Stronger Within (The Silver Lake Series Book 1)

by McCallum, Coral

  “I suppose we could,” he agreed. “Let’s wait and see how your jet lag is tomorrow.”

  When they reached the centre’s main doors, they both showed their security passes to the guard, who opened one of the doors and let them in out of the cold. Behind them a dozen or more eager Weigh Station fans were clamouring to be allowed inside. Listening to the fans cheers, Jake and Lori looked round and found that they had re-entered near the bar/grille, but it didn’t look as though it was open. Jake knocked on the door, then showed his pass to the man who appeared on the other side.

  “When do you open?” he asked, shouting through the thick glass to be heard.

  “Not till six, pal,” replied the man in a broad Glasgow accent.

  “Any chance of letting us in early? I need to be backstage by five thirty,” asked Jake hopefully.

  “Just the two of you?”

  “Please,” said Lori with a smile. “We just need a drink and something light to eat.”

  Noticing that both of their security passes were “band - access all areas,” he relented and opened the door. “Can you please sit at one of the tables away from the glass? I don’t want folk hammering the door in trying to get in here to meet you.”

  “Of course,” agreed Jake. “Really appreciate you letting us in early.”

  “Aye, well, your young lady looks frozen and you both look as though you could do with some peace and quiet for a while,” he replied, showing them to a table near the bar at the rear of the room. “What can I get for you both?”

  “A chicken salad would be good,” said Jake, taking his jacket off. “And a bottle of water, please.”

  “Miss?” asked the Scotsman.

  “The same only can I have a black coffee too?”

  “Of course you can. I’ll be right back. Make yourselves comfy.”

  At five thirty on the dot both of them returned to the Silver Lake dressing rooms. The relief at Jake having been true to his word was written all over Gary’s face while Maddy just winked at both of them. Planting a kiss on the top of Lori’s head, Jake excused himself, saying he was going to go and do his vocal warm up somewhere quiet and out of earshot. The rest of the band were all lazing about, killing time until it was time to get changed. Taking her jacket off, Lori went over to sit beside Maddy for a catch up. Her friend was reclined along a low settee and, from the angle she was lying at, her baby bump made her look as though she had swallowed a basketball. Rubbing her swelling belly gently, she reassured Lori that she was absolutely fine; that she was taking plenty of rest and was eating properly. Now that the morning sickness was long gone, Lori had to admit her friend looked the picture of health.

  About an hour before show time, the dressing room door opened and Dan Crow from Weigh Station came striding in.

  “I heard a rumour that the beautiful Mz Hyde had come to join the party,” he called out loudly.

  “Good evening, Dan,” called Lori, without getting up from her seat. “Good news travels fast.”

  “Welcome aboard, Mz Hyde,” he declared, coming over to give her a hug. “When did you get in?”

  “This morning,” she replied, stifling a yawn. “It’s been a long day.”

  “I’ll bet,” agreed Dan. “Get that man of yours to bring you to the side of the stage when he comes out with us later on.”

  “Thanks. I will,” nodded Lori.

  “Lovely to see you here, Lori. These guys have missed you,” said the older man softly. “Better get back to my boys. See you after the show, beautiful.”

  By seven thirty Silver Lake were pacing around the dressing room like caged lions. All of them had completed their pre-show rituals and routines and were ready to step out on stage. Eventually Gary and Maddy agreed it was time to make a move out to the side of the stage to await their cue. As soon as they were out in the connecting corridor, they could hear the audience cheering and chanting. Jake gave Lori a brief hug and whispered, “Time to head into the office, li’l lady.”

  “Don’t work too hard,” she teased.

  She could see through the doorway that the house lights had dimmed, the stage was cloaked in darkness and the crowd were cheering and whistling expectantly. Paul led the band out onto the stage, darting on ahead to get behind his drum kit by the time the others were in position. With the lights still out, Silver Lake launched into the opening riff of Dragon Song. The crowd went wild as the lights blazed bright and Jake stepped up to the microphone. From her position at the side of the stage, Lori observed that all of them were playing with a new found confidence and professionalism. Silver Lake was now a finely tuned machine.

