As I’m talking, I realize I might actually end up with ten million dollars someday as a part of this band. These guys make tons of money, and I could be a part of that. So I think the question has more to do with whether I’d still want to be in MFB if I had cash or if I’d be happy with the money and not the fame. But it’s not about money or fame. I want to be in MFB because they make a difference every single day. I want to play their music with them because I love it. I want to play on the world’s biggest stages with them.
Before I get too sappy in my own mind, Brody asks the next question. “How many sandwiches have you eaten off the floor?”
I make a face like I’m totally grossed out. “Zero.”
Adam laughs as he asks the next question. “What’s your biggest weakness?”
Gage Hoffman.
“I’m my own worst critic and I can always find things to change. I often struggle with when to just call something good or done, which is why the time limits of the challenges during this competition have been so good for me. They’ve stretched me and forced me to make quick decisions on my feet, and those are skills I will take with me regardless of what happens at the end.”
“Speaking of the end,” Dax says, “the final question is this: why should we pick you over Gage and Tyler?”
Whoa.
That was a question I wasn’t expecting.
My mouth drops open as I attempt to form words, but I can’t actually think of any that tell them why I’m the right choice over Tyler, who already has a fanbase, or Gage, who is one of the most talented musicians I’ve ever watched.
A little squeak comes out.
“Um,” I say, stalling for time.
I draw in a breath, and then I go for the truth. The only thing I have to lose is this competition. I’ve already lost Gage, and I’m starting to think he was more important than all this anyway.
I clear my throat. “I don’t know if you should. Tyler is an amazing bassist, but he already has success with another band. Gage, though...he’s phenomenal. I’ve never seen someone play with their heart the way he does. I’ve never seen someone who’s so technically skilled but who also has the stage presence he does. It’s incredible. I want to tell you to choose me because I’m the most talented, but I don’t know if that’s true. Choose me because I can sing. I can contribute a whole new sound and a whole new perspective. But it depends what you’re looking for. You found success as a group of five men, and if that’s what you want going forward, what I say here doesn’t matter. You’ve kept me around to the top three, though, so that tells me you see something in me. So choose me over them because of whatever quality it is that brought me here.”
Dax nods and presses his lips together. “Thanks, Lexi. You can head out.”
“Thank you for your time. Thank you for this opportunity. Good luck making your decision.”
They all smile and wave as I walk out the door, and I can only hope my honest answers were what they were looking for.
CHAPTER 43: DAX
“She said Gage, and Gage said her,” I say, shaking my head. “Who does that?”
“Two people in love with each other,” Adam says quietly.
“Is it true they were banging?” Rascal asks.
I laugh. “Yeah. They hooked up over the weekend, and now she’s in a fake relationship with Tyler to try to distract Gage from the competition.”
“Doesn’t seem to be working,” Brody mutters.
“So between the two of them, what are you thinking?” I ask.
Adam scratches the back of his head. “I think we need to talk to Tyler before I can make any decisions.”
“You think Tyler has a shot to win this?” I ask.
I look around at the men I know so damn well, and I can read each of them before anyone says a word. It doesn’t really matter what Tyler says during this interview. It won’t be him.
He skated through to the top three because he’s talented. It just doesn’t make sense that he’s here, though. And I’m planning to use this interview to find out his real intentions.
I tap Camille’s contact in my phone. She answers nearly immediately.
“Send him in,” I say, and a moment later, Tyler walks through the door.
“Take a seat,” I say, nodding to the empty chair across from us. “We’re going to ask you five questions, and it’ll be the same five questions we asked Gage and Lexi.”
He nods.
We go in the same order as the other two. “What will you bring to MFB both personally and professionally?”
“Professionally you’ll get the top bassist that remains. I have the most stage experience, and I’ve already learned how to handle the aspects of this career that will come as surprises to the other two. Personally, you’ll get someone who knows how to have a good time.”
I nod to Rascal. “Let’s say you’re the winner at the end of this whole thing,” he begins. “You get home and find a winning lottery ticket worth ten million dollars that you bought before you left. What do you do?”
He stares at Rascal for a minute as he formulates his answer, and I can immediately sniff out that he’s about to lie. “Donate it.”
I want to ask what he’d donate it to, what his charity of choice is, but part of what we’re doing here is allowing them to answer with as much or as little detail as they prefer. We agreed to no follow up questions for that reason.
Brody is next with his absolutely ridiculous question. “How many sandwiches have you eaten off the floor?”
He’s asking it for lots of reasons. He wants to see how each contestant will fit in with our own personalities. He wants to know whether the answer is in the double digits since in reality that’s pretty gross. And he wants to see how truthful they are.
Tyler shrugs. “As many as have fallen there.”
I’m not sure how to interpret his answer, but he seems like he doesn’t really care about this interview.
“What’s your biggest weakness?” Adam asks next.
“I’m a perfectionist through and through. It can get me into trouble, especially at practice.”
That was actually often Kane’s role—to keep us on track and to listen to the sound to make sure we were on point, even when we were practicing.
But I don’t see him filling Kane’s shoes.
I ask the last question. “Why should we pick you over Lexi and Gage?”
He looks at each of us in turn before he answers honestly.
And it’s an answer I never expected...even though maybe I should have.
“You shouldn’t.” He blows out a breath and looks beyond the four of us out the windows behind us. “It’s probably this stage of the game when I should confess something. I really like Lexi. She’s a good girl. She’s got a great sound and a lot of talent, and I think she’s a good fit for you guys. Gage has been my biggest competition all along, and I’d love to see her win over him.”
He takes a deep breath and avoids looking at any of us, his eyes instead cast down on his hands that drum on the tabletop. “But you shouldn’t pick me. I have a safety net ready to catch me, and I haven’t been honest about why I’m here. I wanted to give my band some attention. I thought you’d see through me and kick me off, but when the competition got going, well, I’m a competitive guy. I wanted to win. It’s not fair to Lexi and Gage, though. It’s not fair to the other seven guys you’ve already sent home, and I’m sorry. I’m not a bad dude, I swear. My little band respects the level you’re at, and we jumped at the chance for some extra exposure.”