Something about it sparked this feeling in Juliet, this one that made her feel absolutely alive. She found herself holding her breath, waiting for Darcy’s rejoinder. Maybe this was what a boxer felt like before a match?
Instead of responding, though, Darcy worked that sharp line of her jaw back and forth, staring Juliet down.
When she finally spoke, her voice was burning with fury, but was so soft echoing in Juliet’s ears through her headphones as she muttered, “Fine. You know, I’ve spent the last few hours rolling over and giving you almost everything you wanted. Nolyric changes. No reworking the bridge. I was willing to do it because Ireallywanted this to work out, even if it meant working with you.”
Darcy took a firm step backwards, forcing herself away from the energy buzzing through their studio. Away from the glass that Juliet was somewhat shocked hadn’t shattered from being trapped between them.
The lights in the booth glinted off of all of the mixed metal rings on Darcy’s fingers, as she reached up and hurriedly threaded them through her long flaxen hair, momentarily distracting Juliet. She’d also toyed with them, twisting them around her long fingers so captivatingly, as they’d attempted their many recordings.
She snapped herself back into the moment, annoyed for letting herself get drawn in by such a minor thing, especially right now. “So, what? Are you going to throw some diva tantrum and act like you’re walking out of here to try and get what you want?”
Juliet had seen that behavior before, butgod, she really didn’t want to work with it. Wasn’t sure she could. And, frankly, it would be the only thing Darcy did that surprised her so far, something that didn’t seem to fit with her outward persona.
Darcy reached down and grabbed her bag, slinging the strap over her shoulder, before she shot Juliet a glare. “Nope. Not acting. And not trying to get what I want. In fact, I’m givingyouwhat you want; I’m out. Record ‘Porchlight’ yourself.”
Juliet scoffed. “Yeah, okay. You’re going to seriously walk out of here? Walk away from working on Shelby Linwood’s album?”
Darcy seriously needed to get real with herself if she thought for a second Juliet would buy into that.
Darcy gave her a tight smile, one that belied bubbling frustration underneath the surface. “I’d rather not be on thisalbum at all than disrespect Shelby by putting out a subpar cover with you.”
With that, she reached up and ripped the headphones off and tossed them on the chair, before she turned on her heel and walked right out.
Juliet’s heart was still pounding a little harder, a little faster, from when they’d been standing so close, their emotions running right under the surface. And that thrum of anticipation didn’t die down until she realized – Darcy really wasleaving.
Like. She actually left. She walked out of her recording booth, past Dustin – quickly thanking him for his time – and then she shut the door to the control room behind her.
“For what it’s worth, I thought a lot of her ideas were great,” Dustin chimed in.
She reached up to rub at her temple. “Thanks, Dustin. That’s very useful right now.”
The newest grievance with Darcy?She’d put Juliet in the position of calling Thomas to discuss the cover.
Juliet detested needing to reach out to Thomas and ask for things. First, because she didn’t trust him as far as she could throw his mustache-having, car-salesman-smile ass. Second, because it made her feel like a child.
She detested it even more when their conversations didn’t go in her favor.
She tossed her phone onto the counter, needing to not have it in her hand anymore. Logically, she knew her phone was innocent. Illogically, it was the conduit for the terrible conversation she’d just had.
“I take it things didn’t go well with Thomas?” Laura asked from where she sat on the couch in Juliet’s hotel suite.
Juliet couldn’t join her, pacing the floor instead. Too much riled-up energy inside, too much agitation.
“No,” she muttered, darkly. “Even though I explained to him that Darcy was the one who walked out of the studio and verbally recused herself from doing the song, it doesn’t matter. If there’s no Darcy, there’s no song.”
Massive insult to injury.
“Got it,” Laura said, quietly. She tapped her fingers on the cushion next to her in thought. “Okay, why don’t I change our flight out tomorrow to earlier in the day, then? Right now, we aren’t scheduled to leave until eight at night; we might as well head out earlier so you can have more time to prepare for your show the day after.”
Laura’s suggestion was reasonable – her suggestions typically were – but it gave Juliet pause, her pacing coming to a sudden stop.
“You want me to justquiton Shelby’s album?” She asked, incredulously.
How… un-Laura-like. And definitely not what Juliet was ever going to do.
Laura shrugged. “Well, if you can’t do it without Darcy, and you can’t make it work with Darcy, then I don’t really think there’s anything else to say.”
Juliet folded her arms over her chest, eyeing Laura closely. “Okay, now I know you’re playing me.”
