Chapter 6

The guys are awesome and full of ideas. It's amazing to witness how their creativity flows. After 2 hours we have a great 14-songs-setlist with 12 covers and 2 of their own songs. The same they played in the bar 'Innocent' and 'Top of the world'. 

"Ok guys the client wants to have 15 songs so we only need one more. So any ideas?"

Everybody stays silent and shake their heads or shrug with their shoulders.

"I know you didn't like it but what if you still cover 'Baby'?" Beverly asks finally.

Everybody yells. "Noooo." And I smirk.

"Ok, ok. I just thought the teenage girls will love it tho... it's cheesy and about love..." She says quietly.

"Hm... maybe I..." Bruno mumbles looking at his empty plate causing everyone staring at him.

"You got an idea, man? Spill it out!" Phil says excited knowing that if he starts like that something good might be on his mind.

"I wrote that song... and it might fit... you know it's about love and cheesy." He looks up grinning at Beverly referring to her words.

"Which song dude?" Phil asks curious.

"I called it 'All about you' but it's not really finished... it still needs a second verse and the bridge isn't good too..." He answers.

"Man it would fit perfectly." Ari throws in.

Phil looks surprised at him. "How it comes you know about that song but I never heard about it? I thought we write all shit together?" Phil pouts a little bit.

"Dude he needed someone to record it and..." Ari starts to explain.

"And I stopped working on it... it wasn't important anymore..." Bruno finishes looking out of the window a bit sadly.

I know something is about the song. Maybe he wrote it for a girl or something like that. Whatever that's not my business! "Well if you think it fits then it's worth a try. But you need to finish and practice it til next week... You think you can do that?" I ask looking at Bruno and then to the rest of the guys.

"Of course! That never was a problem for us, was it?" Phil answers confident.

"The best is we go the studio right about now and you play it to us." Eric suggests.  

"Hm I can't... the tape is not in the studio..." Bruno responses.

"Where is it then?"

"At the crib."

"Well then we get it quickly." Phil says. "Beverly, You, Ryan and Eric drive with Caroline and get it and I take the rest and we meet at the studio. Alright?!"

Bruno looks at him seriously. "No it's at the other crib...."

"The other?" Phil says back questioningly but then understands what Bruno means. "Oooohhh the OTHER crib... Ok well then you, Ryan, Eric and I drive there and get it and the rest go with Caroline straight to the studio...Okay?" He asks looking at everyone.

I just look at Phil wondering what that whole crib-and-OTHER-crib-talk should mean and why I can drive to the crib but not to the 'other' one. "So you have two cribs?" I ask kind of dumb.

Bruno stays silent for a little bit too long before he says bluntly. "Only for a while I'm just about to move so...yeah let's do how Phil said."

I know that he lies but it's his business and obviously he doesn't wanna tell me the truth. So I leave it at that and simply nod. We pay and drive our seperate ways.

In the studio Ari picks out records or tapes of the songs they want to cover for the show and we listen to it. I ask him if he could make me some copies, so I can give it to the client already before they play it live to him. It's good remembering that we only have some short time left. We chat a little bit more and Beverly wants to go into the booth 'soooooo baaaaaad' and sing something. I'm lightly embarrassed of her unprofessional behavior but the guys are cool with it and her horrible singing cracks me up so much. For a second I wonder why the other guys didn't come yet. Almost an hour went by already. But the traffic in LA can be terrible, so I stop thinking about it. We're just about listen to Beverly's tries to sing and my stomach already aches 'cause of all the laughing when suddenly the door flungs open and Bruno walks in followed by the rest. 

"Hey you gonna have a party here without us? What's so funny?" Bruno asks laughing at us being fully whacked. Something about his smile looks different. He doesn't fake it but I miss the sparkle in his eyes. I think to myself something must have happened in the last hour that took it away.

"Bev... she... sang wahahaha" Brian bursts out laughing holding his belly with one hand and clapping with the other on his thigh while he's sittiing on one of the couches.

I wipe away the tears that came out because of all the laughter and try to calm down. "It's too horrible ya know."

"Even my cat sings better..." Dre throws in.

And that just cracks everybody up again. Ari starts the record again and you can hear her voice from all the loud speakers in the room. Of course we all burst out laughing again but Beverly just stands quietly with crossed arms in the corner. I feel sorry for her and try my best to calm down. To get the attention to another topic I step to Bruno and ask him. "Since you guys took so long, I hope you brought the tape with you."

He stops laughing and nods. "Yeah we have it. Sorry for letting you wait so long..." Then he grabs a CD out of his jacket pocket and gives it to Ari. Ari puts it into the CD player and presses play.

I know girl when you look at me, you don't know how I feel...

It's a catchy 60s-like melody and the lyrics are just like he said... cheesy and about love. I nod my head slightly and tap a bit with my feet. "I like it!" I say after the chorus. "Your voice is really special... unique..."

He smiles big at me. "Thanks! It's god-given, ya know..."

I giggle. "Aha... you know that you're a really huge brag?!"

Everyone laughs at my comment.

