No Distractions

2

"Let me hear." Normani wrapped her arms around Dinah's neck as soon as she entered the studio.

Dinah held up the headphones and Normani took it excitedly and sat down next to Dinah as Dinah hit play on the track.

"Ooh." The manager praised and Normani pushed his face away.

"Get out." Normani pointed and he pouted.

"You're so mean to me." He huffed as he left with sass.

Normani pulled out her phone and opened her notes.

"Everybody slow down..." Normani began singing, to try to fill in the background music since she also heard the sample of the song.

As she was nearing the end of her song.

"Ooh." Dinah also praised causing Normani to giggle.

"I'm going into the booth." Normani got up and Dinah pointed to the fridge.

"Grab a bottle of water for me because it's hot in there." Dinah explained.

"Okay." Normani agreed.

She grabbed a bottle and opened the booth door before sitting down on the stool. Putting on the headphones, she readjusted the mic and gave Dinah a thumbs up causing Dinah to began playing the track. After recording Slow Down, Normani left the booth and grabbed another bottle of water.

"If we keep doing two tracks a day, this will be done in no time." Dinah mentions as she checked the song off of her list.

"Do you write music?" Normani wondered.

"Like lyrics or notes?" Dinah raised her eyebrow.

"Lyrics." Normani clarified.

"Yeah I do." Dinah shrugged.

"Can I put it on my album?" Normani sat back down next to Dinah, twirling in her chair.

"Why?" Dinah finally looked at Normani and Normani smiled.

"Because It'll be something new to the fans and I wanna sing something new." Normani noted.

"It's R&B." Dinah pulled out her notebook from her duffle bag and showed Normani the notes.

"You do know I make pop music." Normani smiled innocently and Dinah eyebrow rose.

"That is quite a surprise, sounds R&B." Dinah looked back at her laptop as Normani read Dinah's lyrics.

"I do both, but I wanna sing this one." Normani pointed to one of the songs.

"Go ahead." Dinah finished fixing "Slow Down" and Normani pouted.

"I need your track to." Normani mentions and Dinah looked at her.

"Right right, sorry princess." Dinah gave Normani headphones and Dinah played sample tracks for Normani to pick.

"Okay I'll use this one." Normani got up and went back into the booth.

"Do you wanna hear the full track or just sing as it go?" Dinah asked.

"Sing as it go." Normani ushered.

"Aight." Dinah gave her a thumbs up.

Dinah hit play and Normani let it build up before starting to sing.

"I be frontin' to the public, I'm a freak though..." Normani began singing and soon enough, the song was done.

"See you on Wednesday." Dinah began packing up her stuff.

"Right, I could finish this in a week if I didn't have so many meetings with my record label." Normani huffed.

"That is why you don't join one." Dinah wrapped her duffle bag around her chest.

"You're not in a record label?" Normani eyes widened in shock.

"Nah." Dinah twirled her keys.

"Wow, how did my manager hear about you?" Normani questioned.

"No idea, I don't take any credit for producing music but I do produce for other artists and they are good friends with me. Your manager must've reached out to them or they suggested me." Dinah explained.

Before Normani could reply, her phone began ringing and she answered.

"Ugh, I'll be right there." Normani groaned clearly annoyed about how busy her schedule is today.

"You went on tour and is complaining about meetings." Dinah opened the studio door and Normani walked out first with a small thank you.

"I didn't have to go to any meetings during tour." Normani sighed.

"Oh, cool." Dinah stopped walking.

"I guess." Normani watched as her ride pulled up.

"Okay see you later." They both say and Dinah walks to her car as Normani gets into her ride.

"To the industry." The manager gestured and the driver nodded.

"Why do I have to go to 4 meetings?" Normani huffed.

"One to discuss the new album. Another to talk about ways to advertise the album. The third is about the paparazzi going crazy over your little kiss on the cheek. Lastly is to discuss the next tour." Her manager explained.

"Jesus Christ, why can't 3 of those be summed up into 1?" Normani questioned.

"Because people got shit to do Normani." Her manager sighed and Normani sat back.

"Right." Normani muttered.

They arrived to the industry and let's skip to the interesting meeting.

"Dinah Jane, you kiss Dinah Jane." One of the corporates noted.

"On the cheek." Normani clarified.

"On the cheek or not, a kiss is a kiss and now fans are going crazy because they think your moto doesn't mean much anymore." A second corporate mentions.

"I'll address it." Normani rested her head in her hand.

"Normani you're a smart girl, do not let this put your career in jeopardy." The second corporate states.

"What do you mean?" Normani wondered.

"Fan know how to do their research, if they think you are doing something with Dinah then they'll see that Dinah is a player and that'll eventually lead to them either shading or shaming one or both of you." The first corporate explained.

"I'll choose my words carefully." Normani rubbed her temples.

"Alright then, I know Dinah likes to keep things quiet with her career so we might need her to sign a contract." The first corporate crossed his arms.

"She isn't in a record label so that is going to be hard to arrange." The second corporate sighed.

It was a awkward pause and Normani decided to finally speak up.

"I can just ask her to denounce the rumors of us dating and that we are strictly business partners." Normani suggests.

"Oh." The first corporate tapped his chin as he felt dumbfounded.

"Do that." The second corporate scratched the back of his neck.

"Okay." Normani giggled.

"Alright, for the great fortunes with your career. Here." The second corporate pulled out a little gift basket and Normani eyes widened with her jaw gapping open.

"Sour patch kids?!?" Normani gasped.

"Yes." The first corporate responded as he cleaned up the files.

"Thank you." Normani squealed and grabbed the basket like it was a puppy.

"You're welcome, now go on and enjoy the rest of your day." The second corporate ushered off.

"I would but I have another meeting." Normani huffed.

"They cancelled it." Her manager mentions and Normani jaw gape open again.

"Yay!" Normani cheered running out of the office.

"Jesus Normani, wait for me." Her manager yelped as he chased after her causing the corporates to chuckle.