Chapter 6
Chapter Six
A dam stepped back into the studio determined to take Mattie’s mind off everything that was bothering her. First, he sent a quick text to Lucas.
Buzzards camped outside. Need a ride.
The studio had a side entrance meant for deliveries that was hidden from the street. His manager happened to have a van with a cleaning company logo on it for just such an occasion.
When? How’s Bellamy?
Adam glanced at Mattie. She was trying to hide it, but she was looking at her phone again.
He sent back: Distracted . Give us a few hours.
He tucked the phone away. Maybe once the music started, she’d settle into the creativity and forget the drama. “Let’s start with ‘Her Demons Beat My Angels and go down the list.”
The guys all nodded their agreement.
“Let’s party!” Flynn shouted and counted down.
After what Mattie had done earlier with Johnny J’s song, Adam knew she was exactly what they needed. If she agreed to work with him, they’d not only be able to finish off the album, he’d be able to spend a lot of quality time with her.
Problem was, even though she looked up from time to time as they ran through each track, he could tell she was only half paying attention. He checked Twitter surreptitiously during instrumental sections. Devon Morales was certainly making an ass of himself, but it seemed mostly harmless. Just empty words from a blowhard drama queen.
He had to come up with a way to take her mind off the douchebag and get her undivided attention.
They started the fifth track, “Get Back,” when the idea sparked. The song was about getting back to the simple things of life. They’d written it near the end of a tour three years ago. They’d been exhausted and running on fumes. Someone, he thought maybe Brandon, had mentioned how they should take a vacation after the last show, which started a round-robin on where they would go.
The ideas grew more and more outrageous as they’d unwound from the show high. Cooper had ended up researching the world’s most expensive resorts and had found one they’d all agreed on. But life had interfered, and they’d never made it. As he watched Mattie’s expression shift from worried to tired to sad and back, he had a feeling she now might be a great time to put that plan into action.
When they finished the tenth track, they all filed out of the studio and collapsed onto the couches and chairs in the control room.
Mattie put her phone in her lap and covered it with her hands. “That was really…that was great, guys. Thanks for running through all that.”
LT picked up one of the donuts from earlier and took a big bite. “What’d you think of track five?”
Everyone had to have noticed how distracted Mattie was while they were playing, but LT would have taken it the worst. He was the middle child of a large family and fought for scraps of attention as a survival sport. He was probably trying to get her to admit that she’d been ignoring them.
Adam jumped in. “We aren’t really worried about track five. We need the help on the last three tracks.”
Mattie flashed Adam an indignant look, then gave LT her full attention. “I think the title’s wrong, and the chorus could use a little polish, but overall the melody is full of surprises and it’s fun. I think it’s a keeper.”
Adam leaned against the side counter and crossed his arms in satisfaction. She had been listening.
“What’s wrong with the title?” Flynn asked, sounding a little hurt. The title had been his idea.
Mattie turned a patient smile on him. “Have you really thought about how people who don’t know you might interpret ‘Pleasure Sticks’? It sounds like you’re masturbating with dildos.”
There was a moment of stunned silence, and then they all burst out laughing.
“I meant these,” Flynn protested, twirling drumsticks.
She held her hands up in surrender. “I’m just saying maybe something like ‘Stuck on Love’ might work better.”
“Dude, I knew we shouldn’t let you pick the title,” Brandon said. “Your mind is in the gutter most of the time.”
“Glad Mattie pointed that out before we released,” Adam said. “Although now that you mention it, maybe we should pass the song to a girl band.”
“Don’t do that.” Mattie said. “It’s perfect for you.”
“Not sure what that means exactly,” LT grinned, “but I like the direction you’re going.”
Adam was about to ask her take on the other songs, when Mattie started and looked down at her phone. Again. Yet another text flashed on the screen.
Time to put his new plan into action. He pushed off from the counter and paced closer to Mattie to get her attention. She glanced up long enough for him to make eye contact.
