"Hey Ri!" Brian got up and pulled her into a quick hug. "My, you sure did grow up!" he said in a voice that made him sound as if he were someone's grandfather.
"Brian..." Rianne said, whining. "I missed you too, sweetie. Now where's Kev, and where are your wives? I haven't met them yet."
"Kevin's in the studio, recording. You'll meet Kristen and Leigh at dinner tonight, 'kay?" Brian smiled sweetly at her and lead her to the studio.
*********
"Okay, let's try this one more time," Kevin said into the microphone. Just as he was getting ready to sing, the door to the studio opened and he heard the sound of a girl squealing.
"Kevvy!" Rianne barreled into the room and quickly embraced Kevin, who was nearly reeling in surprise.
"Rianne! Hey kid! What're you doing here so early?" Kevin asked as he took the headphones off.
"I couldn't wait to see you guys, of course!" Rianne smiled. "So-oo, I just got an earlier flight after bookin' it with Brian."
"Very resorceful. God, it's good to see you! You look great!"
The girl smiled. "Great? Me? No way."
"Anyway... are you all settled in? Need anything?"
"No Kevin, I'm fine for now. I'm just checkin' out the place." She paused for a moment. "I can't believe I'm in an actual recording studio. It's just like... wow!" Rianne looked awe-striken, like a child in a candy store.
Brian and Kevin both exchanged a glance. "Well, Ri, if you want to you can go ahead and record something," Brian said casually.
"Really?" Rianne squeaked. "You're playin' me for a fool."
"No! Go ahead!" Kevin pushed her into the studio and in front of the mircophone. "Sing, girl!" he said in a mock Italian accent.
"Oh God, Kev, no!" Rianne shrieked. She looked through the glass panel separating the studio from the control room. Brian was behind the panel. She mouthed the words, "I can't do this, B!"
"Yes you can, Rianne," Brian said, his voice echoing in the headphones that were now over Rianne's head. "Just go ahead and sing."
Rianne whimpered like a hurt puppy. "Oh, alright," she said. She sighed and positioned herself in front of one of the mircophones.
Kevin, who was now also in the control room, said, "Ready?"
"I guess," Rianne said in the microphone. She drew in one last shaky breath and began to sing.
"Baby, don't tell me
You miss me, you love me
Don't whisper sweetly
That you can't forget me
Tonight, tonight
'Cause I've heard it all before
Just turn away, don't play that game
Baby, I don't want to anymore
And it all fades away
Don't you know the love is gone, it's too late
Oh, everything fades away
And nothing ever stays the same
Baby... no no no..."
As Rianne continued, Brian nodded. "She's got talent, cuz."
"Of course she does," Kevin said matter-of-factly. "She's got a really strong voice, but you know she wants to be a publisher. But she won't take any of the money I'd offer her to start up."
"You know Rianne's stubborn, and if she's gonna do something she wants to do it herself," Brian replied, noticing that she was still singing something in the booth. "So she'll get it... eventually."
"Yeah... I guess so." He switched the mircophone on to talk to Rianne, still in the booth. "Ya did good, kid!" he said.
"Really?"
Brian brought the mike over to him. "And the winner of the Best New Artist Grammy is... Rianne Carroll!" he said in an announcer's voice.
"Oh God, Brian, I'm not good." Rianne blushed. "That's just a spare time deal; I only sing in the shower."
"Can we record you in there?" Brian said jokingly.
Rianne glared at him. "You are so wrong. Come on, don't we have a dinner reservation to make? I want to get to the hotel and get changed."
"Yeah, we have about two hours," Kevin remarked. "Guess we better be heading on out."
"Okay. Bri, you're getting some of my bags, right?" Rianne asked.
"Hey, you can carry them yourself, right?"
"Don't you know how to treat a lady?" Rianne asked, in mock anger. "Boy, you better take some of them!" Laughing, she walked out the studio and grabbed a few of the bags, and-along with Brian-walked out the door.
lyrics-"Everything Fades Away"-Mariah Carey