“Glad to hear it. You guys nailed that last take, and if you do itjust like that, you have a great shot—both of you—for making it through as individuals,” Cruz said.
Cruz turned to Sadie. “You okay, darlin’?”
She nodded, and Max watched as Sadie set her shoulders back a hair. She was talented, there was no question. But it took more than that to make it in this business.
Max was well-versed in the backstories of musicians like Sadie Hunter, having met many over the years. She had probably ended up here after hundreds of small gigs in bars, likely putting everything else in her life on hold—and being willing to do almost anything—while she chased this tantalizing dream.
Max understood deep down that he wasn’t in a position to be so callous about chasing dreams. He had waltzed onto the show because of name recognition—a draw to pull in viewers, as his father’s fans were still heartbroken at his retirement. The show’s producers wanted to boost ratings, and they felt Max Brody could be their golden ticket.
“Okay, Max, Sadie, you’re up,” Cruz said to the pair. “Remember.This could be the most important song you’re ever going to sing. Stick to the plan, and make us believe you’re already the stars I know you are.”
As soon as Cruz left backstage, with go-time only momentsaway, Max reached for Sadie’s hand. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she asked, pulling away.
She had a high flush to her cheeks, and gave him a look that suggested he take a step back,now.
“Giving them what they want. Which is a good show.” Then he reached for her hand again, but this time he did it more gently, allowing his fingers to slowly intertwine with hers. They walked onstage, hand in hand, to where Max’s guitar and two mics waited for them. The Christmas decorations had been moved offstage for their performance, leaving only sheets of hanging twinkle lights behind them.
“Can we get a stool out here?” Max asked, shielding his eyes against the spotlights. The song Max and Sadie had been assigned was probably the most covered duet of all time—“Islands in the Stream.” The arrangement Cruz had suggested was only a hair above a cheesy karaoke version of the song, which was precisely why Max had told Sadie he had anew ideafor the song only minutes before they were scheduled to perform.
A stool appeared onstage, and Max set it behind one of the mics. Then he shortened the microphone stand so it was at Sadie’s height when she was seated.
“Kick off your shoes,” he said, covering her mic with his hand. “And smile, okay?”
“Don’t tell me what to do,” Sadie whispered. But she slid off her heels, her toenails polished a baby pink to match her fingernails, and sat on the stool.
“All set?” Cruz asked, the other judges looking on somewhat impatiently.
Sadie nodded, and Max picked up his guitar. “We’ve made a bit of a change,” he said into the mic. Then he started strumming the guitar strings, softly, giving his fingers time to warm up and his heartbeat time to slow. Picking the guitar strings felt similar to having knitting needles in hand, and taking a moment before starting the song helped him relax.You’ve got this, Max.
Cruz looked at Max curiously, then shrugged as the other judges glanced over at him, eyebrows raised.
The first bars of the song came over the speakers and Sadie waved a hand. Then she leaned into her microphone and said, “No music, thanks. We’re doing this acoustic.” She smiled at Max, and it didn’t reach her eyes even though he was the only one who would see that.
Max strummed the guitar, the familiar chords filling the soundstage, which were soon matched by his voice—deep and smooth as he delivered the first line of the song, keeping his eyes on Sadie. He may have suffered from stage fright, but he was no slouch when it came to performing.
Sadie casually tapped her hand against her thigh as she swayed slightly on the stool to the rhythm of the song, smiling right back at Max.
They sang the song slowly to one another, the guitar chords the only accompaniment to their voices, which were perfectly matched. The effect was magical—their chemistry undeniable. Even Cruz seemed enchanted by the performance when Max glanced at him. The three other judges sat up a little straighter in their chairs and Max knew they had them precisely where they needed them.
At one point Sadie got off the stool and took her mic off the stand while Max sang his part. Then she walked slowly, barefoot, over to where Max stood and ran a hand down his arm while she sang to him. Max was, despite himself, mesmerized by Sadie—and he leaned toward her, their voices rising as they reached the crescendo.
The judges were blown away. The grizzled D.J., who had been in the business first as a musician and later as a producer, said it was the most original version of the song he’d ever seen performed, and that they were meant for one another.Maybe even off the stage, too, Monica, the willow-thin bottle-blond judge (who had wonStarmakerthree years prior), added, with a wicked grin. Of course, it would ultimately be up to the viewers to decide Max and Sadie’s fate. The following week, when this performance aired, viewers could vote for their favorites by texting the number that had been assigned to each duet.
Sadie smiled shyly, and then without hesitation reached out to hold Max’s hand again. He was surprised, but didn’t show it. Instead, he grinned at her, then kissed her hand. Sadie managed to make it seem like it was a welcome gesture.
But as they walked backstage, away from the microphones and judges, she said, “You were a bit pitchy at the end there. I hope that doesn’t get me eliminated.” They were on their way to the greenroom for their postshow interviews, to be aired alongside the performance for the viewers next week, so they were alone.
“I wasnotpitchy. I am never pitchy.” Max frowned, running a hand through his dark wavy hair. He knew theperformance, including his part, had been flawless. Thanks tohisidea to strip everything back to just their voices and his guitar. The least she could do was thank him for his brilliant idea.
Sadie reached for the greenroom’s door handle, gave Max a withering look, and said, “I guess we’ll see, won’t we?”
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Max Brody and Sadie Hunter...
Their “Islands in the Stream” cover BROKE THE INTERNET last week!
Up until last night, the last thing anyone needed was another season ofStarmaker, even with Max Brody and Tasha Munroe on board... but that was before #Saxie. If you don’t know what we’re talking about, crawl out from under the rock you’ve been living under for the past 24hrs and scroll down for a video of the most sizzling performance in the show’s history.
