An Angel's Fix Pt. 06

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Kim decided that everyone deserves another chance, and so took up Jerry's offer of dinner. This date went much better since Jerry headed her advice and didn't try to make anything happen. She was able to relax and chat with him as friends do. It went so well, Kim rewarded him by going to his place and sleeping with him. It didn't hurt his chances that she had gone so long without attention from a male.

However, when he dropped her off at the hotel the next morning, she warned him that while the night was definitely enjoyable, he shouldn't expect it to mean more than fun. She changed in her and Ashley's room, then got her friend up. Ashley asked the obvious question of how things went and Kim's reply was that it was a nice break in the drought.

As assured by Matt, things at the studio did work. Matt reminded her that her schedule allowed very limited time to do anything, so he wanted the album recorded in its entirety by the time she left for Christmas. She was okay with that, and the whole group of them sat down in the conference room. A piece of music was slid in front of Ashley. She read through it and it met her approval.

"Okay," she said looking up.

"Okay what?" asked Matt.

"Okay. Next."

"Next what?" he asked again. "You don't like it?"

She huffed. "Next freaking piece, okay? You said we had to hurry, so let's go! What is the next song you want me to sing?"

Ashley was all business today. More than that, she was a machine. Piece after piece was slid under her nose, and she devoured them all. In all, 22 songs were presented, and she rejected 9 of them. The selection process took her a little over 45 minutes, then Matt asked if she wanted to take the rest of the morning to study the music, but she declined. Ashley and The Pinheads marched through the recording booth and into the studio.

Jerry saw the bewildered looks on the band members. "That was fast," he said to Kim.

"Yeah." She was a bit dazed herself at the speed the morning meeting moved. "I guess we'll see now how much of that she digested."

In the acoustical room, Ashley turned to the band. "Slick-back, y'all know these songs?"

"Sure do," the guitarist replied. "We've been practicing on them for like a month now."

She laid out the first piece on the music stand before her. "Good. Play the first one through, so I can get a feel for it, and we can start recording on the second go-around."

"But don't you want to..." he started.

Matt pushed the intercom button. "Just do it, Steve!"

The band played the entire song, and Jerry adjusted some of the sliders on the board in front of him. Ashley sang on the second time and when it ended, the band just stared at her.

"What?" she asked them.

In the booth, Jerry slowly exclaimed what they were all thinking. "Hole lee shit!"

Matt grinned like the Cheshire Cat. "Money! Tell me you got that!"

Jerry nodded.

Ashley still didn't get an answer, and now the three in the booth were staring at her in the same way. "What the hell is it?" she demanded, arms folded in front of her chest. "I wasn't the one who fucked up!"

Matt clicked the intercom. "No, Ashley. It was perfect."

"The hell it was...Mohawk here fumbled his notes."

"Ashley..." Kim reprimanded into the microphone in the booth.

"NO! I may be his employee, and I have to do what he says, but no where in my contract does it say I have to be nice to him." Ashley glared at Matt through the glass. She saw Kim turn toward him. "No Kim! Don't you apologize for me! I haven't received one for the way he treated me yesterday."

"I didn't flub my notes," Mohawk lied. Ashley slowly looked over her shoulder at him and he knew instantly it was a mistake to have spoken right then.

"Third bar, second verse," she hissed through clenched teeth. Ashley felt herself falling off the cliff of control and closed her eyes to fight the rage back. "Play the song back," she said in a deliberately even tone, eyes still closed.

Matt nodded to Jerry, and he started the playback. Sure enough, they could hear the mistake in the background, right where Ashley said it was.

"We can fix that in editing, Ashley," Matt said.

"I don't want some engineered piece of crap," Ashley replied, now in much more control of herself. "You won't be able to edit a concert. Let's do it again."

Three more takes were done, with Ashley stopping in the middle of each one to make sure there wouldn't be another argument over why that wasn't the final cut. Her reasons were given in single or double word sentences. Flat. My bad. Bedhead goofed. The fourth stop was a bit more verbose.

"Slick-back! If you insist on jumping around like a loon, at least make sure you do it behind me! Do you have any idea of how distracting that is?" She gave a pant of irritation to stick the point.

Jerry rubbed his face with his hands. "Oh man," he grumbled. "All these great takes, and they're wasted!"

