“You ok?” Jake asked Grey quietly.
“Yeah,” muttered the bass player, staring across at Black Ashes. “Glad she wasn’t here to see the state he’s in.”
“Not pretty, is it?” sighed Jake as he watched Jethro and Maddy walking towards them.
“What was that all about?” demanded Maddy as she reached them.
“Daddy was just asking after his little angel,” growled Grey, glaring across the room.
One look from Jake told her to drop the questions. Instead, she asked if they were ready to play to open the show. It had been agreed with the TV show’s producer that Silver Lake would play Out Of The Shadows to open the show, then close it with Engine Room and Dragon Song. During the show, all four of them would be interviewed by the young female guest presenter.
All too soon Silver Lake were on the small stage at the side of the studio awaiting their cue. They listened to the show’s theme song being streamed through the PA then watched for their count to start playing. After a silent count of three, the band began to play Out Of The Shadows. When the song was over they set down their guitars and walked over to join the presenter.
“Silver Lake, it’s a pleasure to have you on the show. Now, that was your current single Out Of The Shadows from your new record, Impossible Depths. When’s the album out?”
“Next week. October 14th,” replied Rich. “It’s been a long time coming.”
“What can the fans expect from the album? Is it much different from Dragon Song, your debut release?”
“We’re really pleased with it,” began Jake, sipping a glass of water. “It’s heavier than Dragon Song but there’s some softer tracks on there too. Our fans seem to like the ballads.”
“And which do you prefer?”
“The heavier stuff,” answered Grey with a grin. “Good strong pounding bassline.”
“Rich?” she began. “What’s your favourite track off the record?”
“Tough question,” he replied, stalling for some thinking time. “It changes, but today it’s Engine Room.”
“Mine too,” agreed Paul before adding, “But I do have a soft spot for one of the ballads too.”
“Jake, you’ve been involved in the writing of all of the tracks on the new album. What’s your favourite?”
“It’s kind of hard to choose just one. Engine Room’s fun to play. Depths is pretty special but it’s a tough one to sing. Very intense. I’m proud of all of them,” he replied.
“Do you prefer to sing the softer songs? The ballads?”
“Not always.”
Now, you’ve a tour coming up next month, but there’s only five US shows. When will we get to see more of you?”
“In the spring,” promised Rich. “Our management are working out a schedule with a promoter so we hope to be in a position to announce more US dates before Christmas.”
“Jake, we hear you’ve got a show coming up at the end of October in London with Weigh Station. Tell us a bit about that.”
“Not much to tell. We’re due to be in London for some promo events. Dan met up with my fiancée and I in New York last month and asked if I’d like to step out with them for their 25th anniversary show. I’m not sure what I’ll be singing with them. I’ll find out when I meet them in a few weeks. It’s a huge honour to be asked to be a part of it. I’m a massive Weigh Station fan. Getting the chance to play with my idols is incredible.”
“You’re going to play again for us at the end of the show. What will you be performing?”
“Engine Room off the new record and our first single, Dragon Song,” answered Rich.
“No Stronger Within?” asked the presenter, sounding dejected. “I’m disappointed. That’s my favourite.”
“Sorry,” apologised Jake, smiling sheepishly.
“If we got you a guitar, could you play it for me just now?”
Exchanging glances with his band mates, Jake shrugged his shoulders, “I guess so. If it means so much to you.”
“Ok. Let’s take a short break and, when we come back, we’ll be treated to an impromptu acoustic performance by Jake from Silver Lake.”
During the brief commercial break, the other three members of Silver Lake retreated to the green room while Jake remained on set, waiting for someone to bring out an acoustic guitar. With less than a minute until they were live on air again, he was handed a stunning Taylor sunburst finish instrument. Much to his surprise, it was delivered to him perfectly tuned. He raised one eyebrow at the presenter and smiled, “I sense a conspiracy here, young lady.”
Before she could reply, the commercial break was over.
“Well, folks, as promised, we’ve found a guitar for Jake.”
