The Line Between Business and Pleasure

Six days later, Vinyl and Score Scratch were back at Sunrise Records, awaiting the arrival of two ponies, Golden Record and Sweetie Belle. While they were waiting, Lyric Spin was trying to get information out of Score.

"So, how was your date?"

"It was fine," Score replied, not really interested in continuing the conversation.

"Oh come on, bro, you gotta give me more than that."

"It is unbecoming of a gentlecolt to kiss and tell."

"Kiss? Damn, you do move first."

Score ignored his fellow music pony. It was true that he had spent the majority of the last week thinking about Sweetie Belle, but it was mostly in the context of her singing voice. And while it was true that he had taken Lyra's ribbing with a smile, that was at home, this was at work.

The elevator dinged and out stepped an off-white Earth stallion with a blonde mane. He was slightly heavy-set, which mostly just made his cutie mark, a golden vinyl record, stand out more.

"Hey, my favorite pair of ears is here," the stallion greeted boisterously.

"Yeah, yeah, nice to hear you too, Golden," Score replied.

"Is that mare you told me about here yet?"

"Her name is Sweetie Belle, and no, not yet."

"Hmm, Sweetie Belle, now that is a name that will move Bits."

"Easy there, Golden," Vinyl interjected, "you haven't even met her yet."

"Well considering that Score convinced me to sign her to a contract on his word alone, I don't think that's that important."

"Oh, just you wait," Score said with a smile.

The elevator dinged again, right on cue. This time, the doors opened to reveal Sweetie Belle.

Golden's jaw hung just a little bit. He had seen a lot of hopeful young singers in his time, but not many that looked like this. The pristine white coat, the way those pink and purple curls fell around her face, even her cutie mark, a purple eight note in a pink heart, everything was perfect. If this had been a cartoon, Golden's eyes probably would have turned into Bit signs.

"Hello, everypony," Sweetie greeted, "Oh, you must be Golden Record, pleasure to meet you."

"Oh, yes," Golden replied, doing a poor job of hiding his heavy Manehattan accent, "nice to meet you as well, Ms. Belle."

"Hello Score," she said, turning to the blind stallion.

"Good afternoon, Sweetie," he replied, trying to remain cool.

Lyric covered a snicker with his hoof. Score heard him anyway.

"Shall we get started," Golden asked, "right this way to my office.

The producer and the songstress started on their way. Score went to follow them, but Golden cut him off.

"Private negotiations," he said smartly.

The two went off again, leaving Score, Vinyl, and Lyric in the reception area. The others couldn't see it because of his dark shades, but Score had a very angry look in his eyes.

"What's up, cuz," Vinyl asked, noticing that her cousin hadn't moved in almost a minute.

"Remind me why you're friends with that sleaze," Score growled.

"Look, Score, I'm sure it's fine. Golden prefers talking about contracts and stuff like that in private."

"That's all well and fine and good. But he doesn't know anything about her. He hasn't even heard her sing, unless Lyric sent him the recording from her sound test."

"Nope," Lyric said, "He never asked for it."

"Sweetie isn't just another pretty face," Score continued, "She has real talent. And I'm not going to stand by and watch Golden get rich off her looks."

"I know," Vinyl said, coming up and throwing a hoof around Score's shoulders, "But don't you think you're being a little over-protective? Sweetie is a grown mare, she can take care of herself."

"You're probably right," Score sighed.

"You sure you're not just worried about Golden stealing your marefriend," Lyric offered.

Score didn't even acknowledge that comment with a response.

*--*--*--*--*

About half an hour later, Golden and Sweetie returned to the reception area. Score, who could hear the two sets of hoofsteps coming a mile away, was standing and waiting for them.

"So," he said, not directly addressing either of them, "how goes it?"

"We were able to negotiate agreeable terms," Golden said semi-sarcastically, "How do you think it goes?"

"I know how it goes. And," he turned his head toward Golden's voice, "I know what you're doing."

"What do you mean by that?"

Score held a hoof up to his ear, "I could hear every word that you two were saying."

"That explains why he wasn't moving," Lyric quipped.

"That's right. Minor Chord, don't think I'm going to let you sweet talk yourself out of this one. You just sold Sweetie a raw deal, and you know it."

"What do you know," Golden barked, flummoxed that somepony had used his real name, "Business isn't about listening, it's about talking. As in, I talk and you listen."

"Woah, woah, woah," Vinyl interjected, stepping between them, "what kind of terms are we talking here?"

"He pretty much owns Sweetie's vocal chords," Score scoffed, "Her entire library, every recording she makes. It'll make him rich and then he'll kick her to the curb."

"That's not what it is at all," Golden defended, "Score, I think your ears are a little out of range."

"Out of range my flank."

"Hold on," Vinyl shouted, "Golden, level with me, man, is Score right?"

"You know, I don't have to answer that. Score, get off my property, you're fired!"

The room went dead. You could hear the ponies on the street many floors below.

"Chord," Vinyl yelled, now using his real name, "what the fuck!"

"Zip it, Vinyl," Golden barked back, "get your disabled cousin out of here, now!"

