Surviving

by Ahren Sanders

  Once satisfied with the background information, she goes around the room asking pointed questions. Each guy tells her about their youth and musical training. They talk about their first shows around town in small bars and playing for free. Brenda is very good at getting them to open up. Nate tells about his special needs sister and how close they are. Blake confirms he is in a serious relationship but does not give Charlie’s name. Cooper talks about his parents support and how much they have helped him grow as a musician despite their conservative views.

  Bob has taken a few pictures but asks if we can take a break so he can get some shots of the band outside before dark. I hang back with Amber and Mike. They seem pleased with the direction of the interview so far. Mike gives me a concerned look because we both know the next set of questions is going to be pointed to Declan.

  They come back and Brenda turns her recorder back on. Instead of talking to Declan, she addresses me first. “Raven, it must be quite an honor to have gotten the job with Sayge. I must admit, you’re very pretty, but a bit of an unknown. How long have you been modeling?”

  I almost choke on the water I swallowed. “What? I’m not a model.”

  “Isn’t that why you are here? Weren’t you the model in the video for Surviving? You’ve created a lot of buzz in the last few days.”

  “Yes, I was in the video but I’m not a model. I’m engaged to Declan.”

  “What!?” It’s her turn to look shocked. Her eyes fall on my ring.

  There are chuckles around the room.

  “We’ve been engaged since last Christmas. I did the video as a surprise.”

  “This certainly changes things. Why did you hide your engagement? You have to know the rumors going around right now.”

  I look at Declan hoping he’ll help me out. The muscle in his jaw is ticking and I can tell he’s pissed.

  “Brenda, I’ve been with Raven for close to two years. I have never hid my engagement. At one time it was suggested but it’s not my style. I won’t go into details, but it almost destroyed our relationship. She isn’t just a model in some video, she’s a part of this group. She may not sing or play an instrument, but she’s still a part of Sayge. She works on the business side with Jay, Mike, and Amber. I’ve never denied her, but I try to keep her safe. We had an incident last year where Raven was put into a violent situation, and we’ll do anything to protect her.”

  “What do you mean?” Brenda asks taking notes furiously.

  “Not allowed to discuss it because it hasn’t been resolved. But I thought it was appropriate for you to meet her and know our relationship since you asked for an interview with the band.”

  “What about all the pictures circulating on the internet. Yesterday she was in another man’s arms. How do you explain that?”

  I wiggle in my seat because her questions make me uncomfortable.

  “I’ll tell you he is one of the finest men we know. He is her best friend and a groomsman in our wedding. Any man in this room will vouch for him. We trust him implicitly. As for the other pictures, you can look around this room and see six of the guys she’s been pictured with. The others are anyone from her brother to our friends.”

  He takes a drink before continuing, “Brenda, I’m very possessive of Raven. She is being attacked online and I don’t like it. But we’re strong enough to handle it.”

  “Your relationship is going to be tested severely as your nationwide popularity continues. I’ve even heard rumors about Sayge being invited to tour next summer.”

  “If we get invited to go on tour, we’ll talk about it then. Raven and I live together and have no secrets. We’re aware of the challenges we face, but we’re not really here to talk about that.”

  She blinks several times but gains her composure. “Well, congratulations on your upcoming nuptials. Can you share anything about the wedding? Are you getting married locally?”

  “No, I think we need to keep that to ourselves.”

  “Can you tell me anything about yourself Raven?”

  “I’m usually a private person, but I’d like you to know about me and not whatever you find on the internet. I have a wonderful relationship with my family. My brother and best friend are hero’s and served in the Marines for many years. I’m a local girl. Declan and I met when he plowed me down in the park running after a football. I volunteer for numerous charity events, and I also run Sayge’s social media presence.” I answer her.

  “If I can get this story bumped up for this Friday’s circulation, can SCENE have the exclusive on releasing the news of your engagement?”

  We all look at Mike and Amber.

  “Brenda, you can have the exclusive, but I need you to keep Raven’s name out of the paper as long as possible. This is off the record, but she is a student and she’s had some trouble in the past. I’m not stupid, I know her name’s going to get out, but I don’t want you to print it. You can just refer to her as Declan’s fiancée. We don’t want to disrupt her life. If you can do that, you can have the story and we will work on our end to promote the article coming out on Friday.” Mike tells her with authority in his voice.

  “Done! This is going to be huge. A story like this is going to be good for both our careers. Raven, I’m sorry if it seemed like I was judging you. I was only trying to get to the bottom of the story. I hope these people lay off you once they know what you are to Sayge.”

  Brenda asks a few more questions and then we finish. Cooper notices Declan’s new tattoo and comments on it. Declan raises my wrist proudly showing everyone. Nate makes a show of falling to the ground declaring he should have run away with me sooner.

  Jay brings in a cooler full of beer from his car. Now that the interview is over, we relax and enjoy listening to Brenda tell stories of local bands. Once she was out of interrogation mode, she is actually a pretty cool lady.

  *****

  The exposé on Sayge did release on Friday. Brenda did a great job of humanizing the guys and expanded on their road to success. Each member has their own section.

