Crescendo

by Laurie Larsen

  “No, I know. You’ve been awesome, Haley, it’s just ...”

  “I’m not trying to toot my own horn. I’m not saying you all don’t deserve to be where you are. But all my judgement has been good. I don’t know why you don’t trust me on this one too.”

  He sighed. “Something inside me is deeply against this.”

  She sat and stared at him. “Do you feel a protectiveness towards Lindsay? I mean, you've known her a lot longer than you've known me."

  "No," he said firmly. "It's not that at all. Lindsay was a negative force in our lives and it's good that she's gone. But by you engaging her and fighting with her, I feel that she can retaliate and give us more of a battle than we want. She's not stable, I think we all know that."

  Haley listened, or at least she tried to, despite the anger pounding in her head. How dare he? How dare her boyfriend confess his love for her, and one second later, chastise her about job performance? Way to forever mar the memory of this special moment between the two of them. She took a moment to calm herself, then looked up into his eyes. "Or is it because you want to control me? You want me to give you complete obedience and not use the brain I have in my head.”

  He looked down at the table and shook his head. “I sure hope it’s not that. I hope I don’t have that trait inside me.” He looked up at her.

  Once she’d said it, she regretted putting it out there. Maybe that was her own hang up. Maybe her parents' lack of faith in her had prompted her to go crazy now that she'd actually found a line of work she was good at. She was a workaholic now, and she had developed into someone who couldn't take criticism without turning into a raging lunatic. Even successful businesspeople had to take advice and guidance without attacking their co-workers. Even if they disagreed with the criticism.

  It's nothing personal. It's just business. That would become her new mantra when Blake, or anyone else who put up a bit of resistance to one of her work plans. Even if she disagreed.

  Man, this "adulting" thing was hard!

  She brought in a lungful of cleansing air. “I don’t think that either. You’re not a bully or a know-it-all. If you were, it would’ve materialized before now, and you’ve been nothing but kind and supportive of me.”

  The waiter interrupted them with their entrees and placed them on the table. The pasta that had looked so delicious on the menu now sat, an unappealing lump on the plate. They picked up their forks.

  “Look,” Haley said. “We’re a good team. I know it’s hard to work with someone you love, but I think we can do it. I’m sorry you’ve been stressed over me. That was definitely not my intent. My job is to remove all the stress from you, so you can perform. I should’ve been listening better.” She took a deep breath and pushed it out, along with her determination to get even with Lindsay. “I don’t know why you feel so strongly about this Lindsay thing, but I respect you enough to abide by your wishes.”

  He looked up, his handsome face transforming into a hopeful expression. “Really? You’ll stop fighting with Lindsay? You’ll turn your focus away from those negative reviews? You’ll leave them alone?”

  She nodded, the hint of a smile breaking forth. “Yes. Because you feel so strongly about it. Not because I agree with you, but because I love you, and I don’t want this to be a bone of contention in our relationship.”

  His happy smile was a thing of beauty and suddenly all the tension between them was wiped away. “Thank you, Haley. Thank you. I owe you one.”

  She held up a finger to make a point. “And not because I’m blindly obeying you, and not because you’re my boss. Got that?”

  He chuckled. “Yes. I understand.”

  “You can catch more flies with honey than vinegar, isn’t that the saying?”

  He shrugged, still looking at her with his happy grin. “I have no idea. I’m just happy we’re past this. We are past this, right?”

  She nodded. “It’s all about communication. We’ll be open and honest with each other and give each other the benefit of the doubt.”

  “Sounds good to me.” He reached over their steaming plates to squeeze her hands.

  "So, I propose a re-do. Do you mind?"

  "What do you mean?" The crease in his forehead spoke to his confusion.

  "My boyfriend just told me he was in love with me and then went on to reprimand me about a work thing. Not cool, dude."

  She knew the moment he realized what he'd done because his eyes focused clearly and an amused grin appeared on his face. He took her hands and pulled them close to rest on his heartbeat. "Haley, I'm falling in love with you."

  She beamed her love and pleasure at him. "Blake, I'm falling in love with you too."

