Positively Patsy Part 9

When she hung up I stopped to think for a moment. She had rattled off a figure of twenty five million as if it was chump change. I picked up my phone again and rang Sarah. After telling her where I was and the task that Grog had set me, I asked her about the payouts from the tour and queried the number that Riordan had quoted. She told me that the tour was sold out for every show; so we had grossed one billion, two hundred and seventy five thousand dollars.

After costs and various taxes it left five hundred million between the two bands. This left, roughly two hundred and twenty five million for ‘Amazon’. She said that K Beat had earned twenty five million in management fees and she thanked me for paying for the new studio. I was staggered. I knew we would make some money but my mind was thinking in the four or five million range. I asked her where that left me with K Beat and she said that I would have a picture on the wall of reception and then laughed. She said “Patsy, you can do anything you want, now. I have been loaned a copy of your cabaret songs CD and I suggest that you organise a small orchestra to record it properly. I also listened to the songs that Peggy sang in Geneva and, if you bring her to us, I will give her a contract which will include a similar album. In fact, you could record the two at the same time using the orchestra.”

When I hung up I went to find Peggy. She was in the drawing room so I sat down and asked straight out “Peggy, how would you like to record a double CD album of cabaret songs with me and a proper orchestra? We could call it Peggy and Patsy Sing the Songs for After Midnight.” She looked at me and asked me if I was joking and I said ‘No, I am perfectly serious. I have just been on the phone to Sarah at K Beat and she wants us to record separate albums but I had the thought that it would be great if we could sing our individual songs and also do some duets. She suggested a full orchestra but I think we could also do some songs with the ‘Amazon’ band.” I told her that Nina was already recording a similar album as a solo and, as far as I could see, ‘Amazon’ would not be touring for some time in the future. I thought that this would be a good use of our time while we investigated the outcome of this house and it meant that, if we did any live shows together, we would be able to wear evening dresses and jewellery on stage. She said she would think about it.

We were joined for dinner by Grog, who looked a lot better today. He asked me what I thought of the house and I said that it would not be suitable as a care home as it was too grand. He was a bit disappointed. I then told him that I thought it would be an ideal live-in music, cooking or riding school and he brightened up considerably at that. I said that I had talked to Riordan but if we could not find an organisation to run it I would fund it myself. He smiled at that and said that he thought I would be drawn to the project. I told him he was devious but I forgave him. I asked him if he had heard of how much the tour made and he said that his accountant had sent him an email this morning. He said he was amazed at just how good we did.

Peggy looked sideways at him and he told her we grossed one point two billion US. She looked like she was going to faint so I rushed to her side and helped her breath with her head down. I said, “Peggy, after costs it is a lot less but the returns to each member of each band is significant. That is what I am basing my involvement in this house on.” She said that she had never had an experience like the tour and doubted that she would experience the like ever again. I told her to wait until she was headlining her own world tour. Grog looked at me and I told him that Sarah wanted to sign her for at least one album of cabaret songs.

“That’s grand” he said “I suggest you go for it, Peggy, it would give you invaluable experience in the industry.” I said that I wondered if Gerome would let us record in Geneva and he told me that Gerome would welcome any of us there to record; and that, if he was reluctant, Stephanie would override him. He then grabbed a phone and dialled a number. When it was answered he said “Oh Stephanie, this is Greg Goggins, I have Patsy and Peggy with me and we were wondering if they could get some studio time with you down the track?” I heard her squeal from where I sat and I knew we would be there some time in the future. He finished talking and told us it was on as soon as we could find the time. He said we would stay at the chateau if we were recording. We had a good dinner and I gave my excuses and retired early. I was still reeling from the shift in my life and what I could do with the money.

The next day I made my booking to fly back to the US. I wanted to fly to New York first and talk seriously to Riordan and Julia regarding the house. Peggy and I went into Oxford and walked around the town, looking at the University buildings. We were getting on very well and some people looked at us strangely as we walked around quietly singing. We went into a record shop and were looking at the female artists rack when a chap asked if he could help. I said that we were looking for albums that were recorded in the forties and fifties by female artists and he pointed out a nostalgia rack. “I suggest that you look at the Peggy Lee or Billy Holiday albums. If you go a little later I think you will find that Helen Shapiro did a very good album of that kind of music, as did Brenda Lee.” We picked out about a half a dozen CD’s from these artists to listen to later. When I paid for them he looked at my credit card and asked if I was the Patsy from ‘Amazon’. When I nodded he got a bit flustered but managed to ask me to sign a couple of our albums; one for him and one to his girlfriend. We had to prove it was me that signed by Peggy taking a picture of us on his phone.

