“I’d better head home,” said Rich, once the email was sent. “Thanks for dinner, Lori.”
“Pleasure as always,” she replied with a smile.
As they listened to Rich’s car roar out of the driveway, Jake took the empty beer bottles through to the kitchen, then both he and Lori headed off to bed. Lying wrapped in each other’s arms in the darkness, Jake said, “I’m looking forward to this trip. It’s all starting to come together. Three more weeks of school, two of rehearsal time, then we fly out to Dublin.”
“Dublin?” questioned Lori. “Is that not Ireland?”
“Yes,” he replied. “We got word that two dates in Dublin have been tagged onto the start. We fly out on November 19th.”
“That’s not so far off really, is it?”
“Scarily close,” he said, hugging her tight. “And the first London show’s on my birthday.”
“Maybe they’ll sing Happy Birthday to you on stage.”
“Now that would be quite something, li’l lady.”
♪
Plans and preparations for the tour filled the hours for all of them throughout the remainder of October and the first two weeks of November. As the days wore on, Maddy felt better and threw herself into the organisation. With her usual professional efficiency, she arranged everything from the purchase of additional equipment right down to their stage clothes. There were various aspects to the plans that the band themselves would never have thought of. It was a steep learning curve for them all. Eventually though all the plans were in place, the rehearsals complete and departure only a day away.
While Maddy had been busy organising the band, Lori had linked in with her regarding her own travel arrangements. She had confirmed to Jake that she was only coming to the two London shows at the end of the tour but, with Maddy’s discrete help, she arranged to travel a couple of days earlier and surprise him in Glasgow. With all her own plans confirmed, Lori returned her focus to her own work commitments. Taking almost two weeks out of her schedule at the start of December made her deadlines tight but she was confident of bringing everything in on time, ahead of time if she could.
The night before Silver Lake were due to leave, they agreed to meet for dinner. A table had been booked at the local steakhouse and they were expected there at seven. As she sat at the dressing table fixing her hair, Lori tried not to think about having to say goodbye to Jake next day.
“Penny for your thoughts, li’l lady?” he whispered behind her. He was already dressed for dinner and had come through to check if she was ready to leave.
“I was thinking about tomorrow and how I hate saying goodbye,” she replied, putting the final pin in place.
“I’ve been trying not to think about that bit,” he confessed. “But in two weeks’ time you’ll be there for my birthday.”
“That’s true,” she conceded with a wistful look. “Ok, I’m ready.”
“You look stunning as ever,” complimented Jake, admiring the long dark forest green dress she was wearing.
“Thanks. You don’t look so bad yourself, rock star.”
They were the last of the party to arrive at the restaurant and, as they made their way to the table, Grey called out, “Forty dollars in the pot. You’re both late!”
“Sorry, folks,” apologised Jake. “We couldn’t get parked.”
“Excuses. Excuses,” muttered Grey with a grin. “Forty bucks, Mr Power.”
Maddy got up from her seat at the table and came over to hug them both. She was wearing a short black dress and her trademark spike heels, but, as she hugged Lori, her friend could clearly see the outline of her growing baby bump.
“You’re not going to hide that for long,” whispered Lori as they embraced.
“Don’t I know it,” said Maddy, smoothing her dress down.
Once they were all seated and the waitress had brought their drinks order, Rich proposed a toast, “Here’s to the first overseas Silver Lake tour!”
“The first of many!” added Jake clinking glasses with his fellow guitarist.
“And short flights,” joked Paul, causing a ripple of laughter round the table.
Reaching out to put a calming hand on Paul’s wrist, Maddy said, “It's only three flights, honey. Most of the travel’s by bus.”
“Praise the Lord,” sighed the drummer.
The easy, relaxed banter continued as, in turn, they all voiced their hopes and fears for the coming weeks. When dessert was served, Rich asked Lori when she was joining them.
“London on December 3rd,” she replied, not daring to glance at Maddy.
