Stronger Within (The Silver Lake Series Book 1)

by McCallum, Coral

  The stewardess was serving breakfast and Lori only just made it back to her seat before the passageway was blocked by the trolley. Gratefully she accepted the tray of breakfast and a cup of coffee. Across the aisle David was still asleep, but his parents were wide awake and chatting. His dad clambered over him and out into the aisle to fetch one of their bags from the overhead locker, wishing her “good morning” as he stood beside her.

  “Morning,” replied Lori sleepily.

  “Thank you for being so patient with my boy last night,” he continued. “I don’t know who you are but it’s a long time since I’ve seen him so excited and happy.”

  “He’s a nice kid,” replied Lori. “It was a pleasure to talk to him.”

  “Trust me, it isn’t always a pleasure,” joked the man. “He said you’re going to this concert tonight. Do you really like that God awful heavy metal music?”

  “Yes,” said Lori, with a sleepy smile. “My partner’s the lead singer with the support band. I’ve also worked with the headliners.”

  Shaking his head in disbelief, the man just smiled.

  “I hope your son enjoys the show,” continued Lori. “I’ll speak to Jake later and see if he’ll give him a name check. Don’t say anything. I’m not sure he’ll be able to do it.”

  “Thanks. He’d appreciate that.”

  As the plane began its descent into Glasgow, Lori looked out of the window at the beautiful hills and lochs they were flying over. This was her first visit to Scotland and the scenery was breath-taking on this clear winter morning. On schedule, the plane touched down smoothly and the captain welcomed them all to Glasgow and wished them a safe onward journey. The sleepy passengers made their way quietly through the terminal building towards immigration. Much to Lori’s surprise, she was first in line for non-EU passport checking and within a few minutes she was in the baggage hall with her fellow passengers waiting patiently for the luggage to start coming round the carousel.

  “Excuse me,” said a voice behind her. “Would you like me to lift your bags off for you when they arrive?”

  “Oh, David, that would be great! Thank you,” gushed Lori, her relief at his offer written all over her face. “I was wondering how I was going to do this.”

  “Just let me know when you see your bags.”

  “It’s just one. It’s black with a bright blue bow tied to the strap,” she replied.

  “Ok,” nodded the boy.

  He stood in awkward silence beside her as the luggage started to trundle round. Almost every bag, whether holdall or suitcase, was black. Soon Lori spotted her suitcase coming towards them and pointed it out to the teenager. She stood back out of the way as he easily caught the bag and swung it round, setting it down on its wheels beside her.

  “Thank you,” said Lori, giving him a hug. “It’s been a real pleasure to meet you. I hope you enjoy the show tonight.”

  “Me too,” he said shyly. “And thanks again for the drawing and the magazine.”

  “My pleasure. Take care,” she said, as she lifted the handle of her bag and made her way towards the exit.

  ♪

  Once through the automatic doors, Lori scanned the arrivals hall for the mystery person who was due to meet her. There was no one with a sign saying either “Hyde” or “Silver Lake” but she spotted a young man rushing into the arrivals hall wearing a Silver Lake T-shirt under his open puffy winter jacket. He saw her looking at him and waved. Slowly she made her way towards him. As he reached her, he was out of breath.

  “Lori?” he panted hopefully.

  “Yes,” she replied. “And you are?”

  “Gary,” he gasped, shaking her hand. “Also known as Maddy’s gofer.”

  With a laugh, Lori said, “I pity you. That girl will run you ragged. Nice to finally meet you, Gary.”

  Taking her suitcase from her, he said, “Nice to meet you too. How was the flight?”

  “Good, thanks. I even got some sleep,” she replied. “I’d kill for a decent cup of coffee, though.”

  “I’m afraid that’ll need to wait until we get you to the hotel. Time’s a bit tight this morning,” he began. “The plan is to sneak you up to your room while the guys are doing an interview for the local paper. I’ve left Maddy trying to keep them all together.”

  “Ok, let’s go then,” said Lori. “Do you have a car outside?”

  “No, but we can grab a taxi at the front door.”

  The chill morning air hit her as she stepped outside the terminal building a few moments later. It felt colder than the US had felt the day before and she shivered despite her own thick winter jacket. The taxi rank was immediately opposite the entrance and Gary soon had her bags in the boot and both of them settled in the back seat. It was only a fifteen minute ride from the airport to the riverside hotel where the band were staying. As the taxi pulled up at the entrance, Gary quickly called Maddy to check the coast was clear.

  “We’re good to go,” he said with a conspiratorial wink. He passed the fare through to the driver then helped Lori out of the car. “Keep your hood up just in case.”

  “Why do I feel like I’m doing something wrong?” she giggled, as they entered the foyer.

  “Not a word until we are in the lift,” he cautioned.

