Jake nodded and said, “I’m sure. I also have some songs I’ve written that I wanna include on the album.”
Mr. Coulter nodded and replied, “We’ll take a look at them tomorrow. We’ve got the best people working behind the scenes with us to produce this album. These are some of the best people in the industry. Not to mention, we’ll get you guys in the best cities to promote the album once you start touring.”
“Oh, yeah?” Jake asked, sitting up in his seat.
“And television appearances,” Mr. Coulter added.
“Wow,” Jake mused, “sounds like we’ll be pretty busy. This is all happening so fast.”
Mr. Coulter laughed and said reassuringly, “Trust me, in this business you’ll want to stay busy.”
“By the way, you haven’t even finished checking out the house. You’ve neglected the upstairs.”
Jake rose from his seat and walked to the staircase.
“I’m coming, too,” Mac said. Danny followed suit. They all climbed the stairs to the second floor.
“Wow!” Danny exclaimed as he peered down the long hallway lined with multiple doors on both sides.
They took everything in with naïve bewilderment so reflective of their youthful inexperience. Just as promised, a room to their right was filled with a pool table, a couple of pinball machines, an arcade video game, and a fully stocked bar taking up the entire left wall. Jake also noticed a 70" television mounted to the wall.
“Look at all these fucking rooms,” Mac marveled. He glanced at each door in turn as they continued their exploration.
“This place has gotta have like six or seven bedrooms,” Jake marveled.
“Shit, this is like ten times bigger than my parent's house,” Danny replied.
Mr. Coulter urged Jake to open one of the doors. As he did, a large bathroom with black marble washbasins, black Italian marble flooring, and a large Jacuzzi tub with gold fixtures came into view. His eyes were quickly drawn to a more enticing sight, though, and behind him both Mac and Danny smiled mischievously. Inside the Jacuzzi tub were two beautiful young women. And they were smiling, beckoning the young men to join them.
“You gotta be kidding me,” Mac said, chuckling.
“I told you guys. Anything you want,” Mr. Coulter responded with a smug grin.
Jake could feel a stirring inside of him as he watched one of the girls rub foam on her chest in an overtly seductive display.
“And this is just the beginning. Once StoneLief really gets big, there’s nothing you can’t have.”
Mr. Coulter patted Jake on the shoulder and said, "Now go have some fun."
“You don't have to tell me again,” Mac said. Both Danny and he began hastily removing their clothes to join the two beautiful women.
Jake just stood there awhile and contemplated how life had so distinctly changed since leaving Clanton. Living there, he had been a nobody. Life had been so simple and so obscure. L.A. was proving to be much more interesting. He resolved to do everything he could to make a name for himself. He wanted everyone to know him. And he was certain that in time he'd be the center of everyone's attention, sought after by fans, music executives, producers, magazines, music venues...girls. He'd never be alone. He smiled.
Chapter Fifteen
For the first six months that Jake was in L.A., he called her with predictable regularity. It became a ritual for him to call around the eight o’clock hour, and they would converse for hours about their day. He spoke with such vigor as he described to her his long hours spent at the recording studio and about how great their album was coming along. To Carly, Jake sounded extremely happy, and that made her happy as well. She could just imagine that handsome smile lighting his face, and at that moment she wished she could have been in L.A. with him to witness his joy. Several months later, however, the calls became less and less frequent. At first she felt a bit hurt as she sat at the kitchen table trying to concentrate on the crossword puzzle in front of her while simultaneously waiting for the telephone to ring. Eight o’clock came quickly, and she threw nervous glances at the receiver as the minutes ticked away excruciatingly. Finally, at eight-thirty she gave up on her crossword puzzle and decided to retire to the living room to begin reading her Introduction to Psychology textbook. She figured it was probably for the best that Jake hadn’t called that night, considering she had an exam that next morning. As the weeks passed, however, the lack of contact with her best friend became routine and she slowly acclimated to it. She no longer looked at the clock to see if it was time to wait by the phone. She attributed the silence to his working hard on the album. After several months with barely any contact at all, Carly decided it was best to throw herself completely into community college life and her part-time job. The distraction definitely proved helpful.
