After Hours Redemption (404 Sound)

by Kianna Alexander

  Blaine rotated his chair so he could look out the window behind his desk. The gray sky and fat dark clouds indicated a coming storm. “That’s a fair enough assessment, but that was done on purpose. What specifically do you have a problem with?”

  “It’s not me, Blaine. It’s the team. I just want to be clear on that.”

  He flexed his jaw. “Then what is it that the team doesn’t like?”

  “Well... I mean...for instance, there are two songs about race stuff.”

  “You mean anti-Black bias?” Blaine gritted out.

  Marvin coughed. “Yes, that. And then she’s singing about how men are trash and rich whites are ruining the historically Black neighborhoods in Atlanta...”

  He wanted to laugh but held back. “You mean misogyny and gentrification? Women do have to deal with a lot of crap from men on a daily basis, and gentrification is a problem in cities all over the country, not just in Atlanta.” He paused, tapping his chin. I can’t pass up this chance to troll him a little. “I’ve known you a long time, Marvin. And I know you’re an intelligent, culturally aware person. You can’t be telling me you’re unfamiliar with these concepts.”

  Another series of coughs followed that.

  Blaine tucked in his lower lip to hold back his chuckle.

  “Yes, well, of course, I’m aware of these things,” Marvin said once he got himself together. “Still, we don’t think these are appropriate topics for Naiya’s album. Especially not on a debut.”

  “Okay. And why is that?”

  “You see, we want to put out music that counters the current toxic climate in media. You know, some positive vibes to cut through the negativity. We think Naiya’s talents are well suited to the feel-good album of the year.”

  He shook his head. It was easy to see where this conversation was going. I’ve got a choice here. I can cut my losses and agree with him now, or I can sit through twenty more minutes of corporate BS, just to end up with the same result. “Level with me, Marvin. What does the team want us to do moving forward?”

  “As I said, you’re on the right path. We’d like you to keep the three standout tracks just as they are and revisit the creative process for the other tracks.”

  Blaine’s mouth fell open for a moment. Snapping it shut, he asked, “Are you telling me we need to rework seven songs, seventy percent of this hard-won album, and rerecord them?”

  “No, no. Of course not. What I’m saying is, just scrap the seven songs and start over. Build new songs, from the ground up.”

  He felt his jaw clench. “And is there another alternative here?”

  “Not one that involves us funding the project.” It was the bluntest statement Marvin had made for the entire conversation.

  He blew out a breath. “I understand. Thanks for letting me know.”

  “I’m happy to help. Well, I’m due at a meeting soon. Have a good rest of your day, Blaine.”

  “You, too, Marvin.” The words tasted like sour milk in his mouth, but he ground them out anyway. And moments later, he ended the call.

  Shit.

  Fifteen

  A few minutes before nine Tuesday morning, Eden strolled through the open door of the small conference room at Against the Grain. The room, sparsely decorated with a few framed album covers, held only a few items. A mounted whiteboard took up one entire wall, and the opposite wall held only windows. Centered between the two walls, a rectangular table with seating for eight people took up most of the floor space.

  She slipped into a seat on the side of the table closest to the door, tucking her purse into the chair next to her. She didn’t think Blaine had any solid dress code for the meeting, so she’d kept it simple by wearing a silver silk blouse and wide-legged black slacks with her favorite low-heeled black leather loafers.

  She’d been sitting there a minute or two, scrolling through her phone, when Blaine strode in. He looked handsome as ever, wearing a pair of navy slacks; a button-down shirt featuring navy, hunter-green and white zigzags; and a pair of navy wingtips with a gold toe box. His locs were tied at his nape, and his favorite pair of dark sunglasses was perched atop his head.

  Have mercy. Why does he have to be so fine? I could just stare at him all day. He always looked like a snack, no matter what he wore. But when she looked up at his face, she didn’t see the mischievous smile she’d become accustomed to. Instead, she saw a guarded, taut expression that gave her pause. Damn. What is he about to say? She’d come into this meeting expecting to hear some good news about the album. Now that she’d seen his face, though, tiny needles of tension began to prick the base of her spine.

