The Essential Jagged Ivory (Jagged Ivory Boxed Set)

by Lashell Collins

  “Hey, man,” Noah said lightly as Cory crossed the room. “Just saw you walking Donna down the hall. She gone already?”

  “Yeah,” he said as he slowly climbed onto the king-sized bed beside his friend, forcing Noah to scoot to the middle as he leaned back against the headboard.

  “We didn't think we'd see you 'til show time, man,” Otis chimed in. “Figured you and your girl would be holed up in your room all day.”

  “I wish,” Cory replied with a soft snort. “She had to get back to Toronto to finish filming.”

  “Man, you should have seen the look on your face last night when she showed up, Cory,” Buzzy pipped in, his eyes still on the TV screen. “It was awesome!”

  “Yeah, you looked like that proverbial kid on Christmas morning when he sees what Santa left,” Benji said, turning to give him a quick smile. “It was cool.”

  Cory gave them a pitiful sort of smile. “Yeah, it felt pretty fucking cool.”

  “So how was your reunion?” Noah asked.

  Cory said nothing as he thought about that question. He was not at all certain how to answer it. And he knew that he had hesitated a little too long when Noah turned and looked at him. He sighed and rolled his eyes slightly. “It started out great,” Cory told them. “It started out perfect actually.”

  “Sounded perfect,” Noah mumbled with a raised eyebrow. And Cory shot him a sly grin, remembering that their hotel suites shared a bedroom wall.

  “Yeah, we heard you and Mercy trying to keep up,” he joked, and Noah laughed out loud.

  “No, seriously though,” Noah said, smiling at him. “You had a good visit?”

  Cory shrugged. “Like I said, it started out great. But I guess it sort of ended up in the toilet.”

  “Is that a joke?” Otis asked, frowning at him.

  “Nah, man. I wish it was,” Cory answered.

  “What happened?” Noah asked him.

  Cory shook his head. “I wish I knew,” he muttered quietly. “I don't know. Honestly? I'm starting to wonder if maybe our ideas of what marriage means are just … too different. I mean, we are the same two people we were before we got married. But for some reason, it all just seems so much harder now. And it seemed to happen overnight, you know? Like someone flipped a fucking switch or something.”

  Cory could feel their curious glances, but none of them were willing to ask the difficult question for fear of prying. Except for Noah, of course.

  “You had a fight?”

  Cory sighed again. “We had a discussion. I mean, we hadn't seen each other in a month. And video chatting can only carry you so far, you know? There's nothing like being in the same room. So, needless to say, we had some things we needed to talk about. And yeah … it got heated. A couple of times.”

  “I'm sorry, man,” Noah said quietly.

  They were all silent for a few minutes, and Benji and Buz turned back to their game as Cory continued to mull over his and Donna's predicament. Thinking out loud, he said thoughtfully, “You know, up until now … I always used to wonder why so many Hollywood marriages never seem to work out. I mean, some don't even make it over a year. Have you ever noticed that?” he asked, to no one in particular. He didn't wait for a response as he continued, “I won't be wondering anymore, 'cause now I know. I mean, it is nearly impossible to keep it together when both people have big ambitions and busy, high-profile careers.

  “Cory, come on, man,” Noah said, frowning at him.

  “I'm just talking in general,” Cory shrugged. “I mean, like you and Mercy, for instance. If you two ever get married, you will have a much easier time because she's not in show business. Yeah, she's on the fringe of it, working for Mike's management firm. But she's not an actress, or a model, or a singer.”

  “Cory, you and Donna are going to make it through this, man,” Noah offered. “This is just a temporary rough spot.”

  “Yeah, Cory. All couples go through a period of readjustment after taking the plunge, man. That's normal. It's just a little more complicated for you Hollywood types, that's all,” Buzzy smiled, trying to lighten his friend's mood a little.

  “I'm glad you're both so confident,” Cory mumbled at them. “I wish I shared your optimism right now. I really do.”

  “What are you saying, man?” Noah asked, fixing him with a serious expression.