“And you’re sure you want Stronger Within?” he teased as he settled himself to play.
“Yes, please.”
“Ok. I’d hate to disappoint a pretty girl. Here goes.”
Within seconds the studio was filled with the gentle, acoustic strains of Stronger Within. The young female presenter watched entranced as he played and sang to her. When the song was done, Jake sat the guitar down at his feet.
“That was beautiful. Thank you.”
“Pleasure. Glad you enjoyed it,” he replied, running his hand nervously through his hair. “And that was a beautiful guitar you found me.”
“We’d like you to accept it as our gift,” she said smiling. “You were also voted hottest new body in rock by our viewers.”
Flushing scarlet, Jake was lost for words. “You’re kidding me, right?”
“Not at all,” she giggled, as the huge screen behind them changed image to reveal photos of Jake stripped to the waist on stage in London with Weigh Station. “Here’s the winning look for those who missed it.”
“You’re embarrassing me,” protested Jake, cringing at the photos. “That all came about by accident. I was busy chatting at the side of the stage with my clean shirt in my hand. I almost missed my cue and had no choice but to step out there half-dressed.”
“I don’t think your female fans objected,” she teased, then to bring the interview to a close added, “Thank you for being a good sport, Jake, and we’ll look forward to hearing more from you at the end of the show. Now over to the red zone and the boys who have been joined by metal legends Black Ashes!”
With a brief glance over to the other interview set, Jake quietly lifted the guitar and retreated to the safety of the green room to join the rest of Silver Lake. When he walked in, guitar in hand, his fellow band mates were all standing facing the door, stripped to the waist. In the background, Maddy and Jethro were helpless with laughter.
“Very funny, guys,” declared Jake, laying his new guitar down carefully. “Guess this is a good time to ask you all a serious question.”
His band mates all stared at him, trying to keep their faces straight.
“If you swear to be better dressed,” began Jake, grinning at them. “How do you all feel about being my best men in December?”
“Honoured,” said Grey, stepping forward to hug his friend.
“You pick your moments, Mr Power,” laughed Rich, clapping him on the back. “It would be a privilege to stand beside you with these guys.”
“Count me in,” added Paul with a lazy smile. “If I say no, Maddy’ll kill me.”
Before they could celebrate too much, a production assistant knocked on the door, “Two minutes, folks.”
“Alright, boys,” called Jethro, getting up from the couch. “Shirts on! Show time!”
Piece by piece everything was falling into place back in Rehoboth. With Jake away, Lori could settle herself to work uninterrupted. She had reviewed her schedule and worked out, with a little extra effort, she could meet her two deadlines early to allow her more time off before the tour and the wedding. Midweek, she had called Lucy to discuss the plans for the boys’ outfits for the big day. Neither she nor Jake wanted the wedding to be too formal, but they had agreed on shirts, ties and waistcoats for all of the guys, including
the two little guys. The two girls had chatted through a few ideas before Lucy finally asked, “When’s Jake back?”
“Saturday,” replied Lori, checking her calendar. “Late afternoon. Why?”
“Only a thought, but you could come up here on Friday night and we could go shopping first thing on Saturday,” suggested Lucy hopefully. “You could be back before Jake arrives.”
“Sorry, Lucy,” apologised Lori, feeling a little guilty. “The boys are flying back into Newark. I’m meeting them in New York. I’ve already got a meeting set up for Saturday morning with David. Business stuff.”
“Oh!” replied Lucy, failing to hide her disappointment in her tone of voice.
“The boys are getting measured for their outfits on Tuesday morning before we come back down here. They fly out again to Europe on Thursday night.”
“When do you fly over to join them?”
“I fly out on the 23rd then we all fly back on back on Nov 2nd.”
“Could you stop off here then?”
“Possibly,” relented Lori, trying to salvage something out of this for Lucy. “Let me talk to Jake, but we could stay a couple of nights and finalise wedding things with you then.”
“What about your dress?” asked Lucy. “Have you chosen it yet?”
