Page 29 of This Side of Beautiful

“Everyone go to their spots.” I clapped my hands.

“We’re not kids,” Charles grumbled as he picked up the saxophone.

Surprisingly, Cedrick went to the keyboards without complaint. Santiago stood behind his bass, and Brian picked up his sticks. Landon lifted his guitar and strummed a few chords. Santiago nodded and replicated what he’d just heard.

I closed my eyes, allowing the sounds to carry me away. I uttered, “You got a way, got a way, got a way… pulling me closer, again and again..”

A drumbeat followed the pattern set by Landon and Santiago, followed by the sexy, melodic sound of the sax.

“Shit, y’all can play,” I said, eyes closed. Words raced through my head. “Our song is a celebration of music… a love ode, right? We’re talking about the love of music, but people will think we’re talking about intimacy and passion between two people. We can even add a trumpet somewhere. Maybe an acoustic guitar. I’m waiting for the keys.” I teased, “Trying to figure out where you fit in, Ced?”

“Cedrick,” he corrected me crossly, though a second later, he joined in.

I hummed and swayed to the smooth sounds of The Hollow Bones. After a few notes had passed, the lyrics sprang from me. “Never thought I would find someone like you… someone so true, so fly, who gets my blues…”

More flowed from me as I settled into the groove. Brian whistled his approval before he quickened the pace. “Think it should be a more up-tempo song so Janae can throw a few bars after she sings.”

Santiago said, “Nah… we should keep the whole song mellow. No rap.”

“But she’s known for her lyrical skills, too. Our new song should have bars and a hook,” Charles argued, and I hid the smile that threatened as the band continued playing.

“Let whatever happens happen,” Brian suggested.

More lyrics poured out of me, and we jammed. Our love of music overrode any differences. Only good vibes infused the space, and what had been a good idea by our manager became the best one in a long time.

I left my eyes closed to keep my head in the moment. Watching the men perform would disrupt my creativity, and right then, we were all on a fantastic roll. I swayed my arms around, listening for each instrument, judging the clarity and the blend. “The sound is so clear, and we just made this up. Imagine a trumpet coming in right now. The instrumentation will be even more powerful in the studio and these small venues, reminding fans why a real band hits harder than synths. Reminding the world why The Hollow Bones is not only relevant but the best in the world.”

The band continued, and I opened my eyes and pleaded, “Come on, we can do this. The first time around, I didn’t know my worth and how much I lost before. Now, I do, and I’m in therapy. I won’t let you down again.”

I kept my arms by my sides, though I wanted so badly to cross them over my rapidly beating heart as I awaited their answer.

Cedrick addressed the guys. “The Hollow Bones will play strong and clear for the first thirty seconds. Santiago can add a trumpet twenty seconds in. Let Janae come in with her big voice, and then before the song ends, she’ll rip a couple of bars, and we’ll finish with the instrumental and her humming. I think we could mix our two styles without losing us.”

My chest expanded as I searched for Landon’s approval. He stared back, expressionless, yet to speak.

I planted my hands on my hips again. “It’s only been a half-hour, and we’ve figured out the arrangement. So, do we want to wait until two months to complete and release the song?”

Everyone except Landon looked at Cedrick. Cedrick’s nostrils flared as he grudgingly agreed. “Fine. We’ll go into the studio once we go home to New York for our shows. That’s four cities in, and we’ll know if you’re worth our brand to do a record by then.”

I bounced slightly from foot to foot. “I wanted to cut it in Los Angeles before we started the tour… I thought the laid-back vibe would inspire us. If we do the record now, we can open or close with the song when we perform together.”

Landon finally spoke. “New York after four cities. Del will handle the money and business side, and it will be The Hollow Bones featuring Janae Warner.”

The room grew eerily silent, and I realized that as much as Cedrick appeared to be the voice, Landon was undoubtedly the one everyone listened to, including me.

“That works.” I nodded.

Brian suddenly picked me up and spun me around.

I squealed with delight and tapped his back to put me down. “Stop it.”

“We’re about to be on top.” He placed me back on my feet, and I returned his beaming smile.

“It’s time for the band to meet alone. If you need to take the Rover back to the hotel, you can. One of us will retrieve it later,” Landon drily commented as he re-tuned his guitar.

“I planned to support the band at tonight’s show, so I can bring it back tonight or meet you at the venue,” I offered, hating the timidity in my voice at Landon’s blunt tone.

Brian returned to his drum set, and the others drifted to their instruments.

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