Lucky Break

by Liliana Rhodes

  “Good, me too.”

  “I’ve loved spending this time and getting to know you. I don’t want that to change–”

  “Right, nothing should change. We met on the tour, it stays on the tour,” she said.

  “What?”

  “I know what your life is like. So many women you can’t even keep track of the one you married.”

  “But–”

  “And now that the tour is done you can spend your time however you used to spend it.”

  “Olivia–”

  She couldn’t let him speak. This was the hardest thing she ever had to do and it would be worse if he did it first. Her heart felt heavy, and she felt a knot in her throat, but she knew he wouldn’t stay with her. She had a great time with him, but it couldn’t last forever.

  “Thank you for playing my tour. You made my dreams come true by being there. And thanks for…being you. I’ll always remember our time together.”

  “You’re ending it? Just like that? Out of no where?”

  “You said so yourself, the tour is over.”

  He stood up as the carriage came to a stop in front of their hotel. She tried to not look directly at him, afraid she would crumble, but she felt his hard stare.

  “Well then you can keep this as a souvenir.”

  He pulled a small blue Tiffany box from his jeans pocket, handed it to her, got out of the carriage and went inside the hotel without turning back. As she stared at the box for a minute, she wondered why she broke up with him. Was she that certain he’d leave her? But she couldn’t see why he would stay.

  She flipped up the box lid and tears streamed down her face as she saw the ring. It was simple, yet beautiful. A thin band of bright platinum. Encircling the ring the words “I love you” repeated in script.

  “I love you too,” she whispered.

  ***

  It was minutes before their last show and she hasn’t seen Jude at all. She needed to make it right. Wearing a pale blue empire waist dress and Jude’s ring, she spun it around her finger nervously as she looked for him.

  The show was about to start and Lucky felt lost. How could she be so stupid? Why did she let such a stupid idea fill her head?

  “Lucky, we have to get on stage,” Dylan told her.

  “But Jude..”

  “He’s already out there.”

  She spent the show trying to catch his eye, but nothing. He played the songs but didn’t veer off or try to jam like they had in their last performance. As she thanked the crowd after their last song, she saw him disappear off stage out of the corner of her eye.

  She searched for him but came up empty. Like a ghost he was gone, leaving her with only a shiny souvenir.

  GOING TO CALIFORNIA

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  “It’s strange being home,” Lucky said to Jordan as she unpacked. “So much has changed but everything here is the exactly the same.”

  Lucky’s room hadn’t been redecorated in years. She still had the white canopy bed and pale pink walls from her childhood. Her room never bothered her, she rarely spent much time in it.

  “Yeah it is. Feels like we were gone so long.”

  “That’s because so much happened. I can’t believe all that time we were gone and you didn’t tell me you moved out.”

  “I didn’t want you to worry. You had the tour anyway. Plus you know me, I don’t like talking about stuff like that.”

  “We’ve been best friends our whole lives, you’re more important than a tour. Have you heard from your mom?”

  “I got a text from her last week. It said things weren’t bad for me, and she misses me. Said I can always come back,” Jordan said then rolled her eyes. “On the other hand, my cousin said my mother is bragging about how she threw me out and won’t ever take me back.”

  “Would you ever go back?”

  “Hell no. I can think of other tortures I’d prefer.”

  “You know you can stay here until you move out to California.”

  “Thanks, but it’ll only be a couple of days. Need to get my stuff out of storage and ship it out. Believe it or not, I’m looking forward to moving away. This city looks different now. Grayer. Worn down. There’s nothing here for me anymore.”

  “I’m surprised Dylan didn’t come out.”

  He was going to but got a studio offer that needed him right away. I know it’s stupid, but I miss him.”

  “It’s not stupid. I miss him too,” Lucky said quietly as she thought about Jude.

  “You haven’t heard from him?”

  “No. And why would I? I made it clear we were over. I just don’t know how I convinced myself to do that. How stupid am I? He was literally a dream come true, my first love, and I sent him packing.”

  “You could call him.”

  Lucky shook her head then looked down at the ring he gave her. “Probably better I don’t. There’s no way it would last anyway. He’s probably already fallen for someone else.”

  “What are you going to do next?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe look for a place. I’m not sure where though. Maybe I’ll go out to LA too so I’m nearby for recording. I know I have to get out of here. It’s just…” She looked around her bedroom. “This is the bedroom of a child. That’s not me anymore. I need to be on my own.”

  “Lucky! Pick up the phone!” Her mother yelled from the bottom of the stair case.

  “Wait. Did they take your cell away again?”

  “Yup. Apparently I don’t need it if I’m home.”

  “And you didn’t say anything?” Jordan was shocked.

  “What’s there to say? There’s no point arguing with them.”

  “You need to stand up for yourself, Lucky. They need to see you’re an adult.”

  Lucky shrugged. She didn’t want to admit it to Jordan, but she gave her cell phone to her mom to hold. She knew if she had it, she’d constantly check if Jude called or she would break down and call him. Either way she’d feel like an idiot, so this way was better. She picked up the phone in the hallway.

  “Hello?”

