The Essential Jagged Ivory (Jagged Ivory Boxed Set)

by Lashell Collins

  Picking up the discarded box, she lugged it into the kitchen to dispose of it ,and as she was returning to the living room, her phone rang. She was a popular girl tonight. She picked up her phone and looked at the caller ID and smiled.

  “Hi Mike,” she answered brightly, only to hear him let out a heavy and annoyed sigh. And she knew he was probably rolling his eyes at her too. The thought made her smile even more.

  “Mercy, what is it going to take to make you call me Dad consistently?” he asked.

  “I don't know,” she shrugged. “You might try bribery.”

  “Bribery? That's nice! I don't know where you learn these things from,” he said, and Mercy could hear his smile.

  “All that money you shelled out for a good college education really paid off, huh?”

  “Yeah, tell me about it,” he answered. “So, how's your move going? You settling in okay?”

  “Yep. It's gone pretty smoothly. Of course, it helps that all I really had were my clothes and a bunch of books and stuff. No real furniture to speak of just coming out of a dorm.”

  “Still, is that boyfriend of yours helping with the heavy lifting?”

  Mercy rolled her eyes at his inflection and smiled. “Yes, Dad. Noah has done all the heavy lifting.”

  “Well, good. Listen, I wanted to talk to you about something,” he said, growing suddenly serious. “First … tell me how your first month at work has been? You liking the job okay?”

  “Yes, I like it. Everybody seems friendly enough. And it's interesting.”

  “Mmm hmm. That sounded convincing.”

  “No, really,” Mercy insisted. “I'm enjoying it.”

  “Yeah? What about your boss? How's he treating you?”

  “Oh, him,” Mercy said in an ominous tone. “Well … he can be sort of an ass sometimes.”

  “Hey! I think your boss has been very good to you,” Mike countered, and Mercy laughed.

  “Yes, you're right. My boss has been pretty great,” she admitted with a smile.

  “Okay. Now that we got that cleared up … it leads me to the real reason I'm calling. I know that in addition to your wonderful photography skills, you also have a little experience with web design, don't you?”

  “Yes, a very little,” Mercy answered with a puzzled frown. “I mean, I took a few graphic design courses, but …”

  “But you know enough to maintain and add content to an existing website, yes?”

  “Well, sure, I know how to do that but …”

  “Good. Because I know you've only officially been on the payroll for one month, but as your boss, I'd like to offer you a new position.”

  “What?” Mercy asked, her puzzled frown growing deeper.

  “You see, as per our contract … part of our job as Jagged Ivory's management team is to oversee their official website. And, I don't know if you've ever checked out their official website before but, it could use a serious overhaul. It's been a little stale and hum-drum lately. The traffic stats are way below what they should be. In fact, they're way below the numbers your blog tour journal was pulling in over the summer. And with the success of your tour journal, I believe that you have the necessary skill set and the passion to turn their website into a place their fans will want to visit and spend time in. I'm offering you the Webmaster position, overseeing that site.”

  “Seriously?” Mercy could hear the surprise in her own voice.

  “Yes, seriously. I'd like to transfer the tour journal. All of it – the pictures, the videos and each of your posts – from your blog to their website. And I want you to work with our outside web design team to oversee that process, and eventually take over the reins of maintaining it. Then, I'd like for you to continue on with the tour journal. Which would mean you continuing on with the remainder of JI's Thank Heaven tour.”

  Mercy stood in her new living room in shock. Was Mike for real?

  “Mercy? Sweetheart, are you still there?”

  “Yes, I'm here but … are you serious about this?”

  “Well, of course, I'm serious,” Mike answered her. “That site is a mess and it needs to be dealt with. And I believe you're more than capable of handling it. You proved that with your blog this summer. And I know you enjoyed taking pictures of the band, on and off the stage. The fans loved reading your blog. And this would give you the opportunity to pursue the whole rock photography thing, and get paid for it! I thought you would jump at this chance,” Mike finished with a frown.

