Prince's POV
Another day another rehearsal. Wendy has returned from her trip, Genevieve's skin is healed, and everything is back to normal.
I walk into the room and see Genevieve on stage twirling like a ballerina. As soon as she stops she shakes out her legs and begins turning the other way. She does this a few times before noticing my presence. When she finally sees me she comes and sits in the edge of the stage.
"Your legs don't hurt doing that?" I ask walking over to her.
"No, but they might tomorrow."
"Was that for something?"
"No." She shrugs.
"Do you have choreography you're learning for yourself?"
"I do but think about it this way. Dance recitals are the same every time you perform them. The music, the spacing, the mood in the room it never changes. Every time you perform these songs it's different. Depending on the day parts may be skipped or moved. If I practice ideas and concepts instead of full dances I won't get stuck going through the motions." I never thought about it that way but her reasoning makes perfect sense to me. I find it interesting how her creative mind works and how she's able to compartmentalize her art.
"Is there anyway to make that easier for you?"
"No just do what you do. I think I'm going to do some observing today make sure everybody has the steps. I was able to send Wendy a video of the steps. She told me she watched it and picked them up fine."
"Don't forget I need your voice in that microphone."
"And my hand on the tambourine." She says sarcastically rolling her eyes. "Don't worry. I'll be there when I'm needed."
"Alright and I wanna see some serious dancing today." I climb the stairs to the stage as we continue talking double checking all my instruments and equipment are where I need them to be.
"As opposed to what?" Her face tells me to tread lightly. I stop in my tracks feeling like a deer in headlights.
"Just don't hold back."
"Are you sure about that?"
"Why wouldn't I be?"
"The last time I left it all on the floor, you picked me up and kissed me on a table."
"I wouldn't mind doing that again." I smirk sitting beside her.
"Be careful what you wish for." She winks at me with a devious smile. The rest of the band arrives together as if they carpooled. I'm just grateful they're all on time. They file onto the stage immediately setting up their instruments. No warning, no argument, no speeches. I stand and look at them my face riddled with perplexity.
"Who are you and what have you done with my band?"
"We're just excited, man." Andre smiles.
"Yea, everyone is finally here!" Lisa smiles with her arm around Wendy.
"Well, y'all need to keep that excitement up. Today we're running the whole album. Wendy is there anything you need to catch up on before we start?" She shakes her head. "Alright y'all got ten more minutes to warm up." I plug in my guitar and start warming up too. Genevieve sits quietly on the stage scribble away in her notebook in the corner. "You gonna be ready in ten minutes?"
"I've been in here for an hour. Im ready now." She scoffs.
"Prove it." I smirk. I know she's been here for an hour. She's been here all day but I like messing with her and she likes proving me wrong. She stands still writing in her notebook. She tilts her body to the side, bending her leg and raising it. Before I know it her leg is straight in the air. She puts her pen in her mouth and uses her now free hand to grab her ankle overextending her hips. With perfect balance she stands there looking at me, her notebook dangling at her side. I can't help but stare. I wonder how long she can stand like this but I know right now isn't the time to test it. Slowly, she puts the notebook in the floor and without lowering her leg she does a cartwheel landing on her knees. She smirks as she takes the pen from her mouth and picks up her notebook. She gives me one last devious smile before returning to her writing.
"Guess she showed you." Andre chuckles. I shrug in response feeling bested but intrigued. I knew she was flexible but I never imagined her leg could go up so high or stay there for so long. She finishes her note and walks over to her microphone.
______
It takes us two hours to get through half the songs and I'm ready to scream. We were off to such a great start but after the second song things just fell apart. I don't know what's gotten in to them. It's like they forgot how to fucking play. We had rehearsals while Wendy was gone and we had rehearsals while Genevieve was recovering so I don't understand why they're fucking up so bad. They're missing cues and skipping parts and I'm bout to lose my fucking mind.
"Everybody take 20 and when we get back y'all better have y'all's shit together." They sigh happy to be putting their instruments down. I sit my guitar down and just start walking. I don't know where I'm going but I gotta get out of this room.
Genevieve's POV
I watch as Prince disappears into the hallway but I don't feel the need to follow him. He's being a diva. Everyone isn't on one accord right now and I can see why that's frustrating but he's being rude about it. We aren't all multi-instrumentalist prodigies. He should be grateful they're willing to learn everything without sheet music.
"How can you be so calm?" Miko asks sitting beside me.
"Simple, I'm not afraid of his anger besides he's being dramatic. It's not like we leave for the tour tomorrow."
"He's always been a perfectionist. He just needs to calm down for a minute." Andre adds coming to sit in front of us.
"No, he needs to learn that everyone doesn't have his skill and vision and meet people where they are. He's been yelling and screaming all day about it not sounding right and not being what he wants but he hasn't told us anything other than we should be better."