  There was a long pause before Cory quietly answered, “I'm saying that I'm not sure we won't end up a Hollywood statistic.”

  “Marriage always fucks things up,” Otis snickered. And Buz and Benji both looked at him with wide, shocked eyes as Noah glared at him furiously. “What? I'm just being honest!”

  “Oh, and what the hell would you know about it?” Noah asked him, instantly pissed. “Have you ever been married?”

  “No. And you won't ever see me getting married either!”

  Buzzy laughed out loud. “Famous last words, O! Famous last words.”

  “I can show you better than I can tell you,” Otis shot back. “Marriage will not be part of my future! That's one page I will gladly take from Monroe Ivory's handbook.”

  “Man, what the hell are you talking about?” Noah asked him. “Mom and Dad have been together forever.”

  “Together, yes,” Otis agreed. “But did they ever feel the need to tie the knot and put a label on each other? Hell no!”

  “So, because our parents never got married, you think nobody else should?”

  “I'm just saying … Monroe and Kay have had a happy, healthy relationship for nearly forty years, and they raised two well-adjusted, successful sons in the process. And they didn't need a piece of paper to help them do that. If it worked for them, it works for me!”

  Buzzy laughed again. “I'll say it again … famous last words.”

  “Well, as fascinating as this debate is,” Cory said, pulling himself up off of the bed, “I've had enough. I'm gonna go to my room for a while.”

  “Hey, Cory,” Otis spoke up. “Man, I didn't mean anything by what I said. I was just being my usual charming self. But you know that I really do hope you and Donna can make it through whatever your issues are, right?”

  “I know that, O,” Cory said. “But I gotta tell you, I agree with Buzzy, man. It's gonna be fun watching you fall in love and get turned inside out by a woman.”

  Otis smirked at him. “It'll never happen.”

  “Yeah, okay,” Cory smiled at him.

  “You alright man?” Noah asked him. “You want some company?”

  “Nah, I'm good,” Cory answered. “Give me a call before time to head out to soundcheck though, alright?”

  “Yep.”

  He turned then and exited the room, heading back down the hall to his own suite. He appreciated that his friends were just trying to help, but he knew there was nothing they could do. And he really just wanted to be by himself for a while. Plus, he was feeling the need to mellow out a little, and he definitely did not want to toke up in front of Benji. Yeah, it was just a joint, but he knew that even that could be detrimental for his still fragile friend. He entered his suite and closed the door behind him, eager to shut out the world for a while.

  *****

  Back on the movie set, Donna sat in a small, uncomfortable chair as she tried to focus on what the set medic was saying. She had come to the medical trailer the very minute she stepped foot onto the set after arriving from Detroit, her stomach upset finally getting the better of her.

  “Well, Ms. Devlin …”

  “Mrs. Dutton, please.”

  “Uh, Mrs. Dutton … I'm sure the stress you're under is very disconcerting for you. Stress can, and often does, take its toll on our bodies in creative ways. However, I think there may be another cause for the symptoms you've described to me. Is it possible that you could be pregnant, ma'am?”

  Chapter Eleven

  “So, you're really doing it, huh?” Noah asked, perching on the side of Cory's bed as he watched him throwing his things into his small duffle bag.

  “Yeah. I d
on't see any reason not to, do you?” Cory responded with a smile.

  “No. I think it's a great idea,” Noah answered. “I mean, our next show isn't for a couple of days. You sure as hell won't be missing anything on the tour bus. And we'll see you in New York on Friday, man. I think this surprise visit thing you two have going on is kinda cool. Chicks dig spontaneity. They think it's romantic.”

  Cory chuckled. “Well, let's just hope Donna agrees with you,” he smiled.

  “Hey, you should take her some of those flowers,” Noah suggested.

  “Flowers?”

  “Yeah, man. Those flowers that Mercy had me filling your house with. She said they were Donna's favorites or something.”

  Cory thought about it for a second, and then smirked at him. “Yeah. White Gerber daisies. She loves those things. That might not be a bad idea.”

