Chapter 15 #3
I started off singing this lovely soprano aria, all about my hope for finding true love, and then he came in with his weight skills rapping, and then it moved into whether two predators could share the night.
He could actually do harmony when he wasn’t rapping, so after hours and hours, I was almost sure that the final recording wouldn’t be humiliating.
Our voices didn’t exactly blend, but it’d be fine.
Right. Totally fine. If I was smiling, things couldn’t be that bad, right?
When I took a break for lunch, Richard slipped beside me where I sat at the table with the healthy shake Mitt had made me.
“I made you a sandwich.” He pushed over a grilled masterpiece, but I was trying not to look at him.
I stared at the beautiful golden toasted sourdough bread, strips of bacon, juicy tomatoes, and crispy lettuce. Such a huge contrast to my own shady mental state. I poked the sandwich. “How do you keep the lettuce from wilting when you grilled it?”
“I put the lettuce in after.” He tugged on me, turning me so I’d face him. I stared at him while my heart beat faster and I tried not to get weird.
“What?” I asked, feeling exposed.
He pursed his soft lips. “You look tired. How was the duet yesterday? I’m worried that you aren’t having enough fun. You had a blast with the first spontaneous duet you did with the fairy, so why didn’t you have fun yesterday?”
I stared at him. “Seriously?” I was singing with a professional.
I had to do my best and make it amazing, but at the same time…
I thumped my fist on the table. “Exactly! The duets are supposed to be fun, my favorite part of this circus, so why aren’t they?
Why do musicians have to suck the fun out of everything?
I mean, I guess it’s sort of fun to not suck, but the pressure, the performance, it’s all so completely joyless. ”
He thumped his fist on the table and nodded.
“Exactly. We are going to have fun. I know Mirabel talks about me like I’m some kind of amazing musician, but I’m not.
When it comes to music, I’m not interested unless it’s fun.
So don’t stress, okay? Don’t stress with the werewolf, because…
” He trailed off looking thoughtful. “He’s kind of a weird guy. ”
I snorted and then looked around so no one heard me then leaned closer. “He waxes his legs,” I whispered then pulled back, hoping he wouldn’t be mean about it.
He pulled up his pants, revealing golden skin with pale hair. “What do you think? Should I wax? My hair’s mostly invisible, but if you prefer hairless…”
I put a hand over his mouth and giggled. “Don’t mock him.”
His brows rose and then he kissed my palm. I pulled away feeling burned, but he only leaned forward. “No? Then what can I do? I know! I’m about to wax eloquent on your magnificent voice. Are you prepared?”
I giggled again and then grabbed the table. “I’m braced. Go ahead and let me have it.”
He cocked his head and then got a distant look in his eyes.
“You have the most delightful ability to adjust your style and tone to match your partner’s.
That’s one of the most difficult things to teach, and you were born with it.
Also, your high A is incredibly sweet. Most voices in that range tend to pitchy.
If you provided those notes with more support, you could give it more strength, but the sweetness and clarity are absolutely there. ”
I grabbed his arm. “Wait a minute. You’re actually talking about my voice? I thought you were joking. Also, you don’t sound like a casual singer, you sound like a very serious musician.”
He smiled and covered my hand with his. “I mean, I know about music. It’s my mother’s life, and she made sure I had a very strong foundation in case my interests went in that direction, but honestly, I’m more interested in the people than the sound.
The relationships. When she left me and my dad to go back to her work, her only interest in me musical, that ensured that I wouldn’t be following in her career choices. ”
“Also you like killing stuff with your sword.”
He nodded. “Absolutely. Musical death is so much more soul-rending.” He gave me a slow smile.
“What kind of duet do you want to do with me? Shall we do a little bit of everything, shake it up in a bag, and see what comes out? Do you rap? Hearing the wolf rap makes me think there’s a little rap inside of everyone. ”
Somehow, in spite of everything, I started feeling a little better. “Right? You could absolutely lay down a few lines.”
He grinned more broadly, flashing his dimple. “Now it’s a challenge. I will rap. And you will be horrified.”
I laughed and then took a bite of the sandwich. It was so good. While I ate, Richard took notes on a scrap piece of paper, every once in a while asking me questions, like, “What rhymes with rain?” My answer, “Mountain.” It was the worst rhyme, but that was the game, right?
He smiled at me with twinkling eyes. “Of course it does. Obviously.” He tugged on one of my curls, but not enough to hurt or to mess it up. Then he went back to sketching out lyrics while I ate my sandwich.
He played with my hair absently while I ate and drank the shake, feeling better and more solid with every bite.
It was nice to be with my bestie, even if it wasn’t anything special.
We just felt right. That’s what I was going to keep, our friendship, and I wouldn’t let anything get in the way of that, even if I had seen him naked.