Life, Libby, and the Pursuit of Happiness

by Hope Lyda

  “Good woman. I know this is hard. First, I want you to know that I will not put Jude at risk either. You have to trust me. I didn’t give him a fair perspective before. I was jealous, basically.”

  “You were?” I sat back down. “You were jealous of Jude?”

  “Of course. First of Angus, then of Jude…once I saw the rocker image you seemed to gravitate toward, I thought I didn’t stand a chance.”

  “That’s so sweet!”

  “Jealousy isn’t so sweet. I don’t like to be that kind of guy.”

  “Don’t ever be that kind of guy again. But now that we’ve cleared the air…I can say that I forgive you, and you’re pretty darn wonderful to also want to help Cecilia. She hasn’t exactly made your life easy, either. But what can we do that won’t destroy Torrid in the process, not to mention destroy Pan’s chance at that funding?”

  “I’m glad you asked. Come in!” Blaine called toward the door.

  “Nobody knocked,” I said, turning to look at the door just as Levi walked in. “Oh, boy. I smell a new plan. Pastor Levi, are you always in the middle of such controversy?”

  “Not since my band days. And please call me Levi. I’m not much into titles.”

  “What did you find out?” Blaine asked as Levi took a seat across from us in my papasan chair. To me, Blaine explained, “Levi spoke with a friend of his who works with FreeTime records.”

  I shook my head.

  “Don’t worry, Libby. I didn’t reveal anything. However, I did get some good news. Remedying all of this may be quite simple. Tyler, my old friend and contact at FreeTime, shared some reassuring information. I told him I was concerned for my friends Ray and Trevor that maybe FreeTime would have it in for them with the approaching contract deadline. And he said that FreeTime has hired a big gun, which we happen to know is Paulo, to pursue a lawsuit against Ray and Trevor to hold them to the contract, but that it was all really a ploy to get Jude to surface.” Levi sat back as though that explained everything.

  “Why is this good? Of course they want him to surface. They want to sue him.”

  “No. They want Torrid to be up and running. Everything they’ve done has been to draw Jude out from hiding. They have no intention of destroying the potential of this group. If Jude doesn’t come out of the woodwork, then Ray and Trevor will be held accountable for the broken contract, but that isn’t their focus.”

  This still didn’t add up. “Help me out here, Levi. FreeTime hired Paulo, who hired Cecilia…so FreeTime knows Jude has surfaced. Cecilia has had him indirectly in her custody for weeks now. If Tyler is telling the truth about what they want from all this, then they already have it. There would be no reason to threaten with the lawsuit. FreeTime has a band they are going to promote big time…to replace Torrid basically. Isn’t that what they want?”

  “That’s yet another ploy to draw Jude out. Tyler even mentioned it. There is no band. They are trying every angle possible to get the group back together. They figured Jude and his ego would not allow for another band to steal their tour schedule and their fan base.”

  “But they have Jude. Cecilia has him in her apartment right now.”

  “You’re forgetting two very important things. One…we know Jude and the bandmates made up, but FreeTime does not. They assume there would be loads of bad blood between them all and that the pending lawsuit will unite them out of fear and financial obligation.”

  “Makes sense,” said Blaine. “What’s the second thing?”

  “How do lawyers make money?”

  “Lawsuits,” I said.

  “Litigation,” Blaine corrected.

  “Exactly. Paulo and Cecilia are acting out of their best interest. And in their best interest, Jude would not surface in time, would not have a chance to reunite, and Paulo could go ahead with legal action against Torrid.”

  I gasped. “FreeTime doesn’t know about Jude?”

  Levi shook his head. “I’m sure they don’t. Tyler is high up, and he was honestly certain that it looked like this would go the way of litigation.”

  “Oh, my. Paulo and Cecilia…what are they going to do with Jude?”

  “They won’t cause him physical harm. But I think they’ll go to the event tonight, present Ray and Trevor with the lawsuit in front of the media, bask in the glory of the attention, return to Cecilia’s and tell Jude that they tried to negotiate with Ray and Trevor but that they want nothing to do with him…and then make up some story about how they will help Jude by sending him back in to hiding. And of course…that is exactly what would help them, not Jude.”

