Claire squealed so loud in the parking lot, I thought my ear drums would burst. Not to mention I didn’t expect her to be the type to squeal.
“You came!”
Jack nodded in my direction, but his expression was tense. Did he not want me at the meeting or was he too focused on the meeting to tease me like he usually did?
Wyatt’s arm stayed firmly over my shoulder, pulling me close to his body.
And I certainly wasn’t complaining.
“I was informed it was mandatory.”
Wyatt chuckled. “She’s joking.”
“Nope. I was informed that, but I wanted to come too.”
Claire linked arms with me, pulling us in front of Jack and Wyatt. “I’m sure this is a silly question, but are you two better now?”
I nodded. “We were being stubborn about different things. But we’re good.” I looked back and winked at Wyatt who grinned easily.
It felt so good to be together again.
Claire blew a breath of relief. “That’s good because I want all of us in the right head space for this meeting. We only get to impress them once.”
I nodded. “Is it a live performance or from a demo?”
“Demo, but we will watch them listen to it in real time.”
“Gotcha.”
Wyatt’s expression revealed nothing about how he felt. Besides the smile that tugged on his lips, it was as if he wasn’t going into the most important meeting of his life.
Jack rubbed his hands together quickly. “Can we go in?”
“Yep, now that we are all here.” Claire grimaced. “I wasn’t sure if you would be here or not, Marley, so I think you have to wait in the waiting room.”
“No worries.” I pulled out my latest book from my purse. “I came prepared.”
Wyatt chuckled and nudged my arm with his hand as we followed Claire and Jack. “You sure? I could try sneaking you in. Maybe you could be our fourth band member.”
I snorted. “Yeah, right. We’ve been over this. I don’t have musical talents.”
“I don’t know if I would say that. You didn’t do horribly at karaoke.”
“I had a good lead singer.”
He smiled and leaned down to kiss the top of my head.
The music producer’s building was concrete and modern. Dark lines and glass walls were everywhere. It didn’t blend in at all with the area. I expected a building like that in New York, not in Maryland. The few walls made of drywall were painted white.
Through the front doors was a large waiting room with several receptionist desks. People bussed back and forth, going in two large stone doors. More people went in than come back out.
We took seats all together huddled by the window. The summer sun streamed through the glass. For the number of people milling about, it was hard to believe it was a Sunday.
“Broken Axles,” the nearest receptionist said.
“Good luck. They’ll love it.”
Wyatt squeezed my hand, then followed Jack and Claire toward the two large stone doors.
And now I waited. I believed in their band. If the record producer didn’t want them, then that was their loss, but I knew how talented they were.
I pulled my book from my purse, opened to the first page and sunk into the pages of the romance novel. I finally didn’t have to study or worry about school, so my long awaited book pile could finally be read. And the day after graduation was as good as any to start.
* * *
They reemerged about forty-five minutes after they disappeared with the receptionist. I hadn’t seen their initial expressions, having been absorbed in the pages of my book.
When I noticed them getting closer, each of their faces gave nothing away as to how it went.
Wyatt waved me toward them, then we walked to the parking lot. No one talked. No one said anything.
My stomach lurched. Had it gone poorly?
“So …?”
But they didn’t answer.
Ten feet from the vehicles, I stopped. “Someone better tell me how it went or I’m not moving.”
Jack’s expression cracked first, followed by Claire.
Wyatt still stayed perfectly passive.
Claire took a few steps toward me, then burst into a huge grin. “We got an offer!”
“What?” I jumped in place. “You did? I knew it!”
Wyatt finally grinned, lighter than any I had seen on his face before. He was satisfied with the news.
“We don’t sign anything today. We will have to come back in a week or so to finalize the contract, but they really liked the demo.”
“When can I hear it?”
“Now,” Wyatt said as he took out his phone.
“Okay, but you have to celebrate. How will you celebrate?”
“Later at Lucy’s if you’re up for it. It seems right to celebrate at the place that believed in us the most.”
“Yes! I’ll be there.”
Wyatt ushered me toward his truck. “See you then,” he called over his shoulder.
My nose scrunched. “Aren’t we listening to the song?”
“Yes, but alone in my truck.”
“Oh. Oh. Wait, why alone?”
“You’ll see.”
He opened my passenger door, then walked around to get in. He placed his phone in the middle and I waited for the first notes to play.
The melody was soft and built slowly. When Wyatt’s voice began, it sent chills down my spine. It was haunting and elegant. By no means would it be a pop hit, but it felt infectious.
He watched my eyes and expression closely.
As the chorus began, my eyes widened. It was about finding someone special. Someone to change how they saw everything. Had he …? It couldn’t have.
Being alone was my identity
Until she became my serenity
Eyes that muddied my edges
I would never be the same
The more I listened to it, the more I heard tidbits of our dates, albeit hidden. No one else who had been with us or seen the adventure book would have guessed, but I knew.
As the final notes of the song finished and he took back his phone, I was speechless.
I had a song written about me and the producer had liked it.
“What do you think?”
“I don’t know how to process this. I’ve never been a part of someone’s creative process like that. It’s beyond what I was expecting. It’s … It’s perfect.”
Wyatt’s expression softened as he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “I mean every word. You have changed me, Marley.”
His hair was soft and curly as my fingers combed through what peeked out from under his beanie. “You’ve changed me too, Wyatt.”
His right hand entwined with my left, then he lifted it slowly to his lips. “Where to?”
“Anywhere as long as it’s together.”
He nodded like he knew exactly where to pick.
“And can we listen to it again?”
He grinned while he plugged his phone into his truck’s radio and let the song play on repeat. A soundtrack to the beginning of our relationship.