“You’re right.” Anna took a step back. “It was a silly idea. I’m sorry I brought it up.”
“It’s not silly. Never let anyone convince you that your ideas aren’t valid, Anna.” Eden didn’t care for Anna’s bubblegum persona, but she’d been a teen pop star once, afraid to be a nuisance, eager to live up to everyone’s expectations, even at the expense of her own well-being. She knew how devastating it felt to be told her ideas weren’t good enough.
Anna looked at her, her expression a mixture of adoration and confusion. Eden wasn’t sure what to make of her. Anna was acting like a starry-eyed fangirl one moment and calling Eden out the next. The dichotomy was oddly fascinating.
“It’s a good idea,” Eden admitted. In fact, Anna’s concept for Eden to sing to a younger version of herself might make their performance the one everyone would be talking about, and wasn’t that the reason Eden had brought her on board in the first place?
“You think so?” Anna asked, sounding slightly breathless. It was impressive the way she clearly looked up to Eden yet still wasn’t afraid to go toe to toe with her. That took guts. Anna could sing too.
Eden nodded. “Let’s see what the team thinks.”
A smile slowly bloomed across Anna’s face. “Really?”
“Yes.” Eden led the way toward where Stella stood near the soundboard, talking to Lora. If they gave their blessing, Eden was willing to give this a chance. It was innovative,different, the kind of thing viewers would love on Grammy night.
“Anna, this is my manager, Stella Pascual, and I think you’ve already met our choreographer, Lora Headley.” Eden made introductions and then gestured for Anna to explain her idea to them.
Anna related her performance concept to Stella and Lora, embellishing slightly on the way she’d first described it to Eden. Either her confidence had grown, or she’d had a chance to think it through in moredetail now. When she finished, Eden could tell by the looks on Stella’s and Lora’s faces that they were on board.
“That’s abigchange,” Lora said. “And we’re already behind schedule by turning Eden’s performance into a duet.”
“It’s a big change, but I love it,” Stella said. “Anna, your wardrobe should be relatively easy to adjust, right?”
Anna nodded. “Yes, my stylist is still pulling options, so I could definitely have her switch gears and look for a green dress similar to what Eden wore in the ‘Daydreamer’ video.”
“Perfect. Do you two want to work out the lyric split on your own?” Stella asked.
Eden stifled a sigh. “We can do that.”
“I’ll find Paris and have her print out a few copies of the lyrics for you to work off of.” Stella turned and walked away.
Anna stared at Eden with wide eyes. “Wow. We’re really doing this.”
“Looks like we are. Why don’t you talk to your assistant about the wardrobe change and then meet me in the break room?” Eden pointed to the doorway.
“You got it.” Anna bounced away toward the blue-haired woman she’d arrived with. Okay, she walked, but there was a definite flounce in her step that had Eden fighting a smile.
She’d underestimated Anna. Perhaps she’d judged her by the colorful way she dressed, or worse, she might have even judged her based on the way the media portrayed her. Eden of all people ought to know better. She’d allowed herself to be poisoned by her own bitterness. She hated that she needed Anna’s popularity to give her own a boost, but that wasn’t Anna’s fault.
This was on Eden, and she was going to fix her attitude, starting now.
“I think this last line should be yours.” Anna tapped the paper in front of her. They’d highlighted and discarded several drafts as they worked out who would sing what. Eden had been surprisingly patient and cooperative. In fact, she seemed more relaxed overall than she had been when Anna first arrived that morning.
“But the last line is clearly the younger version of me.” Eden turned her head to meet Anna’s gaze. She had this intense way of looking at Anna that made her want to squirm ... or blush. Sometimes both.
Anna was doing her damndest not to let her insecurities show, to hold her own beside her idol, although her nerves were shredded at this point. “But it’s the last line,” she countered. “It’s your song, your performance, and I think if you sing this line, it could sound like you’re reclaiming your younger self. You’re still her. I’ll just kind of fade away in the background.”
Eden looked pensive for a moment, then nodded. “I like it, but you shouldn’t fade away at the end. This is your performance too.”
“I can pop back out afterward to wave to the crowd or whatever, but the end of the song should be yours.”
“All right. Are we ready to start rehearsing?” Eden asked.
Anna popped to her feet. “I’m ready. Let’s do this.”
Eden stood with the smooth grace of a dancer, although Anna knew she’d never been one. As a result of having been a fan for so many years, she knew a lot more about Eden than she probably should. Perhaps Eden’s elegance came from a lifetime of being in front of the cameras, her every move watched and critiqued.
Anna had been young when she got her start, too, but not as young as Eden. Anna was twenty-two when she was signed to play a nerdy teen witch onHex High, the show that made her B-list famous. She had been twenty-five when she left the show to pursue her music career.
