***2 Weeks Later***

Lauren was on her deck, doing what she said she was to Joann before… trying to get a tan.  The phone rang as Laura was getting settled in her chair, picking up her bottle of lotion.  She got up and answered it.

“Hello?”

“Hey, told you I would call.”

“Joann!  What’s up?”

“I’m calling you from my job.”

“Ooh, how is it?”

“Amazing!” Joann responded.  I have my own little office, and the producer I’m working with is so, so nice.  He’s trying to teach me everything he knows.”

“That’s so great!”

“Hey, what are you doing tomorrow?”

“Same as usual, nothing, why?”

“Thought you would like to see what a recording studio looked like and maybe have lunch.”

“Yeah sure, is it OK with your boss?”

“Are you kidding, he told me I could bring anyone I wanted, as long as I told him first.  And I told
him already, so you can’t say no.”

“How can I refuse?  What time?”

“About 12:00?”

“Okey-dokey.”

”Alrighty, here’s the directions.”  Lauren wrote them down.  They said their good-byes and Lauren went back to her chair.

***Electric Lady Studios: Next Day***

Lauren walked to the desk with the receptionist.  “Excuse me, I’m here to see Joann Marsetti.”

“And you are?”

“Lauren Deveraux.”

“One moment…”  She picked up the phone and announced her arrival.  “Straight through that door… 2nd door on the left.”

“Thank you.”  Lauren walked into the office and made her way through.  She knocked and Joann opened the door.

“Hey girl!”  Joann hugged Lauren.

“Hey yourself.”

“Come in, come in,” Joann said as she closed the door behind Lauren. Lauren faced a small office, with a desk, a comfortable chair in the corner, and standard pictures hanging on the walls. 
“It’s not the corner one… yet, but it’s a start.”

Lauren took a seat.  “So, what do you do here exactly?”

Joann took a seat in her chair behind the desk.  “All the paperwork my boss doesn’t have time for.  Plus, I get to help him in the studio with some work, you know, give opinions and stuff.”  

“Sounds like you’re having the time of your life.”

“Oh I am.”  The phone rang.  “Hold on a sec… hello?  Yup she’s here… right now? … Sure we’ll be down there in a jiff… bye.”  She hung up the phone.  “Wanna see how a recording studio works?”

“Yeah sure!”  Lauren exclaimed.

“Well, let’s go,” Joann responded.  They got up and took the elevator to the 3rd floor.  On the way down, Joann said, “My producer’s name is Mark Healy.  He’s working with this pop group for their debut album.”

“Ever met them?”
“Couple of times… they’re real cool… the same guy that’s managing them is the same who managed Backstreet Boys and *N Sync, Lou… something.”

“Pearlman?”

“Yeah how did you know?”

Lauren blushed a little.  “OK, OK, I’m a little bit of a fan of them.  But tell anyone and I’ll kill you.”

Joann lifted her hands in surrender.  “OK, OK, I won’t.  I have to admit I’m a fan too.  Believe me, if you like those guys, you’ll love this group.” 

The elevator halted and opened its doors.  Lauren and Joann walked to a door marked “Studio 3.” 

“Here it is,” Joann said.  She opened the door and led Lauren inside.  A huge board of many switches, dials and buttons lay before her, as the room was divided by a piece of glass.  Beyond that lay a room with microphones and headsets.  A man was sitting at the hub of the dials, fiddling around with them.  He turned around and stood up.

“Well, well, this must be the one I have heard so much about.”  He held out his hand to Lauren.  “I’m Mark Healy, and you must be Lauren.”

Lauren shook Mark’s hand.  “That’s right, and thank you for letting me come down.”

“No problem.”

Joann cleared her throat.  “And I’m your lovely assistant.”

Mark laughed.  “How could I ever forget you?  My life would be a jumble of paper work if it weren’t for you.  Here why don’t you have a seat.”  He led Lauren to a couch.  Joann and Lauren took a seat.  “So I heard you’re a education major.”

“Yup, actually a double major, education and history, I want to teach high school.”

Mark nodded, “An honorable profession.”

“Thanks.”

“So are you mixing or recording Mark?”  Joann inquired.

“Recording—the guys went to get a soda, they’ll be back in a second.”

Just as he ended his sentence, the door opened.  Three guys walked in holding sodas.

“Sorry for the time, it’s a pain in the butt to find a soda machine in this place,” one said, with dark hair capped off by a skullcap, dark eyebrows and chiseled features.

Joann laughed.  “It took me my first week here to find it.”

“Hey Jo, where have you been all my life?”  Another said, this one with blonde hair, green eyes, wearing a gray T-shirt.

“Holed up in a sea of papers trying to get your song out on time.”

He laughed.  “Lauren, this is the group LFO.  That’s Brad,” she pointed to the one wearing the skull cap, “That’s Rich,” she pointed to the blonde,  “And that’s Devin in the corner.

Lauren didn’t take notice of him until now.  Brown hair, with a tan face that led to a lean, muscular body, which he showed off nicely with a black tank top.  Lauren couldn’t keep his eyes off him.

Joann broke her trance.  “Guys, this is my friend Lauren.” 

Everyone exchanged hellos.  Devin and Lauren locked their eyes on each other.  She could size up in a heartbeat he was a shy one.  He looked down at her stare. 

“OK, enough with the chitchat, we have a song to record,” Mark interjected.  Lauren took a seat on the couch while Joann, Mark and the guys went to work.

Lauren tried to take in as much of the experience as she could.  Mark and the boys looked over song lyrics, as Joann went into the other half of the room and set up some microphones.   A lot of the jargon she couldn’t follow, such as,

“I think we should bring part C back down a step to make up for the bridge.”

“If we do this in a G key, we can bring up Rich’s vocals.”

“Are we going to make this a 4, or 16 step track?”

Then Devin went into the booth and put his headphones on.  Mark flipped a switch.  “OK, Devin,
just the 1st verse for me.”

Devin gave the thumbs up sign.  Mark pushed a button and played the song.  A slow tempo came on the speakers.  Then Devin began to sing.

I can’t believe the night is gone.  Mmm-hmmm-mmm.
And now it’s time to take you home.
Girl, as you come in close to give me one last kiss.
You’re making it hard to be so near ya.
Don’t wanna leave you right this moment.

Lauren was floored by his voice.  Strong, with a little R&B grit to it.  It was melodic.

“That was great.  A couple of takes and you’re done,” said Mark. 

Devin sang the verse a couple of times more.  However, the group, Mark and Joann had their little technical conversations in between.  Lauren just sat back on the couch in awe. 

Joann took notice of her.  “Well, we’re done for today.  How’s about a little lunch?”

“Great, I’m starving.”

Joann turned to Mark.  “You need me for anything else today?”

“No, your friend is here, take the rest of the day off, we’re going to finish the song tomorrow.  Lauren it was a pleasure to meet you, I hope you can come down again soon.”  He shook Lauren’s hand.

“I hope so too.  Again thank you for letting me come down.”  She noticed the guys in a little huddle in the corner.  She stood up and got her bag.  Suddenly, Rich turned to her.

“Listen, the guys and I were wondering of you both wanted to get a bite to eat.  We’re finished for the day, so we have nothing planned.”

Lauren turned to Joann.  “OK, if you guys are buying,” Joann spoke up.

“You pick the place,” said Brad.

“Alright, let’s go,” Joann said.

Part III

Contents

Part I