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Toby’s smile slipped a little. “Was it too much? Should we have backed off? Paxon told me about it, and I talked with Bryan. We wanted to make sure it was smooth for you, no issues, and I’ll admit, your setup would have made things a little tough. Did you even have a video camera?”
“Yeah, the one I use when I do virtual meetings.”
Toby shook his head. “I saw that thing. That brand comes out really grainy and doesn’t always focus correctly.”
“Thanks. I really do appreciate the help. Now I just need to freak out about performing in front of people I can’t see. That feels so different.”
Toby grabbed an ottoman and sat next to me. “When I guest star on a stream, I like to pretend it’s just me and the music. I perform more for myself. If I enjoy it and have fun doing it, then the audience will pick up on that sincerity and enjoy themselves too.”
I glanced at the time. “Oh boy. It’s almost time.” I rubbed my hands on my thighs as my nerves settled in.
“Is she panicking now?” Seth asked, coming in with a bottle of water.
“Always,” Toby responded.
“Here, for you.” Seth passed the water to me. “Always stay hydrated.”
“And posture check,” Toby said, chuckling like he made a little joke, but I didn’t really get it.
“Will you let her get settled?” Bryan said, glaring as he came in and handed me another water bottle.
“Are you guys trying to make me have to pee halfway through?” I asked.
They chuckled.
“How long do you get?” Seth asked.
“Thirty minutes.”
“We’ll get to see you rocking out for thirty minutes. This is going to be great,” Toby said. “Let me get you logged in.”
He got me into the waiting room. I glanced at all three screens in front of me. One of them had the stream on. Jacey was on there, currently singing with a guitar. His chat was going so fast, I couldn’t even keep up with what was scrolling by. There was even a warning on the chat part that followers only could send messages.
Every so often, alerts popped up on his screen with subscribers, something called bits, emojis, and donations. The bottom of his screen had the donation bar. He was about sixty percent to his goal.
“He’s doing really well,” Bryan said, looking over Toby’s shoulder.
“He’ll be doing even better once Cadence gets going.” Toby’s confidence was a bit contagious. He sent me a grin and a wink before continuing to set everything up.
The second screen was mine to help me work my magic. It was how I could ensure the music I wanted played when I needed in the way that I wanted.
“All right, chat!” Jacey’s voice came through my headphones, and I jumped slightly. “I have a very special guest to play for us this next half an hour. I met her at a live performance and loved her vibe.” Jacey grinned. “And she thought I was handsome enough to say yes.”
I snorted at that, knowing he was just messing around.
“I’d like to introduce Cadence Wiles, a music goddess. I found her playing at a fundraiser event and thought it’d be a shame not to share her with the world. Give her a warm welcome and fall under her spell, just like I did.”
Suddenly I was on the screen and the chat box filled with welcoming responses and emojis.
I blinked, finding my words. Then I smiled.
“Hi Chat.” I gave them a shy wave. “And thank you, Jayce, for inviting me to such an important fundraising event. You have done such an amazing job. For the next half an hour, I’ll be DJing for you.”
I slowly got a beat going as I talked but kept it low so that they could still hear me. I pretended I was at the club, working up the crowd. I knew how to do that.
I talked a little about my background with music. It seemed some of the people in chat knew who I was, which made me feel even more awkward, especially since I couldn’t see their faces. It was weird to hold a conversation with people who were only typing to me. A little vulnerable, if I had to admit.
A private message popped up on my screen from Jacey. Don’t forget to answer some questions too if you’re comfortable with them.
