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But when I opened them, I saw Damian’s ocean eyes still looking confused.
Seriously, he was such an asshole. He couldn’t have forgotten about me, could he? We literally started in the music industry together!
Had the limelight and his new star status really changed him that much?
Before I could let any of my thoughts run rampant, I cleared my throat and straightened my posture. It wasn’t in me to let Damian see me as someone inferior to him. No way in hell I was gonna let that happen, but again, Ibadlyneeded this job.
“Er, I mean, hello, sir. I’m going to be your new studio assistant,” I said, waving my hand around, trying to brush off my outburst like I was starstruck or something. I hated calling himsir,but I couldn’t bring myself to say his name. It got stuck in my throat like a stray popcorn kernel, painful and annoying, and no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t get it out.
Damian’s look was an interesting combination of glaring and barely listening to me. And that was one of his signature looks, after all. He didn’t have a massive hit single calledBeyond These Ocean Eyesfor nothing. God, that song was relentless. Everyone sang it at karaoke and open-mic nights. It was always on the radio or on TV shows.
It was never a fun experience for me hearing his songs and being constantly reminded of my ex.
For a very brief moment, I thought I saw a flicker of recognition in Damian’s eyes. I thought maybe he’d acknowledge me, if not as his ex, at least my existence in the world.
“I don’t remember asking for a studio assistant. Sadie, did you approve this?” His words were a low growl, and I honestly didn’t understand how Sadie could work here. I was also a little disappointed in myself when I felt my heart drop a little lower at his total dismissal of me.
With a silent, internal sigh, I reminded myself that I once knew this whole opportunity was way too good to be true.
Sadie’s nervous look shifted between me and Damian, and she cleared her throat. It clearly took a lot of internal convincing for her to speak up with Damian.
“Um, yes, sir, I did approve hiring a studio assistant. Your producer, Jackson, requested the hire.”
Damian’s eyes burned even hotter, making the soft-spoken and mild-mannered associate flinch. But Sadie managed to plow through.
“Jackson said he needed an extra set of hands for your upcoming album.”
I could clearly hear the shaking in her voice. Still, I deeply appreciated her efforts. She knew that I was in dire need of a job. It was a rare occurrence to find a true ally within the music industry, but Sadie might just turn out to be just that.
“Jackson? Upcoming album—?” There was a split-second when Damian’s expression cleared and I even spotted a hint of embarrassment in his annoyingly handsome face. It was a moment to savor. Even Sadie seemed to stand up a bit straighter.
Damian quickly cleared his throat.
“Right. Well, if she,” he said, regaining his bravado and pointing at me vaguely, “if she messes up my mixes, she’s done. You understand?”
He spoke only to Sadie once again, though his blue eyes glanced at me for a fraction of a millisecond. I couldn’t even process the whole interaction as Damian turned on his heel to walk away. He was presumably headed toward his office, with a multitude of other people scurrying on his tail.
I let out a breath I was holding in as I looked up at the blinding fluorescent lights in the ceiling.
“Well, that was a good first impression.” Sarcasm dripped from my voice as I leaned against a nearby cubicle partition.
Sadie shook her head and bunched her eyebrows in confusion. The stress from her shoulders seemed to have lifted and faded away, like what just happened was a normal occurrence in her world.
“First impression? Seemed like you two have met before.”
I stared at Damian’s retreating back. He seemed to have shaken off some of the entourage. I kept my face blank and shook my head.
“Doesn’t seem like it to him.”
Chapter 2
Damian
Forapersonusedto loud sound stages and screaming fans, it was surprising that I actually preferred quiet space.
Being hounded at my own company was something I could never truly escape, of course, but sometimes, it would just be nice to be able to walk around without anyone trailing behind me. They were starting to feel like toilet paper stuck to my shoe. I started to think that maybe some of these executives needed to be given leadership training and stop shoving issues in my face, but that felt like a problem for future-me. Besides, they were just trying to impress the boss. It wasn’t necessarily their fault that the role of the boss didn’t quite fit me.
But when I was in the studio, that was when calmness overtook me and my mind focused only on the music. It was a quiet, restricted place. Locked down so there wouldn’t be any leaks onto the internet and so I, or anyone else who was recording, could just lose themselves in their work.
