Nolan had been listening to the conversation and knew that he had to intercede here. "Tell your friend you'll send her the rent until you make a decision on where you want to live." He knew she'd never need to return to the previous life she had, but having her at his mercy wasn't a place he felt comfortable with either. He wanted her with him because of her own desires, without her independence she couldn't make that decision.
She relayed Nolan's words, and was grateful that Rachel wouldn't have to take the brunt of her not being there at least financially. Without a doubt she knew if things panned out for her with the recording, she'd be inviting Rachel to live with her in Vegas. Nolan would have to understand that after this media fascination was over, it just wouldn't do to live with him without some type of emotional commitment. She was going to bring that up, she decided.
"You just take care of yourself Ang," Rachel was more worried than she wanted to admit about how fast things were moving for her, but she hoped she could find some happiness at last.
"I will Rach, and you take care of you, I'll call you later okay?" They'd just pulled up to the studio, and she didn't want to keep Nolan waiting while she caught up with her best friend.
The press was waiting outside the building, and again Nolan guided her through, refusing to give another statement. She had never been inside a studio before and the building itself was enormous. When they finally made it through the front doors, she noted it looked more like another hotel. "I thought we were going to the studio?"
My company owns the top floor here, and the studio located here is state of the art, we own another one on the outskirts of the city, but for our purposes we need to be at this one today." He led her over to an elevator and they made their way up fifteen floors.
The elegance that surrounded her made her feel completely out of place, but Nolan was obviously in his element. He spoke with several people in his authoritative way, and within minutes they were inside a huge board room with fifteen other executives. She sat down in the seat beside him at the head of the table, having no idea why all these people were here.
"Angela, everyone here is going to have a major influence over your career in the next few months and I wanted to introduce you." Turning back to the group he introduced the twins, "These two incredible women are Kaitlin and Kayla Schrader, they are part of your public relations teams. What they do is make sure that you are primed for any interviews and if there is any negative publicity, it's their job to spin it back to put you in a positive light."
"Nice to meet you," she smiled nervously at the beautiful women and there was no doubt they were twins, even if one of them had her hair cropped into a short bob, and the other's was long and flowing down her back in a raven silk curtain. They smiled and gave her a nod, seeming to be studying her intently.
"Jon Baker here," he pointed to a handsome young professional sitting at the opposite end of the table, "is the senior vice-president of the record label, he's responsible for making sure the label is protected obviously, but he will also be helping with our situation and keeping the media on the right track."
He introduced Simon Richards, the head of the songwriting department, and informed her that demo's from the best writers in the industry would be found for her first session. Sanders, she had already met, he was a former recording artist himself but had recently signed on with the label to promote new talent, and he informed her that he was his right hand man. "If for some odd reason you can't get in touch with me, Sanders is the man I want you speaking with."
After being introduced to the photographer, accountant, and music producer, the names started to all blur in her mind and she knew it would be impossible to remember them all. Nolan informed them all that she would go by the name Angel Storm, and he expected them to come up with ideas on marketing but he also had his own input he planned on adding. She was amazed at how efficiently everyone in the room seemed to work together.
"Simon the faster you can get some demos put together for her, the quicker we can get her recording." At Simon's nod, he knew that she'd have the best song choices he considered within a day. If there was one thing Simon knew, he thought to himself, it was the type of song that would sell.
"I want to get this all together as soon as possible, so I'm going to call the meeting and let you all get busy with making the lovely Angel an overnight sensation." Laughter filled the room at his play on words from the show he produced but they quickly dispersed, knowing what he expected.
"We need to get you in the studio so you can get a feel for what you'll be working at," Nolan stood and waited until she did as well before leading her out of the room.
She was amazed at how big the studio was when they entered, having thought it would be a smaller room. "I guess when I thought of a studio, I thought of just a little booth." Laughing nervously, she glanced around.
He pointed to a small booth off to the side. "We have both Angela, musicians use the larger room and the vocalists are isolated in the booth. For today, I just want to play some music and get you comfortable at singing without vibrato. It's like singing without a mic and not what you usually hear when you're performing, well let's say karaoke." One of the biggest challenges for most vocalists he'd worked with was not liking the sound of their voice without added reverb. The reverb or vibrato as some artists called it was something the music producer would add in after the music had been mixed.
He led her into the mixing room and showed her a wall full of karaoke tracks. "These will help us do some warm ups, just pick a song you know and will get started."
There were so many song choices that it took her a minute to choose the right one. She decided doing a song she'd performed on open mic night at the bar would probably be the easiest, so she pulled it out and handed it to him.
"Okay, go into the booth and put on the headphones, you'll be able to hear me through them." He was in business mode for the moment, and wanted to make sure she had time to acclimate to singing in this setting before her real recording sessions began.
She walked into the booth, and the first thing she noted was the complete absence of sound. It was eerily quiet until she put on the headphones, and she jumped slightly when Nolan's voice came through.