She was in the throes of a last-minute cramming session for a British literature test when, suddenly, she was startled by a procession of loud honks in her driveway. Carly darted down the stairs with a stack of books under her arm and opened the front door. Amanda was waiting in her car, purposely pointing to her watch. Carly moved as fast as her legs would allow, but she felt like a pack mule as she stumbled along with those heavy books in her arms.
“It’s about time, Carlita,” Amanda said impatiently.
“Sorry,” Carly groaned. As soon as she had slid into the seat, she allowed the textbooks to tumble to the floorboard.
“You know Professor Taylor is not gonna let us in the classroom to take that exam if we’re even a couple minutes late,” Amanda reminded her friend.
"I know, I know," Carly replied. She then took out a notebook from her tote and attempted another brief cramming session.
After a brief silence, Amanda blurted out curiously, “Have you talked to Jake?”
Carly shook her head somberly and then said, "I’m sure he’s just busy. Besides, I have other things I gotta worry about, like British Lit tests."
The silence soon returned as both girls' minds became heavily engrossed on remembering the specific topics that would be covered on the exam. Carly was getting more and more frustrated as she tried, unsuccessfully, to remember all of the characters in The Canterbury Tales. Her concentration was soon broken by a shrilly squeal that escaped Amanda's wide-open mouth.
“What?”
Carly peered out the front and passenger-side windows to discern what had caused this sudden and unexpected reaction from the otherwise collected twin girl.
“Not out there, dummy!” Amanda said excitedly. "The radio!"
Carly listened and didn’t quite understand what all the fuss was about. She was lost in a mental fog. Thankfully, it didn't last long and soon dissipated. It revealed a new sense of clarity, and her eyes widened as if she had seen an apparition.
“Oh my God!” was all she could express.
The voice on the radio, the voice singing the catchy rock song, sounded all too familiar. It was a voice she had longed to hear over the telephone for weeks now. A joyful exhilaration swept through her and she turned to look at Amanda. Both girls screamed so loud that Carly could have sworn the people in the neighboring cars thought both girls had gone absolutely mad. When the song ended, the animated voice of the radio announcer stated, “That was by the band StoneLief with their new hit single Revelation, which has topped the billboard charts for two weeks in a row! And not much longer to wait for their album, The Road to L.A., which will be released by mid-July! And if you didn’t already know, the lead guitarist was raised right here in Clanton, Ohio.”
Carly and Amanda squealed once more, their minds reeling with incredulous excitement.
“I can’t believe it!” Amanda cried. “We have to call him tonight! I can’t believe he wouldn’t have told us about this!”
Carly concurred. She was feeling a bit hurt, but she reminded herself that she should just be happy for him right now.
After finding a parking spot and gathering their materials for class, both girls agreed to head over to the music store
after class to see if they could find the single. Carly darted to British Lit class with Amanda following close behind. Books bouncing in their arms, their minds were still reeling over what had just happened. Carly wanted to pinch herself. Jake was officially famous!
And was his song really number one on the billboard charts? They burst through the double doors of the English building and raced down the stairs. When they took their seats, the teacher's assistant was already handing out copies of the test.
An hour later, Carly was still taking the test. Amanda had finished early and was waiting impatiently outside the classroom. She was eager to head to the store and find Jake's single.
“It’s about time,” Amanda groaned when Carly finally appeared.
“Hey, I don’t like rushing through tests. Plus, I had a freaking hard time picking out multiple choice answers with thoughts of Jake running through my head.”
Amanda scoffed.
“You’re just a slow test-taker. Now let's go!”
Shortly thereafter, they pulled into the parking lot of the store. Before making it to the aisle filled with alternative rock CDs, the twin's phone began to ring. She answered it with a hasty “hello” and instantly began chatting in an uncharacteristically animated voice that carried over into the other few aisles.