  “Good morning, Eden.” He greeted her as he took a seat at the end of the table to her right.

  “Morning.” She would have said more, but she was too busy worrying about what he might say.

  She held his gaze for a second, and he winked at her.

  “You all right down there, baby?”

  She swallowed, knowing full well she wasn’t okay. Because every time she looked at his handsome face, she felt her body temperature rise. “For now. I’m just...wondering what’s about to happen, that’s all.”

  Naiya breezed in a few moments later, clad in a floral sundress and flat nude sandals. Her wavy hair pulled back into a ponytail, she looked put together yet approachable.

  Eden smiled and waved at Naiya, who waved back with a grin of her own.

  Blaine cleared his throat. “Okay, ladies. Time to get down to business.”

  “Yes, let’s,” Naiya said, shifting from side to side in her seat. “What did the label team say about my album?”

  Eden swallowed, bracing for whatever was about to spill from between the full lips that had kissed her senseless on more than one occasion.

  He rested his elbows on the table, tenting his fingers. “I got some very positive feedback from Marvin. The team is especially fond of ‘Look My Way’...”

  Naiya grinned. “I knew they would be. That Antoine 11 verse is fire. I’m so glad he agreed to collab with me.”

  Eden nodded. “Yes. I mean when you combine his bars with Naiya’s vocals...it’s magic, really.”

  A slight smile tilted his lips. “I agree completely. The team also had a lot of great things to say about ‘The Way It Was’ and ‘Kisses at Dawn.’ Great work there as well, ladies.”

  She felt her brow crinkle. He’s said a lot of good things...about three out of ten tracks. What’s he holding back here? “Okay. This is all great to hear, but... I feel like you’re leaving something out, Blaine.”

  “Yeah,” Naiya interjected, running a hand over her hair. “Don’t keep us in suspense. What was the feedback on the rest of the album?”

  “Well...” He hesitated. Instead of saying more, he opened the leather portfolio. Taking out some documents, he slid copies to both of them. “In terms of feedback on the other seven tracks, I’d like you to take a look at this.”

  Eden scanned the top of the thin stack of papers, reading the headline on the first page. “‘Official Correspondence. Hamilton House Recordings, a subsidiary of American Music Group Incorporated.’” Her eyes narrowed as she read further.

  Naiya read along in silence, her lips flexing in time as her eyes perused the words on the page.

  Eden got halfway down the first page before she saw a string of words that gave her pause. Creative Revision Request. Followed by another phrase that stopped her in her tracks. Mandatory Change. She looked up at Blaine, who avoided her gaze by pretending to look at the papers. I’m sure he’s already read them. That’s probably why he can’t look me in the eye.

  Naiya looked up, her eyes wide. “Blaine, what does all this mean? What are they asking us to do?”

  He cleared his throat. “Well, Naiya, what the upper management team would like us to do is rework the seven remaining tracks on the album.”

  A few
long, slow blinks later, Naiya said, “What?”

  “Well, if you think about it, it’s really a chance to dig deeper into your creative vision.” He turned toward Eden. “The management team had its doubts about bringing you on for this project. But this allows you to keep your role as songwriter, as long as you’re willing to make a few changes.”

  “Is it really, Blaine?” Eden, now reading through page three, held the document up as she read aloud. “‘Clause C. Pursuant to the terms of this document, the following subject matter has been deemed “off-limits” for tracks on the album. Gentrification. Misogyny and Misogynoir. Rape Culture. Racism. Anti-Black Bias. Political affiliation’?” She dropped the papers on the desk. “That’s only the first half of the list of things I’m not allowed to write about as lyricist, and that Naiya isn’t allowed to sing about.”

  Naiya’s mouth dropped open.

  He held his hand out, open palm facing them. “Now, ladies. Think about how this could benefit album sales. We want to keep the subject matter light and...”