  Once they were in the small lift and on the way up to the second floor, Lori began to giggle uncontrollably. Seeing the funny side Gary couldn’t resist her laughter and joined in.

  “Will you be alright in your room for a few hours?” he asked. “We don’t want to ruin this at the last minute.”

  “I’ll be fine,” assured Lori warmly. “I’m going to try to get some sleep.”

  “Good idea. You’re in for a long day,” he observed, as the lift stopped and the doors opened. “This way.”

  Her room was along the corridor to the right and, when Gary opened the door, she saw that she had a stunning view out across the river outside. Checking the time, he said, “I’m really sorry to abandon you so soon. I’ll call room service and get them to send up some breakfast for you and that coffee.”

  “Thanks,” said Lori, as she slipped her jacket off. “What time do I need to be ready?”

  “I’ll send someone to fetch you about three o’clock,” said Gary. “That way you should arrive as the guys are almost finished their sound check. It’s only two minutes from here to the exhibition centre. If you need anything before then, call Maddy or room service.”

  “I’ll be fine,” stated Lori. “You’d better go before they realise you’re missing. What’s your cover story?”

  “Toothache,” he confessed with a laugh. “I told Maddy to tell them I’d gone to look for an emergency dentist.”

  “Sneaky, boy,” she giggled. “Thanks for your help with this. I’ll buy you a drink later on to say thank you properly.”

  “I’ll look forward to it. Need to go. Your breakfast will be here soon.”

  Lori wandered over to the window and surveyed the view of the River Clyde and the city beyond it. The cerulean blue sky was cloudless. It was a crisp, clear winter’s day, not what she had been expecting at all. In her bag she heard her phone give a chirp and she walked stiffly over to fetch it. The message was from Maddy, “Glad you made it. Don’t have time to come up just now. Will see you later. M x”

  “Looking forward to it. Does J suspect anything? L x”

  “Nothing. M x.”

  The next six and a half hours seemed to drag by as Lori confined herself to the hotel room. After a delicious breakfast and the best coffee she had enjoyed for a while, she lay down on the bed to rest. Her brain was racing with thoughts – the excitement of being there; of knowing she would see Jake in a few hours; of the thought of seeing the show. She must have drifted off to sleep for a couple of hours as a knock at the door roused her. When she looked through the spy hole, it was a member of the hotel staff with a lunch tray for her. Quickly she opened the door to let the girl in.

  “Thanks,” she said sleepily, as the girl slipped
back out of the room.

  When she checked the contents of the tray, Lori realised that Maddy must have had a hand in her lunch as all her favourites were there. Discovering that she was ravenous, Lori sat down at the desk to eat and admire the view. Once her meal was over, she took a shower, then opened up her suitcase to decide what to wear. Wrapped in a towel and with another smaller one round her hair, Lori carefully selected her tight black jeans, vest top and a chunky black sweater. She wanted to arrive looking her best, but was concerned she would look out of place. As she dressed and dried her hair, she could feel her excitement mounting at the thought of surprising Jake. Carefully, she applied her makeup, using a little extra concealer to hide the dark circles under her eyes. By the time she had dried her hair and finished getting ready it was almost three o’clock. Her leg still felt stiff and achy after the uncomfortable night on the plane so she took two painkillers then put the packet in her handbag.

  A sharp knock at the door startled her. She glanced through the spy hole and saw Gary standing in the hallway.

  “Hi,” she said warmly as she opened the door.

  “Hi,” he said abruptly, looking and sounding a little frazzled. “Are you ready?”

  “Yes,” replied Lori. “Let me lift my bag and my jacket. I didn’t expect you to come back for me.”

  “There’s a few technical glitches at sound check. I slipped out, claiming to be going to speak to the centre manager. We need to hurry though, as I do need to speak to the guy urgently.”

  Leaving him standing in the corridor, Lori lifted her bag, cane and jacket, then almost as an afterthought, the swipe card to get back into the room. As before, Gary had a come by taxi, but this time he had left the driver waiting with the meter running. When they climbed in, he instructed the driver to return to the exhibition centre. Within five minutes the car had stopped at the same spot it had started from less than a quarter of an hour before. The harassed tour manager helped Lori out, paid the fare, then strode on ahead into the building, leaving Lori to follow behind as quickly as she could.

  “Through here,” said Gary bluntly, opening a “restricted access” door. “Go straight to the end. Turn right. Maddy should be down there.”

  “Thanks, Gary. I appreciate this.”

  “Harrumph,” he muttered, as he rushed off in search of the centre manager.