“I know! Can you believe it?” she squealed to the person on the other end. Carly looked at her quizzically, and Amanda mouthed the name “Aaron.” Carly nodded. Not wanting to waste any more time, she sifted through the selection of CDs under the “S” category. She soon found the CD and carefully picked it up as though it were a revered idol she had finally uncovered after a long and arduous journey. She couldn’t help but stare at Jake's image on the cover, marveling at how handsome he appeared.
“It’s almost unbelievable, huh?” A voice next to her said.
Carly glanced up and saw Chad reaching for the same music CD she now held in her hand.
“I never thought I’d be friends with someone who was gonna be famous,” Chad said.
“Yeah,” Carly concurred.
“How’ve you been? I haven’t seen you in a while,” Carly asked, trying her best to be sociable, even though Jake’s picture kept drawing her attention.
“Pretty good. Still attending the university in Columbus. I actually just got into town. My old man wants me to spend the weekend at home. They’re having this big birthday party for my mom.”
Chad looked at Carly and asked, “What about you, Cabrerra? You still going to that community college in town?”
“Yeah, still going. Figured I’m not ready to leave home just yet. Plus, I’m trying to save some money before I transfer to the University of Miami.”
“Cool. So, when is Jake coming back to visit?” he asked. “His parents must be totally stoked.”
Carly scoffed at Chad’s erroneous conjecture, especially where Jake’s father was concerned. But she refrained from revealing that much to him.
“Oh, yeah. Totally stoked,” she lied.
“Well, when he comes back into town give him my new number,” he said. He pulled out a little piece of paper from his wallet and scribbled on it, then handed it to her.
“By the way,” he said to her, winking, “don’t be a stranger. Call me any time.”
"I don't think my boyfriend would like that," she replied, purposely emphasizing "boyfriend."
"Too bad," Chad replied. "See ya, Cabrerra."
Carly was thankful the conversation hadn't lasted long and watched with relief as he strode to the checkout line.
“What was that all about?” Amanda asked. She came up to stand next to Carly.
“Oh, nothing. Just Chad being Chad,” Carly responded.
“Well, let’s buy this thing and get outta here."
They brought their purchases to the register and were immediately greeted with the flashy smile of a former classmate. Carly recognized the girl as a former fellow cheerleader at Lakeview High who had graduated with Carly. The girl had also been one of Susan’s closest friends. Carly was sure the girl's name was Isabel. And Carly vividly recalled Isabel hadn't been too friendly to Carly after she'd had the falling out with Susan. Isabel looked down at the CD cover and looked back up.
“Pretty cool, huh?” she remarked.
“What do you mean?” Carly replied, although she knew exactly what Isabel meant.
“It’s just so insane how Jake has suddenly become this big music star,” Isabel explained. She scanned the item before adding, “You still talk to him?”
“And what if she does?” Amanda said rather rudely.
Isabel shrugged meekly. After collecting Carly's money, she replied, "Just wanted to…” Isabel hesitated, daring a quick sidelong glance at Amanda before continuing. “I just wanted to know if you could tell him hi for me. We used to get along pretty well in high school. We sat next to each other in Chemistry.”
“Weren’t you the one who helped Susan kick Carly off the cheerleading squad?” Amanda asked.
The girl became silent, and Carly could tell by the look on her face that she was trying to conjure up the best explanation to Amanda's scathing assertion.
“No, I don't remember that. I wouldn't be surprised if Susan lied. I haven't talked to that snob since high school."
"Ah ha, sure," was all Amanda said in response. Her tone was sarcastic and Isabel immediately took note of it. She opened her mouth to respond, but then shut it again and resumed the transaction.
Before Carly and Amanda could slip through the exit doors, Isabel turned abruptly and said, "I'm so sorry, Carly. It was Susan's idea, and she made me go along with it."
Carly shrugged nonchalantly and answered with, "It doesn't matter anymore."