  Suddenly the pasta aroma in her nose made her stomach growl. Her appetite was back. She dug into the trio with gusto.

  HALEY PLACED HER WEEKLY conference call with Robbie and Jake. The normalness in their voices brought her peace. In this corner of her professional world, things were going well.

  "We played a really cool place last Friday," Robbie said. "It was in Charlotte and it was called Coyote Joe's. Man, that place rocked."

  "Oh yes!" Haley exclaimed. "I remember that place when I was booking it. I was so excited about getting us in there."

  "They have a huge dance floor, and a really nice sized stage. They packed the people in."

  "I remember. They call themselves the premiere country nightclub of the area. I'm bummed I missed seeing you there."

  "We weren't the headliners, but we had a nice hour-long opening gig. What do you think, Jake, how many people were there?"

  Jake hummed while he thought. "Lordy, at least a couple thousand."

  "Wow. And the gig went well?"

  "Yep. Sam put it into hyper drive; he was in his element. Sang great, engaged the crowd."

  "Okay, I need to call them for a repeat performance. Great job, guys."

  They discussed other shows of the week. Places they'd like to go back to, places to avoid. As they talked, Haley updated her list.

  "Anything else I could be doing for you guys? Anything you need?"

  They paused. "Not really. Just looking forward to getting Blake back."

  Haley smiled. "Yeah, getting close now. About six weeks left?" About to wrap up the call, Haley remembered something she wanted to mention. "Hey, before we hang up, let me run an idea by you. I've obtained a list of about twenty thousand email addresses of people who have come to Frontier Fire concerts since Blake joined. What would you think about me sending them an email with a link to the Ace in the Hole website? Just a friendly mention that you guys are Blake's band and you're keeping the wheels on while Blake's filling in for Josh Lakely?"

  "Yeah, that sounds good. Couldn't hurt to spread awareness. Might get us bigger audiences too."

  "Okay. I'll run it by Randall, Frontier Fire's manager, to make sure he doesn't object. But I see it as good business." She didn't mention the original reason she'd obtained the email addresses. The Positivity Campaign to combat Lindsay's negative internet attacks was over. Done. Successful. No need to continue it further. This was just marketing. Reaching out and finding new listeners for Ace in the Hole, which was her job. Any good band manager would do it.

  "Oh, and one more thing. Any Lindsay sightings?"

  "No."

  "Okay, good. She's still posting negative reviews, but not at the rate she was before. Maybe she's getting bored."

  "Jake, maybe you should just contact her and tell her to cut it out," Robbie said.

  "I appreciate the offer, Robbie, but Blake and I have talked about this." Incessantly. "He feels strongly to just let it go. Leave her alone and let it run its course."

  "Whatever," Robbie said. "Let us know if you change your mind."

  She ended the call amidst their well wishes and thanks. Haley pulled up her newsletter program and drafted a simple, cheery newsletter explaining the connection between Frontier Fire and Ace in the Hole, added Ace's new logo and promo photo, and a link to their websit
e. Once she was happy with it, she saved a draft, and sent a link to Randall with a note, "Are you okay with me sending this out to 20,000 Frontier Fire fans?"

  Then she left to invite Blake to lunch.

  Chapter Eighteen

  LIFE WAS GOOD, IN HALEY's humble opinion. She and Blake had gotten over the craziness of the Lindsay drama. They were getting along better than ever, and their new love was growing. He made her heart beat faster from the affection he shared with her daily.

  Frontier Fire concerts were mountaintop experiences for both her and Blake every single night, and Ace in the Hole gigs were going extremely well too. In the week since she'd gotten Randall's approval to send out the promo email, Ace in the Hole had seen slightly bigger crowds, even to the point of venues having to turn away fans at the door because they were beyond capacity.

  Haley was busy with phone calls to venues for repeat performances, taking Ace in the Hole's schedule well through the end of the year.

  In fact, life was going so well, Haley had to remind herself just how far they'd come ... how far she'd come in her life. Whenever she stopped to think about it, she made the effort to be grateful, and to verbalize her thankfulness to the One who had made it possible: thank you, Father. Thank you for your love and blessings, today and every day.

