Chapter 55

John texted Pearl and told her they were all meeting in the hotel bar at 6. Iris told them the company car would be there at 7:30 to collect them and take them to Jax at the studio. Pearl changed her outfit 3 times and decided on a shirt skirt with over the knee high boots with a fringe shawl and Rhys's Tom Waits t-shirt. She looked like a 70s groupie but old enough to know better. It was whimsy and edgy.

She made it to the bar a few minutes early and saw Dylan sitting alone with a cocktail. "Manhattan when in Manhattan." He said to her as she sat down next to him. He looked like a man about to record in a studio. He had on jeans with a tight fitting vintage Led Zeppelin t-shirt paired with a leather blazer and knitted beanie. "I'll have one of those, also." Pearl said to the bartender.

There was a silence between them for what seemed like forever.

"I never said thank you. For this. I'm sorry for chastising you about making this happen. Calling you a slut. This could be the best thing that has ever happened to us and it's because of you that we are here. That movie guy Rhys, yeah, I think he's a dick, but he was attracted to you. He saw something in you. I can relate to that and I appreciate where it brought us. I wanted to clear that up before we go in there tonight." Dylan said, avoiding eye contact, but Pearl felt his sincerity. He then turned to her.

"I also want to tell you that I love you. I don't want there to be any confusion about that. Ever. Regardless of what happens, tonight, tomorrow. I regret nothing and I love you."

Pearl felt her eyes well with tears and looked away. Dylan, when sincere, was the most beautiful human she had ever encountered. Hearing him say that made her feel better. It made her feel that everything was going to be ok, no matter what happened.

The rest of the guys started showing up and within an hour, Iris made her appearance. "Oh hey there, gorgeous! Let's hang out in my suite later. I've got a mini bar from the gods and a bed the size of my town." Blake said, picking her up with a hug. Iris blushed and patted him away. "Ummm, perhaps." She said, brushing him off.

They made it to the studio and Pearl felt like she was going to vomit. It was all becoming real. They entered a darkly lit room with red couches, a beautiful oriental gold rug and the biggest mixing board she had ever seen.

"Hello and welcome! I'm Jax. Let's have a seat and see what we can make happen tonight". Jax was a small man in stature. He had dark hair and coke bottle glasses and was wearing a v-neck sweater and rolled up jeans. He looked the kind of guy that worked with Dylan at the brewery. He was far less intimidating than Pearl had imagined. They talked a little and Jax wanted them to play their crowd favorites "Our Autumn Moon" and "Midnight Monody for a Dreamer." They went in and set up the instruments that were there to their liking and performed those two songs as well the one Pearl and Dylan wrote a few weeks back. Then Pearl insisted Dylan sing the song he had written for her by himself with an acoustic guitar. She went into the seating area and listened. It was so beautiful to see him sitting there, singing about her.

Jax gave no feedback during their brief performance. Pearl tried to read him but was unsure as to what he was thinking.

He asked them for a minute alone and the band all congregated in a room down the hall from the studio that had drinks and snacks set up. "What the hell is he thinking?" Tony asked.

"I don't know but I almost threw up my boots on that second song. He said nothing man. I would have preferred a 'you fucking suck' over nothing at all." Blake said, finishing his coffee.

Fifteen minutes later, Iris told them they could return to the studio.

"I just got off the phone with Jason. I told him we were going to work on one demo while we are here, so Jason can present it to the team. Epic needs to sign you and I want to produce this album. We want to sign you. Let's get back at it and make something extraordinary."

Pearl and the guys just stood there in silence.

"You guys on board?" Jax asked.

"Absofuckinglutely." John said.