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“I’m good, but thanks.”I gave her my broadest smile, and made myself mean it.
I headed back to the Sound and Music part of the building.This had been a satellite branch for a community college, but when they moved their business school mostly online, they got rid of the physical location.Judith had picked the property up cheap.
Each team had one or more classrooms that they’d set up however was best for what they were doing.As a team of one, I had a room all to myself, but that didn’t mean I was rambling around in empty space.A tiny recording studio, with all the soundproofing and acoustics, occupied the office attached to the room.In the main area, there was an electric keyboard, an upright piano, several instruments, and other assorted tools for making sounds.
I could be using stock noises, but some things just sounded better when I recreated them myself.
Though, they didn’t sound like anything when I couldn’t focus on what to create.I sat at my computer desk and stared at the screen, willing inspiration to strike.
I didn’t realize I’d been doing so for almost an hour until Luna set my personal laptop next to me, startling me.
“You’re clean,” she said.
I spun in my chair to find she’d made herself comfortable on the taller seat next to the electric keyboard.
“What did you find?”I asked.
She hooked her heels on the rungs and twisted back and forth.“Nothing.You’re clean, as in, no one’s been on that computer who wasn’t authorized.There’s no sign of forced entry.So whoever did it had your password or one of their own.”
“So…”
“Do I need to lecture you on being more cautious with your login information?”
I stared at her, lips pursed and jaw clenched, letting my expression convey my response.
“That’s what I thought.”Luna grinned and hopped to her feet.“I set you up with the new security anyway.We might as well do this while everyone’s paranoid.Ask Danny if he’s up for helping?”
“Yeah.I’ll do that, but I can guarantee it won’t be until at least tomorrow.He’s booked today.”
“That’s okay.Cole will be here after lunch to help me get started.Back to the salt mines.”Luna half skipped out of the room.
Ah, to be a decade younger and have that much energy and enthusiasm.
I emailed Luna’s job offer to Danny rather than texting or calling, so as not to disturb his work.I was surprised when he replied within a few minutes, and more surprised when he said he was in.At least it meant having him in the office with me for a few days.That would be nice.
The rest of the workday was business as usual.I willed myself to come up with new music for the upcoming event, Sonya and Jeremy sent me their revised script for a different project, and I plucked out a few chords for that, before giving up on all of it.
Maybe something would come to me on the way home or in the shower in the morning or maybe I could summon a muse or a demon.Would I sell my soul to get my job done?Reese had negotiated with someone far worse than a demon, and while she hadn’t offered her soul, it was close.She was miserable.
So no, I wouldn’t sell my soul for inspiration.Probably.Maybe.I’d need a little something extra to sweeten the deal.
When I got home, Adam was nowhere to be found.With any luck, he was making headway in whatever he was doing that he’d been tight-lipped about up until now.
The light on the doorway at the foot of the basement was on, meaning Danny and Reese were in the music room.The room was mostly soundproof, but if Reese was drumming, or they were really into a song, I’d hear something out here, and I didn’t.
I pressed a button near the door, that was a sort of doorbell.It would flash a similar light inside the room, letting them know someone was waiting to be let in.The LED light changed colors depending on whether the request was coming from here or the front door.
A moment later, Danny unlocked the door.“Hey.Welcome home.”He gave me a quick kiss.
“We need your opinion.”Reese was seated behind him at the drums.
The room took up the entirety of the basement, but given we’d crammed almost as much in here as I had at work—no upright piano and I made Reese leave the big drums in storage—it was a tight space.
I stood near the door.“Do you want praise or honesty?”Important question to ask up front.
She gave me a look that saidduh.“I assume it’ll be both.But honesty would be nice.”
Danny settled on a tall stool, and grabbed his favorite acoustic guitar.Odd for their sound, but not unheard of when Reese was trying to figure out why she didn’t like a tune.Something I could sympathize with more than ever today.
