Today they offered her a recording contract. Not on paper, but a verbal offer that, they assured her, only necessitated formalities like a background check and a contract to be drawn up by their lawyers.
An excited squeal escaped her. She still couldn’t believe her good fortune. For the first time in a very long while there was a bright light ahead.
Sindy arrived for rehearsal fifteen minutes early and sat in her car in the circular driveway. The impressive double doors and tall columns served as an intimidating reminder that Tessa, Lucas and Mason came from an entirely different background than she did. But, she refused to let that have an effect on her. She refused to let her economic situation get the best of her or dampen her enthusiasm.
She reached for the car door handle, but the moment she wrapped her fingers around it, her stomach tightened with apprehension. She couldn’t walk up and knock on the door. What if Tommy Blade or Angel Garcia answered? Or, even worse, Jessi Blade, the woman of the house, who she hadn’t met yet. Sindy removed her grip on the door handle and texted her friend.
SINDY: I’m outside. Meet me at the front door?
TESSA: Sure. Be right there.
Sindy exited the car, walked up the two marble steps that led to the entrance and waited for Tessa. The door swung open and her friend greeted her with a broad smile.
“I buzzed the front gate five minutes ago. What took you so long?”
“It’s a long driveway.” She lied. She had been sitting in the car getting up the nerve to approach the front door.
“Come on in.” Tessa stepped aside. “Mason’s already here. Mason’s always here.”
She followed Tessa through the mansion, trying not to gape at the grandeur around her. She couldn’t imagine living in a home this big with its pristine decor and the unlimited amenities that most likely came with it. She could get used to the recording studio in the basement, though.
Mason sat behind his drum kit, arms flailing as he pounded on the toms and cymbals, and he didn’t look up until Sindy and Tessa crossed the room. He twirled a drumstick between his fingers. “Oh, hey. I didn’t hear you come in.”
The house could have exploded, and he wouldn’t have heard it. Sindy’s ears were still vibrating. “Hi.” She gave a casual wave before placing her guitar case on the couch and freed her Strat from its resting place. She plugged into the amp and took her spot on the right side of the floor. She looked up when she heard footsteps and saw Lucas walking down the stairs. His hair was damp from a shower so it was slightly darker than his normal flaxen color, but it looked much longer and had a slight wave through it.
“I’m ready to rock,” he announced as he picked up his Les Paul from its stand and gazed at it the same way all musicians lusted over their instruments. He approached her, but didn’t say anything. He stared at her for a few moments with a quizzical squint to his brow and a crooked smile on his lips. “You’re in my spot,” he finally said.
“Oh. I didn’t know you had one.” She discreetly grimaced at the way it sounded. Sarcasm just rolled off her tongue sometimes. Feeling like an idiot, she chose to gloss over it with a small smile and moved to the other side of Tessa, who was standing at the center mic.
“We’re going to play Driven so you can hear what it sounds like. It’s our most popular song,” Lucas explained. “Then I’m going to show you the chords so you can play it.”
She was surprised at the complexity of the song and how tight they sounded. They played in perfect timing with one another, and she hoped she didn’t throw them off while she overcame the learning curve.
When the song was over, Lucas showed her the chords, stressing their names and strumming the strings. “C major.” He rearranged his fingers. “E major.” He moved his hand again. “G.”
She followed along and played the chords in succession, and he nodded with approval. He started naming the individual strings that made up each chord, which confused her. It was too much information, and she couldn’t keep up with him. She was still trying to remember the names of the chords. “Can you slow down a little?”
“I’m sorry. You were doing so well I thought I’d continue.”
“I recognize the chords. I just don’t know the names.” She didn’t want to tell him that she had made up silly little names for them which mimicked the position of her fingers, like “tarantula” and “staircase”. Someone with his intelligence would find it stupid. “Maybe you can just tell me the names of the chords, and I’ll work on identifying the names of the strings that comprise them later on.”