“Now that you’ve heard most of the album, you can see what we need for the last three. I was hoping for a transition from ‘This Is Not the End’ to the more lively stuff, but so far nothing I’ve tried has felt right. That’s where you come in.”
“Yeah, since Johnny left his writing sucks,” Brandon said.
“Not just mine,” Adam pointed out. “The melody of that last try was more like something for a horror movie.”
“What’s wrong with it?” Brandon looked affronted.
“It was supposed to be about life and love, not death and destruction.” Adam shook his head at his little brother. “Even if you had just broken up with what’s-her-name.”
Mattie gave them a look of understanding patience. “It’s hard when something you depended on is suddenly gone. It takes time to adjust, I think.”
Adam pushed forward before anybody else derailed the conversation. “So, Mattie, one of these three songs is going to be submitted for Song of the Year. When we’re working on something like that, we usually do a writing retreat.”
“We do?” LT asked.
Brandon looked at Flynn.
Flynn snickered and wiggled his sticks.
Adam shot them a dirty look. “You know, get away from everything so we can really focus on the music. Unplug. Go off the grid.”
“Live out every cliche.” Cooper rolled his eyes.
Mattie looked amused. “Writing retreat?”
Adam nodded with enthusiasm. “Yeah. We’re going to do a month at Syer Island to finish up the album.”
“A month?” Cooper choked on something.
LT helpfully pounded him on the back.
Mattie looked back and forth from Cooper to Adam. “Syer Island? Where’s that?”
“Isn’t that the place by Africa?” Brandon asked.
“The Seychelles,” Cooper supplied. “It’s really—”
“Beautiful,” Adam finished for him. “Totally off the beaten path. They have these amazing villas that open right to the beach. It’s a great place to get away from everything.”
He saw the second he really caught Mattie’s attention. Her phone buzzed as another text came in, but she didn’t look down. She had a dreamy, faraway expression in her beautiful hazel eyes, and a small smile lifted her lips. She was already there.
“I’d like you to come with us.” He leaned against the control panel next to her. “Our treat. Help us finish these last three songs. At the very least, think of it as a free vacation. We’ll be unplugged, just us, a beach, lots of good food, and quality time away from the daily crap. What do you say?”
“Us?” Brandon said. He edged closer to Flynn. “Does he mean all of us?”
“I don’t know,” Flynn replied.
“I doubt it,” Cooper said. “I’m sure he means just the two of them.”
Mattie looked doubtful.
Adam jumped in before they could convince her not to go. “I meant everybody. I always mean everybody.”
LT looked a lot more interested in the conversation. “All five of us?”
Cooper grimaced. “Is this coming out of the general budget, or are we all pitching in?”
Adam kicked his foot. “It’s coming from me. ”
LT’s eyes widened. Cooper gave an appraising look that shifted from Adam to Mattie and back.
Flynn hit Brandon’s arm. “Told ya.”
“Told him what?” Mattie asked.
“Nothing,” Brandon said too quickly to be innocent.
Mattie narrowed her eyes at them. “You don’t usually do this, do you?”
“Yes, we do,” Adam said. “Once a year-ish.”
He stood just behind Mattie, so she couldn’t see his face, which allowed him to give his bandmates a challenging look. He mouthed, Go with it .
Brandon snickered. Adam flipped him off.
Mattie glanced up at him.
“I’m serious.” Adam smiled at her. “I need a change of pace, and it sounds like you could use one too.”
“Are you really submitting it for Song of the Year?”
Adam nodded. “Not me personally, but the label, yes. It’ll be in the contract, with you as lyrics and the rest of us as music.”
Mattie bit her lip. “A month.”
He could see the glint in her eyes when he mentioned the award. His band already had a Best Song award. Surely, The Bellamy Sisters did too. He made a mental note to look that up.
“It’s been awhile since we’ve won an award, so this means a lot to us. You don’t have to decide right this second.” Adam kept his tone casual and made sure to look around at everyone rather than pin his gaze on her.
He was just a guy, arranging a work session with colleagues.
