by Jan Carol
It was nearly one in the morning when they walked out of the establishment. So many people had stopped them on their way out, complementing her, wishing her well.
"Where did you find that song?" Ethan asked her when they were safely in his car.
"It came in the mail Monday, so Donaho said. Don’t know who wrote it, but it was given to me, exclusively. It’s been the cause of the biggest fight Donaho and I have ever had." She sat almost sideways in the seat, as much as the seatbelt would allow her. "He wanted me to record it, and heaven only knows what he would do with it."
"I think you should record it. It’s beautiful." Ethan was driving toward her apartment. "If I paid for it, would you record it, just for me?"
"For you, I would. I’ve only sung it for you." She placed her hand on his shoulder. "They say it needs other instruments in the background, the piano just doesn’t give it what it needs. What do you think?"
They were still discussing it when they entered her apartment. Ethan leading the way into the kitchen, changing the subject. "Are you hungry?"
"A little." She came up behind him, hugging his back. "I only want to record one copy, Ethan." She felt the need to tell him that.
"That’s all I need. You can come over to Savannah. Do it at the studio I own interest in. They won’t let it go any further." He had taken three eggs from the refrigerator. "How about an egg omelet, Ayers-style?"
Hm-m-m." She took a skillet from the bottom cupboard, handing it to him. As she pulled the plates from another cupboard, she continued to speak to him. "But you haven’t seen my book. I won’t have time to go anywhere." Setting the plates on the small kitchen table, she turned to watch him. "It’ll have to wait until I’m through here."
The simple meal he cooked took only a few minutes to be done, then a few more to eat. She wasn’t sleepy, but she could see Ethan was. Cleaning up didn’t take long, then they turned off the lights, leaving the kitchen.
Laying beside his sleeping form, her thoughts were on the next day. He said he would be there for her Sunday night performance. She wished he would be there forever. Carefully she got up, trying not to wake him. For a long time she sat in the livingroom, reading a book, not knowing what her eyes were seeing.
"Hey." He stood in the doorway. "It’s nearly four. What are you doing up?"
Smiling, she set the book down, joining him. "Trying to keep from waking you. I wasn’t sleepy."
"Come back to bed, I’ll see if I can’t tire you out." With his arm around her, he flipped off the light then led her back to her room.
<<<< >>>>
MONDAY MORNING he waited until her eyes were open before kissing her goodbye. He’d try to be back Friday night, he whispered to her, but could give no promises. If his business was to be in such shape that they could have a long honeymoon, he would have to buckle down and start clearing his desk.
A sadness came over her when she watched him walk from her apartment door. Dressed only in her robe, she leaned on the door frame, her thoughts fast forwarded to the time she’d see him next. Only having one night off this week, there was no way for her to drive over to be with him, and be rested for the next evening’s performance.
"Morning, Miss Wisdom." An older couple walked by. The woman spoke, her tone and look spelled criticism, but her husband smiled and winked at the younger woman.
She closed the door and went to finish the cup of coffee Ethan had made before she woke. How different things were going to be in six months.
Her thoughts moved deeper into the future. She’d see him out the door, returning to take care of their home. The baby would sleep a bit longer, but the two toddlers would be running around the rooms until their mother sent them out to the sand box. The back yard would be fenced because the river was too close. How had his mother kept Ethan from wandering down there? She’d make sure there would be no accidents.
At five, when he came home, she’d have supper ready, the children fed and off playing so their parents could have time together. It was going to be a perfect marriage, she knew. There was far too much love between them for it to be anything but wonderful.
The ringing phone interrupted her thoughts. Feeling a resentment, she went to the living room to see who dared to call her when she wanted to be alone with her thoughts. On the third ring, she lifted the receiver, giving her answering word s little bit of sweetness she didn’t feel.
"Tell me it’s true, Jenà." Donaho’s voice was in her ear. "Ethan called this morning and told me you’re going to record Love’s Stranger. He wants us on it first thing this week."