“I’ve got a college friend designing it for me,” explained Lori. “She’s meeting me on Saturday for lunch. It should be ready for its first fitting.”
“Any hints on the design? Colour?” asked Lucy hopefully.
“It’s white. Very simple. Not too huge a skirt. I think you’ll love it when you see it,” revealed Lori. "But not a word to anyone!”
“Can’t wait!” squealed Lucy excitedly. “What colour did you choose for Becky?”
“Midnight blue and silver,” confessed Lori, deciding to take her future sister-in-law into her confidence. “The colour theme’s blue and silver. Ties in with the band and with the theme Jake chose for our engagement party.”
“Of course!”
“I just hope Jake’s asked the boys about being best men by the time they come back,” sighed Lori. “He hadn’t found the right moment before they left at the weekend.”
“He won’t let you down, Lori,” reassured Lucy warmly. “My brother loves you too much to do that.”
“Thanks, Lucy. I hope you’re right.”
By the time Lori returned to her apartment on Saturday afternoon, she was exhausted. She had driven up to the city first thing, leaving before six and arriving in time to meet David at the Hyde Properties office at ten thirty. It had proved to be an intense two-hour meeting with him. For the first hour, she had gone through the board pack for the firm, signing off on the annual accounts. The second hour had focused on her Mz Hyde income. Much to her surprise, the accounts looked very healthy as she realised just how much she had produced since resurrecting her alter ego. The JJL investment was also paying dividends and David was encouraging her to consider a sister venture with her two business partners. Sipping a strong coffee, she listened to the proposal for a second studio to be built on the west coast and signed the contract before she left, promising David that she would meet up with him on Tuesday to discuss wedding arrangements.
Having left Hyde Properties, Lori had hailed a cab to take her over to 7th Avenue to meet up with Kat, the friend who was designing her wedding dress. When she tried the dress on, it was a perfect fit. Over lunch, the two girls had discussed the decorative detail to be added to the dress, finally agreeing on a suitable design. In true Mz Hyde fashion, Lori had sketched out the design on a napkin in the restaurant. Agreeing that it was perfect for the occasion, Kat had slipped the napkin into her folio folder, promising to forward photos to her once the design had been added to the dress.
As she entered the apartment, Lori guessed she had a couple of hours to spare until Jake and the boys arrived. Their flight was due in from Phoenix about four thirty so she didn’t expect them to arrive until nearer six. Dumping her bag, cane and coat in the hallway, she went through to the kitchen to fetch a glass of water. Her leg was throbbing, letting her know that she had pushed her limits for the day. After a quick search in the drawer, she found a strip of Advil, swiftly swallowed two, then limped through to the lounge. Kicking off her shoes, she lay down on the couch, feeling almost instant relief as she took the weight off her leg. With a smile, she remembered the last time she had lain stretched out there. It had been after the MMR awards. Still smiling at the memory of making love to Jake, she drifted off to sleep.
After five days of back to back interviews, Silver Lake were all dead on their feet. The damp weather in Seattle had reacted badly with Rich’s compromised nasal passages, triggering an acute attack of sinusitis. By the time they had flown into Phoenix, he was in agony. Realising that over the counter remedies weren’t helping, Jethro had taken the guitarist to the nearest emergency room for treatment. After a long, worrying wait, he had returned to the hotel with a course of strong antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs. While they had helped with the pain, they had upset his stomach and Rich had endured a miserable flight into Newark International Airport, spending most of it in the bathroom. As they waited in the baggage hall, he sat off to one side with his head in his hands. Discretely, Jake had gone over to sit beside him.
“You, ok, buddy?” he asked softly.
“Fuck knows,” Rich muttered. “My face feels like it’s been hit with a shovel and my guts are on fire. My whole head’s pounding.”
“Want me to call Lori to see if she can fix you up with another doctor’s appointment?” offered Jake, unsure of what else to suggest.
