28

Bay

“The recording started ninety seconds ago.” Freddy’s voice crackled over the intercom into the studio. He didn’t flick the light on, but I could feel his impatient gaze on me from the other side of the glass.

Had someone kicked on the heat in here? I tugged at my collar.

I stared down at the guitar, not wanting to look up at the window because then I’d see the reflection of myself and Freddy beyond. A shaky breath whistled through my trembling lips. I licked them, but my whole mouth was cotton-ball dry.

Why had I agreed to this? Freddy had all but locked me inside until I promised I’d give recording a single track a shot.

“What happened, kid? You’ve been playing in there for weeks with one of the biggest bands in the world and you didn’t have stage fright. And you sang in front of them.”

A flash of me on a stage nearly sent me flying off the stool and to the closest trashcan. “That wasn’t my song I was playing. And what I did was barely singing.”

He shook his head. “I’ll take a break and give you some time to get yourself together. We only have an hour until the next guy arrives.” Shoving himself back in his chair, he gave me a thumbs up before leaving the booth side.

I slammed my eyes shut and went back to the day on my back steps. I remembered the heat of Dare’s gaze on me, even though I hadn’t recognized it at the time. I was playing for him. Picturing him, I unclenched my fingers, and they settled into place on the guitar strings like they’d never left.

I’d chickened out over at his place. There wasn’t a facepalm big enough for what I’d done. I’d been so gung ho about riding the Dare Express, and his attempt at oral reciprocation had nearly given me a heart attack. Not to say his fingers hadn’t been magic. It was a compromise I’d take any day of the week.

The studio door opened again and Freddy walked back in. Light washed over Dare, sitting, waiting, watching.

Maybe I’d been a bit overzealous on the whole ‘losing my virginity’ thing, but he’d followed my lead and hadn’t pushed me, even though I’d been the one pushing him. I dropped my head back and pictured the notes in my head.

The first one started as a hum in my chest before I opened my mouth and let out the lyrics I’d already committed to memory.

It was a song about the only person I’d been able to write anything about for the past couple months. The only lyrics that didn’t feel silly and trite were the ones about him.

The vibrations from the strings hummed in my arms as I held on to the final note and opened my eyes.

The lights flicked on through the glass and I gasped.

Dare stood behind Freddy with his arms folded across his chest.