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A few metres upthe street, Leo spotted the Wrap’d building coming into sight, like some kind of Mecca in the horizon over the slight brow of a hill. The Wrap’d logo hung above a beautifully ornate wooden door and he had to take a selfie to post on his socials later despite feeling incredibly tacky for doing so.
Someone coming out of the door bumped into him, tutting at him for being in the way, but when Leo turned around to apologise, the man had a moment of recognition and instantly commended him on his TikTok content before sealing it with a fist bump. Leo at first thought it was going to be a standard handshake, fumbling around the gesture.
Leo cringed internally as the man walked off, then shook the last few seconds of his life from his memory, firmly pressing the buzzer to the Wrap’d reception.
He was buzzed in after hearing a voice he could barely make out, introducing himself and pretending to hear what she was saying. As he walked through the entrance, towards the grand, expensive-looking front desk, he was greeted by the friendly smiles of two receptionists, one who offered him a drink and a selection of sweets he hadn’t realised he needed in his life.
Leo parked himself in a low-slung chair across from the main desk, sifting through every type of Maoam chew known to man to occupy himself while he waited. He flicked vacantly through a few music industry magazines that looked a bit too ‘businessy’ for him, then decided to just kick back and take in his surroundings.
His heart and mind raced erratically, stirring a symphony of emotions that echoed the melodies of his music as he thought about which tunes of his to talk about in the meeting. He glanced at his Fitbit yet again, and realised that Kris was running fairly late, which put him on edge. Had he forgotten? No, of course not. The receptionist would have given him a blank look if that were the case.
His mind raced at a million miles an hour, so he started planning every detail of the meeting right down to the opening handshake. He decided to go traditional with this one, especially after the fiasco at the entrance.
Kris Proud had a cool reputation, but he was an older guy, so Leo concluded that a fist bump just wouldn’t be worth the risk.
Leo pulled a thick notebook from his bag that he kept full of random conversations, later to be transformed into verses, and sat it proudly on the coffee table in front of him, tasselled tabs flopping out of the sides, bookmarking the cream that had risen to the top for this occasion.
It was now getting on for ten minutes past the scheduled meeting time, and Leo was becoming more than a tad fidgety. Other people were drifting in and out of the reception area, now becoming familiar faces, some taking seats around Leo, sporting polite, thin-lipped greeting smiles with whispered hellos when they sat. Some looked comfortable, others nervous. Maybe they too were on the precipice of greatness?
A cheerful young woman appeared from the entrance from behind reception and looked around the seating area, the sound of her scuffed footsteps freeing Leo from the prison of his racing mind.
“Daisy?” chimed Leo.
Wide-eyed, his jaw-dropped at the sight of his old friend. They hadn’t seen each other since college due to geographical issues, but never fell out of contact thanks to the power of social media. To see her in the flesh again was a real treat, looking as radiant as ever.
“Leo?” she replied excitedly. “You made it. I’m so excited for you. Kris isreallylooking forward to meeting you.”
Leo pulled himself up, ironing out imaginary creases from his jeans, then hugged Daisy, kissing her on each cheek. “It’s all down to you. I can’t thank you enough,” said Leo.
“Aw, it was nothing! Hey, where’s Kai?”
“Kai’s not here. Dodgy kebab… He hasn’t got the shits, though.”
“O…kay.” said Daisy, suppressing a laugh.
“Sorry, I probably should have mentioned that to Kris.”
“Ah, don’t worry about it. Anyway, follow me, Kris is ready now. He’s sorry to keep you waiting. So, tell me what’s been happening, then.”
He followed Daisy down a series of labyrinthine corridors as they caught up with each other’s news. They climbed a flight of stairs until finally they reached a plush looking office which was clearly fit for someone of high managerial or ‘legendary’ status.
Daisy exercised a sharp double knock and waggled her eyebrows, not waiting for a reply, then entered. Kris beckoned them in, welcoming Leo with a smile and, to Leo’s surprise, a high handshake, which he tried to pull down for some reason. Cooler than a standard handshake, but not quite as modern as a fist bump. He’d make sure to remember that for the way out.
“There’s only one of you?” asked Kris, checking a piece of paper in his hand.
“Oh, yeah. I’m Leo. Kai couldn’t make it. He’s come down with something, I’m afraid.”
“I see. Got the shits, has he?” laughed Kris.
“Erm…”
“I’m joking, lad. Relax, sit down.”
“You okay for drinks, guys?” asked Daisy, breaking up the conversation, trying to relax things after no doubt twigging on to Leo’s nervousness.
“Could you grab us a couple of glasses of that cucumbery water, please, Daisy?” asked Kris, twigging that Leo was probably thirsty, but too polite or nervous to order anything.
As Daisy left the room, Kris broke the ice with some chit-chat about Leo’s journey down then checked the hotel was adequate before getting into the nitty-gritty about what made Leo tick, music-wise.
