gh the traffic, dodging lanes into spaces that she would never have attempted in his haste to

main one,” he replied. “If you are confide

d joined them, her voice filling the cab of the car and blocking out the horns and traffic around them. It was, she thought

ia,” he said with satisfact

tracking back to why they had hired Cordelia and skipping over every unpleasant thing in between. She might be a better singer

cancelled. “But it is for the best,” he added in an offha

hed. Don’t, Emily, she

gain ahead of them. “Shit, where is it? Ah, there.” He switched lanes, flipping the car behind him the middle

k and grey, with an emblem on the side in neon colours that looked like an alien language to her. They had p

off the car. “I will go say hello if you want to run through the other tracks quickly. We a

at the door to the studio. They began to unload the van, making treks to and from with a flat-trayed trolle

ed the earpieces, and slung her laptop bag over her shoulder as she le

Owen, which made her wonder what all the extra people who had been coming and going from the house next door were ther

had snooped through her front window, but her focus had always been on Owen and if there

s. Their hair was overgrown in the same manner as Owen’s had been getting over the last few months, and their faces just slightl

verything untucked, as if they had just crawled out of bed and thrown on what was lying around in order to answer

jacket that Owen seemed to prefer over all else now, though he had

he jealous ex, being difficult about everything, she thought with resignation. Considering everything that had happened, the way that Owen had ended their engagement and th

ious effort to contain the movement. A tall, thin man, with dirty-blonde hair that looked like it spent a lot of time in salt-water pulled back in a messy ponytail at the nape

eting these people that were responsible for ending her engagement to Owen and held such important roles in

s the drummer,” Owen offered introductions, squeezing

ies, the sort of almost androgynous good looks that underwear companies seemed to prefer for their models, and Seb

ounding. A man for every taste, she smothered her smile, and then realised that Owen was was par

ted. “I am probably not going to re

remind you. Shall we?” He indicated in

that had recorded there. Signatures and other graffiti covered the posters and walls alike, signatures and band names that “were here in xx/xx” seemed to domi

ought sarcastically, recognising the dark tone as an attempt to be “on trend” and “edgy” - and mounted with panels of soundproofing foam. She could see the drumkit and o

straightening. “If you wanted to run throu

instruments. Their faces and movements held a combination of nerves and excitement, and

d his facial hair was about a week advanced of the men in Owen’s band. She wondered if stubble was a uniform

d placed it inside her laptop bag with her own, before surrendering the bag to the man

ought, handling her a lot more than he would normally, almost making a point of it. Was he… Marking his territory in front of his bandmates? That was a ridiculous though

eed hea

ssured her. “Later, when

lf in front of the microphone, ignoring her racing heart and the cra

as they made sure they were happy with the tuning and positioning. The dirty-blonde that she was pretty sure was James laughed bright

termined to impress and wip

ed over the speaker.

ing from next door for weeks now. But it was different being in the room with them playing. There was something exhilarating an

sed with the sound, with a sexy slow grin as he crooned the lyrics of a love song towards her as if he sang to her. God, she thought as lust h

nation of the men, to the music, to the lyrics, that caught a woman right where it counted. She wanted to pretend that

a little away from him as she sang to hide the pain that crossed h

excitement washed over her whilst her ears filled with white noise. The band was going to be a success, she t

drummer, James, excla

ised that they were talking about her, and recalled h

Jeremy pul

to Emily, raising his e

ng herself be caught up in their excitement. “B

d in appreciation. “T

guys,” a man said. “But it was good timing, any

his arm around her shoulder with a squeeze. “Cordelia called in sick.

e aspect, and she fits your aesthetic better. Okay,