Love in the Spotlight

Ch.5: Henry

The next day came and again I found myself going to the same cafe to meet Astrid, she told me yesterday that she had already finished the song and that we could start working on it today. To be honest I'm very excited to start working, which is saying something considering I haven't felt this excited since my last collaboration 

DING

the bell on the cafe door gave notice of my arrival but what I found inside was WOW. it felt like a hundred students crammed themselves in here sipping coffee like there was no tomorrow. "hey Henry here" I heard Astrid's voice coming from the back somewhere. As I started walking, I saw her finishing up an order. 

"Hey, I'm sorry for that do you mind me being a few minutes late I will just finish this order." she said as she was making what I assumed was an iced latte. "no problem is it usually busy at this time?" I asked since we decided to meet later than yesterday and I'm the one who always leaves first. "usually no but the university next to us had a teacher who failed the whole class in philosophy except for one student and the rest of them needed to redo the test in order not to fail which results in this as you can see." she explained as she started on another drink. "do me a favor and just get me my things from the back quickly please?" I answered with a nod of approval and started to walk in the back, I mean that was the least I could do. Going to the back there I saw her things on a small table near the kitchen door. As I finally put everything in her bag I heard a "COMING HOT A NEW PATCH OF COOKIES" before the door opened and a woman probably in her mid-forties coming with two patches of cookies that seemed about to fall out. 

"uh, ma'am do you need help with that?" I asked as she seemed to have a problem balancing the whole thing. the bad news is that I had scared her as she almost dropped the tray she was holding. The good news is that I somehow was able to save the poor tray before it fell to its misery. well, I guess when you throw and catch the mic a lot in front of thousands of people almost daily you get good catching reflexes. "oh thank you young man" she said. "do you mind bringing them to the front?" I shook my head and went back again to the front dropping the tray on the counter where a man also in his forties took the tray and started putting everything in its place. "thanks young man who are you?" the man asked. "he helped me with the trays isn't he a sweetheart" the woman who I was helping a few minutes ago said also putting the tray she has on the counter. 

"yeah, what brought you here today young man?" I was about to reply when Astrid saved me "Here you are where have you been?" she asked with her backpack on her shoulders. "I will assume this is your parents so helping your mother," I finally answered. She looked very much like the woman I just helped and awfully like the man in front of me which I assume is her father. "Astrid do you know this young man here" her mother asked with a hint of something. while the mother seems excited that we might be seeing each other her father seems wary, pretty much how I look when Hannah even mentions dating. "Henry here is a producer and trying to make his first album," Astrid said noticing the change in her parents' faces. her father looked at me a bit relieved but with another kind of wariness. that man copies every emotion I would have if Hannah were in Astrid's situation but 2x. Yeah, apparently I'm an overprotective brother. as if she doesn't hate every woman I have ever liked if that is not overprotective sister I do not know what is. anyway she is my baby sister so I will be as protective as I like and she will live with it 

"may I ask which studio you work for?" her father asked, to which I answered with "GH studio sir" I could tell that all of them were impressed but Astrid had a strike of hope flashing upon her face. "excuse my curiosity but aren't most of the songs by that studio all written by the artists themselves?" he asked. "most of them but if the artist has little to nothing to do with the songwriting phase then the songwriter gets a percentage of the song profits. of course, some of the artists use help from the songwriters working with the studio the money thing, however, differs from one scenario to another and from a songwriter to another" I explained. "interesting do you mind telling me more about this later I have always been interested to know how the song profits work I always assumed it goes to the artist," he said seemingly interested in the subject but I could tell that part of his need to know that his daughter will be in good hands. "the profit of the song goes multiple ways but as I said it differs from one to another I will be happy to explain how it works. maybe some other day when it's less busy"

"Well, Dad you heard the man. we need to go if we want to get anything done ok" With that Astrid ushers me through the door. "I don't have a car do you have one?" Astrid said, I nodded and guided her to the car I rented from the hotel. "well that was lovely" I said trying to start a conversation. "sorry about my parents they usually aren't like this at all" she said her face is little flushed. "don't worry they are lovely and I can assume you have some questions about the conversation am I right?" I began driving to a great cafe I knew nearby. "yeah but another time" she said. so I changed the subject. "so tell me about the song I'm curious to hear it" She smiled and got her phone. "I'm not a singer so excuse my voice" With that she started to tell me the lyrics. 

listening to it I could feel the lyrics. it's like the words hold it's own magic that you feel inside. Don't get me wrong most love songs do have that feel. but this one feels like expressing a feeling that a lover would feel. then it hit me. "is this about a couple on Tenerife island?" the words came out of my mouse as I parked the car. "when you played the symphony last time I started thinking what lyrics could do justice to such a beautiful symphony, then you told me about it and my father the one who told me about the island more which is how this song was created." her explanation got me. it's like looking at something from a new perspective. which got me an idea. "do you think you could write a song based on scenarios," I asked now thinking about Hannahs stories she makes me read. what if that is the thing I'm missing writing from a dreamy perspective, with some energetic songs of course. "I could try" "I will send you some tonight check them. In the meantime let's give those lovely lyrics a symphony" I said as she got them on her iPad and I connected my guitar to the laptop so I could record it. "by the way my mom is inviting you to dinner tonight and there is no such thing as declining. her words, not mine"