My Brother's Best Friend (6 page)

When we exited onto the third floor where the recording studio was, I held him back. “Hey, we’re okay, right? I’m sorry for getting weird. I’m just not used to compliments, I guess. And when you laughed after I thanked you, well, I just thought you were saying it to embarrass me.”

“I never meant to embarrass you. I only chuckled because you were so flustered.”

I scoffed, “I was not flustered.”

“You were flustered. But it’s cute, like a little dog who gets woken from a deep sleep.”

I grimaced. “A dog? You’re calling me a dog now? You’re not so good with the whole compliment thing.”

“I didn’t mean it like that,” he said, scratching his head. “It’s just with you, I don’t think before I open my mouth.”

“So you normally plan out your compliments?” I laughed.

“No, I didn’t mean it that way.” He sighed in frustration as we rounded the corner almost to his office. “Just with you—”

“Finally,” Robert interrupted as we walked into Devin’s recording studio and office.

“Have you been waiting long?” Devin asked quickly.

I followed him inside rather reluctantly. I mean the last time I had seen Robert I was actually dressed appropriately. Devin had invited Mitchell, Megan and me to the studio’s annual Christmas party. I wasn’t even sure Robert would recognize me, and I was really hoping he wouldn’t notice what I was wearing.

“Christy, right?” Robert asked, ignoring Devin’s question completely.

“Yes, sir. It’s a pleasure to see you again.” I extended my hand and shook his. “Devin is staying with me for the week while my family is away. He invited me to join him today so I wouldn’t be alone. I won’t interrupt anything. It will be like I’m not even here,” I told him, hoping I hadn’t caused Devin to get in trouble.

“Well, it’s very nice of him to offer to bring you, and I never thought you would interrupt the session. But I am curious about one thing, did Devin drag you out of bed to come here?” He smiled and my cheeks reddened.

“Not exactly...he offered to wait while I changed, but, you see, I was stubborn and I didn’t actually know other people were going to be here.”

Robert laughed and turned to Devin. “Well, we’re ready whenever you are,” he said then turned toward the room that was visible through a soundproof window.

I noticed for the first time the large group of people crowded into the room. Robert bent down and pushed a button on the sound mixing board and a small green light lit up. “Everyone warmed up, ready to go?”

Several affirmative replies sounded through the speakers.

“Hey, Rob, who’s the girl?” someone asked and again my cheeks reddened.

“Guys, this is Christy Walsh. She’s here for the afternoon so if you don’t want to embarrass yourselves, I suggest you give it all you got.”

“Is she Devin’s girl?” someone else asked.

I shook my head. “No way! I am not Devin’s girl.”

The same person whistled, and his costars laughed. “Don’t pay attention to Zach, Christy,” I recognized the lead actress say. “He thinks because he’s a big star he can get any girl.”

“All right,” Robert interrupted. “Let’s get this started.”

Devin pulled a chair out for me. I sat in the cushioned swivel chair as Devin clicked his mouse a couple times then motioned to Robert that they could begin. I watched with rapt fascination as they began to sing the melody to
When I Get You Alone
, a song I think is genius because it adds themes from Beethoven’s fifth symphony. It was like nothing I had heard before. Their voices were the instruments carrying the main line of melody. They had to sing it a few more times and refine a few of the sections, but overall it was absolutely amazing. I was completely blown away when Robert finally called for a break.

“How did you like it, Christy?” Robert asked.

I looked up at him. “It was
wow
. Just…I can’t even put it into words.”

“So was it the fourth or the fifth time we sang it that completely bored you to death?” Zach Gillespie asked me as he exited the recording booth. He was one of the male leads in the show.

“Actually I thought they were really amazing, but if you want my opinion I’d take the intro from the third recording and the final verse and final chorus from your first recording and then the rest from the last one. And then you’d have a really great sound, it’s sure to sound better than the song you originally recorded. Granted, I don’t know what the song you sang before really sounded like, so my opinion in that regard is baseless.”

