In the "Electric Lady Studio," Lucas sat engrossed in a conversation with the director and sound engineers, meticulously fine-tuning the recordings of his songs. The atmosphere was thick with the buzz of creativity and the hum of studio equipment. Suddenly, his manager, Neil, approached him with a spring in his step.
"Lucas, can I have a moment?" Neil said, his voice brimming with excitement.
Lucas glanced up from the mixing board, nodded at the recording staff, and excused himself from the table. "What's up?" he asked, curiosity piqued by Neil's energy.
Neil's eyes sparkled as he spoke, "Lucas, you're invited to be on the Ellen DeGeneres Show! This could be your first interview and appearance on a major TV show!"
To Neil's surprise, Lucas's expression didn't mirror his own enthusiasm. Instead, he simply responded with a nonchalant, "Okay?" Then, as if to downplay the news further, he added, "I thought something had happened. So, it's just an invite from the Ellen DeGeneres Show..."
Neil's brows furrowed, baffled by Lucas's lack of excitement. "Why aren't you more excited? It's the Ellen DeGeneres Show we're talking about! Don't you know who he is?"
Lucas chuckled, "Easy there, Neil. I know who she is—"
"It's 'he', Lucas," Neil corrected him.
"Right, right. I know who he is, but I don't need to make a fuss over him inviting me on his show..." Lucas trailed off, remembering how in his previous life, the show had been canceled due to its toxic work environment and complaints from employees. Although Ellen might not have been the worst offender, the producers were far more toxic and ultimately brought the show to ruin.
Neil's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "I didn't expect you to be so nonchalant about such a popular show, Lucas."
Lucas smiled, "Well, just tell them I'm busy and can't attend their invitation..."
Neil frowned, "Aren't you taking this too far? You do know it's the Ellen DeGeneres Show, right?"
Lucas shrugged, "Didn't we have music videos to film?"
"Yes, but you still have time for Ellen!" Neil insisted.
"Come on, it doesn't matter if I miss this one invite. I'm sure I'll get another chance to be on the show later," Lucas reasoned.
Neil couldn't argue with that, but he couldn't help but wonder, "Don't tell me Lucas is homophobic?"
---
In the writers' room, Ellen and her team were deep in discussion about the day's script when a talent coordinator rushed in with some news.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but I have an update on Lucas," the coordinator said, catching everyone's attention.
Ellen looked up from her notes, her interest piqued. "What is it?"
"I just spoke with his manager, Mr. Lamb, and I'm afraid Lucas won't be able to make it to the show due to tight schedule," the coordinator explained.
Ellen's eyebrows furrowed. "But didn't Mr. Lamb say Lucas had a lot of free time to attend?"
The coordinator shrugged. "That's what I thought too, but he claims Lucas's schedule is more unpredictable than they initially thought."
Ellen couldn't hide her disappointment. "Unpredictable, huh? Sounds like a load of bull to me." She sighed, trying to mask her disappointment. "Well, it's their loss. I guess we'll have to find another guest."
As the coordinator left the room, Ellen couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. She had been looking forward to interviewing Lucas, especially since there was so much to talk about: his viral videos, his relationship with his family, the start of his career, and the inspiration behind his songs. There were just so many juicy topics to explore.
"It's a shame," she muttered under her breath. "I guess we'll never know now."
---
Back at the recording studio, a few days had passed, and Lucas had now recorded a total of five songs: "Say You Won't Let Go," "Yellow," "Viva La Vida," "Train Wreck," and their latest addition, "Unwell." As the staff listened to the final track, their eyes glistened with unshed tears. The song's relatable lyrics resonated with each of them.
"I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell, hmm..." the sound engineer muttered under his breath, nodding along.
Once the song ended, Lucas turned to the team, seeking their approval. "So, what do you guys think? Good enough?"
The sound engineer wiped away a stray tear. "It's more than good, Lucas. I can't even... it's just... wow."
John McCain, a representative from "Big Machine Records," also listened in and couldn't help but feel a swirl of emotions. "This song is going to sell like hotcakes," he thought to himself, both impressed and slightly intimidated by the sheer talent before him.
John McCain, intrigued, couldn't help but ask, "Lucas, I'm curious. What was the inspiration behind 'Unwell'?"
