See Her (Turn it Up #1)

Chapter 21

21

MAYZIE

I ’m settled in for another Turn it Up show at The Cedar. The guys are half-way into their set, totally in the throes.Ever since their show at The Black Fire, they’ve really taken their performance up a few notches, and I can tell the crowd appreciates it.

Annie is here with me too, though she’s been spending a lot of time warding off advances from Tyler.As I’m swaying with my drink to the music, my eyes glued to the stage, I see a figure approach in my peripheral. I tear my eyes away to acknowledge a man that's tall, somewhat stocky, looks to be late forties to early fifties, with kind, puppy dog eyes.

"These guys sound alright. Do you know them?" he asks, leaning slightly my way without taking his gaze off the guys.

"Yeah,” I say, nodding, unable to help my smile. The raging crowd speaks for itself, but it still wakes up a few butterflies when I hear someone appreciate the guys verbally.

"They got a demo?" he asks, turning my way this time, and I return the acknowledgement.

"Yeah," I finally say. "They do."

He nods, turning back to the stage. "Alright then. Thanks."

I smile and go back to mooning over my man as he shreds on his Gi bson. When there's a break between songs, I turn back to find the curious man gone.

Jack

One of our best shows yet, and it feels so good to finally be playing in front of Mayzie and having her there in the crowd. I feel like I'm letting loose more than ever before. The guys and I are sitting at the bar, recovering with some beers while we wait for the crowd to clear out. Tonight, a lot of patron cars are jamming up the back lot, making it hard to get our vehicles close to the door. Once the place is empty, we'll go pack up.

Maze has been a champ, and an unfaltering rock of support, and though she tries to hide it, she is by far not the night owl I am. I sent her home a while ago to get some sleep, since we'll be here a while taking down equipment.As we’re talking and unwinding, I look up to see a guy leaning over the other end of the bar, talking to Tyler, and showing him a card. Tyler’s eyebrows go up and he glances down at us, before looking back and nodding to him. The guy makes his way over to us, holding out his hand to me.

"Fellas, nice show,” he says.

"Thanks,” I say, returning his grip. Once he's done shaking hands with Matt, Chris, and Josh, he straightens and introduces himself.

"I'm Ron Samuels, and I'm a music manager. Have you guys ever heard of ECHO records?" We all freeze, a couple of us with drinks halfway to our mouths. "I'll take that as a 'yes'.Anyway, I'm from a special division we have at the label geared towards acts that are just starting out. Your band has a lot of threads and links on YouTube that have been showing up on our radar in the last couple of weeks. I came to check you guys out. ”

"You're shitting me," Matt says, with his hands on his head.

"I don't have time for shitting people," Ron continues. "The division I'm from does things differently than most labels. I'll explain more if you guys have a meeting with me. I understand you guys have a demo?”

"Yeah," I answer, as Matt hauls ass over to his guitar case by the side of the stage to retrieve the disc for him. He comes back, handing it to Ron.

"I'm at the Westin. Nine o’clock, Monday morning. I'll tell the front desk to expect you. Have a good night." And with that, he walks away from us and out of the bar. Once he's gone, the four of us erupt into a chaotic conversation full of 'what the fucks’ and 'did that just fucking happens’ and other colorful exclamations. I sit back on my stool, my head spinning. Ten fucking years. This can't be real, can it?

Thump, thump, thump!

"Maze, it's me," I call through Mayzie’s front door at who the fuck knows o’clock. So much for me being chivalrous and wanting my tired girl to get some sleep. I’m just too amped up. My nerves are combusting, and I need her.

I hear Penny let out a couple of lazy woofs as if she’s trying to half–ass do her job as a watchdog, before the door swings open to reveal a vision in white flowery sleep shorts, a black tank top, and brown hair mussed from sleep. The bat dangling at her side is the part that scares me.

"Jack, you scared the shit out of me! What's going on? Why didn’t you use your key?"

"Shit! Sorry, baby, I forgot I had it on me. Something unbelievable happened tonight after we finished playing,” I hurry to tell her, like the words will torture my insides every second I keep them in .

"Jack, calm down. What happened?" She steps sideways and I breeze inside, shucking my jacket like I can’t stand to have it on me anymore.

I swiftly turn and then falter, trying to settle my frenzied movements, lightly tossing my jacket on a chair as she sets the bat down by the door. "We met a guy after the show. He's from a music label, and he wants to have a meeting with us.”

"Oh my God,” Mayzie gasps, bringing a hand to her mouth. "Jack, are you serious?"

"I'm completely serious, although I'm not entirely sure I haven't lost my fucking mind. Maybe it was a dream, or maybe I'm insane.” I wave my hand as I start pacing. I’m so overwhelmed by this particular cocktail of excitement and nerves I don’t know what the fuck to do with myself. I stop and yank off my shirt, sending it to join my jacket.

Yeah, I’m staying the night.

"Wait a minute, some guy came up to me during your set,” Mayzie says, relaxing her stance, popping her knee out as her brow scrunches in thought.

I look up at her again. "Really?"

"Yeah, he asked me if you guys had a demo. I told him you did, and then he disappeared."

