Hakeem
"Hey...congratulations," Jeremy punched my shoulder lightly as we were the only two remaining in the sound room.
The sound engineers and producers were off to some important hearing of one of their colleagues in the business and Darla wasn't yet back after following Anderson who claimed he was going to make a phone call while Darla was with his phone. There was something definitely going on in his head but it was none of my goddamn business, he made sure I got that piece of information a little bit too loud and clear.
"Thanks...it was pretty much intense," I confessed. It was a pretty difficult song choice. At first, I thought Anderson intentionally made sure to pick a song like that to throw me off but It wasn't so. It was complicated but a beautiful piece that if you channeled right, it could be magical and it felt magical too.
"It's Linkin Park. It's supposed to be intense. I mean you are lucky that you weren't given the London grammar of Florence the machine...those would have been real shitty choices." Jeremy laughed mentioning names I have never heard before. I made a mental note to check them out later in case future possible try out, I laughed along with him.
Some few minutes later, Darla walked into the sound room with some document folder, she had changed from her initial casual wear into knee length black pencil dress with an equal black pencil heel and her brown hair packed into a nice buddle with her face having a slight shade of make up which was just a simple red lipstick and little foundation.
Jeremy stood up as she headed towards her and they nodded at each other before Jeremy left the room leaving just Me and the very beautiful woman in front of me. I tried my best not to feel weird about their little exchange of look and nod, I assumed it to be harmless.
"First of all, I want to say beautiful performance and a really great job. You are the perfect fit." She smiled graciously at him showing a little dimple on her right cheek. Placing her purse on the desk board holding all the equipment, she brought out her lipstick and applied it, then pouted her lips together while looking at me expectantly. I started panicking a bit on the inside after I realized I was just staring at her plump lips and still hadn't answered her question which was rather a really awkward point to be at, I looked away and answered.
"Yeah, thanks. It was really intense," I told her just like I told Jeremy.
"Yeah, I could tell but you didn't let it affect you negatively and that's what worked for you. Instead, you let it create a beautiful sound that had everyone singing on their inside," She smiled, patting my jean cladded thighs. Her smile was gentle and radiated calm and genuineness, unlike Anderson's, it sparked something more raw and deep in me, almost like they were sparks from a sword making with every strike more flickers of burning metal splashed everywhere, it warmed a few and burnt a few.
"Thank you, I will always keep that piece of advice in mind." I said, before slapping myself internally, she complimented me and I was thanking her for advice...What the fuck was wrong with my dead brain??
"Uhm okay,"
"So, to the important stuff. We will need you to bring your personal attorney if you have one and If you don't, the record label could always give you one. You would be introduced to the rest of the band crew by tomorrow or at the latest end of this week whichever day Chris chooses to come back from God knows where. Also we are like a family as band members, we care for each other, eat together and live together so we could have that quality chemistry which gives us the chance to grow together. So that means you would be moving in with us—"
"Wait, what?? Moving in with a bunch of strangers??" I asked and she stretched a file towards me.
"What is this?," I asked, opening the file and she placed a hand on it, restricting me from following it.
"That's all the legal papers that your attorney is supposed to put you through alright. Now, We don't need you to rush anything now, just take it step by step. We would be having discussions about this later on but for now, take it home and digest it, then you call us for feedback, but If your ass ever leaks this out...you are fired up," She brought her tone an octave lower when she spoke those last words and I shivered inside a little. She is a little scary for a lady.
"Yeah of course, I'm not a kid." I said in an unwavered voice. Was she scary?? Yeah, but does she scare me?? Hell no.
"I'm sorry if that came out kind of the wrong way, It's just we as a record label and not just artists, whenever we sign any newbie, we like to be the ones to post your information about you before any blog or news site gets any info on you." Darla explained with a nice warm voice.
"Okay I understand, thank you for the amazing and beautiful opportunity, I promise you guys that you will not regret it and I will do my best." I told her in a confident voice.
"Secondly, at least do not get arrested please or get involved with the police because that's going to fall back on us and the rep we are building. So do we need to know if there is anything in the record you know...like—"
"Police arrested and filed statements against me since I'm a minority, yeah??" I asked and her eyes widened in realization of how she just sounded right now.
"No, no that's not what I meant, I meant like have you ever been arrested just to know if we are going to be behind you supporting you because we are already enlightened on everything about. I just don't want any news to pop up later on the news about you being randomly homophobic or racist or degrading or fat shaming alright...We like to keep our hands clean and free from various scandals," She clarified.
"Okay, thanks Darla…" I said, standing up shaking her.
"Congratulations…"