Checking the time, Lori noted they were due to meet the band for lunch in less than an hour. “How about we get some fresh air?” she suggested. “Assuming the storm hasn’t hit.”
“Fine by me.”
Dark thunder clouds were gathering to the south of the area as the girls stepped out onto the boardwalk. For the moment, though, it was still dry and sunny. Slowly they meandered along, enjoying the warmth of the September sun.
“I wonder how Tom’s getting on?” mused Alice almost to herself. “He’s been so excited about being with the band. About seeing Todd. All he’s talked about since we got here is Jake.”
“He’ll be fine,” reassured Lori. “Jake’ll look after him. Todd was due to arrive first thing too. How’s Tom been since you went home?”
“He’s had his moments,” Alice confessed. “He starts a course at college when we go back.”
“Todd starts next week too.”
“I know. They’ve kept in touch all summer,” revealed the English woman. “It’s helped him a lot.”
“And what about you?” asked Lori, pausing and looking straight at the young woman by her side. “Is Alice ok?”
“Alice has her moments too,” she confessed sadly. “I miss him so much, Lori.”
“We all miss him. I’ve watched the boys struggle with it day in day out. Especially Rich, although he doesn’t say much.”
“I’ve spoken to him on the phone a few times,” said Alice, a tear sliding down her cheek. “He blames himself.”
“I know,” sighed Lori. “You can’t go through life thinking “what if?” It’ll destroy you. Hard as it is, you have to move on. You can’t dwell in the past. I just hope Rich can reach that point soon.”
“Is Jake ok?” asked Alice, wiping away her tears. “He’s always so caring when I talk with him.”
Lori nodded, “We’ve talked. He tends to work these things out through his music though. He still has his moments when he thinks I’m not watching. He tries not to let it show to make it easier for everyone else. He paints on that Disney Power smile.”
Alice burst out laughing. “Disney Power smile?”
“Yes,” replied Lori. “The public smile that hides the private person. The Disney smile. You’ll see it this afternoon if you go along to the meet and greet session. It’s taken him a while, but he’s finally mastered it.”
“Learned the technique from you, did he?”
“Yes,” conceded Lori. “I’m an expert at it.”
“I noticed earlier on as you fielded those questions,” teased Alice as they both turned to head back to the hotel.
The first drops of rain were starting to fall.
“Some subjects are off limits. The Hyde Disney smile masks that.”
Efficient as ever, Maddy had arranged a “family and friends” lunch back at the hotel. It was a relaxed buffet affair and, as Lori entered the room with Alice, the first person she saw was Lucy. Beside her at the table were her brothers and her father. Spying Lori, she leapt up from her seat and ran over to greet her future sister-in –law.
“Hi. We were getting worried about you,” she cried, hugging her tightly.
“Hi, Lucy,” said Lori. “We went to get some fresh air. Where’s Jake?”
“Over at the buffet. His nephews are helping him to choose his lunch.”
After greeting the Power men, Lori excused herself and headed towards the buffet. As she was piling some green salad onto her plate, Jake came up behind her.
“You ok, li’l lady?” he asked softly. “Scott said it was a tough interview.”
“I’m fine,” she assured him. “She didn’t ask anything I wasn’t expecting. I didn’t answer the questions I wasn’t comfortable with.”
“Good for you,” said Jake as he helped himself to some salad. “Are you coming over to sit with the Power contingent?”
“Of course. I’ll be over in a minute,” promised Lori.
It was the first time in almost six years that the entire Power family had sat round the one table. Overexcited at being in the hotel and at the thought of going to the concert, Sam and Josh were running about with Becky in the far corner of the room. Someone had found some balloons to entertain them and they were playing happily together, too excited to eat lunch. It gave the adults a few precious minutes to catch up with all the family news.
“Am I going to need ear plugs this evening, son?” asked Colonel Power with a grin. “I recall how loud you boys were the last time I heard you play.”
