“As soon as you’re ready, li’l lady.”
So early in the season, the beach was almost deserted, as they walked hand in hand along the sand. In front of them, small sea birds were pecking furiously in the damp sand, then scurrying away as the next wave came flooding towards them. Watching them made Lori smile. As they walked, she asked Jake how he’d got on with his practice session. Shrugging his shoulders, he was non-committal about the progress, but declared he was happy to be home and to have time on his hands to write. He confessed to struggling a bit for inspiration. Squeezing his hand, Lori said she knew how he felt and that it would pass. Halfway into town she asked if they could detour up onto the boardwalk, confessing that she was struggling a bit on the sand.
“Do you want to rest for a minute?” asked Jake, once they were safely off the beach. “There’s a bench right here.”
“Just for a minute,” Lori agreed, grateful for the seat. “I guess I took more out of myself when I was shopping than I realised.”
“Don’t push too hard, li’l lady,” cautioned Jake, placing his hand gently on her thigh. “I don’t want to be visiting you in the hospital again.”
He shuddered at the memory of the day she had undergone surgery in January. It had been one of the longest, scariest days of his life as he had paced the corridors of the medical centre waiting for news. Watching her fight her way out of the anaesthetic fog had been painful as she had reacted badly to it. Seeing her in so much pain and distress had torn him apart.
“I don’t want to go back either, Jake,” she whispered. “I’ve had enough surgeries to last me a lifetime.”
She glanced down the boardwalk, blinking away the tears that were threatening to form and spotted a young couple coming towards them. The boy had his arm draped over the girl’s shoulder and a guitar case in his other hand. They looked vaguely familiar and, as they drew closer, she recognised that it was two of Jake’s former students.
“Hi, Mr Power,” called Todd as he spotted his former teacher.
“Hi, Todd,” said Jake with a smile. “And its Jake now, remember?”
“Yes, sir,” replied the boy, blushing slightly.
Jake recognised the girl as Kate, another talented former student with a fantastic singing voice.
“Where are you guys off to?” he asked.
“Rehearsal at Kate’s dad’s,” answered Todd. “Can’t rehearse at home. My mom can’t stand the noise.”
Before he had left his teaching post at the school, Jake had spoken to Todd’s mother to explain that he wanted to buy him a guitar as a gift. The woman hadn’t impressed him and her total lack of interest in her son’s talent had really angered Jake. When he had presented Todd with an acoustic guitar, as an eighteenth birthday gift, the boy had wept openly. His reaction had touched Jake’s heart and he had promised himself he would keep in touch with the boy, mentoring him as best he could. They had met up a few times to play together but hadn’t seen each other for almost a month.
“I’m about for the next few weeks,” began Jake. “Come by the house sometime.”
“I’d like that,” said Todd shyly, then feeling more confident asked, “Are you going to do any workshops at school this semester?”
“Maybe. I’ve not given it much thought,” admitted Jake. “I’ll call the principal and see what I can set up. You leave this summer don’t you?”
Todd nodded. “Mom wants me to find a job. I want to go to college. It’s a bit of a touchy subject at home.”
“What do you want to do at college?” asked Lori, her own anger rising at the thought of the boy’s education being stopped.
“Music,” Todd replied. “There’s a course that teaches you all the technical stuff and management. I don’t know if I can do it part-time though. It’s in Baltimore. I’ll work something out.”
“So you want to go into band management?” pressed Lori.
“To be honest, Mz Hyde,” confessed Todd. “I’d like to be part of the stage crew on a big tour and see the world.”
Jake laughed. “You’d make a great guitar tech, Todd. Give me a call during the week about coming over. I’ll put you to work on my gear.”
“Thanks, sir,” said the boy. “I’ll call.”
As the young couple walked out of earshot, Jake watched them closely, an idea beginning to form in his mind. Getting to her feet, Lori said, “I can hear that thought forming, rock star.”
“What?” he asked innocently with a small smile.
