Griffin follows, and Aria calls over her shoulder, “Have I told you that I love this version of you?”
A smile cracks over Griffin’s face, and his cheeks heat, presumably turning red like always. Yes, she has, but yes, he still wants to hear it. He will probably blush over Aria’s affection, her attention, her care, forevermore, and he’s okay with that.
“Luckily for me, you have. And have I told you I love this version ofyou?”
“The sweaty, stinky one?” Aria scoffs. “You’re sweet, but we can be honest.”
Griffin rushes up behind her, turns her around, threads his arms around her waist, and lifts her with ease into his arms. Aria lets out a shrieking laugh, then throws her arms around his neck.
Griffin presses his mouth deeply into hers and keeps it there until he has to pull back for air. “Yes. This version. Regular, everyday you. Stink and all.”
Griffin’s arms are like steel, holding her in front of him, and Aria slides her hands to cup his cheeks. “I’m the luckiest.” She pecks his lips. “Now let’s get me fed before I turn into a far hangrier version of the me you claim to love in all states.”
Griffin lowers Aria gently to standing, then quickly gathers his phone and keys from his kitchen counter. “Your wish is my command.”
Aria starts telling him about her workout and the plans for the new show she’ll debut on this tour—one that includes their song—and they ride the elevator down to the underground parking garage.
Griffin can’t help but hang on the words he last spoke to her. He genuinely does want to make her wishes come true. Never before has he felt so deeply connected to someone, his own personal interests so intrinsically woven with hers. Griffin feels alive when he’s with Aria, inspired and challenged, but also accepted as is. Her quick wit is charming, her depth enchanting, and her everyday antics a complete delight.
There is no better feeling than being with her, and he’ll hold on to this for as long as she lets him.
Chapter 54
Aria
The week after Griffin’s brewery event, Monroe called Aria as she was leaving the gym, and the first words out of her mouth were “I’m not sure I’ve ever had more fun than I did listening to Gerald eat his words.”
Aria felt like she’d entered a conversation somewhere in the middle. “Huh?”
“After weeks of me trying to be diplomatic about letting you do your thing, promising him the fans would follow you in a new direction, explaining how the new direction was more an evolution and not a rebrand, reminding him of all the money you’ve already made them, the victory was sweet.”
“Was it the video?” The one of her performance at the brewery went more viral than any previous Aria-Griffin post.
Aria could’ve sketched the smirk on Monroe’s lips, she heard it so clearly in her words. “Probably. But I’m still taking full credit.”
Aria said no more than a handful of words during the whole conversation as Monroe took the lead laying out Gerald’s backtracking in great detail.
“We didn’t realize that it was more a tweak than a pivot.”
“Aria is such a stellar musician, of course the fans are connecting with it.”
“Everyone wants a real recording of ‘Until You Came Along.’ How soon can we make it?”
“We trust her, but we need the music ASAP.”
Aria had left the call with a new freshness, like a mustiness following her around had been aired out by a good spring cleaning. Like finally the weight that Gerald was insistent on tying to her ankle had been released. That afternoon she worked four straight hours and wrote three songs. It was as if the music had been inside her all along, and all she needed was the breathing room to let it out—like she’d been able to with Griffin.
Beyond the practicalities of making the new album, Aria felt like herself again. Like the green but hopeful young woman she once was when she first embarked on this journey had finally meshed with her experiences—good and bad—her new perspective, and a new softness. And the music that sprang forth was precisely what Aria had in mind.
In the weeks since, the rest of the album came together remarkably quickly. Aria even invited the band over to help her get the musical arrangement right. After working with them for so long, she trusted their instincts and feedback. They, too, wanted to play music they enjoyed every show.
Worldwide Records had no issue moving earth and sky to get the songs professionally recorded and produced in record speed,considering that the internet was on the verge of revolt with their demands for a real version of “Until You Came Along.”
Today is Aria’s new album drop, and Aria sits at her kitchen island, reading the emails her publicist has sent over with critics’ reviews and early impressions from the fans:
“Deeply vulnerable, rich, and expansive.”
“No one thought Aria needed a glow-up, but girl, did she ever! Dang. I mean, where do her superpowers end? At this rate I wouldn’t be surprised if she pivoted to rap in a few years!”
