Page 82 of The Spotlight Effect

“Yes.”

“I’ll throw it away as we walk in,” I tell her. I turn off my car and gather what I’ll need along with the trays as she gathers her things, and we get out.

“Get on the inside next to the cars,” I tell her.

“Why, there are no cars coming.” She looks around, making sure.

“It’s safer. Just do it,” I tell her. Why does she have to be so difficult? Alexia switches and gets on the inside, and I feel better. We cross the road with no problem, and I throw away the trash. Now the tricky part: getting up to the studio.

Now Golden Star is open almost every day except for major holidays, some Mondays just as a day, and sometimes some artists and their teams take a day off. Today is a day off for the MorningStar team, and if we are working, we are doing it from home, which means we should not really be here.

Emerson wouldn’t care that I’m here. Mr. Hayden would probably look the other way because he likes the dedication, Austin breaks the rule all the time being in his office, and Bridgett doesn’t care, but my father would try and make them punish me, especially because I didn’t come to practice, I came to “fool around with a girl.”

“Is this allowed?”

“Don’t worry about that.”

I pull her inside, and no one really notices; they are all too busy. Too distracted by what they have going on. People at work, receptionists on the phones, workers are putting up summertour guides and more. It’s easy for me to pull us over to the elevators and press the up button. It dings off, allowing us to enter. I hurry up and press the close elevator button so no one else can get in.

“We’re really doing this.” Alexia sighs, leaning back in the elevator.

“We are.” I nod. I look over at her, admiring her face. The lightly dotted, almost faded light brown freckles on her glowing brown skin. How her dark black hair perfectly brings out her face. Her brows are bold, maybe even slightly bushy but it works with her face. The makeup she’s wearing just blends in so perfectly. The perfectly pink blush, the highlighter, and her purple eyeliner. It’s all perfect.

She’s perfect.

“You know I lovemyjacket on you.” I reach over and pull on the drawstrings for the hood.

“Um, thank you.” She blushes as the doors ding open. I walk out first and lead the way to the recording studio. I unlock the door with my studio key and hold the door for her.

“Okay, have at it,” I tell her, cutting in the light and revealing the studio.

“You’re actually going to let me do this?” she asks, turning around to me.

“That’s why I brought you here.” I shrug.

“And with your favorite snacks.” I gesture over to the basket of food in the room.

“That’s really sweet of you.” She smiles.

“I wanted to make you happy,” I reply, closing the door.

“Go on, I’ll cut on the mics.” Alexia smiles at me brightly and runs into the studio.

She’s so cute.

I go over to the panel and flip on the recording booth lights and turn on mic one. I give her a thumbs-up once I have it on.Alexia reaches down and then sits back up and holding a silver notebook that has a sparkly butterfly plastered on the front. She must really like butterflies; they seem to be a trend with her.

I sit back in the chair and watch her flip through what I can only believe to be her songbook.

“Can you come here?” She peeps her head around the corner.

“Yeah.” I jump up at her request. I walk past her, and I don’t think anything of it till I hear the door close.

Fuck.

“Did you just close the door?”

“Yeah, is that bad? I’m not going to hurt you.” She laughs, walking over to me with her songbook in hand.

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