“No. I’ll live,” replied the poorly guitarist. “I’ll call my own doctor when we get out of here. Worst case scenario, I’ll drive home tonight and come back up in time for the launch party.”
“You’re in no state to drive anywhere,” stated Jake bluntly. “If you need to go home, I’ll take you myself.”
“Thanks. Appreciate the offer.”
Their conversation was interrupted by Paul calling over to say they had gathered up all the bags.
On the drive from the airport to Lori’s apartment, Rich fell asleep and, while he slept, the others debated what to do if the guitarist wasn’t fit for the album launch. They all agreed that the album launch had to go ahead but, if need be, they would pull their planned live performance. With the decision made, the rest of them settled back to enjoy the ride into Manhattan. Jake had sent a message to Lori saying that they should arrive about six and was disappointed that she hadn’t replied.
As the minibus pulled into the apartment block’s underground garage, Rich woke up and declared he felt much better. It took a bit of reorganising and rummaging to sort out the luggage, but eventually it was only Paul and Maddy’s bags that were left on board.
“We’ll catch up tomorrow,” called Maddy. “We’re bringing the twins to lunch.”
“I didn’t know they were here,” commented Jake as he lifted his guitars.
“Paul’s sister’s bringing them straight to my apartment,” explained Maddy. “I can’t wait to see my little meatballs. I’ve missed them.”
“I’ll bet,” he agreed. “Give them a hug from us when you see them. Catch you all tomorrow.”
With that, he closed over the door and waved them on their way. It took them two trips up and down in the elevator to shift all of their gear up to the lobby outside the apartment. When Jake led the way in, he was surprised by the silence. Directing the others downstairs to the bedrooms, he wandered through the house in search of his fiancée. The sight of her sound asleep on the couch with her hair half-covering her face made him smile. She looked so calm and peaceful. It seemed a pity to disturb her.
“Hey, li’l lady,” he whispered as he knelt down beside her. Tenderly, he kissed her.
“Mm … Jake?” she murmured sleepily as she struggled to open her eyes.
“You alright?” he asked, kissing her again.
“Fine,” answered Lori,
rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. “It’s been a long day. I drove up this morning. I’ve been up since four thirty. How was your flight?”
“It was a flight. Rich isn’t feeling so great still. We might need to get him to a doctor,” said Jake, his concern for his friend evident in his voice.
“What’s wrong? I thought he got antibiotics in Phoenix?”
“He did, but they don’t seem to be agreeing with him.”
“Not so good,” sighed Lori, sitting up and instinctively reaching out to rub her thigh as a sharp pain shot through her. Her reaction didn’t go unnoticed but, before Jake could comment, she said, “I’m fine. The elevator was broken when I got to Kat’s studio. I had to take the stairs. I’m paying for those ten flights now.”
“As long as you’re sure,” said Jake, kissing her again, knowing it was pointless to argue with her. “Have you made any plans for dinner? We’re starving.”
Shaking her head, Lori replied, “I didn’t plan anything. We can send out for whatever everyone feels like. Who’s all here?”
“Rich, Grey and Jethro,” revealed Jake as he helped her to her feet. “They’re all downstairs.”
“You go and find out what they fancy to eat and I’ll set the table,” suggested Lori with a smile. “Then you can all tell me all about your trip.”
An hour later, with a selection of Italian pasta dishes spread out on the table beside two open bottles of wine, Lori sat back listening to tales of the various promo events. In between mouthfuls, Grey declared he was never moving to Phoenix having been terrorised in his hotel room by a huge spider.
“I’ll stick to the Delaware shore,” he stated. “Too damn hot in Arizona.”
“Better than cold, damp Seattle,” grumbled Rich as he picked at the plain macaroni dish in front of him.
“Personally speaking,” began Jethro. “I prefer New York. It’s nice to be back.”
“And it’s good to have you here,” acknowledged Lori with a smile.
“Very kind of you to have us all to stay,” continued the band’s manager.
Impossible Depths (Silver Lake series Book 2) Page 38