We had a meal out and when we got back to the house I packed up my luggage with just having an overnight bag to fill in the morning. We had a good dinner with Greg and Peggy told him about the record store guy. He told her to get used to it because she would be subject to that sort of attention when she was famous. I arranged with Peggy for her to fly to Nashville the following week to organise the paperwork with Sarah and Simon and again retired early.

Next morning Peggy drove me to Heathrow and we hugged when she dropped me off and I told her that we were going to do great things together. I pushed my trolley into the airport and to the first class counter. The joy of first class is a separate lounge to sit while waiting for the flight and I spent it catching up on my texts and sent a text to Simon asking for an appointment the next day as well as one to Maxine to tell her I would be in town. The flight was good but not a patch on the tour 747 for space. In New York I checked in to my hotel and rang Riordan. She agreed to meet me for dinner at the hotel and when she came in we hugged.

Over dinner I told her all about the house and the layout. I said that if we could not get an organisation I would fund it myself and she immediately decided to come in with me on it. She said that it would have some serious effect on our tax bill and would allow us to keep more of the tour income. I told her that Peggy and I may be recording in Geneva with an album of cabaret songs and she said she would like to come along to the session herself as she had toyed with the genre herself and “after the tour I don’t think we could top that so it may pay to shift sideways.” We chatted about the tour and the effect it would have on our lives and I said that I was rather looking forward to doing my own thing for a while.

Part 10
Next day I had the appointment with Simon so dressed well and took a taxi to his office. When I went in I had my ID around my neck so was able to go up in the elevator to his floor. Walking into the outer office I saw Mary at the secretary’s desk. We had a hug and I asked her why she was in here. She said that she was just filling in for the usual secretary who was on maternity leave and would be back to looking after bands soon. She buzzed Simon who asked if we could both come into his office. As usual, I was diverted by the fantastic view from his big window. He led us both to the easy chairs next to the window and sat us down. He asked me why I wanted to see him and I said that it looked like I would be involved with Greg’s house as an ongoing concern.

I described it and said it could be either a music; cooking or riding school or all three. I told him that even if we found another organisation to run it, I wanted to start a non-profit under the name of ‘Angels of Joy’ with myself, Peggy Evans and Riordan as the main executive. I said I would put five million into the organisation and that I thought I could get a similar amount from Riordan. Peggy did not have access to large sums of money until her father died. I told him that Peggy would be in the country next week to see Sarah and that it looked as if Peggy and I would record a double CD in Geneva in the future.

He was impressed at how much I had done in the week or two since the tour ended. “Most stars wander off to a desert island for six months and hibernate after a tour like that.” He turned to Mary and said “You ride, don’t you?” When she said she did he asked me if I would like to take over Mary as an employee? I was shocked, me employing people!!! He saw my face and said that I would be employing cooks, security staff, drivers and dressers myself in the future and it would be advantageous to have a chief of staff with the background that Mary had. I looked at her and asked her what she thought of it. She said that it would be a great idea and that she was ready for whatever I threw at her. “What about Andre?” I asked and she said that it was no longer a factor. I asked Simon if he could organise the setting up of the charity and make Mary its first employee as my Personal Assistant.

We could arrange for all the signatories to be in New York the following Wednesday. Simon then told me that I had earned a fair amount of money over the last year and would be a bit shocked when I looked at my bank statement. I had to admit that it had not bothered me over the last six months as all expenses had been picked up by the tour. He said there was royalties from all of the albums; both as a singer and writer, as well as payments for my modelling so I was now independently well off but did not own a house or even a car of my own! I thought for a bit and said that I did not know where I would put down roots as it seemed that I was halfway between Nashville and the Cotswolds at the moment.

