Chapter 24
(Beca & Chloe)
By the time Beca got to work Monday, she was worried about Emily. She hadn’t replied to any texts since saying she needed a break. Aubrey had texted Chloe to cancel their hangout, saying they were leaving town for a few days, but that was the last they’d heard. Sitting at her desk, Beca stared at her phone, debating reaching out versus just going to her office. Shoving her phone in her pocket, Beca headed for the elevator.
She hesitated at Emily’s office door, hearing the piano inside. She waited a moment, then knocked. “Em, it’s Beca.”
The piano stopped, though it was a few moments before she opened the door. “Hey, Becs. What’s up?”
“I hadn’t heard from you, so I figured I would come check on you. And I realized I haven’t seen any new sheet music in a couple weeks.”
“Uh, yeah. Sorry. I don’t… I haven’t…” She realized she couldn’t be casual with her friend while the music issue hung over them. “Come in. I need to talk to you.” She stood aside so Beca could walk in.
Beca could feel that something big was bothering the songwriter. Emily sat at the piano facing the desk, Beca leaning against the desk. “What’s going on?”
Emily took a deep breath. “Look, Becs, it’s become obvious that the label isn’t gonna let us record together and actually release anything. I think… they’re looking for a different sound from you than I can write. So, I’m gonna stop bombarding you with music. That way, you can concentrate on the music they really want.” She looked away. “I’m sorry, Beca. We had a plan and I couldn’t produce.”
Beca gaped at her. This was out of left field to her. She knew it was taking a long time, but she hadn’t given up on recording Emily’s work. “Emily… What?... Why?... Where is this coming from?”
Emily sighed. “Is Heather’s music anything like mine?”
“No. So what?” Beca stood with her hands on her hips.
“And they want you to record it?”
“Yeah, they want a few demos. She’ll be here next month for them. Em, what are you getting at?”
Emily sighed again, heavily. Beca wasn’t getting it. “Look, don’t worry about it. I’ll learn to deal, one way or another.”
Beca looked at her. “You’re giving up on it.” That realization hit her in the gut.
“Beca…”
Beca raised a hand to stop her. “I’ll find a way. A way to change your mind, and a way to make our plan happen. Just give me some time. Don’t stop writing, and please send it to me. I can’t convince them without music.”
Emily nodded, suddenly exhausted. “Okay, I’ll send it along. But I doubt it will be worthy of you. I need to write stuff any artist could perform.” She glanced at her friend and physically flinched at the distress in her eyes. “I’m sorry,” she repeated quietly.
“This isn’t your fault. I just need a chance to fix it.”
The younger woman pointed at a folder on her desk. “That’s what’s done. You can do what you want with it.” She turned in her seat to play the piano quietly.
Beca took the folder. “I’ll text you. We’ll work it out.” She stood a minute as Emily played, then quietly left the room. She went back to her office, but only long enough to gather her things and text Chloe. “On my way. Will explain.” She headed to the car and home.
The drive wasn’t long, but it was long enough for Beca to get truly upset at the way her friend was trying to give up on their goals. She slammed the apartment door, dropping most of her stuff in the entryway and taking the folder of music with her into the living room. Putting the folder on the coffee table, she realized Chloe wasn’t home. Checking her phone, she saw Chloe’s reply. “Heading to grocery store. Back soon.”
It wasn’t even lunch time yet, so Beca made herself a latte rather than the drink she wanted. Taking the mug back to the couch, she leaned forward to flip through the pages of sheet music. She could sight-read the vocals easily enough, but it was hard to practice without accompaniment. Leaning back, she sipped her coffee. Remembering Chloe’s frustration with the label, she realized her partner had been right; they were actively attempting to keep her from her friend’s work. She was going to have word with someone about it, but she needed Chloe’s calm first.
Fortunately, the ginger arrived shortly, and Beca got up to help with the groceries. Chloe could tell her partner was upset, but let her help put the food away in silence. After, Beca leaned against the counter next to her as she made herself a latte. Chloe turned to her as the espresso brewed. “What happened, Becs?”
Beca passed a hand over her face and sighed before detailing her conversation with Emily. “Chlo, she looked so… defeated. I have to fix this. I won’t let the label steal her joy like this.” She rubbed her temples as Chloe finished prepping her drink.
“Come sit with me,” Chloe requested, taking Beca’s hand and heading for the couch, where Beca crawled in her lap, ignoring her own latte on the coffee table. Chloe set hers on the end table to wrap her arms around Beca, kissing her forehead. “You know you aren’t responsible for the label’s decisions, right? This isn’t either of your fault.” Beca just nodded. “I do think you should both keep trying. You have about a month until Heather flies out right? Spend it working with Emily. You can practice Heather’s music here at night.”
“If she’ll do it, that may work.” Beca pulled out her phone and texted Emily. “Work with me for a month? Record as many tracks as possible?” She waited a moment before setting the device aside. “We’ll see what she says. I can’t force her to work with me.”
“All you can do is try, love. Is she blaming you?” Chloe sipped her latte, keeping her other arm around Beca’s waist.
“No. I think she blames herself for not writing what she thinks the label wants from me.” Beca reclaimed her coffee. “I don’t know if I’ll ever find out the motives behind what’s happening, but I have to make this happen. I hate seeing Emily look so dejected.”
Chloe reached up to stroke her hair. “I know, Becs. You’re an amazing friend to her.”
“I don’t feel amazing,” Beca replied quietly. “The opposite, really.”
Not knowing what to say, the redhead kept running her hand through soft brown hair. She figured this exact situation had been what prompted Aubrey and Emily’s last-minute trip. Melody jumped on the couch and stood precariously on Beca’s knee, meowing expectantly. Beca scratched her ears fondly and she leaned into it, putting, as if she knew Beca was upset and needed comfort.
