Stronger Within (The Silver Lake Series Book 1)

by McCallum, Coral

  “I’m sure,” he promised. “He’s probably right. It’s time we cleared the air.”

  “When did you last talk to him?”

  “At my mom’s funeral,” replied Jake. He paused, seemingly lost in the memory, before continuing. “He took a side swipe at me for being a junkie waste of space. An embarrassment to the family. Both him and Peter had a go at me about my drug habit. I mostly clean by then. I was in a rehab programme, but they wouldn’t believe me. Nothing I tried to say to convince them that I was clean mattered. I didn’t want a scene so I got in the truck and drove off. I haven’t seen or spoken to either of them since.”

  “I never knew. You don’t need to see him if you don’t want to. I’ve not promised him anything.”

  “I’ll see him. I’ll listen to what he has to say. If I don’t like what I see or hear, I’ll walk away again.”

  “And you’re definitely not mad at me?”

  “No,” he said with a smile. “If you don’t like him, you can walk away too.”

  “That’s easy for you to say,” laughed Lori, lightening the mood. “It could be physically challenging for some of us!”

  They were still laughing when Gary stepped into the lounge to declare they were about to leave and that the rest of them were having a drink downstairs. Gently Jake helped Lori to her feet and hovered around her protectively until she had safely negotiated her way down to the lower deck. As she sat beside Maddy, Grey passed her a plastic cup with some white wine in it.

  “We’ve a no glass rule,” he explained. “Ever since the first night on here.”

  “Who broke or cut what?” she asked, glancing round trying to identify the guilty party.

  “Jake broke a tumbler and I stood on a sliver of glass later on in my bare feet,” replied the bass player. “One cut and a lot of blood later, glasses were banned on Silver Lake tour buses for life.”

  “Ouch,” she sympathised.

  Once everyone had a cup, Gary proposed a toast, “To the last stop for now.”

  “To a good night’s sleep,” added Maddy.

  “You’d better make the most of those, girl,” joked Grey, remembering the endless sleepless nights he had endured when Becky was a baby.

  “While we’re in a toasting mood,” said Paul, winking at Maddy. “I’ve got another toast to make.”

  All eyes were on him.

  “Here’s to Maddy and I having twins.”

  His fellow band mates stared at him disbelievingly. The stunned looks on their faces made Lori laugh.

  “Here’s to twice as many sleepless nights,” she giggled, hugging Maddy beside her.

  The next few minutes, as the bus rolled out of Glasgow, were little short of chaotic as they all congratulated the parents-to-be. Eventually Jake managed to sit down beside Lori and whisper in her ear, “You knew, didn’t you?”

  She smiled, sipped her wine, then nodded, “But I was sworn to secrecy.”

  The party atmosphere continued for another hour or so, then Rich suggested to Jake that they go upstairs to continue work on the new material they had been writing. Taking his drink with him, Jake promised Lori that they wouldn’t be too long. Paul challenged Grey to another round of the driving game they had been playing on the play station, leaving Gary alone with the two girls.

  “Twins?” he said, shaking his head. “That explains the size of that baby bump, Maddison.”

  Resting her hand protectively across her stomach, Maddy laughed. “I’m sorry. I’d have liked to have told everyone sooner, but, if Jason had found out, he might not have agreed to me coming out on the road. I wasn’t missing this tour for anything.”

  “I see where you’re coming from,” he agreed. “You know he’s trying to set something up for January/February time?”

  “Where’s he planning on sending them?” asked Lori curiously.

  “Sorry, can’t say,” said Gary somewhat officiously. “Not till it’s all confirmed.”

  “Somewhere warm for the winter,” hinted Maddy. “But I’ll be staying home. I’ll be too huge to move by then.”

  “So what are your plans for after this tour, Gary?” asked Lori, sipping her wine.

  “I thought I might come back to America with you guys for a few weeks. Tour about a bit. See New York. Stuff like that.”

  “You need to come to the band’s special Christmas show,” suggested Lori. “Have they told you about it?”

  “No,” he replied. “Please enlighten me.”

  “Rich and Jake made a deal with the principal that if he was authorising their six weeks leave that they had to come back and play a set at the school Christmas social.”

  The young manager threw back his head and laughed, “You’re pulling my leg?”

