“You can talk to me anytime,” she says. Then giving me that sweet smile, she walks away.
I watch her round ass sway.Don’t go, I need you.
But I can’t say that out loud. I go back into the studio and become all business again. I need to get my head in the game.
Strapping on my guitar, I press a pedal. “We are playing mayfly. On three…”
The studio becomes a soundscape, the music lifts me.
I fucking love this band.
My brothers.
And that girl.
Shit.
Mayfly finishes and we look over at Harmony. She is on her feet, spilling out ideas and waving her arms around excitedly. It’s adorable. And clever, her ideas are so spot on.
“I think, instead of one singer, with backup harmonies, you should use two main singers, and have the verses go back and forth. Kinda a tribute to an old school country duet, but in a completely contemporary way.”
“It needs a woman singer,” says Asa. “I have no problem with a love duet between two guys, but that just wouldn’t work for this song.”
“You should sing on it, Harmony,” Lennox suggests.
We all look at her. I’d heard the recording of her voice, it was sweet and pure. That could work.
But she goes pale and her face drops. “No way. No way, I’m not interested in performing ever. Line in the sand, OK?”
She really doesn’t want to. I wonder why, but won’t press it. Lenny, though, is trying to convince her. “Baby doll, you’re good, so good. Why not give it a go?”
Her face grows paler. Why can’t he see that the idea freaks her out. “Leave it!” I snap at him. “She doesn’t want to—end of story.”
Harmony looks at me and gives a nod of gratitude. It fills me with delight. I want her to be grateful. I want her to be my good girl.
Fuck!
“So who should sing on it then?” asks Asa, oblivious to my turmoil. Thankfully.
“What about Clara?” says Harmony. “It’s Clara who inspired the song in the first place.”
I turn and look at Lennox, so does Asa.
Lennox has his mouth open slightly. Harmony walks over, and kneeling next to his drum stool says, “Baby, what do you think?” Her voice is soft and warm. Lennox pulls her onto his lap, and buries his head in her hair.
“I think you are the most beautiful thing that has ever happened to my life,” he says. “We’ve never done a recording with Clara. It’s perfect, chef’s kiss even!”
“Yeah, nice one, sweetheart,” says Asa, walking over and stroking both her and Lenny’s back at the same time.
A shot of pain goes through me. I’m an outsider.
Harmony stands, gently disentangling herself from the other two. She walks over to me and puts her hand in mine.
“What do you think, Hugo?”
“Yes,” is all I can say.
She nods. “Great! So do you want us to sit down and work on the lyrics line by line? Or shall we move onto the summer meadow song?”