“Probably,” laughed Jake between mouthfuls. “Full stage set is a bit louder than we were at the launch party.”
“I’ll vouch for that,” seconded Simon, remembering his trip to see Silver Lake in London. “What’s the chances of Peter and I watching from the general access area?”
“Sure,” shrugged Jake. “See Maddy. She’ll get you in. There’s plenty of reserved seats up in the balcony though.”
“So what’s the plan till show time?” asked Peter.
“We’ve a meet and greet session and sound check,” said Jake, swallowing the last of his lunch. “We’ll be done about four, four thirty, I’d guess.”
After a quick debate, the other three Power males agreed to head to the casino for the afternoon. Lucy said she had promised the boys a couple of hours on the beach before the show. With security passes dished out to everyone, they agreed to go their separate ways until late afternoon.
On the other side of the dining room, the twins were stealing the show. Little Wren had been scared of Jethro, wailing loudly every time she saw him. Her brother, on the other hand, was a little braver, allowing the older man to hold him very briefly. As soon as their meal was over, Maddy reluctantly handed the babies back into the care of Paul’s sister, promising to run back to the room at dinner time. With her children safely out of the way, the “business Maddy” returned and brusquely shepherded the band into the venue.
Already there were fans gathering outside and the lucky hundred VIP ticket holders got a cheer as they were escorted in out of the rain just after three o’clock. Fresh from the morning’s video shoot, Scott had set up a photo area with a Silver Lake backdrop. The band patiently posed with each fan for a souvenir photograph. From her seat at the far side of the hall, Lori could see the “Disney Power” smile in full use and nudged Alice to point it out. Both girls laughed loudly, causing Jake to look over at them with a puzzled expression. Once the photos were completed, the band spoke to each fan for a moment or two, signed autographs, posed for even more photos and, to their great surprise, received numerous gifts. With the intimate part of the afternoon completed, the band made their way onto the stage to start their sound check.
While they were getting themselves sorted out, a small group of fans spotted Lori sitting at the side of the general access area. Before she knew what was happening, she was being asked to autograph various articles ranging from the fans’ VIP tickets to their copies of Out Of The Shadows. Obligingly, she signed everything that was presented to her, then politely excused herself. With Alice in tow, Lori retreated to the sanctuary of the backstage area. Not wanting to miss the sound check, the two girls made their way to the side of the stage, arriving just in time to hear the band rehearse the opening to “Dragon Song.”
Out on stage, Silver Lake were relaxed and joking quietly with each other, all too aware that their VIP guests were watching their every move. They ran through a few of the trickier bits for the evening’s set and, with the help of their stage crew, adjusted the various settings until they were all happy. Before they brought the sound check to a close, Jake whispered something to the others, who nodded in agreement.
“Ok, folks,” called out Jake. “We’ve decided to treat you to something a little special.”
A resounding cheer went up.
“We’re going to try one of the songs that will be on our new album for you. This is Engine Room.”
The song Silver Lake had chosen was one of the heavier tracks on the al
bum. Both Rich and Grey launched confidently into the intro, a riff that immediately caught their small audience’s attention. Jake’s vocal for the track was strong and powerful but with an edge of menace and darkness to it. Seeing the small crowd’s positive reaction made all of them smile and relax a bit. As they finished the number, two of the VIP fans yelled, “More. Play another one, Jake.”
“No more, ladies,” he said, shaking his head.
“One more,” they pleaded loudly.
Paul and Grey had already darted off stage and Jake could see that Rich had handed his guitar over to Todd and was poised to follow the others. Not wanting to disappoint the fans, Jake said, “Just a little teaser then. This is just between us.”
With his back to the hall, he began to play the tribute track that they had named At The Beach. His hands were trembling as he played and he stopped less than a quarter of the way through the instrumental number.
“That’s it, folks,” he announced, trying to disguise the emotion in his voice. “See you guys back out here tonight.”
Before anyone could stop him, he left the stage, wiping a tear from his cheek.
