Page 23 of Release
“Hello, one and all! Lexxi Rock is in the building,” she called out after dramatically throwing open the studio doors.
Familiar faces greeted Alexandra with questions about her absence and the Purple Blaze takeover, and filled her in on what she missed while she was away. In the midst of trying to speak to everyone at once, her favorite engineer, Bryce, stepped up behind her and spun her shoulders around in one swift movement. She let out an excited squeal at the sight of him.
“I didn’t realize I’d miss you guys so much!”
He held out a hand for a handshake, but she threw open her arms for a hug. “Well, damn. What a transformation, Lex!” he exclaimed, pulling back after a long squeeze.
She tugged the guitar case off her shoulder and gave him the three hundred and sixty degree view to show off her hair, as well as the tattered pants cropped just below the knee, and the white linen shirt she was wearing.
“You’re rocking the dandy woman look, I see.”
“See I knew someone around here would get me. I’m so glad it’s you, Bryce. Still, hold on a minute.” She checked him out from head to toe. “Lexxi Rock needed a makeover, but look at you! Bryce Wilcox, did you sprout some chin hairs in my absence? You finally look closer to your age. About twelvish or thirteen now,” she joked.
He howled with laughter. It was a running joke he looked way too young to be so deep in the industry, but Bryce was one of the best engineers she had ever had the pleasure of working with. “Ready to make this happen?”
“I am.”
“Good. Before we do, can I talk to you for a second?” Bryce nervously motioned for her to follow him to his closet-sized office. He closed the door behind him and eyed her cautiously. “I didn’t want to say this in front of everyone. You know how we can be around here.”
“I do, but everyone knows everyone else’s business anyway,” she told him. It was a wonder no one had asked her how her trip to the French Riviera went—or Tucson for that matter.
Well, the Alex Roberts part had better still be a secret.
“What’s up, Bryce? Don’t tell me we have a problem.”
“Purple Blaze, that’s you now, has an artist blocked in Studio 7B.”
“Wilkes Barracks,” she supplied.
Wilkes had one last song to finish up for his album. Alexandra had a few left to record, although her plan was to completely finish one today. There was still the wardrobe with Gerry later on, and the photoshoot, which was likely to turn into a two-session engagement, and she had almost forgotten there was a late business dinner with a potential new artist. She made a mental note to nag the human resources director so someone else could come in and handle the tedium of running the day-to-day affairs at Purple Blaze. Once she set the direction for the label, someone savvy could take care of the rest, under Rick’s expert counsel. Being here at the studio reminded her she truly just wanted to make music.
Bryce seemed at a loss for words.
“Just tell me what you want to say, Bryce.”
“Okay. Well, Mr. Barracks was booked in for a few hours before you, but when he heard you were scheduled in 7A today, he extended his session and decided to wait around. I think he’shankeringto see you,” Bryce stammered out, making fun of Wilkes’ common set of country boy slang. “I don’t mean to overstep my boundaries or anything, but after he—I mean, after what happened—”
“You don’t have to sugar coat it, Bryce. After he cheated on me with Lydia Daniels, you mean. Everybody, including me, heard about it on a late night talk show. It’s common knowledge. I promise you, there’s no threat of a jilted lovers’ brawl in the hallways. I’m over it, and he should be too.”
Bryce colored slightly at her bluntness. She could swear he looked like a guilt-ridden kid about to confess he broke something valuable. She smiled to set him at ease.
“I’m cool. Really.”
“Okay. I just wanted to give you a heads up,” Bryce added.
“Don’t worry about it. Thanks for telling me, but while I have no major issues with Wilkes at this point, I’m on a time crunch here, so let’s try to avoid him at all costs.” She laughed, half-joking but half-serious. Who knew what Wilkes would come up with next.
She and Bryce headed through the wide hallway lined with separate recording studios. It was probably a coincidence she and Wilkes were both scheduled around the same time. She had mentioned to him that Beyond the Note Sound Studios was one of the best, back when they had started dating, and he began recording here shortly after that. As long as he let her be, she didn’t mind. Still, the stunt he pulled with the flowers had her worried. She didn’t have time for Wilkes’ or his agenda. Every step along the brightly colored hall had her praying she wouldn’t have to see him now.
Sadly, that wish was not answered by her fairy godmother, because the minute she and Bryce turned the corner to get to their booked studio, they came face to face with none other than Wilkes. He appeared to be on his way out. She groaned, thinking if she had talked to Gerry or Bryce a minute more, she could have missed him.
Just my shitty luck.
Wilkes lit up when he saw her. “Lexxi!”
She peeked over at Bryce, who did his best to act as if he was invisible. Sighing, she made a show of glancing at her watch—the one she was not wearing at the moment. “Oh. Hi Wilkes. How’s that album coming along?” she asked impatiently.
She sped past ornamental trees and framed black and white photographs of past and present icons, remembering absently her picture was somewhere along one of these walls, too. All she wanted was to get to the oasis of studio 7A where she could lock out the rest of the world until the track was finished. That was all she wanted for the next few hours, but Wilkes skipped along behind her.
