Chart Toppers (Star Maker Book 3) (16 page)

He
looked at her through the thick pane of glass and grinned as he leaned forward
to speak into the mic in front of him.
 
“Spicy?”

She
nodded and grinned.
 
“You heard
me.
 
Spicy… hot.
 
I’ve seen you do it before.
 
Do it again.”

Sully
laughed and nudged Jimmy, completely entertained by the comment, like he had
just gotten into trouble for being too boring.
 
Jimmy glared at him and nodded his head
to Kit.

She
looked over.
 
“Fred, start playback.”
 
As she took her seat at the console, she
was unaware that the rest of the band had congregated behind her.
 
Once Jimmy and Sully started playing
again, she isolated the lead and rhythm guitar tracks separately and
concentrated on the sound.
 
She
shook her head.
 
She still wasn’t
hearing what she wanted.

When
they were done, she got on the mic again.
 
“Sully, you’re fine.
 
Jimmy,
c’mon man.
 
What’s going on?
 
Where’s the solo?
 
You’re giving me mediocre.
 
I want hard rock guitar god. Bring him
out.
 
I know he’s in there.”

Jimmy
frowned at her.
 
“I dunno what you
mean, Kit.”

She
stared at him intently through the glass.
 
“Don’t fuck with me, Jimmy.
 
We’re just getting started.
 
You can do a better solo, we both know that.”

He
stared back at her with the same intensity, egging her on.
 
“Come in here and show me what you want
to hear.”

She
sighed and got up, muttering “goddammit Jimmy,” under her breath.
 
She was surprised for a moment noticing
the band standing behind her, including Sully, all smiling.
 
Sully leaned forward.
 
“I love how you’re busting his
chops.
 
It’s really sexy.”
 
He smiled, bit his lower lip, and ran
his finger down her arm slowly.

She
grinned and shook her head.
 
“Well,
mister, you better stay on top of your game, or you’re next.”
 
She raised her eyebrows.

He
laughed.
 
“Ooh, really?
 
You promise?
 
Hurt me.
 
Don’t tease me like that, babe.
 
It’s just not fair.”
 
He winked at her as she headed into the
live room.

She
looked at Jimmy and chuckled.
 
“Really, Jim, you’re being ridiculous.”

He shook
his head and grinned.
 
“Kit,
honestly, I do not know what’s missing.
 
It sounds good to me.
 
Seriously.
 
Show me.”

As she
put on Sully’s guitar she looked at Jimmy.
 
“We don’t want good, Jimmy.
 
We want brilliant, ok?
 
I
need you to pump it up a bit.
 
Put
some more creativity into it.
 
More
spice.”

He
stared at her.
 
“There’s that word
again.
 
Why don’t you do the solo on
the playback and show me what you mean.”
 
He sat back on the barstool behind him and raised his eyebrows.

She
rolled her eyes.
 
“Fine.”
 
She grabbed a pair of headphones and put
them on, as she leaned forward and spoke into the mic that broadcasted into the
control room.
 
She noticed Sully had
taken over her chair and was hunched over the boards next to Fred,
chatting.
 

She
spoke assertively.
 
“Fred, take me
back right before the solo on playback and then cut the feed after the solo is
complete.
 
Do not track this, ok?”

His
voice came through her headphones.
 
“You got it, Kit.
 
Playback
comin’ at ‘cha.”
 

Moments
later she heard the familiar spot she was looking for and played in sync, then
took full opportunity to launch into complete creative license with reckless
yet fully calculated abandon.
 
When
she finished, she looked over at Jimmy.
 
She noticed the entire band out of the corner of her eye clapping and
cheering in the control room.
 

She
stared at him.
 
“That’s what I had
in mind, Jim.
 
Make sense?”

He
chuckled.
 
“Damn, Kit.
 
We should have tracked that.
 
It was pretty fucking amazing.
 
I got it.
 
I know what you’re looking for now.”

She sat
back on the barstool behind her.
 
“Good, ‘cuz I’m going to sit here, and we’re going to work on this until
you get it.”
 

She
pointed to Fred, who already knew what to do.
 
Seconds later, Jimmy took his guitar
solo to a whole new level trumping what Kit had played.
 
She was pleased, grinning with
satisfaction.
 
That was exactly what
she wanted.
 
She had hoped by going
in and playing the solo; it would fuel Jimmy’s competitive spirit and push him
to the edge to create a kick-ass solo.
 
It worked.

When he
finished, she nodded.
 
She took off
Sully’s guitar and placed it in its holder.
 
She patted Jimmy on the shoulder as she
headed for the control room.
 
“Now
that’s what I was talking about Jim, great job.
 
That’s the hard rock guitar god I know
and love.
 
Let’s go hear the
playback and see if we can move into vocal tracking.”

As she
and Jimmy walked into the control room together, the band clapped.
 
Sully grinned.
 
“Nice work you two.
 
Sounded great in here.”
 
He stood up and pulled out the chair for
Kit who took her seat again.

She
nodded.
 
“I hope so.
 
