Mayfly Melodies

Forty-Four

Bailey

I was introduced to country music around a campfire on a farm—Gavin DeGraw

Bailey's eyes began to water as she stared at the long stretch of road in front of her. Finally, after nearly a full day of driving, she was almost home. It was a little after nine in the evening and the sky was just about to finish it's transition from dusk to dark, the moon starting to make its appearance in the sky. Aside from a few pit-stops for bathroom and food breaks, she'd been driving non-stop from Nashville since ten that morning.

She was reminded of the day she'd first returned home after Chasing Mayflies had broken up for good. She'd been mentally and physically drained then, exhausted from the arguing and somehow still sad about the end of an era.

This drive was different. Sure, she was tired from driving and it had been a wearying few days. Between putting the final touches on her demo album to meeting the record label that morning, it was unsurprising that she needed a home-cooked meal and a long hot bath. But what she really needed was Noah.

The trip to Nashville had been an eye-opening experience. Much more so than the last time she'd arrived in the city for a meeting with a record label. Before, she'd gone in a solo artist and left as a part of a trio. Today, she'd gone in as a solo artist and left as one too.

As she drove Gertie past the sign that screamed 'Welcome to Tishomingo: Progressive, Growing, Beautiful,' which were the town's motto, in big bold letters, she reminisced about the dramatic turn her day had taken. It had started when she'd walked through the doors of Eclipse Records...

The man at the front desk looked up as Bailey entered the lobby of Eclipse Records. It was a nice place, lots of wood and the couches were made from an authentic leather. The atmosphere was reminiscent of home and Bailey felt instantly at ease. It was much different than her old label which had been consumed by so much glass and metal that she'd often felt as if she'd stepped out of Tennessee and into New York City.

The guy smiled at her as she walked up to the desk. He was young and cute with shoulder-length black hair and olive-toned skin. His eyes were a curious grey colour. "Hello," he said. His voice was deep and rich, like velvet. "How can I help you?"

Bailey placed her guitar case on the ground and leaned against the counter. "My name is Bailey Grant. I've got a meeting with Julio Alvarez and David Porter."

He typed away at the computer. His nametag read that his name was Sonny. When he smiled at her a moment later, she couldn't help but notice that his teeth were perfectly straight and exceptionally white. "You can have a seat. They'll be ready for you in just a moment."

"Thank you."

She plopped herself down on the soft leather couches. Despite the fact that the label had yet to be launched, Bailey felt as if it was already fairly established. At any rate, the interior of the building she was in had been decorated to a high quality of standard. It was as professional as any other recording studio she'd ever been inside of.

She'd been waiting for only a few minutes when Sonny called her name. He led her down a short hallway and directed her inside of an empty recording room. Bailey was right inside of the booth and could see an empty control room on the other side of the glass. There were a few chairs set up and as she sat in one, she couldn't help but feel as if this entire ordeal seemed quite informal.

Two minutes after Sonny had shut the door behind her, it reopened and two men entered. They were dressed down in a similar jean pant and t-shirt ensemble but that was where the similarities ended. The taller of the two was fair-haired and had warm brown eyes while the other had skin the colour of caramel and rich black hair. He was easily a foot shorter than the taller man and his eyes were the brightest green Bailey had ever seen.