Crescendo

by Laurie Larsen

  They sat in silence for a moment, then Haley said, “I think it’s good to pray about big decisions and this is about as big as they come.” She leaned forward and planted a kiss on his cheek. “But regardless of what you decide, I’m proud of you for drawing Randall’s interest. He obviously is very impressed by you.”

  “Haley, this is all you, babe. You got us to this festival, where he happened to be looking for a lead singer. If it weren’t for you, we’d never have this opportunity.”

  “We make a good team.” She gathered up the papers. “I’m going to keep these safe in my room until we’re ready to make our decision. But our deadline is tomorrow at five.”

  “Got it.”

  ACE IN THE HOLE’S FINAL performance of the festival was Saturday night for a half hour. Blake and the guys had agreed on their set order and they came through with some of the best popular music in their inventory. Haley had checked the tally room prior to the performance. They were strongly in the lead. As she made her way over to the tent following the final performance, Haley sported a glad feeling in her heart. They were the frontrunners to win this thing. Not only would the prize purse be a welcome infusion of cash into the band’s account, but the win would be a great credential on their musical resume.

  The breeze caught her hair as she dipped her head and walked into the tally tent. The numbers were fluid because the judges had not finalized their scores yet. But it was clear that their band was the fan favorite. In fact, they were currently in the first-place position, even without the latest judges’ scores. Losing now was almost an impossibility. She stood and watched the board.

  “What the heck is this?”

  The voice came from behind her, dripping with anger. Haley turned. It was Lindsay, creases in her forehead, frown on her face as she looked at the electronic board, trying to make sense of it. Before Haley could formulate an answer, she figured it out. “These are the judging results?”

  Haley nodded.

  “How long has it been here?”

  Haley froze, then mustered up an answer. “All weekend.”

  Lindsay strode closer, her mouth dropped open. “And you’ve known about this. And you never bothered to tell any of us.” Lindsay turned on her then, her face so close that the spittle created by Lindsay’s angry words splattered on her skin. “How dare you. You are so self-centered.”

  “Lindsay, hold on.”

  “No. You hold on. You’ve known all weekend that Ace in the Hole was winning and you didn’t think anyone else would want to know that? You just held onto that knowledge all by yourself, the queen of everything.”

  “It wasn’t like that. I didn’t want them to have the pressure of knowing they were in the lead. I just wanted them to play with no pressure and enjoy the festival.”

  Lindsay sputtered and tried a few words, stopped, before trying again. “And who died and left you Queen of the Universe? They’re big boys. You should’ve told them. You should’ve told us.”

  Haley considered her accusation. Was she right? Was Haley holding onto that knowledge with clear intentions, or was she somehow being selfish? It didn’t take long until she came to her decision: of course she wasn’t being selfish. She had the band’s best interest at heart. Lindsay could disagree with her approach, but she couldn’t question her commitment.

  “Lindsay, you may not agree with my decision to keep that to myself. But it was my call and I thought it would be best for the band to not know. So they could play their very best.”

  “Well, I call bull. They have the right to know. And I’m going to tell them.”

  She swung around and raced out of the tent. Haley was right on her heels. “Wait. Let’s talk about this. Wouldn’t it be more exciting for the band to find out when the judges announce their name? What’s the point of breaking the news now?”

  Lindsay stopped and turned to look at Haley with a look of pure derision. “You are such a child. You want them to be surprised because it’s fun? They’re adults, Haley. They have the right to know.”

  Lindsay raced off and Haley started to chase her. Then she changed her mind. She let her go. She had to learn to let go. She wasn’t the only one with an opinion. She wasn’t, as Lindsay so awfully accused her of, Queen of the Whole Universe. She was a receptionist who had helped a small-time band achieve a little more success. Would it be fun to go to the awards ceremony tomorrow and have the guys be surprised that they’d won first place? Sure it would. But if Lindsay felt strongly that they should know now and be forewarned, then maybe that was the way to go. As much as she despised Lindsay’s attitude, and the way Lindsay treated her, she couldn’t argue the fact that Lindsay had been around these guys a lot longer than she had. She knew them way better. As much as it pained her to admit it, maybe Lindsay knew better.

