Beats of the Heart - Chapter 15: Chapter 15

Unforgettable.
Shawn said he was unforgettable.
Miles staggered to the kitchen table and collapsed in a chair.  He leaned his head back and closed his eyes with a laugh. He felt like he was losing his mind—unhinged by his obsession with Shawn Pierce.
Miles had always tried to reason with his emotions regarding Shawn. The 18-year-old Miles was thoroughly broken spiritually and emotionally. So when a man had shown him kindness, he clung to it. One hand grasped around a noose, and the other held on to a life-saving rope. He eventually let go of the noose, and the catalyst that led to that was Shawn's actions 12 years ago.
He convinced himself that it was gratitude when his heart fluttered, and his stomach flipped when he saw anything related to Shawn. But now that he faced him again, he knew that was bullshit. Something about Shawn captivated him long ago.
He didn't know why he liked someone so much, especially when they had interacted only a few times. It seemed ridiculous and far-fetched. But he had to admit that there were crazier things in this life. Perhaps feeling this way would be okay.
His head was still thrown back as he groaned. He suddenly remembered how shameless he was 12 years ago. He was still a kid with a fake ID and a stolen wallet. He was rude and forward, while Shawn was nothing but respectful. And then Miles forced himself on him.
"You're a fucking idiot," Miles muttered to himself.
"Why?" Danny's soft voice sounded.
Miles jolted and sat straight to look at his brother sitting across the table. Miles relaxed and laughed, sinking his head into his hands.
"It's nothing. Just remembering when I was younger and did something inappropriate." Miles looked back up and tilted his head with curiosity. "Why are you still up?"
Danny bit his lip. "I wanted to talk to you."
Miles stood up and poured two glasses of water, setting one in front of Danny. "Go ahead. I'm all ears."
It was apparent he didn't know where to start, and he shifted in his seat for a moment. "I'm sorry I never told you that Courtney's cousin was Shawn. I know Aura has approached you about Dirge, and I know you want to protect the DJs and your identity, so I should have told you. But I promise I never said anything. Courtney and Rob don't know I work for Dirge. They thought I found some cushy job that worked well with my schedule. And if I knew he would be coming over, I would have warned you properly. I mean, I should have when Court said something, but with everything that happened before, I was distracted and didn't think. I know you were blindsided, and that was shitty of me as a brother and an employee, so—"
Miles held up a hand to stop his rambling. He could tell that Danny was nervous, and his tone was almost desperate. He wanted to make sure Miles didn't misunderstand.
"Danny, it's okay. You're keeping a big secret and have done one hell of a job protecting us. But that's not your job. You're my kid brother, and employee, so I should protect you. Besides, Shawn is a decent man. If he was of any threat to Dirge or Requiem, I trust you would have told me immediately. Because you didn't, it speaks to Shawn's character. I respect that." Miles explained calmly.
"But... Aura is interested in Dirge."
"That's true. Aura is interested in Dirge, not just Requiem. It's... refreshing." Miles laughed.
"Are you thinking of selling Dirge?"
Miles fell silent for a moment. "Would you be disappointed if I did?"
"It's your company," Danny said with a shrug. "I just like working with the guys, so I hope to be still involved somehow."
"Aura has been the company that has offered the most interesting opportunity. If I give in, I can probably negotiate to protect my DJs while still being involved with the company."
"And you can focus on your own music," Danny added.
A smile bloomed on Miles' face. "Right. And then I can focus on my music." He stretched and stood from his chair. He grabbed the glasses and placed them in the dishwasher. "Still, selling is a big decision, and it won't happen soon unless something drastic happens."
Danny nodded and got up but stopped before he walked away. "You and Shawn knew each other before today, right?"
"That's right."
"Is it because of Dirge?"
Miles was quiet for a moment. "Yes and no."
Danny observed him, trying to understand the emotions hidden behind his eyes. "You were right when you said he is a decent guy. He's always been supportive of Court and kind to me."
"I figured as much," Miles said, leaning against the island. He absentmindedly pulled out the business card from his pocket. Shawn's cell number was written on the back of it, and Miles smiled, knowing it was the same for the last 12 years.
"I was hesitant when Courtney and Rob mentioned wanting to set you two up."
Miles nearly dropped the card from his hand as he remembered Rob saying something along those lines before Shawn came over.
"Wait. With Shawn?" The question slipped out, and Miles immediately felt like an idiot for asking the obvious.
"Yeah. They thought that you two would get along."
