Glancing at each of their faces, I could see how damn pleased they were with his performance. “You think he’ll calm down after he rehearses with us a few times?”
Hailey stuck her nose in. “If you don’t take him, I am and I’m giving him to someone who desperately needs a new drummer.”
“Oh, no, we’re taking him,” I said. “I’m just worried about the freak out.”
Her eyes bore into mine. “That’s all your faults, you sadists. Drag him up with two of the biggest rock pop names in the business and ambush him.” She glanced over her shoulder at Aaron in the seat, sipping his water. “He’ll be fine once you stop torturing the poor bastard.”
“We’re hiring him. Can you draw up contracts?” Ora said.
“Could you tell him first? Before I drop legal shit on his lap?”
Rand poked me. “Go. He’s hot for you.”
My eyes went wide. “What?”
“Oh, please, like you didn’t know that,” Ora said. “The way he parsed you up and down twice as long as anyone else in this room?”
“You are all officially the worst,” I grumbled.
“You’re also the band leader,” Holland said. “No matter what, you put this shit together, and you keep it together. You’re the lead, you do the deed.”
“He’d like that,” Ora said, waggling his eyebrows.
I stuck my middle finger up at them, but stepped away from the group and headed over to where Austin and Taylor were chatting with Aaron. He looked momentarily terrified, then calmed as Austin patted his shoulder.
I grabbed a chair, spun it, and straddled it. “So, Aaron Donner. How do you feel about joining Robot Servant as our new drummer?”
He squeaked. I almost laughed, but realized that was a bad idea.
“You’re serious?”
“You’re good, man.” I shrugged. “Way better than we expected. Not that your tapes sucked, but man. Hearing you just slide into these songs like that?”
“You are serious.”
“We have six weeks of rehearsals before we jet to Europe for a mini tour.”
“I don’t have a passport.”
Hailey burst out laughing behind me. “Aaron, do not let that stop you.”
“I…it’s… No. I mean, yes. I’m good. I know most of your songs already, so all I’d really have to learn is new stuff and how to work in with you all.”
“So, you’re in.”
Aaron took a deep breath and nodded. “I’m in. I’m so fucking in.”
“Can you write a song?”
“I… can,” he grinned. “I play drums, bass two ways, guitar, and cello. It was a toss-up if I was going for my masters in music or chemistry.”
I reached across and clapped him on the shoulder. “You’re smart, too! Awesome. We have three more spots on the album if you want to give us a song to try out.”
He went slightly pale. “You…you guys are really inviting me in?”
“I’ll have all the legal contracts to you in the morning,” Hailey said. “And we’ll have some other papers for you to sign so we can release that acoustic with UDLR. Good?”
“Um. Yeah. Yes. Holy shit.”