He paused. “OK.” And continued showing her the chords. “Here’s the sheet music.” Lucas placed a few pages on a music stand in front of her. “But it’s not going to do you any good if you can’t read it.”
Eager to show initiative, she scanned the paper, but it was merely for effect. They were unrecognizable black dots on little diagrams.
They played through the song again, and she had no problem following along. On the next take, she added a little spin and played off Lucas’ lead. He turned to her in surprise, an eyebrow cocked high. She challenged him with a twangy pull on the whammy bar, and he dropped to his knees and let loose a barrage of notes that left her jaw gaping. She had no clue he possessed such talent, and that he enjoyed showing off so much.
When they finished the song, she applauded him with clapped hands, which he didn’t seem to appreciate. His furrowed brow questioned whether or not she was mocking him. She was sincere, but she didn’t clarify it because she didn’t want a confrontation. She was the newcomer, and she didn’t want to make waves in this trio who really didn’t need her. They had played together harmoniously and had a long-standing relationship, probably playing together for most of their lives. She needed this gig and would do whatever it took to make it work, even if Lucas Blade was already starting to grate on her nerves. After about two hours, Sindy wondered about her stamina. Lucas, Tessa, and Mason all seemed more energized than when they had started, while she was ready to drop.
“I guess that’s enough for our first rehearsal,” Lucas said, seeing her exhaustion. “I don’t want you to get overworked, Sindy. We play hard and we play long. You did good.” He handed her the music sheets. “Go over these tonight, and tomorrow we’ll see if you can read them back.”
She looked down at the paper. He had written letters next to each chord. A cheat sheet to help her learn. “Thanks. This will be a big help.” She glanced up at him, and he pinned her with a smile that almost took her breath away. Up until this moment, he’d been all business with the occasional sly remark. The genuine smile he wore made his blue eyes sparkle brighter, and she realized how insanely good looking he was. She couldn’t look away. He was one of those beautiful people that made everyone turn their head and stare. As their eyes remained locked on one another, a rush of heat that she never expected filled her chest.
Tessa looped her arm through Sindy’s, breaking her trance. “Let’s go upstairs and get a drink.”
“You’re leaving?” Mason called to Tessa from behind his drum kit.
“I want to hang out with Sindy.”
Both Mason and Lucas watched Sindy leave the studio with Tessa, and Sindy felt as if she was pulling Tessa away from something important. “It’s OK if you need to finish up with them.”
“Oh, please. Those guys can live without me for a little while.”
Tessa brought Sindy into the kitchen and pulled out a high back chair that faced a massive center island. “Have a seat while I get us a drink.” Tessa opened the Sub Zero fridge and inspected the contents. “Iced tea OK?”
“Sure. Anything’s fine.”
Tessa set a large pitcher of tea with sliced lemon on the island and filled two glasses. Then she returned to the fridge and pulled out a container. A covered bowl from the cabinet joined the little display in front of them.
“Tessa, don’t go to any trouble.”
“No trouble.”
When Tessa pulled the lids off of the c
ontainers, revealing guacamole and tortilla chips, Sindy suddenly realized she hadn’t eaten all day and reached into the bowl, looked at the chip and bit into it. They were fresh and crunchy, unlike the bagged variety Sindy usually had. “Are these homemade?”
“Of course. So is the guac and iced tea. Besides music, cooking is the only thing that I’m really passionate about.” Tessa nibbled on a tortilla chip. “You did a great job today. Lucas was impressed.”
It surprised Sindy because the three of them were so much better musically than she was, with more experience. “Do you really think so? I felt like I could have done better.”
“Are you kidding? Did you see Lucas’ face when you deviated from the standard riff and threw in your own notes?”
“He looked a little ticked off, to be honest.”
Tessa threw her had back and laughed. “It was awesome. Lucas needs someone to challenge him. You two are going to have great chemistry.”