“And we can’t convince you to fly over any sooner?” asked Grey, with a twinkle in his eyes.
“No, you can’t,” she stated before adding. “This will be my first overseas trip since my accident. Lord knows how many alarms I’ll set off at security!”
“I hadn’t thought of that!” sniggered Maddy, remembering the metalwork hidden in her friend’s thigh.
“You’ll be fine,” reassured Jake, putting his arm around her shoulders, realising she was nervous about the trip.
All too soon dinner was over, the bill was paid and they were all standing outside the restaurant ready to go their separate ways. Business–like as ever, Maddy reminded them all of their pick up times and warned them not to keep the driver waiting. As they said their goodbyes to Lori, there were lots of hugs and kisses and promises to text or call. Lori said goodbye to Maddy last. She hugged her a little longer and a little tighter than the others.
“Be careful, Maddy,” she said quietly. “These guys can look after themselves. You need to look after you this time. No risks.”
“I know,” promised Maddy. “I’ll be sensible. I promise. The boys will take care of me.”
“They better or they will have me to answer to,” joked Lori. “I’ll see you in a couple of weeks.”
Slowly Jake and Lori walked back to the car in silence, hand in hand. Jake was just pulling out of their parking space when Lori finally spoke, “Look after Maddy for me, Jake. Don’t let her push herself too hard.”
“I’ll try,” he said warmly. “That’s the first time I’ve seen her looking pregnant.”
“Her bump’s really starting to show,” agreed Lori.
“Do you think we’ll have kids?” asked Jake sounding serious.
“I hadn’t given it any thought,” replied Lori, caught off guard by the question. “I’m not sure this battered body of mine would cope.”
“Don’t panic. I just wondered that’s all.”
“If it’s meant to be, it will be.”
In bed a couple of hours later, their lovemaking was tender and gentle, both of them keen to ensure it was perfect. When Jake entered her, he moved slowly, teasing her to orgasm before allowing himself to come. Still inside her, he held her and whispered how much he loved her and how much he was going to miss her. Sensually she kissed him, reassuring him it would be no time at all until they were back together to celebrate his birthday. Wrapped in each other’s arms, they drifted off to sleep.
♪
Rain was lashing down and a cold wind was howling when Silver Lake stumbled out of the taxis outside their Dublin hotel. The night flight from Philadelphia had been uneventful, but none of them, apart from Maddy, got any sleep. Now, as they gathered their bags together, they were all sluggish with jet lag. The taxi driver said something to Jake in his fast lilting Irish accent, but the musician had no idea what.
“Beg your pardon?”
“Are you the group who will be playing at the Olympia tomorrow night?” he repeated slowly.
“Yes,” replied Jake with a yawn.
“I’ve got tickets for the show. I’m taking my boy along.”
“It should be a good night,” said Jake, forcing a smile. “I’ll watch out for you.”
Once they were checked into the hotel and had found their rooms, Maddy suggested getting some rest for a few hours. There were interviews set up for three o’clock that afternoon i
n the hotel bar and she warned them all to be awake and on time. Jake’s room was on the third floor, between Rich and Grey and across the hall from Paul and Maddy’s room. He locked the door behind him, abandoned his bags in the middle of the floor and collapsed onto the king size bed. The next thing he knew, the phone beside the bed was ringing loudly. Still half asleep, he lifted the receiver, “Yes?”
“Jake, wakey, wakey,” called out Maddy brightly. “You’ve got an hour to get cleaned up and down to the bar. And you missed lunch.”
“What time is it?” he muttered, as he tried to focus his eyes.
“It’s just gone two,” stated the manager sharply. “Now get your ass in gear. I’ll see you downstairs.”
