LUCAS BLADE: Radical Rock Stars: Next Generation Duet Book 1 Page 5

  “Was she good?”

  “She played Welcome to the Jungle and went nuts with the solo. I swear it was better than the original.” Tessa stood with her hand on her hip while Lucas absorbed what she said. Few people could mimic Slash on the guitar. To blow someone away with a cover, someone who knew music as well as Tessa, left Lucas dumfounded.

  “I stuck around for one more song before I left, just to see what else she could do. She played Sweet Child O’ Mine and did the same thing with the solo. Lucas, the quality and innovation of her guitar playing reminded me so much of you.”

  Lucas was flattered and surprised. Tessa didn’t give out compliments frivolously. “She was that good?”

  Mason laughed and slapped Lucas on the back. “Modest much?”

  “She was that good,” Tessa said. “She’s the only person I’ve ever met who could stand up to your talent. I’d love to see the two of you play together. I think it’ll take our band to the next level. She’d fit right in. She had a great look, and I think she’ll be a real asset to Prodigy. And check out her name – Sindy, with an “S”. S-I-N-D-Y.”

  “That’s cool,” Mason said, smiling. “Is she in a band already?”

  “No. She said she’s never been in one.”

  Lucas let out a deep breath. “I don’t know if that’s a plus or a minus. On one hand, it means she’s a fresh commodity. But, it may mean she doesn’t work well with others.”

  “She said she’s only playing for extra cash. I honestly don’t think she knows how good she is.”

  “Call her,” Mason said. “Let’s get her in here for an audition.”

  Lucas couldn’t remember the last time he was this excited about playing music with someone. He’d been dreaming about collaborating with another guitarist, someone his own age that was at his skill level, for a long time. He watched the stairs, anxiously waiting for her arrival.

  Mason tapped his drumstick on his leg, not from nerves, it was something the guy did nonstop. “Man, I can’t believe Tessa finally caved.”

  “I know,” Lucas agreed. “I hope this guitarist is as good as she says.”

  “Me too. Either way, I’m glad to hear she’s got a friend to hang out with who’s into music, besides us two dudes. Remember when we were kids, and it was just me and you jamming?” Mason looked off to the side with a faraway look in his eyes “She was just a baby, always hanging around us and trying to get involved, but she was too young. You know I loved her. She was just the cutest little thing in the world, but, man, we’d be trying to play and she’d be climbing all over my drums.”

  “Who are you kidding, Mase? She came into the room and you always stopped to play with her.”

  “How could I say no to that cute face? She manipulated me from the moment she was born.”

  Lucas chuckled. “She manipulated all of us. And she knew it.” Voices from outside the studio grew louder, which meant Tessa was back with Sindy, and Lucas straightened his shoulders with anticipation. “It looks like we’re about to meet our new rhythm guitarist.”

  Tessa came down the stairs first so the new guitarist could make a grand entrance. “Here she is guys, Sindy Cavanaugh!”

  Holy shit. Lucas’ eyes widened the moment he saw her. It was the girl from the beach. The pissed off girl who had flipped him off and accused him of stealing her wires. But, she wasn’t looking at him. She was looking at Mason.

  Sindy went straight to Mason, hand extended. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’ve been a big fan of yours for years. It’s such a great opportunity to work with you.”

  She was excited to work with Mason? Sure, Mason was a world-famous drummer, but Lucas had a reputation in this town as sort of a demi-god on the guitar. He’s the one she’d be collaborating with, not Mason, and he felt disrespected.

  Mason accepted the compliment with his usual humility, giving her one of his bashful smiles which caused his cheeks to dimple. The same smile that sent girls swooning. “Thank you. We’re excited to have you here as well. Tessa says you’re quite the gifted guitarist. Almost as good as Lucas.”

  With that, she turned her head in Lucas’ direction.

  “This is my brother, Lucas Blade.” Tessa introduced him with pride in her voice.

  Sindy paused for a moment, and then recognition hit, making the smile slip from her lips. “You?”

  “You?” Lucas countered with his brows raised and a scowl on his face.

  “Do you two know each other?” Tessa asked, puzzled by their reactions to one another.