“Gary,” he thought to himself. “That was for you, buddy.”
Backstage, Jake walked in on a debate about the set list. Lifting a bottle of water from the fridge, he listened as Maddy debated heatedly with Rich and Grey over the proposed changes. Screwing the lid back on the now half empty bottle, Jake calmly but firmly said, “Stop this right now, folks.”
“Tell Maddison she’s out of line,” snarled Rich angrily.
“You’re all out of line,” stated Jake, keeping his tone as level as he could. “Maddison, you don’t want us to play Same Day New Life, is that correct?”
“Correct,” snapped their irate manager sharply.
“Why?”
“It’s out of place in the set list. Plus, three acoustic tracks together is too many,” she explained, running her hand through her spiky hair in exasperation. “It’s not what the fans have paid to hear. It’s not what they want.”
“Ok, I hear you. Boys, you want to keep the acoustic slot to three?”
“Yes,” snapped Rich, with a glance towards Grey. “It gives you and I the breathing space we need. I’m worried that the whole set is too much for us to play.”
“Can I suggest a compromise?” offered Jake. He saw and understood both sides of the argument.
“Throw your thoughts in,” sighed Grey. “It can’t make this fuck up any worse.”
“Let’s substitute Same Day with At The Beach,” suggested Jake, almost instantly regretting the idea. “It still gives Rich a three song break and it gives me a few minutes to catch my breath. Maddison’s right here, by the way. Three acoustic songs together is too many. I’ve said that right from the start.”
An awkward silence hung in the air as they all stood looking at each other. It was Maddy, who spoke first, “Are you sure you want to play that one live?”
“No,” confessed Jake openly. “But, I’ve just played part of it out there and those guys lapped it up. This was the big show that Gary was setting up for us. It kind of feels right to try to play it out there tonight.”
“He’s right,” agreed Grey, looking over at Rich. “Well, Ricardo, what do you have to say?”
“I don’t know,” replied the guitarist, shaking his head. “It’s a huge ask of you, Jake. Can you hold it together to play that out there tonight?”
Shrugging his shoulders, Jake said, “All I can do is try.”
Without any further comment, Jake turned and walked out of the dressing room. He had no idea where he was going. He wandered down the corridor, eventually stopping at the fire exit. There was a stairway leading up to the left, marked “Staff Only.” With a deep sigh, he sat down on the bottom step and put his head in his hands.
♫
Back in the dressing room, Lori and Alice arrived to find the band still talking about the set changes. Anxiously, Lori looked round for Jake. When Grey filled her in on what had just happened, she sank down onto one of the couches, not believing what she was hearing.
“I’m sorry, Lori,” apologised Rich, coming to sit beside her. “I started it. I was out of line. Jake was just trying to find the compromise. Trying to find the right answer to keep the peace.”
“No need to apologise to me,” she sighed. “But you never saw him out there playing the first part of it.”
“That tough?” asked Maddy, regretting her own challenge to the agreed set.
Lori nodded.
Before any of them could say anything else, the door opened and Jason waltzed in with the promoter and two record company executives. If he realised that he had walked in at a bad moment, he never let on. With his usual flamboyance, he held court in the room as he introduced everyone. In the midst of everything, Jethro too had arrived and immediately noticed Jake’s absence. Casually, he made his way across the room until he was standing behind Lori. Leaning over the back of the couch, he whispered softly in her ear, “Go and find the boy.”
Excusing herself a few moments later, Lori got up and, leaning heavily on her cane for support, slowly made her way to the door. If anyone noticed her depart, they never said. The backstage area was a warren. She had no idea where Jake had gone. Trying to think logically, she guessed he would have tried to get as far away from the dressing room as he could. Following her gut instinct, Lori headed down the corridor to the very end, then was faced with a choice. Left or right? She listened to see if she could hear anything that would give her a clue. In the distance, she thought she heard something. It came from further down the left hand passageway. When she looked more closely, she could see the fire exit door and what she thought were the toes of a pair of Converse.