Without realizing it, Kim started rubbing his shoulders. "She's passionate about music, and just wants it perfect."

"Yeah, but we can fix all the tiny things she's fretting about!"

Kim looked at Ashley and saw something click in her expression. It was similar to one she saw when Ashley rebounded at the beach contest last summer. "Maybe, but you can't fix it like this next take, I guarantee it."

Indeed, Ashley found the zone she'd been seeking. Feeling the rhythm now, her body moved on its own to the music as she sang. More important, she knew she found it and actually smiled at Kim about half way through. The band fed off her energy and everything locked together.

When it ended, Kim grinned triumphantly down at Jerry. "Told ya!"

He shook his head. "Unbelievable. How did you know?"

"I just know her. I can see it in her eyes when she synchs up to the music." She could tell he didn't quite understand. "You know those rare great days you have at work or school? Everything lines up, falls into place, and the task becomes stupid easy and almost automatic. Nothing around you has changed, but for some reason it just clicks for you. Music is like that for Ashley. Once she can zero in on what she needs to feel, she's awesome. We've been telling her that all last year, but I think she's just now starting to really believe it." Kim quickly replayed the last take in her head and realized that Ashley didn't even look at the music. "It also helps that she now has that song memorized forever," she added.

He looked up at Matt. "She's the real deal, isn't she?"

"Play it back," Matt said eagerly.

The next song took a bit longer, and as much as Ashley was fighting it, frustration was getting to her. She ended up snapping at the drummer, asking him to back off a bit. He argued that he was just playing as he always does. Ashley countered that he didn't have to try to knock holes through the membrane on each hit. Matt said over the intercom that now would be a good time for a lunch break. Jerry grabbed Ashley's arm as she walked past, and she shot him a look.

"Oh Jerry," Kim warned. "Don't touch her unless she's expecting it."

"Sorry," he said with sincere contrition. "I just wanted you to know that there might be an easier way to do this."

This piqued Ashley's interest. "How's that?"

"The drums being in that enclosed space are getting to you, right?" Ashley nodded. "Well, we have recorded some takes for each song when the band was practicing. You could pick the take you like and sing to that with the headphones on."

"That might work better for you, Ash," Kim coaxed.

"Wow. Why didn't you tell me sooner? Well, after lunch, I'll listen to them, but if I don't like any of them, I say we keep doing this the old school way." Ashley didn't wait for a response as she caught Kim's eye and nodded toward the exit.

"So, you gonna play with Jerry again tonight?" Ashley asked before taking in a huge chunk of the greasy burger she was holding.

Kim shrugged. "I don't know, maybe. I mean I've already done it once, why not again, right? Besides, God it felt good to have some dick again." She nibbled on the salad she ordered and watched Ashley take another mammoth bite. "How the hell do you do that?"

"Do what?" Ashley mumbled around her chewing.

"Eat that insanely tall cheeseburger. For such a tiny person, you sure can open your mouth wide! What do you do? Unhinge your jaw like a snake?"

The last comment nearly made Ashley snort barbecue sauce out her nose and she started coughing. After gulping water to stop the choking, Ashley exclaimed, "Damn you Kim! I still gotta sing this week!" She swallowed again, hoping the scratchy irritation would go away.

Kim was grinning as it was good to see Ashley laugh for the first time on this trip. "Where do you put it all, anyway?"

Ashley patted her belly. "Right there. I'm starving!" Then she saw the flicker of jealousy on Kim's face. "Oh, I'm sorry. I guess I shouldn't have ordered this in front of you."

Kim smiled weakly. Her recent lack of physical activity was starting to show. Kim was not plump by any definition, but the features on her face were beginning to soften. To counter, Kim had started to eat more sensibly and missed the indulgences the others ate. Although, she had noticed Jasmine had recently started choosing more salads and lighter meals as well. "It's okay," she assured Ashley. "You and Joe talk about money yet?"

Ashley shot a what-the-hell look as she finished her latest bite.

Kim scoffed at it. "You asked me about my playtime, so I get to ask you about that."

"Hmm, fair enough," she conceded between fries. "No we haven't, but maybe it's not as thin as I'm reasoning. He doesn't seem as worried about it as he was late summer."

"True, but what about his quote-unquote project? Doesn't it seem weird to you that he's still hiding it? Or that he takes phone calls at odd times, and will only talk to whomever in another room?"