"That had to have been him, he asked for it almost immediately. Maybe this really did happen.” I shake my head, still in disbelief.

“Oh my God, Jack,” Mayzie starts adorably bouncing on her toes, unable to contain her smile.

“We probably shouldn’t get too excited,” I blink, trying to get my head on straight. “We could have this meeting with him and it could just end there.”

“Oh, baby, I doubt that.But even if you’re right, so what? This is a serious thing happening for you guys.A record label heard about you, liked you, and sought you out. That’s a big deal. ”

My girl is forever the voice of reason, not to mention optimism.

“I just don’t want to get too high on hope and then be let down,” I admit on a heavy sigh, resting my hands on my hips.

A playful smile quirks her lips before she replies. “Well… that’s how we both felt about us … at one point,” she reminds me.

Well, if that doesn’t gut-check me with a humbling reality.

“You’re right.” I strut across the room to cradle her face in my hands. “And that was a way bigger deal than this is.”

She stares up at me from in between my hands, neither arguing nor agreeing. I know what that means. She disagrees, but knows it’s futile to bring it up.

“Don’t you dare,” I whisper down at her.

“Don’t you dare,” she returns, raising a challenging eyebrow, and it makes me chuckle.

“It is pretty amazing,” I concede, placing a kiss on her nose.

“It is really fucking amazing.” Her eyes light up and start to dazzle me again. “Come on, tell me more about it.” She leads me to the couch and settles down on it.

“It’s the middle of the night,” I grumble, feeling bad now for waking her.

“Like you’re going to get any sleep until you suss out your feelings.”

“Alright.” I sit and pull her smooth, bare legs across my lap. “Apparently, we’ve been blowing up on YouTube.I don’t get it. We’ve posted stuff before, but he said the last couple of weeks we’ve been popping up on threads a lot. There’s been more links, more posts, more views.”

“A couple of weeks ago was the show at Black Fire,” she recalls, soothingly playing with the hair at the back of my neck. “That’s a bigger place, a bigger crowd; it’s a more prominent venue,not to mention a much better stage. The show looked really good there. Smart phones were up all around me. It makes sense. ”

“You’re right, it does.” I lean into her touch, staring at the ceiling. “And he said it’s gotten the label's attention, so he came out to see us play, like a talent scout or something. He asked for the demo so Matt gave it to him, and then he told us to meet with him Monday morning at the Westin. That was it, and then he left.”

I take a moment and so does she. The silence is easy with her; comforting, even as we both process this.

“What are you feeling right now?” She tilts her head to regard me thoughtfully.

“I’m sure some other feelings will set in later, but right now, I’m just stunned.” I close my eyes, shaking my head.

“I know. Like you said, the rest will come later.”

“And I’m afraid to get too excited about it. Not until we find out more.”

“I get that. It’s hard to get excited when you don’t have it hot in your hand yet. But you know, even if this doesn’t lead to anything, if one label noticed you, I’m sure that means that others can and will,” she points out encouragingly. “In the meantime, I’ll just have to be excited for you.”

That makes me turn my head and look at her; seriously taking her all the way in. This is my life. A spirited beauty I get to call mine is sitting here with me, both of us half-dressed as she talks me down from one of the most nerve-racking moments of my life. We’re comfortable, in love, and completely solid. I take a mental snapshot of this moment, my eyes panning up and down her body.

“What?” she asks, her smile shy all of a sudden. She damn well better get used to me looking at her, though. I will never be able to help myself.

“You’re just pretty incredible.”

“Aww, baby.”

“I mean it. You listened to me and helped me make sense of all this. I was a nervous wreck, and look what ten minutes with you did for me.” I lean down to drop a kiss to her knee .

She draws in a deep breath, lifting a shoulder. “I love you. I think I care about this as much as you do.”

I feel my heart stall in my chest and a lump form in my throat at what she just said.

I drop my head back on the cushions, a feeling of contented relief washing over me as I turn my face towards her.

“That’s the first time you’ve said it first.” My voice comes out on a rasp.

“Well… I do, Jack. I have since the beginning. Every time I’ve said it back to you, I’ve meant it. It’s just the few times I’ve thought about saying it without any kind of prompting made me realize it’s scarier than I thought; putting myself out there.”

“And now?” I smooth my hand up her thigh like I’m trying to imprint on her skin as I search her eyes.

She shakes her head and looks towards the ceiling briefly. “I don’t know. All this talk about being afraid of things being too good to be real… I’m sitting here telling you not to be afraid, and I’d love to say it made me realize the same, but really, it...” she shrugs, seemingly at a loss for the words she wants. “It just came out. I guess I’m just not afraid of this anymore.”

“About fucking time,” I scoff and roll my eyes mischievously as I shift us so I can stand.

Pulling Mayzie up, I lift her in my arms and her limbs wrap satisfyingly around me.

“What are you doing?” she snickers down at me.

“I think you should take me to bed and calm me down some more,” I suggest, looking up at her from under relaxed lids.

“Looks like you're the one taking me to bed,” she observes.

“You’re damn right.” I turn and start towards the bedroom but stop halfway there, holding us there in the dim light of the hallway.

“Say it again,” I request.

“I love you,” she whispers down at me.