Rehearsal started early the next morning, since Sindy needed to be at the diner for the lunch hour rush. She was working a double shift today to make up for the hours she missed yesterday. Juggling her music career and her job was going to be rough, but determination would see her through it.
Mason was already behind his drum kit, exactly where Sindy had last seen him yesterday, leaving her wondering if the guy ever left his perch. He smiled and tilted his chin at her, but never stopped the soft beat he played with his sticks.
Lucas had his guitar slung over his shoulder as he arranged sheets of music on the stand. “Hey, Sin. I got yesterday’s lesson right here. Let’s start right away and do a run through while Tessa and Mason get set up.”
“OK.” She plugged in her guitar and joined Lucas in front of the music stand. She didn’t remember the individual names of the notes, but she remembered the names of the chords. Well, most of them. There simply wasn’t enough time to memorize everything in one night, and she spent her time last night making sure she knew how to play the song they worked on. So, instead of reading the music on the stand, she played the rhythm to Driven that she learned yesterday.
Lucas nodded his head. “That’s great, but that’s not what’s on the music sheet.”
“Oh. I wasn’t reading it. I was just playing.”
He folded his arms, a small smile peeking from the corner of his mouth. “I thought I was teaching you to read music.”
“You are, but I need to learn how to play the song by ear first.”
He contemplated her answer. “All right. I never learned to play by ear. I’m classically trained.”
She tilted her head to the side, surprised and impressed. “You play classical music, too?”
He chuckled softly. “No. It means I learned theory. Tonal and chromatic harmony. Technique. I have a BA in music.”
“Oh.” She felt like an ass, although he was the one pointing out that he had a BA in music for the second time. “I can pick out some chords.” She wanted him to know that she at least learned a little from yesterday’s lesson. “Here’s a C major.” She pointed to it on the music sheet. “D. E.”
“That’s right. Can you play them?”
She felt her cheeks redden. Pointing out what the chords looked like was one thing, connecting them with the actual strings on the fret board was another.
He played them for her and she repeated them. Then he started talking about major scales, chord root notes, and how root notes work in forming guitar chords. At first she found it interesting, but as he continued to get deeper into his lecture, she dazed out. He gazed at her intently as he spoke, and his eyes blazed with excitement and adrenaline. He was getting off on music theory, which she found captivating. And a little amusing.
He suddenly stopped talking. “What’s so funny?”
Sindy pressed her lips together as soon as she realized that she had a silly smile on her face. “Sorry. It’s just that you were so animated.”
He furrowed his brow, clearly not as amused as she was.
Mason passed and slapped Lucas on the back. “I told you, man. You get so carried away when you talk about music theory. It’s comical. But boring as shit.”
“Music is not comical. Nor boring. It’s serious business.” He blew out a breath “Let’s take a five-minute break.”
Sindy worried she was being noncompliant, but she couldn’t help it. It wasn’t the first time she’d rebelled, nor the last. She reminded herself that Lucas had mountains of experience over her. And let’s not forget the BA from NYU he kept bragging about. “Do you read music?” she asked Mason, knowing drummers usually play by ear.
“Nah. Never had to. I can cover a song by hearing it once. I’ve been doing that since I was, like, 4.”
The men in this room were geniuses. She turned to look at Lucas who was on the other side of the studio talking to Tessa with a crease in his brow. Sindy got the feeling that he was complaining about her abstinence, and it worried her. She didn’t want to be perceived as a troublemaker. All she wanted to do was play, and she decided she would show him how good of a guitarist she was. “Let’s just play the song. All of us. I practiced all night, and I think I did really well.”
Lucas flew back to his spot. “Cool. That’s what I want to hear. I like your drive, Sindy. You may not be able to read music, but you sure as hell have initiative.”
Was that a dig? She couldn’t tell, but decided to let it slide, even though it festered in her belly.