“You want to get Todd on your stage crew.”
“More or less,” he confessed. “I’ll need a guitar tech if we’re doing the summer festival circuit. It might be the break the kid needs. I’ll talk to Gary about it.”
“You’re a big, soft hearted lump,” laughed Lori, giving him a hug. “But I think it’s a great idea. He’s a nice kid.”
The closer to the heart of town they got, the busier the boardwalk became. By summer standards, it was still quiet. There were families out enjoying the spring sunshine and teenagers congregating around the amusement arcade. As they approached The Greene Turtle, they saw Gary sitting on a nearby bench, chatting on his phone. On his right, Scott was sitting texting on his.
“Hi, guys,” said Lori brightly.
“Afternoon,” greeted Gary, slipping his phone back into his jeans’ pocket.
“Sorry, we’re a minute or two late,” apologised Jake.
“We only just got here,” said Gary. “So, where’s this apartment?”
“A couple of blocks back on Laurel Street,” Jake replied. “Not too far.”
“Ok, let’s go,” said the band’s manager, getting to his feet.
“Jake,” began Lori. “I’ll wait here. I can’t face those stairs up to your apartment.”
“You sure?”
Lori nodded. “I’ll take a wander along the boardwalk.”
“I could buy you a beer,” offered Scott shyly. “To say thanks for letting me sleep on your couch.”
“Sounds good,” agreed Lori, smiling at the young filmmaker. “We’ll go and grab a table in the Turtle. You boys take your time.”
The restaurant/bar was quiet for a Saturday when they entered a few minutes later. While Scott went up to the bar to order two beers, Lori took a seat at one of the tables, grateful to be able to rest for a while. Every time she visited the bar, the stairs up from the boardwalk seemed to get steeper. The muscles in her weaker thigh were aching from the climb. She was still massaging away the tightness in her leg when Scott came over to join her.
“They’re bringing the drinks over,” he explained as he sat opposite her. “Isn’t this where we came after the school dance show?”
“Yes,” giggled Lori. “Although I’m amazed you remember!”
“I remember arriving,” confessed Scott blushing. “But not much else.”
“The last I saw of you, you were passed out across the table,” she sniggered. “That was a fun night.”
“Wasn’t much fun the next day,” he admitted, remembering the hangover.
The waiter came over with their drinks and asked if they wanted to see the menu. Both of them shook their heads and Lori added that they were waiting on friends joining them. As they sipped their drinks, Scott quizzed her about life in the seaside town, comparing it to British coastal resorts he had visited as a child. It struck Lori that he sounded almost homesick as he reminisced about family holidays.
Fishing in his jacket pocket for the keys, Jake explained to Gary that he hadn’t checked on the apartment for a few weeks. Opening the door, they were welcomed by a musty, stale odour. One of the neighbours had put Jake’s mail through the letter-box and there was a small paper mountain jamming the door. It took a minute or two, but he cleared the pile of trash mail away, then welcomed the band’s manager in. Having seen round the compact abode, Gary agreed it was an improvement on the hotel.
“Did you say three of you lived here?”
“Yeah,” said Jake grinning at the memory.
“Rich, Paul and I shared this place for a few months. Long time ago!”
“Tight squeeze more like,” laughed Gary. “I guess if I’m moving in, I’d better ask Scott if he wants to camp out on the couch.”
“Up to you, boss,” said Jake. “He’s a good kid.”
“And you’re sure you don’t mind me using this place?”
“It’s all yours for as long as you need it,” said Jake, handing him the keys. “I’ve kept a spare set of keys for emergencies. Rent is all paid up for the next six months.”
“How much do I owe you a month for it?” asked Gary, accepting the keys.
“Don’t worry about it just now,” answered Jake. “Let’s go and grab a beer to celebrate.”
