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“So, a smaller show today, Ma’am?”
“Yeah, pretty niche crowd. Influential though, so this wasn’t one we could miss.”
“Well, I’m glad I could get you both here on time,” Michael said as they pulled up to the building.
“Thank you again, Michael, you’re a star.”
“I’ll be here when you need a ride home. Break a leg, Mia.”
Mia confusedly thanked him as she was bundled out of the car. “You know, I’ve never understood that phrase. Does he want me to hurt myself? Is it a joke?”
“I don’t know where it comes from other than saying ‘good luck’ is actually considered to be bad luck.”
“We have a similar phrase in Spanish, we say mucha mierda instead of good luck.”
Harper had been trying to learn Spanish in her spare time, so she had an idea of what it might mean, but she wanted to ask anyway. “What does that mean in English?”
Mia smiled, letting out a little laugh. “‘Lots of shit!’ I don’t know why we say it, but I don’t know why you would say ‘break a leg’ either.”
They laughed together, walking up the path to the main entrance of the steel-gray building Michael had dropped them off outside. Mia was, understandably, confused. Harper felt like she was glowing. All of a sudden, things felt normal again.
“Is this a hotel or something? Is there a stage? It looks more like an office building.”
“That’s because it is an office building, sweetheart. There’s a group up here who wanted to meet you, have you do a private set. I’m afraid I can’t tell you anything more than that right now.”
The elevator ride was quiet, and Mia stared into space so she couldn’t look Harper in the eyes and blush at the return of the beloved pet name. They reached their floor and Harper led Mia to a corner office.
Inside, they were greeted by several people in colorful office wear, some of whom were sporting piercings or dyed hair, as well as Ricky, Taylor, Stefan and several other members of the band. Harper noticed that one of the workers, a masculine woman in a gray pinstripe suit, had a heart-shaped carabiner with her keys hanging from it at the same time Mia did, and they made knowing eye contact.
“Our guest has arrived!” She announced, holding her hand out to Harper and then Mia for a very professional handshake. She gestured to Harper to introduce Mia, guiding the two of them to the top of the room. Harper quickly turned to Mia, taking her by the elbow once again.
“You have something you can sing acapella, right?”
“Yeah, I do,” Mia confirmed, nodding as Harper stepped in towards her.
Harper smiled cheekily as she leaned down towards Mia’s ear, whispering “Mucha mierda.” Mia laughed, and Harper was sure she had made the right choice as she turned to address the crowd.
“Hello everybody! Hi! Yes, I have had the incredible privilege of representing this rising star over the last few months and, although there have been some challenges along the way, I know that standing here with us today is one of the great musical talents of our time. It is an honor and a delight for me to present to you all the incredible Mia Cortés!”
The small crowd whooped and cheered, and as Harper walked to the back of the room, she felt a shiver run down her back. They had no idea what was about to hit them.
Mia, at the top of the room, drew her first crucial breath. The entire room was on a knife’s edge, the unsuspecting industry higher-ups visibly blown away when Mia began singing. This wasn’t a song Harper had heard before, not even in the demos the studio had been sending her, but she found herself unable to focus on that.
She found herself, once again, tangled in the web being weaved by Mia’s voice, her hands moving slowly through the air as she danced. She hadn’t been sure if it was possible for Mia have a more powerful stage presence, but without a backing track or music, Mia’s voice cut through the air like a hot knife through butter. She had an intensity that could pin you right where you were standing, Harper thought. This time when Mia made eye contact with her and Harper’s heart beat fast against her ribcage, she smiled.
As caught up as Harper was in the physicality of it all, she couldn’t help but notice some… interesting lyrics. She hadn’t been paying much attention at first, to be totally honest, swept up in Mia’s presence, but as the song continued, she grew unable to ignore the implications.
“...your turn to be the hunted...your fragrance stains me...cling to me, songbird...
songbird...
songbird...”
A warmth bloomed in Harper’s chest. She should have known from the start, really. The song was about her. She wasn’t the only one to notice, either, catching Stefan giving her a look. She rolled her eyes but smiled. It seemed she was smiling more and more often these days.
Mia’s new song ended, and it hung in the room for a moment before those assembled burst into applause. Harper cleared her throat, and the room turned to face her.
“So, what do we think? Will you accept my offer?”
