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His parents weren’t into music. His sister wasn’t in the music business. He was the only one and he just seemed to love it so much that I wanted to know what inspired him, drew him to it, and kept him working on it even when things didn’t appear to be going in the right direction when he was younger.
     
    “Why did your mother name you Topaz?”
     
    “What?”
     
    He shrugged. “One question deserves another,” he grinned stealthily.
     
    “I asked you first.” I nearly pouted.
     
    “I asked you second so I answer second.”
     
    I laughed. “That is so juvenile.” I rolled my eyes.
     
    “I know. I got it from Hina.”
     
    I chuckled and shook my head. He was such a mix of components that I couldn’t help but be enthralled. “Well, my mother liked gemstones. She hated the name Ruby. She said there was no way she was going to name me Opal. So it came down to Diamond, Emerald, Sapphire and Jade.”
     
    “Um…okay? But Topaz wasn’t on the list.”
     
    I laughed and shook my head. “Nope. Somewhere between epidural and pushing me out she yelled Topaz so loud that the nurses thought she was yelling my name in the hopes that I would come out faster. And since I apparently popped out after that call, she said it was divine fate and therefore she named me Topaz.”
     
    He looked confused. I had to admit, I still didn’t get it, but the way my mom told it usually came out more humorous. “My mom said she was counting gemstones in her head trying to ease the pain because apparently even with the shot she still felt a lot of the pain. Don’t ask me. My mother has some strange habits. Sadly, her strangeness is what got me the name Topaz.” I shrugged. For a long time, as a kid, I kind of hated it. The people who didn’t call me Top, called me Paz and then they always said it rhymed with Spaz. But after a little while I just got used to the name. I started to like it and then I thought it was beautiful. After all, nobody else in my school ever had my name. I wasn’t a Kelly, Amy, Heather, Nicole, Kathy or Tameka. I was Topaz and Topaz was unique.
     
    “I like your name,” he said. I smiled.
     
    “Good, me too. Now, it’s your turn to answer my question.”
     
    He was about to start talking when the doorbell rang. “Saved by the bell,” he chuckled as he got up and left me alone in the studio with all the funky looking recording equipment.
     
    “Smooth,” I mumbled. “Real smooth.” I positioned my sketch pad where I wanted it. I was just going to sit in the back of the recording area, but Arashi had pulled my chair up next to his. “You need to be up close and personal to feel this,” he had said. So I had to readjust my things so that I could sit comfortably, not be in his way and still sketch any ideas that came to mind.
     
    An hour into the recording I realized two things, one, this chick could play some serious cello, and her music was really kind of good. Two, Arashi made a great subject for a sketch. I sketched him more than I came up with ideas for new designs. When he asked to see what I had I told him no. “I don’t share while I’m still piecing it together, but I’ll have something to show you tomorrow.” I hoped I would because at that moment all I wanted to do was keep sketching him. He could model for an art school with features like that, but he was older and more mature and probably not interested in serving as some art student’s model. Plus, I was supposed to be working. Work is what he was going to be paying me for after all—work on his logo design, not my own personal artistic pursuits.
     
    Once her royal diva cellist left I was going to go home, but Arashi didn’t seem to want me to go just yet. There was something he wanted to discuss with me on the design. It was only five o’clock, but given the fact I had been taking up his time since a little before eight in the morning I thought maybe he would want me to go so he could do the work he needed to