  After Dragon Song, Jake yelled out, “Good evening, Glasgow!”

  The crowd cheered back.

  “I can’t hear you!” he screamed. “Good evening, Glasgow!”

  The roar from the crowd was deafening as the band launched straight into their next two hard, heavy and fast songs. As had now become the usual routine after the first three numbers, Jake switched to his acoustic guitar and perched himself up on a tall, wooden bar stool.

  “You still with us?” he asked, gazing out at the capacity crowd. “Time to catch our breath. Slow things down a bit for a minute or two. If you know the words, feel free to join in.”

  The haunting melody of Stronger Within flowed out over the appreciative Scottish crowd and, when Jake began to sing, the whole exhibition centre sang with him. From the side of the stage, Lori stood captivated by the sight of four thousand rock fans singing word perfect with her rock star.

  “Ok, over to you guys,” said Jake, letting the crowd sing the chorus on their own for him.

  “That’s just beautiful,” he declared with a smile.

  As the last notes faded away, Jake said, “Glasgow, you’ve stolen my heart. That was amazing.”

  The fans cheered and whistled.

  “Ok, maybe you can help me out with the words for this next one,” he said nodding over to Rich.

  The two of them had worked on this song earlier, but were still anxious at attempting to play Flower of Scotland to the Scottish crowd. There was no need for nerves as the audience soaked up the song and sang it strongly for the band. After a verse and a chorus Jake brought the focus back to their own music.

  “That was fun. Thank you,” he said, bowing his head in recognition of the crowd’s vocal support. “This next one is Lady Butterfly. I’d like to thank a young man in this crowd. He helped Lady Butterfly out at the airport this morning. David, this one’s for you.”

  Lori scanned the crowd and finally spotted David right down at the front, just left of centre stage. She could see from the stunned look on his face that the “thank you” had made his night. Jake glanced over at her as he started the song and she tried to point the boy out to him. As he played and sang, he worked out which kid it was. When the song was over, he switched guitars again, but held onto the pick he had used on Lady Butterfly. While Rich launched into the intro to ACDC’s Highway to Hell, Jake reached out to David and, with the help of one of the security guards, was able to pass the pick to him and mouth “thank you.” It was a simple gesture that warmed Lori’s heart.

  All too soon the band were finishing their final number, Flyin’ High, to a thunderous roar from the crowd.

  “Thank you for coming out tonight, Glasgow. You’ve been amazing. Till next time,” called out Jake waving, to the crowd.

  The band flicked a few guitar picks out into the audience, Paul threw them his used drumsticks and they left the stage having won over a whole new legion of Scottish fans. With cheers and chants of “Silver Lake, Silver Lake, Silver Lake, Lake Lake” ringing in their ears, the band made their way back to the dressing room.

  An hour later and Lori and Jake were back at the side of the stage watching Weigh Station, waiting for Jake’s cue to go on. His guitar was already on a stand at the back of the stage. Both of them could see Lori’s young friend gazing up at his idols, lost in their music. The moment wasn’t lost on Jake, as he realis
ed it wasn’t so long ago that he had been that fan standing in the crowd.

  “Tonight’s going to live with that kid for a while,” he mused with a smile.

  “And me,” replied Lori grinning at him.

  Hugging her tight, he listened for his cue from Dan. Sweat was pouring off the older singer, causing Jake to wonder if the tour was starting to take its toll on him.

  “Glasgow!” roared Dan with a wide grin. “I’m going to bring a very special, very talented young man out on stage. I want you to give him a huge Glasgow welcome.”

  On cue, the crowd went wild.

  “Let me introduce you to the incredible Jake Power!” announced Dan as Jake ran out to pick up his guitar.

  Watching Jake perform alongside his heroes brought home to Lori just how much his confidence in himself and his ability had blossomed since she had last seen him perform. His performance of Empty Bottle Broken Glass was the best of the tour so far and the fans went wild when Dan let him take the lead on Sunset After The Storm. When the second song was finished, Dan clapped Jake on the back before stepping back up to the mic, “The one and only Mr Jake Power, folks! Give it up for Jake one last time!”