The song started powerful. She hit every note, kept the timing and matched Lucas’ melody. He broke into a short solo and she added to it, finishing it off with her own little signature spin. She thought it sounded awesome, but Lucas snapped his head in her direction and narrowed his eyes. He took two steps toward her and unleashed a series of aggressive notes. She took it as a challenge and fired back her own creation. She saw the small smile stuck in the corner of his pursed lips, so she wailed out another solo, jutting her hips at him when she was done to punctuate the sound.
His mouth gaped for a second before he slapped it shut and turned his back to her. Returning to his side of the floor, he continued with the melody, and she accompanied him without further deviation.
When the song was over Tessa practically jumped up and down. “That was freaking awesome! That was exactly why we need a rhythm guitarist. I’m so sorry I fought you all these years, Lucas. It makes such a difference to have another guitarist in the band. That little dueling solo was perfect!”
It surprised Sindy that adding a rhythm guitarist was Lucas’ idea. He obviously enjoyed imparting his wisdom and showing off his knowledge by teaching her theory and how to read music, but apparently didn’t appreciate sharing the spotlight.
Sindy was exhausted. The band took up all of her free time, which was scarce to begin with. She played with Tessa, Lucas, and Mason almost daily. She played at night when she got home from work. Not to mention the one-on-one lessons with Lucas that Sindy began to dread. She was only halfway through her shift at the diner, and she couldn’t stop thinking about Lucas and his pompous, inflated head. She knew she couldn’t compete with his knowledge and education, but did he have to constantly flaunt his IQ?
“Why do you look so pissed off? No tip from table 14?”
Startled back to reality, Sindy realized she still had cash in her hand from one of her tables. She stuffed it into the register and pushed the check down onto the pointed memo holder. “It’s that damn Lucas Blade,” she told Monique, one of the waitresses sharing her shift.
“Lucas Blade?” Karen leaned in as she passed with a tray filled with plates and rolled dreamy eyes up to the ceiling. “He is so hot.”
“I guess,” Sindy replied with a scowl. “But he’s so damn smart.”
“Good looking and intelligent?” Monique placed a hand on her hip. “You poor thing.”
“He’s infuriating!”
“Why?”
“Because he’s so damn perfect.”
“That he is,” Karen paused as she made ano
ther pass carrying a pot of coffee and a plate of fries. “He came in here once, and we practically wrestled each other to the ground in order to pick who got to wait on him.” She smiled at Monique. “I won.”
Monique laughed. “There was no stopping Karen. And what a sweetheart that guy was, too. Smiling and flashing those piercing blue eyes at everyone.”
“And his hair,” Karen gushed. “I just wanted to touch it.”
“Oh my God.” Sindy couldn’t believe the way these women were swooning over Lucas. And Monique was probably old enough to be his mother. Did women really throw themselves at him like this? No wonder he was so full of himself.
“I didn’t,” Karen clarified. “Have you?”
“What? Touched his hair? Of course not!”
“So what’s he like? Really like?” Monique asked.
Sindy stopped to think about this golden boy who had her so riled up. “He’s smart. And talented. A musical genius, actually. And let’s not forget about his degree in music,” she added with a hint of sarcasm. She could feel her blood pressure rising at the thought of his superior knowledge of intricate music theory. “He has a BA from NYU and talks about music like its calculus. And it’s really fucking annoying. He gets excited about teaching me how to read music and wants me to learn everything he knows.”
“Why is that a bad thing, Sindy? You got a gorgeous guy who wants to mentor you?”
“It’s too much! I just want to play, and he never stops talking. Over and over. How many times to I need to hear him explain diatonic triads before he realizes I’m never going to get it?” She let out a frustrated growl and clenched her fists. “He just drives me fucking crazy. I want to tell him to just shut up already.”
Monique laughed and put her hand over her ample chest. “Girl, you got it bad!”
“Got what?”
“The hots for that pretty boy with the big brain.”
Sindy grunted a laugh. “That’s ridiculous. I can’t stand him!”
LUCAS BLADE: Radical Rock Stars: Next Generation Duet Book 1 Page 6