"He still insists the project is for me. Well, sometimes he says 'us.' As for the calls, you know he still consults with folks at his company. National security and all that."

"Maybe...or maybe," Kim let out an exaggerated gasp. "Maybe he's having an affair," she teased with a coy grin.

"Oh stop!"

"No. Maybe he doesn't like fine-ass cheerleaders with rockin' bodies afterall," Kim continued with an even wider grin. "Maybe he secretly likes plumpers and is seeing this hideous whale on the side..."

Ashley threw a fry at Kim, but was giggling. "Shut up!"

"I think I've seen her. She's got buck tooth."

"Stop Kim!" Ashley's laughing stopped her from eating the last of the burger in her hand.

"Gnarly, cracked nails with dirt underneath..."

"Kim!"

"...Tits that just kinda blend in with the rest of the rolls of fat..."

Still laughing, Ashley dropped the last piece on her plate. "Let's go," she said while getting up, having lost her appetite and wanting to end Kim's teasing before some of the overweight people nearby overheard.

Ashley listened to the takes of the next song as Jerry suggested, but she still wasn't happy singing with any of them. She wanted to feel the vibe of the band, but without the intensely sharp banging of the drums that was hurting her ears. So, Jerry suggested she wear the headphones, through which she would hear the feed he was moderating as the band played. This compromise worked best for her, although during the next six run throughs, she repeatedly chastised Slick-back for jumping around in her view. Matt and Jerry started debating on whether to call it a day, but Kim looked at Ashley and the eyes looking back at her sparkled. Kim said they needed to try one more time. Matt was skeptical, but Jerry reminded him that Kim was right the last time. So they went again and Jerry shook his head in wonder when the song ended.

"Two for two, babe!"

Kim fretted at him, and he wanted to take back his blurt. Regardless, Matt intentionally ignored what was going on between the two of them; Jerry was a wizard with the mixing board, while Kim seemed to be doing her job of keeping Ashley's diva side in check. He asked that it be played back, and visibly pleased with the result, he announced that they were done for the day.

Ashley was still smiling when they got into her truck. "Uh oh," taunted Kim. "Could someone actually be having fun?"

"Quiet you," Ashley peppered with a jab of the elbow. "I've just decided to make the best of what I'm given. You know, 'God grant me the serenity' and all that. Although it does feel good when everything pops in place like that."

"Good. He called me Babe today," Kim blurted, slightly worried.

"Oh? Jerry did?" Kim nodded out of the corner of Ashley's eye. "Hmm, when is he picking you up?"

"Seven, but I'm gonna lay it out again that this is just a fun distraction," Kim hurriedly explained. It was more of a pep talk to herself than anything else.

Ashley thought about it as she turned on to the interstate toward their hotel. "Well, just be clear as to what you want. If all you want is some rolling in the hay, nothing wrong with it." Then she added, "as long as he knows it too. Don't want a stalker showing up and waking me in the middle of the night back home."

"I know," Kim said quietly.

The rest of the week went smoother, since Ashley passed the time Kim was with Jerry by softly playing and learning the remaining music. They were able to record two or even three songs a day with few outbursts from either Ashley or the Pinheads. Matt and Jerry abandoned recording every take, letting Ashley sing with the band a few times first, and waiting for Kim to let them know when Ashley seemed ready to transition from merely singing to performing a work of art. She was usually correct, but there were a few times that a mistake would be made by any given member, and they'd have play the particular piece again.

The night the final song was recorded, Kim didn't see Jerry for the first time since the week began. She chose instead to be with Ashley and celebrate the completion of the hardest phase of the work. They ordered in pizza, which Kim allowed herself to eat her share as a treat. Ashley ordered her own naughty treat from room service...two tall glasses of ice cold milk.

"Oh hells yeah, THAT is the SHIT," she panted after guzzling the first glass in one go.

"If you like it so much, why don't you drink it more?" Kim asked while chewing.

"Heh, said the girl mumbling through half a slice in her mouth."

"Touche," Kim said while cocking her head. "I have my reasons, you know." Her eyes guiltily glanced at her stomach.

"I know. Don't worry, you're not gonna turn into the Dough Boy over one pizza," Ashley soothed. "Anyway, you know why I don't drink dairy if I'm gonna sing in the next day or so."

"Yeah, but does it really affect you?" Kim sounded doubtful.

