Page 66 of Beautiful Noise
“The music doesn’t come to me that way. Throwing a few lines together for a hook or feature is one thing, but entire songsdon’t flow through me if I’m not personally connected. I’m not a songwriter…” I pointed across the room. “But she is.”
“Your girl writes songs?”
“No, but she can.”
“What the fuck, Ess?” Clay laughed sarcastically. “She has you so caught up that you’re trying to pass her off in the industry?”
Clay was a longtime friend, hell pretty much family at this point in our journey, but that didn’t prevent me from issuing a warning glare for him to tread lightly. Regardless of me understanding why he would question my motives, co-signing Kori as a songwriter was blurring the fuck out of the lines between my personal life and career. I had never done this before.
I removed my phone and pulled up Kori’s site. Once Clay had the device in hand, I waited for him to understand what I already knew. She was a natural with words and song lyrics were words. She would need some guidance with a few things but Clay was more than capable. He had worked with the best, polishing and refining what they delivered.
“This is your girl?”
“Lei didn’t tell you?”
He frowned, shaking his head while he continued moving through her site. “Nah, she didn’t bring this to me.”
I chuckled, glancing at Leijah and Kori. “That means her mind is made up and she doesn’t want your input.” He groaned and I made sure to clarify, “But this was all Lei’s decision. I didn’t bring the idea to her. Clips ended up online of Ri on stage at SipLicity last night. She was performing one of her pieces. Shit went viral and Lei saw the performance.”
“You trying to get her a deal?”
“No, Ri couldn’t carry a gotdamn tune with the entire transportation department at her disposal but she can write.”
“Poems. I admit these are good…”
“Better than good,” I asserted and he nodded.
“But still poems. She has no track record with songwriting, no voice in the industry, and no connections unless you’re offering yours.”
“I will if that’s what it takes to get her on this, but she’ll refuse knowing I had to co-sign to make this happen.”
He handed my phone over and lifted his drink, tossing it back. “You sure about that?”
“Very fucking sure. She’s not like the rest. The only thing she wants is me, but it wouldn’t matter. If she was gaming me, I would let her.”
He laughed, lightly shaking his head. “What the hell did she do to you, Ess?”
“Every fucking thing you can imagine.”
“I can work with her but that doesn’t change the reality. She’s a nobody. Leijah needs names.”
“She needs songs. She’s already a name but you know what she’s capable of, which is why you’ve made her your priority and why you called in a favor you knew I wouldn’t turn down. You had other calls you could’ve made, Clay, but I’m the one you hit up.”
I needed this to be all Kori, but if putting my name on it meant she could have hers attached, then I’d do that shit in a heartbeat.
“Plus, you love shit like this.”
“Like what?”
“Being responsible for proving the world wrong. You want Leijah to be the female version of me. You want her to do it with just her raw talent the same way I did. Consider it two for one. You make her a success while issuing a proverbial fuck you to the systematic way the industry works now.”
We both glanced at the ladies and Clay smiled arrogantly, brushing a hand over his head. “I’ll see what she can do but my priority is Lei. I can’t fuck this up, not even to help you win the girl.”
I smirked and shrugged. “I don’t need your help winning the girl. She’s already mine.” I extended a closed fist to Clay which he met with his and walked away. It was time for us to head out, but before I reached my intended stop, someone was calling my name as they approached. The guy had a determined look on his face and clutched an acoustic guitar.
He wanted my time, but I wanted hers. However, the guitar had my attention. It was the exact one my father had purchased for me when I was fifteen years old. The guitar I still kept but refused to play because the memories attached were too fucking hard to deal with.
“I know you’re probably done for the night but I was wondering if you’d mind signing this for me.”