If You Come to Me

[waitingxforxyou]

* * * * * *

Riley leans on the counter and hums along to the jukebox. It’s mid-afternoon and business is slow.

“Hello? Earth to Riley?” Fingers snap in her face.

“Huh?” Riley focuses her gaze on the new customer. “Oh. Evan,” she growls.

Evan turns his lip up at her. “Did you just growl at me? I’d like a seat, please.”

“So sit.”

He sits at the bar on a stool.

“How did you know I work here?”

“Paul.”

Riley slides him a plastic menu.

“I’d just like a Coke.”

She puts a full glass of Coke on a napkin in front of him.

Evan takes a sip and says, “I came here to talk about the album you’ll most likely record. I’d like to produce it.”

“Thanks, but no. I make it a point not to work with people like you.”

“And what exactly are people like me?”

“Arrogant. Conceited. Difficult. Judgmental.”

Evan looks amused. “I’m all of those things? And you call me judgmental? I could say the same about you. You don’t even know me.”

“You don’t know me either!” Riley retorts.

“I know enough to see you’re a spoiled brat.”

“I’m a what?”

“Spoiled brat or bitch, can’t quite decide.”

Riley tips his glass of Coke. It spills all over Evan’s pants.

He jumps from his seat, the stool clattering to the floor. “What the fuck?”

Big Mike sees the scenario from his office. “Riley Thomas!” he roars. “That’s it! You’re fired! For real!”

“Well worth it!” Riley flashes Evan a brilliant smile and stomps out of the restaurant.

“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” Riley says the next day. She and Mark are standing in front of the men’s jeans display at the Gap. “Remind me why I’m doing this.”

“Because if you and Evan have bad relations we could get kicked off the tour,” Mark answers boredly.

“But it’s not like he can’t afford a new pair of jeans. Besides, he won’t wear them anyway. He’ll probably think I put a bomb in them or something.”

“I’ll be sure to check them first. Can you please pick something out?”

“Don’t be a grouch.” Riley spies a dark-colored pair of jeans in the corner. “Those are nice.” She starts for them and smacks into a plastic mannequin. “Fuck!”

Mark shakes his head and grabs the jeans. “If only you were as graceful offstage as you are onstage.”

[avandspfan]

hellz yeah!

my favorite story in the entire world!

NICOLE YOU ROCK MAJOR REP POINTS FOR YOU!

[avandspfan]

good updates

[waitingxforxyou]

Chapter Three

“Wow.” Riley steps inside the studio. “This is so cool.” She leaps onto a leather couch in the corner.

“Uh, is that your couch?” Evan is sitting in a chair next to the soundboard.

“No…” Riley trails off.

“Then why are you jumping on it?”

“Is it yours?”

“No.”

“Then why are you telling me what I can do on it?”

“Kids, please,” Paul says, entering the room. He snaps his cell phone shut. The rest of the band shuffles in behind him. “Remember we only have two days to record this, so let’s get down to business. Keep in mind it’s not an album; it’s an EP.” He leaves.

“Okay.” Evan studies a notebook he’s holding in his hands. “Drums first.”

“I think we should do guitars first,” Riley says. “I have better timing with them.”

“What are you talking about? Vocals are last! Don’t you know anything?”

“Listen you little shit--”

“Guys! How about we pick the songs first?” Mark cuts in.

“Sure,” Evan agrees and glares at Riley.

“Hm, I sense some tension…vending machines, Dylan?” Eric says. They rush out of the room.

“Those clowns,” Mark says with a smile. “Anyways Ry, ‘Take It or Leave It’ is a must.”

Evan makes a note in his notebook.

“Definitely,” Riley says. “I also think we should record ‘Never Over You.’ I like--”

“No,” Evan chimes in. “It’s not up to par or consistent with the other songs. Plus, the lyrics are juvenile.”

Riley grits her teeth. “Mark, can you believe this?”

“Actually…” Mark looks sheepish. “There are better ones we can do…he’s right.”

She frowns. “How about ‘Radio’ then?”

“Yeah,” Evan says. “That one is cool.”

“I’m glad it gets the Taubenfeld stamp of approval,” Riley says sarcastically.

“Riley!” Mark hisses. “Focus. ‘Lost’ is good. It’s relatable.”

“It’s okay, but I have a problem with a chord progression in it,” Evan says. “It switches from E minor to B minor. For some reason, that just doesn’t sound right. It needs another mellow note following the E minor.”

“Correct me if I’m wrong, Evan, but we’re here to pick and record songs, not rework them,” Riley says, disapproval evident in her voice.

“There’s room for improvement.”

“Ry, listen. He’s right. It will sound better. We have an opportunity to improve. Let’s take it,” Mark suggests.

“Whose side are you on?”

“It’s not about taking sides, it’s about recording a fucking CD!” Mark snaps.

Riley shuts up.

