The Gamble, Book 3

Chapter 2

Soundtrack: Deja vu by Coldrain

Reid

"No, we have Reminiscent booked in that week, full ten-hour days." I sighed, looking at my screen with the calender open with various colored blocks across the screen. "I can't do anything that week, or I have no chance to eat or sleep. Harry's fully booked that week too. Lyndsay is on leave for another couple weeks to recover from her operation. How long do they need?"

"It's a four-track EP. They're looking at either three full days, or smaller days, spread out over a week." Tyler, the guy who basically ran the place so I could focus on recording, explained.

"Can they spread those three days out over a week? So rather than five days at six hours, I can do three full days, but not in a row."

"Yeah, I believe they can."

"Okay, best I got around that time, is the week after. Monday, Friday and I suppose I can pull a Saturday, although that's going to peeve Sarah off."

Right now, my studio only handled unsigned and some minor label bands, but I wanted to pull bigger groups, ones on major labels. The band Tyler was talking about was signed to one of the more well known minor labels, so we couldn't afford to turn them away.

"Okay, I'll let them know, and if they're cool with it, I'll book them in. Good luck explaining this to Mrs."

I chuckled softly, although my feelings didn't match the laugh, it was a fake laugh like most of my laughter was these days, "Thanks, talk later."

I looked around my office, my very own office in my very own recording studio, just like I'd always dreamed.

After college ended, I took up full time in the cafe while applying for intern jobs at studios. After six months, I got offered a weekend gig at a local music practice room with Caleb's help. It wasn't anything special, just operating the desk, taking bookings, setting rooms up, helping bands with sound levels during practices. But eventually, that led on to me being promoted to a junior recording technician.

Payton's band had taken off once the other three finished Uni, and I acted as their lead sound tech. After a small summer festival in Newquay, her group got signed. We made it work with me still as their lead sound tech, but they soon offered me a considerable role in a studio in St. Ives. I would run the place along with the owner, and Payton urged me to take it. She was following her dream, and she wanted me to follow mine.

We talked and debated it a lot. I knew they were going to succeed, and I knew they'd get a new, more significant contract. However, we both felt we were strong enough to make it work, so I took the offer. The girls quickly became huge after that. After a few months, I got sent to run their sister studio just outside of Newquay, and her band got bigger still. I was so proud of her and the three girls.

We made it work; it wasn't easy, but we did everything we could when she was away. We talked and laughed all the time on the phone and Skype. When she was home, we'd go on road trips, dates, spend a day in bed tearing each other's clothes off, and watching our favorite movies.

But it got harder. The bigger they got, the less she was home, and then my mom died. That broke me beyond compare. She'd come back, which I was thankful for, but she had to leave again. I understood, I did, but I'd just lost my mother, I needed her. I needed the woman I loved, the woman who was due to be my wife. I'd asked her to marry me a few short months before.

That's when we started fighting, really fighting. We'd had a few fights before, but nothing major. However, I was grieving; I needed Payton, but she wasn't there.