The High Note

by Harmony Jones

  “To album-release day!” said Ollie, raising a tortilla chip in a festive gesture.

  “Here’s to big sales and great reviews,” Max chimed in, taking a cherry and clinking it against Ollie’s chip.

  “The minute this record goes platinum,” said Ollie, his trademark confidence shining in his handsome face, “I’m going to buy myself a Maserati. No, make that a Ferrari. Or maybe a Jaguar—I’m a Brit after all.”

  “Why don’t you just buy one of each?” Max suggested, dunking a chip into the spicy salsa.

  “Excellent idea,” said Ollie. “I think I will.”

  “That’s awful big talk,” Lark teased, “from a guy who doesn’t even have his driver’s license yet.”

  “Who said anything about driving?” Ollie shot back with a grin. “I’ll just park them in the driveway and admire them.”

  “That’ll certainly save petrol,” Max observed.

  “Not to mention lives,” added Lark. “I’m going up to my room to unpack.”

  But that wasn’t entirely true. Like her music mogul mother, Lark also had some calls to make regarding the launch party.

  She had invited some very special guests, and she wanted to make sure they were ready for the big night.

  Lark couldn’t believe that her mother was letting her wear mascara. And lip gloss—a shiny pinkish-peach with a hint of frost. Not only was the lip gloss the perfect complement to her hair and skin tone, it also went beautifully with her brand-new silvery-peach dress.

  “You look very grown-up,” said Donna, when Lark met her at the bottom of the stairs. “Glamorous, in fact.”

  “Thanks,” said Lark. “You look glamorous, too.”

  “Why thank you,” said Donna, smoothing her elegant lace skirt.

  There was a commotion in the upstairs hall and Lark turned to see Max and Ollie roughhousing on their way toward the staircase.

  “Don’t you dare wrinkle those outfits!” Donna scolded.

  “Sorry, we’re just excited,” said Max.

  “And dashing!” Lark added. “For a couple of shampoo-stealing, cereal-hogging, loud-mouthed slobs, that is.”

  “Well, this slob thinks you look like a princess,” said Ollie, rushing down the steps to give her a gallant bow.

  “Perfection,” Max agreed, tipping an imaginary hat as Lark spun around to show off her party dress.

  “Teddy’s meeting us there,” said Donna, heading for the door. “So we should be getting on our way!”

  “Wait,” said Lark, scooping the keys to the SUV from the foyer table. “You forgot these.”

  “Actually, I won’t be needing them tonight.” Donna threw open the front door to reveal a black stretch limousine waiting in the driveway. “Surprise!”

  Max’s mouth fell open.

  Ollie grinned. “Brilliant.”

  “I splurged,” said Donna, shrugging. “I thought it was only fitting that the guests of honor arrive in style.”

  As Lark followed the boys out of the house and into the luxurious backseat of the elegant car, she felt a tumble of excitement in her chest. Because she, too, had arranged a special surprise.

  And the sooner they got to the party, the sooner she could unveil it.

  When the limo pulled up to Dusk, Lark was sure she’d arrived at some sort of mystical fairyland. The entire facade of the nightclub was bathed in a blue-and-lavender glow and dotted with glimmering points of light, which made it look as if an entire galaxy of stars had fallen from the heavens and landed in downtown Los Angeles.

  Stylishly dressed guests waited in line while a man in a dark suit checked their invitations. The sight of the long, black vehicle gliding up to the curb made every head turn.

  “I can’t believe this is all for us,” said Max in a hushed voice.

  “Get used to it,” Ollie advised, crooking a grin. “’Cause this is only the beginning!”

  When the driver came around to open the car door, Lark could hear Abbey Road’s “Dream of Me” blaring through the club’s outdoor speakers. As the familiar melody flooded the cool night air, Lark felt a surge of pride for the two British boys she’d come to think of as her big brothers.

  And, of course, for Teddy. Teddy, who was suddenly standing beside the driver, looking very grown-up in a blue blazer and extending his hand to help Lark out of the car.

  Flashbulbs erupted around them like fireworks as she placed her fingertips in his.