Fred, give me the playback from the top,
please.”

They
all listened intently.
 
After Jimmy had
heard his solo, he looked at Sully and nodded.
 
“Wow!
 
That turned out amazing.
 
Thanks, Kit.”
 
He rubbed her shoulder affectionately.

She
held her hand up signaling that she needed a minute and then nodded.
 
She leaned over and mentioned something
to Fred.
 
She turned around and
smiled.
 
“Great job guys.
 
Ok, Sull.
 
You’re up.”

He
looked around.
 
“Where are Ria and
Debra for backup?”

She
shook her head.
 
“They’re not
scheduled until tonight.
 
We’re
doing backups with them and the band later.
 
You’re doing lead vocals right now.
 
No chorus.” She looked at the rest of
the band.
 
“Guys, you’re done for
now. Feel free to roam.
 
Dinner is
at seven.”

Tony
headed into the lounge with Remo to catch the beginning of his football game
while Jimmy and Bryan remained in the control room sitting on the back
couch.
 
Sully got positioned behind
the mic in the live room and gave Kit the high sign that he was ready.
 
Fred rolled playback, and Sully started
his vocals.
 
Kit knew he was usually
a one-take wonder, but didn’t want to assume that would be the case.
 
She listened intently.
 

He
finished the song and stared at her awaiting feedback.
 
She nodded at him.
 
“Again, Sull.
 
This time with more feeling.”

He
raised his eyebrows.
 
“Excuse
me?
 
What?”

She
heard Jimmy chuckle behind her as she answered his question succinctly.
 
“I said do it again, this time with more
feeling.
 
Don’t just sing the song,
feel the song when you’re singing it.
 
Don’t half ass.”

“Ok.”
 
He grinned mischievously, looking like a
naughty little boy.
 
His steel blue
eyes twinkled as he spoke.
 
“Are you
busting my chops?”

She
tried to stifle a giggle but was unsuccessful.
 
She spoke into the mic, suppressing her
smile.
 
“Yes.”

He
smiled.
 
“Mmm, I love it.”

She
shook her head grinning.
 
“Sully,
the song, please.”

He
nodded, still smiling.
 
He was having
fun playing with her.
 
“In a
minute.
 
So, tell me.
 
What happens if I don’t track well on
the next take?
 
Will you like… spank
me?”
 
He snickered and raised his
eyebrows while Jimmy and Bryan erupted into laughter at the back of the control
room.

She
rolled her eyes and looked over at Fred, who was chuckling.
 
“Start playback, Fred.
 
I’m going to pretend that joker didn’t
just ask me that.”
  
She
pointed to Sully and spoke into the mic and nodded.
 
“Go, Sull.
 
And don’t throw the track, please.”

When
the playback started, Sully smiled at Kit again and winked.
 
As he sang, she and Fred worked
frantically making adjustments along the way.
 
By the time the song had finished, she
had what she was looking for.
 

She
reached over and dialed Giselle.
 
“G, see if you can get Ria and Debra in here quicker, preferably before
we break for dinner.”
 
She hung up
the phone and noticed that Sully had surfaced in the control room and was
hovering over her.
 

He
looked down at her and grinned.
 
“How was the second take?”

“It
sounded good from here.
 
Let’s take
a listen.”
 

Fred
pressed play, and the song bounded loudly over the speakers in the control
room.
 
Sully nodded, and Jimmy gave
Kit a thumbs up.
 
As the song ended,
the phone rang and Kit answered immediately.
 

She
hung up the phone and looked over at them.
 
“Ria and Debra are on their way.
 
As soon as they arrive, we’re starting the backup vocals.”

Jimmy leaned
back on the couch.
 
“Are you cutting
your backup vocals with us?”

She was
fiddling with one of the faders on the board in front of her.
 
“No.”

Sully
looked surprised.
 
“Wait, wait,
no.
 
You have to.”

She
smirked and looked up at him.
 
“I
need to stay focused in here, Sull.”

He
shook his head and folded his arms across his chest.
 
“No, no, no.
 
That’s a non-negotiable.”

She
rolled her eyes.
 
“It’ll take more
time.”

He
frowned and stared at her like she was crazy.
 
“I don’t care.
 
Jimmy?”

He
shook his head.
 
“C’mon Kit.
 
Just do the vocals with us.
 
Yeah, it will take more time, but we’ve
got it right now.
 
We’re just
starting.
 
If we’re running behind
schedule at the end, we can make it up in mixing.”

She
knew arguing her point was futile based on the looks they were giving her. “Ok,
guys. I’ll sing with you.”

The
night went much longer than Kit had anticipated.
 
The backing vocals for the song were
much more involved harmonically than she had anticipated.
 
She decided to give everyone two more
takes and then call it a night.
 
After the last take, she felt good about it.
 

She
rushed out to the control room and looked at Fred.
 
“I think that one was it.
 
How did it sound from your end?”
 

He
nodded.
 
“It sounded great on my
end.
 
Best take of the night.
 
You be the judge.”
 
He started the playback as the band and
the backup singers meandered into the control room.