  Naiya slowly shook her head, tears springing to her eyes. “No, Blaine. You told me that if I signed with you, you’d help me see my vision through to the end. You promised me.”

  He slumped, his head dropping to one side. “Don’t you see, Naiya? That’s exactly what I’m trying to do...deliver on that promise. I want to see your album in the hands of music lovers just as much as you do.” He held up the document, flipping through the pages. “And to make that happen, all we have to do is sign on page five, agreeing to the terms that Hamilton House has set for us.”

  Eden closed her eyes, blew out a breath. “You don’t even realize how you sound right now, do you?” She gestured to the crestfallen Naiya, who sat in stony silence, tears coursing down her cheeks. “Look at her, Blaine. She’s a true talent. Passion. Stage presence. Vocal ability. And she actually has something meaningful to say.”

  “I agree, but—”

  She held up her hand. “Let. Me. Finish. She has all those things going for her, and here you are trying to get her to go for the okey-doke. To record another cookie-cutter album, something that could be interchangeable with a thousand other female R & B albums. You’re sitting here asking her to give up everything that makes her special.” She looked over at the young singer. I’d hug her if I thought it appropriate. She looks so sad. “You’ve been here, you saw how hard we both worked on this. How could you, Blaine? How could you do that to her? To both of us?”

  “Listen, I agree with everything you’re saying. Naiya’s talent, and her awareness of her surroundings, are so, so special. But Marvin is forcing my hand here. If we want to get this album out, we’ve got to make some sacrifices.”

  Naiya stood slowly, still shaking her head. “I...I can’t do this.”

  Blaine stood, as well. “Naiya, wait. Let’s talk about...”

  “No.” She dashed away her tears with her hand. “I’m leaving.” Looking her way, she said, “Thank you, Eden. Thank you for seeing my vision.”

  Giving her a solemn nod, Eden watched as Naiya strode out the door. Then she looked at Blaine, not bothering to hide the hurt in her gaze. “I can’t believe this is happening. I was so invested in this project... I feel like you’re betraying me, all over again.”

  * * *

  Left alone in the conference room with Eden, Blaine ran his hand over his eyes. I haven’t even gotten to the heart of the document, and things have already gone to the left in a major way.

  No, he hadn’t expected that Naiya and Eden would be thrilled about the prospect of all this extra work. But he also hadn’t thought they’d take the requests from Hamilton House as some kind of personal affront.

  He shook his head. Upper management was accustomed to giving mandates and having them followed, most of the time without questions or pushback. That obviously wasn’t going to happen in this instance, and he knew they wouldn’t like it. I’m royally screwed here.

  “Did you even hear what I just said, Blaine?” Eden’s anger-laced voice cut through his thoughts like a chain saw taking down a tree.

  He looked her way and found her watching him, her eyes narrowed, and her mouth twisted into a frown. He gave a nervous little chuckle, hoping to soften her mood. “Sorry, I checked out for a minute. What did you say?”

  Her eyes narrowed further, indicating his attempt at humor hadn’t moved her. “I said, you haven’t changed, Blaine.”

  Leaning back in his chair, he held out his hands in defense. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. This doesn’t have anything to do with me being selfish or whatever. This is simply business, Eden.”

  She scoffed, shaking her head. “Are you really that thickheaded? You really think ‘business’ is the only thing at play here?”

  He felt his jaw tighten. The insinuation that he lacked intelligence hit him in the gut like a punch. He’d heard that all his life...even his own father chastised him for leaning on his charm and good looks instead of using intelligence to get ahead. “Just because I can’t read your mind or do some brainiac job in a lab somewhere, that doesn’t mean I’m stupid.”

  “Blaine, I’m sorry. I’m not trying to insult your intelligence. I just need you to understand the stakes here.”

  “I didn’t hear any complaints when we were making love.”

  She let her head drop back. “I can’t. I can’t with you.”