Half an hour later, they’ve decided on “Take It or Leave it,” “Lost,” “Radio,” “Someday,” “Do You,” and “Drowning.” By then Eric and Dylan have returned and they begin recording the drums. Much to Evan’s visible surprise, they finish all the instruments that day.

Riley feels proud. That’ll show him, she thinks. Just because we’re not signed or anything doesn’t mean we’re not any good.

But her pride fades into loneliness. Evan has already won over Mark—that much was obvious when Mark kept agreeing with him—and now he’s getting the other guys too. They’re hovered around the soundboard, talking, joking, laughing, completely ignoring her.

What’s so great about Evan anyway, she wonders. She studies him. He’s tipping his head back, laughing at something. Okay, so he’s kind of cute…

“All we have left to do tomorrow is vocals,” Evan announces. “Let’s call it a day. It’s almost ten.”

Riley quietly leaves the studio and they all pile into Dylan’s van. She watches through the window as Evan gets into his own car and drives away.

“Yo girl!” Eric shouts. “We’re gonna get some food. Wanna come?”

“No, that’s okay. I’m tired.” As Riley sinks into her bed later, she thinks, something tells me I’m gonna need a lot of energy tomorrow.

[waitingxforxyou]

* * * * * *

Riley takes a deep breath and slams open the studio door. I can’t believe my band mates ditched me, she thinks angrily.

She thought they were coming with her today until she had seen Mark putting on his work uniform this morning.

“No one is going with me?” Riley said incredulously.

“Come on, Ry, you can do this. You’re a big girl,” Mark said.

So now it’s just me and Evan. Fan-fucking-tastic.

Evan’s head jerks as the door bangs into the wall. “Holy shit, is there a fire?”

“Huh?” Riley blinks dumbly at him.

“You mean there’s no reason for you storming in here like that?”

“Well, I, um--”

“Actually, never mind. I don’t care. I have a feeling this is gonna be a long day, so let’s get started. What song did you want to record first?”

Riley mentally sifts through her song choices. “‘Lost’ would be good.”

“We’ll do ‘Someday’ first then.” Evan turns to the soundboard.

“But, you, uh,” Riley splutters. “Did you just ask me what I wanted so you could disagree with me?”

“Oh yes, I’m out to ruin your life. Didn’t anyone tell you?” Evan says sarcastically. “Let’s record.”

In a half state of shock Riley enters the recording booth. She adjusts the headphones on her ears and steps up to the microphone.

The music starts immediately.

“Hey! I wasn’t ready!”

Evan’s voice comes through the intercom. “Then be ready. Here we go.”

Riley sings the first verse and Evan stops her. “You’re too breathy,” he says. “It’s causing you to cut off your words in some verses.” He starts the music.

Riley begins singing. The music stops.

“Now you’re pausing too much. You’re a half count behind the beat,” Evan says.

Riley massages her neck. Please say today isn’t going to be like this the whole time, she prays. “Okay.”

The music starts. Riley opens her mouth. The music stops.

“Shit! What now? Did I open my mouth wrong? What?” she screams.

“You took the loudest breath ever.”

Riley rips off the headphones and stalks out of the recording booth, coming to a halt in front of a seated Evan. “You know, you’re getting a little arrogant out here, Evan. I guess it’s easy when you’re the one calling the shots, but there are some vending machines around and I can gladly get a Coke and take you down a few levels,” she threatens.

Evan rises from his chair and looks down at her. “I think you forget, Riley, that I’m the one doing you a favor, not the other way around. So you can march your ass in there and do as I say or go back to working in that grease house.”

Riley gapes at him and re-enters the recording booth.

“Someday” is finished without further incidence. “Take It or Leave It” is done in two takes. Evan puts some feedback on “Radio” and changes the vocal arrangement on “Do You,” both of which Riley grudgingly admits make them sound better. “Lost” takes two hours to complete because Evan keeps stopping her, but she keeps her tongue in check. “Drowning” takes one time through. She is surprised Evan let it go all the way through.

“You like that last one a lot, don’t you?” he asks.

“Yeah…” Riley says.

“It shows. We’re done here. See you on tour.”

That’s the most of a compliment I’ll get from him, Riley thinks. Today was difficult enough. I can only imagine how the tour will be.

[avandspfan]

Awesome stuff.... Still blows me away every time I read an update... Good Job!

[ginger]

Great job!

[maze]

I think everyone especially Nicole knows what I think of this story. Basically I love it and have read this one hmmm going on 7 times now I have read You Are the sequel to this umm easily 10 times that is my favourite story on the planet. Keep updating Nicole please. And YES we are back haha

[avandspfan]

Hehe... Yeah MaZe I don't know how many times I've read this... But I can probably quote every chapter...

[elastics.]

Musical and sexual tension! w00t!

Great, Nicole! My internet has been spazzing out, like, I don't know what I did to get it to work, but yeah, that's why I haven't been online. I missed you!

[maze]

HAHA yeah same AnZ I love this series of stories haha I love them so much most definatly my favourite stories in the world. LOL

[jess_rocks]

yey yey yey, that was awesome!