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9
Jade
Unlike the other day—my first visit to the studio when I just focused on the strings, feeling nothing around me but the rhythm I want to express—I can’t do that right now. My fingers lightly strum the strings of the guitar, and I hum a melody, thinking I might find something, but it’s all garbage.
“Ugh, that’s horrible!” I look up from the microphone, into the studio where Lily’s sitting, and see Austin inside. “Oh, Austin. I thought the guy at the front said you weren’t coming in today.”
“Yeah, I wasn’t,” he responds, looking around the room. “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.”
He seems so sincere. And it’s nice that even though it’s not his fault, he’s here trying to make sure everything is okay. Other than Peter, who’s always looked after us, I don’t remember the last time someone actually wanted to make sure I was taken care of on a personal level.
But it also gives me pause. “Thanks. What exactly do you do around here? You sound like you run the place.”
Awkwardly, he scans the small room, standing next to Lily. She glances up at him, her face strewn with curiosity. It’s the same look I remember having the first day I met him. He’s odd. Not in a bad way. Strange in a way that I’m still trying to figure out.
“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.”
It’s a weird answer. Superintendent? Like an apartment building? I’ve never heard of a record studio that has anything like that, but then again, this is Rich Records. Who knows how Jimmy Richards runs his business? Maybe he’s away so much he has other people look after things.
“Okay,” I tell him. Looking over at Lily, my stomach grumbles. “Hey, Lil, I’m starving. Want to grab some burgers? Then we can come back—”
“I got it,” Austin speaks up first. “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!”
I laugh at her response, plus the fact that my stomach grumbles again at the thought of bacon and avocado. “That does sound good. Here, let me give you some money.”
I walk over toward the door, hearing Austin say, “No, no. I got it.”
Waving him off, I shake my head with a smile. I exit the recording room, and walk into the mixing room.
“Sorry, Jade,” Austin continues, “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.”
He laughs. “I would’ve, too. Don’t worry about it. So, two double bacon avocado burgers?”
“Austin, seriously, let me—”
“Not a chance,” he cuts me off, smiling. “Any fries or drinks?”
“Pepsi,” Lily answers.
He looks over at me, and I nod in agreement. “Great. I’ll be back in a few.”
I watch him hurry from the room, and as soon as the door shuts, Lily swats my arm. “Okay, who is that, and why have you been keeping him a secret?”
“Secret?” I laugh. “You know about as much as I do. His name’s Austin and he … I don’t know what he does around here, but he has some pull apparently. He was super nice the other day, showing me around the studio.”
She sends a side-eye glance at me, smirking. “Girl, he is cute! He’s got a sort of Matthew McConaughey thing going on.”
“What?”
“Yeah! I mean, I don’t know if he’s rocking a six-pack under that T-shirt, but that laid-back, surfer vibe.”
“Matthew McConaughey is from Texas.”
“You know what I mean. What’s his deal?”