"Wait a minute, Donaho." She sat with a heavy sigh, not expecting to hear this. "I don’t know what Ethan told you, but I agreed to record it for him. Period. No other copy is to be made. If that’s understood, then we’ll go for it."
"That’s what he said, with instructions to find the right background for you. It could take days, even a week or two, you know? His instructions are that it’s to be perfect." The agent sounded as if he had hit the jackpot, his words excitedly spoken. "I’ll set it up over at Hargrove’s, and let him hear the demo tape we made last week."
"Not at Hargrove’s." Her tone was insistent. "I have no wish to see that man ever again."
"I know, baby, but he’s the best in town." His voice trailed off, knowing there would be some argument he would have to get around.
"You were going to take it to Donnie’s last week, if I remember correctly. What’s wrong with that now?"
"He and I don’t see eye to eye right now, honey. I don’t think we could trust him to keep it quiet. We should use Hargrove’s." He toyed with the things on his desk, his thoughts on the words he wanted to say. "You know I talked with him about that little incident. Things will be all right, I promise."
"I remember a couple of promises made last week that you broke. I think that’s when this little incident took place." She didn’t know whether she should trust him again. After all, it wasn’t just once that he had pulled this kind of thing in the past.
"I’ll be there with you, Jenà. You know I won’t let you down." The man pleaded with her, as if something was riding on it for him. "I’ll set up time to take the tape in and let him decide what it needs, and I’ll pick you up at your apartment?"
With his assurances, she wasn’t sure she could refuse. "All right. Set it up. I don’t want anything early morning, nor after five." With that established, they hung up, she went back to her coffee, which had grown cold, and decided breakfast would be good right about then.
<<<< jc >>>>
Chapter Eight
DONAHO PICKED her up on Wednesday morning at ten, true to his word this time. They were to go to the recording studio and meet with Hargrove and the selections he thought would do well with her voice. With butterflies in her stomach, she went along quietly, nervous about the second meeting with the man.
To her surprise, the studio’s owner met them at the curb. Opening her door, he helped her out with one hand, then presented her with a nice bouquet of springtime flowers from the other that had been behind him. "I’d like to apologize for our first meeting, Miss Wisdom." He spoke sincerely. "I look forward to working with you. I hope we can do something for each other."
Jenà looked at the two men with narrowed eyes. "And that is supposed to mean?"
"Nothing, Jenà." Donaho quickly stated. "He knows the recording is just for your Mr. Ayers. Right, Calvin?" It was a strong warning.
"Absolutely. I still had hopes she would change her... Never mind. Shall we go inside and get started?" He put her arm through his as he led the way through double glass doors. "I’ve recorded some different sounds, and I’d like you to listen to them first. I think I’ve come close to wearing out the instruments over the last thirty-six hours. I’m starting to hear complains from the musicians, too."
"We’ll enjoy listening, won’t we, sweetheart?" Donaho walked into the recording room ahead of them.
Hargrove spoke to the woman still beside him, ignoring h
er agent. "You don’t mind if I call you by your first name, do you?"
"As long as it’s kept impersonal, it would be fine." Her tone wasn’t very pleasant, as she found her stomach tying itself in knots. "I doubt Ethan would mind."
"I heard the other night at the Casino Georgia that you and this Ayers fellow are getting married." Inside the next room, he let Philip close the door behind them. "I understand from Donaho you’re leaving the business."
"Speaking of which, Donaho," she turned on her agent then, "Ethan told me you’d have a new contract for me to sign on Monday." Jenà had let the arm of the other man go. "How long is that going to take?"
"My secretary is still working on it. They take time." The older of the two men took a seat beside his client, changing the subject as quickly as he could. "I’m anxious to hear what you have, Calvin."
Pushing some buttons, turning some of the small yellow and orange lights on, Hargrove sat back, waiting for the speakers to bring the sound to their ears. As it began, Jenà closed her eyes, listening to the instruments filling the air in the room, thinking of nothing but the melody and words. She could pick out some of the individual sounds of the symphony-like music, but it didn’t sound right. About half way through, the music was fast forwarded.
