SECRETS | D.S

twenty-one

A week after their dinner date, Dan took Katie to the studio.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" she asked as they made their way down the corridor towards the studio.

"Don't worry," Dan smiled, taking her hand, "they're gonna love you."

They pushed through the studio doors and all heads snapped up in their direction. Brie was busy tweaking the drum kit, and her eyes flitted over Katie briefly before noticing their entwined hands.

"Hey," Dan smiled, greeting Mark, Mitch and the band. "This is Kate, my... a friend from Switzerland."

Katie smiled politely despite her obvious nerves, and Dan squeezed her fingers gently.

"More than a friend, I'd say," Brie commented before stitching a smile to her face, coming over to hug Katie and Dan. She held onto Dan a little longer before pulling back, her eyes holding his own.

"Right," Dan stepped aside, dropping Katie's hand, "so, this is Mark, my producer," he introduced them, "thought I'd give her a tour of the studio, maybe let her sit in a bit."

Mark nodded but Mitch seemed unimpressed.

"You can't bring outsiders into studio, Dan, that's not how it works... next minute, all your fans are going to expect the same thing."

"She's not a fan, she's a friend, and it's not like she's going to share anything before it's been released."

"If anything gets out, it's on you," Mitch narrowed his eyes at Dan, who nodded.

This isn't your studio anyway, he thought, taking Katie on a tour, you don't have a say.

"I feel like I'm intruding," Katie commented as they walked down the 'hall of fame', a wall scattered with gold and platinum albums, all of which had been signed by Virgin.

"No," Dan shook his head, "not at all, don't worry about Mitch. He's not my producer, anyway, he's visiting from New York while I work on this project with DTN."

Katie nodded but Dan knew she still felt unwelcome.

"I can see how you can lose yourself in here for hours," she smiled as they entered the small room where Dan spent most of his time, equipped with  a piano and couches, and an expensive coffee machine.

It was like his own private little studio and lounge suite, aptly named 'the writing room," as this was where most records were born.

"And trust me, I do," he laughed, pulling out the piano stool for her, sitting down as she sat down beside him.

"I used to play as a child," she said, fingers resting lightly on the keys, "I've forgotten most of it, to be honest."

"Play me something."

"Oh," she took a breath, "I don't know... I can't play anything..."

"Alright," Dan smiled, "then let me teach you something."

He placed his fingers over hers, showing her the notes, and it wasn't long before she'd mastered them, playing along with him, perfectly in sync.

Dan's heart soared, that familiar feeling building in his chest, and it felt like the most natural thing in the world to be sitting here beside her, playing a song he'd not yet shown to anyone.

He started to sing and Katie's smile only grew.

They were so caught up in it that they didn't notice Mark standing in the doorway, watching fondly, his smile soft.

"She should visit more often," he said once they'd finished, and they turned around, meeting his eyes.

"Oh, Mark," Dan looked embarrassed.

"Sounds good, really good, how long have you been working on this?"

"Not long at all," Dan said, "maybe a week at best. Haven't finished it yet."

"It's gold," Mark grinned, "though what did I expect?"

Dan's eyes met Katie's again.

"You catch on quickly, perhaps you could join me here one day."

"Oh, no, no," she stood, stepping away from the piano, "I definitely don't think so."

She stayed to watch rehearsal and he took her home thereafter. Her flatmate was out for the afternoon so she invited him up for coffee and biscuits to fight the cold.

"You've got a good thing there, with the band," she said as they sat on her couch with coffee.

"I dunno," Dan shrugged honestly, "we're so different, musically, and while I was excited about doing a collab, I sort of just don't know anymore... Mitch is trying to take over completely, and Mark just... lets him..."

"Give it time," Katie smiled.

"Yeah," he sighed, "just not used to being the solo artist with these things... when I had Bastille.... it doesn't matter anymore, I guess... it's just... it felt easier back then."

"Maybe it was, but this is a new adventure, right? Embrace it, despite its challenges. Perhaps the best is yet to come."

Dan nodded. She was right. No use in trying to resist change because it was inevitable.  He'd rather approach this with an open mind and open heart. So maybe things weren't as they'd once been but what had he been expecting? Bastille was long gone and he had to move on. This was a new opportunity to reinvent himself and forget about the past.

Even if it still haunted him everyday.