by Hannah Ford
Jake nodded, his brow wrinkled. “Yeah, I get it. I’m just not sure.”
“Jake,” Raven said, putting a hand on his forearm. “You’ve always been nervous about putting this new music out. You were nervous about recording it too.”
“I’m just not sure that track is ready,” Jake said.
“It’s ready. This is the time. People already love it.”
Jake thought about it and then finally nodded. “Okay,” he said. “You have our blessing. Let’s do it.”
Mack Zee gave a fist pump and then high-fived Raven and Jake in turn. “I am so, so happy about our partnership. We are gonna take over the world.”
He threw his arms around them. “Now, about that other thing. The Club we discussed in our last meeting.”
Raven froze and Jake stiffened too. “We shouldn’t ever talk about them again,” Jake said.
Mack looked at him. “I need to tell you that I hear things, Jake. I’m worried about you guys.”
“What’ve you heard?”
“I heard it aint over. I heard they still plan to make a move.”
Jake spun and looked at Mack with eyes that were like cold steel. “Tell me exactly what you heard,” he said through grit teeth.
“All I’m saying is that you need to be careful. Now, I happen to have my intel,” Mack said, his voice still calm. “I know things about these people. And if they do make a move, you let me know, Jake. Just come and tell me—call me, any hour of the day. And I’ll help you.”
Jake was staring at him. “How do I know you’re not with them?”
Mack’s smile grew wider. “You won’t know it until the time is right, my friend. For now, I suppose you’ll just have to hope you and your lady friend are lucky and not unlucky. Because if I am with the Club, then your life might just have gotten a whole lot more complicated.”
Jake pulled away from him and grabbed Raven’s hand. “Come on,” he told her. “Let’s get out of here.”
“Be careful,” Mack told them as they left.
As they left the building, Raven turned to Jake. “What do you think?” she asked him. “Is he really with Club Alpha?”
Jake shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe he’s just a member of the club like I was. Maybe he’s just fucking with us.”
“I don’t like this,” Raven said, looking around as they walked down the street to where Jake had parked his jeep. She felt anxious, paranoid. She hadn’t felt like this since they’d left the cabin.
“It’s going to fine,” Jake told her, but his voice was tight.
They got in the jeep and drove home.
That night, neither of them said much. Both were lost in thought, lost in their own private worlds.
Raven didn’t like the way Jake had withdrawn from her. He went for a long night swim at the beach, not inviting her, and then came inside and had a beer.
She texted with Skylar and her brother, telling them very little about her own adventures, and instead asking more about what they had been doing. It was nice to get lost in other people’s worlds for a while.
Danny told her that the family was getting tired of staying at the various hotels that Jake had arranged for them. They wanted to go home, but no home existed and the insurance money still hadn’t come in.
Skylar said she was feeling better, but Raven wasn’t certain that it was the truth.
I want to come and see you, Raven texted her.
Don’t be silly. I’m doing fine, there’s no reason for you to come back yet.
Jake was drinking his beer and watching Rocky III on the couch, and Raven didn’t feel comfortable even trying to talk to him, so she went upstairs to the bedroom and read articles about Jake’s music online, finding some new commentary on her as well.
For the first time, she was seeing some positive stuff on the web attached to her name.
Apparently, Mack Zee had called her a producing genius and credited her for bringing Jake’s song Too Far From Home to the public’s attention. Now, instead of seeing people on Twitter and Facebook calling her the new Yoko Ono, there were people defending her and saying that Jake Novak had been nothing but an overhyped Disney product until Raven Hartley had come along and turned him into a true artist.
Obviously, Raven didn’t think she was that responsible for Jake’s newfound critical success. He’d written those songs, he was the musical genius. But it was still nice to know that maybe she did have a place in his story that wasn’t all about undermining and destroying his career.
And even though Mack Zee was an enigma, and potentially a threat, he’d made a public proclamation and stood behind her, if only for the moment. That was worth a lot to her after everything she’d been through.
Drifting off to sleep that night, she hoped that this wasn’t a dream that was about to turn into a nightmare.
* * *
When Raven woke up, she was alone in bed. Vaguely, she remembered Jake coming in during the middle of the night and sliding next to her, wrapping her in his warm embrace.
But now the bed was cold and empty, and it looked as if Jake had been gone for some time.
She had a strange feeling of anxiety creep over her, as if perhaps Jake had been taken away—kidnapped, stolen from her.
“Jake?” she called, getting off the mattress and putting on a light robe, closing it around herself as she went hesitantly out to the rest of the house. “Jake!” she yelled.
Where was he? Out at the beach? Swimming?
She walked slowly down the stairs and saw the front door was partway open. And then she was running down and throwing the door the rest of the way open to see who, if anyone, was out there.
And that’s when she saw it.
Jake was standing next to a sleek white car with a big red bow stuck to it, and reading what looked like some sort of card. He was wearing shorts and no shirt, and looked as though he’d just come from a swim.