  “See! I can do romance,” Noah spouted. And Cory laughed at him again.

  “Oh, trust me, I remember,” Cory joked. “Any man who spends four years writing love songs to a woman whose name he doesn't even know has got to know a few things about romance. I will give you that!”

  Noah laughed at his reference to his and Mercy's unconventional path to love. But he remembered how Cory had been there for him when he felt like he was unraveling at the seams over Mercy's involvement with Otis. He appreciated Cory's support then, and he just wanted to be able to return the favor now.

  “Yeah, well … if I can think of any other romantic tips, I'll text you! I gotta get going. Some of us have a bus to catch,” he said standing up. “And you have a safe flight, man. Enjoy a couple of days with your girl. This visit should do you both some good.”

  “I sure hope so, brother,” he said as he and Noah embraced. “See you in New York!”

  *****

  Pregnant. Donna sat staring off into space, a troubled frown knitting her brow behind her dark, Audrey Hepburn-style sunglasses. She had been in a sort of daze since receiving the news a week ago, and she still remembered the feeling of total shock and disbelief when the set medic ran the blood test. It was crazy. She knew it was truly crazy. She had just spent hours in a battle of wills with Cory the previous night, discussing her reasons for wanting to put off having a family. They had argued and practically ripped each other's hearts out over it. He cried the morning she left. Donna had never seen Cory cry before. But he had actually cried when he talked about letting go of his dreams so that she could pursue hers. It was heart-wrenching. And all that time, she was already pregnant!? Was the universe taking his side in this argument?

  She shook her head slightly as she thought about it for the millionth time. How could this be happening? She was always so careful. Their entire relationship, she had always taken great care to avoid this very thing. Not because she didn't want a child, but because she didn't want an ill-timed child. She loved Cory. She had known fifteen minutes after meeting him that she would love him for the rest of her life. And she wanted to give him the child she knew he wanted so badly. But she wanted to do that when the timing was right.

  She had known that it would be tricky trying to convince him that they should wait a few years. He always talked about starting a family right away. And she knew that it was wrong not to be honest with him right from the start, but she was afraid that if she said anything, he would want to put off marrying her. And she didn't want that. She loved him so much; she didn't want to wait to be Mrs. Cory Dutton. She just wanted to put off babies for a couple of years.

  But the look on his face when they had finally talked about it had been haunting her dreams for a week now. He said that she hadn't broken his heart, but Donna knew better. She could see it in his eyes. He was devastated. She had shattered his dreams and he was crushed. Even now, when they spoke on the phone, she could hear it in his voice. And when they were video chatting, he tried to seem like his usual happy-go-lucky self, but he just wasn't. As much as she hated to admit it, things just weren't the same between them anymore, and Donna didn't know how to fix it. She felt like it was all her fault. She had broken him somehow with her selfish desires to pursue a movie career, and she feared that the only way to turn things around was to give in. To give up on her dreams in deference to his.

  She rolled her eyes at that thought. Why couldn't she just do that? Cory had willingly laid down his hopes and dreams so that she could go after hers, hadn't he? Why couldn't she do the same for him? That is what married people were supposed to do, wasn't it? Support each other unconditionally. Sacrifice for one another. Strive to make each other happy.

  “I will do anything to make you happy, Donna.”

  “All I want is your happiness, baby.”

  Cory's words floated through her mind as a tear traveled down her cheek behind her glasses. Wiping it aside with her fingertips, she continued to think about Cory and the troubled state of their brand new marriage. How had things gotten so messy so fast? Perhaps they should have waited until shooting on this movie had ended before getting married. Maybe there was something to Cory's argument that they were spending way too much time apart. But Donna just didn't understand how that could have any effect on things. They had been spending time apart for their entire relationship because of his touring schedule. In her mind, Cory's insistence that her making movies was taking even more time away from them was just sour grapes. His way of trying to get her to stop so that they could have a baby. It wasn't really any more detrimental than his Jagged Ivory tour schedule, was it?