  “No.”

  “Yes.”

  Mason laughed. “Great.”

  “What’s going on? “Tessa looked back and forth between Lucas and Sindy. “Do you know Sindy or not?”

  “No. I don’t know her. I just . . .” Lucas didn’t want to rehash their little argument on the beach. “It’s not important.”

  Tessa placed her hands on her hips, suspicion clouding her eyes.

  “Sindy, how do you know my brother? Is there a problem here?”

  “No. No problem. It’s not a big deal. We kinda had a little run-in. It was just a misunderstanding. No hard feelings. Right, Lucas?”

  “Sure.” He let out a small laugh as he remembered her temper tantrum on the beach. He hadn’t been the one upset. She had been the one who was practically irate, literally losing her shit.

  Tessa seemed relieved. “Good. Now that whatever that was is settled, can we get on with the audition?”

  Sindy put her guitar case on one of the couches, unsnapped the latches and opened it to reveal a beautiful three-color sunburst Fender Stratocaster.

  Lucas stepped closer to take a better look. “She’s a gem.”

  “This is Matilda.” Sindy gazed lovingly at the instrument.” She’s the only thing of value I own, and I wouldn’t part with her for the world. I’d rather starve then sell her.”

  Lucas stifled a laugh. “You named your guitar?”

  “Of course. Didn’t you?”

  “No.” He received a disapproving sideways glance from her, as if he committed a sin and would incur some kind of wrath for shunning an age-old tradition. Lucas didn’t know whether to laugh or to be insulted at her judgmental smirk.

  “Where can I plug in?” she asked.

  “I see you found your wires.” Lucas couldn’t help the teasing remark. It just slipped out.

  Her jaw clenched. “Very funny.”

  Lucas had to tone down his smile. This chick needed to lighten up. She took everything way too seriously.

  “I guess I owe you an apology,” she said. “My wires were in the side pocket of my duffle. I found them later that night. They’re expensive, and I didn’t have money for a new set.”

  “Don’t worry about it. It wasn’t a big deal.”

  “If you two are done playing make up, can we hear some of this amazing guitar playing that Tessa’s been bragging about?” Mason asked.

  “Yes,” Sindy answered. “I have a mash-up of my favorite covers that I put together.”

  “That’s great,” Lucas said. “But I don’t want to be distracted by a half dozen snippets. Play me something that makes you shine.” He could see she didn’t like the idea by the tick in her jaw. “Pick the song that you have the most fun with and just go wild.”

  She paused and thought about it. “OK. But I’m not going to sing because I sing like shit.”

  “I don’t want you to sing. I’m listing to what you can do on the axe.”

  She started playing November Rain, and Lucas wondered why she chose it until she hit the solo and put an incredible spin on it. She closed her eyes and let her head fall back, lost in the twangy notes she created. It was as if she forgot they were in the room for a moment and let the sound of the guitar make love to her. She abruptly fell to her knees and leaned forward, her head almost hitting the floor. Then she arched her back and jutted her chin to the ceiling, all with her eyes closed as her fingers assaulted the Strat.

  For a moment, Lucas thought
she passed out. That’s how quickly she fell to the floor, except she continued to blow up the song. He watched intently, unable to do more than stare with his mouth open.

  Tessa nudged him with her elbow. “I told you.”

  “Holy shit,” Mason said. “She’s dynamite. Man, she’s like a female version of you, Lucas. I can’t wait to see what she does with one of our songs.”

  Her interpretation of November Rain was majestic and awe inspiring, but Lucas didn’t want her to change up any of Prodigy’s songs. He wrote the riffs, and they were exactly the way he wanted the songs to sound. He held up his hand so Sindy would stop playing. “That’s enough.”

  Sindy snapped back to reality, her mouth bowed into a frown. “You didn’t like it?”

  “Like it? That was off the charts.” Lucas gave her a well-deserved compliment.

  Mason slowly clapped his hands. “Aces. What made you pick that song?”

  “I’m a huge GNR fan.”

  “Cool. We may just be offering you a record deal tonight. Let’s see how you handle one of our songs.”

  Sindy let out a wave of giddy laughter. “I can’t believe this!”