"So, you think you could tell Jake I said hi?"
Carly grinned and felt a sudden surge of power coursing through her veins. She replied coldly, "Yeah, I’ll tell him…if I remember.”
With that, both girls left the store. Once in the parking lot they burst out into laughter.
“Did you see her face when you said that?” Amanda asked.
Carly smiled widely and nodded.
“I have a feeling we’ll be subject to some major ass-kissing from now on," Amanda said.
Carly was suddenly in a much better mood than she had been this morning. And by the time the twin had dropped her off at her house, Carly was humming the melody of StoneLief's Revelation. She joined her parents in the kitchen, cheerfully greeting them.
"Well you're in a good mood," Lydia remarked.
“You heard about Jake?" Carly asked eagerly.
“Yes. I spoke with Mrs. Harmon this morning and she told me. It's absolutely wonderful," Lydia replied elatedly. Her tone then took on a more serious note. "Although, I wish he'd take a break from his busy music career and call his mother. Mr. Harmon isn't doing so well."
"He had a heart attack," Juan quickly interjected.
"What?" Carly asked, incredulous and absolutely stunned. "Has anyone even tried to call Jake?"
Lydia nodded and replied, "Yes. Mrs. Harmon has tried many times to call him, but his phone is either turned off or it goes straight to voicemail."
"Well, if I don't hear from him tonight I'll call him tomorrow in the morning," Carly said. "How's Mr. Harmon doing?"
"He had double bypass surgery. But he's doing okay now. The surgery went well," Lydia explained.
Juan took a sip of his coffee and said, "It's a shame. But I'm not surprised. The guy was always angry about something. He really needed to take it easier."
Carly shook her head in disbelief.
Juan took another sip and added, "But I'm not surprised Jake is doing so well. I always knew that boy had something special. The only thing I could never figure out was why you two never dated.”
Juan turned his eyes away from the newspaper and cast an accusatory glance at his daughter.
Carly’s cheeks turned a different color as she gasped at her father’s unexpected remark.
“W
e’re friends” Carly said through clenched teeth, although she wanted to yell it at her father instead.
She refused to let her bad mood return, so she left the kitchen to escape to her room. Halfway up the stairs, her phone rang. Her first thought was whether it was Jake. She looked down and saw the caller's name revealed.
“Hey there, hottie,” Roy greeted cheerfully.
Although she was a bit disappointed that it wasn't Jake, she couldn’t help but smile. Roy was always so buoyant.
“How’s my favorite NFL star?” she asked, playfully teasing him.
He laughed on the other end and responded, “I’m not in the NFL yet, but it’ll happen soon. By the way, you heard about our boy up in L.A.?”
“How could I've missed it?” she answered.
“When you have that much talent, you’re bound to get recognized,” Roy said.
“Yeah," she concurred. “Kinda like you on that football field.”
Roy’s athletic skills were becoming recognized nationally, and his coaches predicted big things for him.
“Well, I do my best,” Roy replied humbly. “But how about you, Carly? How are you doing?”
She relayed to him her plans to finish her two years of general studies at Clanton Community College and then transfer to the University of Miami to pursue marketing. She also relayed information about the twins. She told him that Amanda was still as mean as ever, and that Aaron was well on his way to becoming an English professor. By the time they ended their conversation and said their good-byes, Carly was in a happy mood again and was ready to relax and do a little reading for psychology class. She slipped into her favorite pajama pants and climbed into her bed. Her book lay sprawled out on her lap. She was well on her way to reading about Maslow's hierarchy of needs when the telephone rang, nearly startling her. She scrambled to locate her phone somewhere amidst the waves of her comforter and picked it up. Her heart jumped with joy when the caller’s voice responded to her initial greeting.
“Jake, where have you been?” she asked fervently.
“Sorry, I’ve been really busy. We’re finishing the album, and we finished our single a while ago, which is…”
The Road to L.A. Page 14