  Declan’s section was quite a bit longer. She did a delicate mention of his late mother and naming the band after her. Brenda describes Declan as a strong family man touching on his relationship with his dad and sisters. My stomach twists, trying to find the mention of our engagement. I finally see it.

  I will tell you that in my twenty five years of journalism, it is very hard to surprise me. Declan Collins did just that. While interviewing the tattooed, bad boy rocker, I was floored when I met his lovely fiancée. YES–THAT’S RIGHT NASHVILLE–HIS FIANCÉE!! You could have pushed me over with a feather. Apparently Sayge has been excellent keeping their affairs to themselves. We know this woman from the video Surviving and I assumed she was a model that he met while shooting. Like most of you who follow Sayge in the media and internet, I have seen the rumors regarding this young lady. Well, let me tell you, they are wrong.

  Declan and his fiancée have been together quite some time and she is the influence behind most of the new album. She is a local girl with close ties to the community. She is involved with several local charities and busy with her own career aspirations. According to all the members of the band, this young lady is part of Sayge. Her contributions to their success are numerous and she continues to stay involved in the day to day operations. With respect to her privacy, SCENE is withholding her name.

  Throughout the years, I have seen many relationships falter under the pressure in the music industry. But after my brief time with this couple, I get the feeling nothing will tear them apart. So I hate to say it ladies, but Declan Collins is officially off-the-market. As for the details of the wedding, the secret is staying guarded with them.

  There’s more about their upcoming schedules, show dates, and links to the websites. I laugh at the comment about my career aspirations. I guess that was her way of noting I was finishing my degree. I don’t think we ever told her I was in MBA school. My phone rings and my dad’s number flashes on the screen.

&
nbsp; “Hey, Daddy.”

  “So how long do you think you can remain anonymous?” He’s upset.

  “Are you mad or concerned?”

  “Concerned. I’ve done some research and learned there’s a fair share of celebrity types that attend Vanderbilt. I talked to the Senator last night and his daughter is in the undergrad program. He says the school is very good about watching out for its students. If there is any suspicious activity, school police are called. I talked to your mom and we are going to let you make the decision about security, but you need to be careful.”

  “I hardly consider myself a celebrity. I think I’ll be fine.”

  “You’re engagement just became public knowledge. People are going to figure out who you are sooner or later. Finn called about your personal pictures being leaked on the internet. I’m asking that you be aware of things going on around you at all times. Robbie told me about the fake pregnancy claim on Blake. It’s only a matter of time until Declan is wrapped up in that shit too.”

  “I promise to be careful and let you know if I need any help.”

  This seems to calm him down because he changes the subject. Declan comes into the bedroom with two mugs of coffee and I tell my dad I have to go. I recap my conversation with Declan and he agrees with my dad that my anonymity has an expiration date.

  I get tired of arguing on the subject so I let Declan drive me to school. When I get to class, Kyle has saved me a seat and gives me a shit-eating grin. The rest of my group comes in and teases me until the professor starts class. She looks at me for a minute and does a small head shake. I didn’t take her for a SCENE reader, but apparently I’m wrong. No one else in the class looks at me differently or tries to talk to me. Maybe nothing is going to change after all.

  Chapter 37

  Change the Plans

  One week, that’s all it took. Only seven days for the first post revealing my name to pop up. There has been rumors floating about me, but none true. A local blogger called MJ Labels and spoke to Jay. He runs a blog that spotlighted the entertainment circuit. Not only music, but also local events, television, film, and celebrity statuses. Jay gave the standard ‘no comment’ and told us all to be watching the internet.

  Abbi saw it first and alerted all of us it was live. I was in class but was able to pull it up since we were in group discussions. As soon as I opened the site, I felt sick. This person had not only done their research, but also gone back to my high school years. Mari, Brent, and Kyle leaned over my shoulders to read.

  Sayge’s Mystery Woman Revealed!

  Journalist Brenda Brown revealed last week that Declan Collins, the lead singer for local rock band Sayge, is engaged to be married. Hearts broke, and curiosity bloomed. People all over the nation started investigating who the mystery woman is that landed the notorious bad boy. After hours of digging, searching, and talking to those close to her, I am able to 100% confirm her name is Ravenel Hayes.

  Ravenel, or Raven, to her friends, is a local girl currently attending the MBA program at Vanderbilt University. Her love affair with Declan started strong, and they were engaged five short months after meeting...

  The story goes on about my relationship with Declan and Sayge. There’s pictures tagged of me at different functions. These are different pictures than Mike had, and my ring is obvious in them. The most recent one was with Finn outside the building last week. The blogger linked this with the official Sayge Facebook page.

  My phone vibrates with a message from Declan wanting me to call him. Luckily my professor lets us go early. I try to rush out, but Brent pulls me back to him until the rest of the class has left the room.

  “What are you doing?” I hiss jerking my arm away.

  “Your dad told me to be on alert as soon as your name was released. He didn’t know when it would happen, but he made me promise if I was around to be careful. I wanted the room to clear before you walked out.”

  “Oh, okay, thanks.” I feel slightly guilty for acting like a bitch.