  “No,” said Maddy. “Full set.”

  “That could be fantastic for publicity.”

  “I think they want to keep it low key,” said Lori.

  “We could invite Scott along to film it,” suggested Maddy. “It would make a great end to the DVD.”

  “Perhaps,” agreed Gary. “A school dance? After the crowds they’ve played to here, they’re really going to play in a gym hall?”

  “Yup,” giggled Lori. “I can’t wait to see it.”

  “That settles it,” declared Gary, refilling his plastic cup. “I’m booking my flights over. I need to be at that gig.”

  “Well, you’re more than welcome to stay with us a few days,” invited Lori warmly. “And, if you’re needing somewhere to stay in New York, let me know. I can probably help you out there.”

  “Thanks. Appreciate it.”

  “Ok, boys and girls,” said Maddy. “I’m heading to my bunk. I need to get some sleep. Keep the partying down to a riot and I’ll see you all when we get to London.”

  “Night, Maddy,” said Lori, watching as her friend got awkwardly to her feet.

  Left alone, Gary topped up Lori’s plastic cup with some more wine.

  “Just a little,” she said, stopping him before he poured too much. “Doesn’t mix well with the pain meds I took earlier.”

  “You ok?” he asked, screwing the top back on the bottle. “Jake mentioned that you’d been in an accident a while back.”

  “I’m fine,” she assured him. “The last couple of days and the cold, damp weather have just caught up with me. I’ll be fine in the morning, I hope.”

  “Well, if there’s anything you need to help, just ask,” said Gary awkwardly.

  “Thank you, but I’m fine. Honestly. Unless you can magic up a new thigh bone without pins and screws in it,” joked Lori to lighten the atmosphere. “The one I’ve got is a bit of a wreck.”

  “Sorry. I can’t manage that, Mz Hyde.”

  Changing the subject, she asked what the itinerary looked like for the next day.

  “Good question,” replied Gary stretching out along the couch, filling the gap left by Maddy. “We should be in London for breakfast. The guys have interviews at the hotel in the morning. I think the first one is at ten. We’ll be at the venue around two. Sound check at three. Light meal around five then show time.”

  “And what have you planned for Jake’s birthday?”

  “Pardon?”

  “It’s Jake’s birthday tomorrow. Didn’t you know?”

  “Shit. I’d forgotten,” muttered Gary. “Guess I’m sourcing a cake and booking dinner for after the show. Shit. I can’t believe I forgot.”

  “Has Maddy sorted anything?”

  “She might have. I’ll need to go and ask her,” he said, getting up from the couch. “I’ll be right back.”

  Left alone in the bus’ downstairs lounge, Lori felt quite out of place. She could hear Jake and Rich playing upstairs and she could hear the drone of the play station game the others were playing. Stiffly, she got to her feet and headed over to the stairs. Very carefully, conscious of the movement of the bus, she climbed to the upper deck in search of Jake. When she reached the top and stepped out into the lounge, both Grey and Paul looked up fr
om their game and invited her to join them.

  “I was looking for Jake,” she said as she sat down beside them.

  “I’d leave them a few more minutes, Lori,” suggested Grey quietly. “Sounds like they’re almost done back there.”

  “I’ll wait here. I’m not fighting with those stairs again tonight,” said Lori bluntly. “They terrify me.”

  “Bad day?” asked Grey, nodding towards her leg.

  She nodded. “A Vicodin day.”

  “That bad?”

  “It’ll pass,” she answered quietly. “Had you guys remembered its Jake’s birthday tomorrow?”

  “Sure,” said Paul, looking up from the game. “Maddy’s got that all worked out. She’s booked dinner for after the show somewhere.”

  “I thought she’d be organised,” said Lori, silently relieved to hear that a celebration had been arranged.

  “I don’t think it’s anything major,” added Grey. “But there’s a big Weigh Station party the last night.”

  “I figured there would be,” laughed Lori, remembering previous end of tour parties she had attended. “I hope I feel human by then.”

  “You’ll be fine by then, li’l lady,” said Jake, who had just come through the door from the sleeping quarters. “Can I get anyone a drink? I’m going down to fetch a beer.”

  “Can you bring up my wine?” asked Lori. “I left it on the table.”