  With what was becoming his routine theatrical bow, Jake left the stage and Weigh Station launched into one of their popular rock anthems. Still with his guitar slung over his back, Jake led Lori back to the dressing room.

  “That was fantastic,” she declared, just before they entered the crowded communal dressing room area. “You looked like you were lapping it up.”

  “I was,” he confessed with a grin. “I love singing those two numbers. Hard to believe there’s only two shows left.”

  “Two big ones to finish with.”

  “That is very true, li’l lady,” he agreed. “I’m going to grab a quick shower. Will you be ok out here with the others?”

  “Of course. Go and cool down and get cleaned up,” said Lori, opening the dressing room door.

  “Love you, li’l lady,” he said, as he turned to go towards the other dressing room further along the corridor. “I’ll be back soon.”

  The rest of Silver Lake, plus Maddy and Gary, were in the midst of being filmed by Scott, the documentary maker. After a lengthy email exchange, Maddy had convinced Jason to hire the young filmmaker to do a Silver Lake film in conjunction with his Weigh Station project. Since he had been commissioned to work with them, it had made it easier for the two managers to curb his enthusiasm.

  “Lori!” called Paul loudly as she entered the room. “Come and meet Scott. He’s going to make us all movie stars!”

  “Hi Scott,” she replied, with a wave. “Give me a minute. I need to make a call.”

  She could feel Maddy’s eyes following her as she went over to the far side of the room and rummaged through her handbag for her notebook. Quickly she found the number that Lucy had emailed to her and prayed that Captain Simon Power was available. She had debated all day about when would be a good time to call and she realised that, no matter when she called, she was going to be nervous about the reception. The phone rang out and, just as she thought it was going to cut to voicemail, a familiar yet deeper voice answered, “Simon Power.”

  “Hi, Simon,” she began, trying to remain calm. “This is Lori Hyde. Lucy asked me to call you.”

  “Ah, Miss Hyde, I’ve been expecting to hear from you. I take it you are now in the UK?”

  “Yes. I flew in this morning,” replied Lori. “I just wanted to check that you still want to meet up in London.”

  “Have you told my baby brother?” he asked directly.

  “Not yet,” she confessed. “I wanted to talk to you first.”

  “Don’t fret. I don’t want to cause trouble,” he assured her, sounding eerily like Jake. “I felt it might be the right time to build some bridges.”

  “There’s only one way to find that out, I guess,” she agreed softly. “I’ve arranged access to both London shows for you. Lucy couldn’t tell me your plans.”

  “I’ve been hearing great things about his band,” continued Simon then confessed, “I bought their CD a few weeks back after I saw Lucy. She was so enthusiastic about meeting you all at the launch party with the old man.”

  “It was a great day,” agreed Lori. “And you’re more than welcome at both shows.”

  “How about I meet up with you before the first one?” Simon suggested. “My last business engagement finishes at two. I can be there for around four thirty.”

  “That should work. Why don’t you call me around four and we can arrange an exact meeting place either at the arena or nearby? I’m not sure of the guys’ itinerary for the day,” she said. “To be honest, I’m so jet lagged, I don’t know what day it is.”

  “Haven’t you slept since flying in?” There was warmth and concern in Simon’s voice. “You must be exhausted.”

  “I grabbed a couple of hours this morning, but I’m still in the exhibition centre at the show so bed is still a way off.”

  “You have my sympathy,” he laughed. “How did it go tonight?”

  “It was incredible,” she said, pride filling her words. “I don’t think you’ll be disappointed when you see them.”

  “Believe me, I’m looking forward to seeing it for myself. I’ve let this thing with Jacob fester for too long.”

  “Don’t call him that to his face or it could fester a while longer,” she cautioned softly.

  “He always did hate his name,” mused Simon. “I’ll call you the day after tomorrow, Miss Hyde.”

  “It’s Lori,” she corrected. “I look forward to meeting you. Captain Power.”

  “Simon, please,” he said. “I need to go. I’m at an official banquet. Duty calls. Sleep well tonight, Lori.”