A lukewarm shower went some way to waking him up. With the towel wrapped round his waist and his hair dripping, Jake investigated the room’s coffee maker and made himself a strong cup of coffee. He rummaged through his suitcase for a change of clothes and drank the coffee as he dressed. A thundery migraine was beginning to pound at his temples and he knew it was triggered by a lack of sleep and food. He paused to send a quick text message to Lori to say they’d arrived, then left the room in search of the bar and his fellow band members. With a little help from reception, he found the bar and was soon seated at a table with the rest of the band. In her usual efficient manner, Maddy had ordered soup and sandwiches for those who missed lunch and coffees for everyone. While Jake and Grey, who had also slept late, ate their meal, their manager went off to meet the three journalists that they were scheduled to meet. As she re-entered the room, Maddy’s harsh New York accent rang out loudly.
“Guys, this is Brendan, Mike and Rob,” she introduced. “Plus Luke who’s here to take a few photos.”
Silver Lake managed a half-hearted greeting as the journalists pulled over extra chairs to join them. Maddy remained standing and, once the others looked settled, declared she had a few calls to make and would be back in an hour.
“So what do you all think of Dublin?” asked one of the journalists as an ice breaker.
“To be honest, it is kind of early to say,” began Rich. “We only flew in this morning and most of us have been asleep since. The drive in from the airport was nice.”
“Is this your first overseas tour?”
Jake nodded and added, “For all of us it’s our first trip to Europe too. We’re really excited to get the opportunity to play for you guys.”
“Now, Jake, you sang on the recent Weigh Station album. How did that come about?”
“We met them briefly when we were recording our own album. I guess they liked what they heard. I was invited to guest on one of the new songs on their deluxe edition of their record. When I got to the studio in New York, there had been a change to the plan and I was asked to appear on three. I only sang on two of them.”
“Do you think they’ll invite you out on stage with them?”
“Maybe. We’ll see how the tour goes,” replied Jake, deliberately keeping his response vague.
For the next forty five minutes, the three reporters fired a broad range of questions at them, ranging from trivial things like their favourite foods and music to the more technical details of their music and choice of equipment. They were asked about the three stadium shows they had done with Molton and about the various smaller festivals they had played in the past.
“Is it true one of you got shot on stage last summer?”
“Jake was,” answered Grey, sipping a fresh cup of coffee.
“Can you tell us what happened?”
“We were playing an open air show near home and a few songs into the set I felt a sharp sting at my knee and I staggered back a bit. I didn’t realise at first what had happened and kept playing,” began Jake. “Blood started to soak through my jeans and was running into my boot. I went to the side of the stage to get help while these guys kept playing. I taped my leg up and managed another three songs before we wrapped it up.”
“You played on?”
“Yeah,” admitted Jake, with a sheepish grin. “The fans had paid good money to hear us. I didn’t want to let them down. I had to try to carry on for them.”
“And there was no permanent damage done?”
“Just a two inch scar on my knee,” he confessed. “But it does make you think about how vulnerable you can be out on that stage. Going out the next time, just a couple of weeks later, was tough.”
“But you’re over that now?”
Jake nodded, “Playing live is what we all live to do. Can’t let it scare me. Life’s too short.”
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Maddy returning. The three journalists spotted her as well.
“Final question,” began one of them. “What can the fans here and in the UK expect from Silver Lake?”
“A damn good time,” laughed Rich. “We’ve put together a strong set and we just hope you enjoy it as much as we do.”
“Thanks for your time, guys.”
“Can we just get a few more photos?” asked Luke, the photographer. “Just the band on their own.”
Maddy allowed them a few more minutes, then stepped in and wrapped things up. As she watched the four members of the media depart, she asked how it had gone.
“Fine,” said Rich, with a yawn. “Nice guys. Honest questions.”
“Good. Now, you’re free until dinner at seven. Weigh Station have just arrived so we’ll probably see them at dinner. I spoke to their manager and they’re going to eat here tonight too,” explained Maddy, then almost as an afterthought added, “Oh, Jake, there’s a radio interview tomorrow morning that you’ve to go to with Dan.”
“Ok,” agreed Jake. “I don’t want to end up being the mouthpiece of Silver Lake though.”