Zach stood in front of me speechless, and I just smiled politely at him.

“She sure showed you, Zach.” The same girl who had spoken earlier brushed past us. “Hi, I’m Larissa.” She smiled at me and extended her hand.

All I could do was smile and take her hand and lamely add, “I know who you are.”

Sadly, by this point Devin had walked over to where we were standing. “Star struck, Chris? I never would have pegged you as the type, especially after you gave Zach a run for his money.”

“Hey, I was holding my own,” Zach added.

“Sure,” Larissa interrupted. “‘Uh…uh…’ Yeah, you really sounded in top form.” She laughed. “So did Devin drag you straight out of bed or did you at least eat before coming?”

I blushed. “Yeah, I ate. I just—”

“I didn’t give her time to change. I was running late so I told her just to go like this. Besides, she doesn’t look bad,” Devin interjected.

“No, certainly not,” another one of the cast members said.

“Back off, Brian,” Larissa said, pushing him slightly out of the way. “Hey, we’re going out tonight, you’re totally welcome to come.”

“Uh, sure, maybe,” I responded. I mean I wasn’t much of a party person, not since high school anyway. Besides, I wasn’t much of a drinker either. And when you “go out” everyone expects you to drink.

Larissa laughed. “You sound just like Devin. Come on, you have to come. I’m going to give you my number and I’ll make sure you’re on the list.” She pulled out her phone and asked me for my number and proceeded to call me. “There, now you have it. I’m expecting you to be there. You’ll really disappoint me if you don’t come. It’s called the Rumba Room and come any time after eight.”

“Okay, sure.” I smiled hesitantly.

“We’ll see you later,” Zach said as they walked out of Devin’s studio office to go shoot the scene they had just recorded.

Robert turned to Devin. “Can you have a rough track put together in the next hour? The kids will be in makeup and wardrobe before they can shoot anything. So have it done by two-thirty?”

“Yeah, sure. I’ll start right now. I’ll send it to both you and Terry. It should be pretty close to the original, in terms of duration. I might tweak it some more later.”

“Sounds good. Thanks again for coming in on short notice. Terry just thought the original wasn’t exciting, the song choice, not the recording.”

Devin laughed and clapped Robert on the back. “Don’t worry about it. I’ve dealt with Terry on other projects. This isn’t the first time I’ve had to do a last minute change.”

Robert nodded his head then turned to face me. “It was a pleasure seeing you again, Christy. I hope we meet again soon.”

“Thank you, but really I was the one who enjoyed it, so thank you for letting me crash the session.”

“You should crash more often, the cast seemed to really respond to a new audience. By the way, excellent ideas about the song, you really have an ear for music. Do you play anything?”

“I used to. Piano. I also did a few musicals in high school, but mostly, I just have an ear for music. Well, for an amateur, that is.”

“You better be careful, Devin. She could put you out of a job,” Robert joked.

“No, Devin knows all the technical stuff,” I told him.

“Well, you never know, I might just have to pair you two up more often. I better go, see you later.” He opened Devin’s door and walked down the hallway in the same direction as the cast had gone.

“You know we’re going to have to go to the club now, don’t you?” Devin said.

“Why do you say that?”

“Because Larissa invited you, and I know Larissa. And when she’s expecting you to come, you better come.”

“I think I can handle it. Besides, you don’t have to come,” I told him.

“Yeah, and leave you in a club in LA by yourself? I don’t think so, Mitch would kill me if he found out. If you go, I go.”

I smiled. “Fine, then we’re going, if only to see you out of your comfort zone, apparently. I’m surprised you don’t go out with them more often.”

“It’s not my scene. Now either sit there or make yourself useful,” he said, pulling up the tracks he had just recorded.

For the rest of the hour I watched as Devin listened to and cut pieces from the different recordings to make a seamless soundtrack. “There,” he said, turning to look at me. “I’m done. Let me just send this to Rob and Terry and we can head back home.”

