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8
Austin
“Dude, what the hell happened?” I nearly shout, sliding to a stop at the front desk.
Paparazzi are lingering near the front doors, peeking through the glass, their cameras high waiting for any sign of Jade. Shawn texted me fifteen minutes ago, and since our apartment is only a ten-minute walk away, I threw on my shoes and ran right over here. Not because Jade is here but because he made it sound like a national emergency.
“I don’t know. This dude showed up, like, twenty minutes before her, and there were already some photographers out there. By the time she got here—”
“Wait, wait. This dude? Who?”
“I guess he’s her boyfriend or something. Although she was truly pissed off, so who knows how much longer that thing’s going to be going on for.” He chuckles.
“Shawn, this isn’t funny. I promised her—”
“No, it’s all good, man. She thought it was your fault at first, but when she saw her boyfriend, he told her what he did.”
“Still, I need to make sure she knows I changed everything.”
“I told her.”
“Yeah, but still,” I call out, already making my way back toward the studio.
I shouldn’t feel guilty or responsible for anything, but I do. I gave her my word, and even if it’s not my fault that the media found out she was going to be at Rich Records, I feel horrible that she had to go through that.
Entering into the mixing studio, I find a different blonde girl. She’s a little thinner, her hair’s shorter, and she’s wearing more makeup than Jade. Her head snaps over at me as I open the door. I immediately hear lyrics when I walk in.
“Sorry,” I whisper, and approach the mixing board. “I’m Austin.”
“Lily.” She smiles at me.
Listening to Jade, I watch inside of her studio, and she sits by the microphone. Strumming her fingers over the guitar, she leans closer to the microphone, humming.
“I wish a had even an ounce of the talent she has in her pinky finger,” Lily whispers over to me.
“It’s … incredible.”
“Ugh, that’s horrible!” Jade shouts from the studio, directing her attention to us. “Oh, Austin. I thought the guy at the front said you weren’t coming in today.”
“Yeah, I wasn’t.” I scan the small room I’m in before looking back at her. “I’m sorry about the mix-up. I just wanted to come down and let you know I had nothing to do with it and anything I could do to make it up to you, believe me, I’ll do.”
She giggles, which eases my nerves and makes me smile. “Thanks. What exactly do you do around here? You sound like you run the place.”
Nervously, I glance down at Lily, who stares at me curiously.
“Uh … No. Nothing like that, it’s just … I’m like a superintendent or something. You know, I watch over studio reservations, things like that.”
Jade twists her head, seeming confused. “Okay.” Looking at Lily, Jade sets the guitar she’s holding down. “Hey, Lil, I’m starving. Want to grab some burgers? Then we can come back—”
“I got it!” I blurt out, surprising both of them. “It’s the least I can do. What do you guys like? Big Burger? In-n-Out? Charley’s?”
“Oh, Charley’s!” Lily shouts. “A double bacon avocado burger!”
Jade laughs. “That does sound good. Here, let me give you some money.”
She heads over toward the door, but I wave her off. “No, no. I got it.” She waves back, making her way into the mixing board room. “Seriously, Jade. My treat. For the complete screwup that happened earlier.”
“Austin, it wasn’t your fault. I kind of flipped out on your door guy, too. Sorry about that.”
