Love Songs

by Constance Bretes

* * * *

  Jennifer mulled over what to have for her meal with Jake that night. She finally decided to make baked lasagna with homemade garlic bread and a salad. She prepared the meal and then put it in the refrigerator until tonight when she would bake it. She made her lasagna special and hoped Jake liked it.

  After rehearsal, she told Jake, “I’m going home to fix the concoction you think I’m making for you, so I expect you to be there by seven-thirty.”

  “Okay, ma’am.” He saluted her and the band members started laughing.

  When Jake arrived at Jennifer’s home, he followed her to the kitchen. “What are we having for dinner?” he asked.

  “We’re having homemade lasagna with garlic bread and salad.” The small dinette set in her kitchen was set and ready for the food.

  He came up behind her and moved her hair aside, then kissed her and nibbled on her earlobe and her neck while she diced up the lettuce for the salad.

  In between the kisses, he said, “I have to say I’m impressed, Jenn. I never thought you would be one to cook a meal. Are you sure you didn’t buy that lasagna from the store and just reheat it?”

  “No, I did not…you!” She playfully poked him with her finger.

  She handed Jake the salad and dressing to put on the table, then reached in the oven and pulled out the lasagna and garlic bread. They took a seat at the table and ate their salad while they waited for the lasagna to cool down.

  “How is your chest now after being shot? Are you still experiencing pain or discomfort?” Jennifer asked.

  Jake took a mouthful of salad, chewed, and swallowed. He took a drink of ice tea to wash it down, and then he answered her. “It bothers me occasionally, especially if I’m tired. The bullet hit a couple of vital organs, and there was a lot of damage. What really bugs me though is that they never found the person responsible. The sheriff is still investigating, but basically, the case has kind of gone cold I guess. Each time I leave the casino I look around to see if anyone is standing nearby looking suspicious. I don’t have any desire to go through that again.”

  “I don’t blame you. It must be awful to have to be suspicious and always looking over your shoulder to see if someone is going to shoot you again.” I know what that’s like. Jennifer smiled sadly.

  After they ate their salads, Jennifer got up to get the lasagna and bread and brought it to the table. Jake scooped out a large plateful and took a bite. “Jenn, this is delicious,” he said around a mouthful of lasagna.

  She could tell by the expression on his face that he was telling the truth. She was pleased he liked it. “I told you I could cook.”

  “How many layers does this have?”

  “It’s a seven layer cheesy delight.”

  “Wow. You made the garlic bread too?”

  “I brought a loaf of baguette bread, rubbed garlic on it, and roasted it in the oven.”

  As they ate dinner Jake said, “This house sure brings back memories, doesn’t it? When your parents lived here they entertained almost every night. I used to follow you around like a lost puppy back in those days.” He smiled.

  “Yes, I have many happy memories here, which is why I don’t really know what I’m going to do with it yet.”

  “Well, if you want to stay and continue singing with the band, the job is yours. I’d love to have you back on a permanent basis.”

  “Singing with your band has always been great, Jake. How come you never went any further than New Mexico?”

  “Most of us have regular jobs to do. Vincent and I are both active at the casino on a full time basis, and Rosie and Jon have a business to run. Calvin is married with a young family and works full time with the orchestra. Bruce is the only one that’s really free, and yet he’s trying to hook up with Vincent’s younger sister. We’re not brave enough to get outside our comfort zone and go to other states to play, although we have talked about it from time to time. Who knows, maybe if you decide to stay with White Sands, with your popularity and all, we’ll feel braver and take that next step.”

  “It’s a scary step to take, that’s for sure.”

  “Do you get nervous before going out on stage?”

  She never used to be nervous until Tom Rutherford started stalking her. “Not too much,” she answered.

  After they ate their fill, they rinsed off the dishes and put them in the dishwasher. Jennifer turned the lights on, dimming them along the deck and pool, and walked with Jake out to the deck.

