“Music is everything to me. It’s the best job in the world because it never feels like work.”
The expression on Reid’s face as he slid on his headphones seemed almost wistful. “I hope it stays that way for you. Okay, let’s run through these songs so you can hear where you pulled the notes. Once the guys get here, we’ll go into the live room and get back to playing.”
“Sounds great.”
“If you’d like, we can do this before the next few rehearsals or until you feel more comfortable.”
“I’d really love that, as long as you don’t mind. I can’t thank you enough for giving me this opportunity, but I can start by making sure I don’t miss a single note.”
“It’s not a problem at all. Are you ready?”
“Ready,” Chloe said, a smile stretched across her face. He was just as attractive now as he’d been when she walked through the door, but she’d succeeded. She’d humanized him. For now.
“Greer, if you come in just a second sooner, you’ll nail the intro.” Reid pushed his hair out of his face and took a deep breath. For the first time since he’d received the call about Valerie breaking her arm, he felt like things might be okay.
“Chloe, I think if you hold half a beat after Greer’s intro, that will fix what’s off.”
“Hey, Reid?”
Reid looked up from his guitar toward Chloe. She seemed uneasy, which was a huge contrast to when they were alone together earlier. “What’s up?”
“I was just wondering if maybe Greer should repeat the intro, but on the second round, drag the notes a little before I come in. I think it would make the transition smoother.”
Reid stood motionless with his brows drawn together in concentration. In his head, he played the intro as Chloe suggested. It only took a moment for his face to smooth and his eyes to brighten. “Hell yes. Greer, that’s exactly it. Give it a try.”
Greer did as Reid instructed. The moment the notes fell into place, Reid looked at Chloe and gave her the most genuine smile he’d had in months. At least where his music was involved. Chloe’s answering smile caused his stomach to flip. Her excitement was contagious. The change of the intro had been insignificant, just an added repetition, but it suddenly felt brand new. It was like discovering the missing piece to a song. It felt fresh, clean.
As soon as the song ended, Reid pulled the strap of his guitar over his head and turned to face the group. “I think we made progress today. How about we call it a day? Tomorrow, we’ll head over to the stage and work on choreography.”
When no one moved, Reid rolled his eyes. “Don’t be assholes. We’ve been here over four hours. I’m not that much of a slave driver.”
“It took Chloe ten hours to get to LA yesterday before she drove to the studio and practiced for almost six hours. You’ve kept us here from sunup until sundown before. Forgive me if I’m waiting for the punch line.”
Reid shrugged at Greer, but he flashed Chloe a sheepish smile. “This is what happens when I have a shred of confidence we’ll pull this off.”
“You’ve ridden our asses for weeks. Even when you weren’t here. Now, suddenly, after two practices with Chloe, you’re confident we’re not going to screw everything up?” Greer looked toward Chloe, his expression colored with disbelief. “Why the hell didn’t you get here sooner?”
Chloe laughed, a shy smile pulling at the corners of her mouth when Greer winked. “Maybe you should have suggested repeating the intro. Could’ve saved yourself a lot of trouble.”
Greer glared at Chloe, causing laughter to fill the room. “She got you there,” Drew observed.
“You’ve been stuck here as much as I have,” Greer pointed out to Drew. “You should be just as outraged.”
“Nah.” Drew dropped his drumsticks and stood. “I got nothing else to do. Plus, it’s Reid’s dime. If he wants to pay me to play drums, then I’ll take his money all day long.”
“Jerk,” Reid mumbled. “All right, everyone get the hell out of here. You’re officially off the clock.”
“Crap. Maybe I should have kept my mouth shut. I could have finally gotten that new ink I want.” Chloe looked at Reid, mischief written all over her face. “I’ll know better next time.”
“I’ll be broke by the time this tour is over,” Reid joked.
“By the time this tour is over, you’ll have more money than you know what to do with. Now, while I still can, I’m going home, getting naked, and spreading across my bed from corner to corner. Once the tour starts, nights like those will be a distant memory. Later,” Greer called over his shoulder as he walked out the door.
“Well, that’s quite the mental image,” Chloe said, grabbing her violin case.
“You’re welcome to join me,” Greer yelled, his voice fading to a laugh as he moved farther down the hall.
Chloe snickered. “One thing’s for sure. This tour will never be boring.”