  “I am jumping,” she exclaimed, and Mike smiled.

  “Does that mean you accept the job?”

  “Yes! I accept! But, Mike … why are you really doing this? You could hire anyone to maintain the JI website. I'm sure there's someone in your company more qualified than I am for this position.”

  “There might be someone more technically qualified for this position, that's true,” Mike said. “But I can guarantee you they don't have your passion for this band. I didn't create this position out of thin air for you. That's not what's going on here. But I did search for a job within my company that I thought you might love. And I found a hole that needed to be filled. A position that you're perfect for; one I think you'll thrive in. But you convinced me of that with the tour journal, honey. You won this job on your own merits, okay? Not because you're my daughter. If this thing continues to do well, we could have you shooting pictures and starting tour journals for our other music clients. ”

  “Thanks, Dad,” Mercy whispered.

  “You're welcome. Besides … haven't you figured out by now that I will do just about anything to put a smile on your face? Even searching for a way that my company can help make your dream job a reality.”

  “You're really something else, you know that?” Mercy asked.

  “I'll see you bright and early in the morning. I want you to meet the guy that designed JI's website. We'll get going on this transfer thing right away so that it'll be up and running by the time the next leg of the tour starts, alright?”

  “Okay. I can't wait,” Mercy exclaimed as the doorbell sounded. “Oh, Dad, I have to go. There's someone at the door. But I'm so excited! I can't wait to get started!”

  “I'm excited too. You have a good night, sweetheart.”

  They hung up and Mercy grabbed the wallet out of her purse and rushed to the door. She briefly looked down at her attire and rolled her eyes. Oh well, the delivery guy was about to get a cheap thrill. She opened up the door to the teenage pizza delivery man, expecting to make his night.

  “Hi!” Mercy smiled at him as she took in his tall, lanky frame and poor posture. He had heavy acne and a head full of stringy, blonde hair.

  “Uh, hi,” he said distractedly, holding their pizza hostage. “I have a large supreme with pineapple.”

  “Yep. What do I owe you,” Mercy smiled. And she got a curious look on her face as she watched the kid straining to look past her, clearly trying to see into the house. “Hey,” she said loudly, trying to get his attention. “Can I have my pizza please?”

  “Oh, man. I'm sorry. That'll be seventeen twenty-two,” he said, looking at her apologetically and then glancing past her once more. “Um … I've delivered to this house before. I saw Noah Ivory here once. Some big, bodyguard-looking dude answered the door though; he was huge! Does Noah Ivory live here?”

  A coy smile crossed Mercy's face at the kid's question. She didn't answer him as she rooted through her wallet for a twenty dollar bill.

  “Hey, I think I know you too! You're that chick that followed 'em on tour and posted all those pics and videos online, right?” he asked very excitedly. “Oh, man! I saw on one of those gossip sites that you two are like a couple now! Noah Ivory does live here, doesn't he? Man, he's the whole reason I started playing guitar!”

  “Keep the change,” Mercy said as she handed him the cash. She took the pizza and slowly shut the door. But not before she heard the kid scream.

  “Jagged Ivory rocks, man!”

  Mercy couldn't help her laug
hter. And then she slowly shook her head. “I open the door wearing my underwear. But the kid's too busy trying to catch a glimpse of my boyfriend to even notice me. Unbelievable!”

  She set the pizza down on the coffee table, and then ventured into the kitchen to refill her wine glass. Grabbing a couple of cloth napkins from the drawer on her way back to the living room, she set the things down and then wandered back into the bedroom.

  “Hey, what's taking you so long?” she asked. “Dinner's here.”

  “I'm sorry, baby. You might just want to go ahead and eat without me,” Noah said apologetically. “I got out of the shower and had to grab a sheet of paper to scribble this line of lyrics down. But then when I did, they all just started to gush, like a tidal wave or something. And I know a melody can't be far behind.”