  “This is exhausting!” I screamed.

  Blaine patted me on the back. “I’m seeing how this is the best case scenario for us. As soon as Pan stands up there and presents her documentary, the whole world will know that Jude and the band are reunited and Paulo and Cecilia’s plan will be moot.”

  I started to breathe at a more regular rate. “Okay. That works. So we’re good? We’re good. And Torrid will get their second chance without any trouble from FreeTime. The only problem is saving Cecilia. Although the more we learn the less deserving this woman appears to be.”

  “Maybe this time, she’ll use a second chance for good,” Levi said in a pastoral tone. “Everything can go as planned, except we’ll pull Cecilia out of that media moment tonight. The industry knows Paulo and some probably remember Cecilia. There’s no way their presence will go unrecorded. Cecilia’s going to look bad no matter what.”

  “The only solution is to keep her away from the event,” Blaine said.

  I laughed. “She’s been plotting for months. You can’t keep her away.”

  “What does Cecilia love more than she loves Paulo?” Levi asked.

  I thought a few seconds. “Attention. Flattery. Herself?”

  “And that’s exactly what will trap her. It’s for her own good.”

  “She won’t see it that way.”

  “She will in time,” Levi promised.

  “How do you trap a trapper?” I asked my puzzle without having the answer.

  “We’ll have someone call her posing as a reporter and say that an informant at FreeTime revealed she’s behind this monumental lawsuit. They’ll ask to do an advance research interview and photo shoot with her today so that they can emphasize her rather than Paulo when the story breaks tonight or tomorrow.”

  “We don’t have time to do a photo shoot,” I said, dismissing all this work.

  “Stay with us, Libby. There won’t be a shoot. We’re telling her this so she will ask Paulo to go on ahead without her tonight. She’ll slip away on her own to meet the reporter, and the reporter will detain her until this is all over.”

  “And this is doing her a favor?” I asked jokingly. “Who plays the reporter in this off-off-Broadway production?”

  “Newton,” Levi said confidently.

  “She’ll take one look at him and leave.”

  “May I?” Levi pointed toward the coffeepot. I got up to pour him a cup so he’d continue. “I’ll be with Newton too. Cecilia knows me and knows my ties to the industry. Newton will explain that I am there to provide juicy details about Ray and Trevor. We’ll do a mock interview, detain her, and then when the time is running out, we’ll offer to take her to the event, but of course we won’t. We’ll pretend to get lost or whatever it takes to keep her far from the scene.”

  “What if she really loves Paulo. This would end things.”

  Levi smiled sweetly. “I love that you thought of that, Libby. But the man would have used her as his scapegoat once this all fell apart.”

  This did seem possible. It really was as simple as detaining Cecilia. “Unless this reporter is supposed to be from Hobo Monthly, Newton had better borrow one of Blaine’s suits.”

  Forty-Five

  When Jude walked through my door, I hugged him. I was so relieved that he’d made it out of Cecilia’s apartment with all of his belongings and with his life. Frankly, after Levi revealed the actual plan behind the plan,
I feared that Cecilia and Paulo would resort to physically harming Jude. Or holding him captive.

  “That’s quite a greeting! It’s only been a day, Libby.”

  “I hated the idea of you in Cecilia’s control.”

  “So did I.” He took off the old disguise of a cowboy hat and I took a long look at my friend. He was dressed in a pair of very expensive designer jeans and a tight, knit black sweater. A large platinum ring flashed. “How is this for a return-to-life outfit?”

  “Perfect. How did it go?”

  “As planned. Although Cecilia left the apartment over a couple hours ago. I didn’t think she’d leave me unattended like that, but of course she thinks I’m relying on her to make my return happen. She took a call, spent an hour getting dressed, and headed out. Oh, and she said to stay away from her expensive almonds and to stay put until she and a friend returned later to tell me the rest of the plan.”

