PRT 359- “Tuesday Morning”
“OK, let’s take ‘Criminal’ from the top.” I said.
Raye sighed, “This is the 11th take Michelle, I really think we had it with the 8th one.”
“Nope, we need to do it again…and Raye, put some feeling into that guitar. It sounds like you’re playing limp spaghetti.”
Raye made a face, “My guitar playing is just fine, thank you.”
“She’s right Michelle, Raye sounds fine…you’re just used to Mina’s style…and your vocals are flat, not Raye’s playing.” Lita said.
“Thank you Lita! I was nice enough to pick up guitar for the rest of this album…you could show a little gratitude.” Raye said.
I sighed, “Fine, fine. Sorry. But my vocals are not flat.”
“Actually they are a bit.”
“Guys, if we’re really going to get this album out by this fall we need to stop fighting and just get it right.” Serena said.
“She’s right.” Lita agreed.
“Fine, I’ll work on the vocals. Can we just take it from the top?” I asked.
“Sure. Let’s do it.” Raye said.
As we finished the take I noticed Mia standing in the control room.
“Mia! Take 5 you guys.” I said as I went into the control room to see her, “Hey!”
“Hey
“Thanks.”
“How is the recording going?”
“Well, it could be better, but if we can get it together we still might have it out for a fall release.”
Mia nodded, “That’s great. I was just in the neighborhood and wanted to know if you were interested in taking the rest of the day off. We could go hang out.”
“Hmm, I really need to work…but I guess one afternoon wouldn’t hurt anything. Ok! Let me just tell the girls.” I said.
Mia nodded.
I went and found the others in the break room, “Hey guys, we’re gonna call it a day.”
“A day? It’s only 1:00.” Raye said.
“I know, but Mia wants to go hang and one afternoon off will do us good.” I said.
“Not that I’m complaining about a day off, mind you, but we need to get this done Mich. Raye and I have our own albums to promote when we finish this up.” Serena said.
“Yeah, albums which we still need release dates for Ms. CEO.” Raye added.
“Oh relax. Everything will get done. I’m taking the afternoon for myself and that’s final. I’ll see you guys here bright and early tomorrow morning. We’ll pick it up with ‘I Got You to Get Me’. See you tomorrow.” I said as I left before they could stop me.
“OK Mia, let’s hit it.” I said as we left.
Serena
~~~~~~
We were sitting in the break room in a state of mild shock when Michelle just walked out.
“Just perfect. Nice to see she is taking this so seriously.” Raye said.
“I’m worried about her.” I said.
“Worried? Why?!”
I sighed, “Raye, have you noticed the titles of the new songs? “You’ve Ruined Me”, “Better Off”, “God Takes Care of Your Kind”? And the content? She’s still heartbroken over RJ.”
“You think those songs are about RJ?”
“Yeah. Aren’t they?”
“I thought they were about Hunter.”
“What? Hunter isn’t the one that recently broke her heart.”
“She wasn’t that in love with RJ, was she?”
“Oh my god, where have you been Raye? She was madly in love with him. Right Lita?”
Lita nodded, “Serena’s right. Michelle loves RJ in a way she hasn’t loved since Hunter. She is heartbroken.”
“See! So she’s just acting out.”
“Yeah, well bailing on work isn’t good for anyone…and that Mia…something about her I don’t trust.” Raye said.
“Be that as it may, she’s
“Yeah, because she won’t talk to her real best friend.”
“Raye, you know as well as I do that Mina is just as much to blame for that.”
“She’s right. I tried to talk to Mina and she’s being just as stubborn as Michelle is.” Lita said.
“Someone has to knock some sense into those two before I kill Michelle. I can not be her guitar player…she’s too demanding of that role.” Raye said.
“Because she’s used to Mina being her right hand woman.” I said.
“Well I can’t do that. I’m supposed to play keyboard on the songs that warrant it and be done. I have my own career and life to worry about. I don’t know how Mina managed.”
“We just need to be patient…I mean, surely they will come around eventually…right?” Lita said.
I sighed, “I hope so…or we may be in for a whole lot more trouble.”
“Well, if we’re done for the day I’m going to get to the bakery. There’s work I could be doing. Val is running a series of special events at her bakery. I need to come up with something brilliant to compete.” Lita said.
“OK. I’m gonna hang here and get the guitar part for ‘I Got You to Get Me’. I’ll see you guys tomorrow.” Raye said.
“I’m gonna head home myself. Bye.” I said as I left.
I got in my car and headed home. I knew I should work on
something involving my album, but
“Close the book Dr. Shields, your wonderful wife is home for the day and requires your full and undivided attention.” I said as I leaned over the back of the sofa and kissed his cheek.
“Oh, hi Serena.” He said as he put the book in his lap and leaned his head back.
“Oh hi? That’s the greeting I get?” I asked, mock hurt.