  Today was a big day, the day Brent was arriving. Blake had been looking forward to Brent's visit for weeks. Haley knew the brothers would want to spend every moment they could together, talking, catching up and having fun. She would make herself available to them if they wanted to include her, but she'd also be willing to make herself scarce so they could have time alone.

  She'd awakened mid-morning after last night's late concert, wanting to get a jump on some of her booking phone calls. She was on the phone, on hold with a country bar in Hilton Head when another call buzzed through. She glanced at it and saw it was Robbie.

  She continued to wait for the bar manager to pick up her call, figuring she'd call Robbie back when she was done. But instead of leaving a voicemail, Robbie sent her a text. She held her phone away from her ear to read it: Spotted Lindsay in the crowd last night.

  Haley's heart jumped. She hung up on the bar in Hilton Head—she'd call them back later—and immediately phoned Robbie. He picked up right away.

  "Hey, sorry to bother you," he said, his voice sporting a tired edge.

  "No, it's not a bother. Tell me what happened."

  "Nothing, really. We were local last night, playing The Bowery, and we're there again tonight."

  Haley nodded. The Bowery was an iconic Myrtle Beach landmark, a bar and grill with a long history of offering live country music for going on fifty years. It was not only a tourist favorite, but it boasted thousands of local fans who stopped by for a burger, beer and music every weekend. It was one of those places that Ace hadn't broken into until recently, and Haley was determined to get them into the regular rotation.

  Robbie continued, "We had a two hour gig, and I didn't see her until well into our second set. In fact, I wasn't sure it was her at first. But I kept my eye on her while we were playing, and I watched her push through the crowd to get closer to the stage and then I knew. Definitely Lindsay."

  "Did she make eye contact with you?"

  "No. She glanced at me, but looked away."

  "How about Jake?"

  "He didn't notice her."

  "Could you tell anything about her demeanor, her mood?"

  "Well, she wasn't smiling and dancing like most of the crowd there. I guess she seemed pretty low-key."

  "Low-key angry, or low-key calm?"

  Robbie let a sound out of his teeth. "I don't know, Haley. I'm not a psychiatrist or a psychic. I don't know what she was thinking or feeling. But you told me to tell you if we ever saw her, so that's what I'm doing."

  "No, that's good. Thanks. I appreciate it. Stay safe tonight."

  Haley hung up with Robbie. So, Lindsay had made an appearance, finally. She didn't even have to travel to go see her ex-favorite band. They were performing right in her back yard. But Lindsay wasn't stupid. She was well aware that Ace hadn't been playing in The Bowery when Lindsay was in charge of their schedule. She knew what a huge step up this was.

  And Haley knew that fact was killing Lindsay.

  Jealousy, anger, envy. Haley knew all those things were swirling around in Lindsay's head. Not to mention she was still getting over Jake's breakup. This was a recipe for disaster. Lindsay's negative review campaign was one thing, spreading her anger on the internet. Now she was there in person, in front of the band. Did she choose last night, the first night of a two-night gig to scope out the place, get the lay of the land? Stay quiet and unassuming so she could come back tonight and wreak some havoc?

  Was Lindsay that unstable? Or were Blake's fears about Lindsay's potential for danger prompting Haley's imagination to run away with itself? Were they creating drama where it didn't exist?

  On the other hand, maybe she was being an intuitive and proactive band manager, preventing a potentially dangerous situation for her guys.

  Haley stood and paced the length of the hotel room. She wrenched her hands, squeezing them, shaking them out. She couldn't shake a bad feeling about this. Why had Lindsay shown up?

  She walked to her laptop and sat down. It wouldn't hurt to find out about flights to Myrtle Beach today. She knew her mind would be completely wrapped up tonight if she weren't there. She wouldn't be able to concentrate on anything until she got a report from Robbie, and that wouldn't be until late night. She'd be absolutely useless to Frontier Fire, when her heart and soul were telling her that her place tonight was with Ace in the Hole.

