Page 46 of Together in Harmony
Dad has a huge studio in his LA mansion.
Hugo goes over to an electric guitar, picks it up and runs his hands lovingly down the body. He slings the strap over his head and moves a switch.
“Can you turn up my channel,” he yells into the mixing suite. I’m standing next to the board. Without thinking, I slide up the appropriate switch.
“How do you know how to do that, babe?” asks Lennox, as he moves his arms around me. I mumble an answer, something about college. I don’t want to lie, but here I am lying.
I should probably just tell them.
Lennox guides me into the main space. He pulls out the piano bench for me to sit on.
“So,” Lennox says with a sparkle in his eye. “Do you want to hear the new song we’ve been working on?”
“Of course,” I reply.
“Then we will serenade you.”
He plops down next to me and puts his hands onto the piano keys.
My eyes fill with tears as I hear the opening lines to the song. It’s the one Lennox and I had come up with on the night of Clara’s concert. The sounds coming from Hugo’s guitar, and Asa’s baseline are subtle but so richly enhance the beautiful sound that Lennox is making on the piano. I had no idea he is so talented.
He plays and sings at the same time, Asa and Hugo joining him in harmonies.
Magical, completely magical. As the last lines fade away, I know it is cheesy, but I can’t help it, I start clapping.
“You guys—that was so good, I love it!”
“This is you,” says Asa. “Without you, there would be no this.”
“Exactly,” says Lennox, kissing me on the cheek. “You, my clever girl, are not just a muse, you are part of the creation. Think how much more we can create together.”
“And,” says Hugo, “it means you get a cut of the royalties.”
He makes a ch-ching noise and rubs his fingers together.
I’ve been broke for years, I don’t know how to answer that.
“But first," Hugo grins at me, “there is a very important element missing, and we need you to fill it out….”
I cock my head to one side and wait.
“What shall we call it?”
“You want me to name your song?”
“We need you to give this song a title. And it’s not our song,” he points to himself, Asa and Lennox. “It is ‘our’ song.” His arms embrace the whole room.
“I’ll need to think about it for a little while. If that’s OK,” I reply in the end.
“Take all the time you need, sweetheart," says Asa.
“Yeah, babe,” said Lennox, “no rush. Just need it by promo and pressing time…”
“You’ll find the right thing,” adds Hugo. “This is going to be our ‘Exile on Main Street’.”
“Rolling Stones,” I say.
Lennox whoops, “Our girl knows her rock history!”
