Bohemian Avenue #11

Mike led her into the basement of his friend's house to the recording studio there. All his work of writing, arranging the music, bringing in musicians, and laying all the music tracks was about to be completed. Denise had the perfect smoky alto voice to make his project the dream his mind had created.

He became very attentive that she would be as comfortable as possible during her time here. The bottle of water was cold from the refrigerator on the music stand. He took her coat and showed her where she could refresh herself.

Mike's friend Dan fit the headphones to her head and ran a sound check on her microphone. After some adjustment of its placement, it was time to get down to the actual laying of the vocal tracks.

It was Dan's studio, so he sat behind the big board and acted as engineer, but Mike was the producer and had the last word on what each recording contained. He sat next to Dan and observed and lent what advise he could keep the musicians and Dan in line with what his project was meant to be.

The recording was going as planned. Denise was in fine voice and understood all Mike's instructions, behaving as a good actress taking direction. Her voice was having the desired effect.

Music was something deeply meaningful to Mike. It penetrated to his spirit and engulfed, inspired, and lifted him. Each instrument was vital to the feeling of the whole piece of music, and the voice of the singer touched him in ways that convinced him of a deep connection between the two of them.

There seemed to be such a connection now. Watching her added another facet to the process. Her face was framed by a pageboy haircut that enriched the chestnut color of her hair and eyebrows. Her blue eyes seemed to envision all that she sang about as her voice caressed the listener's ears.

When all the vocals were laid and outside the afternoon had turned to evening, Denise gathered her things to leave. Mike felt he had experienced an intimate embrace and wished he could make it last.

“Thank you so much for all your hard work. I am very pleased with what we have accomplished,” said Mike handing her an envelope with her fee inside.

“Thank you. This will come in handy when I leave for New York tomorrow,” smiled Denise.

Mike's heartbeat thudded harder for a moment, but kept his face placid. “It's a shame you won't be able to work with us anymore, but I wish you all the best.” He held out his hand for her shake and showed her to the door.

As he watched her through the window, he couldn't believe he felt so let down with a strong sense of loss. He thought he could still smell a wisp of her perfume. A sense of mourning seemed to begin settling upon him as he returned to the soundboard.

“Hit the playback from the beginning, Dan, please?”

The music was rich and velvet in its texture carrying Denise's voice straight to Mike's heart. It was all there! The moments Mike had desired to last forever.

And for Mike they will.