Page 10 of Cadence
“Maybea spot,” I correct.
“And a gorgeous best friend who flew all the way to LA just to watch you become a rock goddess," she says, waving me off before slumping back down against me.
I smile weakly, my breaths starting to come in quick bursts as the magnitude of what I’ve done finally hits me.
“Paige?” Olive shifts to stare up at me. “I can hear you spiraling. What happened?”
“I’m going to have to tell them about the account,” I blurt, knocking her off me as I dart to my feet and start to pace. “And about everything else.”
“What—?”
“Everything I’ve tried to keep secret, Olive. They’ll need to know. It’s all going to come out eventually—my family, my writing—and then what? And it’s not like I can continue the account if I go on tour. I’ve only got so much saved and that will run out, and then—”
“Okay, chill the fuck out,” she says, tugging my hand and pulling me back onto the couch. “First off, if you need to stop the account, you stop it. And secondly, you don’t owe them a thing. Wait until you get in there, feet settled on the bass pedals, and know you actually like being in this band.”
I inhale, my stomach roiling as my thoughts continue to whirl.
“It’s just like any other job, okay? You need to give it some time to adjust, learn the ropes, decide if it’s actually for you before you start letting them in, y’know? This is going to be your first real time performing, and you might end up hating it, andthen you’ll have exposed yourself for no reason. Like you said, it will come outeventually, but you decide when, okay?”
Swallowing, I nod.
“You good now?” She grins as she settles back against me. “I really wish I wasn’t going home in a few days, though. I want to see how this pans out.”
“You’ll be the first to know as soon as I do,” I tell her, resting my cheek on the top of her head.
“I better.” Flashing me a grin, she turns to her screen again. “Okay, let’s order takeout. I’m starving, and we have three more bottles of champagne in the fridge to get through.”
That makes me laugh, my smile more genuine than before. “You really had that much faith in me, huh?”
Her eyes twinkle as she quickly places an order for whatever she’s in the mood for. I trust her to get me something I’d like.
“Please,” she scoffs. “You think I booked a flight as soon as you told me about all this because I didn’t believe in you? You say the word and I’m on that plane. Every damn time.”
She holds her pinky out and I link it with mine. “Ride or die, baby.”
“Hell yes,” she says, giving it a quick squeeze. “And when you’re on tour and end up in New York, I expect backstage tickets.”
“Obviously.” I laugh, clinking my glass to hers as she holds it up.
“Great, now while we wait, show me what else you’ve recorded.”
Chapter Four
Paige
Olive
Good luck girl!!! You’re gonna kill it!!!
Thisissurreal.
I’ve been in studios before, usually more high-end than this,but never onthisside of it.
I’m the one who writes the songs, tweaks the lyrics, maps out harmonies, then hands it over for someone else to take the mic. I haven’t even sung backing vocals for anyone before, let alone really stepped onto the stage myself. I’ve always been in the shadow of someone else’s spotlight, tucked away where no one looks. No one’s heard of me. Not really. Not this version.
Yet here I am, standing in a room where, for once, I’m not invisible.
It’s smaller than I expected. The kind of practice space a band rents monthly just off a main strip. Cheap but functional, doing exactly what’s needed.