When I left Simon I took a taxi to the premises of L’Estrange. Going in I was greeted by the receptionist who gave me a hug and told me that Maxine wanted me to go to the studio. When I walked in I was confronted by a number of staff members and both sisters who greeted me with applause. “To what do I owe the applause?” I said and Maxine said, “Patsy, you have been the catalyst in making us a new force in the fashion industry. As separate companies we just crept along until you arrived. We just wanted to thank you and to show you something.” We had some drinks and nibbles and then they pulled out some large posters in wheeled frames for me to look at. There were a couple from each shoot I had done, including the one in London for Maxine’s friend. “What do you see?” asked Maxine. “Me in some beautiful clothes” I answered, “what else is there?” ”That’s what I love about you, Patsy. You discount the fact that it is you that make the clothes beautiful. There are a lot of models who can do what you do but none make the statement that you do – ‘here I am, looking good and sophisticated but I could still be the girl next door’ – it is a classic!”

She pulled out another wide poster. It showed us on stage, in Paris, with the evening dresses on and I had to smile at the memory. I said that it was funny going on stage to rock and roll with guitars in evening dresses and I said that my thought at the time was a picture of her with her middle finger in the air at the Paris fashion houses. “Ha-ha! You know me too well” she exclaimed. She then pulled out more wide posters of us on stage in the various costumes. I told her that the Japanese one really stood out in my mind as a brilliant idea. She told me that her sales in Japan had multiplied by a factor of ten since the tour dates there and that she was getting nasty emails from Paris designers after she had taken a forty percent slice of the evening dress business in France.

She said that I should be available in early January as they were planning a fashion shoot for the spring and summer collection and they wanted me on the cover. “Oh!’ Maxine said “while you are here today we would like you to take part in a special fashion shoot that should not take long. It’s for Vogue as they want you on the cover of the Christmas edition. It’s only five outfits so we should get through it in about an hour.” Well! What could I say but yes; these ladies had bent over backwards for the band during the tour without any questions. I was now able to thank them for providing clothes for the girls of ‘Primal Purge’ to which Maxine said “it was nothing.” I asked where all of the stage gear was as I had not seen it once we had our wear from it. Maxine said it was back here, in the building and would be a special display along with the posters. In fact, it was a couple of the stage outfits that Vogue was particularly interested in.

We cleared the studio except for Alexi and his team and got down to work. The first outfit was the Japanese one and Annette herself did the make-up. I did several poses with this, some a bit over the top but it was fun. Then we did the Australian outfit and the Spanish outfit. The fourth was not stage gear but a very elegant cocktail dress which needed my hair up and the smoky eyes look with the final one being the evening dress from Paris. I had a bit of fun and when I got back into my normal wear, the sisters said they would take me out for a meal. We went to an up-market Italian restaurant and over the meal I told them about the house that Greg wanted to see used for disadvantaged children after he passed.

I said that Lucy had been a great help during the tour and Maxine told me that she would be joining L’Estrange very soon after she had worked through her notice period at K Beat. I took a guess at the stage outfits Lucy had designed and was mostly right. Maxine asked me how I knew and I said that Lucy had a flair for designs that seemed to flow well and Maxine said that was why they were poaching her.

Next day I flew to Nashville and took a taxi home. When I got there Joanne greeted me with a big hug and, after I had put my clothes away and filled the laundry hamper we sat in the kitchen with coffee and caught up on my time in the UK. When I told her about the house and my plans for it she said she wanted to be in it as well as she was looking for her future life. I told her that I was putting in five million and she said she would as well. I rang Simon to add her to the list of principals for the new charity.

I then told her about the recording session in Geneva and she was excited about recording there so now, instead of Peggy and Patsy, there would be the four of us. I had a sudden flash of inspiration and thought that we could do the CD’s under the name of ‘Angels of Joy’ and the proceeds could go to the charity. With that on my mind I rang Peggy in the UK to let her know of the developments. She was happy that there would be the four of us as principals and agreed that the CD idea was sound. She then said that she had put the charity idea to her father and that he will change his will to leave the house, contents and grounds to the ‘Angels of Joy’ charity. She then said something that floored me “Patsy, I have been getting things tidied up around the house and when the guys were taking off the ivy on the front walls by the gate, they discovered the original name of the house carved into the stone. It is called ‘Reece Manor’.

Marianne G 2020