"You should talk to him." Andre says pointing at the door he left from.
"Me? You're his best friend you do it!"
"You're his girlfriend. You do it."
"Maybe he'll come back in a better mood." Miko shrugs. I look at Andre who looks back at me. We both look at Miko and shake our heads.
"Do you think before you talk?" Andre asks and I choke back my laughter. "If no one goes to talk to him he'll just feed his own ego and come back madder than when he left." Andre is right I just don't feel like it should be to do it. "G, if I go talk to him he'll cuss me out and then I'll have to fight him is that really what you want?" He turns to me with honest eyes and I can't help but suck my teeth. He's probably right about this too.
"You American men are so dramatic. I'll talk to him but you owe me."
"Deal." We shake hands and I get up and wander down the hallway. In the distance I hear a piano being played unhappily. The notes haphazard and aggressive. I walk to the end of the hall and jump to peek through the door of the piano room. He's in there banging on the keys. I twist the door knob but it's locked. Great. I'm getting Mayte treatment. I knock on the door standing on my toes but he doesn't move. He doesn't even turn around. Maybe he doesn't hear it. I knock harder and he doesn't move still banging on the piano. I feel my patience growing thin. I've been standing on my toes in this window pounding in this door for two minutes. My fist is starting to hurt from banging on the metal door. He's gonna open this door I going to break this window and cuss him out. I go for broke and bang on the glass. The sound startled him me he turns around to look at the door.
"Open dis doa before mi break di window!" He walks over to the door and unlocks it but doesn't open it before going back to the bench. I twist the knob and yank the door open it slams behind me.
"Careful whose door your slamming."
"Mi wi slam di doa eff mi wa. Waah yuh problem?" He looks at me with confusion and anger. I can tell he can't tell what I'm saying so I try to calm down. "What's your problem?"
"My problem? They're the ones half assing this performance!" He turns to me shouting.
"To you maybe but I think they're working really hard."
"Working hard my ass! They're fucking up counts and missing cues!"
"You could stand to be more compassionate towards your coworkers and friends."
"I'll show some compassion when they show some effort!"
"They showed up on time instruments in hand and have been trying their best. All you've done is berate them. You keep giving orders and setting expectations but you won't even give them a chance to apply the corrections." He turns away from me facing the piano again, pressing a few keys.
"I shouldn't have to. It should've been right the first time."
"Everyone isn't a musical prodigy. We can't all be like you."
"Did you come to make me feel better or did you come to yell at me?"
"I came to tell you your wrong and that they deserve to be treated better."
"Whatever."
"You wanna do it your way fine. Play every instruments, sing all the parts, do what you want, but when you realize you can't do it by yourself don't ask for help." I turn on my heels and make my way to the door.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm gonna tell everyone to go home and then I'm going home."
"So that's it? You're just gonna leave?"
"What are we supposed to do? Beg for mercy and pray we get it right? It's okay to have standards and it's okay to set them high but when you create with other people you have to consider everyone's skill and understanding not just yours." I keep walking. I feel bad for everyone they wanted me to calm him down but I think I just added fuel to the fire. Maybe he just needs some time alone. A tug on my arm stops me before I get to the door to our rehearsal space.
"Mama, don't leave." He says barely above a whisper.
"Why shouldn't I?" I say snatching my arm from him and turning away.
"Because I'm wrong and I need you to stay."
"And what about them?"
"I need them too. I just... I want to put on a great tour."
"And this is the way to do it? By yelling at everyone and having them walk on eggshells to please you?"
"I know. I know." He sighs putting his arm in my shoulder. "Please look at me." I turn around and look at him blankly. I'm disappointed in his behavior. "I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize to me apologize to them." Together we walk through the door approaching our friends and colleagues. The room is silent as they wait for a sign that things are okay. I look at him and I can see that reality is setting in. He can see the worry he's caused them in their faces and he feels bad.
"I want to apologize for my behavior today. This tour is a big deal but it's a big deal for all of us. I put a lot of pressure on myself y'know, but it's not fair for me to put that pressure on y'all. I hope y'all can forgive me." The room goes quiet again as they reflect on his words.
"I forgive you but cuss me out in rehearsal again and we'll have to take it outside." Andre says light-heartedly.
"If I do it again I'll let you have the first punch." The two men smile at each other feeling reconnected. The rest of the band follows suit accepting his apology. "I think today's been hard enough, why don't we try again when I get back from LA in two weeks?" Everyone says their goodbyes and I start collecting my things, tossing them in my duffel bag. He walks up to me, grabbing my wrist. "Genevieve mama, do you forgive me?" I turn to face him and find myself wrapped in his arms. I can feel myself swooning under his touch and the warmth radiating through his hands. "Everyone said something but you. I can't leave for LA knowing you're still upset with me." I look up at him and my heart swells.
"Who could ever stay mad at that face?"