  “This is what I propose,” Lucas said. “We’ll play one of our songs so you can hear the progression. On the second go round, you can add the rhythm. You read music, right?”

  Fear glistened in her wide gray eyes. “No. I’m self-taught.”

  Lucas slowly blinked, unable to believe that she taught herself to play the guitar with such flair and know-how. “You’ve never had lessons?”

  “Never.”

  “Oh my God.”

  Her eyes darted nervously to Tessa, seeking alliance. “I know what chords are.” She played a G, C, D, and E chord in succession. “But I don’t know what they look like on paper, and I’m not really sure about the names of the chords. But, I’m a quick learner and can pick up melodies by ear very fast.”

  Lucas nodded to reassure her. “No problem. I have a BA in music from NYU. I graduated at the top of my class, and I’m an excellent teacher. I’d love to teach you all about music theory.”

  Tessa and Mason both groaned, and their heads fell to the side for added drama.

  “They’re exaggerating. It’ll be fun.” Lucas had tried to have at-length discussions with Tessa about the elements of music, key signatures, rhythmic notation, and so forth, but she didn’t have the patience. Tessa wanted to play and sing and write lyrics. Lucas loved music theory as much as he loved playing the guitar. Not many people shared the same amount of passion for knowledge the way he did, and he loved passing on the process of making music and why sounds went together. Sindy was a clean slate. Someone who could absorb the wealth of knowledge he possessed about the intricacies of music, and he was excited about sharing that knowledge with her.

  Lucas, Mason, and Tessa ran through one of Prodigy’s songs while Sindy watched and listened, riveted on Lucas’ hands and occasionally catching his eye. When they were done, Lucas showed her the chord progression so she could repeat it. She nodded and joined in, so they were both playing the melody. She picked it up, lightening quick. “That was great. You got it.”

  He took a clean sheet of paper from the desk and jotted down a bunch of chords, then placed it on the stand and pointed them out to Sindy as he played. “This is a G chord. C chord. That’s a D. Here’s an E.”

  Sindy played each chord right after he did, her eyes on the sheet music like the perfect student, soaking in as much as she could.

  “We can collaborate on the lead. If you want to throw in something new, I’m open to hearing it, as long as it doesn’t change the melody. You’re here to make our songs the best they can possibly be.”

  “Don’t overwhelm her, Lucas,” Tessa warned. “You get so carried away. Sorry, Sindy, he takes music theory very seriously.”

  “It is serious,” she replied.

  Lucas almost stammered backwards at the idea that someone was as passionate about theory as he was. They were going to get along magically.

  They went through the song a few more times, Sindy deviating a little from the way the music was written. She played from her heart and it made Lucas’ head spin. “That was fucking awesome!” Lucas exclaimed when they were done. “Let’s play it back.”

  “Play what back?” Sindy asked.

  “The video.” Lucas pointed to the camera facing them, then realized he never asked permission to film her. “I’m sorry. I should have mentioned it. We often record our performances. It helps us with stage presence.”

  “I’ve never seen myself play before.” She pushed her hair behind her ears and adjusted her guitar strap. “I’m a little nervous.”

  “Don’t be. You rocked. And you look great.”

  As they watched the playback she smiled from ear to ear. “Is that really me playing with Mason Wilder? This is a dream come true.”

  Lucas slowly turned his head in her direction. Naturally, anyone would deem it an honor to play with Mason. He understood her infatuation at playing with Mason, but she was here to play with Lucas, and she didn’t seem as excited about it as he was. Sighing, he pushed his ego aside. Mason was the star in the room, and he’d never forget that. Although it was obvious that Sindy would be a perfect fit, they needed to make a final decision about adding her to the band. “Can you give us a moment, Sindy?”

  Lucas, Tessa, and Mason went into the isolation booth, but it was really just a formality. “Are you two as blown away as I am?” Lucas asked.

  “Yes,” Mason answered right away.

  “Did you see how fast she picked up the chords and sailed through the melody, all by ear?” Lucas asked.

  “And wait until you get to know her,” Tessa replied. “She’s really cool.”

  “So it’s all settled then?” Mason asked. “We’re gonna ask her to join the band?”

