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“Sometimes,” Shawn muttered, a frown clouding his features.
Zara’s face flashed through Asa’s mind and he blinked it away. He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. “A muse is great. As long as it lasts. And as long as you understand it’s a temporary gift. It’s not permanent.”
Shawn stared at him, his thoughts working behind his eyes. He took a slow breath. “Keep them at arm’s length.”
“Something like that.” A muse was a dangerous thing. It could be the greatest thing to happen to an artist, or their absolute ruin. The key was to know what you were getting into before youstarted. But it was difficult because the inspiration that came from it was like a drug. The best drug you’ve ever had.
And you’d do just about anything to keep from coming down.
But the high eventually faded, no matter how tight you held on.
And then you had to figure out how to be a creative without your brain soaking in all the happy chemicals. It was sobering and sad. And the loneliness could drain every creative idea from a body.
Not that he knew from experience or anything.
Shawn rubbed his jaw in silent contemplation.
He’d brought up something Asa hadn’t considered though. Maybe this thing he was feeling about the voice memo and writing was just that. His brain’s attempt to jumpstart itself with a muse. Something that had worked for him in the past.
And maybe having Zara live so far away made it a safe option. He could live off the hours they’d spent together for weeks. Months even, if he just opened himself up to the reality of it. If he saw her as his muse, and didn’t think they were friends, and embraced the inspiration that would undoubtedly flood his thoughts.
Arm’s length.
She’d never know.
And he could start writing again. For himself.
“I’m supposed to be working on something,” Shawn said haltingly. He followed that with a slow blink and humorless laugh. “But I am distracted.”
“By anyone in particular?” Asa asked, his lips tugging up on the ends.
Shawn’s gaze cut to his. “No one I want to talk about just yet.”
Asa lifted his chin in understanding.
Because there was the muse and then there was themuse.
“How was opening for Sunshine?” Asa asked.
Shawn’s face brightened and a broad grin spread across his face. “Oh my God, Asa. It was amazing.”
Asa crossed his arms and sat back in his chair as he let Shawn regale him with stories from the road. He missed that youthful exuberance. The untarnished version of himself that loved music because he didn’t know how not to.
He hoped Shawn never lost it.
ASA: I’m just headed up now
He slid his phone back into his pocket as he hit the button for the elevator.
Nikki had asked him to stop by after work to hang out. She’d been out of the studio for a couple months and he was pretty sure she was going crazy not knowing if it had burned down or not.
He was happy to report that everything was progressing just fine without her. Though he didn’t phrase it quite like that. He didn’t want her to think they didn’t need her because they absolutelydid. But she’d set them up so well before she’d gone on maternity leave that there hadn’t been any issues.
Plus, Hannah Lee’s sixteen-year-old little sister Piper was working there as a runner and part time office manager until Nikki got back.
If Asa thought Hannah Lee was intimidating, she had nothing on Piper. That girlranthe studio. No one missed an appointment. No one was late. No one crossed her.
She was like this really adorable tyrant who used her powers for good. Which, thank God for that. Otherwise, she’d be a monster.
