Rewind With A Superstar System-Chapter 130: Grammy Nomination (1)

<🎧 Song Recommendation: Tunnel Vision by Kodak Black>

...

Zack didn’t overcomplicate his explanation. Instead, he reached into his pockets, pulled out a neatly folded sheet of paper, and slid it across the glass surface of the desk.

Von unwrapped it and read the brief text.

1. Business Manager

2. Executive Assistant

3. Estate Manager

4. Head of Security (Driver)

5. Private Chef

6. Social Media Manager

Von raised an eyebrow at the list and turned to face Zack. "You want me to hire them?"

"Yup. You have to," Zack said, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms.

"There are other lower-level staff required to run a property of that size, but that’s for the Estate Manager to hire and oversee on his own. These six, however will form your core domestic team. They are non-negotiable."

Von looked at the list again, a knot of unease building up in his chest. He was already feeling insecure about his current liquid balances.

Between his balances and his approaching bills, things weren’t good if he was going to keep himself running at the same pace.

And there was the fact that he wouldn’t even receive another streaming payout from the platforms until late February, spending more money on a small army of employees felt like the worst possible idea.

"Estate Manager? Business Manager?" Von sighed, dropping the paper back onto the desk.

"This is so unnecessary, dude. Isn’t Emily my manager already? Why am I paying three different people to manage things?"

"Not really... Emily is your entertainment manager. Her job is to sit secure your brand deals, and map your career trajectory. These new roles have more specific jobs. The Estate Manager runs your physical property so you don’t have to worry about the plumbing or the security gates breaking. The Business Manager handles your accounting, paying these employees, filing your taxes, etcetera."

"I don’t think Emily can handle doing all of that, plus being your agent, if you keep getting bigger. She’d burn out in a month."

"Ah, I see," Von nodded in understanding. But a frown quickly replaced his look of comprehension. "Wait. Do I have to give all these names a cut of my income, too? Like a percentage? Because I mean, if that’s the case, then I’ll happily manage my own house and cook my own food."

"No, no," Zack laughed a bit. "They don’t get percentages. They’ll be paid on good wages, given the NDAs they’ll have to sign. They’re necessary to keep your life functioning so you can focus on the music. You have to afford it, Von. It’s the cost of doing business at this level."

Von went through the list one more time, his eyes lingering on Private Chef and Social Media Manager. He acknowledged everything there, realizing that stepping into a massive estate meant he could no longer live like a college student.

He looked back up at his best friend. "Okay, I get the staff. But why do you want to leave, though? You’re my lawyer. What’s your plan afterwards if you aren’t living at the compound?"

"About that," Zack said with excitement lighting up his eyes. "I was thinking of opening a boutique entertainment law firm right here in downtown Miami. If I have my own commercial space, I can hire paralegals and junior associates. That way, I can better assist you with a dedicated legal team instead of just me reading contracts on your couch at 3:00 AM. It’s for your own good too, bro. And it’ll create a professional barrier between your life and your legal defense."

"Wow," Von couldn’t help but admire Zack’s ambition. The relentless fire in him remained completely unchanged. That exact drive was what made Zack mentioned among the most ruthless and biggest lawyers in America in his past life. Seeing it manifest now, so early in their journey, brought a proud smile to Von’s face.

"Well, I’m rooting for you," Von said, chuckling. "No one will believe you just graduated a couple of months ago, though. You’re going to look like a kid running a firm."

"My first and primary client is the most talented independent artist in America," Zack added with a proud smirk, the exact kind Von will usually were.

"Not many veteran attorneys have a resume like I do. I think I’ll be fine."

Von laughed before dropping the list back onto the table. "Alright, you win. I guess we’ll handle this staffing stuff after the house is officially secured. You know how we can hire them? Do we just put out an ad?"

"I was just waiting for your approval," Zack said, pulling his tablet back out to make a note. "Emily has a lot of connections in the high-net-worth world. She can link us with elite domestic staffing agencies. We don’t use job boards for this."

"We’ll have to do a very thorough FBI-level background check on all of them, and make sure to hire very capable professionals."

"For most of them you might have to interview them yourself since they’ll be in your personal space most of the time. But they should all be hired and ready to go before you move in."

Von understood what he was trying to say. Seeing the actual blueprint of his new life laid out in front of him made him even more excited. The financial anxiety faded, replaced by an eager anticipation to finally secure his estate and rule his empire from a proper throne.

They sat and talked for a while longer, ironing out the minor details of the transition, before they both decided to turn their brains off and go on a much-needed shopping run to prepare for the holidays.

***

(December 24th, 2019)

The Venetian Islands rental had been completely transformed. What was usually a scattered hub of ringing phones, scattered legal documents, and half-empty coffee cups now felt like a clean warm winter wonderland.

Naomi had returned from CalArts the previous day. Within two hours of arriving, she had commandeered the living room.

She and Zack had spent the entire evening hanging warm, golden fairy lights across the massive glass windows overlooking the water. In the corner stood a towering, nine-foot Christmas tree, meticulously decorated with a strict red-and-gold color palette because Naomi insisted that anything else would ruin the visual weight of the room.