"That’s not the one we’re looking for," Hargrove commented, as he pushed the buttons on the large console again. "This one doesn’t seem to have it either, but I’ll let you give it your thoughts."
After several different versions, they found themselves listening to what Calvin thought was just right, or as close as he’d come. It had the sound Jenà thought she was looking for, and when she looked at Donaho, she knew he felt it also.
After a few tries, Jenà stopped, raising her hands to let them know she’d had enough for the day. It was nearing three o’clock.
"There’s always tomorrow." Donaho met her at the door between the two rooms. "Let’s go have lunch and maybe you’ll feel better."
"We can have the studio cleared tomorrow by noon." Hargrove joined them. "How about a sub sandwich down the street? My treat."
"How about it, Jenà?" The agent patted the woman’s shoulder.
She nodded. "All right." Her voice let the two know she wasn’t keen on the idea.
Going back to her apartment, feeling quite down, Jenà decided to phone Ethan’s office. She just needed to hear his voice. His secretary told her he had just left his office, and wasn’t expected back before Friday morning and asked if she wanted to leave a message. She hung up after giving a negative answer.
Feeling even more depressed, she filled the tub with hot bubbly water. A long soak might help. That and some good herbal tea. While the water heated for the tea, she stripped, starting a load of clothes in the washer. It wasn’t long before she was relaxing in the tub, sipping the strong scented drink.
The next day, as promised, she was back in the studio, listening to the background music once more. Her thoughts remained on Ethan, wherever he was. The recording went smooth as she sang her heart out to the man in her thoughts. When she received a thumbs up sign, she knew it was done.
Sitting in the room with the two men, she listened as the speakers brought out the clear sounds. "I think that’s good." She smiled at her agent, then at Calvin.
"The best." The latter remarked. "Care to celebrate with me? Just the two of us?" His smile was supposed to be inviting, as were the eyes that lit up.
"If Donaho and his wife wouldn’t mind joining just the two of us, that would be fine." Her voice was such that she knew Donaho wouldn’t back down from the offer, or he wouldn’t hear the end of it. But Hargrove’s expression told the two of them that he didn’t want the extra people invited by her.
"Angel and I would love to, Jenà, but I’m afraid we have another commitment for the evening. But you go ahead." He stood, stretching his back. "I’m sure Calvin will take good care of you." This was said in a warning to the man he looked at. "I have a lot of things to do this afternoon. If you’re ready to go, I’ll drop you off."
Calvin’s smile grew. "I’ll see her home." He was up, shaking the man’s hand as they walked to the door. "Don’t you worry about Miss Wisdom, Philip. I’ll have her in early."
"If you don’t mind, I’ll just take a cab." Jenà was behind them, unable to get a head start. "Just because I’m off tonight, doesn’t mean I haven’t things I need to do. Maybe some other time, Mr. Hargrove."
"Don’t you want to know what goes on with your song after this?" Calvin had closed the door after Donaho’s departure, before she could get around him. "I’d be more than happy to show you around."
"I suppose it would be interesting." She wasn’t sure she wanted to stay around him, but finding out what was going to happen to her recording was a temptation. Since he knew of her engagement, maybe he would keep his distance. "All right. I’d like to see how you do things here."
After a nice dinner, Calvin saw her back to her apartment. She had kept Ethan in their conversation, one way or another, as a reminder to the man. She missed him terribly, and explained that was the reason she’d had such difficulty singing the day before. Her answer to his questioning of how she could do so well that afternoon was that she had pictured Ethan with her in the room, unable to do so before.
He had been the perfect gentleman, leaving as soon as he had unlocked her door and returned the keys to her. Once inside, Jenà tried to call it an early night, but found sleep impossible. Hot chocolate, a boring movie, a book, and tossing and turning all were helpless. Nothing kept Ethan off her mind so she could sleep.