  “Hmm, that water looks inviting,” Jake remarked. They walked up to the edge of the pool. He reached out to pull her into his arms, but she managed to escape his grasp.

  “Oh, no you don’t.” She darted away from him.

  “What?” Jake gave her a fake look of shock and a mocking smile.

  As he reached for her again she gleefully squealed and ran from him to the other end of the pool. Jake came up fast behind her, chuckling as she put her hands up in defense. He grabbed her and drew her toward the pool.

  “Don’t you want to take a nice dip in the pool, Jenn?”

  “I think we need swimsuits on to do that,” she said.

  “Oh, I don’t know about that,” Jake retorted.

  He finally got his arms around her and started kissing her. She responded to his kisses breathlessly. As his hands moved up and down her back, each touch set off a barrage of tingling excitement and sensual feelings within her.

  Slowly, he edged her toward the pool until they stood right next to it. She turned so that Jake’s back faced the pool. She gingerly brought her arms around to his chest and gave him a shove. He fell backward into the pool and came up from the water sputtering. He swam to the side of the pool to get out then made a beeline toward her. She laughed as he caught up with her.

  Grinning wolfishly, he said, “It’s your turn now.”

  “You asked for it, Jake, trying to toss me in the pool. I know you too well.” She giggled as Jake picked her up and hoisted her over his shoulder.

  Just as he tossed her in the pool, she grabbed him by the neck and they both went colliding in. They came up from the water breathless and laughing. He lifted her up on to the side of the pool and she bent down to kiss him on his mouth. He responded by claiming her lips as his own.

  After a heady kiss, he pulled back. “You’re chilled. Let’s get you out of these wet clothes.”

  “A plight that’s all your fault,” Jennifer responded playfully.

  Inside the back door was a room where extra towels were stored, and Jennifer reached in, grabbed two towels, and they wiped themselves down. Jennifer went to her parents’ bedroom, pulled her father’s bathrobe from the dresser, and handed it to Jake. She went into her own bedroom and removed the wet clothes to put on her own bathrobe. She took Jake’s clothes and hers to the dryer.

  Jake lifted Jennifer and carried her to her bedroom.

  Chapter 14

  Tom climbed up into a tree at the end of the property line to watch the couple. First, he saw Jennifer come home, and then a man showed up. A different one this time. Tom pulled his high-powered binoculars out to get a closer look, and he couldn’t believe what he saw. He almost dropped his binoculars. He could have sworn that he killed this man two years ago. What the hell? It looked like she had fixed him dinner and now they were sitting in the kitchen eating.

  Tom knew if he didn’t get out of the tree and head back to his room to eat and take his medication, the voices in his head would start up again. But he wanted to stay and watch them.

  After they ate, they went out on the deck by the pool. He saw her kissing him! Tom felt like he was going to vomit. Now they were romping around the pool after she pushed him in. I wish he’d drown. He watched as they went into the bedroom and had sex. It sickened him so much he once again felt like he might vomit.

  Tom had wondered where she had been. He’d lost track of her for two years. No one knew where she was or what she was doing until he heard on the news that she was performing with the band White Sands in
Jarillo, New Mexico. He couldn’t understand why she would go there and perform with that band since he had shot and killed the drummer, Jake Ackerson. Now he understood why—he didn’t kill him after all.

  His anger was turning to rage, and it was getting out of control. He felt angry that Jake was not dead, and he felt even angrier that she’d slept with him. He was furious that she had disappeared for two years, leaving him to worry about her.

  Now he was hearing voices again, and it made his head ache. He needed to do something about the voices and the headaches so he could think more clearly about what he was going to do.

  He had to separate the couple somehow, but the job was going to be twice as hard because she had gone back with him. He felt betrayed by his astrological sign. He had clearly been given the go-ahead sign to seek out Jake and kill him. But now that he was alive, Tom wondered why the stars had betrayed him as they did.