  By the time Jake came back upstairs with the wine and some beers, Rich had come back to join them. There was no sign of Gary but Rich said he’d gone to bed. It still felt weird to Lori to be relaxing with the band on a bus. She was so used to their gatherings being at the house. Jake settled down beside her with his arm casually draped across her shoulders. The five of them chatted until it was after midnight, telling stories of their trip, discussing their hopes for the future and also playfully teasing Paul about becoming a father.

  “Right. I’m calling it a day,” declared Grey with a yawn. “I need my beauty sleep, boys and girl.”

  “See you in the morning!”

  “I’m ready to turn in too,” confessed Lori.

  “Time we were all calling it a night,” agreed Jake, helping her to her feet. “Big show tomorrow night.”

  Cocooned in her bunk in the dark a short while later, Lori felt as though she was trapped in a coffin. Before settling down, she had taken another painkiller, not a strong one this time, and the ache in her leg was finally fading away. Knowing that Jake was in the bunk above her made her think of sleepovers she had gone to as a child, where her friend had had bunk beds. The memory made her smile. It made her wonder what Jake’s childhood had been like and how the relationship with his family had disintegrated so badly. She offered up a silent prayer that things would go smoothly when they finally met up with Simon in a few short hours. She must have drifted off to sleep, despite the feelings of claustrophobia, because the next thing she knew, Jake was gently shaking her awake.

  “Good morning, sleepy,” he said, kissing her tenderly. “We’re about forty five minutes out. Coffee’s on. Time to get up. The small lounge up front is empty. Might be easier to get dressed in there.”

  “What time is it?” she murmured.

  “Around seven,” he replied. “How’re you feeling this morning? Did you sleep?”

  “I’m fine. Pain’s settled down again, thank God,” replied Lori, as she carefully climbed out of the bunk. “I slept, but I felt like a vampire in there. It’s like sleeping in a casket!”

  Laughing as he helped her to her feet, Jake said, “It is a bit, but you get used to it.”

  “I’ll let you get used to it,” she muttered. “I’ll get used to hotel rooms.”

  Laughing, Jake hugged her tight and whispered, “I love you, li’l lady.”

  “Love you too, rock star,” she said, snuggling into his chest. “Happy birthday by the way.”

  “Thank you,” he replied, kissing her again. “Now go and get ready.”

  When they checked into the hotel later that morning Jake had to concede that this was preferable to the tour bus. While Lori sorted out their things in the room that was to be home for the next three nights, Jake went downstairs to join the rest of the band in the hotel’s bar/grille. Walking in to join the interview, late again, he painted on the public face and joined them at the table.

  “That’s another twenty,” hissed Grey under his breath.

  Before the interview was over, Jake spotted Lori enter the restaurant and take a seat a few tables away. The journalist noticed that he kept watching the other table and, when he realised who Jake was admiring, asked if Lori would perhaps talk to him about the album artwork.

  “I’ll ask her,” agreed Jake, slightly angered that the journalist was even asking. “But I’m not sure if she’ll do it.”

  As soon as the Silver Lake interview was complete, Jake excused himself and went over to ask Lori if she was prepared to give a short interview. At first she was a little hesitant, but, when Jake said he was heading off to do another interview for a music magazine, she agreed to talk to the journalist. Kissing her gently on the top of the head, Jake promised to meet her for lunch. He wandered back over to give the anxious reporter the good news then left for the next meeting with his fellow bandmates. A waitress brought a fresh round of coffee as the music journalist took a seat opposite Lori.

  “Thanks for agreeing to do this unarranged,” he said shaking her hand. “I’m Baz by the way.”

  “Pleased to meet you,” Lori replied, forcing a smile.

  “So how come you’re here with Silver Lake?” he asked directly. “Business or pleasure?”

  “Strictly pleasure until you sat down,” she joked, before adding, “Jake’s my partner. I flew in to catch the last couple of shows. Moral support and all that jazz.”

  “But you did the stage design for Weigh Station too, didn’t you? A foot in both camps, Mz Hyde?”

  “Yes. I guess you could say it’s the Mz Hyde show,” she giggled as she took a sip of her coffee. “I did the most recent artwork for both bands and both backdrops.”

  “We thought we’d seen the last of Mz Hyde about three years ago after the “Molton On Fire” cover work. What persuaded you to come back out of retirement?”

