The Foundation ran charitable events throughout the year raising money for youth in the arts, the Jerry Ellis Scholarship Fund and set up several for-profit businesses building brand awareness and the Ellis name and all that he represented.
“Yes, I’ve heard of it, but I don’t exactly know too much but wow, would have never guessed you two were related. Gosh, anyone who’s anyone knows who Jerry Ellis is.”
“To me, he was just my father.” Sam shrugged.
“I get that. You probably thought the limelight was a normal occurrence and didn’t see it for what everyone else saw it as.”
“Don’t get me wrong, he’s an amazing man, but he was just my father and one of my family. I was so young when he was in the music industry, I didn’t understand it for what it was. By the time I was old enough to know what he had accomplished, he had already retired. I’m sorry I didn’t mean to go on a rant. It wasn’t my intention.” Sam apologized profusely.
“No, it’s okay. I understand what you’re saying.”
“So you told me you loved Sutton Hill right?” Sam asked.
“Yeah, definitely.” I agreed.
“I guess it would be to someone on the outside but living in a place like this, it can be exhausting. I love living by the bay, but the sacrifices you have to make being here doesn’t seem entirely worth it some days. I shouldn’t be telling you all of this, we just met.” Sam remarked.
“No, it’s okay. I appreciate the honesty.”
Before he could explain further, a man I didn’t recognize walked up to Sam. He was wearing an expensive three-piece suit, had white hair with a receding hairline that gave away the fact that he was at least a decade older than Sam. The older gentleman slapped Sam on the back with a devilish grin on his face.
“Sam, there you are! I have been looking all over for you.”
“Mark, sorry about that. Coming to these events always keeps me occupied. I think I am all talked out.” Sam shook his hand firmly.
“It is quite the event, indeed. Who might you be?” the older gentleman, Mark, eyed me.
“Mark, this is Jamie Winters.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” I said as I shook his hand.
The older gentleman chuckled, “You always are Sam. You are quite in demand by the stakeholders and by the ladies.” Mark said suggestively as he nudged Sam in the ribcage and winked at me. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Winters.”
“Mark Ripley is the Foundation’s attorney,” Sam explained.
“Guilty as charged!” Mark guffawed. “Say, Sam. Jack Holden has interesting ideas that could help with your pursuit of NSK. It could also be a great partnership between the estate and his firm. Let me introduce you to him.” Mark said. “I’m sorry, Ms. Winters but I’m going to have to steal him away.”
“Be my guest.” I smiled.
“I’ll join you in a minute,” Sam said.
“Time’s ticking, Sam. Don’t keep him waiting. Opportunities like this don’t last forever.” Mark had urged before he disappeared into the crowd.
“Charming guy,” I said sarcastically.
Sam looked at me and sighed, “He can be a little abrupt, but he is a good man.”
“It’s okay. It’s not like it’s the first time that’s happened and it probably won’t be the last. You should get going, it looks like it was crucial that you meet this Jack Holden guy.”
“Apparently.”
“Plus, I’ve got to get back too. Intermission is almost over. It was nice seeing you again.” I said as I awkwardly held out my hand to shake his. I wasn’t quite sure what the proper protocol in Sutton Hill was for these types of situations.
“Likewise.” Sam quietly chuckled as he shook my hand before following Mark into the crowd.
Chapter Four
JAMIE
“WHAT WAS THAT ALL ABOUT, HMM?” John teased.
“Yeah, who was he?” their drummer, Aaron chimed in while Lily laughed.
“Who? I have no idea what you mean.” I teased back to avoid their interrogation.
“You know what we mean. Who was that guy you were talking to just now? You seemed awfully chummy. I mean you two were talking for a long time.” John pointed out.
“Oh, he was just some guy.” I waved him off.
“He wasn’t just some guy. We all saw the two of you talking. You were practically standing there grinning from ear to ear at him. Like ‘Oh, mystery man. You rock my socks!” John teased.
“Oh hush!” I playfully shoved him.
“Come on guys, the break is nearly over. We’ve got an hour or so to go.” Jackson, our bass player, pointed out.
“Keep avoiding the subject, Jamie, we will get an answer one way or another.” Aaron pointed his drumstick at me before sitting at his drum kit.
“Sure you will.” I readjusted the mic stand.
Ninety minutes later, the main festivities of the Gala were over, and the city was getting ready to start the fireworks show. The attendees were encouraged to congregate at the nearby beach.
“Hey Jamie, it looks like everything is pretty much packed into the van. We’re ready to take off. If we leave now, we will still be able to go to Lily’s cousin’s BBQ party.” Jackson urged.
“You know what? I think I’ll just stay here a bit longer. Maybe watch the fireworks a little.”
“Are you serious? We always go together. It’s like tradition!”
“You’re going to stay here? Are you sure, Jamie?” Lily joined in the questioning. “We always go to my cousin’s house after a gig, especially on the Fourth of July. You know that.”
“Yeah, I know. I just want to stay and watch the fireworks.” I repeated.
“You can watch the fireworks at Jose’s house. It’s all the same fireworks anyway.” Lily explained.
“I just want to stay here a little bit longer. Go ahead without me, I’ll be there later.”