  That thought made her choke out loud, but she walked back to the hotel and called it a night. She needed a little chill time, and she’d catch up with Blake in the morning.

  Chapter Seven

  IN THE MORNING, EARLIER than she would’ve cared to awaken, a knock sounded on the door. Haley ran her hands through her hair, grabbed a robe from the empty bed where she’d left it last night, and flung it on. She stalked to the door and pulled it open.

  It was Blake. And all the rest. Robbie, Helen, Jake and Lindsay.

  “Hi, babe,” said Blake and for a moment, her heart rested at the words he chose and the resulting peace that flowed through her veins.

  Then they all crowded to the door, trying to get in. She stepped back and let them. There’s no way she could’ve stopped them at this point.

  A few of them were talking at once, creating a crescendo of indecipherable sound. Blake, God bless him, made a T with his hands, a “Timeout” to his friends. “Hey y’all. Let’s keep this civil.”

  So. Lindsay had told them that she’d kept the tally tent from them, and they had all gone to Blake to pound on him for a while. Well, they’d only just begun, and she had enough.

  “Listen to me. I think I know what this is about, and I just want to give you my side of this.” She looked over at Lindsay and fought the temptation to give her the stink-eye. She looked back at Jake and Robbie. “When we first got here I found out about the Tally Tent. It gave a running tally of the fans’ popular votes and the judges’ ratings, and the total. At any given time, I could see where we were in the rankings of the battle. You guys have been frontrunners all weekend.” She took a step closer to Robbie and Jake, who stood with arms clenched over their chests, chins tucked down, eyes glued to the floor. “The fans love you. You know that. You can feel that each time you step up onto that stage. But, just as importantly, the judges love you too. They’ve consistently scored you the highest scores of any band in the competition.”

  Jake looked up. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

  “I made a judgement call. And maybe it was wrong. But I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want that pressure hanging on your back. I wanted you to go into each performance, focused on performing the best set you could. I didn’t want all this other stuff worrying you, stressing you out or bringing you down.” She shrugged and with a half-smile said, “It seems to have worked, right?”

  Robbie said, “You could’ve been honest with us.”

  His words plunged a knife into her chest. She recovered enough to have the thought, were those his words, or had Lindsay planted them there? “If you see this as me being dishonest with you, then I apologize. But I didn’t see it that way. As band manager, it’s my job to enable you to play your very best. That’s all I was doing. If you don’t approve of my methods, then, like I said, I apologize. But you have to know that I did it with the very best intentions. I did it so you guys could concentrate on playing music, and I could worry about the background stuff.” She glanced over at Blake and his face said that he agreed with her. He gave her a pointed wink.

  “So, what do you say, guys? Haley has been an awesome band manager. She’s gotten us some great new gigs, and it looks
like we’re winning the Battle of the Bands today. She’s earned our respect. Can we get past this and move forward? She didn’t do anything behind our backs.” He pulled her into a hug and she came, awkwardly. “We owe a lot to Haley.”

  As Blake hugged her, the other guys took a few steps towards them. Haley wondered if they were in for a group hug and her heart lightened.

  Then Lindsay’s voice rose above the crowd, “What else has she hidden from us?”

  Haley’s gaze frantically sought out Blake’s. Had he told them about the Frontier Fire opportunity? If they knew about that, this would become a completely different conversation. And it wouldn’t be an easy one.

  Blake caught her look and understood it. He shook his head tightly, his eyebrows creased.

  Okay. They didn’t know about the big news that would tear the band apart, at least temporarily. But she’d need to be careful with how she responded now, because chances are, they would need to know about it before too long. Maybe it was time for a little tough love.