“Don’t worry,” reassured Maddy. “These guys have another media slot in the morning too. You’ll all get your fair share of the limelight.”
“Well, if we’ve a couple of hours to spare, I’m going for a walk,” said Grey standing up and stretching. “I need to stretch my legs and get some air.”
“I’ll come with you,” offered Jake, thinking that some fresh air would clear away his headache once and for all. “Give me five minutes to grab a jacket.”
“Don’t be late for dinner, boys,” warned Maddy, as she headed out to the foyer with Paul.
“Rich, what about you?” asked Jake. “Fancy a walk?”
“Not just now. I’m going back upstairs for a while. Think I’ll watch a movie. See you at dinner. Don’t get lost out there.”
The rain had eased up when Grey and Jake stepped out of the hotel, but a cold wind was still whistling down the street. Neither of them knew where to go. Grey had picked up a tourist leaflet from a stand in the hotel's reception area and suggested they set off in search of the venue, the Olympia Theatre. It only took them a few minutes to find the theatre, striking looking with its red and cream olde worlde façade.
“Not quite the stadium in Seattle,” commented Grey, taking a photo of the building with his phone.
“It’s kind of neat,” said Jake, with a grin. “Fits with the charm of this place.”
“As long as the crowd has plenty of charm,” said Grey, putting his phone away. “Feels strange being so far from home.”
“It’ll be fine,” replied Jake, glancing round the immediate area to see what else they could visit. Spotting a couple of pubs nearby, he suggested, “Let’s try the local poison.”
“What?”
“Is Ireland not famous for Guinness?”
“So I read in the magazine on the plane,” answered Grey then pointing to a bar across the street added, “Let’s try that place. One won’t do any harm, will it?”
“Only one way to find out!”
One pint turned into two before the two friends headed back to the hotel. They arrived in time to meet Weigh Station in the foyer. The headliners were posing for photos after an interview and called on Grey and Jake to join them. A handful of fans were also hanging about hoping for photo opportunitie
s. The two members of Silver Lake happily signed a few autographs and posed for a few photos.
“Jake!” yelled Dan. “Get your ass over here.”
“What’s up?” asked Jake, as he strode across towards his idol.
“Jake, meet Dermott our host for the next two nights,” introduced the Weigh Station front man. “He’s the promoter for the shows here in Dublin.”
“Pleased to meet you, sir,” said Jake, shaking the small red haired man’s hand.
“Pleasure’s all mine,” he replied with a softer Irish accent than they’d heard all day. “If you need anything while you’re here, let me know. Anything at all.”
“Thanks,” nodded Jake. “Now if you’ll excuse me. I need to freshen up before dinner.”
While Weigh Station were still meeting and greeting the group of fans, Jake and Grey slipped off towards the elevator almost unnoticed. As Jake swiped the key card in his door, he heard Maddy call out behind him. Turning round she thrust her phone into his hand and said, “Lori’s on the other end.”
“Hi, li’l lady,” he called brightly. “I was just going to call you.”
“Beat you to it. I called Maddy to check she was ok after the flight.”
“She’s just fine,” reassured Jake, winking at the band’s manager. “She’s taken it easy all day. We all have. That flight was a killer. No sleep.”
Lori laughed, then asked what the plan was for the rest of the day.
“It’s almost time for dinner, then I’m having an early night. I’m dying here. Migraine and jet lag,” admitted Jake. “Tomorrow’s going to be a full day. The venue looks amazing from the outside. Really old fashioned. Can’t wait to see inside it.”
“I’d better not keep you late for dinner. Let me know how the show goes tomorrow. I’ll be thinking about you all.”
“Wish you were here, Lori,” he whispered softly. “Seems a long time till you fly over.”
“You’ve only been gone one night,” she giggled. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Call after the show. Love you, rock star.”
Stronger Within (The Silver Lake Series Book 1) Page 42