  I smiled at the confirmation that Cecilia had taken the bait. I’d decided not to tell Jude the rest of the story. He had too much riding on tonight, and I didn’t want to raise his level of concern.

  He continued. “I was able to sneak a call in to Pan. She knows this will be my first sober appearance in a long, long time.”

  “I didn’t think about that.”

  “I’ve been so eager to return to the creative process that I didn’t think about it much, either. I can’t wait to start building a solid foundation here in Seattle. No more hiding behind a life that was never my purpose to begin with.”

  I knew the feeling. “Let’s not keep your new life waiting.”

  Levi had arranged for someone from EMP to let me and my guest in through a back door. We headed to the closed-off Dylan display, where we could see the presentation stage and also stay hidden from the view of the growing crowd. The place was packed with supporters of the competition and those curious about Ray and Trevor.

  “I have butterflies and I don’t have to do anything,” I said, wringing my hands.

  “You should’ve come to this event with Blaine and just enjoyed it as a date. There was no need to have you babysit me. I’m good, really. Is it too late to call him?”

  “He thought it best to keep representation from Reed and Dunson to a minimum.”

  Jude laughed openly. He was a completely different person in such a short time. “That’s wise of him. You know you got yourself a very good man, Libby.”

  “He is great, isn’t he? I can’t wait to be in a real, grown-up relationship.”

  “I feel the same about Pan. Maybe grown-up love only happens when you’re ready for it.”

  “Well, that and we probably missed out on it a few times when we weren’t ready for it.”

  “True. Look, there’s Pan. Isn’t she pretty?”

  “She is. Oh, and there’s Angus…with Ariel. That’s going to take some getting used to.”

  “Ariel and I had quite a good conversation at your birthday party. I could see her and Angus hitting it off. I think she’s ready for her own grown-up love.”

  “And maybe Angus is too. After this past week, I saw him in a new light.”

  While the emcee discussed the rules of the competition and the importance of the Experience Music Project, Jude and I roamed around the Dylan display, reading pages of lyrics and examining articles. “This is what being a musician is about. Dylan was a wordsmith who connected with people’s stories and lives. Do you think I’ll get there?”

  “From the sound of ‘Mortal Life,’ I think you are there, Jude.”

  “I invited Mr. Diddle. I hope he’ll come.”

  “I’ll bet he does. That man took a liking to you right away. Everyone does. Hey, can a good guy last in this business?”

  “Apparently he can,” Jude said, pointing to a photo of Dylan.

  “Apparently.”

  A loud round of applause drew us back to the railing where we stood to watch the show. I saw Paulo right off. He was just to the right of the judges’ area…the perfect spot to pounce on Ray and Trevor once the award show was over. Paulo checked his watch several times, clearly becoming aggravated at Cecilia’s absence.

  The first two presenters were already seated back in the audience. That left two, including Pan. “I’d better get back down to the stage area. Do you think I can get away with it with the cowboy hat?”

  “You might get beat up, but you won’t be mistaken for Jude Shea.”

  “Wish me luck. We’ll talk soon.” He gave me another quick hug and headed down the stairs. I considered joining the crowd after a few minutes but decided the best view was right here. Another round of applause kicked in for the next to the last presenter as he stepped down, leaving only Pan on stage. She looked excited and poised.

  The emcee quickly shuffled over to the microphone. “Now we welcome our final presenter. Pandora Garrett has been in the film and production industry for more than twelve years. Her documentary on Seattle’s education system was honored with the Morrison Film award last year. This year we are pleased to have her introduce the last submission of the evening. Pandora Garrett, everyone.”

  The crowd responded with a polite clapping. Little did they know that Pan was about to introduce the biggest news possible. She walked across the stage to the mic stand. She took a moment and then said, “Thank you. I know you’re all eager for the after party. The creators of tonight’s event have a wonderful gala prepared, so I’ll get right to it. My documentary, if funded…” Pan paused and glanced over to the judges and smiled. The crowd laughed as she said, “…is called Music Transformed. Seattle is recognized for its ability to give birth to music that transforms the industry and each generation. Our musicians are known for bucking trends and evolving not to suit the corporate industry, but to make statements, change that corporate industry, and set the stage for new sounds and new experiences. Without any further explanation, I bring you my documentary short. Tonight, you as an audience will be a part of a transforming moment in music history.”