  “Do you guys want me to manage you or not? To do my job, I need to have information that you don’t have. I need to use my judgement to make decisions on my own, or know when to come to you for input. This isn’t hiding stuff from you. This is managing the band. But if you don’t want me to work with you, for you, then just tell me.”

  She waited for a response. She knew what Blake’s response would be, but she wanted to hear from Jake and Robbie. Not Lindsay. She wanted them to think for themselves and give her an honest answer.

  Robbie put an arm on her shoulder. “You’re the best manager we’ve ever had. All this is because of you. I trust you.”

  Haley smiled at him. “Thank you, Robbie,” she whispered and put her head on his shoulder.

  Jake needed to be heard from. But he was standing over in the corner with Lindsay. If he took her side, it would be an affront to Lindsay. And who knew what punishment he would pay in their relationship if he took Haley’s side over his girlfriend’s?

  Still, he needed to say something.

  “You’re a good manager, Haley. I’m sure you had your reasons for not telling us. I can’t argue with your results.” He left Lindsay’s side and joined the rest of them in the center of the room. He didn’t join the group hug because Lindsay’s leash probably didn’t allow him to go that far. But he came close, reached his hand out and she took it. “Let’s go win this thing.”

  She was so happy that she avoided meeting eyes with Lindsay, who probably had steam coming out her ears. “Great, guys. I appreciate your support. The winners are announced at noon. Let’s gather down at the bandstand at 11:30, okay?”

  The guys mumbled their good-byes, met up with their girlfriends, then left the room. Blake pulled her into his arms.

  “I don’t even want to know about the lynching that preceded that,” Haley said.

  “Lindsay was worked up to a lather and wanted everyone else to be furious too. The guys were pretty neutral about it until Lindsay insisted that we come and confront you.” He pulled back to look in her eyes. “I’m sorry about that. You shouldn’t have to deal with a jealous wench like Lindsay.”

  “I’ve dealt with jealous wenches my whole life. I can handle her.”

  A curious smile formed on Blake’s face. “Oh really? Were you the girl in high school to steal other girls’ boyfriends?”

  Haley chuckled. “No.” She allowed her mind to wander back to those odd and traumatic days of high school. “At least, not on purpose.”

  Blake fist-pumped the air. “I got the vixen. I got the girl every guy wanted.”

  “Not exactly. But I know a thing or two about girls who love to make problems for other girls. And I’m unhappy to say after being around Lindsay, that kind of behavior didn’t stop after high school.”

  “Let’s grab some breakfast before the awards ceremony,” Blake suggested.

  “Give me fifteen minutes. I’ll meet you down at the restaurant.”

  BLAKE AND HALEY MADE their way to the bandstand, ready for the awards ceremony. All the bands grouped together in the seats that were filled all weekend with appreciative fans. He let his eyes run over all the bands who had played their hearts out. The music community was a close-knit group. Although he didn’t know these individual musicians very well, he knew what they wanted, what they strived for. Because it was the same thing he strove for. They all wanted to improve their craft. They all wanted to reach more listeners. They all wanted to gain more fans.

  And yes, they all probably wanted to make more money, if they were being completely honest.

  How did a band from a small town do all that? How did his band compete with all the rest of them in the race to the top?

  A realization crashed into his brain. The opportunity with Frontier Fire would give him all of that. It would help him reach all his goals. It would give him temporary fans and fame and money while on tour, and if he utilized that exposure properly, it could lead him on a road to permanence.

  It all seemed so clear to him as he sat here now. Was this a message from God in his brain, encouraging him to take the gig? Or was it his ego telling him to snatch the gig for himself and leave his bandmates behind?

  He turned to Haley, sitting beside him. “I think I got to take it.”

  She knew exactly what he was talking about, and a happy smile covered her face. “Really?”

  He wanted to say more, but the Battle of the Bands organizer had taken on the stage, shouting into the microphone, “It’s time to announce the winners of Battle of the Bands!”