When they entered the Turtle a few minutes later, Lori and Scott were deep in conversation about Scott’s video shoot, trying between them to work out a new theme and location. The table was strewn with napkins covered in scribbled drawings and ideas. Gathering them up into a neat pile, Jake joked about them being “priceless Mz Hyde originals.” He signalled to the waiter to bring over four beers then asked if they had solved Scott’s dilemma.
“We’re working on it,” replied Lori. “But it’s quite a challenge.”
“I’ll call Jason on Monday,” said Scott with a resigned sigh. “See if there’s more budget. Might be easier to relocate it to Vegas.”
“Worth asking, I guess,” agreed Jake.
“So what’s the verdict on Casa Power?” Lori asked, glancing between Jake and Gary.
“It beats the hotel. I’ll move in during the week,” Gary replied. “It’ll be nice to have somewhere in town and not have to drive everywhere.”
“Well, if you need a hand, let me know,” offered Jake, as the waiter brought over their drinks.
Taking a deep mouthful from his beer, Gary looked over at Scott then asked, “Do you fancy swapping a comfy hotel bed for Jake’s pull-out couch?”
“Are you serious?” asked the younger man.
“Always. Can’t leave you out at the hotel on your own,” said the band’s manager with a smile.
“Thanks. Couch sounds perfect.”
It was still early when Jake and Lori finished dinner and left the Turtle, having promised to catch up with the two Englishmen later in the week. The boardwalk was quiet and most of the shops were closing up for the night as they walked past hand in hand. As ever, the amusement arcade was busy with teenagers, some of them spilling out onto the boardwalk. Once they were passed them, Lori could hear one group debating about whether it had been “that rock star guy” or not. It made her smile, but she could feel Jake cringe beside her. He still struggled with being recognised when he was out and about. Reaching the end of the boardwalk, the beach suddenly seemed very dark. Both of them stepped carefully down onto the soft sand. This time it was Jake who felt Lori tense up beside him. Before she could say anything he scooped her up into his arms to carry her the last few yards home.
“Reminds me of the day I met you, li’l lady,” he said, before kissing her lightly on the forehead.
“Seems a lifetime ago,” mused Lori softly.
“In some ways,” agreed Jake. “We’ve both come a long way since then.”
“It’s been quite a year,” she said with a wistful smile up at him. “I wonder what this one will bring?”
“Babies. Music. Dramas. Tears and laughter,” surmised Jake, as he set her down on the sun deck. “And maybe a wedding?”
“We will need to give that some thought,” she giggled, as she fished in her bag for the house keys. Tossing them to Jake, she said, “You open up, then let me in through the sunroom. I don’t want to risk that path in the dark.”
As Jake loped off into the darkness towards the back door, she heard an almighty clatter followed by a loud stream of expletives. Eventually, she heard him unlock the back door and saw the kitchen light, then the sunroom lights come on. Jake was rubbing his knee as he slid open the patio door.
“You ok?” she asked, stepping inside.
“Fucking trash can attacked me,” he growled, closing the door over behind her.
Giggling, Lori flopped down onto the couch.
“Glad you think it’s funny,” retorted Jake, trying hard to sound angry.
“Would another beer make it better?” suggested Lori, reaching out to rub his tender knee.
“It might. You stay there and I’ll fetch them,” he said. “There’s a price though.”
“What?”
“Can you listen to the tracks I was working on earlier?”
“Of course.”
Mixed emotions flowed through Lori as she listened to the Grey and Jake collaboration for a second time. It was a move towards a heavier style and she liked it, but, as Jake sang the lyrics, it lost something. He had played her the other new melody and she nodded approvingly. It was more like the band’s usual style.
“Spit it out,” said Jake bluntly. “I can see you’re trying not to say something.”
“Switch the drowning theme to the second song,” she suggested quietly. “It’s more haunting and tortured. I love the heavy one. Really love the riff, but the lyrics don’t go with it. They felt all wrong.”
“Come downstairs. I want to try something,” he said, the creative wheels in his head already gathering speed. “You might be onto something here.”