  She jumped on the airline websites and discovered she could get to Myrtle Beach today, but flights were limited. She'd use the Ace in the Hole credit card to book her flight, and she'd go to The Bowery tonight. Heck, maybe she'd even enlist a few extra security people to provide protection and an extra set of eyes. Who cared if she was going overboard? The safety of her band members made it well worth it.

  She navigated through the screens to book a flight, and then glanced at the time. She'd have to hurry. Between catching a ride to the airport, checking in and getting through security, she didn't have much time to waste.

  She pulled a small bag out of her closet, threw a handful of clothes into it and zipped it shut. Her heart was racing but she didn't want to speed off half-cocked. She needed to let Blake know what she was doing.

  He was normally sleeping at this hour, and would be for at least another hour. She didn't want to wake him with a phone call or even a text. She'd communicate with him the old-fashioned way.

  She grabbed the hotel notepad and jotted a note: Blake, I'm flying to Myrtle Beach today. I'll explain later. Have a great show tonight and I'll most likely see you tomorrow. Haley. She ripped it off the pad, then after a second thought, she inserted the word, Love, in front of her name.

  She rushed out the door and wandered down the hallway, trying to remember Blake's hotel room number. 403? 405? "Shoot!" she exclaimed, and then remembered. She slid the note under the door and raced to the elevator.

  BLAKE AWOKE, THE ROOM artificially darkened by the light-cancelling shades. He rolled to his side to glance at the digital clock. It was noon. His normal wake up time. He stretched his arms above his head and rotated his hips. He pushed himself out of bed and trudged to the shower.

  Then he remembered. Tonight he'd see Brent! Haley would pick him up at the airport and bring him right to the amphitheater tonight and he'd get to show off a little in front of his brother. Elation washed over him as he stepped into the shower.

  As he lifted his face to the oncoming spray his thoughts went to Brent. Although it had been a fantastic summer traveling with Frontier Fire, the opportunity of a lifetime, he had really missed his small and dedicated family. Aunt Gloria worked way too hard, and couldn't possibly take a few days off to travel across the country to come see him. And without her, it was difficult for Brent to travel solo.
He needed help and accommodation. This mini-vacation for Brent was unique, and the two of them would savor it to the hilt.

  Showered, shaved and dressed, he placed a call to Haley to see if she wanted to grab a meal with him. It went straight to voicemail. She either had it powered off or she was on the line. Neither one surprised him. He sent her a text, telling her where he was going and she could meet him there if she wanted.

  He left the room with a happy whistle.

  HALEY WAS SITTING ON the airplane, 30,000 feet in the air midway between Pittsburgh and Myrtle Beach when a thought assaulted her mind: Brent was arriving today! Brent was quite possibly en route at this moment from Myrtle Beach to Pittsburgh while she was flying in the opposite direction. Or maybe he hadn't boarded his plane yet. Regardless, she needed to contact someone to pick him up.

  How could she forget that detail?

  Her pulse flitted through her veins and she tried to talk herself down. She had a lot on her mind, and she had completed a million details correctly. She only missed one. Her odds were pretty darn good.

  However, the one detail she missed was a huge one. No way could she let Brent arrive at the Pittsburgh Airport and not have anyone to welcome and assist him.

  She pulled out her phone which she had placed on Airplane Mode. She typed a text to Randall, knowing it probably wouldn't be sent until they landed. She stuck the phone back in her pocket, and swallowed the lump in her throat.

  She'd have time. Once she landed, she'd immediately call Randall and ask him to go to the airport or send someone. No reason to stress. There would be plenty of time.

  She had to make it happen. If she abandoned Brent, Blake would never forgive her.

  BLAKE FINISHED HIS meal. He had developed this weird schedule of sleeping till noon and eating his first meal of the day when most normal people were eating their second meal of the day. He couldn't dive into eating with a hamburger and French fries. His stomach would revolt. So he normally found restaurants that would serve him breakfast for lunch. Today's selection, a ham and cheese omelet with toast hit the spot.