S
o we went to the club later that night. It wasn’t what I was expecting. I mean, I don’t know exactly what I was expecting, but not what happened. The music was so loud you could feel the vibrations. We waded through the crowds to the VIP section where Larissa had told us to meet them.

“Oh, I love this song,” Larissa said as she set her drink down. “Come on, I’m not going alone.” She pulled on Zach’s arm, and he reluctantly stood up. “Please don’t give me that. I know it’s what you really want to do.”

“Fine, but we’re taking Christy with us.”

I looked up, suddenly terrified. I hadn’t danced in front of anyone except Devin and that was strictly for educational purposes. Before we came here, he had spent the past few hours teaching me a few moves. I can’t dance. He knew it, and I knew it. So I struck a deal with him, teach me how to dance and I would cook dinner and do some of his laundry. So when Larissa and Zach pulled me to my feet, I started freaking out. I mean what if I couldn’t dance with them? I could only dance because Devin knew how to lead a fumbling idiot.

“We’re not going unless you go too,” Zach told me again while Larissa looked over at me with desperate eyes.

My guilt suckered me into going. “Fine, but I’ll only go if Devin comes too.” I looked over at Devin and gave him a look of sheer terror.

He knew right away why I wanted him to come. “All right, you win, CJ.” Devin stood up and took hold of my hand and together we all walked out toward the crowd.

Larissa immediately began to dance with Zach and they looked amazing together.

“Don’t pay attention to what they’re doing, just follow me.” Devin’s voice focused me back on his face.

“Thanks, Dev,” I said and followed his movements in time with the music.

“You're getting better at this,” he said.

“Only because you spent more than an hour practicing with me. But really, thank you. I owe you one.”

We continued dancing. I looked over at Larissa, and she smiled. She held up her finger as if to tell me to wait. She whispered in Zach’s ear and he walked off while Larissa came to stand by us.

She pulled me aside. “You dance pretty well for a beginner.”

“Am I that obvious?” I asked, embarrassed.

“No, just to the professionals.” She smiled. “I asked Zach to request a song, so go back to Devin and just follow me, okay?”

“Do I know the song?”

“Yes, now go back to Devin, the song will be on in a second.”

I walked the short distance back to Devin and smiled as the song changed. The loud speakers blared, Wyclef Jean’s self-entitled song
Your Favorite Song
.

I shouted to be heard over the beat. “Yeah, I wonder how Larissa knew.”

Devin shrugged his shoulders. “It was probably a random choice. So I guess this means we’re staying for one more song?”

“Yeah, if you don’t mind.” I looked over to see Larissa pulling Zach toward her then giving me a knowing nod.

Devin looked over at Larissa then down at me. “What’s that about?”

“Larissa wants me to follow her lead. But I don’t think—”

“If Larissa told you to do something, you better do it. She’ll make you regret it if you don’t.” He smiled, trying to goad me into doing it.

I shook my head then looked over to see Larissa turning her back to Zach. I looked up at Devin. “Fine, but you asked for it. I may look dumb, but you’ll look dumber dancing with me.”

“I’m prepared to face the consequences, whatever they may be.”

I turned my head to see Larissa and began to copy her movements. She repeated them several times until I seemed to get it, then she’d do something else. I continued to copy her until I became distracted by the rhythm of the song. I wasn’t even thinking as my body slid up and down Devin’s.

It wasn’t until the music stopped and I was face to face with Devin, panting, that I realized what I had done and realized the effect it had on Devin. My mind was suddenly racing but the only coherent thought was how amazing Devin looked with his ruffled light brown hair and how good it felt to have his hands resting on my hips.

“Who do we have here? A slut and her prey?” A voice pierced through our haze, and I turned to see the one person I had hoped never to see again. “You actually looked good out there, Christy. For a moment there, I almost didn’t recognize you. So you’ve definitely learned a thing or two since high school. I might actually enjoy having you under me this time. How much are you selling for these days?” Eric Gunderson said.