  Oh, who was she kidding? Their marriage was brand new, barely two months old. Her own mother had asked her if she really thought it was a good idea to go traipsing off to make a movie so soon after tying the knot. She had rolled her eyes at her mom at the time, but now Donna was starting to wonder. Perhaps that had been a mistake. Perhaps she should be with her new husband right now, traveling with him while he's on tour and solidifying their new union. Perhaps this mess they were in really was all her fault.

  She felt the nausea roll over her once more as she sat in the back of the SUV, being driven to the location of the day's shoot. She wasn't sure she was up to filming today. She felt so lousy and her skin looked peaked. She knew the technicians in the makeup trailer were going to have their hands full with her today. The set medic had reassured her that no one would learn about her condition from him, and Donna had been relieved. The very last thing she wanted was for her director to know she was pregnant. She didn't want any special treatment, or for anyone to think of her as weak and fragile. And she definitely didn't want that asshole Tad Radcliffe finding out. It was none of his business, and Donna shuddered to think of what he would do with the information if he had it.

  It also gave her chills wondering what exactly she was going to do? If they stayed on schedule, principle shooting on the film would be completed in another month or so. She may or may not be showing by then. The set medic had estimated that her pregnancy was still in the very early stages, possibly only four or five weeks, and he urged her to visit her own doctor as soon as she could. But her real worry was Cory. What should she tell him? When should she tell him? Over the phone or video chat just didn't seem like the right thing to do. And she wondered if she should tell him at all. They had, after all, finally come to an agreement that they would wait to start a family. It was still early enough. Perhaps she should just take care of the situation and not tell him anything. That would completely eliminate the coming confusion and lengthy discussion about their future and her movie career plans. And it would keep them on the course they had set for themselves. It was the smart option, Donna knew.

  But could she really do that? Could she terminate this pregnancy? Is that what she really wanted? Was her budding movie career that important to her? Would Cory forgive her if he ever found out? Donna felt the tears begin to really flow, and there was nothing she could do to stop them. She sat in the back of the SUV discretely wiping the tears and trying not to allow the nausea to overtake her.

  *****

  An hour
and thirty minutes from Philadelphia to Toronto. And as Cory sat on the chartered jet next to his bodyguard, Bill, he couldn't help but wonder what Donna's reaction would be. Would she be as excited as he had been when she showed up backstage a week ago? Would she be happy to see him at all?

  That thought made Cory frown a little. Would Donna be upset that he'd shown up? Would his being there anger her? His frown deepened as he thought it over. Since her surprise visit in Detroit, they had spoken each night on the phone or via video chat, just like always. And while they both tried their best to reassure the other that everything was alright between them, Cory knew that some damage had been done and that they were both just tiptoeing around so as not to make any more waves. Their conversations lately were more than a little awkward, and they were filled with lots of stale chatter and forced smiles. He hated the tension between them. And he was hoping that this trip would help them push past all that and get back on track.

  He wasn't exactly sure how to go about getting to her on the movie set. And more importantly, he wasn't sure where she would be shooting. He knew from their conversations that they were doing a great deal of location shooting for this film, so perhaps it would be best if he simply went to her hotel and waited for her day to be over. Yes. That's what he would do. It would give him some time to rest and collect his thoughts. Figure out exactly what he wanted to say to her. And it would give him a little time to make some arrangements. Perhaps a candlelit dinner for two in her suite. He would get it all set up and then take a picture of the scene and send it to Noah, showing him that he could do romance too! Cory smiled to himself as he thought about it. It was perfect. Maybe an intimate, romantic dinner would set the tone for his entire visit. And then maybe they really could get back on track. It was a perfect plan, and he couldn't wait to put it into play.

  Cory spent the rest of the short flight making mental plans for tonight's romantic dinner for two. By the time the plane landed, he had the perfect menu all thought out. He would need a little help from room service at the hotel but, he was sure he could pull it off. When they finally made their way through customs and on to the hotel where Donna was staying, Cory was full of excitement. He couldn't wait to sweep his wife off her feet! He strode up to the long marble counter in the elegant hotel lobby and smiled at the girl behind the desk.