  Pan positioned a remote in her hand toward a projector and the screen went black, then gray, and then the black-and-white image of the church sanctuary appeared in focus. I watched the perplexed faces of the crowd. A few folks walked toward the back, no doubt planning to be the first in line for the party.

  The darkened images of two men walking to the front of the sanctuary gave an eerie feel. The camera remained far enough back and the focus was loose enough that nobody would know the two men were Ray and Trevor. Their voices were low and inaudible. Trevor got in position behind the drums and Ray strapped on a guitar. They played the beginning of a famous Torrid song and the crowd did a double take to the judges’ table. Ray and Trevor kept their eyes fixed on the screen, so the crowd followed their cue. On film, the two stopped playing. But the sound of a guitar off-camera began. The camera panned over to the sole guitar player’s hands in motion. I recognized the song as ‘Mortal Life.’ For a minute the audience watched the player’s deft handling of the guitar strings. When he stopped, the camera pulled back to reveal the face of Jude Shea and the crowd went crazy.

  From two stories away, I had to plug my ears with my fingers. I started laughing with absolute happiness as I watched a black cowboy hat make its way through the crowd and back behind the stage. In the commotion, Ray and Trevor also snuck back behind the curtain. People were yelling, “Be quiet!” as Jude began to talk on screen.

  I quickly scanned the back of the crowd for the distinguished gray hair of Paulo. As I suspected, he was heading for the main exit doors.

  Pan’s interview with the band captured the complete attention of everyone in that room. Those who had shifted to the other area had returned to catch the momentous recording of Torrid’s reunion. The film short ended with the same shot of Jude as in the opening—only his hands and a portion of the guitar were in view and the faint beginnings of ‘Mortal Life’ were heard. Pan raised her hand and the remote once again and the film screen began its rise up into the rafters. In its wake stood the thr
ee members of Torrid. Jude continued playing in sync with where the film version left off. Chills were rushing up and down my spine. It was so exciting to watch the perfect way for Jude to make his return unfold. Tears stung my eyes and I let them fall gladly.

  Some guy I didn’t know on the next level down yelled up at me, “Shall we join them below?”

  “You go on without me!” I said, laughing and clapping along. I couldn’t wait to call Blaine and tell him he missed the show of the year.

  Forty-Six

  My alarm went off right next to my ear. I jumped out of bed and hurried to the closet, where I had my outfit for this morning hung up on the back of the door. I wasn’t nervous anymore, only excited about what this choice would mean for me.

  I dressed and primped in a record fifteen minutes and had plenty of time to eat a scone and sip some fresh coffee before Blaine knocked on the door.

  “Good morning,” I greeted the handsome man in a breathtaking suit.

  “You’ve been posted,” he said, pulling a sticky note from my door.

  I read the note aloud. “Cecilia safe, sound, and roarin’ mad. Is this the Sunday you break your routine? More later. —Levi.”

  “Did you tell him we were planning to go to church today?” I asked.

  “Nope. This is good news about Cecilia.” He started quietly laughing.

  “What?”

  “I wish I could’ve seen Newton struggling through a fake interview for an hour. That had to be something. It was probably even a better show than your Jude put on. No offense. I know you told me how fabulous it was last night.”

  “It was amazing. Pan outdid herself and so did the band. Oh, and Paulo was so mad. You should’ve seen him storm out of there. I hope he doesn’t try to reach Cecilia.”

  “I did get a call last night that I forgot to mention to you,” Blaine said, looking guilty.

  “What? You need to confess before we go to church.”

  “We aren’t Catholic.”

  “Are you trying to get out of honesty?”

  “Levi called me last night and said that Cecilia worked herself up in to such a fit that she hyperventilated. They had to take her to the hospital and admit her.”