No ulterior motives.
None at all.
“Maybe.” She glanced at the door. “Not sure we’ll be able to leave the studio, much less go away for a month.”
“Not a problem,” Adam replied. “I have a ride coming to sneak us out of here. We can drop you at your place, and if you leave me the keys, we’ll make sure your car makes it back to you by morning. That way the paparazzi will be off your trail. I’ll send you all the details on the trip and you can let me know if you’re in. Deal?”
She blinked up at him with hopeful, but guarded eyes. “I’ll think about it.”
They talked titles and music for another hour until Lucas finally showed up in the delivery van. Adam and Mattie were able to sneak out and take off with nobody noticing, thanks to the invisibility cloak of office supplies and the distraction of the rest of the band leaving out the front door.
Legendary LA traffic being what it was, it took over an hour for Lucas to drive them to Mattie’s house, which gave Adam plenty of quality time to talk. At one point, he thought he had convinced her to go on the impromptu writing retreat, but by the time they arrived at her townhouse, he thought she’d changed her mind.
If Adam ever got his hands on Devon the Deranged, he’d throttle him. Between the tweets and two new gossip columns detailing every bit of their love life, it was no wonder she didn’t want to take on a project with another man.
He walked her to the front door, racking his brain for something to say that might convince her.
“Look, I know you have a lot going on right now, but I also know the best way to stop being the flavor of the month is to get away from the people with nothing better to do than harass you. There’s no paparazzi at Syer Island, and Dismal Devon won’t be able to find you.”
“I love the names you come up with for him.” She smiled faintly. “I’ll think about it. Thanks for the ride home.”
He knew from the look in her eyes that she planned on saying no; she was just too polite to tell him to his face. He tried not to let the disappointment show. “Sure. Go on in. I want to make sure nobody camps on your doorstep.”
She chuckled, and let herself in.
He waited until she’d locked the door and the lights went on inside before he got back in the van. He climbed into the front seat and shut the door.
Lucas lifted an eyebrow. “I think you made a great pitch. Seriously, well done. If I were her I’d jump on it in a heartbeat.”
“I want her.”
“Yeah, I got that.” Lucas put the car in drive, then paused. “So what’s the problem?”
“I don’t think she wants me .” It felt odd to put that into words. Like he’d somehow failed a test he didn’t know he was taking. “I invited her to a writing retreat on an exclusive tropical island, and she told me she’d think about it. Pretty sure that’s girl code for no.”
“It’s truly a first,” Lucas muttered. “A woman turned you down.”
Adam frowned at him. “It’s not like that.”
“It’s always like that. She’s a woman, you’re a man. Laws of the jungle apply. Look at it this way, she didn’t say no to your face. That means the door’s open.”
“I doubt that,” Adam said. “She’s just too nice to reject me outright.”
Lucas glanced at him. “Let’s find out. Computer, call Kat Marshall.”
The phone autodialed as Lucas pulled out onto the freeway and immediately slowed to a near stop in rush hour traffic.
“Kat Marshall,” a woman answered.
“Kat! This is Lucas. I hear things went very well today between your girl and my boy.”
“Oh, Lucas. Hi. Um, I haven’t heard from Mattie yet. Are they done for the day?” Kat sounded surprised, like she’d expected a longer session.
“Vultures were parked out front so we gave her a ride home in my delivery van. Listen, Adam tells me the band is leaving for a writing retreat soon and he wants Mattie to go with. He’s buying.”
“Oh really? The whole band, or just him?” She sounded suspicious.
Adam made a whirling motion with his finger and mouthed, All of us.
“Uh,” Lucas watched his finger, so confused he nearly ran into the car in front of them. “Oh, all of them. Of course. It’s a nice place, very respectable. Very exclusive tropical island.”
He gave Adam a sideways look. “She’ll have her own room, and there’ll be no unwanted bedroom creeping.”
“I’ll need to talk with her about that. She’s having kind of a tough time right now,” Kat said. She paused, then added, “What tropical island?”