  Mercy smiled at him as his attention went back to the sheet of paper on his lap. Seated completely naked on the bed – save for the towel still wrapped around his waist – he looked intense, and sexy as hell. She had seen his creative process up close and personal before, and it always intrigued her. It stopped him in his tracks sometimes, and when it did, he had to give it his full attention. She turned and walked back to the living room, picked up the pizza box and her wine glass, and carried them into the bedroom.

  “What are you doing?” he asked with a distracted frown as she placed the box in the middle of the bed and climbed onto the bed beside him.

  “Bringing dinner to you,” she smiled, opening the pizza box and placing a napkin beside him.

  He smiled at her, and then leaned over to kiss her deeply for a moment. “I love you, Mercy Holland,” he whispered, looking into her eyes.

  “I love you too, Noah Ivory.”

  The End.

  Visit http://jaggedivory.com to immerse yourself in the Jagged Ivory experience!

  Jagged Dreams

  Prologue

  Most everyone was sleeping. It had been a long flight, and an even longer tour leg. Performing live to packed arenas and stadiums was the greatest thrill in the world. But it was going to be nice to get back home and be in his own place, even if it was only for a month and a half. It would be like recharging his batteries, or renewing his mind and his spirit. He smiled to himself because he knew that was something Donna would say. “Sometimes we all need to renew our spirits, babe.”

  Cory's smile grew bigger as he thought about her. She was always such a positive person. He loved that about her. Hell, he loved everything about her. Like her head full of blonde curls that bounced and danced around her shoulders, and her soft green eyes that always drew him in. And the way her nose crinkled when she talked. And he loved her easy-going, laid back attitude, her happy, upbeat outlook on life. Their personalities meshed well, and Donna was always saying that the reason they were so perfect together is because they were like two halves of the same person. Maybe she was right. Cory wasn't sure about that. All he knew for certain is that he loved that woman more than life itself. And he was ready to prove it.

  He felt Noah stir in the seat beside him and looked over to see his best friend stretching and rubbing his eyes with the butt of his hands. Noah yawned, making it all but impossible for Cory not to do the same.

  “Where are we?” Noah asked, looking past him and out of one of the small, round windows of the band's private jet.

  “I don't know,” Cory answered, finishing his own yawn and feeling tired all of a sudden. He watched as Noah motioned to the stewardess, asking her for some cold orange juice.

  “Certainly Mr. Ivory. And anything for you, Mr. Dutton?” she asked politely.

  “I'll take some water, please.”

  “Man, it feels weird not seeing Benji on this plane,” Noah mumbled, glancing around at Otis and Buzzy's sleeping figures. Cory knew that Noah was still a little shaken up over the overdose and near death of their bandmate. All the guys were concerned, but Noah had been the one who had found Benji passed out on that cold bathroom floor in England and performed CPR to save his life. Cory suspected that incident would probably stick with Noah for a long time to come.

  “Yeah, I know. At least we know he's taking rehab seriously this time though,” Cory offered. “And hopefully, he'll be good as new and ready to rock by the time we hit the road again at the end of the summer.”

  Noah nodded as the stewardess brought them their drinks. Cory took a sip of his water as he watched his friend. Then he smiled at him.

  “Hey. So how are things with you and Mercy? That looked like a really long goodbye the other day. Looked like you didn't want to let go of her. So tell me … is your former mystery girl the one?” he asked with a grin, talking about Noah's new girlfriend, whom he had spent the last four years writing songs about. Noah looked down into his glass of juice with an almost bashful smile, and Cory was shocked when a faint blush actually stole over his olive skin. “Shit, man. You are so far gone it's not even funny!”

  Noah laughed at his words and nodded his head. Glancing up at him, he said, “We decided she's moving in with me once we get home.”

  “Oh yeah?”

  “Yep. I'd like to have her all settled in before we get back on the road.”

  “And Mike's okay with that?” Cory asked, referring to Mike Holland, the band's manager and Mercy's dad. He hadn't been too happy when he first found out his little girl had fallen in love with their lead guitarist. Cory would never forget the sight of the two men fighting in Noah's hotel room when their little secret was revealed.