  “Maybe that’s the problem here, Eden.” He pushed his chair back from the table but stayed seated. “You can’t open up to me. You’ve been talking about me being selfish, thoughtless and uncaring ever since you came here...yet you haven’t told me why.”

  She sighed aloud, her fingertips rubbing her temples. “Why did I even come here? Why did I expect anything different from you?”

  He shrugged, feeling his annoyance rising. “I don’t know. You tell me.”

  She blew out a breath, pushed back from the table and stood. “You keep saying your hands are tied. That you don’t have a choice. That it’s all just ‘business.’ But none of that is true, Blaine. It’s not true now, and it wasn’t true seven years ago, either.”

  He threw up his hands. “Oh, boy. Here we go...”

  “Hold up. I’m. Not. Finished.”

  He clamped his lips shut, though he wasn’t thrilled about her tone or the direction she was taking the conversation.

  “You made all these promises to Naiya. Told her you’d look out for her, make sure her album was true to her vision. Yet the very first time the suits in New York dispute what we worked so hard on you cave. Then you expect us to just go along with it.”

  He folded his arms over his chest but said nothing. She’s gone off and there’s no need for me to speak. Anything I say right now will just be used against me.

  “Seven years ago, when the suits told you to disband Swatz Girlz you promised me a solo career. But when the label decided to ditch me and make Cambria a star, you caved then, too.” She propped her fist on her hips, fixing him with an accusing stare. “Tell me, Blaine. How much pushback did you give them back then? Did you voice any opposition at all? Or did you just gleefully discard me like yesterday’s trash?”

  He cringed. “I think you’re being unfair. These are two different situations.”

  She chuckled bitterly, with a slow shake of her head. “That’s just it, Blaine. They aren’t different, and I’ll tell you why. You didn’t stand up for Naiya.” She looked away from him. “And you didn’t stand up for me, either.”

  “Eden, I...”

  “I don’t want to hear it, Blaine. You keep acting as if I’m being unreasonable, as if it’s all business and nothing personal. But in reality, it’s very, very personal.” She leaned over the table, placing her open palms on the tabletop. “You want to know why I don’t fully trust you? Why I’m not open with you? Why I should never have let you into my bed or my heart?”

  He swallowed.


  “I’ll tell you why. All the problems we’ve had, now and in the past, can be traced back to one thing. Your absolute inability, or at least refusal, to stand up for someone else. To do what will be best for someone other than yourself.”

  He frowned. “That’s a sweeping statement. I don’t think it’s accurate, either.”

  She scoffed.

  “No, Eden. I’m not going to let you accuse me of being this callous jerk. I cared about you then, and I still care about you now. Whether you believe it or not, it’s the truth.”

  “Fine.” She slapped the table. “I’ll make it more specific. You didn’t stand up for Naiya. And it just serves to remind me of how you didn’t stand up for me back in the day.” She stood, her chin stuck out defiantly. “I can’t do this with you, Blaine. I won’t.”

  “You won’t what? Make changes to the album?”

  “Ugh.” She sounded disgusted. “Fuck those guys at Hamilton House. I don’t care about their demands or their stupid contracts. And as for you and me, it’s over. I’m not going to keep being involved with someone who doesn’t have my back when it really counts.”

  “What about us? What about everything we’ve shared?”

  “I’m not gonna deny the connection we share, Blaine. But I have to be careful when it comes to my heart. I can’t risk the pain of having you betray me again.”

  That stung, and he felt his heart clench. “I care about you. I feel like...like we have something special between us.”

  “Bullshit. I don’t want to hear declarations like that when it’s so obvious you’re not going to do anything to prove it.”

  He stood and walked around to where she was. Grasping her arm, he pulled her toward him, letting his lips crash against hers. For a few fiery moments, she leaned into him, their tongues tangling like the ball of emotions rolling around in his stomach.

  Then she snatched herself away from him. Her expression was strained, tortured. “Don’t, Blaine.”

  “Eden, you can’t just walk out like this.”