  Lori thought for a few moments before answering, “A change of circumstances. I retired Mz Hyde because I felt I’d achieved what I’d set out to do. The whole rock ’n’ roll scene isn’t really me and I’d done my fair share for about five years. It felt right to take a break from it. Move on while I was at the top of my game.” She paused to drink another mouthful of her coffee. “Late last year I was involved in a bad accident. It made me re-evaluate things. I moved out of New York while I was in recovery. I was more or less confined to the house for a while and I began to sketch again to pass the time. When I met Jake, I did a small design for him as a gift and, in the process, rediscovered my love for designing. That was about six months ago and it’s all snowballed from there.”

  “So is Mz Hyde back to stay?” asked Baz.

  “For now,” she replied with a smile. “I’ve a few projects in the pipeline for the start of the year. I’ve also designed a small jewellery collection to test the market. A friend is promoting that for me in New York.”

  “How did you meet Jake?” asked Baz, hoping to gain more material for his Silver Lake piece.

  “Too personal,” stated Lori with a calm stare.

  “Sorry,” he apologised, trying to mask his disappointment.

  “Have you been to any of the shows on the tour so far?”

  “Just one. I met up with them in Glasgow. I’m looking forward to seeing them play tonight when I’m not quite so jet lagged.”

  “And Weigh Station?”

  “I only saw part of their set so I’ll catch the whole thing tonight or tomorrow,” she replied. “What I saw was fantastic.”

  “What can the fans expect tonight?” asked the journalist.

  “From me?” laughed Lori. “
Nothing.” Still giggling, she added, “From the bands, they can expect a good night out. Almost three hours on stage between them. I have no idea if Weigh Station have anything special lined up, but tomorrow’s the last night of this leg of their tour so who knows. Dan likes to surprise his fans.”

  “And when can we expect to see something new from you?” asked Baz as a closing question.

  “Early next year. I’ve done the cover work for a country rock band and I think the album is due out mid-February.”

  “Thanks for your time, Mz Hyde,” he said warmly. “That was an added bonus for the day.”

  “Not a problem,” said Lori, relaxing a little now that the interview was over. “I was just going to be hanging around here anyway. That’s one thing that never ceases to amaze me. The amount of hanging about waiting for something to happen that goes on. Are you coming to the show?”

  “Tomorrow night,” he replied. “My girlfriend and I got the VIP package. We’ll be right down the front with any luck.”

  “Enjoy,” she said, getting to her feet and lifting her cane. “It’s been nice meeting you.”

  “Likewise, Mz Hyde,” said Baz, taking note of her cane.

  “Its Lori today,” she corrected. “I’m off duty. See you around.”

  Calmly she walked out of the restaurant towards the foyer, aware of the journalist’s eyes following her. With time to kill before her lunch date with Jake, Lori went back up to their room and got out her laptop. She hadn’t checked her emails since she had arrived so she spent a while going through them, then typed up a quick message to Lucy to let her know she was due to meet Simon in a few hours. With her inbox back in order, Lori got out her sketchpad and began to doodle. Before she realised, she had drawn a delicate trellis of flowers and it crossed her mind that it would make a pretty tattoo. Fingering the outline of her butterfly, she wondered if she would add to her own ink collection. The thought triggered another and she began to think about what else Jake could add to his personal art gallery.

  ♪

  All thoughts of tattoos and art were long gone by late afternoon. As planned, they had all travelled to the arena straight after lunch. She had barely seen Jake all afternoon as the Weigh Station team asked him to join their sound check before Silver Lake’s own rehearsal. At four o’clock she had called Simon as arranged but his phone went straight to voice mail. Quickly she left him a short message to say she would meet him at the TGI Friday’s next to the arena and that a table had been booked in the name of Hyde. Fifteen minutes later she picked up her jacket and bag, sent a quick text to Jake to say where she was going and, having checked she had her security pass and Simon’s, she slipped out of the arena complex. Already it was dark outside despite the flood lighting. As she made her way round to the front of the building, she could see the square outside was already filling up with Weigh Station fans. There were a few ticket touts offering tickets to those who were milling around. She reached the restaurant just before four thirty and was about to open the door when a tall gentleman reached out and opened it for her.