Soulmates - Sam Kiszka Fanfic

Chapter 9

Gwen's POV

Setting the painting I had just finished aside for it to dry, I turned to the sink I kept in my studio at the gallery, washing my hands thoroughly so that no paint remained staining them. Even if it was just another normal day, for some reason I wanted to make a good impression. Even if it was just another normal day, I felt nervous.

After weeks of hard work, Greta Van Fleet's fourth album was finally finished. Which meant, I would finally be able to listen to it, and thus fully start working on the artwork as instructed.

Unbuttoning the oversized shirt I used to cover up my clothes, I threw it over the closest chair and exited the room, ready to make my way to Lava Record's headquarters. I simply needed to grab my stuff and make sure that things were running smoothly before I left.

-          Is tonight supposed to be casual or formal? – Mei Ling's voice rang behind me, making me smile to myself as I picked up my bag and coat from the hanger by the wall.

-          I've told you a thousand times, it's just a bar – I chuckled, turning around to face her – Just dress as you want. They won't mind either, anyways.

-          It's famous people we are talking about, I need to look good – she whined, propping her elbows on her desk and resting her chin on her hands, a pout adorning her face. Ever since I had invited her to Greta's album wrap-up party this night, she had been worrying about what to wear.

-          Think of them as some old college friends of mine – I tried to ease up her nerves, squeezing her shoulder – And well, some of their executives.

-          I hate you – she groaned into her hands, making me chuckle to myself again as I left some paperwork beside her.

After I had said goodbye to Mei Ling, I made my way to the tall building I had come to know quite well in the previous weeks. My feet gravitated naturally to its entrance, taking me to the elevator out of instinct. Before I knew it I found myself on the 29th floor, and walked to my office while greeting the rest of the crew on my way.

Closing the door, I placed my bag on the couch by the wall, but suddenly realised there was a big white piece of paper laying on top of my desk. I didn't need to look twice to tell it was a white sleeve, with a vinyl record resting inside of it. My smile grew, as well as my nervous state, with my hands immediately taking it and my legs leading me to the record player Danny had made sure I had on one of my shelves. I checked that the speakers adjoined to it were working, and silently made my way back to my seat, hearing the soft crackling of the stylus against the fresh new material.

I rested down on my desk chair and closed my eyes, nervously waiting to the first sign of music to fill my ears. And when it did, infinite rows of goosebumps rose on my skin.

I knew the guys had got significantly better at what they did through the years, and I even considered their last album one of the best rock albums released in the current decade. But this, this was something else. Compared to some of their other work, this felt raw. This was them, whispering with their hearts to you in the form of chords and notes. The music itself taking you somewhere else, to the top of a cliff on a stormy day with the wind caressing every inch of your skin. With the ocean and sky so vast in front of you, that they made you feel small and vulnerable.

The first song felt like a prelude to a story, making you crave more of it. The rhythm and melodies themselves felt like nothing they had ever done before. It was soft rock, but also folk, blues and everything that had always carved out Greta Van Fleet, till it became what it had become now. But most importantly, this time, it felt personal.