Down in the basement studio, Jake cleared space for Lori to sit on the couch that sat in the back corner of the room. Piling leads and pedals and other paraphernalia on the floor, he began switching things on and hooking his laptop up. His guitar, the one that the management company had presented to him for his birthday, was still set up from earlier. With a few minor adjustments to the tuning, Jake began to play the second, more tormented track. He played it slower than previously, before adding in additional sections and altering some of the original chord progressions. In the corner, Lori nodded her approval. After a few runs through, Jake set up the microphone and prepared to record a rough version of the song. When he began to sing, Lori could feel herself begin to tingle. His vocals this time were still haunting but more rasping. There was a new desperate edge to it that captured the panic and fear of the drowning themed lyrics. As she listened, Lori was suddenly aware that she was listening to something special- a song destined to become one of the main tracks on the next Silver Lake album. When the song was finished, Jake stopped the recording before he spoke. His reaction wasn’t what Lori had anticipated. He threw back his head and laughed.
“That was intense.”
“It sure was,” she agreed with a smile. “I love that one already.”
“I’ll mail the file to the guys and see what they think,” said Jake, turning his attention to his laptop. “Still need to come up with lyrics for the first one.”
“They’ll come to you in good time.”
With the music file forwarded on to his fellow band members, Jake reached for his acoustic guitar. Instead of playing the full heavy version of the first song, he began to play it acoustically in the hope that he might feel something different in it. Halfway through, he stopped playing. It wasn’t translating well and he could feel himself growing frustrated.
“Move on to something else for a while,” Lori suggested, sensing his growing exasperation.
“Time to call it a night,” stated Jake, setting the guitar back on its stand. “Need to sleep on this one.”
“How many tracks do you have for the new record?” asked Lori, as she got slowly to her feet.
“Not enough,” admitted Jake with a yawn. “We’ve got about seven, maybe six, depending on how this works out. Ideally, we want at least fourteen. Plenty time yet though.”
“I sense a few late nights on your horizon, rock star,” predicted Lori with a knowing smile. “And long days.”
♫
Instead of being a day of rest, Sunday turned into a day of work for both the creative souls living at the beach house. Jake’s song-writing muse hit him early in the morning
while he was out for a run along the beach. His mind had wandered over a few ideas as he had pounded his way along the sand. When he returned to the house, he had charged straight down to the basement to record a new riff and a new melody line quickly before he forgot them. He then came back upstairs to grab a shower before disappearing back down to the studio. The door was tightly closed, a clear “do not disturb” sign to Lori.
There must have been something in the air because she too had had a flash of inspiration for a new project that she had received an email about. Since resurrecting Mz Hyde almost a year before, Lori had thrown herself back into her design work. When she had checked her business emails, there had been one from the lead singer of one of the first band’s she had designed for back at the end of her student days. Attached to the email had been a music file with four short excerpts from tracks for the singer’s solo album. At the first time of listening, Lori hadn’t connected with them, but she had played them through a couple of times and looked back over previous designs she had completed for the artist. Inspiration had struck her as she had done a load of laundry. With a smile, she thought it must have been the soapy swirls of water visible through the door of the machine. Whatever it was, it was enough to light the spark and to get an idea flowing.
As she listened to Jake’s music taking shape below her, Lori sat at her drawing board, teasing her design to life. Unlike her fiancé, she stopped for a break around lunchtime and enjoyed a quiet hour out on the sun deck with a salad, a juice and the Sunday newspaper. Before she returned to work, she made herself a coffee and sent a quick message to Maddy to check if she was alright. Upon returning to her drawing board, Lori was soon so engrossed in her work that it slipped her mind that her friend hadn’t replied. Several hours later, as the light began to reflect the hues of dusk, Lori heard her phone chirp. The sudden sharp noise reminded her that she hadn’t heard from Maddy all day. Quickly she opened the message.
“At the hospital. In labour. All ok for now. No need to panic. Maddy x”
Impossible Depths (Silver Lake series Book 2) Page 3