“What’s that?” she called out, relieved to see him standing there in one piece, with no Club Alpha goons in sight.
Jake waved her over. “It’s a gift from Mack Zee,” he said, shaking his head, amused.
“Maybe he’s trying to make up for scaring us yesterday,” she replied, as she walked closer. “What kind of car is it?” she said.
“A Jaguar XK Convertible,” Jake told her, still reading the card. “These things run right around a hundred thousand dollars a piece.”
“Oh my goodness,” she said. “Well, it’s beautiful.”
“Just like the woman who owns it.”
She stopped in her tracks. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, the car is for you,” he said, handing her the card with a mischievous grin.
“Don’t be ridiculous.” She took the card, and now her hand was shaking for altogether different reasons.
Dearest Miss Hartley,
You’ve been a revelation to work with, and my greatest thanks for helping to shepherd Jake Novak’s music through the creative process and bringing both the songs and the man into my life and my world. I’m forever in debt to you, and I anticipate this as the start of a long and prosperous business relationship between you and I.
May this sleek, beautiful and elegant automobile be a symbol of the class that you’ve brought to the making of this fine album.
All The Best,
Mack Zee
Raven read the card at least two more times before looking up at Jake again. “He gave me this as a gift?”
“He did.” Jake folded his arms, seeming to enjoy the bewildered expression on Raven’s face.
“It doesn’t make any sense,” she said, walking around the car and letting her fingers trail the outside. She couldn’t believe how gorgeous it was. “This is the kind of thing they give to LeBron James when he signs with a new team, not to the girlfriend of a rock star when he signs a record deal.”
“You’re not just my girlfriend, babe. You’re my manager, remember?”
She looked at him, stunned. “Yes, but
—“
“But nothing. This is the kind of gift a big-time manager gets in our industry. You’ve arrived.”
She shook her head and put her hand over her mouth. One hundred thousand dollars. On one car. She couldn’t even imagine driving it. “I’d be scared that I’d crash it. And how will I afford the upkeep?”
Jake laughed. “I don’t think that’s going to be a problem.”
“Of course it is. You know how much these specialty parts cost. If I break a tail light it’s going to bankrupt me.”
“Are you sure about that?” Jake’s eyes wrinkled, amused at her continued confusion.
“Jake, stop messing with me.” She felt her cheeks flush as the reality of the whole thing hit her full force.
“I want you to do something now, and promise me you won’t freak out and faint or anything,” Jake said, still smiling.
“I can’t promise that. I already feel weak in the knees.”
“Come on,” he said, grabbing her lightly by the arm and leading her back inside. “Let’s get you out of the bright sun, and inside where you can sit down and have a glass of water.”
She walked in, and actually it was no joke. She needed Jake’s steady arm to support her, because this was all too much. Jake was being real with her—she was actually the manager of the biggest musical act on the planet right now.
“I’m calming down,” she lied, trying to control her breathing as Jake helped her sit at the kitchen table.
“Let me grab you a cup of water,” Jake told her, and returned moments later with a cold glass filled with ice and pure cold liquid.
She guzzled for a long moment, letting it hit her throat, and then she sighed and put it down on the table. Raven closed her eyes and then opened them again. “I think I’m doing better now.”
“Good,” Jake said. He left the room and came back a minute later with his laptop and placed it in front of her. “Mack’s going to be releasing my single on iTunes later today,” he said. “Things are about to get even crazier. You know that, right?”
“I thought you were trying to help me calm down, not make me faint,” she said, keeping her voice steady.
It’s just a car. Okay, an expensive car. But nothing’s changed. I don’t even need to drive it if I don’t want to.
“I want you to log into your bank account,” Jake said softly, but his voice was firm. His eyes were watching her intently.
“Why?” she demanded.
“Because, you need to check your account, Raven.”
“Jake, you better not have done anything crazy. That car is enough.”
“Log in, babe.” He pushed the laptop towards her insistently.
She did as he told her, and now her hands were really shaking. She knew that something big was coming, but as her account popped up, nothing could have prepared her for how big it was going to be.
Raven sat and stared at the screen, dumbfounded. “That’s a mistake,” she said, her voice sounding distant to her own ears.
“That’s your commission on my advance,” Jake said. “It’s standard.”
“It can’t be. I—I can’t accept this, Jake.”
“You don’t really have a choice,” he chuckled. “That’s the manager’s cut. It wouldn’t be right for me to keep that money.”
“But…but…”
“But nothing. You earned that money fair and square. You were the one who kicked that imbecile Hec out of the session and helped me get my head screwed on straight, convinced me to record my songs the right way. You sat there and acted as my ears in the studio, talked me through my own bullshit and got me to let loose and really commit to the work. And you’re the one who made sure that song found the light of day, and that’s the only reason Mack Zee ever contacted me in the first place.”
Even though Raven knew everything Jake said was the truth, she still couldn’t fathom what she was seeing on the laptop screen.
