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I took off my headphones.
“I’m glad. Though I have to admit, I was expecting the Heartwood to do something spectacular at the end.”
“It does. The leaves turn silver, and the enchantment fades.”
“That’s not bad. Much safer than the glowing roots.”
She laughed.
“I knew you’d approve eventually.”
We checked the remaining recordings together. Peyton reviewed the file labels, listened to the last pickup, and confirmed that the material was complete before sending it to Folio.
While she worked, I glanced around the room.
I’d spent Friday and Saturday sitting inches from her, trying not to make too much noise whenever I moved. She’d taught me how to listen to another performer, how to make dialogue sound natural, and why it mattered to understand what a character wanted before speaking.
I’d enjoyed all of it.
I would’ve enjoyed it even if she hadn’t been so damned pretty, although I doubted I’d have spent quite so much time admiring the woman wearing the headphones.
Peyton finally looked up from the screen.
“Everything’s been transmitted. The reviewer will check the final takes and let us know if anything needs attention, but we’ve completed the recording.”
“Congratulations, honey. You rescued your dragon.”
“We rescued him together. And you did a wonderful job, especially considering you hadn’t narrated a single audiobook before Thursday.”
I smiled.
“Couldn’t have done it without you.”
“Perhaps not quite as efficiently,” she said, her eyes bright with amusement. “But you have a marvelous natural talent, Hudson. I hope you’ll consider doing it again sometime.”
“I will. Especially if you’re the one telling me where to stand.”
She laughed and turned back to the workstation.
The reviewer’s response arrived while we were putting the finished pages in order. Peyton opened it, read through the short note, and gave me a delighted smile.
“All approved. The final takes are clean, and Folio has what it needs for the Sunday handoff.”
“Then I guess I’ve officially earned that ridiculous paycheck.”
She sent the final acknowledgment and closed the production session. After confirming that the files were saved, she shut down the recording software, switched off the audio interface, and checked that no remote session was active.
The lights on the equipment went dark.
Peyton rose from her chair and stretched, looking thoroughly pleased with herself.
“Well, we’ve officially finished an audiobook together. How does it feel to have survived your first encounter with professional narration?”
“Pretty damn good.” I took the headphones from her and set them on the desk. “Although I’m going to miss having an excuse to spend every morning with you.”
She smiled. “You don’t need an excuse anymore, Hudson.”
“I know. And I’m glad we settled that earlier.”
