The recording studio was massive. Everything was pail white except for the humongous posters on the wall. Smiling gently, Dakota lead me into his recording room. As the smell wafted out of the room I found myself grinning. The door clicked as it closed behind us. Dakota waved at someone on the other side of the glass and then took some sheet music from the stand.
"It's this part." He put his finger on one of the high notes, "I can hit that note for a second but can't hold it out very long. My coach can't figure out what to do there because it drops really low for the next line."
I nodded. "I was wondering if that would be a problem. When I imagined you singing it, you went from that high note and spiraled down through the notes until you hit the next line, so like this."
I cleared my throat and started "Hoow dooo you make me feel this waa a a ay?" My voice rose high at the beginning of way and got louder for six beets and then in the last three sunk down, "Do you even know my na a a a ame?" I got even lower as I reached the last word of that beat.
Looking up, I saw Dakota raising his eyebrows at me. "Damn, are you sure I should be the one singing this?"
"Yeah," I replied quickly and handed him his notes.
He looked at me a moment with a puzzled grin. "Want to hear me record it?"
"Yes please."
If I wasn't so used to his favors I would have left immediately. He had me leave the room and sit at the control panel with the professionals. I was given a pair of headphones and sat back to listen to golden boy's golden voice. It was everything I thought it would be and more. He sang the song through almost to the end. He was singing it flawlessly. Then his voice broke and he erupted into coughing. I jumped up out of my seat but no one else moved a muscle. Dakota took a long drink of water and then sighed.
"Whenever you're ready." One of the audio technicians said over the radio.
Dakota nodded and started from a few lines before. There were very few lines left of the song. I sat thinking of how quickly my song went through production and then he reached the last three lines and I perked up.
"I want you-I need you- I love yoooouuu-" He cringed and after a moment of silents looked to the technicians, "that didn't have enough emotion in it, did it?"
He laughed as they told him to redo it. I got to hear those same three wonderful line ten more times. Then Dakota's eyes locked on me.
"Hey Chance, can you give me a sample?" He smirked.
I shook my head. "No. No, I can't."
"Awe, come in here and give it a shot." His enchanting smile gleamed in the light.
"Not in front of all these people," and as he raised his eyebrows at me I looked at the floor, "not in front of you."
He nodded gently and took another whack at it. After a few attempts to sing the whole song again, the team dismissed him. Dakota stretched as he came out of the box and looked at me.
"Alright, let's get you home. I'm sorry I butchered your song." He lead me out of the studio.
"No, I really enjoyed it."
I kept my eyes off him and my blushing cheeks facing the ground. He opened the door to the limo and I was suddenly aware of all the bodyguards. Dakota just ignored them and got in the car beside me.
"You can sing better," I said.
He nodded and looked out the window. "I know I can."
"What's wrong?"
His eyes darted to me and then darted away. "You can't tell anyone." His voice wavered in a way that never made it into his recordings, "I shouldn't even tell you."
"Then don't, I think I know."
He was stiff in his seat.
"You would be the one who could guess."
The car stopped and I looked at him. The way he sat, the bodyguards, the lack of love in his voice, it all meant one thing.
"Something happened with your father, didn't it?"
He didn't look at me as h gently nodded.
"I thought he was in prison"
We were at my house, I could see a single light on inside.
"He was, yes."
"He escaped?"
He shushed me and then lowered his eyes. I looked at him for a long while. This was something the media would want to latch onto. It was something he would keep hidden from his fans. I leaned toward him and wrapped my arms around his back. He jolted slightly. My eyes were glued shut as I hugged him but I didn't know what else to do to make him feel better. Then I felt the soft touch of a big hand on my back.
"I want you, I need you, I love you." I said softly, "even if your father doesn't."
Dakota rested his head on my shoulder. "You honestly care about me that much?"
"Yep." I gave him a soft squeeze.
"Then I have a favor to ask you."
***
That night on the way to his house, Dakota's limo was shot at. It crashed into a tree after the first few bullets had streamed through the back window. The media barely had time to capitalize on his fathers escape from prison before the rumors of the shot up limo started spreading. No information was released about Dakota's location or condition because he was standing in the foyer of my house and my dad and mom were staring at him.
"You bastard! He can't stay here." My father yelled and broke a bottle on the ground.
"I'm just taking him to my room," I said softly.
Dakota stood a few steps behind me beside the door.
"Well, we can't have you keep the whole family up all night," My mom said from the kitchen.