He chuckled softly at her action, being able to see her very well from his position in the mixing room. "I'm going to turn on the music in here, and you should see the words plainly in the monitor in front of you."
It was just like being on stage on a karaoke open mic night she thought, except it was just her and Nolan in the room. As she started to sing she instantly understood what he'd been talking about when it came to vibrato. Her voice sounded very plain, and it was an unusual experience. When she sang at open mic night, the reverb added to her breathing pattern, and she found she had to work harder to push the longer notes out.
After a warm up song, he recording her performance and brought her back into the mixing room. "I know what you hear when you're in the box, but all the tools to add to your voice are right here at the director's fingers." He played her recording and smiled as she cringed. "You still sound incredible Angela even without the mixing, but listen to this." He added a slight impression of reverb and a smile found her face.
He showed her how he could change the tempo and key of her voice and she was simply amazed. So even if I couldn't hit those high notes, with the right producer behind the scenes it would make it appear I could?"
"That's about the crux of it Angela, take a singer with an average voice and the ability to stay on key, and you can make them sound like a superstar." He'd done his share of getting the director to doctor up vocals. "The only difference is, when they perform live concerts the fans know exactly what they sound like. Granted we can give them the reverb, but all the pitches and speed, that's up to the singers when they do concerts.
It made sense to her now why that concert she'd went to with Rachel, when the singer was nowhere near as good as the CD had been, why he'd been unable to perform that way.
"Learn something new all the time I guess." She laughed softly.
Nolan allowed her a few more songs to get comfortable with the sensation of hearing her natural voice before deciding to call it quits. She'd done exceptionally well here and he knew she would feel much more comfortable for the real experience that would come later. "I don't know about you, but I could use a good meal?" What he could really use was some private time alone with her, but instinctively he knew that it would make her nervous if he brought that up.
"I could definitely eat," she answered but honestly it was so much fun being in the studio, a few more hours here wouldn't hurt her feelings.
He could see the longing in her eyes to keep singing and chuckled. "Trust me in a few weeks you'll be ready to scream in frustration over being here." Having the finished product was always an exhilarating feeling for his vocalists, but the studio was also hard work. Depending on how difficult it was to lay down tracks, it wasn't uncommon to spend hours on one song.
Reluctantly she followed him out of the studio and back through the thinning barrage of reporters before they climbed in his car again. Her mind was overwhelmed by all she had learned today, so she was quiet as they drove. It was hard to believe she was going to make an album, even now she wondered when she'd wake up and discover this was all a dream.
"Would you rather eat out or have my staff put together a meal," he broke into her silence, not sure if she was willing to deal with more reporters.
"Honestly I don't really want to be around the press anymore today if that's okay?" She understood it was going to be a normal part of her life for a while, but it made her more than a little uncomfortable. It was ironic that in the past she thought reporters were all these professional people who were refined, but that definitely wasn't the side of their profession she saw today.
"Eating in it is then, and don't worry Angela, it gets easier to deal with them." He'd been surrounded by the press most of his life, early on because of his father's popularity, then later his own. These days they were just a nuisance he'd learnt to ignore unless something like this situation forced his hand.
"They don't believe in privacy much, huh?" She'd been astounded at the personal questions they seemed to have no problems asking.
Chuckling derogatively he shook his head, "According to the masses, if you're famous you don't deserve to have a private life. I guess it's the price you pay for living the dream." He always wondered how the normal person would feel if he stalked their homes and took photos of their every move, he guessed not so much.
"If you had to do it all over again, I mean have the fame or be a normal person, which would you choose?" It was all a little overwhelming to her, thinking about how her life would never be her own again if she continued to pursue this.
"There have been times when a little anonymity would've been nice Angela, but I wouldn't give up what I love even with all the drawbacks. Some people can't deal with the constant pressure of being in the public eye though, and for those, maybe it's not the best career choice." He could recall several stars turning to drugs and alcohol when the demands of public scrutiny became too much.
With even the small glimpse into his world she'd been given today, she could understand how some people would fold. They pulled through the security gate and she allowed her thoughts to remain her own as she considered how she would deal with this on a daily basis. Sure he had everything money could buy, but even shopping would have to be a chore with people watching your every move, she pondered.
He slid out of his car and walked around to open her door and they kept a comfortable silence as they entered his home. Giving his chef directions for dinner, he led her into the living room, sitting down on an oversized sofa. "So what did you think about your first day at the studio?" He was trying his best to keep up the camaraderie they had shared today, but his mind was already on the night they'd spend together.
"It was amazing," feeling a little nervous about being back alone with him again, she tried to fight off her anxieties. She knew that he wanted her, and even wanting him, there was a part of her that was terrified when the time came she wouldn't be unable to go through with this.
