He took a clean sheet of paper from the desk and jotted down a bunch of chords, then placed it on the stand and pointed them out to Sindy as he played. “This is a G chord. C chord. That’s a D. Here’s an E.”
Sindy played each chord right after he did, her eyes on the sheet music like the perfect student, soaking in as much as she could.
“We can collaborate on the lead. If you want to throw in something new, I’m open to hearing it, as long as it doesn’t change the melody. You’re here to make our songs the best they can possibly be.”
“Don’t overwhelm her, Lucas,” Tessa warned. “You get so carried away. Sorry, Sindy, he takes music theory very seriously.”
“It is serious,” she replied.
Lucas almost stammered backwards at the idea that someone was as passionate about theory as he was. They were going to get along magically.
They went through the song a few more times, Sindy deviating a little from the way the music was written. She played from her heart and it made Lucas’ head spin. “That was fucking awesome!” Lucas exclaimed when they were done. “Let’s play it back.”
“Play what back?” Sindy asked.
“The video.” Lucas pointed to the camera facing them, then realized he never asked permission to film her. “I’m sorry. I should have mentioned it. We often record our performances. It helps us with stage presence.”
“I’ve never seen myself play before.” She pushed her hair behind her ears and adjusted her guitar strap. “I’m a little nervous.”
“Don’t be. You rocked. And you look great.”
As they watched the playback she smiled from ear to ear. “Is that really me playing with Mason Wilder? This is a dream come true.”
Lucas slowly turned his head in her direction. Naturally, anyone would deem it an honor to play with Mason. He understood her infatuation at playing with Mason, but she was here to play with Lucas, and she didn’t seem as excited about it as he was. Sighing, he pushed his ego aside. Mason was the star in the room, and he’d never forget that. Although it was obvious that Sindy would be a perfect fit, they needed to make a final decision about adding her to the band. “Can you give us a moment, Sindy?”
Lucas, Tessa, and Mason went into the isolation booth, but it was really just a formality. “Are you two as blown away as I am?” Lucas asked.
“Yes,” Mason answered right away.
“Did you see how fast she picked up the chords and sailed through the melody, all by ear?” Lucas asked.
“And wait until you get to know her,” Tessa replied. “She’s really cool.”
“So it’s all settled then?” Mason asked. “We’re gonna ask her to join the band?”
Tessa and Lucas both nodded.
“Should we go out and tell her the good news?” Mason asked.
Lucas shifted his eyes to Sindy, intently watching them from the other side of the glass with her guitar slung over her shoulder. “Let’s give it a few minutes and make her sweat it out.”
“You’re so bad!” Tessa swatted his arm. “I’m texting Dad and Papi to come down and meet her.”
They exited the isolation booth after a sufficient amount of time. “So do you want to be our new rhythm guitarist?” Lucas asked her.
“Yes!”
Mason shook her hand. “Welcome to the band.”
“Congratulations!” Tessa squealed and hugged her. “My fathers are on their way down to meet you.”
“What?” Her jaw dropped and her eyes almost popped from their sockets. “Tommy Blade and Angel Garcia are coming here? Right now?” Before anyone had a chance to tell her it was no big deal, they walked into the studio.
“Oh my God.” Sindy’s hand flew to her mouth. “It’s Tommy Blade.”
“You must be Sindy.” Lucas’ dad extended his hand to Sindy, who shook it as if she was in a semi-catatonic state. At the last second, she barely gulped out a reply.
Lucas watched with pride. Although he knew he could never live up to his father’s fame and reputation, he never resented it. Tommy Blade was a renowned guitar player and deserved every accolade thrown his way and to be fawned over by fans.
