Page 23 of A Beary Nice View
I stand up and leave my little recording studio, needing to get some nervous energy out of my system. I can’t help but smile as I get a whiff of something deliciously naughty. Despite airing it out as much as we could, the booth still smells like the two of us and our little christening night inside of it. I love that it smells like Alaric in there. It makes me happy.
Alaric is in the kitchen, doing the dishes. He looks up at me as I come into the kitchen, raising his brow at me. “Hey, baby. Everything alright?”
“I think so?”
“Oh boy. You don’t sound so sure. What’s going on inside that beautiful mind of yours?”
I walk over to him, leaning my hip against the counter, watching him as he works. There’s nothing sexier than an alphawho does his own housework. Shit, I really need to focus before I end up forgetting all about the audition and end up on my knees instead.
“First of all, my old job called me. Apparently Bradley’s been fired and I’m going to be reimbursed for the tips he stole from me. Oh, and I think Bo is going to be their new manager.”
“Okay,” Alaric says slowly, his eyes wide. “That’s something. Are you thinking of going back?”
“Not a chance,” I say right away, grinning. “I’m done with that place. I’m going all in with my voice acting.”
“That’s amazing, sweetheart. I’m proud of you,” he says softly. My chest feels near bursting with affection.
“There’s this author I really love,” I start to explain. “He’s writing this ongoing series that I adore. The best way I can describe it is like a horror comedy? Like the world that the main character is dropped into is beyond fucked up and there’s so much gore and blood and destruction and killing, but somehow it’s done so over the top that it’s funny? I don’t even know if that makes sense but it’s actually fucking brilliant and despite the heavy themes, I find myself feeling all warm and fuzzy while I’m reading. Plus, there’s this amazing found family going on between the main character and this undead reanimated skeleton that’s making me want them to kiss.”
Alaric sets down the dish he was scrubbing, turning fully towards me. “I understood most of that,” he says slowly, making me laugh. “It sounds like you really love this series.”
“I do. Like a lot. I just jumped onto my audiobook site to check things out and it looks like the author is going to start making the books into audiobooks.”
“Okay,” Alaric says, nodding his head. “It sounds like it would be a really fun project. Why do you look so unsure.”
I bite my bottom lip. That’s the big question. Why am I so hesitant? “If I keep applying to audiobooks, am I giving up my dream of being in a video game?”
“Absolutely not,” he says right away. “Do you think you would have fun doing this project?”
“Yes.”
“Then I think you should go for it. It’s fun. You’re getting paid for it. And it’ll add yet another thing to your resume. I don’t see any downsides.”
I look down at my socks and smile. “I think you’re right. Now I have a completely separate hang-up.”
Alaric chuckles. “Hit me with it,” he says, going back to doing the dishes.
“The books are really over the top. I was thinking, what if my audition was really over the top too? Like most narrators just tell the story but what if I made it into a proper radio drama for people to enjoy. It would be me taking a really big chance and it could absolutely blow up in my face, but I think it could be really cool.” I chew on my bottom lip. “What do you think?”
“I think that life is full of chances and we often regret the chances we don’t take. I say you should go for it.”
“I think you’re right,” I say, quickly jumping away from the counter and wrapping my arms around Alaric. I give him a tight squeeze and in response, he makes a squeaking noise that leaves me giggling. “My own personal squeeze toy.”
“Only for you,” he says with a grin.
I lean up on my toes and steal a kiss before skipping back over to my recording closet. I close the door behind me and sit down, pulling up the document on my tablet so I can read through everything before I start recording. My stomach is still filled with nerves but something settles inside of me.
I want to put on a performance. This might not be a video game, but this world might as well be. I can really give the maincharacter life. I can stretch my acting muscles and test some character voices.
After reading through the author’s notes, I clear my throat and begin.
The next time I leave my recording booth, it’s dark outside. Fuck, I didn’t even notice how much time passed while I was recording everything. Now that I’m outside my little bubble, the exhaustion hits me. I let out a long yawn as I stretch my arms over my head.
“Hey,” Alaric says, getting off the couch and walking over to me. He directs me to the kitchen and pushes me down into a seat at the table. “I was starting to get worried but I didn’t want to ruin any of your takes by checking on you.”
I give Alaric a sleepy smile. “I did it, Alaric. I finished the recording. I want to do a little more editing but I’m going to submit it tomorrow.”
“That’s amazing!” Alaric pulls a bowl out of the cupboard and starts filling it with a fresh salad filled with a variety of veggies. Then he covers it with croutons and then finishes it off with some dressing. “I hope you’ll let me listen to it.”