  “Sure beats gym class, huh?” he whispered in her ear.

  Lark laughed. “You can say that again.”

  “Hey, Abbey Road!” a photographer shouted. “Get together, guys.”

  Teddy let go of Lark’s hand and went to join his bandmates. Positioning themselves in front of the club’s door, the three talented young men stood with their arms around each other’s shoulders, smiling broadly.

  Sliding her own arm around her mother’s waist, Lark said, “This is amazing, Mom.”

  Donna nodded, nearly overcome with emotion. “It’s exactly how I pictured it,” she said. “All those months ago when I showed you that silly video. This is what I was hoping and praying and planning for.”

  “You’re the one who made it happen,” Lark reminded her. “This is your night as much as theirs.”

  “I couldn’t have done it without you,” Donna said, giving Lark a squeeze.

  “Me? What’d I do?”

  “You were patient with me, and let me follow my dream.” When Lark raised a doubtful eyebrow, Donna laughed. “Okay, so maybe you weren’t always patient, but that’s understandable. You could have complained a lot more than you have. I mean, I did uproot you from your life in Nashville, and I’m hardly ever around.” She paused to wipe a tear from her cheek. “And I know it hasn’t been fun for you, living paycheck to paycheck—”

  “Mama,” said Lark, cutting her off. “It’s all right. Honest.”

  “Hey, Lark!” Max was calling. “Donna! Come over here.”

  Donna and Lark exchanged excited smiles, then scampered over to join the group, beaming for the cameras.

  It was a moment before Lark realized that she wasn’t feeling at all self-conscious or afraid. Could it be that she was growing into the idea of fame?

  Maybe I really could get used to this, she thought.

  “Okay,” said Donna, addressing the paparazzi, “time to get these superstars inside. There’ll be plenty of time for photos later in the evening.”

  As they made their way through the velvet ropes, Lark caught up to Max.

  “Thanks for including us in that picture,” she said.

  “Of course,” said Max. “What kind of celebration would this be without a family photo or two?”

  “Funny you should mention family …,” said Lark as two dark-suited gentlemen opened Dusk’s towering glass doors. She pointed straight ahead, where three smiling people were waiting in the club’s vestibule.

  Max stopped in his tracks, blinking as if he couldn’t believe his eyes. “Mum? Dad? … Anna!”

  A pretty girl with long, brown curls and enormous green eyes ran forward to fling herself into Max’s arms. “Maxie!” she cried. “Surprise!”

  Max held his sister tight and spun her around, laughing out loud. When Max had placed Anna gently back on her feet, his parents joined the gleeful family embrace.

  “I can’t believe you’re here,” said Max, his voice catching. “But how—?”

  “Lark arranged it,” said Anna. “She even paid for our airline tickets.”

  “And we couldn’t be more grateful,” said Max’s mother in her musical Jamaican accent. “We wouldn’t have missed this night for the world.”

  Max turned to Lark, looking overwhelmed. “I don’t understand,” he whispered. “I know money’s been tight for you and Donna. How did you ever manage to afford three plane tickets from London?”

  “I used the money I earned from the song I wrote for the Hatfields. Daddy gave me the check when I was in Nashville, and I called your folks and set it
all up.” She smiled at Anna, who was now looking around at the glittering nightclub with an expression of awe. “There’s nothing I would have rather spent it on, Max. Like you said, it wouldn’t have been much of a celebration without family.”

  Not surprisingly, it didn’t take Ollie long to get his flirt on. Within the first ten minutes of entering the club he was surrounded by a bevy of fashion models, pop singers, and waitresses. It seemed there wasn’t a female alive who could resist Oliver Wesley’s charms.

  Lark and Anna, who were the same age, spent some time talking to the twin daughters of one of the album’s producers, who were also in middle school. They were joined by Teddy and a boy named Devin, Julia the PR specialist’s younger brother. Devin was a freshman at a private high school in Rancho Palos Verdes, and Anna developed an instant crush on him. They were the youngest guests at the party and none of them could get over the fact that they were at such a cool event—and at a real nightclub, no less!

