Juliet didn’t collaborate this closely with anyone else. The only person she dueted with was Robbie, and that was different on every level. She wasn’tshockedby her reaction, but she did need to keep a firm grip on herself.
With that in mind, she pivoted away from Darcy.
Maybe, if Darcy wasn’t the woman she’d had fixated in her mind for months, she’d remain there, pinned between her and the control panel. Just to get another hit of this burning feeling inside of her.
But that wasn’t the case.
Clearing her throat, she walked over to where she’d left her large purse on the couch pressed against the back wall, tugging out the bottle of Château Cheval Blanc.
Turning, she presented it to Darcy. “As promised. Admittedly, it should be served slightly cooler than room temperature, but we’ll make do.”
“Yes, the insanely expensive wine.” Darcy wiped imaginary sweat from her brow. “I was going to throw afitif you didn’t bring it. My favorite. I’m not sure I’m going to be able to stomach it if it’s not chilled to perfection.”
Juliet plastered a wide, fake apologetic smile to her lips. “Sorry, I didn’t have time to grab you a bottle of bottom shelf whiskey. Next time.”
She poured them both a glass, several of which she’d stashed on the shelf next to the couch earlier in the day in preparation. She had a feeling she might really need a glass of wine after being in the studio again with Darcy, and lo and behold…
Darcy crossed to where she was, accepting one of the glasses Juliet poured. Before she sipped, though, she held it up toward Juliet. “A toast to a successful song?”
Juliet’s fingers remained firm on the stem of her own glass. “We’ll see if it’s well done when the reviews come in.”
Because, really, Darcy still didn’tgetthat. She was still able to ride on her high of being on top of the world; she hadn’t yet been torn down by the people who currently adored her.
But if it happened this time, at least Juliet wouldn’t be the only one to blame.
Darcy scoffed out an exasperated laugh as she brought her glass to her lips and took a long sip. Juliet was momentarily mesmerized by the press of the glass against the plush center of her bottom lip.
As Darcy lowered the glass, she licked away an errant drop, before she arched a look toward Juliet. “If you like the song, as you say you do, why did you look a little tortured when I came in?”
Juliet shook her head as she took a seat on the end of the couch, angling so her back was pressed against the arm.
Darcy followed suit but didn’t sit at the other end. Instead, she sat on the middle cushion, also angled to face Juliet, so their legs were pressed together.
“Come on,” Darcy urged, nudging her foot against Juliet’s. “Be honest. What, were you hoping you’d hate it?”
She sipped at her own wine, before she decided to give in. After all, Darcy wanted her tobe honest. “Yes.”
A loud, incredulous laugh shot from Darcy’s mouth. “What?! Seriously?”
Amused, her lips curled into a darkly satisfied grin. “Seriously. Because the fact that your arrangement of ‘Porchlight’ sounds so good is so irritating.”
“I mean, you were the one who made some of the suggestions. Like layering our harmony over the intro,” Darcy pointed out, tilting her wine glass toward Juliet, before she took another long sip. “Okay, thisisgood,” she murmured, seemingly in defeat, before she leaned forward and topped her glass up.
Something about that, about Darcy’s easy acceptance that Juliet’s choices in their intro and in her wine selection, made it easier for Juliet to say, “It would have made me feel a lot more validated in being unhappy working with you, if your ideas sucked.”
In a very contrarian way, she’d almost have preferred it to her ideas being as great as they were. It didn’t make sense; sheknew that. Yes, she wanted them to reach a compromise to get through the song. Yes, she’d agreed to have an “open mind” regarding Darcy’s ideas.
But another part of her hoped, against logic, that she’d genuinely dislike Darcy’s suggestions.
She released a lofty sigh. “But, given that I’m in on this cover with you, you have a pass this time.”
“I have a pass for being good at what I’ve dedicated my life to doing. That’s really sweet of you, Juliet,” Darcy drawled, but her lips ticked into a small, pleased smile.
A smile she felt herself mirroring, but she hid it by taking another sip of wine, before saying, “It’s also easy to give you a pass when you now are beholden to praisingEchoesto the public. Don’t think I’ve forgotten about that.”
Juliet wouldneverforget it. Darcy confessing to her with the sincerest expression that Juliet’s least successful album was her favorite was… so… strange. But had also filled Juliet with a pride she hadn’t felt forEchoesin a long time. Not since it had debuted and subsequently been torn apart.
Somehow, Darcygot it. Darcy had heard what Juliet had been wanting to accomplish, underneath her missteps.
