"Are you sure about this?"
"Yes!" He answered. "The rest of your things can stay at my place. It's no trouble. Besides I'm gonna go to Brazil anyways." Ian said. He wants me to take only what's strictly necessary and leave the rest at his place in Georgia.
"Sounds to me like you want to be sure I'll come back."
"I want you to have something to come back to." He said while his hand made its way to my lower back and he pulled me closer to him.
"I already do." I answered while caressing his face sweetly. His smile made my day and the touch of his lips against mine sent spikes through me.
"Eu te amo." He said when we pulled away. Flashes of the time I taught him to say that went through me in seconds as a smirk grew on my face.
"Save that for Brazil, would ya'?" I said before weaseling my way out of his hold. "Now, come help me out loading this stuff to your car." I said pointing towards the bed, where all the things I won't be taking laid. Taking one of my guitars, I started walking out as he spoke to me.
"Stop talking to me like we're married." He said. Then he murmured, "Before I get any ideas." loud enough for me to hear.
When the last thing was loaded into his car, Ian took me in a hug. A good-bye hug. In the middle of it, I felt his muscles wake up as he remembered something abruptly. He let me go and, when he returned, he was handing me a pair of keys.
"From my house. You'll need them." He said.
"But, what about you?" I asked.
"These are copies." He said. "I'll need them too, you know?" He joked before putting the keys in my hand and taking me in for a hug again. He kissed my head while we were in between each other's arms. "Now go." He said.
I made my way to my car and, once I was in, I took a look at Ian, still standing in front of his own car. He shot me a smile and, as I turned the car on, he said 'I love you' with his hand. It brought me back to when I told him myself the first time. The same situation, just different places. I gave him I smile and made the sign back as a pulled away from the parking lot.
-x-
I met with Alex at the airport desk after I returned the car back to the rental and walked through a few paparazzi. It didn't felt like paparazzi at all. I treated them like old friends and made conversation instead of ignoring them as I walked.
While we were waiting for the gates to open, Alex and I made conversation.
"Are you 100% positive about this?" I asked.
"Completely." She answered. "Paul's right. I do miss the old band days and college won't be an obstacle sense technically I already graduated." My look encouraged her to keep explaining. "Yeah...I've been working nonstop to graduate early and... I did." She finished with a shrug of her shoulders like it was nothing.
She left to the bathroom after a few minutes and I took the liberty of checking my e-mails.
Verified account from twitter. Verified account from Instagram. Old stuff. Junk mail....
Although, one caught my eye. For the only reason that I didn't recognized the e-mail address. So I decided to open it.
_______________
From: Vincent Campbell
To: Veronica Brooks
Miss Brooks:
Receive apologizes for taking this long to contact you. Hopefully, we are the first to reach out to you. I friend of a friend contacted me and suggested I went to see the band you founded, Rated B, playing live in Georgia. I did, and it is because I did, that I wanted to reach out to you on behalf of the company I represent and offer you a record deal with said company.
If interested, contact me at this e-mail address so we can discuss the terms of a meeting with you and your band mates.
Regards,
Vincent Campbell
Manager, Hopeless Records.
_________________
Alex came back just when I finished reading. She noticed my state of shock and asked what caused it. She ended up taking the phone from my hands only to enter a state of shock herself. I managed to look at her, slowly turning my head, just as she was also doing it. I've heard those words from her before, but they had a whole different meaning now.
"Danny is going to be so sorry."
Inside the plane, I took a picture of Alex and I and uploaded it to Instagram.
' @Vero1996: Sayōnara, Georgia. We got some business to attend to. '
Then, I uploaded a picture of the view outside from the window before I couldn't use my phone anymore.
' @Vero1996: Hint: Rated B for Bops. Give it a minute. #BandRefrencesNobodyGets '
-x-
Now, off of the plane and on Californian ground, Alex and I took my car and left to our apartment. Once there, we left our things and I texted the guys.
' Meet @ my aunt's bar. '
Even though I arranged the meeting, Alex and I were the last ones there. I walked straight to the backstage launch, where we always meet, and Alex couldn't keep up with my pace. When I entered, Roy, Daisy and Mark were distributed around the room and their faces meet mine in unison. I didn't gave them a chance to say 'hello', I just started talking.
"So, Danny left. His lost. Our gain. Because lady" I said looking at Daisy, the only lady in the room. Then I addressed the rest. "and gentlemen, we just might have a record deal." They all looked excited except Daisy. She looked confused.
"So we got a record deal and no vocalist. How is that gonna work?" She asked.
"Well, my dearest, obviously you weren't here from day one so you don't know how things used to run around here." I said. I changed my posture and laid my hands at my hips. "I'm gonna be front road again."
"And leave lead guitar? Are you crazy?" Asked Roy.
"I'm glad you asked." I said just before Alex entered the room. When she did, the three of them showed surprise and excitement before rushing over to her and hugging her.
Mark, who was the band's clown, spoke with overly excitement and made us all laugh. It's the third time I hear the phrase and by now, it felt like a reality.
"Oohh Danny is going to be sooo sorry!!"
We went right into band practice afterwards.
"You still got it in ya', blondie?" Asked Roy. Alex looked at him, then at me. She took her electric guitar and started shredding an amazing solo we learned on our first high school years. Her hands moved like a true pro and she left Roy speechless.
"I'm a little rusty." She said with sarcasm and fake modesty before we started playing.
The new sound was how Rated B is suppose to sound like. It's fresh, strong and playful. We'll be just right without Danny. I should've been expecting the clapping after the last guitar strum.
A man was standing in front of the stage slow clapping. I assumed his identity but he introduced himself anyways.
"Good evening. I'm Vincent Campbell. You must be Veronica." He said motioning his hand towards me to shake. After I jumped down off the stage, I gave his hand a firm shake that let him know I meant business and explained what was he doing here to my band mates.
We all sat down and started the meeting. After we explained the Danny situation, he said the arrangements of the deal for us to deliver.
"We can offer you ten years. You'll have a place to practice if you wish, some new instruments if needed, and a manager would be assign to you. Do you have any original music?" He asked.
"Right here." Said Alex before I could even speak. She handed him a USB driver and he took it gratefully.
"Great." He said with a slight hint of a smile. "I'll take this with me. We'll see each other again soon and, when we do, you'll be able to read all the agreements and analyze. Until then," he said as he searched into his jacket pocket. "here's my card." And with that, he stood up and simply left.
-x-
Back in the apartment, I went onto social media -Instagram, to be exact- and found a post from Ian in which I was tagged.
' @iansomerhalder: My Brazil right now... It has been great so far. I'll admit it could be better but @Vero1996 is living the rock star life back in USA. We're both missing out somehow. '
Of course, I told him about the record deal. That explains his comment... And the fan's comments.
' Best bromance ever. Don't even care if it's suppose to be boy/boy '
' Rated B going big! Finally!! '
' My favorite actor and my favorite singer. Ship it! '
Since I couldn't sleep, I did the only thing that gets me through the night. And it wouldn't hurt to have some more original songs.