Curvy Girls Can't Date Rock Stars
Chapter One
DES
THIS WAS the most important meeting of my life.
The meeting that could change everything.
The meeting that could make my dreams come
true and turn me into a famous singer, performing
in front of thousands of people. I’d finally show
everyone who doubted me that plus-size girls
deserve to be center stage, standing in the spotlight.
I was finally getting to talk with Natalie Maeler,
famous agent with Songbird Agency.
Mom and I followed Natalie’s assistant into a
boardroom that had a massively long glass table
with clear chairs and floor-to-ceiling windows
showing a multi-million-dollar view of West
Hollywood.
Everything about this room spelled luxury.
Success. I could practically taste it.
Natalie wasn’t here yet, because of course she
wasn’t. Important people had things to attend to.
And Natalie was a very VIP. I was more than happy
to wait.
So many performers had been exactly where I
was now and had gone on to do incredible things.
Jude Santiago, the latest pop sensation, for one.
Sure, the record label he’d signed with made him
into a plastic mannequin singing pandering
nonsense, but I knew this agency could find the
right label for me.
Natalie’s assistant asked, “Can I get you
anything to drink? A latte maybe?”
My mom instantly nudged my side. In our
culture, it was rude to turn down food at a social
event, but this wasn’t a family barbecue. I doubted
Natalie’s assistant would care that I said no, but I
still answered, “A caramel macchiato. Extra whip if
you have it.”
Mom said, “Americano, please.”
“Absolutely.” She turned on her four-inch heels
and left us by ourselves in this beautiful room full of
possibilities.
Mom squeezed my hand. “I’m so excited for
you, mija.”
I grinned back, fully embracing the smile I’d been
holding back. “I’m excited for us! Do you remember
taking me to vocal lessons when I was eight years old?
Or the karaoke machine for my tenth birthday? I
wouldn’t be here without you, Mom.”
Mom pressed at the corner of her eyes with her
short red nails and said, “Don’t make me cry. The
spots will show on this table.” She hovered her hand
over the glass top. “We could never have this at
home.”
I laughed. “Fingerprints everywhere.”
“And fog,” she said. “With little words drawn
in it.”
The door opened, and we both jumped, just a
little. Mom stood, and I stood beside her, feeling
strangely formal as I took in the woman walking
through the door.
Natalie Maeler looked exactly like her photo on
the company website. She had short blond hair cut
into a severe bob. Her eyes were icy blue, her lips
thin, and her jawline just as sharp as the manicured
points on her fingers.
I barely even noticed her assistant following her
in, carrying two fancy cups of coffee. But now that I
did, I wondered if they had a café inside the
building or if she was also a trained barista.
She handed them to us and then sat a few seats
away from Natalie, a notepad open and pen poised
over the page.
Natalie looked across the table at me, her eyes
glinting under the pendant lights. “It’s nice to meet
you, Desirae. I’ve heard great things about you.”
“That’s good to hear.” I tried to keep it cool,
even though I felt like flying. After all the song
covers posted on YouTube... After singing every
national anthem humanly possible... My dreams
were coming true.
“Let’s get to it,” Natalie said, all business.
“We’re going to have to pass.”
The words hit my ears, but that’s where the
processing stopped. I couldn’t have heard her
correctly.
“Excuse me?” my mom said quietly. “Didn’t you
ask for the meeting?”
“I got your name from one of my clients. I
listened to some of your songs a few minutes ago,
and you have an amazing voice, but something’s
missing.” She pressed her hands to the table as if to
stand, but I spoke fast.
“Missing? What’s missing?” I asked. “Because
I’m a quick learner and a hard worker, and I’m sure
I could fix it.”
Natalie pressed her lips together, sitting again in
her chair, but on the edge. “Songbird is an agency
that creates superstars, not midlist artists. We pride
ourselves in knowing what sells and what doesn’t.”
Midlist sounded just as dirty to my ears as any
cuss word. “Why would I be midlist?” I asked. “I’ve
grown my social following to a hundred thousand
people within a year. Jude Santiago had half that
when he signed with you.”
Natalie gave me a calculating look. “You did
your research.”
I nodded. I knew what I wanted, and I knew I
was worthy of having it.
“You’re young, so I don’t want to give you false
hope and have you waste your time.” She leaned
forward, elbows on the table, hands laced together.
“There are thousands, millions of people out there
with good voices. To be a star, guys have to want
you, and girls have to want to be you.”
“Why wouldn’t they?” I asked, still confused.
Natalie’s cold eyes scanned me up and down.
“You don’t have the look.”
Mom went rigid next to me, but my temper was
already through the roof. “So you’re saying you
won’t sign me because I’m too fat?”
Natalie let out a disappointed sigh, like I was
wasting her time. “This is a business, Desirae. One
where your body is onstage and your face is on
screen. Your looks are a major part of a package
that we have to sell.”
Fuming, hot behind my ears, I said, “I’ll have
you know plenty of guys have wanted to be with
me.” I could practically feel my mom doing the sign
of the cross next to me, but I couldn’t stop. “I’ve
sung every national anthem at my school, to
standing ovations. I’ve gotten multiple offers to sing
live at local venues. I have thousands of dedicated
fans who would be very willing to pay money to see
me in concert.”
“That’s good for you,” Natalie said.
My fists clenched at my sides. “And you know
what else I have?”
Natalie raised an eyebrow.
I held up my middle finger and stormed out of
the room.
