Queen For A Day

CALI’s POV
I got ready to go and managed to hail a cab with plenty of time to spare. I gave the driver the directions I had received via email and we were off. I spent the 30 minute drive just staring out the window and thinking about everything that was going on in my life. I had a busy few months coming up. I was going to be a mother within 6 months. I seriously needed to start preparing the spare room in my apartment, and I needed to buy baby clothes and the other necessities. Plus Vic and I still needed to speak to both his parents and mine about everything, not to mention his bandmates. And girlfriend..
“Miss, we’ve arrived.” The taxi driver coughed.
“Oh, thank you.” I quickly paid him and climbed out with my handbag. I turned and looked at the small building. It didn’t look very official or anything. The actual headquarters was in Culver City, but they apparently had a few employees working here in San Diego. I pushed open the door and stepped into a warm room with a few couches and a front desk.
“Hi, my name’s Cali Hill, I’m here for a meeting with Ian Jennings.” I told the heavily tattooed receptionist.
“Sure, he’ll be with you in a minute. Please take a seat.” She smiled at me, showing off a smiley piercing. I sat down on the closest couch that faced a hallway down the back and pulled a magazine off a little table beside me. I let out a little laugh when I realised it was a particularly familiar copy of AP. The magazine that won me the chance to see Pierce the Veil. The magazine that resulted in me becoming pregnant.
“Cali?” A man appeared in the room and walked up to me. He was a tall and blonde haired and looked to be in his 40s.
“Hello Mr Jennings.” I stood up and nervously shook his hand.
“Call me Ian,” he smiled. Why was I so nervous? They’ve already pretty much given me the contract.
“Please, come through.”
I followed him down the hallway into an office and sat down in a chair across from his desk. All over the walls were pictures of him and various bands and singers. I caught sight of one of him and Pierce the Veil and smiled to myself.
“Alright, Cali, so I’m going to cut the small talk and get right down to it. We want you signed with us. You have so much potential and I believe that together we will be able to make you a brilliant professional musician. I believe you only teach students music lessons?”
“Yes that’s right. I have a degree in teaching and in five different instruments. I play nine instruments though. But, uh, I don’t sing.” I told him.
“Right yes, we were unsure of whether you did or not. We were actually thinking of pairing you up with another musician, a singer probably. If you wanted to we may even be able to form a band for you. Anything for you to work with us.” I had never in my life felt so wanted.
“Wow ok, I think I’d be ok with one other person. That sounds like a fair idea.” I tried to be as professional as possible but I was so stoked.
“Sure, I actually have a singer in mind who I think would be great. You two are both equally good musicians. Do you want to meet him now?” Ian stood up. “He’s been recording with us today.
“Um yes ok?” This was all happening so suddenly.
Ian led me out of the office and down across the hall to another two rooms. The first one had a huge table covered in buttons and nobs that were below a glass window to the other room where a young man stood singing at a microphone. He looked a bit older than me, with short dark hair that was longer on top and stubble to match. He was wearing dark skinny jeans and a red and black plaid top with a leather jacket over the top. He was hot. No, stop Cali. You’re taken.. Sort of.
“So this is one of his own songs that we’ve been working on this week, we’re trying to experiment and see what suits his voice,” Ian whispered to me. He walked up to a man sitting at the sound desk with earphones on and tapped him on the shoulder. The man turned and took off the headphones he was wearing.
“Here Cali, listen to this,” Ian took the headphones and handed them to me.
I listened carefully to the young man singing. He had an amazing voice, deep but even, and he had great control over it. He finished his song then the guy at the sound desk waved for the singer to come back through.
He appeared through a little door I hadn’t noticed and smiled at me.
“Hey,” his voice was deep and smooth.
“Hi,” my voice was squeaky.
“Cali, this is Cooper Easley, Cooper this is Cali Hill.” Ian introduced us.
“Ian showed me your track from the PTV contest, you’re pretty amazing.” Cooper flashed me a white toothed smile and shook my hand.
“Thanks, you’re an amazing singer,” I choked back at him.
“Here at Fearless we don’t really like to manufacture and create our own bands or group but we all think that you two would work quite well together, but what do you say about giving it a go?” Ian asked us.
I looked at Cooper and he smiled encouragingly.
“Ok then, why not.” I smiled back.
“Great, now we’ll meet back here in a few days and we can start working on some songs. For now, let’s go sign some papers Cali, and we’ll let Cooper finish up in here.” Ian ushered me back to his office.
20 minutes later I was walking out the front door of the small building. I was feeling pretty hungry by then. Stupid pregnancy. Now if only there was a café around here..
“Hey,” A voice came from behind me and I whipped around.
Cooper had just walked out of the building, carrying a guitar case.
“Hi Cooper,” I gave him an awkward little wave.