When she reached the end of the passage, she found Jake sitting on the step, his head still in his hands. He looked up when he heard her cane on the concrete floor.
“Penny for them, rock star?” she asked softly as she sat down beside him.
“They’re not worth it,” he muttered hoarsely.
“You ok?” asked Lori, putting an arm around his shoulder.
“Yeah,” he sighed, laying his head on her shoulder. “I just needed some space. All the press stuff. The meet and greet. The sound check. I didn’t need the Rich and Maddy show on top.”
“He’s apologised,” said Lori, hugging her fiancé tight. “You’re all on edge. It’s understandable. Rich feels bad about earlier as does Maddy.”
“I just hope I can hold it together to play the damn thing.”
“You will,” she stated confidently. “I have complete faith in you. We all do.”
“I don’t know if I can play it straight after the two acoustic songs. They choke me up most times. At The Beach straight after them would kill me,” he confessed.
“Split them up,” suggested Lori. “Bring the acoustic slot forward, then play At The Beach nearer the end.”
“That might work,” conceded Jake with a nod. “What time is it?”
“Just after five,” replied Lori, checking her watch. “Jason had just arrived with some suits before I came looking for you.”
“Guess I’d better head back.”
“Only if you’re up to it.”
“Come on, li’l lady,” said Jake, getting up from the step. Helping her to her feet, he added, “It’ll help knowing you’re in the audience tonight.”
Seated in the front row of the balcony, slightly to the left of the stage, a few hours later, Lori felt sick with nerves. On one side of her, Becky was sitting patiently waiting to see her daddy and her Silver Lake uncles; on the other side was Alice, equally excited at finally getting to see the band play live. When she had returned to the dressing room with Jake, there had been a few awkward moments until he cleared the air between himself and Rich. The four members of the band had discretely discussed tweaking the set further and, by the time Jake had gone to complete his vocal warm up, peace and harmony had been restored.
&nbs
p; The support band, a recently signed act to JR Management, had played a solid forty-five minute set, the perfect warm up, and the crowd were buzzing. A gradual chant of “Silver Lake, Silver Lake, Silver Lake, Lake, Lake,” began to build. Behind them, Lori could hear the fans pick up the chant. She glanced along the row at the rest of the band’s invited guests. Linsey and Kola had arrived earlier and were sitting on the other side of Grey’s mother. Lucy and her family were just beyond that. A tap on her knee brought her back to the moment. Eyes wide, Becky asked, “Why’s everyone shouting?”
“They’re trying to hurry things up,” said Lori with a smile. “They all want to see your daddy as much as you do.”
“Can I shout too?”
“Go for it, honey,” laughed Lori as the little girl enthusiastically joined in the chant.
A few tiny flashes of light were the only hint the crowd needed. The roar, as the lights went up and Silver Lake launched into Dragon Song, almost lifted the roof off. As Jake stepped forward to the microphone, he looked straight up to the area where they were seated, then his focus returned to the song and the crowd in front of him. The fans sang along enthusiastically, their warm welcome melting away the last of the band’s nerves. From her seat, Lori could just see Jethro and Maddy at the side of the stage.
After their second number, Jake called out, “Good evening, Atlantic City!”
The crowd cheered wildly.
“I can’t hear you!” bellowed Jake. “Good evening, Atlantic City!”
He was rewarded with a resounding roar of appreciation.
“Ok,” he grinned. “Much better. We’re going to play a new one for you now. This’ll be on the new record. This is Engine Room.”
The reaction to the new song was fantastic. The fans almost immediately picked up on the chorus and were soon singing along.
Watching Jake and the boys command the stage made Lori’s heart swell with pride. Seeing them perform from the fan’s perspective, she wholly understood the magic that was being spun in front of her. Her rock star came to life out on that stage – a far cry from the emotional Jake of a few hours earlier. He had the capacity crowd eating out of the palm of his hand.
Impossible Depths (Silver Lake series Book 2) Page 31
