"Let’s do this Lex." I look at everyone with a greedy smile. "Time to show the haters what genius looks like."
"I don’t thinkHurricanewill show the truth to what we want to show off. Can we please doRITUALBetter by Now?" She asks as we set up in the booth. No mics are on so I feel comfortable talking openly with her.
"Look, pull no punches, right?" I ask and she nods in agreement, chewing her bottom lip.
"The reason I am not available is the red head on the production side holding the boy speaking in ASL. That is my son Axe as you know, but the redhead is his mom Jenny and the one woman who killed me for any other woman. If I play better by now, I have to sing parts in it and it's too real with her here feel me?"
"No." She says and folds her arms, ready to argue with me in an instant. "That is why you play it. That emotion you play is heard well in the lyrics too and it is why it's our best cover so far. Once shit gets personal the music makes it real."
I see the green light flick on knowing everyone can hear us now, so I keep it on the subject at hand. I look at her stunned and feel pride in the fight for the right song, but shock at the point she made and nod because I need her to shut the fuck up before everyone knows how fucked up I am over Jen.
"It needs to be half of both of us and that is the best song to show our direction. If we pull no punches then shut the fuck up and play your emotion and express your broken heart Calvin."
The minute she says Calvin everyone, every single person on the other side of the glass is in stitches of laughter. I cringe knowing damn well while they are laughing.
"Green light is on jackass." Shamus says and is still laughing. "I mean Calvin." They all start rolling again but my only concern is on Jen.
There is no flattery in her eyes from what she heard. My people know how deep she is inside of me, inadvertently or not, she will see this as something for Tay or some other fail of mine on her behalf. I know it the minute I see her eyes.
More games
More denial
More bullshit.
So over it.
So, fuck her, I can fight back and dig deeper with the truth than react to these games anymore.
Knowing I need to keep check on my crazy, I mentally scream fuck fifty times in my head as I set up to playBetter by Nowfirst and shove it down her throat.
I will however remain insane though.
Awesome.
"She called me CD to give me anonymity, but that name... reminds me of blue smurf’s with English accents and it turns my stomach. She chose Calvin over Cal. Calvin will always be better than CD." I look to Jen, knowing all my friends are looking at me with pure shock. They know CD. Very well. But Jen knows why I disdain the mother fucker. "Mark my words on that."
Being the dick, I am these days I flip the mic off and wait for the red light to look at Lex. "Oh, fuckin A yes, let’s play this shit."
I flip the mic on and address my small audience.
"This song is calledBetter by NowbyRITUAL. Covers aren’t my thing and that will be clear in the rendition of this with the guitar I bring in. I just want your opinion on what we do here. Hear it, tell us how both styles blend."
I count in and wait for the audio she set starts in, minus the bass, which I will account for as I play. Usually the male is the lead in this song, but no I am better as backup. This show is for them to hear the vibe and the vibe is her voice. It also takes away from the original in the best way possible.
That had been the win on her end for this choice. Until me there was no male vocal.
I watch the impressed faces of my friends as we take the chorus together and know in that minute that we had back up in this project.
Fucking told them so.
Jen
I watch as Cal finishes this song by doing his thing, his voice becoming the dominant lead as Lexington falls back as they go in and out. His guitar, haunting as he sings how he misses her, misses himself.
The end of the song comes as Cal and Lexington both sing it to an end and we all stand up and clap.
"Holy fucking shit is thattheCal Dorian of the brush it off way of life?" Chad says turning the mic from red to green.