Fuck. I’m gonna be late! Of all days to be late I pick this one. Jacques’s gonna kill me. I sit up and fall right back down again on my pillow. Ouch, my head, why did I have to drunk so much last night!? I knew I had an important meeting with CeeLo Green’s people today to finalise his album and on top of that, two new producers are coming in to the studio to work on some tracks with us. From what I hear they’re both really talented. One of them even sung on a track that I wrote last year. I was shocked when I got the final version back, his voice. His voice is just un-describable; in fact, the only way to describe it is its just pure sex. I could just lose myself in his smooth voice…..
I pick my phone up and see I have 7 missed calls and 7 texts. No guessing as to who it might be from. It’s my stupid arrogant boss Jacques. The messages read along the lines of “Lexii, where the fuck are you!?” “Lexii you better get your ass down to the studio right now!” “If you’re not here within the next two hours I’m gonna fire your late ass and you’ll never produce for another artist again!” His texts don’t scare me; he doesn’t have the balls to fire me. All talk and no action with that man. But I decide not to test his patience any more.
I jump in the shower and get ready as fast as I can, it normally takes me 3 hours on a good day, today it only took me 1 ½. I decide to leave my hair curly and not straighten it like I always do. I feel like a tramp. I’ve never felt confident without my usual heavy make-up. I feel naked without it. I throw on my tight, short black long sleeved dress and put on my high heels. If I don’t feel sexy today, then hopefully I’ll look it.
Luckily there’s no traffic on the way to the studio, so it looks like I’ll be on time. When I get inside the studio Phred is their waiting for me with my morning Starbucks and an aspirin. I love Phred, he’s an aspiring musical director but works closely with us here and he always has my morning coffee. “Drink too much did we Lexii?” he says as he hands me the aspirin “Shut up Phred” I say with a smirk and carry on walking to the room. I hate meeting with these music executives, they always try to intimidate you, but I always get around them.
Just before I swipe my card to enter the meeting room, I glance in to the studio through the window in the door and I see this rather short, tanned guy with black curly hair fooling around on the keyboards. He turns and our eyes lock for a spit second before I look away. I feel his eyes still locked on me but I don’t look back. He has the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen, kinda bug eyed but the warmest shade of brown. His eyes looked like they could tell a thousand stories of heartbreak and struggle. It felt like time just stopped. I snap back when Phred clicks his fingers at me “wow you DID drink allot last night!” he jokes. I grab my coffee swipe my card and walk through the door without saying another word. Who was that guy? And why am I so mesmerised just by his eyes? His beautiful brown eyes. There’s something about him. But I try to push him to the back of my mind. I’ve fallen for pretty faces before it’s never ended well. I vowed I’d never fall for just a pretty face again. And that’s how its gonna stay. I hope….
Chapter 2
I couldn’t really pay attention to what they were saying. These meetings bore me anyway. It’s always the same format. I go in, listen to them ramble on about how much of the albums Producing profit and credits we get, sign a few contracts and I’m out of there. But today’s one seemed to be dragging on for ages. As much as I tried, which wasn’t very hard, I couldn’t help but think about that guy. Why am I so infatuated with him!?
As soon as we’re done I ran out of there and just before I reach the studio room that they’re in. I take a moment to fix my hair in a piece of shiny metal. Great. I’ve gone from looking like a tramp to looking like a hobo, I look and feel disgusting. I see him wearing a red and black checked shirt with a plain white shirt underneath, black skinny jeans and really worn in converses with a brown fedora that has a yellow feather sticking out. I look down at what I’m wearing and feel really over dressed. I take a deep breath and open the door.
“Lexii!” they all scream at me and I feel relaxed again. The only place I feel safe is in a studio. Ray calls me over “Lexii, this is Peter”. “Dude! My names BRUNO!” “Whatever dude, Lexii, this is Bruno and over their that’s Phil and Ari. Lexii is the head of the stereotypes production team and is the reason you two are allowed to be here, so suck up to her” So THIS is Bruno! The guy with the beautiful voice who sung my song I wrote. I wave to Phil and Ari and turn to Bruno. He flashes these perfect white teeth and I melt. “Hey Lexii, thank you so much for letting us come in and work with you all, I can’t tell you how much it means to all of us” He’s so humble, he makes me smile like a fool. “My pleasure Bruno, I’ve heard your voice and it’s beautiful, you sung on the song 6am which I wrote, you’re talented” “You wrote that song!? Wow, that song’s kind of, well, you know” he says coyly. I just laugh and say to everyone “Right guys we need to get at least some work done today” No one listens, as per usual, and everyone goes back to messing around. Although it seems like Bruno, Phil and Ari are the only ones wanting to get any work done today. Next thing I know it’s turned in to a full blown jamming session. Phil comes up with this awesome freestyle to a random beat Bruno lays down on the keys, the way his fingers just glide over the keys is so entrancing.
Midey calls me outside for a second. Ahh Midey, where would I be without her? She’s like my rock and above all my best friend. There’s no hiding anything from her, which sometimes sucks. “You SO wanna fuck that Bruno guy!” Typical Midey talk. “Mid, please, he’s a work colleague; you know I don’t get involved with people from work. Anymore. AND NO I DON’T!” “LIES LEXII! COMPLETE LIES!” Mid says as she runs back inside. I honestly don’t want to, he’s just cute, sweet, funny, tale-no I need to focus on my job and not guys who seem to be from out of this world.