  Noah shrugged. “You know, once he calmed down and accepted the fact that Mercy and I are in love and we want to be together, he really hasn't been too bad. I mean, I was seriously expecting another punch in the face when Mercy and I started sharing hotel rooms during the last half of those European tour dates, but he never batted an eye.”

  “Well maybe he finally realized his little girl is a grown woman,” Cory smiled. “I'm happy for you, man. Mercy's a great girl.”

  “Yes, she is. And I can't wait to see her. I wish she had come home with us instead of flying back with Mike two days ago.”

  “Yeah, I know what you mean,” Cory responded. “I wish Donna had stayed longer too, but she had to get back to finish taping on Model for Murder.” It was Donna's hit TV series where she played a supermodel who solves murder mysteries each week, and it was wildly popular. They were currently in the process of filming their fourth season and the ratings were always near the top of the rankings, making Donna a household name.

  “You two seem solid as ever,” Noah commented as he took a sip of his juice.

  “We are,” Cory confirmed with a nod of his head. “In fact, I'm gonna show you just how solid.” He set his glass of water down on the table in front of them and reached into the inside pocket of his jacket as Noah watched. Then he pulled out a small navy blue box with gold lettering on the top, and Noah's eyebrows shot straight for the heavens.

  “Is that what I think it is?”

  Cory nodded his head in pride as a slow smile swept over his face. “Yep. I picked it up when we were in France.” He opened up the box and gave Noah a peek of the large, emerald-shaped diamond. “Four carats. As soon as I see her today, I'm getting down on one knee.”

  Noah smiled at him. “Wow. Congratulations, man!”

  “Thank you,” Cory beamed. Noah stared at him for a moment and then shook his head with a chuckle. “What?”

  Noah shrugged his shoulders with that same bashful smile as before. “I don't know. Mercy's moving in … Benji's getting clean … you're getting married. You think the boys of Jagged Ivory are finally growing up a little bit?”

  “I sure as hell hope so, man,” Cory smirked. “It's about time we all stopped acting like a bunch of drunken delinquents and started acting like grown-ups, don't you think?”

  Noah laughed out loud at his comment. Then he looked over at Otis and Buzzy, saying, “Now if we could only straighten out those two!”

  Chapter One

  It was eerily quiet as she walke
d from room to room, her three-inch heels clicking along the blonde hardwood floors as she went. She wasn't certain why she felt the need to walk through the house. She supposed it was because she felt a sort of morbid need to say goodbye to it. Or maybe it was because she needed to look around and see the memories, feel them and breathe them and relive them, here in this place where they had happened, one last time. Every room was special. Each one held its own perfect little piece of her heart. Like the dining room where they had celebrated their first family Thanksgiving together with her parents and his mom and sisters. Or the kitchen where he fixed her a cup of chai tea every morning before she left for the set. Or the game room where his gold and platinum records hung on the wall and her two Emmy awards sat on the fireplace mantle. Even the backyard where they often made love under the stars in a lounger by the pool. She loved this place almost as much as she loved him.

  Continuing her walk through, she spent considerable time in the master suite, just standing at the end of the bed and staring at it as she watched the ghosts of two people so happy and so much in love. They were beautiful and buoyant. So optimistic about the future. So lucky they had found one another. She stood there until the nausea washed over her in a huge swell, like the tide rolling in at sunset, and she suddenly couldn't take it anymore. With a fluttering stomach and a heavy heart, she turned and exited the bedroom, ignoring the series of black and white photographs of the smiling bride and groom lining the wall as she left.

  Walking down the hallway, she made her way into the large living room and stood alone, glancing around at the beautifully decorated space. They had chosen the furnishings together. Neutral oatmeal for the walls and the carpeting, blonde wood for the flooring and cabinetry, and various shades of blue for the furniture, the abstract art on the walls, and the knick-knacks. It was a calm and happy color pallet and they both loved it. So much, in fact, that they had chosen to use those same colors in varying themes throughout the entire house.