“You heading home now? I was going to go somewhere for lunch, do you wanna come to? If we’re working together we should probably get to know each other,” he laughed a little. Wow. Angels do exist.
“Actually that sounds great, I was going to go get something as well.” I tried to act cool. Something about this guy made me nervous, but it was a good nervous.
“Sweet, do you have a car here?” He glanced around to the parking lot to the side of the building.
“No, I don’t, I came here in a cab.”
“Ok, then come with me. I know a great little diner around here.” He waved for me to follow him.
We walked to a little red corolla that looked older than me and he pulled on the back door to open it. With a bit of a struggle he pried it open and shoved his guitar case across the back seat.
“You can get in the passenger seat.” He pointed a long finger to the other side of the car.
I nodded and did so. The glove box in front of my seat was hanging wide open and the carpet on the floor was frayed and ripped up. The car was clean – it was just old.
“Sorry, I’m working on fixing this car up, I got it about a week ago,” Cooper must have noticed me glancing around the car.
“I don’t even own a car,” I chuckled, “they seem like a lot of work.”
Cooper looked surprised, “why don’t you own one?”
“I don’t have my license.”
“Wow.” We’d pulled out of the parking lot and driven only a few hundred metres down the street when he pulled up outside a small diner. It was a white painted building with dark green trimmings and ivy covering a lot of the walls. In the windows were flower boxes that I assumed held flowers in the warmer months of the year.
“This is cute,” I commented casually.
“It’s my favourite place in the world,” Cooper held the door open for me. Such a gentleman. I blushed a little and walked in, mumbling a thank you.
Cooper and I sat down in a little booth against a window and gave our orders to a waitress.
“So, Cali. What do you do for a living at the moment?” Cooper asked curiously.
And so the conversation went on. It was mostly small talk, and getting to know each other, but it felt like we’d been friends for ages. We seemed to be quite relaxed and comfortable with each other pretty quickly. We got our meals and I started eating my chicken Cesar salad quickly. I was so hungry. Cooper lifted his cappuccino up to his mouth, watching me inquisitively.
“Is that a wedding ring?” I suddenly asked, noticing the shiny silver band on his finger.
He placed the cup back down on the table and frowned lightly.
“Uh yeah, I got married a few years ago, at age 20.” He looked out the window. Damn he’s taken.
“That’s nice, I bet she’s lovely.” The baby suddenly kicked and I jumped, putting a hand on my stomach.
“Well she was, she died two years ago. We were only married for four years.” He looked down and twisted the ring around his finger. Oh shit.
“I’m sorry to hear that.” Fuck what do I say? “uh- how.. What happened?” I asked awkwardly.
“She got cancer suddenly. It took her life within three months of getting the diagnosis.” He gave me a pained smile. “I still wear this ring though.”
I didn’t know what to reply.
“What about you, what’s your relationship status?” He tried to change the subject. Not very subtly though. But I let it happen.
“I’m pretty much single. I’m quite close to one guy at the moment though.” I admitted. Cooper glanced down towards my stomach. I was at that awkward stage of pregnancy where everyone can see my belly but they’re all too afraid to ask if I am pregnant in the fear that I’m not actually pregnant - just fat.
“I am pregnant, if you’re wondering.” It’s just easier to tell people.
“Yeah I was wondering about that actually. Is the baby’s father not around or?”
“It was a one night stand,” I admitted, “but the guy I’m close with is the father. Things are just..” I sighed. Things were just complicated. I didn’t even know what was going on.
“Yeah, I understand.” Cooper pressed his lips together. “Relationships are hard aren’t they?”
“Hell yeah, I’ve never had a successful one to be honest.” The longest one I’d had was 1 year, and that ended in him cheating on me.
“Mine was great. It just had to end so suddenly and so tragically.”
“That’s very unfortunate.” I mentally kicked myself after I’d said that. I sound so freaking stupid.
A waitress came over to the table and took our empty plates.
“I better be getting home soon.” I murmured looking at the clock on the wall. It was already 1:30.
“Yeah same. I have to go pick up some parts for my car.” Cooper stood up. “Wait here, I’ll pay.”
“Wait no, you don’t have to do that.” I argued.
“Seriously, it’s ok.” Cooper gave me a look. I better not push him.
“Fine. But next time I’m paying.”
“Next time?” he asked playfully as he walked to the cash register. Oh man this felt like a date. But is that a bad thing? He was attractive and were both basically single..
“So do you need a ride home?” he asked as we walked back outside.
“No thanks, I have a few errands to run before I go home.” I lied. I didn’t want to make him drive me home as well, that was pushing it. Plus I lived 30 minutes away, it would be an hour round trip for him.
“Ok, if you’re sure.” He looked down at me and hesitated. Then he came up and hugged me.
“It was good to get to know you Cali, let’s do it again sometime.” He said gently.
“Yeah, definitely. I look forward to it.” We quickly exchanged numbers and then I watched him drive off before waving down a taxi. It had been a good day.

Notes

So.. what do you all think of Cooper?.. Do you recon something's going to happen between them? ;)
And she's now in a band! She's living the life i wish i could have aha.

thanks for reading!
Beth xx