I go back in and join Bruno on the couch where he’s lounging. He smells so good; I could just cuddle up in his scent. “So Lex, how was the after party last night? Remember much of it or do I need to get the camera out and show you what happened?” Oh God, why did Phred have to bring it up! I know I acted like an idiot last night, at least I think I did. I honestly don’t remember much. Damn those Patron shots! “Oooooh Lexii’s a party animal!” Bruno jokes as he sits up. “Hell yeah she is! She knows how to down the shots of patron” says Ray. SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP!
I run over to the keys and start to play a few chords to drown them out. Out of the corner of my eye I see Bruno in deep thought as he starts to bob his head to the beat. He joins me at the keys, he’s sitting so close to me again and I can smell his aftershave, and starts playing a tune to the chords I’m playing. This feels right so I don’t stop and I hear Bruno humming some inaudible words, but whatever it is it sounds amazing. Our hands touch several time as we play and my heart starts to beat faster. I swear he can hear it. I feel Midey’s eyes watching us both intensely. He moves closer and my breathing gets deeper. It feels so right. Suddenly Bruno stops playing and says “Can I have these 4 chords?” I look in to his eyes as he looks in to mine, smile and nod and go sit next to Mid.
Chapter 3
Excited, Mid says, or more like squeals “Lex show me those new shoes you bought later, the picture wasn’t clear on my shit phone” I make a face because I know she’s going to want them, wear them and never give them back. “Come on Lex! I just wanna see them in 3D!” “I wanna see you 3D” Bruno sings and it sounds catchy. I reply “Let me see you 3D” Bruno jumps back on the keys and Phil starts free styling again and within the hour a full verse and chorus is written.
I decide to go outside for a smoke and notice Bruno follows me, he’s holding his own packet. I’ve always found guys who smoke irresistible. “You smoke?” I ask him, “Only once in a while, I’m trying to quit actually” He says while he lights my cigarette, such a gentleman. “So tell me more about yourself Bruno, or is it Peter?” “It’s Bruno, everyone calls me Bruno, no one’s called me Peter since I was two years old” Is it bad that I hardly heard anything he said because I was watching him smoke? “What else do you wanna know?” He asks and I snap back to reality. All these questions run through my head, do you have a girlfriend? Wife? Sex buddy? , but I just say “Tell me anything you want” “I’m just a regular guy, born in Hawaii, moved to LA, played in bars and pubs all over to try to have a chance at getting signed. Luck’s never been with me though” I can feel his pain as he speaks and it breaks my heart. “I did get signed when I was eighteen though, but like I said, luck has never been with me” He says the last part as he stares in to my eyes. I never realised how close he’s standing next to me. I like it. “So tell me about you Lexii” “Err, I’m just your regular 21 year old, music producer, nothing special about me” I don’t really like talking about myself, I despise having all the attention on me like that. “Bruno seems annoyed, I don’t know why though.
I shiver, partly because I hate being the centre of attention and party because it’s cold and I didn’t bring a jacket with me today. Bruno notices my shiver and gives me his checked shirt to wear; it smells just like him, although it looks like it hasn’t been washed in a while. Wait. What’s that? A drop of rain? Really!? Before I know it it’s pouring it down on both of us and we’re both running and laughing to get back inside. Bruno naturally makes it back before me, damn these heels, and shuts the door, is he serious!? He’s just laughing at me through the window in the door! “LET ME IN! IT’S COLD!!” I scream at him, he just shakes his head. “WHAT THE FUCK LET ME IN!!” I say with a huge smile on my face, even I can’t ignore the fact of how funny this moment is. “Tell me something!” he mouths. What the hell!? “Like what?” it’s starting to get cold now so I decide to just play along. “Tell me something random about you” always bringing it back to me “I don’t have anything! I’m not an interesting person” He just stares at me with those beautiful brown eyes and I melt. “I love Cherries, I could eat them all day and pop tarts” “I make great pop tarts! And cereal, what people really don’t know is that there’s an art to it” “That’s nice Bruno, could you let me in now please?” He unlocks the door and we both just stare at each other. I never realised how wet he actually got. He looks irresistible. He licks his lips and a drop of water falls, I watch it intensely as it falls from his curly jet black hair, down his cheek, down his neck and in to his top. I’m soaked but he seems to be smiling which makes me smile. I think he realised I was staring. He moves his head in closer, slowly as if he’s coming in for a kiss. This time his breathing gets more intense and I’m immensely turned on right now. He slowly moves a piece of wet hair from my face all the while staring deeply in to my eyes. Bruno’s phone rings and I take that as a sign that this is the wrong thing to do. That is if he was leaning in for a kiss. He probably doesn’t even like me. Why would he? I’m nothing special. I take his checked shirt off and throw it at him while laughing and run in to the bathroom to dry myself off. I manage to dry myself with the hand dryer, it took a while but I just want to get back inside with Bruno. Damn my naturally curly hair, it looks just ridiculous now. When I walk back inside and look through the window of the studio that Bruno’s in, what I see makes it feel like my heart is being ripped to shreds. I feel faint.