Crystal Clear Ch. 26

PJ stayed up all night and worked on the song. I encouraged her to come to bed with us around midnight, but she wanted to work until she was happy with the completed product. When I got up to run at six o'clock in the morning, PJ was asleep bent over the keyboard with a pile of handwritten music and lyrics in front of her. From what I could see on the piano easel, she'd finished.

I picked up PJ, and she woke enough to nestle into my arms. I carried her small body into the master bedroom and lay her in the place I arose from only moments before. The space probably still radiated my body heat. I tucked her in, and she went right back asleep with a smile on her face. I whispered 'I love you' to her, and then went outside, ran seven miles, and meditated for twenty minutes.

* * * * *

About forty people filled the studio at Sony Music when we presented PJ's song, which now had the title Downslope. Tina Devoe, a senior VP at Sony, my close friend and lover, was there, we hugged and pledged to fuck each other's brains out real soon. It was not a hollow promise. I had already played an iPhone recording of the song for Tina, she liked it, and had brought the other decision makers at Sony together to hear the official debut.

PJ, Crystal, and I went to the keyboard. PJ had already laid down the percussion and strings track on the keyboard. We started with Crystal and me singing the lyrics and PJ playing the keyboard with the piano and guitar blending in. Halfway through the song, PJ joined in singing with us, adding harmony in a beautiful ménage-a-trois rendition of her song. Now, we had a complete set of lyrics for the entire song, as well as all the requisite lead-ins and fades, plus our voices harmonized so well. We had practiced on the flight from Nashville to LA.

When we ended, there was a long moment of silence in the studio before a healthy round of applause broke out. Tina, the most senior person in the studio, came up to PJ and shook her hand. She kissed her cheek and said, "Honey, you just wrote yourself a hit record. Now, come with me and Terry; we are going to talk about you and more money than you ever dreamed of making."

I hugged PJ just before she went off with Terry and Tina. PJ looked nervous. About thirty minutes later, she came back to the studio with smiles but in tears. She hurled herself into my arms. Terry arrived behind her with a big smile on his face. He gave me thumbs up.

PJ sobbed, "They like it. They really like it. They're going to give me $250,000 for my music and lyrics, plus a share of the profits from both the song and the movie ... and they want me to sing with you on the recording." She went in long wracking sobs again against chest. I unsuccessfully tried to calm her down.

I finally asked her, "What wrong? Why are you crying? Everything you said is wonderful news! You did it. You broke into the big time."

She croaked out, "I never thought anyone would like it – would like me. I never thought I'd make that much money in my entire life all added together let alone in one lump. I can't believe this. It's a dream, and I'm afraid I'm going to wake up."

I dropped one hand down PJ's back as I hugged her and pinched her cute ass. She jumped, shrieked, and tried to sob simultaneously. The noise that came out sounded like the strangled snort of a horny rhinoceros.

I said with a light tone, "PJ, did you wake up?"

She rubbed her backside; her shaky voice said, "Noooo. Is that why you pinched me?"

"Then it's not a dream. You've done something great. Not only can you sing and act on stage with The Hobo Palace, but you can also write music. You are a lady of magnificent talent. Now, come and let's figure out how to turn your beautiful song into some orchestral scores for various parts of the movie."

PJ gave me a little grin and snuffled her way back to normal as we sat back down at the keyboard to talk about parallel and spinoff arrangements.



To be continued