The most recent deposit into her checking account was for the tidy sum of four million dollars.
FOUR MILLION DOLLARS.
It boggled the mind, literally. “I don’t know what to say.” Tears sprang to her eyes as she realized what this meant for her and her family. Not only would she be able to provide for herself into the distant future, but she’d be able to help her mother and father and Danny too.
“You don’t need to say anything,” Jake said, rubbing her back. “I’m the one who needs to say that I love you, and I owe you my life. You helped me to get out from under all of that old baggage—all that crap that was hanging around my neck like a damned albatross. But I put the bags down and I’m free, thanks to you.”
She realized she was crying, and began laughing at her own hysterics. “I don’t even know why I’m crying,” she said.
“Maybe it’s because you’re happy.”
She nodded over and over again, and then they leaned into one another and Jake’s lips were on hers and she could feel his love and his respect and everything that she’d ever dreamed of, and it was as if he was pouring it into her soul, filling her to the brim with nothing but love and acceptance and joy.
It wasn’t the money at all, she realized.
It was him.
Jake was what had happened to her—she’d found the man of her dreams, and he loved her back, every bit as much as she loved him.
* * *
The rest of the day was a celebration.
They took her new car and drove it around the island. Mostly Jake drove it, because Raven was too intimidated, but she did take a turn at the wheel for a few minutes towards dusk.
Driving past the white sandy beaches, feeling the wind on her face and in her hair, Jake Novak beside her, and she thought she was going to burst with the emotions that were running through her.
Later, a private chef came to Jake’s house and made them a four-course meal that consisted of an amazing Waldorf salad, a creamy mushroom soup, and then absolutely perfect sirloin steaks and buttery mashed potatoes.
For desert, a moist lava cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side.
When the chef took his leave, Jake and Raven grabbed a bottle of wine, stripped down to nothing, and got into the pool. Jake had put on the lights and turned the heat up to a sweltering ninety degrees, making it more like a hot tub.
The lights shimmered in the pool, creating a green glow that made everything feel surreal, dreamlike, which was how most of Raven’s life was feeling lately.
Jake took a long swig from the wine bottle as Raven hung on the side of the pool and checked her phone.
“What are you doing on that damned thing?” he said, splashing over to where she was and grabbing her bare waist.
Her nipples stiffened instantly, but she hung on to the railing. “Hey!” she cried. “I need to check how the single’s doing.”
“Bullshit. That can wait. Tonight, no business.” He grabbed her again, and this time, as he pushed his bare torso and hips into her from behind, Raven could feel his hardness pressing into her buttocks.
“Just give me one second.” She checked the popularity list and saw that the single had debuted at number three. It was already ahead of Miley Cyrus’s new track. “Oh my Gosh!” Raven cried. “We’re at three already! We only just came out within the last few hours and we’re at three!”
Jake’s lips caressed her ear and then he was nibbling at her wet neck. “I don’t care about fucking iTunes,” he growled, and finally he pulled her off the side and carried her away, creating ripples in concentric circles around them. Water lapped the sides as she turned to face him.
He was completely nude, wet, and wanting her.
What the hell had she been thinking? Why had iTunes seemed so important again? She couldn’t for the life of her remember.
Jake’s cock was pushing itself between her legs as if it had a mind of its own, and she opened herself to it.
“Oh God,” she moaned, as Jake’s hands roamed her body, lifting her onto him, splitting her down the middle
as he entered her, fucking her in the middle of the pool, taking her the way she wanted him to.
When she climaxed just minutes later, Jake came too, and his mouth was on her breasts, licking her nipples, and she continued to come and come until her entire body was vibrating.
Eventually, he slipped out and then continued to hold her as they floated around the pool together, almost like they were attached. She supposed, in a way, they were.
Finally, they parted ways, but continued swimming and relaxing in the amazing water, blissfully lounging, and Raven found herself staring up out of the porch and into the night sky filled with a million stars.
Some time later she checked the charts again and discovered they were at number one and she’d gotten texts from a lot of people, including Mack Zee.
This team is unstoppable! Mack had written.
She smiled at that. She liked and appreciated that he was trying to show her that he took her seriously as Jake’s manager, and didn’t just consider her some girlfriend who was tagging along and served no real purpose.
Of course, there was still a chance that Mack was playing a larger and more devious game on behalf of Club Alpha, but Raven refused to let that fearful and negative thinking dominate her mind.
It was only when she got a text from Skylar that the smile faded from her face.
I am so proud of you!! And I already downloaded the song—I cant stop listening to it. NUMBER ONE ON ITUNES????!!!! I always knew you were the best. Miss you! XOXO Sky
Jake swam over to her. “What’s up?”
“Well, your song’s at number one already. I know you don’t care…”
“Let me see that,” he said, taking her cell phone and checking it. “I’ll be damned,” he drawled. “We are at number one. That’s insane.”
But when he turned to share the joy with Raven, he saw the look on her face.
“Jake,” she said softly.
“No,” he replied instantly.