He's been attending all meetings for NA and the appointments as well, working his ass off as a co-producer with me.

He still has the skills he did when he got fired. He's currently working with one of my biggest clients, excited to be back in the game. His name is JC Chasez, he's working on his fifth album and James has gotten him to lighten up some. He's gotten a few laughs out of the man, a man known to take recording and performing beyond serious without cracking so much as a smirk until the day or project is complete. I'm just sitting back, watching how they interact and I appreciate how they work so well together. "Just go down a touch, deepen it," James instructs him. The older man nods to acknowledge the suggestion, completing the song they've been working on for nearly half the day. JC hits the note, James smiling to show my client it had been a successful moment and the vocalist hangs up the headphones, exiting the booth to listen to the result. 

He sits beside James and they both listen to it, shaking on a job well done. "Thanks, James! It's perfect!" He looks at me, a huge grin of accomplishment on his features. "Jeff, I want him to complete this album and work on everything concerning me. He's been absolutely wonderful and I won't allow anyone else to co-produce any of my projects with you. He's definitely the cream of the crop."

JC left an hour ago and James has been working on mixing another song, determined to make it perfect. He's becoming agitated by it, unable to replicate the result again. "James, save what you have onto the USB drive and let's head out."

He sighs, obviously wanting it to be what JC wants before leaving. "Yes, Uncle Jeff," he replies. 

I stop by the desk to talk to the receptionist, her cheeks turning pink at the sight of my muscular nephew. "Melissa, James and I are going to step out for a couple hours, you know how to reach me if you need to."

"Yes, Jeff."

"JC has never even smiled before success the way you got him to do today, nobody else has been able to get him to due to how seriously he takes his career," I inform James. 

"There's a first for everything and I suppose this was one for him; I honestly believe he enjoyed it," he replies, tearing apart his fried chicken and taking a bite of the piece he took off the bone. 

"You've been clean six months; I'm giving you a choice of keeping the sponsor you have or Raylene."

"I'll keep Frankie around, it wouldn't be fair for Raylene or I to uproot like that," he explains. 

"You're only a city apart."

"She has two children and I've got a career here."

"I can employ her at the studio, have her trained to mix and co-produce at the studio."

He fires a message off to someone, it signaling a response moments later. "She said to call her around 7:30 tonight, she would like to discuss details about the position then."