"What ya'll laughing at? I don't understand..." Bruno looks around grinning.

"I like it too bro, though I'm still pissed you did hide it from me!" Phil says stepping beside us.

"Aaaawwww man I got my reasons..."

"Yeah yeah it's all good... So I hear we have to work out a second verse and like you said the bridge... something sounds not right yet... maybe we reduce it to only snares and the main beat?" Phil suggests and Bruno nods.

"Hm ok looks like it's time to let you guys alone and do magic." I say smiling.

"You don't have to go Caroline! We don't mind at all have some pretty girls around... always a good inspiration, ya know." Phil says being polite.

"Hm ok?!" I look over to Beverly she sat down next to Brian and talks with him a bit flirtatious. "I think one hour is alright..."

"Good!" Bruno says happy and smiles at me. Then he turns to the guys. "Maybe you can work on the sound of the bridge and Phil and I on the lyrics?!" Everybody nods in agreement.

Brody takes a guitar, Eric sits down behind the drums, Brian walks over to the keyboard and they all start to work out the beats and try to repeat it. Soon they got it and it almost sounds the same like on the CD. They're all so talented and I feel blessed to be able to witness them. I love music although my singing sucks and I never learned to play an instrument beside the little things Tony tried to teach me on guitar. Oh no why do I have to think of him right now? I hate it how so many things remind me of him! Even being in a studio feels kinda awkward although it's a different one with a whole different atmosphere. Memories of the last time I was at a studio come to my mind. I gulp. Not good memories, not at all... 

"You wanna help us a bit with the lyrics, Caro?" Bruno asks jolting me out of my thoughts.

"Huh?" I look up hearing him saying my name.

He smirks. "You still here? I said we could need some help with the lyrics. Maybe it's better to get out a little. It's too distracting here with these fools." 

I smile back. "Don't be mean! I'm really impressed with all your skills. I know a lot of bands but it's rare to see one which is so well attuned. I'm really happy to found you guys!"

"Aaaaaawwww don't compliment them so much! They just want more money then." Bruno says jokingly and opens the door.

I grin, walk towards him and stop right beside him. "You know that you're a part of them? If they get more money you will too..." 

"Duh... I'm the leader I ALWAYS get more money, but ssshhh..." He leans to me and says more quiet but still so loud that everybody can hear him. "...don't tell them!" 

Right when he finished I see a drum stick flying towards him hitting him on his shoulder. I chuckle. "Oooouuuuch." He rubs his shoulder. "Ass!" He sticks out his tongue to Eric and walks out the door. Me and Phil follow him. When we were outside Phil's phone rings and he answers it going away a bit from us.

"Come I show you something." Bruno says, takes my hand and drags me across the parking lot to the street. When we reached the street Phil yells Bruno's name and we turn around and see that he runs after us. 

"Hey guys, that was Bana. Something is wrong... I need to go right now."

"What's wrong dude?"

"I don't know. She felt a pain in her stomach and is on the way to the doctor. I meet her there."

I look questioning at Phil. 

"Bana is my fiance and she's 7 months pregnant, ya know. I need to go there now. I'm sorry. I will think about the lyrics and I call you tomorrow man ok?"

"Phil it's ok. I can do the verse on my own just focus on Bana and the baby." Bruno says assuring him. 

"Alright then. Bye guys." He says and jogs back to his car.

"I hope everything's alright with Bana!" I say to Bruno.

"I hope so too. It's his first child. And he's pretty excited." He smiles lightly at me. "Everything will be alright just don't think of any bad things and they won't happen. My grandma always said that."

"Might be right." I say back.

"Alright then I guess we're alone now." He grins at me. "Com'on I show you my favorite place around here. I always go there if I need some quiet, inspiring surroundings."

"Oh ok... I'm excited." I smile back and we go along the street. Soon I see a small park on the left side and we go into it. In the middle is a small fountain and around it are some small palm trees. We come closer to them and I see white hammocks are cleated around the trunks. We lay down of two of them who are close to each other.

"It's wonderful here! I understand that you come here. Just laying here listening to the splatter of the water or looking at the sky, seeing the palm leaves... it's so relaxing and quiet here... and so less people..."

"Yeah I know. It's pretty cool." He puts his hands under his head and closes his eyes. Quietly he starts to hum. I instantly recognize it as the melody of 'All about you'. Then he begins to sing quietly almost only aspirating the words. "I know girl when you look at me... ... ... Girl to tell you the truth... It's always been you, I'm all about you..." He stops. "Can you do me a favor?"

"Depends on the favor?"

"Can you hum the melody while I try to figure out the right words?"

"Erm ok." I start to hum. "Like this?"

"Yeah that's good. Just don't stop and don't let you distract from me, okay? I might stutter and repeat words over and over again... just keep on humming the melody."

"Okay." I say and start to hum again.

