popularity right now was something close to that of a superstar level. She had immense fan following. All her records so far have achieved Diamond level in sales. Her concerts are sold out within hours of tickets going on sale.
In short, she was the next big thing four years ago. And right now, she was very close to achieving the level of a superstar.
Even though Dave was well connected, Liam never expected him to be able to have interactions with Evelyn Baylor. So, it was understandable that Liam did a spittake hearing her name.
"Ah, that's a bit of an unbelievable story," Dave chuckled. "In fact, she called me personally and spoke to me. She seems to be very interested in MusixZ TV. So, knowing that I'm the one who does MVs for MusixZ, she called me."
"Let me tell you," Dave shook his head to indicate his disbelief, "I almost creamed my pants when I heard who was on the line. Her voice man… it's so sexy and magnetic. I felt as if I could die in that moment and end up in heaven."
"Cut the crap!" Liam hissed impatiently. "What exactly did she say?"
"Well, as I told you that she sees potential in MusixZ TV. She feels that the channel has starmaking potential. So, she wants to know if you are open for collaboration or such things. She asked me to sound you out and see if a meeting could be arranged between you both."
"Is that so?" Liam frowned, as his hot brain cooled for a moment.
"Yeah," Dave nodded. "So, what do you say? You wanna meet her? Come on, man! That's Evelyn Baylor! Do you know how many guys like us dream of meeting her? We would even be in the same room as her! Breathing the same air…"
"Stop, stop," Liam stopped Dave, before his fan mentality exploded. "I am indeed interested in meeting her. After all, she is Evelyn Baylor. Who wouldn't be? But, as for whether her vision could be carried out, that's another thing entirely. I don't want to promise something that I can't deliver."
"Heh, who cares, let's give it a try. If it works, we might be able to hitch a ride on her coattails and get rich. You must know the kind of market she has," Dave said excitedly.
Liam merely nodded and kept his thoughts to himself.
"By the way," Liam looked at Dave oddly. "When did you become a good samaritan? I have known you for a long time. Without benefits, you wouldn't make such a strong recommendation. Don't tell me you are one of her fanboys?"
"I like her," Dave shrugged, while averting his eyes a bit.
Liam sneered inwardly. He knew Dave well. Dave might be someone easy to get along with. But, to truly eke out benefits from him, one needs to give corresponding rewards. He was a pragmatic person in nature.
Even after their years of friendship, if Liam wasn't bringing him continuous benefits, Dave wouldn't be this chummy with him. Right now, Dave's evasive reactions only solidified his suspicions further.
"Come on, spill it. What do you get out of this?" Liam pressed with a snort.
"Alright, alright," Dave put up his hands in defeat.
However, he didn't hurry to answer. He ordered another drink from the bar and waited for it to arrive. Liam didn't urge him either. He waited patiently for him to spill the beans.
Liam knew very well that Evelyn must have promised some significant benefits to Dave. If not for that, he wouldn't be willing to liaison for her with him. What Liam was curious about was what made Dave tick? It wasn't anything important, but he felt that he needed to know that before truly considering whether to work with Evelyn Baylor.
Liam would never do things based on Dave's integrity. Evelyn Baylor's level was far higher than current MusixZ TV. If Evelyn Baylor wanted to cooperate, she should be discussing things directly with his old man. At the least, she must have contacted him through his old man.
Because, Evelyn Baylor's was at that level.
As a quasi superstar in the music industry, Evelyn's name alone would make many things happen. Her representative could directly sit and discuss terms with his old man. She was quite frankly on a higher level compared to Liam currently.
Her action of using Dave to reach out to him made Liam vigilant a bit. When dealing with influential figures, if one truly doesn't understand what they were getting into and what the other players' motives were, one is more likely to capsize in a ditch.
Dave may be a small time character, but there is a chance for him to turn against Liam if enough benefits were promised. So, Liam was quite vigilant when it came to things like this. Having grown up in a rich household, he knew how plastic these friendships and brotherhoods could turn out to be when enough benefits are in place.
"You know," Dave began sipping his drink, "right now, you have opened the door for me to enter the music industry. These days, I have been learning things and figuring out various powers in the industry. What I have realized is, I'm only at the bottom level of the music circle."
"The real players, the ones who truly hold power, in their eyes, I'm just a small ant. They could strangle me any time. I'm living between the gaps of these giants. So, I need something to truly put me on the map and make me at least a small time player."
Liam didn't respond to Dave eloquence. He merely watched him, while sipping his drink, and listened to the words that Dave said and didn't say.
"Evelyn Baylor is my ticket. If this deal between you and her comes to fruition, I get the ticket to enter the sights of those big giants. I will be able to establish myself in the music circle. That's what I get out of this."
"Interesting," Liam hummed. "I guess that's a tempting offer, eh?"
"Indeed," Dave nodded. "Don't get me wrong. All I need is to get you to meet with her. I am sure she can convince you just like she did me. After all, you know more about the TV station than me. So, this is a small job with big rewards."
"A small job huh!?" Liam smirked and didn't say much.
"Indeed," Dave smiled brightly, but his smile was a bit brittle. "What do you say?"
Liam remained silent for a while. He stared at Dave for a few minutes and looked away. He looked as if he was pondering something for a few more minutes, without saying anything. While Liam sipped his drink and pondered, Dave's nervousness began to increase. Just when he was about to burst in anxiety, Liam opened his mouth and spoke.
"Well, consider your job successful. I will meet with her. However, I can't guarantee an agreement of cooperation would be made between us. I will listen to what she has to say and then I will decide if I will agree to such a thing," Liam stated calmly and chugged the remaining drink in one gulp.
"That's enough. As long as you are willing to meet, that's enough for me," Dave said in relief.
"Relax man," Liam chuckled and patted Dave. "That's Evelyn Baylor. Who wouldn't want to meet with her," Liam smiled a meaningful smile, causing Dave to laugh.
"Well, it is time. I will get going. You arrange the meeting and let me know," Liam patted Dave's shoulders and quickly bid farewell.
The moment Liam stood up from the bar seat, both Liam and Dave knew that the easy camaraderie between them had ended at that moment. They were no longer mere friends helping out each other. They had become something different - business acquaintances.
Dave watched Liam go with a complex look on his face. Several times, he wanted to call out and say something to ease the relationship between them. But, in the end, he merely raised his hand and dropped it. There wasn't anything he could say that would be sincere.
After all, to each, their own.