  Lark was delighted when Fitzy arrived on Jas’s arm! She was dressed to the nines and looking sharp, even as she turned up her nose at some of the fancier hors d’oeuvres.

  “Salmon mousse on cucumber slices?” she scoffed, waving away the waiter who offered the offending morsels on a silver tray. “Who in the world would ever come up with such a peculiar combination?”

  Lark gaped at her. “Seriously, Fitz?” She laughed. “I can’t believe you just said that!”

  “What do you mean?” Fitzy asked innocently.

  “I think,” said Teddy, “she means bacon blondies, parsnip cookies, tuna fish and banana sandwiches …”

  “It’s called being innovative!” Fitzy huffed.

  Because Dusk was one of the best dance clubs in the city, Donna had arranged for DJ Lucious to provide entertainment for the evening. Lark shrieked with laughter as Fitzy and Jas hit the dance floor.

  “Who knew Fitzy could throw shapes like that?” said Teddy.

  Without warning, Max snuck up behind Lark and whisked her onto the floor. “We can’t let Fitzy show us up,” he cried. “Come on, let’s show her how it’s done.”

  Lark realized that this was the first time she’d ever danced with a boy in public. She knew it would be good practice for the RRMS seventh-grade semiformal that would be held in the spring (assuming anyone asked her); nonetheless, dancing with someone as talented as Max was a bit intimidating.

  Halfway through the song, she noticed Ollie waving Max over to the stage beside the DJ booth, where a microphone had been set up.

  “What’s that about?” Lark asked.

  “Hey, you aren’t the only one who can plan a surprise,” said Max, winking. “The band’s put together a little tribute.”

  “A tribute? To who?”

  Max didn’t answer, he just twirled her to the edge of the dance floor, where Donna was chatting with a fashion designer and a reality TV personality.

  “What’s going on?” Donna asked.

  Max gave her a smile filled with mischief. “You’ll see!” he said, then jogged over to where Teddy and Oliver were waiting.

  “What have they got up their sleeves?” Donna asked.

  Lark shrugged.

  When the three band members had assembled, Max nodded to DJ Lucious, who cut the music. Ollie tapped on the mic to call for the crowd’s attention.

  “Thank you all for being here tonight to celebrate the launch of our first album,” he said.

  The guests cheered.

  “None of this could have happened without the help of some very special people,” Ollie continued. “To show our thanks, we’ve put together a little musical tribute … to the two ladies who’ve made all this possible.”

  A spotlight circled the dance floor and fell on Donna and Lark.

  “We know we may not be the easiest houseguests to live with,” said Max, stepping up to the mic. “But Donna and Lark, you didn’t just open up your home to us, you opened your hearts as well. So, to our manager and our friend, this one’s for you!”

  With that, the boys launched into an a cappella version of a classic from the 1950s, “Donna,” by Ritchie Valens. Despite the fact that the song was an oldie, Abbey Road had managed to modernize it in a way that had the crowd snapping their fingers along with the music.

  “They’re amazing,” said Donna, tearing up yet again. “Maybe we should consider having them do some cover versions.”

  “As long as it isn’t the Squirmies,” Lark quipped.

  Lark couldn’t possibly imagine when they’d had time to learn and rehearse the song, but the fact that they had gone to such trouble made her heart swell with gratitude and affection.

  When the performance was over, the guests exploded into applause and Donna headed onto the stage to accept hugs from the boys.

  Ollie handed her the mic.

  “Thank you, Abbey Road, for that wonderful tribute!” said Donna. “And thanks to everyone here tonight celebrating with us. Your support and belief means so much. I’m happy to tell you, the album is selling like hot cakes! Although, since two-thirds of the band is British, maybe I should say it’s selling like a full English breakfast.”

  Ollie and Max broke into laughter, as did Max’s parents and his sister, Anna. Lark wasn’t sure why the joke was funny, but she didn’t care. She was filled with such a feeling of joy that she laughed, too.

  “This is Abbey Road’s big night,” Donna went on, “and I’m sure it will be the first of many. But while I’ve got your attention, I have a surprise announcement to make. Then I’ll let you all get back to the dancing.”

