Page 12 of Broken Melody
Wiping off my face and clothes as I move down the hall, I vow to kill Jace later. The guys and I have been up to Rick’s office a total of one time, and that was some time ago when we signed our contracts, so I can’t be blamed for not remembering what his secretary looks like. Or her name. I can’t believe Jace laughed at this shit. When, whatever the hell he said her name is, threw her glass of water at me, yeah I was pissed, but there’s another part of me that’s turned on.
It’s been a long day already. We’ve heard five other singers, and after the last one I needed to get out of that room for a few minutes, so I went to take a piss. I just needed a damn minute to myself. The singers so far haven’t been bad by any means, they’ve been great actually, but they just haven’t felt right. The whole thing is a fucking joke and frustrating as hell. I decided to call my masseuse to set up a massage tomorrow because I’m sure as hell going to need it.
When I enter Rick’s office again, I watch as Jace takes the girl over to Rick and they begin talking. All the guys are looking on curiously from across the room. They aren’t exactly being inconspicuous with their obvious gawking at her either. When they all happen to get a look at me, my wet hair and clothes, they sputter out laughs. “What the hell happened to you? Toilet explosion or some shit?” Henley asks making the rest laugh harder.
“No,” I grumble refusing to answer.
As I turn to look at her along with the rest of them, my eyes roam from her face down her curvy body. The girl is a knock out I’ll give her that. She’s got piles of dark hair, eyes that match, and don’t even get me started on that ass. Delicious. “She’s fucking hot,” Nixon mutters under his breath and the other guys murmur their agreement.
For some reason this annoys me. “She’s okay.” I say and they all look at me like I’m crazy. “What? I just have a feeling she’s probably a total psycho bitch.”
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Nixon asks me disbelievingly. Yeah sure, I’m usually eager to join in their evaluation of any woman, but not this time. I look away and ignore his question.
“I wonder who the other girl is with her?” Rocco says curiously.
“Probably just moral support or something,” Henley says.
Jace says something that makes Rick laugh, look at me, then say something to her. When she replies, Rick and Jace laugh loudly which makes her smile. If the sighs and groans next to me are any indication, I’m not the only one that finds the sight favorable. Yeah, no way she’s going to join our band. I don’t even need to hear her sing to know that much.
They all turn and move to us, I cross my arms over my chest and scowl at their arrival. All the other guys stand expectantly. “Guys,” Rick says, “this is the last singer of the day. If I do say so myself, I think we saved the best for the last. Please meet Sailor Blue.”
Rocco immediately stretches a hand toward her, “Hi, Sailor, I’m Rocco,” she nods and I’m positive she already knows who each of us are. I mean, who doesn’t, but she’s kind enough not to say so. “And that’s Henley,” Jace says gesturing to him. Henley says, “Hey,” with a smile. “That’s Nixon,” Jace points and Nixon shakes her hand too, “Nice to meet you,” he says with a smile that she returns. “And that’s-”
“We’ve met,” I cut him off staring at Sailor.
“Yeah, he thought she was the secretary, demanded water from her, and so she uh… gave it to him,” Jace says, and he and Rick laugh. All the guys look at my saturated shirt and me again, then back at Sailor. When they all break out into laughter, I give them all the finger, because I’m classy like that.
“We didn’t meet officially,” she says to me and her voice is low and husky. I like it, but I don’t want to. Fuck. “So, hello,” she says.
“Sailor Blue, huh? Is that like a stripper stage name or something?” I ask her. All the guys look at me in shock and annoyance, but I ignore them. I have no idea why I just said that, but I’m not about to back down and take it back.
“Oh, come on. The name’s not familiar? I’m named after your mom’s porn movie, SailorBlew.”
“Ohhh!” Henley busts a gut laughing, Rocco bends over at the waist howling and even Nixon, Rick and Jace are amused. Sailor has a smirk on her lips and her friend puts her hand over her mouth and tries unsuccessfully to cover her smile. “She gave it to you!” Rocco says. “I don’t need to hear a note, she’s in as long as she keeps talking to him like that,” Nixon says. Fucking stooges. All of them.
“Clever,” I tell her and she shrugs. “Where did you find this one? Another demo? A local band? Jail?” I ask Rick.
“Enough,” Rick says not amused with my attitude, and I zip it, because I know I’m pushing my luck. We’re here mostly because of me. Acting out like this will only dig my grave a bit deeper, and I should know better, but I can’t seem to help myself.
“I’m Britt,” the girl with Sailor says suddenly interrupting the silence. “I’m Sailor’s best friend. It’s nice to meet everyone,” she says with a smile at the guys, then looks at me, “Except you. You, I’m not sure I like,” she says and I almost laugh. Who the hell are these women?
“Before we talk about where we found Sailor, how about we hear her sing? You ready?” Rick asks her and she smiles and nods.
“Follow me,” Jace says and leads the way out of Rick’s large office. Next door, we walk into a large room that has sound equipment and our instruments set up. “What are you going to sing?” Jace asks Sailor. She gives him the songs and my eyebrows raise at her selection. She’s brave, I’ll give her that. Those are hard songs to replicate vocally in my opinion.
“Can you boys handle that?” Rick asks as the guys move to their instruments. I stay back since Henley has the guitar covered and cross my arms, ready to see if she’s any good. The eager look on Jace’s face tells me that he sure as hell thinks she is, but I’ll reserve judgment for myself.
Henley has his guitar in his hands and he starts plucking at the strings while he waits for Rocco to get situated behind the drums. Nixon is taking the keyboard. He moves from bass to keyboard depending on the song. I play guitar on some songs, and Henley can play guitar and bass, so it’s a nice mix we have being able to move from instrument to instrument depending on what the song needs. I’m the lead vocalist, but we all sing. It dawns on me once again that basically this means that our band is just fine on its own and adding Sailor, or any other woman is downright asinine, but no one cares what the hell I think.
Sailor moves behind the microphone stand and removes it, opting to hold it in her hand instead of keeping it idle. Her friend Britt takes a seat directly in front of her across the room, and I see Sailor look at her and Britt nods her head. Silent communication of encouragement is clearly occurring between them. Rick and Jace have their heads together talking about god knows what, until Jace says, “All set?”
“Yep,” Sailor says with a smile. Then she looks back at the guys and says, “On three?” They all nod and smile, the traitors, and she gives the count, and they’re off.
She immediately sings, there’s no musical introduction to this song and from the first sentence, I’m stunned immobile. Her complete disposition changes – it’s like she becomes the notes she’s singing. She must be a magician because her voice is filling the room with magic. She clearly doesn’t just sing the words; she feels the lyrics she’s singing. Her body moves with the notes, her hands make gestures in the air as if they assist her in hitting the high notes. She stares ahead, but it’s clear she’s lost in the music. I don’t want to take my eyes off of her, but I do and look at the guys in the band and they’re all staring at her with varying looks of surprise.
Swinging my gaze back to her, I watch as she finishes the song, and feel the silence as the music ends. It’s quiet, and the room feels heavy – as if it weeps at the loss of her voice.
Britt is smiling ear to ear and Jace and Rick are smiling and nodding. Sailor looks around the room and appears unsure of what to do or say. I remain still, unsure of what to do with the whirling emotions inside of me. I don’t like the fact that there’s a stirring of excitement deep within me at the thought of singing with someone who has a voice like hers. That throaty gravel sound that I love when she speaks, converts into her singing voice, that and the range she reaches – well she’s incredible. However, I realize there is no way I’m going to reveal my initial impression.
