I pursed my lips but didn’t respond because I didn’t want to be offensive and tell her that she definitely had groupie behavior sometimes. The last thing I needed was to have to lay in her ass today when we were heading toward a high.
Retta and I were both from well off families but she treated this entire group like a side project. She didn’t have the same drive as Charm and me.
I was fighting to make my dream come true and didn’t have a backup plan to fall on if this didn’t work. I couldn't afford for it to not work. That wasn’t even an option at this point. My family would ultimately make sure I didn’t end up homeless but the pressure to succeed pushed me to keep at this until I made it or lost my ability to sing, rap, and perform.
Charm understood that. She’d been in the foster system young and had gotten recruited while she was performing at a talent event just trying to make quick cash for a motel.
“You know that’s not what Myome is trying to say,” Charm offered. “All we’re saying is we have to be professional.” She climbed to her feet without giving Retta a chance to respond. “Let’s go, in case we get stuck in traffic.”
“Alright.” Retta rolled her eyes but pushed up from her seat and I followed suit.
The three of us slipped into the backseat of the company car and Retta immediately connected her phone to the Bluetooth and played Drix’s music. I rapped and bobbed along while we rode through the city toward the studio.
When we got to the location, we were dropped off at the front door and walked straight to the front desk.
“Hi. We’re here looking for Drix,” Retta said proudly.
The receptionist looked us up and down, rolled her eyes, and looked at the computer screen. I looked over at Charm who met my gaze.
“Should I curse her out?” I whispered.
“What happened to being professional?” Retta teased.
“Yeah, okay.” I checked my phone while the receptionist typed away on the computer.
“He’s in room three,” she announced. “Have a good session.”
“We will,” Retta sang.
Charm walked down the hall and we followed her. Retta took her phone out, put the front camera on, and started looking at different angles of her face.
I wiped my hands on the thighs of my jeans.
Even though I was trying to play it cool, I had to admit that not only was this exciting but it was a little nerve-wracking. One shoutout from Drix could change a lot for us. I was getting more nervous the further down the hall we got.
When we made it to the correct studio door, Retta knocked twice before pushing it open. Music blasted so loudly I immediately knew they hadn’t heard Retta knocking. There was weed smoke in the air and at least seven people sitting around.
A man sat on the couch with two women leaning into him. Drix’s brother, singer and songwriter Rome, sat on the other couch with the other half of his professional duo, Merch. At least four women danced in the middle of the room together, and although he was facing away from us, I was sure Drix sat at the soundboard with a woman seated beside him, a hand on Drix’s knee.
Everyone outside of Drix and the woman beside him turned to look at us.
Retta’s confidence seemed to slip immediately and she took half a step back.
“Hey.” I lifted my hand awkwardly. “I’m Myome and we’re Radiant Reverie.” I gestured between the three of us. “We have an appointment with Drix.”
“Ay, Drix. Yo’ appointment is here,” the man wedged between the two women announced.
My breathing hitched when Drix spun around with a blunt resting in his mouth. He shifted it and blew smoke out. Even sitting down it was obvious that he was tall and well built. He had hair that was cut short on the sides but left to grow at the top and the prettiest, light brown eyes I’d ever seen. Tattoos littered both of his arms and one of his hands. He wore a plain black shirt and gray joggers with matching black and gray kicks, a blinged out watch on one arm, and two nice-sized chains around his neck.
He gave us a onceover and small smirk. Then he plucked his blunt out of his mouth.
“What’s up?” he greeted us. “Y’all ready to work now or need a minute?”
“We’re ready now,” Charm said immediately.
“Cool.” Drix climbed to his feet and I immediately realized he was much taller than he looked in photos. He hit a button and the music stopped. “Everybody who ain’t in the girl group, get the fuck out,” he said simply.
The dancing women looked around like they were shocked by that statement but Merch and the other man hopped up immediately.