Adam mouthed the name, but Lucas couldn’t tell what he was saying. “I forget the name off the top of my head, but trust me, it’s going to be fantastic. Thing is, Adam thinks Mattie’s going to say no. Think you can change her mind? It would be a great way to wrap up those last three tracks without distractions, and it’ll be a lucrative deal for everyone if these two kids work together on this. Especially if they take Best Song, which how could they not, right?”
“Right. Best Song. Would submission be in the contract?”
Adam nodded emphatically.
Lucas eyed him. “Uh, yes. Of course. All we need is a signature.”
“Great.” Kat sounded as distracted as Mattie had been. He wondered if she was texting Mattie right now. “Interesting. A tropical island retreat? For how long? ”
Lucas glanced at Adam.
“A month,” Adam said loud enough for her to hear.
“Is that Adam?” Kat asked.
“Yeah,” Adam said. “Hi, Kat. We’ll stay a month to really give the song the attention it needs, but of course Mattie can come and go whenever she’d like. No pressure. I know she’s been through a lot of stress recently, and I just thought she might like a chance to get away from it.”
“That’s very thoughtful of you. Very thoughtful. What resort is this?”
“Syer Island, in the Seychelles,” Adam said. “She’ll have her own private villa that opens right onto the beach.”
He stressed the word “private,” hoping to drive home the idea that he wasn’t a Devon Morales clone. Mattie deserved a lot better than that prick.
He could hear typing in the background. He glanced at Lucas, who shrugged and mouthed, Wait .
“Syer Island. I just looked it up. Wow. That’s beautiful. You’re staying a month ? I’m not sure I’d ever come back if I stayed that long.”
Adam laughed softly. “Think you can talk to her for me? I’d really like to work with her on this project, and I think she’d have fun.”
“Let me see what I can do.” She sounded a lot friendlier than she had at the beginning of the conversation.
“Thanks, Kat,” Lucas said. He ended the call. “Well you got her vote. Now we wait. I got to say, I’m impressed. I didn’t think you’d get Mattie Bellamy to come around.”
“I don’t think I did. I think the rest of her life might do that for me.” Adam looked at the gridlock in front of them. “I think it would be faster if I walked back to the studio.”
Adam texted Cooper while they crawled toward their destination. Set up Syer. April. Book the whole month. My account. Exclusive access.
“Trust me, if she goes along with this crazy idea it’ll be because of your sultry eyes and dazzling smile.”
Adam huffed a laugh. “I doubt she even noticed my eyes. She’ll go because she really wants to escape from her life. Can’t say I blame her. The last tweet from Devon said the love of his life stole his words. The dude is clingy as shit.”
An incoming text from Cooper chimed. You know how much that costs?
Don’t care , he sent back.
You do. It’s 1.5 mil.
Adam stared at the number. All inclusive?
Yes.
Adam nodded. Do it.
Deposit not refundable. What if she says no?
He thought about it for at least a half second. We’re going anyway.
This is messed up.
Adam huffed out a sigh. Book it.
“Yeah that photo of you two wasn’t a great shot. Maybe we should have a photographer on the island to get some candids for the media.” Lucas honked the horn. “Wake the fuck up, asshole! Think we got all day here?”
“No.” Adam turned toward Lucas so he could make sure the man heard his message. “No cameras. No photographers of any kind. Got me?”
Lucas shrugged. “Stupid to turn down publicity. You got a new album coming out, and you need hype to win awards. Not to mention the tour after that. We got to think about drumming up interest now.”
“No cameras. Got me?” Adam pictured what Mattie might do if she saw someone taking a picture of them on the island. She’d never speak to him again, that was for sure.
Lucas eyed him, then slowly nodded. “Got it.”
Adam sat back and stared out the window. He didn’t see the traffic. He saw a beach and a girl with honey hair and hazel eyes.
His phone chimed. Cooper had sent one word. Done.
Now all he had to do was wait for Mattie Bellamy to say yes.