I blushed. "Mom, we aren't going to do those things, he's straight. Besides, don't you recognize him? He's the pop singer I'm always talking about."
"A load of crap. That isn't a real job. Kick him to the curb, the whole lot of them should burn in hell."
Dakota looked up in stunned silence. I let out a breath of air.
"I'm sure someone on Dakota's team would love to give us a thank you gift of cash for protecting him." I looked at my sister down the hall and her eyes lit up.
Dakota nodded. "And your son just signed a contract with my company so he can get money from all the songs he wrote."
My father groaned and wandered off, yelling something about STDs as he left. I pulled him down the hall by his hand and slammed the door shut. He glanced around my room and immediately went to touch my stacks of paper. My hand intercepted his before I could even think of something to say.
"They aren't good." I sputtered.
He laughed and turned away. "Artists are the worst critics of their work."
"You're probably tired, you can have the bed and I'll sleep on the couch in the living room," I said and gestured towards my cot on the floor.
He bent down beside it and lifted fluffy bunny up in his hands gently. The slightest start of a refute reached my lips and then died after a little sound came out.
"Cute," He said and sat down on the bed with her, "You know it's all the same to me if you want to cuddle tonight. I do have a large debt to repay you."
My face went red. "Well, it's not like it's a huge inconvenience to have a superstar in my house."
"No, it isn't, but I have to borrow your PJs" He smiled at me, "and your boxers."
***
While he was changing in the bathroom, I slammed my head against the wall. My mind was so horribly perverted. He came back into my room and sat down beside where I was standing.
"Go ahead and get to sleep, I'm too on edge to lay down," Dakota said, looking at the paper stack beside him.
"Well, I can't sleep knowing you're here." I held fluffy bunny and looked at him.
My eyes shut and it was hard to open them. It had been a long day at school after work this morning. When I blinked my eyes stayed closed longer than they needed too. The more I tried to stay awake, the quicker I fell asleep.
My eyes opened lazily and I could tell it was still night. Dakota was humming a tune.
"Stop reading those."
I tried to sit up but could barely move.
"I think it's a little late for that," He patted a stack of papers beside him.
I groaned in misery. "Go to bed already."
He crawled over beside me with a sheet of paper in his hand. I laid down properly, knowing I wouldn't be awake long.
"I like the songs where it's you singing to me and I sing back."
I sat straight up, snatched the paper from him and crumpled it into a ball. Dakota looked right at me and blinked. I threw it across the room and it hit the door with a dull thunk. Then he grinned at the red that crossed my face.
"Why are you embarrassed?" He said, leaning closer, "isn't it nice for me to know what you want?"
"Shut up."
I rolled over and faced the wall. Midnight came and left and I woke up again. The first thing I noticed in the dark room was something moving beside me. Dakota was as close to the edge of the bed as he could be. My heart started racing and I could feel the color rushing to my face. I was about to shimmy my way out of the bed so he could have it but then he made a noise. Dakota twitched and balled his hands up. I placed my hand on his arm and could feel the sweat racing down it and his heart thumping even faster than mine.
I shook his shoulder. "Dakota, wake up."
He jumped and grabbed my wrist. "Who's there?"
"Chance."
His grip on my wrist loosened. I gently touched the back of his hand. He sighed gently and then smiled.
"It's just a nightmare, don't worry," Dakota said and sat up, running a hand through his soaked hair.
"I wasn't," I said softly, "were you?"
He glanced up at me silently. I could feel him shaking lightly.
"Worried isn't the right word," he murmured, "I'm terrified."
I lifted my hand and gently put it on his head. "Don't worry. He has no idea you're here. You, me and my parents are the only ones who have any idea where you are."
His head fell forward onto my shoulder. I got stiff and ruffled his hair. He laughed quietly at me and reached his hand up to place it on top of mine.
"Don't laugh at me," I said softly, "this is something I never thought I would be doing."
"Me neither," he smirked, "I don't have friends I could rely on like this."
He yawned. I looked down at him and gently gave him a hug. His arms wrapped around me and my heart exploded. My cheeks must have been bright red. I shifted how I was sitting and smiled wildly.
"Your heart is racing," Dakota looked up at me.
I nodded gently. He sat back and looked me in the eyes. Then Dakota laid down.
"I'm guessing you wouldn't sleep a wink if I asked you to sleep close to me, huh?"
"I would pay to sleep close to you."