"Ahem," Ashley did her best to clear her throat. "Doh, a deer, a female deer..." she sang.

Kim looked surprised. "You're right, not quite as clear. And, did you just gurgle at the end?"

Ashley smirked. "Told ya," she said just before she took a monster bite of her own slice.

Ashley's phone rang, but Kim answered it. "It's Jasmine and Joe," she said, but Ashley shook her head and mumbled she'd call later. "Sorry, Ashley can't talk right now, she's too busy living in sin."

"Put me on speaker, Kim," Jasmine demanded from the other end, and she waited to hear echos from the hotel room. "What are you doing, Ash?"

Ashley got a playful smirk and called out, "Give you a hint, I'm deepthroating and swallowing every drop!"

Joe gave Jasmine a look of "huh?", but Jasmine only needed a couple of seconds to get it. "Cheesy pizza and milk! Then you finished today! Congratulations!"

"Yup, and thank you!" Ashley mumbled with her mouth full.

"Gratz, Kitten!" Joe called out. "We'll let you finish. Call us back when you get a chance?"

"Yup!" she answered, then nodded for Kim to hang up.

The rest of the pizza was devoured in silence, but Ashley took her sweet time drinking the second glass of milk, savoring each sip. Still sitting on the floor after polishing off the pizza, the girls leaned back against the bed and stretched out. They reviewed the week, usually by blurting out funny or stupid one-liners that were said. The chatting eventually died off with each of them drawing in a heavy sigh.

Ashley picked up her phone to call home, but first turned to Kim and held her eyes. "Kim, thanks so much for being here with me. I COULD have done it alone, but I'd be in a much worse mood. You've made it fun, and thank you."

Kim was about to bounce the gratitude back toward Ashley, but saw that her friend really didn't want that. "You're welcome," she said, and it was enough. Kim winked at Ashley before ducking into the bathroom for a shower and to let Ashley have the room to call home.

Ashley had the next day off, which they spent buying last minute Christmas gifts. But this time, they were strictly gifts for themselves. It turned out that completing the recording early was a real blessing, because Ashley had picked something up during the time off. When they returned to the studio, she was a bit under the weather, and coupled with her binge consumption of dairy the last two days, her voice was froggy. She found her band messing around in the studio, playing low, heavy-handed chords.

"Hey, hey!" she croaked. "We are NOT a death metal band!"

"I don't know, Ash. You sound like death metal." Mohawk had made the mistake of poking the ill bear.

"Don't ever call me that," she growled. It was clear that she was not well enough to keep up the charade of getting along with these boys.

Slick-back took his chances. "Come on, Ashley. Just once? Please let us do 'Indulgence' with your voice like that!"

Ashley saw Kim shrug in the booth and gave in with a sigh. Jerry wasn't there yet, so it wasn't like it was gonna get recorded. Little did she know that Kim took the liberty of recording the goof-off session herself. Ashley decided to kill some time and went along when the band played the uptempo deep throated tones for two more songs. She didn't think of it as singing, but more like growling. She had to admit that the put-on screaming she did worked to relieve some of the stress of being sick. Jerry showed up during the last "song" and chided that maybe Ashley should be doing heavy metal instead. Ashley stuck out her tongue while flicking up her middle finger and complained that her throat hurt now.

It was odd for Ashley to sit in on the polish and editing session. She wasn't used to hearing herself for long periods without actually singing. So much so that Kim pulled her into the hallway at one point to ask what was wrong. Ashley said that while what she was hearing was okay, it was just okay. She pictured singing truer music instead of this, which she called "silly songs." Kim kept talking to her, and determined that Ashley just needed to get away from listening over and over. She mentioned this to Matt, and he agreed. His solution wasn't perfect, but it was something different. He sent Ashley and the band to the art office after lunch to give input on the album insert and cover layout and design. Ashley slumped her shoulders at the notion of spending more time with the three irritations that made up her band. By the end of the day, only one agreement had been reached and that was the color of the background.

The rest of the week was made up of strings of arguments ranging from what font to use to border designs. Even what order the names appeared in the credits sparked a four hour battle among the musicians. Ashley was even more perturbed that there was a problem getting an appointment for the photography studio, and that the final shots were taken on Christmas Eve. She and Kim packed the truck that morning, so that they could take two steps from the studio and hit the road home.