"Really?" Miles hoped he didn't sound desperate.
"... yeah." Danny gave him a curious look. "I get the reservations you may have because of rival companies and all—"
"That's cute, but Aura is on a completely different level."
Danny rolled his eyes. "All I'm saying is that you two seemed to get along."
"We had a good conversation tonight," Miles said while leaving out the kiss on his cheek. "But I wouldn't hold my breath."
He hated admitting it, but he believed expecting the worst was best. He didn't want to get his hopes up if there was no future.
"Whatever. You need to go on a date. Get out, get laid."
Miles jolted up with wide eyes. "We are so not having this discussion! You're a kid, for fuck's sake!"
"Technically, I'm an adult." Danny huffed.
"Nope. No. Never. We are so not talking about this ever again." Miles covered his ears with a shake of his head.
Danny clicked his tongue. "It's just sex."
"I am not talking about sex with my kid brother!" Miles hissed. "Fuck! Do you want to give me a heart attack?
"See, you're too uptight. If you just—"
"Stop!" Miles held up his hands in surrender. "Lord, help me. Please, can we never talk about this again?"
"I'll I'm saying is that you get out more. I've lived with you for months, and you have only been on one date. Sure, it was a shitty date, but you shouldn't give up. And now I think Shawn's a decent option."
Miles groaned. "Please, Danny, just go to bed."
Danny laughed and waved as he went back upstairs. Miles stumbled downstairs and sat down at the piano in his sitting room. It was an old upright with worn wood and brass. He ran his hands over the keys affectionately. He had to replace the original keys, but after a couple of years, they revealed how many times he played this piano.
This was the same piano he bought his mom years ago. Together they would sit on the bench and play everything from Mozart to Ray Charles.
He played an old familiar song that his mom would request when she was sick. She always said it soothed her, and he could feel the effects now. His anxiety weaned, and his thoughts started to fall into place.
When he felt calmer, he collapsed on his bed. He reached over, placed the business card in the drawer with the other, and sighed.
Dating... would it be possible? Could he let go of this duality of his life and let someone else in? He rubbed his cheek where Shawn kissed him as if under a spell. What about this man made him lose his rationality and mind?
Dating.
Perhaps he would be brave to test it out tomorrow.
Despite his optimism, the next day was not ideal for Miles to expand on his personal life. Instead of finding the courage to call Shawn, he sat in a recording studio filled with production equipment. It was a last-minute opening, and Miles pushed Phase into the building without hesitation. Most of their music could be made digitally at home; however, Phase had always wanted to rap over their beats.
Despite his own setup, a well-rounded studio was something he lacked. He had a small studio setup in his basement for Requiem for small vocal recordings, which was great for one person, but he had yet to consider expanding it. It was part of his desire to keep Requiem secret.
However, he now started to feel the need to invest in a studio, so he could have the freedom to schedule his recordings without waiting on the mercy of calendars.
He was exhausted with very little sleep but couldn't let Phase down. He had wanted to complete his album for ages, but it was becoming increasingly difficult to dedicate time to it.
He watched as Phase set up his equipment, and he stood behind the production manager in the booth. He had a good relationship with this studio and considered them competent, who knew precisely what Miles expected. They had worked together countless times and built trust; however, a new person joined him in the booth, and he was rude off the bat. He grunted a greeting before introducing himself as Oscar Hardy and then ignored Miles and Phase.
Miles would usually give suggestions to the production manager, making the recording process seamless because of their rapport. However, Oscar was unnecessarily difficult, and Miles' suggestions morphed into sharp criticism.  It became evident that Oscar didn't understand turntablism or hip-hop.
"Mr. Hardy," Miles gritted out with increased frustration. "Your sound levels are off."
Oscar rolled his eyes. "Who's the expert here, me or some man in a suit?"
Miles looked down at his outfit. He always dressed well for recordings, trying to give off a professional air. However, he was still only in slacks and a button-down. It wasn't anything to make him seem inadequate or stuffy.
"The man in the suit, apparently," Miles said. "What happened to Steve or Charly? They know exactly what we need."
"That's none of your concern." Oscar huffed.
"I'd rather work with them."
"Did you want to throw a fit, or do you want to record your album?" Oscar stood up. He was larger than Miles and looked like a bouncer rather than a production manager.
Miles had a swimmer's build, which made him much smaller than Oscar. However, he was scrappy and not easily intimidated.