He repeats the chorus. "It's always been you, I'm all about you... maybe I can't speak up, but I don't mind... No!" He stays silent for some seconds only listening to my humming and I can tell he's thinking hard. His forehead wrinkles and though his eyes are still closed you can see they move around. He lightly claps on his thigh or snaps with his fingers in a rhythmical beat. He waits til I'm repeating the chords and then starts to sing again. "maybe I'm a fool for speaking up but I don't mind , cause a girl like you is one in a million... million... one in a million... don't come around in a million times... like once in a million times... a girl like you doesn't come around... no... a girl like you won't come around once in a million times... no..." He stops again and waits til I'm at the beginning of the melody again. "...maybe I'm a fool for speaking up but I don't mind, cause a girl like you won't come around...no... cause a girl like you will come around like once in a million times... yeah!" He smiles lightly and repeats his last version 2 times. "So what do I do? Tell me what do I do? oohhh..." It goes that way for quite a while and I slowly can't hum anymore. So I stop suddenly what causes that Bruno opens his eyes, lifts his head a bit and looks at me. "What?"

I chuckle. His look is like one of a small kid with this big eyes. "I'm sorry but my mouth is already so dry from all this humming and it gets hard to concentrate you know I'm not trained in that..."

"Oh..." There it is his cute smile again which lets me melt constantly. He sits up and jumps out of the hammock. "I should be sorry abusing you as my personal humming lady. Let's get you something to drink. I can finish this later. Anyway I think I have the right words already on my mind. Just gotta put them in the right order and make them fitting to the chords... Thanks to you!"

"Thanks to ME? Why? For that little humming?"

"No. For inspiring me! I thought of you all the time forming the words." He smiles at me again and I melt even more. 

"Oh please don't make me blush!" 

"I'm only telling the truth!" He says and helps me out of the hammock.

We go back to the studio. On the way there's a In&Out and we decide to buy burgers and milkshakes for all. I stay a little bit more at the studio until we finished eating and the guys played to Bruno what they figured out so far. He's still not satisfied with it, takes a guitar and strums on it. I feel comfortable but a bit out of place too, so I excuse myself and leave. Bruno walks me out and thanks me again to help and inspire him like so much until I blush. He's so cute standing beside my open door leaning on the car while I already sit inside and look up to him.

"It was really a good and interesting day. I had a wonderful time." I say smiling like a fool. Caroline stop it!

"Me too! I can't thank you enough for the job and the help and inspiration now and for believing in us. You know you make me feel daaaaammnn gooood."

I chuckle. "I try my best. But it's not hard. You guys are talented and so nice. So I don't have a choice NOT to believe in you..."

"Thanks, Caroline. I really appreciate that. Drive home safely okay?!"

"I will. Don't forget to come to the office tomorrow to sign the contract, okay?!"

"How could I forget? Anyways I would come around only to see you again."

I giggle. Caroline, stay serious. It's only words! "Ok. Then see you tomorrow. Bye!"

"Bye Caro." He says, leans down and gives me a peck on my cheek. I put my legs inside the car and he closes the door. Slowly I drive out of the parking lot seeing him going backwards back to the studio entrance and beckons me goodbye.

The rest of the evening I only take a shower and watch TV. Then around 11pm I get a message. It's from Bruno.

'Hey my muse ;) we just finished the verse and the bridge is much better too. maybe we can make it perfect when we start rehearsing... anyways I want you to know Phil just called, Bana and the baby are all good and I forgot to tell you sth earlier... I wish you a good night and sweet dreams :) See ya 2morrow. Kiss Bruno'

I smile. 'My muse' and 'Kiss' and all these smileys and that he told me about Phil... the whole message is just one cute piece. He's adorable. But still I can't fall for him so fast. I have to stay careful and like Mary said 'don't put in too much emotions'. I have to focus on the job, on the show, on the client... the client! Shit! I suddenly remember I wanted to play him all the records of the songs and show him the setlist tomorrow. Shit! I totally even forgot to call him and make an appointment, plus I forgot the tapes in the studio! Shit, shit, fuck! What am I doing now? I think a bit. I decide to call him and make an appointment directly in the morning and ask Bruno if he's at the studio in the morning so that I can get the tapes. I text him back.

'Hey Bruno, I'm so happy to hear that about Bana and the baby! And the other good news too! Now I really will have wonderful dreams :) The only bad thing is I forgot the tapes I wanted to play to the client... Are you or Ari in the studio tomorrow morning so I can get them?'

I wait for some minutes, then he textes back.

'lol at that you think we're in the studio in the morning :P only happens if we're STILL there, but 2morrow? no plan... I bring them to the office ok? around 10?'

'sorry I'm just used to normal boring working hours ;) 10 would be perfect. Thank you so much you're really a sweetheart :)'

'tell me sth I don't know :p I let you sleep now to be fit for your boring normal working times but still wish you sweet dreams (hopefully about me) Kiss and Good night'

'Thanks :) til tomorrow. good night' 

He's really so lovely and sweet. Oh god Caroline you're so about to fall for this guy. I shake my head slightly but smile at the same time. Then I go to my bedroom and sit down on the bed. I set my alarm and put my phone on my nighstand. I lay down, put off the light and cuddle under the sheets. This was a good day and tomorrow I'll see him again. Can it get any better? Happy I fall asleep.