Score didn't need to be told twice. He turned on his heels and marched to the elevator, pressing the Down button with his magic.

"Nopony calls my cousin that," Vinyl barked, using all her willpower to not take a swing at him, "We're done, Chord, finished."

"Your funeral, Vinyl," Golden chuckled.

Vinyl followed Score to the elevator. The two Scratch cousins stared down the three ponies left in the lobby.

"Damn," Lyric muttered, then continued in a full voice, "Golden, I quit!"

His piece being said, Lyric joined the two unicorns in the elevator. Vinyl didn't wait any further, pressing the button for the ground floor. As the doors closed, the last thing Golden could see was the scowl on Score's face as the eyes behind those dark shades burned through him.

As soon as the doors closed, Score sank his entire body to the floor. Vinyl was quick to get his attention.

"C'mon, cuz," Vinyl said, trying to pull him to his hooves, "get up."

"She's gone, Vinyl," Score said solemnly, "I lost her."

"Like hell you have. C'mon, the Score I know wouldn't just give up."

"Vinyl's right," Lyric commented, "You may not work for Golden anymore, but that doesn't mean you've lost her."

"Let's just get home and go from there," Vinyl said as Score finally made it back to his hooves just in time for the elevator to reach the ground, "Lyric, you coming?"

"Coming," he replied.

Meanwhile, Sweetie and Golden were having a different kind of conversation.

"I can't believe you just fired, Score," Sweetie said, "And you yelled at Vinyl, I thought you two were good friends."

"'Were' being the operative word."

Sweetie suddenly lit up the green aura of her magic. In a moment, the thick contract appeared and floated in front of her.

"What are you doing," Golden asked, perplexed.

"Just looking over some things," Sweetie said dismissively. She hummed a bit to herself as she read over a few of the pages. Eventually, she looked back up at Golden.

"Well," he asked, "Anything of note?"

"You know, my friends back home sometimes say I'm a little ditzy. But I never thought I was this naive."

With that said, the contract burst into flames, eventually burning away to ashes.

"AAAAHHH," Golden screamed, "What did you do that for?"

"Score was right. Wow, I really let you put stars in my eyes. Goodbye."

"Wh-What!? You're leaving. You can't leave."

"Sure I can," Sweetie said with a brilliant smile, "Watch me."

"You step in that elevator, and I'll make sure you never get signed to a label."

"You know," Sweetie said as she pressed the Down button on the elevator, "I would feel a lot more threatened if you weren't such a jackass."

Golden just stood there in stunned silence as Sweetie entered the elevator, pressed the button, and smiled another smile at him as the doors closed.

*--*--*--*--*

Score, Vinyl, and Lyric were at Vinyl's place, eating dinner. Nopony wanted to talk about what had happened at Sunrise Records, but it would have to be dealt with sometime or other, might as well be now.

"What am I going to do now," Score mourned, taking a swig of his beer.

"You? What about me," Lyric interjected, "At least you've got those godly ears. I'll have to start from the bottom all over again."

"Cheer up, guys," Vinyl said, decidedly more upbeat than the other two, "We'll just take it one day at a time. I have a gig tomorrow night, we can all go out and enjoy that, right?"

"Yeah," Lyric agreed.

"I guess," Score sighed.

There was a knock at the door. Score could tell that whomever it was, they were very hesitant to knock. Perhaps a fan of Vinyl's had found her address online.

Vinyl got up to answer the door, taking long enough that the pony knocked a second time.

"Coming," the DJ called, before finally reaching the door and opening it, only to find a very familiar unicorn at the door, "S-Sweetie Belle!? What are you doing here?"

Upon hearing the name of their guest, Score bolted from the kitchen, forgetting entirely that he had taken off his shades. He soon stood next to Vinyl on the apartment side of the doorway. The Scratches stared at Sweetie perplexed.

"Hi Vinyl," Sweetie greeted meekly, "Hi Score."

"I repeat my question," Vinyl continued, "Why are you here?"

"Can I come in?"

Vinyl sighed, "Sure."

The three white unicorns gathered together in the living room. At this point, Lyric, having heard the commotion, came in as well.

"What are you doing here," he asked, mirroring Vinyl's confusion.

"She was just about to answer that," Vinyl explained.

"I destroyed the contract," Sweetie said simply.

"It doesn't matter if you ripped it up," Score replied, "As long as there is a line on a piece of paper with your signature on it..."

"What if I incinerated it?"

The three pony's jaws dropped.

"You burned the contract," Lyric exclaimed, "Sweet Luna's flank!"

"Well," Vinyl stated, "that would work."

"But why," Score asked, "Golden is going to try to get back at you."

"Oh yeah, he threatened me with career murder, but I'm not worried. I'll figure it out."

"You sure?"

"Yes," Sweetie replied, walking closer to Score, "You were right. I was star-struck. I should have stood up for you and didn't. I'm sorry."

"No problem. Wasn't the first time I've been called that, won't be the last. So, will you stay for dinner?"

"I'd love to," Sweetie smiled, leaning over to give Score a kiss on the cheek.

"Score, Score, Score," Lyric whispered while hoofpumping.

Score looked past Sweetie and gave Lyric a look.