Beca gathered the cat gently in her arms for more petting. She could feel her tension draining slowly the more Melody purred. Finally, she kissed her between the ears and released her back onto the couch, where she climbed up behind Chloe’s head and settled on the back of the couch. Her phone went off and she picked it up.
“Okay.”
Beca sighed and showed Chloe. “She’s really torn up over this. I hope she’s talking to Bree.” Chloe told her about her theory that it was the reason behind their friends’ trip last week, and Beca nodded. “That makes sense. Explains why she wasn’t answering my messages.” She leaned her head on Chloe’s shoulder. “Fuck, this is a royal mess.”
Chloe kissed her forehead. “You’ll do everything you can, Becs. It’s all anyone can ask for.”
***
Thursday, Chloe went to have lunch with Aubrey, who insisted on making up for her cancellation the previous week. Beca had been working almost non-stop, between Emily at work and Heather Bright’s music at home.
When Aubrey answered her knock, the ginger immediately stepped in to hug her best friend. Aubrey pushed the door shut and hugged back. “Chlo? You okay?”
“Yeah.” She pulled away a bit. “Long week. But what about you? Are you okay?” Chloe followed her into the kitchen, where she handed Chloe a can of soda and started making grilled cheese for lunch.
“It’s been hard. Last week was… rough. And Em still isn’t convinced that working with Beca this month will produce anything.” She leaned against the counter, spatula in hand as she looked at Chloe. “I don’t know how to help her, Chlo. My first instinct is to spirit her off somewhere until she feels better. But that won’t actually help the problem.”
Chloe nodded, her own sadness and helplessness mirrored in Aubrey’s eyes. “I don’t know, either, Bree. I’m starting to wish we hadn’t gone to Vegas. That trip changed everything here at home and I don’t like it. Beca is running herself into the ground, but we don’t know what else to do.”
Aubrey turned her attention back to the stove. “My other instinct is to storm into the studio and make demands on her behalf. But that would only make it worse. So, I clean and cook and hold her tight and hope my love and support are helping at least a bit on some level.”
“I’m sure it does, Bree. She may not say it, at least not yet, but I’m positive she’s appreciative and grateful for you. She loves you.”
Aubrey brought their plates to the table and sat. “I know; I don’t worry about that. I just hope my love for her is enough.” Her voice was quiet and shook a bit.
Chloe reached across the table to lay a light hand on her wrist. “Is something else going on?”
“I don’t know for sure. Emily has been so distant this week. It makes me think I’m… becoming less important.” She took a breath and shook her head. “It’s fine. I’ll be here until and unless she convinces me she wants me to leave.”
The ginger gripped her wrist. “Bree, you have to tell her. Don’t let it get to the point where you resent her. Trouble at work shouldn’t automatically mean trouble at home.”
Aubrey sighed. “I know. You’re right. I’m just afraid to put more on her plate. I don’t want to be the last straw.”
Deciding to give her a break from the topic, Chloe pulled out her phone. “Here, watch the latest video of Lyric high on cat nip. He’s hilarious.” She started the video and set the phone down to eat. Her silly orange boy succeeded in getting a smile from the blonde, which made Chloe feel a bit better.
After lunch, Chloe suggested a walk in the nearby park. It was early April and things were turning green and lively again. She hoped the fresh air and budding flowers would help both of them. They took their time, taking about inconsequential things for a bit before falling quiet.
As they approached a swing set, Aubrey changed directions to sit on one of the swings. Chloe followed, sitting in the one next to her. “I want my Emily back,” Aubrey nearly whispered.
“I know, Bree. I want my Beca back, too.”
***
By the end of April, Beca and Emily had submitted a stack of demos. They both took off the Friday before Heather Bright was to arrive, both needing a break.
Mid-morning that Friday, after Chloe had cleaned up breakfast and moved on to laundry, Beca went into the guest room to call Theo, the last part of her plan. She gave him the shorter, watered down version of what had happened, leaving out Emily emotional distress. “So, my point it, we need some evidence that we’re being taken seriously. This is really important to both of us, Theo.”
“Okay, let me find out who to talk to and see what I can arrange. I can’t make promises, but I’ll see what strings I can pull.”
“Thanks, Theo. I appreciate it. See you Monday.” Hanging up, she stayed at the desk thinking. Starting Monday, she had a solid two weeks with Heather booked. Much as she enjoyed the harder sound, she would rather be concentrating on Emily’s music. Emily was family, and Beca didn’t like feeling like she was neglecting her family. She stood and opened the door when Chloe knocked. “Don’t worry, love, I’m not hiding. I came in here to call Theo.” She outlined the call as they moved to the kitchen for lunch.
“Hopefully, he can help,” Chloe said as she served up plates of leftover chicken parm. “He’s certainly been helpful in the past.”
Beca nodded. “I’ll leave him alone while I’m working with Heather, but in two weeks, I expect at least progress.”
“Maybe we should have Aubrey and Emily over for dinner this weekend. Or better yet, have them come tomorrow for dinner and drinks and they can spend the night. I think it would be good for all of us to spend some time together.”
“Text Bree,” Beca said. “I feel like getting drunk with them will help put all this strife behind us.”
Chloe sent the invitation before returning to her meal. By the time she finished loading the dishwasher, Aubrey had replied that they would be there by 5 the next evening. She relayed their acceptance to Beca, who stood.
“I should inventory the liquor and see if we need anything. Can you check on mixers?” The ginger nodded, and they went about getting ready for company.