Shiny Demon

My Sleeping Heart Woke, and My Waking Heart Spoke

The producer Stevie had been working with, Ames, clicked the button to stop the recording and turned to Stevie with a bashful smile. "So this is my favorite cut, but I wanted to make sure you were happy with it. We can adjust it as much as you want to."

Stevie had reached out after seeing some of his work on Youtube channel where he featured lesser known musicians playing their songs in his small studio. She'd been intrigued by the unpretentious and straightforward style. It was just an artist in a small, warmly lit room, playing their song. And simple as it was, every video packed an emotional punch. Like she was watching a close friend strip their soul bare and pour their heart into a glass for her to drink up.

She'd hoped for her song to be an unpolished confession of her immense affection and gratitude, mingled with the grief and regret that weighed on her like an unyielding layer of permafrost.  This recording captured it perfectly. It had been worth the multiple hour long trips back and forth between Ferrell and Roanoke. 

"No," she smiled with an almost dreamy contentment after hearing the song fully produced for the first time. "It's perfect."

A subtle blush colored his cheeks as he looked back at his computer screen with a pleased expression. "I'm glad you like it."

"The sound is great, but you're so good at videography too!" He'd managed to match the shots with the same slow, unhurried, tone that she'd been hoping to portray through her song. "You made me look so professional and pretty!"

He chuckled tentatively as he adjusted his glasses. "Making you look pretty isn't hard."

She chewed the inside of her lip. She hadn't meant to flirt. He'd barely spoken more than a few necessary words when she'd recorded the song a couple weeks before, so she hadn't expected him to say anything like that. "Hah, thanks." She looked away as she groped for something else to talk about. "So when will you post it?"

"If you're happy with it, I can upload it right away."

She sucked in a little breath as a flutter of excitement filled her chest. She'd be sharing her own music, something she had written by herself, with the public for the first time.

She nodded before she could doubt the decision. "I love it. Let's do it."

Ames gave her a warm look and he bobbed his head. "Let's do it." He busied himself at the computer, clacking at the keyboard for a few minutes. His tattooed biceps flexed while he worked.

A shadowy thought crept slowly to the front of her mind as she waited. She wondered if he would hear it. She wondered if he'd realize it was about him.

After a few seconds, Ames stretched back in his chair with a satisfied groan. "It's live! I just emailed you the link." 

Stevie made an involuntary squeak and bounced excitedly like a kid. She couldn't help it. The nerves and joy were running out of room and itching to get outside of her body. She couldn't remember the last time she'd jumped for joy.

Ames stood up, looking like he might try to give her a congratulatory hug, but instead he absentmindedly tugged at his threadbare Animal Collective shirt. "I usually put a teaser cut on Instagram if you want me to tag you in that post."

"Oh, I'm not on there. Or any social media really."

"Oh, right on. Well you can just share the link I sent you with your friends, then. The old fashioned way."

"Um... maybe?" She didn't want to spoil her happy moment by mentioning that she had no friends. "I think the old fashioned way is just playing the song in front of people. But I don't have any plans for that either."