“Is this about your mystery man?” John teased.
“No, of course not. Besides, I don’t know where Sam is. He might have left by now.” I laughed.
“Sam is it?” Aaron chuckled.
“Okay, but how are you going to get there? We will have the van.” Lily asked.
“I’ll call for a ride. Stop worrying, have a fantastic time. I’ll be there later.” I hugged each of them goodbye.
“Call us when you are on your way, okay?” John suggested over his shoulder as he picked up the rest of the equipment and put them inside the van while Aaron, Lily, and Jackson got inside.
“I will,” I said as I waved them goodbye. I turned around to see the crowd dispersing out of the building and walking towards the beach that was a mere few blocks away.
It was a chilly night, and the breeze blowing had me slightly shivering. The closer I got to the beach, the colder it got. The group congregated on the beach, and most were prepared to watch the festivities and had their lawn chairs, blankets, and snacks in tow.
Some were sitting in their lawn chairs, others sat on their large beach blankets sprawled across the sand while others like me stood. The one thing we all had in common was that we all looked up towards the sky in awe at the fireworks display that seemed to boom throughout the heavens.
After several minutes, I felt a light touch on the small of my back that gave me more goosebumps that already started to develop from the wind. I turned around to see Sam standing there, and I smiled back at him.
“Oh, hi again.”
“Didn’t think you’d still be here after the event. Where is the rest of your band?” Sam asked.
“They went to a party,” I explained.
“You didn’t go with them?”
“No, I wanted to stay and watch the fireworks.”
“They have fireworks everywhere. The ones here aren’t all that different. Sutton Hill doesn’t go out of their way to make them extraordinarily special.”
“I know, but I just wanted to watch them here. I’m going to join them later.”
“Well
, that’s good. Is someone picking you up?”
“No, I’m just going to call for a ride or take a taxi.”
“Do you want a ride? I could take you. I’m not doing anything after this.” Sam asked.
I should take him on his offer, it would prolong my time with him.
“Are you sure? It wouldn’t be a problem.”
“No, it’s okay. I’ll be fine.” I smiled assuring him. “The fireworks are so beautiful; it is my favorite part of the holiday. That is, after the BBQ hamburgers and hotdogs.” I confessed.
“You’re shivering. You must be cold. Do you want to wear my jacket?” Sam asked.
“No, it’s okay. I’m used to the cold weather.”
“Please, I insist.”
After putting his suit jacket around me, he told me about his family’s holiday traditions, “Growing up, it was a tradition in my family to go out on my dad’s boat and sail out a mile and watch the fireworks from the war. They were some of my favorite times.”
“Do you guys still do it? Keep up the tradition, I mean.” I asked.
“Sometimes. Most of my brothers and sisters and their families go on one of my brother, Mark’s boat. It is big enough to hold all of us.”
“Your kids must really love it,” I said.
“Oh, I don’t have any children. I’m not married.”
“Oh, sorry. I didn’t know.” I apologized profusely despite the useful fact that I know knew. It made me wonder, though, why he never had any children. Was he gay? It never occurred to me that he could be.
“It’s okay, you wouldn’t have known.”
“Mind if I ask why? You don’t have to answer that if you don’t want to.”
“I don’t know, to be honest. I mean, it was never a part of the grand scheme of things. When I was younger, I traveled the world and partied a lot. Having children and settling down was the last thing from my mind. Eventually, I had to buckle down when I was approached to take over the organization, and it’s been busy ever since. Besides, I’ve always imagined if I were to have kids, I’d be married and settled. It’s hard to do that if you’re always traveling, meeting with big partners, attending charity events. There’s no time to dedicate to one person consistently.”
“I see. Do you regret it?”
“Regret what? Honoring my father. Never, even if it meant sacrificing important parts of my life. He is the most important person to me. He was my best friend.”
“That’s sweet.” I felt this overwhelming sense of sadness. He seemed fulfilled, but without someone to go home to and always being on the road, it must get lonely for him. That was no way to live.
“I wasn’t on the boat with them this year, of course, but I still go sailing on occasion with my dog, Owen, several times a month. Whenever I have a chance to get away, at least. It helps me relax.” Sam explained.
“Oh, you have a dog! Owen’s a great name for one. What breed is he?”
“He’s a Golden Retriever. He goes wherever I go except here of course, but he goes with me everywhere else – the office, boat and basically anywhere. He’s my buddy.”
“That’s cute. I love Golden Retrievers, I’ve always wanted to have one, but if I ever bought a house with a big backyard, I’d get a dog that I could go running with.”
“You run? That’s great, I run on occasion, and I surf whenever I have the time. I always bike to the office since I live relatively close by to it and I encourage all of my staff to do so if they can. The past several years I’ve been training in martial arts, as you know.”
“That’s very health conscious and very active of you. I think it’s great!” I encouraged.
“If you ever want to go running or meet Owen, I’d love to have you over,” Sam suggested.
“Really? But you hardly know me.” I asked.
“Unless there’s something you are not telling me, I highly doubt you’re an ax murderer.” Sam chuckled.
“In that case, I would love to,” I said excitedly. “How was your conversation with that Holden guy, by the way?”