"We should have some demos to listen to in the morning, and I think you'll be really pleased with what Simon comes up with." He could see the fear already filling her eyes, and wondered if it was wrong to want to take her in his arms and drive that away forever.
She was perched on the edge of the couch at the far end, and trying her best to focus on the conversation. "I'm sure the songs will be great," she doubted anyone working for him could be less than perfect. Was it too late to forget this crazy notion that she could be his lover, she wondered, her heart racing.
He moved down to sit closer to her, and saw her tense visibly. "I'm sure you'll make the songs great Angela," he spoke softly and made no movement to touch her. Something told him she was strung so tight if he made any move she was going to snap.
Clenching her fists, she fought the urge to stand up and move away from him. She was crazy to believe this was a possibility for them. "Nolan, I ..." she was cut off as his finger pressed against her lips softly. She was about to tell him she couldn't do this, no matter how much she wanted to discover if she had the ability to feel desire again, it was too frightening.
"I can see it in your eyes Angela, but please don't run away from me." He moved the finger that had pressed against her lips to her cheek, allowing it to softly caress her jaw bone. "What he did to you was horrible, but I promise with me you'll find nothing but pleasure." If he had to hold his own need in check all night, he was determined that she would find freedom from her fear and passion in his arms tonight. Pulling her into his arms, he held her against him. "Angela I'm asking you to trust me."
She wanted to pull out of his arms, and press herself even more tightly against him at the same time. There was a huge part of her that wanted to believe he had the capability to drive away her demons, but the scared little girl wanted to run away and not take the chance.
They were interrupted by his housekeeper informing him their dinner was ready, and Angela was thankful for a brief respite from the huge decision she needed to make. "Saved by the bell," she nervously laughed, wondering why this strong beautiful man was wasting his time on a head case like her.
"Just postponed I hope," he smiled sadly, hating the thought of what the man had done to her. She was so damned beautiful and deserved so much more than a life filled with fear and past regret. Standing up, he held out his hand and was almost surprised when she placed her own inside. He was a selfish bastard, he told himself again as he walked her into the dining room. She should be with a man that could offer her the happily ever after she deserved, not some commitment phobic like him.
She forced herself to eat a little of the food, and without a doubt in her mind the meal was delicious, but her stomach was tied in knots. Taking several deep breaths, she contemplated her choices. She could walk away and never know if she was capable of feeling anything but this overwhelming fear of sex, or take a chance and hope that Nolan had the ability to show her something beautiful was possible when two people made love.
He could tell her thoughts weren't on the food, and wished he had thought to be a little more considerate. What kind of man was he to promise to help her when his own mind was so fucked up he couldn't even fix him? "Angela if you don't want this, I promise you I'll still live up to my end of the bargain, you know that right?" He couldn't for one second let her think she was being forced into accepting his offer.
Pushing her plate away, she nodded and carefully contemplated her words. "Nolan it's not that I don't want you, if I thought I could enjoy a night in your arms without remembering every horrible thing that man did to me, I wouldn't even think twice."
"I think it's pretty obvious how much I want you," he laughed and felt more than a little self-conscious about being so honest about his needs, it was a first for him. "That being said, I find myself wanting you to be happy abo
ve everything I could desire for myself." Again, another first for him and as he spoke the words he realized how true they really were. It wasn't just about sexual gratification with her, for the first time in his life he was thinking about someone else's needs.
How could she walk away from his profession, she thought to herself, and then decided she wasn't going to. "Take me to bed, Nolan," she whispered the words softly, amazed even as she said them.
"Are you sure Angela," he didn't want to question her decision, but at the same time he refused to allow her to regret this and wanted her to be completely positive he was what she wanted.
She gave a small nod of her head, her mouth so dry now that she had given in, she doubted she could speak. When he picked her up into his arms, holding her like a child, she could only stare into his eyes dazed by the action. She held on like her life depended on it, and maybe in some ways it did. This was her defining moment, if she could let go of her fear and find pleasure in his arms then maybe there was still a part of her left that wouldn't be forever haunted by her past.
He lowered her feet to the ground after they entered his bedroom and he locked the door behind him before turning back. The sound seemed to vibrate off the walls in her mind, and she stared at him like a soul that was lost being confronted with a chance of salvation. Knowing he was no damn savior, he vowed mentally to make this the most memorable night of her life even if it took every ounce of self-control he possessed.
"So what do we do now?" She stood stiffly allowing her eyes to take in the sophisticated elegance of his room until her eyes landed on the huge mahogany bed. Biting her lip nervously she turned her eyes back to him, the fear dripping through her veins and threatening to make her bolt.
He smiled patiently and walked over to the stereo system in the wall, turning it on before walking back in front of her again. "Dance with me," holding out his arms, he enveloped her gently as she surrendered. The soothing jazz love song echoed in the room and he swayed with her, wishing he could drive her fear away.
5 Nights (Sinful Delights Romance - Boxed Set) Page 59