  * * * *

  Friday afternoon as the band was dismantling and packing their instruments to take to the White Eagle Entertainment Center, Joe stopped by the studio. He wanted to go over security procedures with Jake. Before he left, he asked Jake, “Is it safe to say that you and Jennifer are seeing each other now?”

  “Um, I guess you could say we’re seeing each other. Although I don’t know if Jenn would call it that. We’ve been together the past few days.”

  “I see. I hope you realize what an incredible woman she is.”

  “I, above all others, know what an incredible woman she is.” He gave Joe a half smile.

  Joe looked at Jake for a few minutes, then he said, “Right. Okay. I’ll do what I can to keep traffic moving tonight after the show.” He turned and walked away.

  Vincent asked Jake, “Are you and Jennifer back together now?” The rest of the band members came up, wanting to know the status of the situation.

  “I can’t say we’re back together yet, but we have been together the past few evenings. I’m working on something permanent.”

  “Well, good. It’s about time you did something about it.”

  * * * *

  Jennifer was looking through her wardrobe to decide what she was going to wear that night. She decided on a sparkling, deep red dress that was off the shoulders with the top partly draped like it was a two piece garment instead of a one piece. The shirt was short and somewhat tight. She wore glittery nylons to go with the outfit and a pair of high heeled shoes that matched perfectly. The shoes were not as high as the stilettos she usually wore but they worked just the same.

  She arrived at the White Eagle Entertainment Center and went to the dressing room to put on her dress and do her makeup. The time finally came when she could hear the crowd roaring outside the dressing room. She walked down toward the stage entrance and heard her name being called.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, please give a big, warm welcome to Jennifer Summers and the White Sands Band!”

  The crowd went wild as she walked out on the stage and the band started playing the first number.

  After she sang the first song, she welcomed the crowd. “Welcome, everyone. I’m so glad you could be here tonight and listen to me perform.” She looked over at Calvin to start the keyboard for the next song. She sang a few more songs and then announced, “This next song is a hit song by Jessica Carpenter, who is a good friend of mine. We agreed that each time we did a concert I would do this song, and she would do one of mine. This song is called Come By My Window.” Jake started the beat with the drums and the rest of the band chimed in as Jennifer sang.

  She sang seven more songs with the band before they took a twenty minute break. Jennifer went to the dressing room to check her makeup and to cool off a bit. Though the stage seemed cooler with the fans running, she still felt a bit warm. There was a knock at the door and she opened it. Jake stood there wearing a suede shirt with beaded fringes, blue jeans, and western boots. He was holding two bottles of cold water. He smiled at her, and she stepped aside so he could come in.

  “How are you doing, hon?” he asked.

  “Oh, I’m doing fine. How are you doing?”

  “I’m good.” He uncapped the bottles of water and gave one to her. “I didn’t get to see you before the concert started, but I wanted to let you know you look really beautiful tonight.” His eyes roamed over her appreciatively.

  “Thanks, Jake.”

  “I wanted to come in here and give you lots of kisses, but now that I think about it, I might mess up your makeup.” He smiled sadly.

  “Yeah, it takes a while to get this stuff on right,” Jennifer admitted.

  “Is this similar to what you’re used to doing when you do concerts?” he asked.

  “Yeah, but I usually have to share the dressing room with my backup singers, and there are always people running back and forth in the hallways, barking out orders and such. It’s quieter back here than in most places, but the crowds are just as loud.”

  It came time for the band to return to the stage, and Jennifer walked out after they got to their instruments. The crowd continued to roar and clap for her. Jennifer then introduced the band.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to introduce to you…” Jennifer continued her introductions and the band members responded as usual. The crowd roared.

  The band played more songs while the people stood up in their seats and swayed to the music. Toward the end of the performance, they got into the love song I Love You Always Forever. She turned toward Jake and looked into his eyes lovingly for a moment as she sang.