Though it was midnight, her phone rang, and she gladly got out of bed again. She thought about her mother, as it was her practice to wait that late an hour for cheaper phone rates, but when she answered, it was Ethan’s voice greeting her through the speaker, picking up her mood.
"I hope I didn’t wake you." His deep voice held concern for doing so. "I knew you were off work, but I couldn’t get you earlier, and then things got too busy. This is the first break I’ve had in three hours."
She giggled at his long-windedness. "No, I wasn’t asleep. I wanted to speak to you, but you aren’t home, are you?"
"No. I had to fly out to Los Angeles on business. It looks like I’ll be stuck here through Monday, at least. The problems are much worse than I thought." His disappointment came through the wire to her ears.
"I’ll more than just miss you, Ethan. I was looking forward to our weekend." Her frustration was an echo of his. "But we’ll get through." Putting a little enthusiasm in her tone, she paced in front of her phone.
"You sound rather chipper about it." He teased. "If the weather holds out good, I’ll go down to the beach on Saturday. Maybe I’ll feel better about it, too."
"We recorded your song today." She changed the teasing to serious. "Hargrove thinks we should add a few more songs to it, just for you." Standing still now, she wound the cord around her fingers. "What do you think?"
"Sounds all right to me. Why Hargrove?" A little suspicion surrounded his words. She had wanted to stay completely away from that man, and it was a bit surprising to hear his name.
"He owns the recording studio Donaho wanted to use. He was a perfect gentleman, Ethan. After the recording, he took me out to dinner. I wish you could have been here." The last statement was made with a pout.
"I’ll be there next Thursday night." His promise gave her something to look forward to. "Until then, sweetheart, just remember how much I love you."
With a smile, she returned the words with the emotion sounding in her tone. After they hung up, it wasn’t long before she found the sleep that had eluded her before his call.
<<<< >>>>
THE NEXT Wednesday, Jenà found herself even more upset than the last time she showed her anger to Donaho. On the radio, which she rarely turned on, she heard the man announce a song "just fresh from the recording studio by a new artist that’s definitely going places." The disc jockey had been sure of this, as the single, over the l
ast few days, had been requested more than any he could remember. "She’s Jenà Wisdom, from our own Atlanta. And word’s out that she’s got more recorded and on the way," the man’s radio voice announced to everyone listening.
Picking up the phone, she dialed the number and asked for Philip Donaho. He was on another line, she was told, but he would be with her momentarily. Being put on hold only infuriated her more.
Hanging the hand set in its cradle, she grabbed her purse and keys, headed toward her car. She wouldn’t be put on hold for long. With her anger raising as every minute ticked by, she paid no attention to her driving. The car seemed to get her to his office on its own.
Eyes blazing, she walked into his little room. The secretary didn’t even try to stop her. "All right, Donaho." Her voice boomed out. "What the hell is the big idea?" She didn’t care that he was on the phone. "I want an answer now." Her finger went down on the button, cutting off whomever he was speaking to.
Standing, he set the receiver down. "Honest, Jenà I had nothing to do with it. I, just this morning, heard about your song being played on the air since Monday afternoon. In fact, that was Calvin Hargrove you just hung up on. He doesn’t know how it happened. I believe him." His words were coming too quickly, as though he were trying to hide something, were her thoughts.
"If not you, then Hargrove. Who else could get a copy of that recording?" Jenà’s voice was growing hoarse from yelling. "And who else would know I had recorded more?"
"Maybe your Mr. Ayers..."
"Don’t you even think that! Ethan wouldn’t dare. Besides, he’s been in LA for a week." She was almost screaming at him. "I suggest you get on that phone and find out how the stations got hold of it. Find out who gave them permission to play it."
"Sit, and calm down. Calvin and I are on that right now." Donaho answered the buzzer on his intercom with a smart, "Yeah."
The secretary’s voice was calm as she ignored his outburst. "The radio station manager, Mr. Glenn, is on the line, sir."
