If I Was Your Man (BWS)

Fourty-Four

*Brad P.O.V*

Maddie kept checking herself over in the mirror, fixing her hair and makeup every two seconds.

I could tell she was nervous about today, and I don't blame her - I was nervous as well, but I'd done loads of these meetings before and I know how they work. However, Mads has never done one of these before, so everything was new to her and she doesn't have a clue how these meetings work.

I was doing everything I could to help her feel as calm and comfortable as possible. I got up from the bed and went over to her, wrapping my arms around her waist and kissing her cheek. Her whole body was tense and her hands were shaking slightly.

"You look stunning." I said, looking at our reflection in the mirror. I felt her relax a bit, and she smiled at me.

"I'm sorry, I'm just..."

"Nervous? Scared? That's totally normal babe. I'm nervous for today but I've done this countless times over the last few years. You've never done this before, so of course you're going to be scared. It's perfectly reasonable." I said. Maddie turned around so she was facing me, and she put her arms around my neck. "I promise I'll be here all day for you, okay? I'm not going anywhere."

"Thank you so much. I am excited for everyone to hear the song though, I just worry they won't like me being on it." Maddie said.

"Shh, they will love it - I love it! You blew me away in the studio the other day. You have an amazing voice." I said, and Maddie smiled again.

"I love you." She said.

"I love you too." I said, giving her a kiss.

Connor shouted up the stairs for us to come down as we were leaving now.

"This is it." Maddie said.

***

After we introduced everyone to Maddie, we all sat down. Me and Maddie were centre attention, and I saw her looking around the room. We had both made a deal for her to whisper a code word to me if it all gets too much, and I'd messaged Joe on the way to pre-warn him that Maddie was struggling with anxiety over today.

As Joe started up the discussion about the 'Brad x Maddie version' of Personal, as it was being referred to, I saw Maddie was fidgety and she was doing the thing that some people do with their leg's when they get nervous. I put my hand under the table, across her leg, and she instantly calmed again, looking at me and giving me a smile.

"I'll hand it over to Brad." Joe said.

"Okay, thank you to you all for coming here. It's quite scary because the only two people in this room who have heard this is me and Maddie." I said.

"Oh wait, have the other lads not heard it?" One of our producer people asked.

"Nope, this is the first time they'll hear it. Now, I'm not going to drag this out." I said, plugging the laptop that Joe passed me into the speakers. "We hope you like it." I smiled, and I hit play.

Throughout the first verse and chorus, there was no big reaction because it was my verses, and everyone had heard me sing in the original version. However, both me and Maddie held our breath as the chorus finished and Maddie's part came up.

Maddie's verse began, and the atmosphere in the room instantly changed - for the better.

A lot of people were shocked, although Joe and Con's reactions were the best. I'd never seen Connor's jaw drop quite as much as it did at Maddie singing. And Joe was looking between me and Maddie, also jaw dropped and wide eyed. A couple of people in the room were clearly taking it all in, whispering things to each other and having impressed looks on their faces.

I caught Maddie's eye and she started smiling, a lot. I could tell her anxiety was turning into excitement as she saw everyone was really liking it.

The final chorus where we sing together started, my favourite part because we're both singing together. Connor was on his feet, not quite able to believe what he was hearing.

"See, I told you we were good!" I whispered to Maddie, and she giggled.

When it stopped, I closed the laptop and Connor instantly came over.

"You two, get up!" He said, and he gave us both a hug. He looked almost like he was going to cry. "Maddie, I- that was amazing. Oh my god, I had no clue it would be that good!" Proud brother moment, clearly.

Maddie started tearing up, and gave Connor the biggest hug ever. I knew this meant so much to Maddie, and Connor was clearly very proud of her. And I don't blame him, I'm proud too.

Joe, Tris and James came over to give hugs and tell us how amazing it was.

"That's probably the best I've ever heard a Vamps song." Tristan said. "No word of a lie. You two killed it!"

"Thank you!" Maddie said, wiping her eyes and giving him a hug. "You're all gonna make my makeup run." She laughed.

As Con, James, Tris and Joe went to sit back down, I turned to Maddie and pulled her in for a hug.

"Bless you." I said, making her giggle. One of the guys in the room handed me some tissues, and I sat Maddie down, using the tissues to clear her face up and making sure her makeup was still in tact.

I explained to Maddie about the fact that Joe would now have a conversation with the rest of the producers and management guys in the room so we just had to sit tight and see what they said.

"Okay, everyone, listen." Joe said. This is it.

"That was amazing!" One of the guys said.

"And emotional!" Another said.

"Brad, Maddie, it's safe to say you both killed that." A third said. They went around congratulating us and giving us all compliments and telling us their thoughts on it.

"So now, we have decided as a group... to ask you all if you would like to release that version as a single, and on the extra tracks coming out next week." Joe said.

Maddie's jaw dropped and she looked at me, looked to Con, and back to Joe.

"Maddie?" I asked, smiling.

"Of course! I mean... if you want." She said.

"Then it's official. Personal, 'Brad x Maddie version' shall be released." Joe said, acting way more professional then usual to make everyone laugh.

"Maddie, we did it!" I said, and she started crying all over again.

We both stood up, hugging each other.

"We did it." Maddie cried.