  He shook his head, content to wait to discuss it with her after the awards ceremony.

  “We want to thank you all for coming here, competing, sharing your talent, and making this the best Battle of the Bands in our history! And now in third place ...”

  The third-place band was announced and they all climbed on stage to receive applause and their trophy, and an envelope containing their winnings. They raised all their winnings above their heads and soaked in the excitement from the crowd.

  The second-place band was announced, and it wasn’t Ace in the Hole, so that clenched it for Blake. They’d won. He looked around and made eye contact with his bandmates. This was huge, and they all knew it.

  “And now, I’m pleased to announce, the winners of Battle of the Bands, from Myrtle Beach, Ace in the Hole!”

  Blake jumped to his feet, and so did Jake and Robbie, and they rushed to the base of the stage. In their excitement they practically tripped over each other’s feet. But then he turned back and reached a hand out to Haley. Surprise was evident on her face, but he gestured to her and said, “Come on. You’re coming with us.”

  She laughed and got to her feet, joining him as they climbed up on the stage.

  “Ace in the Hole, you are awarded the winner of this year’s Hilton Head Battle of the Bands.” A huge trophy was hoisted over to Blake, who grabbed it, sharing it with Jake and Robbie, lifting it high above their heads. A check was handed over. “And the monetary award for coming in first.”

  Blake pointed a thumb at Haley. “Give it to her. She’s the reason we’re here.”

  The man with the microphone laughed and handed the check to Haley. She gripped it in her hands and leaned into a microphone. “We thank you very much for this honor.” As Blake did a quick scan of the crowd, he caught the angry scowl of one particular bandmate’s girlfriend. Lindsay would never be happy about Haley taking over as manager, even with all the success they’d had as a result. You can’t fix stupid.

  The award ceremony ended with all the contestants applauding them. Blake and Haley shook hands with the organizers and thanked them again for running such a great event. On their way off the stage, Blake made a decision.

  He’d never been one to take a ton of time to make decisions. Once he’d made up his mind, he usually went with it. Obviously Haley thought it was a good idea to take the Frontier Fire gig. Whatever the fall-out with Ace in the Hole, they’d figure it out. He was
ready to make an announcement.

  As the other bands cleared out of the bandstand, he gave Haley a look that he hoped forewarned her what he was about to do. “Hey guys, could we gather around here? I have some news.”

  Robbie chuckled. “More news besides winning the contest?”

  Blake took a deep breath. This was going to be harder than he’d thought. Maybe he should wait and give them all a chance to enjoy their win before announcing his decision. But no. The Frontier Fire manager had set 5 PM today as his deadline, and now that the festival was over, they would all head off in different directions.

  He had to tell them now.

  He gathered them in a circle. Even though Lindsay and Helen were there, he tried to focus on Robbie and Jake. “Guys, remember yesterday when we sang the Frontier Fire set?”

  They nodded.

  “Well, none of us knew it, but the manager of Frontier Fire was in the audience. He was listening. Did you hear in the news that Josh Lakely was in a car accident and can’t go on their reunion tour that’s kicking off soon?”

  The small circle went motionless. He supposed they’d already guessed, but he continued. “Their manager was looking for a lead singer to take over for Josh on the Frontier Fire tour. He, uh ...” Blake paused and looked at his friends, “he offered me the job.”

  Chapter Eight

  HALEY HELD HER BREATH as she waited for Blake’s news to sink in. She watched the faces of his bandmates. So far, they were still and silent.

  Then, a smile broke out on Jake’s face. “What? You’re kidding me, man!”

  Then, Robbie. “That’s quite an honor, dude.”

  Blake’s face flooded with relief. “Yeah, I couldn’t believe it. We just happened to be at the right place at the right time. Unbelievable.”

  “What’d you tell him?” Jake asked.

  “Nothing, yet.” Blake’s discomfort was obvious in his gaze flickering uncertainly from one bandmate to the other.