  Tessa and Lucas both nodded.

  “Should we go out and tell her the good news?” Mason asked.

  Lucas shifted his eyes to Sindy, intently watching them from the other side of the glass with her guitar slung over her shoulder. “Let’s give it a few minutes and make her sweat it out.”

  “You’re so bad!” Tessa swatted his arm. “I’m texting Dad and Papi to come down and meet her.”

  They exited the isolation booth after a sufficient amount of time. “So do you want to be our new rhythm guitarist?” Lucas asked her.

  “Yes!”

  Mason shook her hand. “Welcome to the band.”

  “Congratulations!” Tessa squealed and hugged her. “My fathers are on their way down to meet you.”

  “What?” Her jaw dropped and her eyes almost popped from their sockets. “Tommy Blade and Angel Garcia are coming here? Right now?” Before anyone had a chance to tell her it was no big deal, they walked into the studio.

  “Oh my God.” Sindy’s hand flew to her mouth. “It’s Tommy Blade.”

  “You must be Sindy.” Lucas’ dad extended his hand to Sindy, who shook it as if she was in a semi-catatonic state. At the last second, she barely gulped out a reply.

  Lucas watched with pride. Although he knew he could never live up to his father’s fame and reputation, he never resented it. Tommy Blade was a renowned guitar player and deserved every accolade thrown his way and to be fawned over by fans.

  Papi also shook her hand. “I’m Angel Garcia. Delighted to meet you.”

  “I . . . I know who you are,” Sindy stammered. “I’ve been listening to your music for years.”

  “I hear you’re the lady of the hour. You must be pretty special for these three to bring you into their circle.”

  Sindy stared at Papi, unsure how to respond. Then she glanced at Lucas, Tessa, and Mason. “I hope I can live up to their expectations. I’m a hard worker. Lucas has already taught me what a few chords look like on paper.”

  “Lucas is teaching you to read music?” Lucas’ dad clapped him on the shoulder and smiled. “Good luck. My son is a notorious stickler for precision. I have n
o idea where he gets it from.”

  “You were a tyrant,” Lucas said, returning the lighthearted jab, as well as an arm around the shoulder.

  His dad laughed. “I wasn’t that bad. Was I?”

  “You were tough.”

  “Only because I knew you loved it as much as I did.”

  “True. Hopefully, Sindy will, too.” Lucas leaned his head toward her and winked. “I’ll try to go easy on you.”

  Her smile waned and slowly turned into a smirk, obviously not appreciating the wink.

  Lucas couldn’t help the laugh that escaped him, which made her jaw cock to the side. This was going to be fun.

  Sindy flopped down on the mattress and stared up at the ceiling. Today she had been in the presence of punk rock royalty. In their mansion! Tommy Blade and Angel Garcia were sweet and welcoming and exactly as she imagined. Meeting Mason Wilder had blown her away. She’d watched him on TV and seen him in concert, but nothing compared to standing 10 feet away from the in-your-face beats the man created. It made her chest vibrate and her bones shake. Tessa was incredible, singing and thumping on the bass like a rock star. Lucas was a master on the guitar. She’d never seen anyone play like him. And he wasn’t just a pretty face. He was intelligent! He was a dynamo. The total package. Watching him play inspired her, and she craved that kind of talent. She was most enthusiastic about finally learning to read music and ecstatic at learning the technical aspect of music. Lucas wanted to teach her. He seemed as excited as she was about it, and she’d do everything in her power to learn it all.

  When Tessa had called Sindy a few days ago and asked to meet at the coffee house, she had thought it was just a social invitation. She had been stunned when Tessa stated her full name, Tessa Blade Garcia, and explained that her fathers were Angel Garcia and Tommy Blade of Immortal Angel, and that the other members of Tessa’s band were Lucas Blade, and drumming sensation Mason Wilder. Sindy had almost fallen off her chair when Tessa had asked her to audition for Prodigy. Although Sindy took it seriously and put a lot of time into preparing for the audition, she never expected to get an offer. She honestly didn’t think she was good enough. The praise that she received from everyone made her re-evaluate her skills, and it gave her a giant boost of confidence.