Waiting for the Night [Dalan]

Chapter 14

Ever since he had given the green light, Alan found his entire life consumed by the album – the making of it, the mastering, the marketing plan, the cover art, the finishing touches, the finalizing of the track listing and so many other little details that were beginning to give him a headache. He made sure to spend as much time with Paris as possible, of course, which meant that he often started work after she had gone to bed. 

Many late nights were spent with Flood, Johnny (whom Martin had nicknamed 'The Baron', for some bizarre reason), Martin, and Dave, all of them discussing various aspects of the album and giving him their valuable input. The coffeemaker was constantly brewing endless pots of coffee, which Flood kept supplying in a nonstop stream. "It's the only thing he's good for," Alan had quipped, which had gotten him a cushion to the head to much laughter from the rest.

He was surprised that Martin had wanted to hang around even after his guitar parts had been re-recorded and mastered, helping Alan with the track listing and even suggesting names for a few songs that had remained 'Untitled'. Martin had a special gift with lyrics and words, and Alan was seriously considering hiring him for his next project. 

Alan was also surprised that Dave hung around them so much. At first, Dave was only around to discuss how Alan wanted the album art to look like, but as the days wore on, Alan found himself warming more and more to the happy-go-lucky artist, and began seeking his opinions on other aspects of the album as well.

It had been a long time since Alan had spent so much time in the company of other people. Recording, producing and composing were often solitary activities for him, and in the past he often went days without seeing a single human, except for Paris and Mrs Cheung. The housekeeper had pretended to complain about the 'extra' work she had to do whenever the guys stayed overnight to work, but Alan knew that she secretly loved feeding them, fussing over them and mothering them. Alan seldom ate much, so it was nice to have people appreciating her food and finishing her leftovers.

After an intense brainstorming session about the album's title, Flood called for a break and they dispersed to go to the loo or grab some food which Mrs. Cheung had left in the oven for them. Martin was looking around for Dave. "Hey Charlie, did you see where Dave went?"

"No, not really." Alan tapped his iPhone to check the time. It was going to be five. "Jesus, another all-nighter. At this rate, we're all going to turn into vampires. Not so bad though, being immortal."

For some reason, Martin looked really nervous. "Yeah, I guess so." He was avoiding Alan's gaze.

Alan studied him, sipping from his already cold cup of milky coffee. "You know, Mart, I've been spending almost every waking hour with you for the past few weeks, and I barely know anything about you. Are you married?"

Martin held up his ringless finger, shaking his head with a tight smile.

"Girlfriend?" Alan arched an eyebrow, grinning slyly. "Boyfriend?"

Martin's cheeks turned an interesting shade of red as he looked down, his eyes glittering with an untold secret. Alan laughed. "Well, whatever makes you happy, Mart. Not that I mean to pry. Whether it's with a girl, bloke or a goat, I just want you to be happy."

Martin chuckled, leaning back into the sofa with a really serene look on his face. "Me too, Charlie." There was a knowing smile on his face. "Me too."