Free Rock Hard Bliss - the Finale by D. H. Cameron

she had the upper hand. She did, but only if Phil was really working for her. He wasn’t.
    What really turned the balance in our favor, however, was The Fraulein’s arrogance. She thought she had gotten the best of us and she became reckless. She spoke proudly of what she had done and Phil was there to hear it all. She detailed how she had tampered with the talent agent’s board, how she had hired Sylvia, first in an attempt to break James and I up and then to accuse James of having an affair but getting the picture that let her accuse him of assault instead. She spoke of how she had set up the photos of the other woman and me and provided them to the tabloids. In short, she had proudly spilled her guts and Phil was there for all of it.
    However, that was just one part of the equation. Victoria had divested herself of Roland stock as soon as she informed us of her plans and then made sure the markets knew the financial status of the company. The stock price hit the floor but that allowed James to purchase all of it for a song. Now James and our group of investors owned Roland Talent almost outright. Nevertheless, the company, while functioning, was on shaky ground. James and I, along with the rest of the band, Christie and Vinnie, were scheduled to speak to the press that afternoon and set things right.
    The press conference was to be held at Roland’s offices. Peter had arranged all of it and had promised a major surprise to whip up excitement. It worked. The press was there in force when we arrived. This was James’ show but the rest of us stood behind him to lend support. The group of owners, James and the band, Christie, Vinnie, Rence and Blade, not to mention, Peter, had been informed of what James was about to say. I won’t say they were all enthusiastic about what had happened, but they all pledged their support.
    “Thanks for coming. As you know, Roland Talent has seen some upheaval over the last few days. The previous majority owner, the daughter of the great Samuel Roland, has sold her interest in the company. She has revealed the company is on shaky ground and that there was a hostile takeover. I’m here to announce that now Roland Talent has new owners and a new direction. Along with my partners behind me and others who couldn’t be here, I am happy to announce that Roland Talent is in good hands. Samuel Roland ran this company with the artists in mind. Now Roland is being run by artists and we promise to return Roland Talent to its former glory,” James told the gathering of reporters. I didn’t miss the fact James had failed to mention The Fraulein by name, but he wasn’t finished.
    “From this point forward, Roland talent will exist to serve the artist. We are here to serve the needs of our clients. Through that promise, Roland Talent will thrive alongside those that we represent just as the company did when Samuel Roland ran the agency. In that vein, I want to introduce the person that will lead the company as CEO,” James said and though we hadn’t discussed it in detail since everything happened, I assumed he was about to say my name. I was wrong, however. “I’m happy to name Peter McMillan as the new CEO of Roland Talent. He was trained under Samuel and he will bring back the same principles that made Roland Talent the best agency in the business.”
    I looked at Peter, who looked to be as surprised as I was by the announcement. Then I looked at James. What was he doing? I thought he trusted me to do this. I just didn’t understand. James put his arm around Peter and dragged him front and center. Cameras flashed and the entertainment reporters clamored to get a quote from the new CEO. I looked on, hurt and disbelieving. James left Peter to the wolves and turned to face me.
    “I couldn’t do it,” he began and I thought I knew what he was going to say but James surprised me. “I couldn’t make you CEO and lose you. I want, no, I need you by my side. This is a huge undertaking and