"Runnin' with you just like a track meet, track meet. Why don't you meet me in the back seat, back seat. I wanna love you, actually..."
Earbuds in, I was hearing those words sung by the sultry, creamy voice of my friend Tasha. She had been releasing music on YouTube, iTunes, Soundcloud, and about a million websites I had never heard of, for the past year. And finally one of her songs, "Actually," was getting some attention. She put the audio up on YouTube a week ago and it already had 10k views. I'm sure 10k would be a huge disappointment for BeyoncΓ©, but for Tasha it was a really big deal, and I was proud of her. All her songs are good, but when she played me this one I knew it had the potential to be a hit.
I took out my phone to text her.
--------------------------"10,000!! Youre killin it"
"yeah i know :)"--------------------------------
-----------------"runnin w you just like a track meet"
"track meet"----------------------------------
---------------"why dont u meet me in the backseat"
"back seat"-----------------------------------
---------------------------------"back seat***"
"lol"-----------------------------------------
"so im thinking i should finally make a music video"-------
---------------------"yess i can be your cameramna"
"do you wanna be in it?"--------------------------
---------------------------"i would be honored..."
"We're shooting it tomorrow. i'll send you the details soon"-
"Sorry, if you're free i mean"-----------------------
---------------------------"totally free! cant wait"
Tomorrow? Why was she telling me on such short notice? She must just be doing something low-budget. Filming it on her phone or something. But that's weird, because Tasha is usually the type to go all-out.
She texted me a few minutes later with the time, location, and what I should wear. She asked me to show up at 10 AM in comfortable clothes that I don't mind people seeing me in. I looked up the address she sent. It looked like some kind of warehouse in a part of town without Google Street View.
**********************
The next morning, I showered and suited up in my nicest jeans and my nicest t-shirt. I shaved and did my hair just right. I was gonna be seen by ten thousand people, after all.
Ten minutes later, I hopped on the bus, put in my earbuds, and started playing Tasha's music. It was the only music I felt I could listen to in these circumstances.
I first met Tasha in college. Her dorm room was across the hall from mine. We started hanging out to study for some science class we were both in. Because neither of us really got along with our roommates, we ended up spending a lot of free time together in the common room. She was kind of shy back then, and I think I was the only person she talked to much.
To be honest, I'd always had a crush on her. I mean, she was a pretty girl with a lot in common with me, so why wouldn't I take a liking to her? But I never said anything. I couldn't bare to think of the awkwardness I would face each day living four feet from the girl who rejected me. One time, someone told the two of us that we should date. I remember Tasha had looked down and laughed. I acted like it was funny but I was blushing.
The bus finally reached my stop and I hopped off. I had to walk ten blocks through a neighborhood of abandoned industrial buildings and chainlink fences to get to the address. I was so glad to see Tasha's car parked on the sidewalk in the distance.
She walked out of the adjacent warehouse and opened her car's door. She was wearing a white tank top and some sweatpants with her hair up. As she dipped down to grab some equipment from the back seat, I appreciated her beautiful shape. She was looking good.
As she was starting to pull some metal stands out of her car, Tasha saw me approaching and her face lit up. She slid the stands back into the car and started walking toward me with her arms outstretched. "Tony!" she said and we embraced.
I relished her softness until we released each other, and I asked, "Need some help?"
"Yeah, yeah," she said. "Help me bring this shit inside."
We walked to her car and each grabbed some of her equipment. She had metal stands, and some big lights. When we walked into the warehouse I saw that it was completely empty and, judging by its disrepair, had probably been abandoned a decade ago. "Wow," I said, peering at the high ceiling.
"Kinda cool, isn't it?" said Tasha.
"Yeah, how'd you get permission to use it?"
Tasha shot me a cheeky grin. "We don't need permission, you square." I laughed. "I thought this place would look kinda cool, and it's free, so..."
"Is anybody else coming?"
"Yeah!" she said. "Remember Hajrah? She's got some film equipment, and her friend is coming too to help. They don't get here till eleven though."
"Why did I have to get here early?" I whine, mock-offended.
"Because you're my best friend so you have to do more work." Tasha put down the metal stand in just the right spot and walked toward me. "Plus, you're stronger than them." And she squeezed my bicep.
"You think flattery is gonna work?"