  “Lucky, it’s Richard Black. I’ve scheduled you on Friday to start recording your next album.”

  “Friday? That’s in a couple of days. I just got home.”

  “Be glad you’re getting a couple of days. Normally you wouldn’t even get that.”

  “Ok ok. At least I liked working with Chuck. It’ll be good to see him again.”

  “No, no Chuck this time, I did even better. Black Dog has entered an exclusive deal with Eel Pie Studios.”

  “Are you kidding me? You really only care about the money don’t you? He better be good. I did a lot of work on these songs on the road. They’re really personal.”

  “He’s heard them. Thinks you’ve got a lot of talent and is looking forward to working with you. Heard some problems with your first record he knows he can fix. I’m telling you, he’s the best. You’ll love him.”

  “Alright, alright. He better be the best. Not that I have a choice.”

  “Your flight leaves Friday morning. I’ll have a car meet you.”

  Lucky hung up the phone and went downstairs. She hoped to get some downtime so she could get over Jude. Having to head right back into the studio to sing those songs, wasn’t going to help.

  Finding her parents in the living room, her father in a brown zip-up sweater he wore when he was cold, which was always, and her mother in a white sweatshirt from a vacation Lucky was sure happened before she was born. She almost turned around and went back upstairs. She couldn’t though. She knew she needed to talk to them.

  She stood on the landing just before the last step and watched her parents for a moment. Her father wore his reading glasses as he thumbed through the newspaper, and her mother knitted another blanket. Today could have been any day for them. Nothing ever changed. Seeing them like this, Lucky knew even more what she needed to do.

  “Mom, Dad?”

  “Oh hello dear. Was that the label guy?” Her
mom asked.

  “Yes, he wants me to go out to LA Friday. He’s taken care of the flight arrangements and everything.”

  “So soon? You just got home. We thought you’d be home for a while.”

  “I need to record my next record while people remember who I am,” she said not sure she was convinced people knew who she was in the first place.

  “Alright. Well, do you know when you’ll be back? We’re trying very hard not to interfere, but you are our daughter.”

  “Mom, please. Don’t make this any harder than it already is. I’m a woman now. I’m not a baby anymore,” Lucky said as she took a deep breath. “While I’m out there I’m going to look for a place to live–”

  “But you already have a place to live. Here, your home,” her mother said.

  “I know, but I need the two of you to understand. I’m twenty-one. Think of everything the two of you had done by the time you were my age. I haven’t done any of that. I need to live my own life now and I think that life is in LA. I’ll be near the recording studio and Jordan’s going to move out there too.”

  Her mother sighed and looked sad. She watched as her father reached over and gently rubbed her mother’s shoulder.

  “We know. We knew this time would come. I guess we weren’t ready for it. We know we’ve been very protective, but its just that we love you so much,” her father smiled at her. “We’re both so proud of you, Olivia. Angels were smiling upon you when you were born and they’ll take care of you while you’re away. Just remember that we’re here, and we’ll always be here, if you ever need anything.”

  Feeling choked up but relieved, she hugged her parents tightly. She smiled as she realized just a couple months ago she wouldn’t have been able to talk to them like that. She really had grown up.

  ***

  Dressed in grey yoga capri pants and a midnight blue t-shirt, Lucky stepped off the plane happy to be dressed so comfortably. If there was one thing she learned from being on the tour bus, it was that comfort in travel was necessary.

  Pulling her wheeled travel bag behind her, she swerved in and out of the crowds until she passed the gate check and noticed several men in dark suits holding signs. Spotting one with Olivia Saldano written on it, she went over to him.

  “Hi, I’m Olivia Saldano.”

  A small group of people standing nearby waiting for their luggage turned around and approached her.

  “Oh. My. Gawd! It’s you! I absolutely love you. Can you sign something for me?”

  “Umm thanks. Yeah, sure what do you want me to sign?”

  She still wasn’t used to the attention and didn’t know how to act. She knew Jude would know but quickly pushed him out if her head. She had to stop thinking about him.

  A small crowd grew and Lucky found herself hugging strangers and signing napkins, clothing, and magazines, whatever people had on them. Suddenly the driver stepped forward and lifted his hand.

  “Miss Saldano must be going. Please keep an eye out for her next album,” the driver said in a formal British accent.

  Taking her bag, he cleared the way to his town car. He opened the door for her then placed her bag in the trunk. When he entered the driver’s seat he turned back to her.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t have the chance to introduce myself sooner. I’m Nigel. I’ll take you directly to Eel Pie where I’m told they’re waiting for you.”

  “Thank you Nigel.”

  “Of course Miss.”

  She looked out the window at the palm trees and blue sky, so different from back east. Jordan was right, it was very grey at home. Home just wasn’t the same. The time on tour was enough to help them both see the world differently than before.

  It felt strange to her to be doing this again so quickly. Not that long ago she brought Jordan with her, mostly because she didn’t want to be alone. Now she was comfortable with it and with herself. Lucky felt a new confidence within her that she didn’t have just a few short months before.

  Noticing a sign that read Malibu, she paid closer attention to the surroundings and realized they were in a residential neighborhood.

  “Nigel? I thought we were going to Eel Pie?”