“Oh, Jack? It went fine. We are always on the lookout for partnerships to build for the Foundation. We want to leverage products, services and a variety of ways that only promote my father and the things that he believed in. He wanted to be a positive influence, so we always look to push living and breathing positivity within our brand. It’s how he lived, and it’s how we continue to live.”
“That’s a great vision to live by. I’m glad that the Holden guy could be a potential partnership for you.”
It could be. Jack has been in the food and beverage industry for a long time so he could be just what we needed to win over NSK.”
“NSK?”
“They’re a distribution company, primarily for food and beverage. My father was a big fan of pairing fine liquor with let’s say, a good steak. Jack thought it would be a good idea to do some bottling with the Ellis name. We’ve already got some food products that we’ve been pitching to them, but Jack suggested developing a liquor division would win them over. We had a preliminary conversation about working out the kinks, and if done correctly, it could be another demographic for us to push out to.” Sam explained.
“Wow! Sounds exciting.” I marveled at the thought. Sam was a brilliant and admirable man, and it did nothing but attract her more to him.
“Sam, it’s time to go.” A beautiful woman approached them and wrapped her arm around his.
“It is. I’m sorry, Jamie, I have to go,” Sam said glancing at his watch. “I will see you around, okay?”
“Bye.” I waved as Sam followed the beautiful woman.
“Wait, Sam! I still have your jacket!” I called after him.
“I’ll get it the next time I see you or just keep it!” Sam waved me off, and he was gone, just like that.
Ugh, who was that woman? Was that his girlfriend? Was he taken? It explained why he’d always been so cordial and did not hit on me, not that he would. He did flirt a little, or was he just being friendly? God, was he the cheating type? I hoped he wasn’t, not that I was even his type. I hadn’t been anyone’s type, not in a long time.
“God, he smells good.” I sniffed the lapel of his jacket. His cologne had an earthy, dew like smell. It had a refreshing vibe about it.
“Sexy? More like cute.” A guy I had dated years ago after saying it wasn’t working out. He told me that I was way into sports like Mixed Martial Arts, loved the outdoors and was in a rock band to ever be seen as ‘sexy’ and he needed to be with someone like that. The last thing he told me was it felt like he was dating his cousin and it was messing with his head not to mention mine.
The last thing I wanted to do was to be seen as someone’s cousin, but I couldn’t change who I naturally was. It would be fair to others, and it definitely wouldn’t help me to hide who I was just to be liked. I couldn’t live the rest of my life being fake. I had to find a way to change that.
Chapter Five
JAMIE
“BUZZZZZZ!” The alarm clock went off.
“Buzzzzzz!” the alarm clock went off again as I picked up my spare pillow and tossed it in the clock’s general direction without looking. I hoped it got knocked off my end table and shut itself off.
“Buzzzzzzz!” I missed, unfortunately.
“Alright, I’m up!” I shouted as I reluctantly got up and shut off the alarm. “Ugh. Is it Monday, already?”
It was Monday morning, the day after the Fourth of July Gala. After the fireworks display, I took a cab to the after hours BBQ party that Lily’s cousin held every year. There were a lot of partygoers, food, drinks and loud music with a lot of bass. It was always a fantastic time when I let loose and fortunately, the next day was a day off, so I was able to stay out late as I wanted and not have to get up the next day feeling ill.
Which is what I did until my alarm went off. I had forgotten to unset it, so it went off at 6:00 am, the usual time I got up to get ready for work during the week. The only problem was that
once I woke up, I couldn’t go back to sleep. I had to resign to the fact that I was up early, feeling terrible and there was nothing that I could do about it other than to get started with my day. Nothing that aspirin and good strong coffee couldn’t fix.
I also noticed that I was wearing the same clothes from last night including Sam’s suit jacket. Did I wear it the entire evening? I couldn’t remember. What I did remember was that I had an incredible time at the Gala, it was one of the best nights of my life. The show went incredibly well despite the lack of appreciative event attendees, the great food, the great conversation with Sam and most of all, he made an invitation to hang out again.
Granted, it was only to meet his dog, Owen or to go running with him but time spent with him still counted. Any time with him was good. I couldn’t help but think about the woman that interrupted their conversation near the end. Who was she exactly? Was she his wife or girlfriend? She had her arm around his as she approached and he didn’t flinch at all like it was natural for her to do so. She must have been his significant other.
It was still confusing to me, why would he invite me to go running or meet his dog if he was taken, wouldn’t his wife be offended by that or was she so secure in their marriage that she was okay with him having a female platonic friend?
I was more confused than ever and disappointed that there was a strong possibility that he was taken. I had to talk someone about this and have them help me decipher the situation so I could put my mind at ease. Later that morning when I was a more awake, I called one of my best friends from the office, Lisa, to get her perspective on the events that happened the night before. I really needed her keen intuition.
“He was so amazing, Lisa!” I gushed. “He’s older than the men that I am usually attracted to, but he’s so gorgeous in that All-American sort of way. Not to mention that he’s very kind and has a Golden Retriever. He also trains at my dojo. It’s a sign!”
Break Away Page 18