Tears blurred her vision. “Thanks, Jay.”
“You’re most welcome. Shall we give it a listen?”
She hurried into the control booth and flopped onto the couch before remembering to sit up straight. The camera was still rolling. They listened to the song three times while Jay stopped and talked about what she had done particularly well, and by the end, Claudia was filled with pride. She finally recorded something that would have her name on it. She would get all the credit. And the money. It felt amazing.
Looking at her watch, Claudia realized she’d been away from Elliott for nearly five hours. If she hurried, she could nurse him before bedtime, instead of pumping. “I should run.”
“Come back tomorrow. The execs will be here to listen to it, and I’d hate for you to miss what will be a good moment for you.”
Tugging on her jacket, she said, “You sound certain that they’ll like it.”
“That’s because I am.”
“Thanks, Jay. I couldn’t have done this without you.”
“I’ve been at this since before you were born, and if there’s one thing I know, it’s a real artist. Someone who puts their heart and soul into their work. Real artists don’t need guys like me. We’re just along for the ride.”
His words lifted the heaviness in her heart. Being recognized by someone with his talent and experience made her feel like maybe someday she’d stop feeling like a fraud.
The cameraman started packing up his equipment, and Claudia hurried back to the studio to gather up her guitar and sheet music.
Quinn followed her. “I appreciate you letting us capture the moment. It’s such an incredible story. First you find out you’re having Mike’s baby, and now you’ve recorded this beautiful song for him.”
Smiling, Claudia whispered a quick thank you, feeling twisted up and terrible. There was no going back. No changing her mind. The lie was a matter of public record now, having been leaked toUS Weeklyby someone in the finance department at the record label a few weeks earlier. Steven and Rusty had been making a big effort to come to her aid, both offering her enormously generous sums of money to get her through until Mike’s estate was settled. Every kindness made her feel worse.
The film crew said their goodbyes, and as soon as they were alone, Jay grinned at Claudia. “Thank God that’s over, right?”
“Yes. Talk about nerve-wracking.”
“You did great.” Opening the door, Jay said, “Can I walk you out?”
“Sure,” Claudia answered, glad she wouldn’t have to walk to her car alone in the dark.
When they got outside, Jay said, “Hey, Claudia, I wanted to say, be careful not to sell yourself short. There are some real predators in this business, and I’ve seen women like you get taken advantage of.”
She chuckled, wishing she’d been given that advice five years ago. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
Without looking at her, he said, “That’s already happened, hasn’t it?”
Her cheeks warmed up. “What would make you think that?”
“Every songwriter leaves their own signature—a way of arranging words to tell a story. Yours is personal, emotional, but you hold back just enough to keep it from becoming melodramatic. You use first person. Your songs start quietly and build and build and build to the end. You don’t back off after the chorus like most writers do. You create suspense and a flurry of emotions that leave the audience with no choice but to rewind and start again.”
Claudia stopped walking and stared at him, trying to figure out what he was actually trying to say. Did he know? He couldn’t possibly know. “That’s a lot of information to get from one song.”
“I’m not just talking about ‘Already Gone.’ You also wrote the only number one hit The Vows have had in the last decade. But you didn’t get the credit.”
Claudia opened her mouth, then closed it, not knowing if Jay was someone she could trust.
“Your silence speaks volumes,” Jay told her.
“No, I’m… trying to figure out why you’d think that. It’s very kind of you to give me the credit, but I didn’t write that song. You might just think that because I sing half of it.”
“That’s not why.”
They reached Claudia’s car, and she fumbled around in her purse for her keys.
“You ever wonder why The Vows had a span of over a decade without a number one hit? Or why that drought started when Zane and his first wife divorced? Curious, isn’t it?”