  He walks me out and to my car before leaving me alone. I call Declan and assure him I am on my way straight home. Then I call my parents to let them know the secret’s out. My mom tells me her phone has been ringing off the hook. Friends, acquaintances, business partners, and clients wanting to confirm the story is true.

  Declan is on the front porch waiting for me when I get home. He doesn’t even let me get out of the car before he picks me up and carries me inside.

  “Baby, what are you doing?”

  “I’m carrying the mystery woman who landed the notorious bad boy to bed.”

  “Oh my God, are you serious? Put me down!”

  “Nope, I want to show you how lucky you are to have the man who broke hearts.”

  “Are you really this cocky?” I joke with him. The truth is I’m glad he’s in a good mood. This article could have put him in complete bodyguard mode which would piss me off.

  “Not cocky if it’s true. Since it was written, I have to assume it’s true.”

  I throw my head back laughing with him when both our phones start ringing. I pull mine out of my purse and see Ember is calling. Declan puts me down and answers his.

  “Hey Ember, what’s up?”

  “Thank goodness I got you. There’s been several calls today inquiring about whether or not we are providing the formalwear for your wedding. It is our policy to keep confidentiality on our clients, so we didn’t comment. But about five minutes ago a man walked in claiming to be in your wedding party and needs a fitting.” She has panic in her voice.

  “Who is it?”

  “Says his name is Max Roberts.”

  “Max is a family friend but not in the wedding and he lives in North Carolina.”

  “I thought this guy was shady.”

  “Ember, what would happen if you lied and told this guy him you couldn’t find the Hayes/Collins wedding party in your files?”

  “Considering my aunt owns the store, nothing. We keep our clients as private as possible. Some people sell out for the publicity, but we don’t.”

  “I’m not sure why in the hell he is there, but I would guess it has to do with my identity becoming public today.”

  “I saw that–nice article by the way. The pictures of you in high school were cute.”

  “I’m not sure how he got those, but probably from someone who knew me back then. My close friends would never give me up like that.”

  “I didn’t think so.” she says softly.

  “Are you there alone?”

  “Yes, but I am safe. I’ll blow him off.”

  “Okay, call me once he’s gone.”

  “Got it.” She hangs up.

  I call Robbie who is closer to the store than Declan and I are.

  “Hey Heartbreaker,” he teases. “What’s up?”

  “Listen, I hate to do this, but can you do me a huge favor?”

  “Probably.”

  “Ember called from Clyde’s formalwear and there is a strange man in there pretending to be Max. He told her he was there to be fitted for a tux. I think he is some sort of creeper trying to get information about our wedding. Not sure how he got Max’s name, but I’m sure it has to do with the pictures circulating on the internet.”

  “She there by herself?” he asks with anger in his voice.

  “I think so. You can get there much faster than us.”

  “I’m on it. I’ll stay with her until the store closes and hope this motherfucker is still there when I get there. I’d like to know what the hell he is doing.”

  I thank him and hang up to see Declan staring at me. His playful mood is gone and instead replaced with irritation. When I tell him about Ember, he gets even madder.

  “That was Mike, MJ has received over one hundred calls in the last two hours since that article came out. Charlie’s tried to keep up with the messages, but they’re getting out of control. It sounds like we have several offers for free wedding services in exchange for the publicity. We also have about fifty new
best friends making sure we had their addresses for invitations.”

  “You’re joking?”

  “Nope, Mike said he hasn’t seen anything like this. Even when Knight’s Dream hit the charts, there weren’t this many inquiries.”

  “I’m thinking this is not a good thing.”

  “Me too, baby, me too.”

  *****

  Declan

  Fuck! If she doesn’t stop answering her phone, I’m going to throw it against the wall. Since we got the call from Mike last night, both our phones have been ringing constantly. Most of them were our friends commenting on the blog article. But this morning, most of the calls have been regarding our wedding. The Events Manager with the farm we have contracted for the rehearsal dinner called to let me know a few unidentified people have tried to get information out of her regarding our plans. The catering company gave up information on us and the location. She wanted to let me know about security measures they can take to ensure privacy. When I told her who my father-in-law is going to be, she sounded impressed and relieved.

  Raven’s on the phone with her mom now, and she’s being quiet but I can tell she’s upset. Robbie texted me that he and the guys would be at The Steamroom tonight for our show and to make sure they could get into the backroom. I guess he forgot he’s on the permanent list.

  Raven sits down next to me and curls up to my side. I can’t see her face, but she’s sniffling against me.

  “Babe, what’s wrong?”

  “Declan, this is awful. Our wedding is turning out to be a circus show.” she cries into my chest.

  “What do you mean?” I want to hit something –or someone for making her cry.

  “My mom and dad said things are chaotic at their house; phones are ringing; neighbors are stopping by; people are emailing, and it’s about our wedding. People are coming out of the woodwork wanting an invitation. Dad has clients all over the country wanting the dates so they can make their travel plans. These are people we weren’t even inviting! Some woman that claims to know my mom from a charity event insisted on giving me a bridal tea shower. We have no idea who she is!” she cries so hard that she shakes against me.