( just a warning that this chapter mentions of sexual content, no sex scenes itself, but rather comments of a past sexual encounter(s) here and there. as well as sexual harassment and violent encounter(s) between ruby and another character. it can be quite heavy at times, so please proceed with caution, take breaks if needed. this is also a long chapter, not as long as the last, but lengthy so that is also a good reason to take breaks. )
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"Try it again," Johnny Rand said from the sound booth.
Ruby Morgan couldn't help but sigh, adjusting the headphones over her ears slightly. She had been wearing them for God knows how long─ she had very much stopped looking at the clock after the fifth time that Johnny had asked them to restart. And she knew that she wasn't the only one who was slowly becoming more annoyed that the song didn't sound right. Every time, they were changing something and now the song had been completely stripped of everything Ruby had created, the only thing that was left were her lyrics but even then, they didn't feel right.
Looking at Johnny, she watched as he spoke with Lewis Landry briefly before returning to the microphone once more. "Actually, we're going to take a break," he announced and without hesitation, the headphones were off Ruby. "Fifteen minutes and then we'll come back to it."
Without saying anything, she grabbed her jacket─ well, not really hers, but he had given it to her knowing they'd never see each other again, she wasn't giving it back─ and was out the door, not stopping until she was outside, eyes closing once the Los Angles breeze kissed her skin.
She had been in LA for a few months, barely there for one when she had stumbled upon Jonathan Rand in a bar, someone who had heard her sing and had given her the one thing that she wanted. He had said that he was lucky to have found a talent like her before promising her that he would ensure that the world would know her name. It had been everything that she had wanted to hear, and so she had signed herself over to him.
But of course, the moment that she did, things started changing.
It started with her name. Ruby had sat down opposite him, eager to get started when he had told her that she would need to rebrand herself, present herself as a girl that little girls would want to grow up to be, innocent and sweet; "you need a name that reflects that, one that'll catch people's attention." She had suggested dropping her last name, just going by the first, but he had brushed off her idea, instead turning to his partner and the two of them began to bounce off ideas before coming up with Ruby Tuesday. Not once did the two men ask her what she thought, the second they agreed, the name had been decided.
