Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 57804 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 289(@200wpm)___ 231(@250wpm)___ 193(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57804 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 289(@200wpm)___ 231(@250wpm)___ 193(@300wpm)
Or could life actually get even crazier than I could ever begin to imagine?
Chapter 16
Delilah
It was time. I was actually going to do this. I was going to send the demo to my label and see if they approved all of the hard work that the band and I had done.
I sat on the porch with my laptop in my lap, staring at the email I had drafted to Mark. The audio file was already attached. All I had to do was press send and wait, but my body was locked up and frozen.
I just couldn’t believe I was finally at this point. After weeks of late nights, rewrites, and recordings, we managed to craft a work of art from scratch. We were about to bare our souls to the world. Well, the label, but the label was essentially my world when it came to my career.
They were the deciding factor, and I just hoped that everything we did paid off in the end.
I moved my cursor to the send button, letting my finger hover over my touchpad. I couldn’t believe I’d almost turned this opportunity down. The past version of myself didn’t realize how amazing—and confusing—this process would be, but I was glad that I experienced it.
I just hoped that it didn’t come to an end.
After drawing in a breath, I clicked send and shut my laptop off before I could overthink it some more.
It was done. Sent off. Now, I had to wait for a response, which wouldn’t take long at all. Mark and the label were expecting it today.
I put my laptop up and lingered outside of the studio while the guys messed around inside. As much as I wanted to be with them, I wanted to hear back from the label first. My nervousness would only grow worse if I saw their hopeful faces.
I chewed on the inside of my cheek as I glanced at my phone repeatedly, my heart hammering. We had worked so damn hard on this song. If the label didn’t think that it was radio friendly or whatever, I would fly to New York tonight and fight for this song. With every fiber of my being, I believed in it. I knew that it was special because we put everything we had into it.
The moment my phone rang, I answered, pressing it to my ear.
“What did you think? Do they like it?” I asked, the words immediately breaking out of me.
“Woah, slow down,” Mark chuckled. “So, I showed some of the executives, and they had a lot to say.”
My blood ran ice cold. They hated it. They wanted us to scrap it, to give up on the idea.
“We all loved it! It’s a new style for you, but it’s still got that charm that’s uniquely you. It’s a hit!” Mark revealed.
I released the breath that I had been holding, the tension falling away from my body.
“Really?” I asked, needing him to say it again before I fully believed it.
“Oh, yeah. They’re over the moon about it. I haven’t mentioned it to them yet, but I think you should do a full album with them. You already showed how good you all collaborate,” Mark told me.
My jaw dropped open as my eyes grew wide. A full album? Albums took months to finish. That meant I would have to stay in Chalice Falls. With the band. I tried to speak, but no words would come out, my shock silencing me.
“Delilah? Hello?” Mark spoke.
“I’m here. I just… wow. An album? That’s a big, timely commitment,” I said. I was glad that he liked the song, but I never expected to work with the band on another project, much less an album.
“I think it’s a great idea. Don’t you?” Mark replied, seeming dead set on it.
I didn’t know what to say. It would be great to work with the guys some more, but more time spent with them meant that I had to figure out my feelings. My desires for the future. My worries.
All of that would come crashing down on me, and I wouldn’t have the option to run away once again to New York.
I didn’t want to be a coward, to hide from what I felt and who I cared about, but I had been hurt before by one man. Did I want to risk heartbreak with four more if things didn’t work out how I wanted them to?
“Can I think about it first?” I asked him. It made a big impact on my schedule and my future as an artist as well, so it would be responsible to ponder on it for a minute anyway.
“Sure. Just give me a call soon, okay? I can’t wait to hear the mastered version of the song!” Mark chirped before hanging up.
I remained still for a few seconds, keeping the quiet phone pressed against my ear as I stared ahead.