  “Thanks. I’m sure I will.”

  “Night.”

  As she slipped her phone and notebook back into her bag, Maddy crept up behind her and asked, “Who were you flirting with, Mz Hyde?”

  “I was calling Jake’s brother,” she confessed, her voice barely more than a whisper. “He’s meeting me in London the day after tomorrow at four thirty. I hope you got those passes.”

  Maddy slipped her a small envelope, “In there. Access all areas, both nights, as requested.”

  “Thanks. Just pray this goes ok,” said Lori, stowing the envelope safely in her bag.

  “It’ll be fine, honey,” reassured Maddy. “Now how are you holding up? Can you stay awake for another couple of hours?”

  “Get me a strong black coffee and I’ll try,” said Lori with a weary smile. “What’s the plan?”

  “The boys haven’t had dinner yet,” stated Maddy. “We are booked into an Indian restaurant nearby I believe. Gary organised it all.”

  “I guess I can do dinner,” agreed Lori. “I have no idea what time my brain and body think it is!”

  “You’ll be fine tomorrow after a good night’s sleep,” laughed Maddy. “Let’s get you that coffee.”

  The Indian restaurant in the city’s West End had stayed open especially to accommodate Silver Lake. On the minibus ride from the exhibition centre, Gary explained that he had eaten there a few times, promising they wouldn’t be disappointed. An elaborate buffet was waiting for them when they arrived. The smell of the warm aromatic spices caused Lori to realise she was ravenous. Once they were all seated around a large circular table and had placed a drinks order, the band slowly filtered up to the buffet to fetch their meal. With a tired smile, Lori asked Jake if he would mind fetching her a plate of food.

  “Who was that kid you thanked tonight?” asked Grey, between mouthfuls of Lamb Jalfrezi.

  “The boy I met on the plane last night,” answered Lori. “He was sitting across the aisle from me and we got chatting. He also helped me with my luggage this morning when we landed.”

  “You did well finding him in that crowd,” Rich observed.

  “As long as he went home happy,” said Jake, biting into a chunk of naan bread.

  “I think they all
went home happy tonight” commented Gary. “Your Flower of Scotland was a truly naff idea, but you pulled it off. Good job you’re good lookin’ Mr Power. The ladies would forgive you any transgression!”

  Laughter echoed round the table while Maddy quickly filled Lori in on the fact that the British music press were setting Jake up as the latest heavy rock heart throb. This tickled her sense of humour causing her to giggle uncontrollably.

  “What’s so funny, li’l lady?” demanded Jake, trying and failing to feign anger.

  “Nothing,” she replied with an innocent look.

  “Glad to hear it,” he replied with a wink, then added, “You know, I still can’t believe you’re here. Maddison, I need to have words with you about keeping secrets.”

  Maddy blew him a kiss across the table.

  Their easy banter continued throughout their late night meal. By the time they were ready for dessert, Lori had pulled her chair closer to Jake’s and was resting her head wearily on his shoulder.

  “How about we get you back to the hotel?” Jake whispered to her.

  “Would you mind?” she yawned. “I can hardly keep my eyes open.”

  “How long have you been up for?”

  “I have no idea. About thirty six hours I guess, but I have had a few hours’ sleep.”

  “Gary,” said Jake. “Can you get us a cab, please? This li’l lady is wiped out.”

  “Sure,” said Gary getting to his feet. “I’ll get the owner to call one.”

  He went over to the restaurant’s bar and asked them to phone for a taxi to go back to the hotel. When he returned to the table, he said, “Two minutes. You got enough cash for the fare?”

  “Eh, not sure,” confessed Jake. “I can’t get used to this funny British money.”

  “Here’s ten pounds. It’ll be less than that.”

  Gently Jake helped an exhausted Lori to her feet, bade the others goodnight and, guided her out of the restaurant, with a supportive arm around her waist. Their taxi was already waiting outside. The cold, crisp night air revived Lori enough to keep her awake for the short ride back to the hotel. Within ten minutes they were both in the lift on the way upstairs.