Page 16 of Shock to the Heart

The young bird swoops down to caves deep in the Earth, up to the hill tops, and everywhere in between. It's kind of nice to know that the nest is always going to be there, but they can't imagine ever wanting to come back to such a small space.

When the song ends, Trey nods. Then he presses the button on his talkback mic. "Okay, I've saved that. Another take, or the next song?"

"Another take, please." The first version was good, but now that I've felt myself sing it at top volume, I want another chance.

Sure enough, the second take is better.

I do two takes each with the next three songs, and each time the second version feels a little freer.

All the while, I can feel Trey's energy in the next room. Someone who was a perfect stranger just the other day, and now I feel so close to him. Even with the plexiglass that separates the recording booth from the studio, it feels like we're connected by a tether that runs from his heart to mine, just like the electrical wires running all through the walls of a house that you never see.

Singing in front of him is incredible, and the wildest part is that there's zero self-consciousness. It's a completely free emotional outpouring that I've never experienced before.

I feel like I've been reborn. Or maybe it's just that I'm flying from the sensation of falling in love with such a caring man, who also has the patience to be my perfect recording engineer.

If I can just get over my mental block about having a boyfriend that everyone is going to analyze, he's going to be an incredible partner for me.

10

TREY

It’s amazing, what I’m witnessing. The more Electra sings, the more she lets go.

Her voice is stunning – rich and clear, able to glide from a dark growl to a soaring crystal clear chime. All the while, each word, each syllable is completely infused with emotion and soul.

She's arranged the songs to build in intensity, each one more heartfelt than the last. The first take of each song is excellent, but the second ones are where she really lets fly.

Somehow, in the midst of her creative release, she manages to keep her lips barely touching the bottom microphone, and perfectly centered under the top one. Even as her hips sway slightly to the beat, her mouth stays perfectly in place.

I don't think she's even aware of the way her hands drift in the air, moving slightly to the offbeat, almost like a slow belly dancer.

She's a goddess.

I'm not biased. Her songs are better than anything I've heard in years. Kind of a sultry soul infused classic rock with a bit of ambient keyboards to keep everything light and airy. It's impossible to describe how it feels completely new and yet achingly familiar at the same time.

At the end of the fourth song, I save the file and open the next one, while she sips her lemon water. "Do you want to take a break before the last song?" I ask through the intercom mic.

"Only for a second." She turns away from me, rolling her shoulders and circling her arms, then touching her toes, which gives me a glorious view of her perky ass.

I check out the massive soundboard beside the computer, so that I'm not overtly staring at her. After a few moments, she waves her hand to catch my attention. "Ready?"

She looks into my eyes with an intensity that makes a hot flame lick slowly up my spine. "Yeah. Ready."

I start the track and lean back, wanting to study her every move, yet not so hard that she feels self-conscious.

As soon as she starts to sing, there's no fear of that. Her gaze locks on mine as her lips open wide and the song pours out of her like water from a pitcher. It's as if a valve has released some deep pressure inside her, and she's surrendered to it, letting the music freely flow through her.

Wow, these lyrics. This isn't just a love song. It's about the whole concept of love. How it's been twisted and manipulated to sell things over the years. How it's been used for dramatic effect in music since the dawn of time. How it's been a product, a tease, a concept, a dream.

And how ultimately no one will ever understand it, not even she.

Electra's eyes smile as her beautiful lips open for the last line of the chorus. "I don't have to understand the laws of gravity to know that I'm falling…falling…at the perfect speed, at the perfect time."

My fists resist the urge to clutch my heart. I already knew I was falling for her hard and fast, but her intensity, her yearning for love, and her bravery to sing it all out loud has me surging over the line.

I'm in love with her. I think I was ever since I first saw her holding that ice cube to her lip.

It's hard to keep my face neutral as she sings to me. No, not to me. Through me.