Page 13 of Another Postcard

“Thanking me?”

He nodded and leaned back against the wall, arms crossed and an ankle over the other. “Yup. Verruca Salt threw the mother of all fucking fits, broke some equipment, and stormed out of here.”

“And, why are you thanking me for that?” I asked, confused.

“Because she demanded that Daddy get her a new producer, and when he went to the label, they decided it was the last straw and that she was more trouble than she was worth. Not just her demands. They’d gotten the bill for the damaged equipment.”

“The label bought out her contract?”

“Oh, it gets better,” Levi added.

My head swiveled in his direction and he nodded, his face lit up with mirth.

“She was so full of herself,” Cooper continued and I swung my head back to him. “She agreed to sell her contract back for half its value because she’d make it up when another studio signed her for what she was worth.”

Levi and Cooper burst out laughing

“Seriously?” I was shaking my head in astonishment, but giggling right along with them.

“Wait, there’s more,” Cooper panted as he tried to catch his breath from laughing.

“Oh, this has got to be good,” I snickered.

“Daddy was fucking pissed, but she railroaded right over him, like always.”

Levi jumped in then. “But the best part? Her tantrums have gotten around and she’s pretty much been blacklisted. No label will back her. Her sales were dropping anyway because she was alienating fans with her antics at concerts. Canceling last minute, or stopping in the middle of the show to yell at someone about something she didn’t like.”

“Wow. I can’t imagine how anyone could believe they’re above everyone else, that all rules don’t apply to them and that she’ll never get her comeuppance for being a little snot.”

“You’re too nice, Brooklynn.” All heads turned to the door to find Sasha leaning on the door jam, smirking. “I’ve met her, she’s a little fucking cuntcake with vinegar frosting.”

Levi and I lost it, laughing so hard we were holding our sides in pain from the lack of air. Sasha was too, until her eyes landed on Cooper. Her face immediately sobered and she whipped around, stalked out, and let the door slam behind her. Like a typical gawker, I turned back to see his reaction, looking between him and the door, where his eyes were trained.

He sighed and shut his eyes, running his fingers through his messy, mahogany hair. When he opened them, he was back in professional mode. He smiled warmly at me, though. “Anyway, she’s no longer a client.”

“Well, I’m glad I could be so helpful,” I joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Levi stood and stretched. His jeans were low-slung on his hips and his T-shirt rode up a little, showing a sliver of his taut stomach and just a peek at the grooves forming a mouthwateringV. Heat infused my body, dampening my panties and setting off flutters in my stomach. Suddenly, I was transported back to the office, back to being pressed up against the wall, his hot mouth moving over mine. I shook off the memory and shot to my feet, practically squeaking, “Okay! Time to work.” Then hurried out of the room.

We never talked about the kiss but his clear blue eyes seemed to burn even hotter whenever they collided with mine. He continued to ask me out every day and every day our friendship grew, making it harder and harder to say no. I kept reminding myself of what was at stake. The more I got to know him, the more I realized that if anything ever happened between us and then it didn’t work out, I would be devastated over the loss of his friendship as much as I would be by my broken heart. Singing and writing with him was a contradiction, splitting my feelings. On one hand, it was the most amazing thing I’d ever experienced when it came to creating music. Writing with him was effortless. We came together with our ideas and they almost always gelled right into each other, creating something we’d never even imagined.

On the other hand, it was also an incredibly erotic experience at times, especially when we put our whole selves into the song, singing about love that shreds you to the very brink of your sanity, then heals all of your wounds. I knew it was about us, deep in my soul. I knew. Our feelings were slowly driving me out of my mind. A part of me knew that giving in could put me back together, but I was scared. Instead, I ignored them, never acknowledged their existence. I could tell it was frustrating Levi, but he didn’t push me, other than continuing to try and talk me into letting him take me to out. It only made my feelings for him stronger.

My thoughts were interrupted by the noises of Levi, Matteo, and Simon stumbling through the door to the studio, laughing and giving each other shit. His eyes immediately sought me out, like they always did whenever he entered a room I was in. I smiled brightly and he frowned. He started to head my way when I was saved by Matteo, busting out a kickass drum solo. After a couple of stanzas, my mouth opened in shock and I stared at him. It was his drum solo in “Sanity.” I didn’t recognize it at first because he’d made so many improvements to the initial music we’d given him.

Simon, Matteo, and Sasha had sat in on one of our last working sessions on “Sanity.” He wanted them to get a feel for what we’d done so they wouldn’t be flying blind on our first rehearsal together. But…hot damn!

“Holy shit,” I breathed. “It’s fucking perfect.”

Matteo lifted a brow, his expression a perfect imitation of mine when Levi had asked if I could riff with them. I laughed and bowed, giving him silent props. His smile grew and he winked at me before dropping his dynamics and tempo, leading into the middle chorus. He stopped and beat out a particularly tricky rhythm a couple of times, then he gave Levi a chin lift, indicating that he was good to go.

Sasha was playing her keyboard with the sound turned way down, so she wouldn’t clash tempos with Matteo, and Simon was doing the same on his bass.

“Sasha?” Levi asked.

She shook her head and bent to open another case. “Let me tune my violin, one of the strings is being a bitch.” Holding the delicate instrument, she straightened and looked to Levi. “I brought the cello so we can try both,” she informed him.

The strings were the only thing Levi and I had disagreed on when it came to the accompaniment for “Sanity.” He thought the lighter strains of the violin would complement the song because it was already so rich and full. My gut told me that the cello was exactly what it needed. In theory, his thought made more sense, but for some reason, I just couldn’t let the cello go.

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