  Jake smiled at her while the crowd continued to sway and dance. Some held up their hands, waving, while others clapped to the beat. Jennifer swayed gently as she walked back and forth on the stage. At the end of the song, the crowd went wild. Jennifer then went into her best-selling song, Maybe Later. The crowd continued to roar as the band exited the stage, calling out for an encore. The band members stood at the side of the stage for a few minutes, then went back onstage with Jennifer trailing behind. Jennifer and Jake sang a duet, Baby I Love Your Way – Freebird Medley, and two more songs.

  When the performance ended, the band went to an area in the back behind the stage where they could sit, have a drink, and unwind while the crowd dispersed.

  “Wow, what a crowd!” Jon remarked.

  “Yeah, it was fantastic!” Vincent agreed.

  After sitting and talking idly for a bit, Jennifer got up. “Well, I’m going to get out of my dress and head home to take a shower, and maybe jump in the hot tub to relax my aching muscles. I’ll see you all tomorrow night.”

  * * * *

  Jake’s eyes followed Jennifer as she left.

  “Jake, if you want to go with her, we’ll dismantle your drums for you and bring them back to your studio,” Bruce offered.

  “You would?” Jake asked, surprised.

  “Yeah. Go on and catch up with her before she leaves. We’ll handle everything this one time for you, Jake.” Vincent’s smile turned sly.

  “Okay. Thanks, guys. I owe you one.”

  “Oh, rest assured, you’ll pay us back for this.” Vincent chuckled as Jake walked past him.

  Jake knocked on the door of the dressing room. Jennifer answered and let him in.

  “The guys are gonna take down my drum sets, so I can go take that shower and jump in the hot tub with you.” Jake looked at Jennifer seductively.

  “Hmm, something tells me we might not make it to the hot tub.” Jennifer laughed and started to unzip her dress.

  Jake came up behind her and helped her. His fingers softly caressed her back as he slid the zipper down. He watched, surprised that she didn’t have a bra on, and her lovely breasts became exposed as she pulled the dress down over her hips. He stood there admiring her beauty while she slowly undressed.

  She smiled at him and turned so he could see her completely nude. She reached over and grabbed her jeans and slid them on. Then she grabbed her tank top and slipped it on over her head. He could feel himself getting hard and he wanted to take her
then and there, in the dressing room. She packed her dress and accessories in the suitcase she had brought, then turned and looked at Jake.

  “Are you ready to leave?” she asked demurely.

  “Yep, I’m ready.” He opened the door for her.

  They walked to her car and she held out her keys. “Can you drive tonight? I’m pretty tired.”

  “Sure.” Jake took the keys from her.

  * * * *

  Jake maneuvered the car around the parking lot and headed toward Jennifer’s ranch. When they got to the ranch, he unlocked the door and they went inside. Jennifer took off her top and tossed it on the couch as she headed to the bathroom.

  He followed swiftly behind her. They both hurried to undress and get into the shower. Jennifer washed the makeup off her face as Jake washed her back seductively. She stood with her back to him and he ran his hands down her side. His hands found their way to the front of her with the loofah pouf sponge and came to her breasts. He gently massaged her breasts while leaning over to kiss her neck. His hands slid down to that wisp of hair far below her belly.

  When he had cleaned her, she turned around to wash his chest and arms, then worked her way down to his erect shaft. She gently massaged it, getting it soapy, and rinsed it off. She then turned him around so she could do his back. She washed her hair then handed Jake the shampoo so he could wash his hair.

  After rinsing, they got out of the shower. Jennifer combed her hair and pulled it up in a double short ponytail so it wouldn’t get in the chlorine from the hot tub. The hot tub was located near the back door of the house, in a room with windows all around it. They walked naked out to the hot tub. She turned the jets on and slipped into the tub.

  Jake put one leg in and exclaimed, “Oww, this is hot!”

  Jennifer sat down in the hot tub so that the water covered her up to her neck. She smiled at him. “Oh, sissy, it’s not that hot.” She laughed as he gingerly put his other leg in the hot tub.

  “You’re probably used to this, but I’m not.”

  “Take it slowly, Jake. You’ll be in it before you know it.”