  “And the eating,” said Ollie, earning a chuckle from the partygoers.

  Donna took a deep breath and clasped her hands to her heart. “I am so very proud to tell you that Lotus Records has just entered into a development deal with one of music’s brightest and most talented young artists.”

  Lark’s eyes went wide. No, Mom, she willed silently. Please don’t.

  “An artist who already holds a very special place in my heart.” Donna’s eyes sparkled. “I have incredibly high hopes for her, not only as a songwriter, but as a performer as well. And her name is …”

  Lark held her breath; she felt the blood drain from her face. She wasn’t ready for this news to be made public yet—she was still getting used to it herself. And besides, this wasn’t how she wanted Max, Ollie, and Teddy to find out about her decision. She wanted to share this news with them privately, not in the middle of their special night.

  “Her name is …” Donna shaded her eyes from the spotlight, just as Holly had done at the Opry, and found Lark in the crowd. She paused, taking in Lark’s horrified expression. “… going to remain a secret for just a little bit longer.”

  The crowd let out a collective grumble of disappointment.

  Donna recovered with a laugh. “And that is what we in the music business call creating a buzz! You’ll know soon enough who Lotus’s next big star is going to be. But tonight is all about these three talented boys and their dazzlingly successful future.”

  She nodded to DJ Lucious and the sound of Abbey Road’s “Promises to Keep” filled the club.

  Lark closed her eyes in relief. She could breathe again.

  The party went on for hours. The music was amazing, the dancing was a blast, and, despite Fitzy’s harsh critique, the food was scrumptious.

  But by midnight, Lark was feeling like she needed a breather.

  She spotted Teddy leaning against the bar, sipping the night’s signature drink—fresh-squeezed lemonade and a splash of pomegranate juice with frozen raspberries floating in the glass like ice cubes. Donna had christened the drink the “Moliveddy,” by cleverly mashing the boys’ three names together.

  “Hey, Teddy, I was just going to step outside for a breath of fresh air,” she said, accepting the frosty Moliveddy the bartender offered her. “Want to come with?”

  Teddy looked at her like a drowning boy who’d just been thrown a lifeline. “Absolutely,” he said. “I hear
this place has a rooftop terrace.”

  As they made their way through the crowd, Lark noticed cameras going off everywhere. She squinted into the flickering glare. “Who let the vultures in?”

  “Julia did,” Teddy explained. “She handpicked the ones she thought could be trusted and invited them in. Said it would be great to have some candid photos of the party show up on the entertainment websites and in celebrity magazines.”

  “I hope she chose carefully,” Lark muttered as the sound of shutters clicking followed them across the dance floor. “I’ve heard some real horror stories about the paparazzi.”

  Click.

  Click.

  Click.

  FLASH!

  Dodging a few more photographers, they asked a waitress where the stairs to the roof were located and headed up to the top floor. Stepping into the cool night air, Lark shivered.

  “Cold?” asked Teddy.

  “A little.”

  He slipped off his blazer and draped it over her shoulders. Lark smiled, knowing her daddy would consider this gesture very gentlemanly.

  The terrace was empty, which was fine with Lark; even though she’d come a long way in getting over her shyness, she found all those loud voices and unfamiliar faces downstairs a little overwhelming. Right now, all she wanted was some tranquility, mixed with starlight.

  They found a spot along the railing and gazed out over the lights of LA.

  “So,” Teddy began, swirling the raspberries in his glass, “I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that you are the bright young artist your mom made the announcement about.”

  “I am,” admitted Lark. “I decided I wanted to give the music business a shot when I was in Nashville. I meant to tell you when I got home, but with all the excitement about the album and the party planning, I just never had the chance.”

  “Well, congratulations. That’s huge.” He gave her a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

  “You seem kind of bummed,” Lark observed. “What’s wrong?”

  “If I told you, you’d think I was the world’s biggest jerk.”

  Lark had to stop herself from telling him she could never think of him as anything but the sweetest, coolest, cutest boy she knew. Instead she said, “I won’t think that. I promise. You can tell me.”