“You may be in luck.”
“How so?”
“I dabbled in music a little while back, so I got a little recording studio in my apartment. I could help you out if you want.”
“Seriously? What are the odds that I run into somebody with a recording studio in their home? I guess I really am supposed to do this.”
“With a voice like yours, you never should have doubted that. God wouldn’t give you a gift like the one you have and not expect you to use it.”
I wasn’t even sure if I still knew how to work all the shit I had in my home studio. I’d bought it on a whim when I was still trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. Making beats had always fascinated me, so I figured I would start there.
Music kind of took a back seat when I joined the Army, though. Still, I was willing to figure the shit out for her. The more time I spent with Gina, the more I wanted to fulfill every need she had. So, if she needed someone to help her out in the studio, I would find a way to make it happen.
“Check this out. Since we get off around the same time, how about we start tomorrow after work? That will give me time to get everything situated in there tonight. I probably got to dust some shit off since it’s been so long since I even played around with it.”
She chuckled at that, and I did the same. I knew the small studio I’d made of my guest bedroom wasn’t too messy, because I took pride in keeping my space clean. I hated clutter, and I couldn’t sleep knowing parts of my house were out of order. Still, I wanted to get in there and at least make sure everything was still working as it was supposed to.
“Oh my God, thank you so much. I really appreciate your help.”
“Don’t mention it. I’ve been saving your life since you came to this town.”
“Whatever.” She playfully slapped my shoulder as she giggled, and just her touch had me counting down the minutes until I saw her again.
“Alright, well, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“See you then.”
Chapter
Seven
Gina
2 weeks later
“Start from the top again,” I heard Ramel say.
This was our third time starting over. I’d never done this many takes by myself, but I could already tell he was a perfectionist. In the short time I’d known him, I had learned that he liked things a certain way—the right way.
His studio was small, but it had everything we needed. The equipment we were using to record, mix, and master the last two songs on my EP fit perfectly in his spare bedroom. There was a small soundproof booth in the far-right corner of the room. I’d been in there singing with everything I had in me for at least an hour. I knew for sure Ramel would like what I’d put down this last time, but clearly, he was not impressed.
After working every day this week, we were still on the first song I wanted to record. I couldn’t get past the one part I kept messing up on. It was a rift and almost impossible for me to hit it just right. I was okay with moving on and letting it be what it was going to be, but clearly, Ramel was not.
I’d always felt that done was better than perfect, which was why I never stressed over small mishaps. That was what I feltlike this was, a small mishap that would be easily forgotten once listeners heard the entire song. I didn’t see the need to start over yet again, but Ramel had a way with words that made me want to listen to everything he had to say.
Besides, I had to admit, he had an ear for music. He could tell that something just wasn’t quite right with what I was doing. Knowing he was right and that I was going to do what he said anyway didn’t stop me from speaking my mind.
“Again?” I asked like I hadn’t heard him the first time.
“Yeah, again. It won’t take long. Let’s run through it again. He only glanced up at me for a few seconds before looking back down at the sound board. “You got it this time. I can feel it.”
Ramel let the beat ring out for me to catch, and I caught it just in time to sing the tune the way I knew he wanted me to. Once I got that part right, the rest of the song just fell into place. I really did my big one with the lyrics because I felt every word. I knew this song would be a hit. I could feel it in my bones.
“Good. Good. That sounds perfect.”
Ramel stood from behind his desk, giving me a round of applause. I took the headphones off my head and smiled. I had to take a moment to sit in the accomplishment before I stepped back and took a bow. I slipped out of the small booth before he had time to change his mind. I knew he would be doing a playback soon, just to make sure it was exactly what he wanted.
“Come on out of there. You have to hear this for yourself.”