The others in the room shared his curiosity, but Lucas chuckled nervously. After all, he hadn't composed the original song in this timeline; it was from his previous life.
"Well, a friend of mine has been going through some tough times lately, and his story just... inspired me," Lucas said, not entirely lying. It was true that his friend Paul had reminded him of the original song, even though he hadn't written it himself.
Neil chuckled. "So, your friend's troubles are the source of your inspiration for these two sad songs, huh?"
Both "Train Wreck" and "Unwell" were touching tracks that seemed to resonate with anyone who'd ever been through a rough patch. The staff couldn't help but marvel at Lucas's talent for crafting songs that spoke directly to the hearts of those who needed it most.
Well, Lucas, since the last track is finally in the bag, I guess that's a wrap for today," the sound director announced.
Lucas beamed, expressing his gratitude to the entire staff of the recording studio. "Thank you all so much for your hard work and patience. I couldn't have done this without you guys."
The team couldn't help but smile at how humble and down-to-earth Lucas was, considering his talent and growing fame.
As Lucas and Neil walked out of the recording booth with John, the latter broached the topic they'd discussed a week ago. "Lucas, about that collaboration we mentioned with Taylor Swift…"
Lucas turned to him, already sensing where this was going. "What about it?"
John nodded, "Well, she's actually here right now… in one of the other booths."
Lucas hesitated. "I don't know, I don't want to interrupt her while she's recording."
"No, no, she and her team are fine with it," John insisted, leading them to another soundproof booth.
As they entered, Lucas spotted Taylor Swift through the transparent glass, belting out a tune with her band in tow.
John approached a man in his 40s, who turned out to be Taylor's manager, Robert Allen. He extended his hand to Lucas. "Nice to meet you, Lucas. I'm Robert Allen, Taylor's manager."
"Pleasure to meet you too," Lucas said, shaking his hand firmly before they all took a seat on the sofa.
Robert couldn't contain his excitement. "I can't believe I'm finally meeting a talented actor and musician like yourself, Lucas Knight!" He patted Lucas on the back, grinning from ear to ear.
Lucas blushed, "You're too kind, sir. I'm just doing what I love."
Just then, the door to the recording booth opened, and Taylor Swift stepped out of the recording booth, her infectious smile lighting up the room. "Hey, Lucas! I've heard so much about you," she said, extending her hand for a warm handshake. "I'm Taylor."
"Nice to finally meet you too, Taylor," Lucas replied, charmed by her genuine demeanor.
"Your song sounds amazing in there. You're a true talent."
"Aw, thank you!" Taylor blushed, visibly flattered. "I've been a fan of your acting and now your music too. 'Someone you loved' had me in tears, man. In a good way, of course," she quickly added with a laugh.
John couldn't help but grin as he spoke, "Lucas just recorded another tear-jerker of a song. It's a must-hear."
Taylor's eyes widened with excitement. "No way! I have to listen to it!"
Lucas chuckled. "Well, you'll get your chance once it's released. Tomorrow, I'll be recording my final song here."
"Can I come by and listen?" Taylor asked, her enthusiasm palpable as she squeezed his hand gently.
Lucas smiled at her eagerness, she reminded him of a soft-spoken yet spoiled girl who still yearned to make a meaningful impact on the world through her music.
"Sure, tomorrow's my last day here anyway," he said, nodding in agreement.
Instead of diving straight into discussing their potential collaboration, Lucas and Taylor decided to get to know each other better first. They spent the next twenty minutes chatting about their respective careers, shared experiences in the industry, and their musical influences. The conversation flowed effortlessly, and they discovered they had more in common than they thought.
After a while, Lucas, Neil and John exited from the booth.
"So, what do you think of him?" Robert asked Taylor as they walked back to their own recording space.
Taylor couldn't help but smile. "He's an interesting person. I can't wait to hear his songs tomorrow."
Robert chuckled, shaking his head at his client's single-minded focus on music.
---
As Lucas and Neil left the studio, they climbed into their waiting car. Neil couldn't help but ask, "So, what do you think? Will you collaborate with her?"
Lucas smiled as he buckled his seatbelt. "Probably." He was honestly surprised by his conversation with Taylor. Based on her heartbreak-fueled songs, he had expected her to be a bitter ex-lover, but in person, she was a genuine and kind-hearted person.