  “We are.”

  “But these look like houses.”

  “Eel Pie is a state of the art recording studio on the producer’s property. He’s arranged for you to stay in one of the guest rooms as well.”

  “He has? Richard didn’t tell me anything about this. I don’t know how comfortable I feel about staying in a stranger’s home.”

  Nigel didn’t respond. Staring out the window, Lucky noticed the houses getting larger. Between the homes she saw the blue water of the pacific and the sparkle of the waves peek at her.

  State of the art studio in Malibu. She wondered if Richard paired her with some big producer, but Eel Pie wasn’t familiar to her. She wracked her brain but no luck.

  “I’m sorry Nigel, what did you say the producer’s name was?”

  “I didn’t. Eel Pie is a nod to the small island on the Thames where many successes got their start. I’m sure you’ve heard of The Who, Rolling Stones, Rod Stewart.”

  “Wow, is it someone who worked with one of them?”

  “I am a driver Miss. I don’t make it my responsibility to know details like that about my employer.”

  “Oh sorry. Never mind.”

  Hearing Nigel talk about those classic bands brought her mind back to Jude again. Her cheeks burned as she thought about their time on tour and she turned away as she fought a smile, not wanting the driver to notice. Looking down at her hand, she began playing with Jude’s ring.

  The homes disappeared as they followed a curving road up a small hill. The car came to a stop at a tall gate and Nigel lowered his window to press a small red button attached to a speaker.

  “Yes?”

  “This is Nigel Jones. I have Olivia Saldano for Mr–”

  “Enter.”

  The gates slowly opened. Lucky could see the Spanish inspired home at the end of the driveway. Its sand colored exterior rose from the dark green grass and the sun reflected off the black and tan tile roof. The house was one level with huge windows she could see straight through to the Pacific Ocean from the front of the house.

  Nigel stopped the car at the arched doorway, opened her door, then grabbed her bag. As she stepped out of the car, she could hear music coming from the side of the house and looked to see if she could find it. It wasn’t music she recognized and she wondered if there were other artists there too.

  “This way Miss,” Nigel said as he led her along the walkway towards the music. Curving along the house they came to a smaller building, not much larger than a two car garage. Above the front door was a red light. Nigel pressed a button then placed her bag next to her. “They’ll be right with you.”

  Listening to the rhythmic sound of the ocean beating the shore, she got lost in thought and didn’t notice a young man opened the door. His dark blond hair was shaved close to his scalp and he wore a white tank top under a grey hoodie with jeans. Briefly thinking he looked like a girl, she knew he was familiar looking but couldn’t place him.

  “Lucky Saldano?” he asked with an Irish accent. “I’m a big fan. I heard you were recording today, but didn’t know if I’d run into you. We should do something sometime. I really love those new songs you performed on tour.”

  “Thanks, um Jake, right?” She suddenly realized he was latest teen pop star. “That sounds like fun.”

  “I’ve been trying to get people to take me seriously, you know. I know what they think of me. This album I’m working on here is going to blow everyone away. I’d love for you to give it a listen once its done.”

  “Sure, sounds great, thanks.”

  She followed him in and he brought her to a room with a large couch and several chairs. In the corner was a kitchenette.

  “Sorry I was running late today, I don’t mean to cut in on your time,” Jake said. “If you’re not dating anyone, maybe we could go
out sometime while we’re both in town.”

  “Oh well, thanks but I’m not sure…”

  “Call me.”

  He handed her his card and walked out of the room. Shaking her head she tried not to laugh and thought of how funny Jordan would think it was. She pulled out her phone and began texting her.

  “Did that little shit try putting the moves on you?”

  Her breath caught in her throat as she heard his unmistakeable voice. Her heart did its usual flips when Jude was around, she was afraid to look up, she couldn’t move. She didn’t want to be disappointed in case she finally lost her mind and was making him up.

  The sound of his boots thudding on the floor mimicked the pounding heart in her chest. His hand covered hers and slipped Jake’s business card out of her hand.

  “Hey, he gave that to me,” she said.

  “Were you going to call him?”

  She finally looked at him. Jude had that playful half smile that always wrecked her. His smoldering green eyes, locked onto hers and she gasped softly, forgetting to breathe for a moment.

  “No, I just thought it was funny. I was just going to tell Jordan.”

  He laughed and handed the card back. “Good. I couldn’t take it if you chose him over me. Nice ring by the way.”

  She grinned stupidly and felt her cheeks burn again. Quickly texting Jordan “he’s here”, she slipped her phone back into her bag and could hear it dinging with Jordan’s reply.

  “Why are you here? Do you know the producer?” She asked.

  “I am the producer.”

  “Huh? But Richard said–”

  “That he entered an exclusive deal? After I got out of that contract Donna negotiated, Richard and I got to talking. He knew what I really wanted to do was produce and write songs. That’s why I was in that contract for so long. He refused to let me create music if she was going to benefit. Once he found a loophole, the contract was done, and well here we are at my home studio.”

  “Wow. So he tricked me. He knew I’d never come here if I knew it was you.”

  “And why is that? After everything we shared. Why did you end it?”