“I’m sorry Serena. Come here.” He said as he pulled me over the back of the sofa into his lap.
I laughed, “
“You wanted my attention.” He said as he wrapped his arms around me and kissed me.
“Now you’re catching on.” I murmured as the kissing continued.
“Let’s go upstairs. Luna is lurking around here somewhere.”
We got upstairs and we closed the door then he pulled me into his arms and kissed me passionately. I kissed him back and started to unbutton his shirt. He grabbed my shirt and lifted it over my head. We continued to undress each other and then we ended up falling onto the bed together. He pinned me to the bed and just looked in my eyes. As I looked back I remembered how very much I loved this man. Darien was the man I was destined for and even though day to day life got hectic and caused me to take him for granted sometimes, when I really stopped to think I remembered how deeply in love I was and how honored I was to get to spend the rest of my life with this man.
“I love you
“I love you too Serena.” He replied.
I kissed him again and our bodies came together. It was
amazing like it always was.
When we finished me pulled me into his arms, “Wow.”
I laughed, “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“You should. You’re amazing.”
“You’re not so bad yourself.”
“Thanks.”
“So what are we going to do the rest of the day?” I asked as I cuddled into his arms.
“At this point? I don’t even care.”
I smiled and closed my eyes. I was happy. We’d figure out what to do after a nap.
Michelle
~~~~~~~
Mia and I left the studio and headed towards town.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“Shopping.” She replied.
“OK, but where?”
“You’ll see.”
A few minutes later we pulled up to a store called ‘Tuesday Morning’.
“What is this? I’ve never been here.” I said.
Mia laughed, “Oh boy, are you in for a culture shock. Come on.”
We went inside the store and the first thing I noticed was the fact everything was kinda crammed together and only slightly organized. The second thing I noticed was the smell. It was kinda musky or…maybe moldy. I looked around. This looked more like a war zone than a store to me. “What is this place?” I asked finally as I followed Mia down, what resembled aisles.
Mia laughed again, “
“What’s a thrift and why do I want one?”
“No, no. Thrift store is like…a second hand store. Discount store? Um…basically they have a variety of things really cheep. Some of it is used, some of it is just discounted for whatever reason. This is the kind of place people shop when they are on a budget.”
“I thought that is what Wal-Mart was for.”
“Yeah, it is…this is like…just another discount place with just knick-knacks and stuff.”
I nodded, “O…k.”
“Oy…this is what I get for hanging out with someone whose been rich her whole life.”
“I haven’t been rich my WHOLE life. I started out poor. And I do not live rich.”
“More than most people.”
“I can live like everyone else. I did when I was with Hunter and then with RJ too.”
“No, you got involved with normal people…you didn’t live like normal people.”
I made a face, “Am I really disconnected?”
“Yes, you are. You live your
“Maybe I need to stop and get reconnected.”
“You are who you are
I frowned as I walked around the store. There were all kinds of things from picture frames to coffee cups. Most of it looked like junk to me. That’s when I realized how disconnected I really was. No wonder RJ couldn’t love me.
Once we finished at the second hand store we went to a mall. Now this I could do.
“Wanna see a movie?” I asked.
“Sure. What do you wanna see?”
“I hear Star Trek is good.”
“Isn’t Jesse’s ex in that?”
“Briefly.”
Mia nodded, “If that’s what you wanna see we’ll see it.”
We got tickets and headed towards the theater it was playing in. As we headed over to the right theater we pasted some coming attraction posters. One was for Mina’s new movie. She was prominently displayed on the poster. “Oh for the love of all things sacred. There’s no escape from that woman.” I said rolling my eyes.
“Oh god. Whatever
I nodded and followed Mia in to find a seat. She was right. Mina was history. I just had to forget about her.
After the movie we went back to my apartment and watched some TV.
“You wanna hit Sunset tonight?” Mia finally asked.
“What about me being disconnected?”
“You are who you are.”
I laughed, “OK. I’m in.”
I changed and we headed out to Sunset. As expected it was swarming with press. Mia and I headed into Viper Room and hit the dance floor. I needed to let off some stream.
Raye
~~~~
After I finally left the studio I went home and when I
walked in I slammed the door behind me.
“Raye, what’s wrong?” he asked.
“Michelle. What else?! I’m so sick of her!” I screamed as I threw my purse on the table.
“What now?”
“She bailed on the recording session.”
“What?”
“Yeah, Mia showed up so Michelle decided to just take off and hang out with her the rest of the day. And when she was recording all she could do was criticize my guitar playing. I’m sick of it!”
“Oh Raye, I’m sorry.”
“Not now
“Sorry.” He said backing off.
I sighed, “No, I’m sorry. I don’t mean to take it out on you. I’m just frustrated with her.”
“I know you are.”
“Mina and Michelle have got to fix things before I go insane.”