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“The pleasure’s all mine,” he responded. “I’ll be helping you on all things musical, so we can take you to the next level. This is Jerry and Tito. They’re working with me.” He gestured at the two guys seated, and they waved.
“Hello. I’m Maryam, the new girl. Glad to be working with you.” I loved how she giggled now and then. “Here is my instrumental for the song I’ll be singing today.” She handed him a black flash drive.
“Thanks,” he handed it to one of his subordinates.
Gale had been a great friend of mine for many years. He’s handled a ton of artists for me, analyzing their songs, and critiquing the tempo, vocals, and other aspects. We even consulted Gale on the album cover. There was even one time when the last song from one of Frank’s albums hadn’t been recorded yet because Frank is a lazy idiot; Gale made a demo of it using a different artist. I had to spend money, though, which was never fun. Fucking Frank; that asshole’s departure made me so happy.
Maryam got into the isolation booth, readying herself by taking a deep breath. I watched her closely, seeing how she prepared for a performance. I’d already seen it from watching a ton of her YouTube videos where she performed either at home or in a public area. First, she cupped her hands together, closing her eyes and leaning into the mic a bit, and then Maryam took a deep breath, exhaling after a few seconds.
“I’ve never seen you so zoned in on an artist before,” Drew whispered to me, and I quickly frowned at him, taking my eyes off her. He seemed surprised by my reaction but didn’t say anything. We both faced her, waiting for the song.
“Home, home, home…where can I find this fabled place…” Goddammit! That voice gets me every time.
Instantly, Gale whipped his head to me with an astounded look on his face. I shrugged, understanding how he felt. My reaction the first time I heard her voice left me speechless and in disbelief. He turned back to face her, not wanting to miss a single moment.
“Every time, I’m running, I’m running, I’m running… trying to find something, something, something… that will breathe life into me!!!” She kept singing her heart out, and with every line she bellowed into the microphone, I could feel myself falling into a trance-like state. Everywhere got brighter in my mind.
What the hell? Was I high? Drew pointed at the way water virulently vibrated inside a glass that stood on the table. I knew I stood in front of someone blessed by the gods. She went from a high falsetto to a powerful bold vocal seamlessly, then added some rasp for good measure. God, thank you for sending me an angel.
Every word pierced through my heart; the lyrics left an indelible mark on me. A song about people trying to find their homes, and assuring them they weren’t alone as they stood, lost at a crossroads. She ended the song, and we all just stared at her, not a single person saying a word.
Maryam Carey’s POV
Immediately I finished the last word and my voice settled, the confidence left me and got replaced by anxiety. Even though I got excited to sing, I was also scared shitless that I would mess it up or not impress them. I felt more at ease before I performed because they’d already seen my performances which led them to sign a contract with me. But now, after singing, I got nervous.
Taking a deep breath as I always do after singing, I looked at them through the glass. They all looked stunned. Even him, the one I wished to impress the most, Ronald. I knew that made me a sucker for punishment since he hadn’t particularly treated me as well as the rest. He looked drop-dead handsome, though, and that made me attracted to him. But even beyond that, I felt there was a kind person beneath that cold exterior. Watching how people interacted with him at the office when I first got there, I could tell they respected him. It’s not like he was chatting it up with everyone, but you could tell he wasn’t some snobbish guy. So, why did he act that way with me?
They slowly started to clap, and I finally breathed. Little did I know that I hadn’t let out a breath in a while as I waited for their feedback. Thankfully, the reaction was positive. I blushed, covering my cheeks, and giggling with joy as they lauded praises my way. Checking on Ronald to see his reaction, I was pleasantly surprised to see him smile and give me a thumbs up. He might not have reacted as pumped up as the rest, but at least he didn’t look unmoved. I didn’t like how I felt about him, especially considering he was my boss. These were feelings I would have to reconcile in due time. Of all the people to like so strongly, it had to be him.
“Thanks. Thank you so much,” I continued to repeat as I came out of the isolation booth, but as their applause died down, the dread and realization that I had to do something ten or twelve times in different ways dawned on me. This was a big record label, so they demanded only the best. Could I create great songs? "Home" came as a moment of inspiration while I ate ramen. I worked well as a solo artist because I could have my schedule, but now, the thought of people calling and reminding me of what I needed to do scared me. It wasn’t like I didn’t know this would be the case at such a company, but still. Maybe I overestimated myself?
“Okay, vocally, there isn’t much bad I can say, honestly. You were perfect!” Gale said to me. I could see that he gets fired up when it comes to music. “Your instrumentals are great for the chorus and the big parts, but we’ll need to finetune it in other areas. It’s a bit too barren when you’re just singing the verses…” As he went on and on, my anxiety grew. I knew all this would be par for the course in a company, so why did I feel this way? Beginner’s fright? Imposter Syndrome? I couldn’t tell, but what I did know was how my insides rumbled with fear.
“Wait, Gale. Can you give us a moment?” an unexpected voice, Ronald’s, said. We all looked at him. “It won’t take long. I just need to talk to her for a bit.”
“Alright, sure.”
“Come on,” Ronald said to me, walking ahead of me out of the studio room. Despite my confusion, I followed him because I needed to be out of there as soon as possible. My chest felt tight.
Carmen stopped me to whisper in my ear, “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, just feeling a little weird. I’ll be fine,” I replied with a smile. She’d done so much work to get me here, I didn’t want her to worry anymore. Following Ronald outside, he sat down on one of the seats in the waiting area opposite the studio room. He pointed at the seat next to me, still not saying anything. This perplexed me, but I wouldn’t turn down a chance to sit next to the man I had a crush on. I did as he requested, clasping my hands together and trying to keep them together. Honestly, I felt better now than I did when I came out of the isolation booth.
“You looked stressed, so I thought some air could do you some good.”
Those words from him shocked me. Probably the first time he showed care for me in a proactive way. Seeing my reaction, Ronald smirked.
“Why do you look so surprised? I care about talent, and you're a human being, not a robot. It’s okay to feel overwhelmed.” For the first time since I met him, I saw his face soften. Such a beautiful man.
“I just… didn’t expect that from you.”
Ronald scoffed, smiling a bit. That might be the first time I’d seen him smile, even a little. “Look, Maryam, this job… this way of life… it has a way of forcing you to become hardened. Most people are changed, and some don’t even realize it’s happening until it’s too late.” He looked at me, giving off a sincere expression. For some reason, I felt he truly wanted the best for me. Looking at him through rose-tinted glasses, perhaps? I didn’t know, all I knew was that I had this moment with Ronald. He looked deep into me like he was invading my soul, and oddly, I felt fine with it. Being with him made me feel safe. I didn’t shift back when he brought his head closer to mine so that people around wouldn’t hear, not that there was anyone close to us. “I need you to promise me that you’re never gonna let go of that light spurring inside you. Okay?” I couldn’t believe he was saying this to me. It felt so personal and intimate like the two of us had this moment to ourselves.
“Y-yes,” I nodded, still trying to maintain my composure. My eyes trailed to his lips, but then I quickly looked down at the ground.
“Look at me,” he said in such a commanding voice that I did as he asked, immediately. “I mean this when I say it, Maryam, I believe in you, and I think you can take this label to new heights.” Me? Take them to new heights? I came here because I felt they could take me to new heights. Did he believe in me that much? Why?
“How are you so sure?”
