Till Death (A Bruno Mars Fanfiction)

Chapter 64

The next morning Naomi sat across from Kayla, a label executive, who had been assigned to work with all the SXSW artists. "I don't think that John Doe worked...." Naomi said. "It just doesn't go with the positive vibe that the rest of the album has. Like how to do I from Smile to that? It just doesn't work for me....."

"You're right. It doesn't flow well. We noticed it. But it's not like cringe-worthy. If we work it right...change it up a bit...it could be different." Kayla said confidently.

"I don't know if I want different. I kind of like everything that I have now. Maybe for a later time. We have 20 tracks. So not all of them have to go on. They could be later promo releases or just sit there until whenever..."

"If that's what you think will be the best...." Kayla said. "I know you know your stuff. You have amazing people behind you."

"Yeah. I do, don't I?" she gushed. "I can't wait to go home. I'm finishing everything there so we'll have some time together before he leaves and I start this crazy stuff."

"You'll get to where he is, Mimi. You're good." Kayla smiled. "So the rest of this...."

In Los Angeles, Bruno sat in Brandon's office talking to him about his vision for the tour. They talked for what seemed to be hours finally ending the business like conversation to ask Bruno about Mimi. "She'll be home tomorrow right?" Brandon asked.

"Yeah." Bruno answered. "She'll be home until after I leave, but she's going to be so busy...."

"Do you have her stuff? I'd love to hear it. I was talking to Nikki, but she was being super tight lipped about it all...." Brandon said about her manager.

"Not all of it, but there is one...she's not sure about it...." Bruno said. "And I'm not either...." he handed his phone over to Brandon watching him press play to listen to John Doe. "I think, she thinks....like generally...it doesn't fit..."

"It needs someone else. Someone else to make it stick out and not be so down....." Brandon said with a smile. "You know who would be good?"

"Who?" Bruno wondered. "What type of vibe are you getting out of it?"

"Your friend...." Brandon laughed.

"Really? Bob? You think he would fit on there?" Bruno asked.

"She gets the feelings, he tells the story. It would be really good that way." Brandon said. "And I'm not saying that because I've slept with his agent." he raised his eye brow with a smile.

"I don't know if she would go for that though....it's too much of me. And we're just like trying to get everything right. And doe she want to be opened up to that comparison?"

"Talk to her about it. I will talk to them." Brandon said. "You have a girl that's going to be home tomorrow. I think you need to clean your house."

"Hey!" Bruno laughed starting to get up from his chair. Walking to the car he turned on his phone and commanded it to call Naomi.

"Hey boo." she answered the phone.

"How was your meeting?" he asked.

"It went well. I think the label and I are on the same page now. All I have to do is get home and finish this thing up. I am so ready." she said in a very bubbly tone. "How was your meeting? Did you gossip about all the other cute boys?"

"No, but we did gossip about one particularly attractive girl that I'm on the phone with right now." she could feel his smile through the phone.

"What did you all talk about?" she wondered.

"Remember that one that you're not sure about? Like neither of us were sure about?" he asked.

"John Doe. We talked about that too. I'm taking it off. I have a list of all the others that I'm taking off too." she told him.

"Hear me out, Mims..." he said to her.

"I wasn't disagreeing with anything...." she said.

"You're right. You weren't. But okay. So I was talking to Brandon about it and he thinks that if you had BoB rap on it that it would be amazing. He would tell the story and you would be the emotion behind it. I think he was on to something...."

"But you already did that....that's not going to work for me...." she told him.

"I knew you would say that." he said a bit disappointed. "And I thought the same thing."

"So what do you think? I don't even know if he would do that, Brunz." she told him. "He probably wouldn't do it. With you, both of y'all were starting. He's a thing now. And using all the same crap you did. That's dumb. I don't want people to automatically associate me with you. I love you, I really do, but as an artist we're two completely different people."

"I know Mims. Take it one step at a time. I think Brandon was going to talk to Nikki and both of them can reach out to David...." Bruno said.

"I can't wait to be home, Bruno. It's been too long." she said stretching out on her hotel bed.

"I know, baby. I can't wait to have you in my arms tomorrow night." he said.

"Night? I'll be home by 3...." she answered. "Oh. But you're going to be doing stuff yourself. That's fine. What's a few hours, anyway?"

"I know, baby. Just a few hours. You're going to have to go home and get stuff anyway, aren't you? And laundry?" he asked.

"You're right." she told him suddenly overcome with guilt from the night before.

"Mimi, are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah. I'm fine." she answered. "You're driving. You should probably go. It's safer that way."

"You're right. I will see you tomorrow, Naomi." he answered.

"I love you." she blurted out before hanging up the phone.

"I love you too, Nay." he laughed hanging up the phone.