"I'd rather produce a quality sound than something shitty." Miles had to look up at the man, but his glare was pronounced. "Where's Steve and Charly?"
"This studio is under new management. So I am in charge here, not you. Stand down, boy."
Miles rubbed his eyes, hoping that would ease some of his frustration, but he was unsuccessful. "If you knew what the hell you were doing, I would gladly stand down. However, the new management placed an imbecile in this booth, so, unfortunately, we have a fucking problem."
Oscar's hands slammed into his chest, making Miles fall and crash into the coffee table. The table cracked and broke under his weight, and Miles groaned when he hit the ground.  Oscar stormed toward him and kicked out as he tried to climb back to his feet. His foot connected with Miles' stomach, making him fall back again. Miles cursed when his head bounced off the debris from the table.
Miles picked himself off the ground, feeling blood dripping down his face.  He touched it and recognized it as an old wound on his eyebrow that had been split from the impact.
He laughed as he saw the blood on his hands. "So this is the standard of this studio now? You act like a common thug and throw your weight around? How disappointing."
Oscar pulled his fist back to hit him, but the door opened, and he froze.
Miles felt his stomach drop as if he knew exactly who was standing behind him.
The situation in the studio was chaotic, with thrown water bottles and a broken table. Oscar was practically snarling but trying to control himself. Blood was staining Miles' shirt, but he didn't bother with it. Instead, he was trying to figure out a plan to deal with Oscar and the person behind him.
"Oh? What's this?" A sickenly familiar voice sounded behind Miles, and he had the restrain a shudder. There was nothing more nauseating than Brain Smith.
"Nothing, sir," Oscar answered, pulling his fist down. He shot a quick glare at Miles. "Just someone thought he could get smart with me at your studio."
Miles sighed and pushed past Oscar, turning on the mic into the studio with Phase. "Yo, Phase. Pack your stuff. We're leaving."
"Everything alright there, boss?" Phased asked, concern blanketing his expression. The studio had a two-way mirror, so he couldn't see inside the booth and didn't know what had transpired. Nevertheless, he didn't hesitate and started to pack.
"New management, and they're all dicks."
Miles felt Oscar's hand roughly grab his shoulder and pull him away from the mic. Oscar then leaned into the mic. "Just stay where you are," he ordered Phase.
However, Phase laughed. "Fuck you. If the boss says you're dicks, you're dicks."
"Don't make us come in there and make you stay put," Oscar rumbled into the mic.
Phase stopped packing and started to roll up his sleeves, never looking away from the mirror. "Try to stop me, motherfucker. Your threats aren't shit to me."
Miles started to make his way to the door, where he came face to face with Brian. "Move aside."
Brian pulled out a handkerchief and held it out to Miles. "For your cut," he explained.
"I'd rather bleed out." Miles crossed his arms over his chest. "We're done here."
"You haven't started recording. How about I comp this session, and we can start over?"
Miles shook his head. "No. I will not be associated with this studio any longer."
He moved to leave, but Brian held his arm. "How about we talk, Miles?"
Miles shook his head and pulled his arm from Brian's grasp. "No."
At that time, Phase walked out of the recording room and was in the hallway with his case holding his bag.
"Back off, old man. He said no," Phase said as he glared at Brian.
"We're leaving now." He walked passed Brian, roughly bumping shoulders with him.
Brian scoffed at the physical confrontation. "Canary Studios, Phantom Recordings, Jade Studios."
These three names made Miles stop in his tracks. They were the studios he commonly used for his DJs' records. They were filled with talented people, and he worked tirelessly to ensure a good relationship.
"I own all of them now," Brian continued. "So, how about that conversation?"
Miles clenched his jaw and balled his fists until his knuckles turned white.
"Boss, to hell with them," Phase whispered to him.
Miles leaned closer. "Do you trust me?"
"Of course."
"Call Danny and have him set up a meeting with all of us as soon as possible."
Phase was quiet for a moment but nodded. "Be careful. This doesn't sound right."
He needed to know what else Brian had done behind his back. What other avenues were now closed to him? Once he got a clear picture, he could make a new plan for Dirge.
"I just need to figure out his angle. I'm out the moment it turns sideways."
"Shit's already sideways."
It really was. Miles sighed and patted him on the back. "I'll handle this. I'll see you soon."
Phase walked out but continued to look back with a worried look. After he was out of view, Miles braced himself.
This was a stupid plan.
"Fine, Brian. We can talk now. But I'm out as soon as you say your piece."