The lights from the tree reflected beautifully against the dark hardwood floors, and the soft, soulful voice of Aria Diana singing Oh Christmas sounded from the high-end surround sound speakers, filling the house with perfect holiday energy.

Zack and Naomi were finally done with the decorations and were currently sprawled out in the living room, watching the television while waiting for Von.

Meanwhile, Von was in the kitchen, enveloped in a cloud of savory smoke and rich aromas. He was wearing a casual black t-shirt and an apron, entirely in his element.

He had a massive, heavily seasoned prime rib roasting in the oven for tomorrow’s main Christmas dinner, but right now, his focus was on the stovetop. He was frying up a batch of crispy buttermilk chicken sliders and glazing a pan of honey-garlic meatballs for tonight’s snacks.

Emily was supposed to be assisting him. She was standing on the other side of the marble kitchen island, holding a small plate. But instead of chopping garnishes or prepping the sauces, she was just eating a piece of everything he cooked the second it left the pan.

Von used a pair of tongs to flip a chicken thigh in the sizzling oil, shooting her a deadpan glare. "You know, you’re supposed to be helping me."

Emily didn’t even flinch. She picked up a freshly glazed meatball with a toothpick, blew on it to cool it down, and popped it into her mouth, her eyes fluttering shut in satisfaction.

"You’re a master chef, Von. You clearly don’t need my help. I’m just here to watch you."

"Okay," Von sighed, pointing the tongs toward the sink. "Start cleaning up the prep bowls and wiping down the counters if you’re not doing anything useful."

Emily grumbled something under her breath about how she negotiated deals and shouldn’t have to do dishes. She stealthily stole another piece of chicken off the resting rack before turning on her heel to do her assignment.

Von just shook his head, smiling to himself. He finished preparing the food, carefully wrapping the remaining prep ingredients and preserving the heavy items for tomorrow’s feast.

He loaded up a massive wooden platter with the hot sliders, the sticky garlic meatballs, and a bowl of perfectly seasoned truffle fries, carrying the masterpiece out to the living room.

When they were all finally settled, Von set the platter on the coffee table and grabbed a seat for himself, sinking deeply into a massive, fluffy beanbag chair resting on the floor.

Naomi immediately reached over, taking a bite out of one of the sliders. Her eyes went wide. She chewed quickly, swallowing before looking over at her brother.

"This is so good, Von. Seriously. I never knew you could cook this good. Is there anything you can’t do?"

Zack, who was already halfway through his second slider, paused and looked over. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

"Yeah, right. Call me when he can shoot a moving target from five hundred meters away."

Naomi gasped, her hand freezing halfway to her mouth. She looked at Von with shock. "Wait... you can do that?"

Given everything her brother had achieved in the last six months, it honestly didn’t seem out of the realm of possibility to her.

Everyone turned their heads in surprise, staring at Zack.

Zack immediately broke, throwing his hands up in defeat as laughter burst out of him. "Nah! I watched that in an action movie yesterday. Come on, Naomi."

The entire room erupted into laughter afterwards.

As the laughter died down, Emily reached across the couch and snatched the remote control from the armrest.

"Alright, fun’s over. Just in time," she said with a confident smile and changed the channel. "The Grammy Nominations are about to begin."

The atmosphere in the room instantly shifted. Everyone knew what tonight was. While it was Christmas Eve, for the four of them, it was the climax of the year.

This night was a massive moment to know if Von would receive his first official industry nod. Winning wasn’t even their goal right now; simply getting a nomination as a completely independent nineteen-year-old was enough to cement his legacy. That was why they had all agreed to sit down and watch the primetime special.

Von, personally, was entirely unbothered. He leaned back in his fluffy chair, popping a fry into his mouth. "I still don’t get why artists and fans alike are so interested in what a bunch of snobbish old guys in suits think about music."

Emily hushed him immediately, her eyes glued to the screen.

"I’ve told you before, Von. While I don’t like the industry’s politics, the Grammy is still a big deal. It changes how your peers view you, it changes how corporate sponsors see you, and it will help me get you even better upfront deals for the festivals next year. So, we should want whatever we can get."

Von pretended to let out a loud, exaggerated yawn just to annoy her.

Emily’s eyes narrowed. Without even looking away from the TV, she grabbed a glazed meatball from the platter and launched it directly at his head.

Von’s reflexes were superhuman. Without even sitting up, he merely tilted his head, opened his mouth, and caught the meatball perfectly between his teeth. He chewed it slowly, grinning at her.

Emily let out a frustrated breath, annoyed even more by his effortless catch.

"So, which categories did you enter me for again?" Von asked after swallowing.

"Well. The eligibility timeline closed on September 1st. So, only Masquerade had a chance to make the cut. The album and the Christmas drop are for next year. I entered you for Best New Artist, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Rap/Sung Performance, and Best Music Video."

Naomi hummed thoughtfully, taking a sip of her drink. "He definitely deserves at least two nominations from that list."

Von shrugged in agreement, but Emily smirked. "Well. Let’s see how many he gets."

On the television screen, the commercials finally faded. The golden, iconic gramophone logo of the Recording Academy flashed brilliantly across the screen, and the live broadcast had officially began!