  Lori followed his directions and arrived at an open plan area with tables and chairs and the band’s belongings scattered all over the place. As she approached, she could hear Maddy’s shrill New York accent. Quietly she walked up behind her friend then cleared her throat. Hearing the noise, Maddy turned round and only just stopped herself from squealing, “Lori!” Giggling quietly the two girls hugged and whispered their greetings. Lori was amazed at how big her friend’s baby bump had grown in just over a week. Still whispering, Maddy said, “If you go through that door at the left, then follow the corridor down you’ll reach the stage. I warn you, it’s been a tough sound check and no one’s in a good mood.”

  “I guessed from how harassed Gary was when he picked me up,” said Lori. “Should I wait till they’re done?”

  “No,” said Maddy, shaking her head. “On you go. I’ll be along in a moment. I just need to double check on something first.”

  “OK,” agreed Lori heading towards the door.

  Out on the stage Silver Lake were slowly getting through the sound check. They had struggled with an issue with the electrics that had shorted out some of their cabinets. Safe in the knowledge that Gary and Maddy would get it sorted, they had continued with the rest of their standard routine. Things were still not going well though- broken guitar strings, split drum skins and feedback issues from Jake’s microphone.

  “Jesus H Christ!” he yelled, hauling the microphone from the stand. “Trash this fucking thing!”

  “Calm down, Jake,” said Grey in his usual laid back manner. “Gary’s getting it sorted.”

  “It’s completely fucked, Grey,” screamed Jake in exasperation.

  One of the crew scurried out with a replacement and removed the faulty mic from Jake’s hand before he hurled it out into the empty concert hall.

  “Right, from the top,” said Rich calmly, tweaking the tuning of his guitar slightly.

  The empty hall filled with the opening section of Dragon Song and this time the microphone worked, allowing Jake to run through the first verse and chorus of the song. As Rich launched into the mid sector guitar solo, Jake turned round to look to his right. A small movement off stage had caught his eye. At first Jake thought he was seeing things, then he realised that Lori was standing there. He stopped playing, still not fully comprehending what he was seeing. Sliding his guitar round his back, he walked over to the side of the stage, half expecting the mirage to vanish.

  “Hi,” whispered Lori softly, as he wrapped his arms around her.

  “How? When?” he spluttered, nuzzling into her neck. “Am I dreaming?”

  With a giggle, Lori kissed him and said, “You’re not dreaming, rock star. I thought I’d surprise you.”

  “Lord, am I glad to see you, li’l lady,” he sighed, his previously foul mood melting away as he held her close. “I’ve missed you.”

  “Me too,” she whispered. “Now, do you not have work to do, rock star?”

  “Sure do,” he admitted with a sigh of exasperation. “It’s not been an easy day so far.”

  “So I heard. If its ok, I’ll sit here till you’re done,” said Lori, pointing to the stool he used during the acoustic interlude.

  “Fine by me or you can come out on stage? Sit on the drum riser if you want,” he suggested.

  “Here will be fine,” she assured him, with a warm smile. “You’d best get back out there. Rich is staring at you.”

  “Ten minutes,” he promised as he walked away, smiling and feeling relaxed for the first time that day.

  As he reached the centre of the stage, Rich asked, “Is that Lori?”

  “It sure is,” replied Jake, grinning broadly.

  Thanks to a few more technical glitches ten minutes turned into half an hour. During that time Gary returned with the centre manager and two local electricians, who worked to fix the issues. Eventually the band and management were happy and Gary told them to wrap it up.

  “Lori!” called Jake from the stage. “Come over here, li’l lady.”

  As she walked out onto the huge stage, the enormity of the empty hall struck her. When she reached Jake, he put his arm around her waist, “Like my view from the office for the night?”

  “It’s ok just now, but I’d be terrified to stand here in front of a crowd,” she confessed. “Can you do me a favour when you are out here later?”

  “I’ll try,” agreed Jake, hugging her tight. “Depends on what it is.”

  Quickly she explained about the boy on the plane the night before and about how helpful he had been in the baggage hall.

  “Ok, what’s his name?” asked Jake, relieved to know that someone had been on hand to assist her. The thought of her travelling alone had been worrying him.

  “David,” Lori answered. “He was a sweet kid. Kind of shy. Polite. Nice family.”

  “I’ll do my best, but I’m not promising anything,” he said, leading her off stage. “I still can’t believe you’re actually here.”

  “Well, you’d better believe it, rock star.”

  When they arrived back at the dressing room, there were a few chaotic moments as everyone greeted Lori and while she confessed that Maddy had known all along that she was arriving today and about how Gary had collected her that morning and smuggled her into the hotel while they were giving an interview in the hotel’s bar. She was relieved that they all seemed genuinely happy to see her.

  “Ok, guys,” said Jake getting to his feet. “I’m taking this li’l lady out of here for an hour. I’ll be back in plenty of time to warm up.”

  “Jake,” began Gary sharply, “I’m not too keen on that idea.”

  “T
ough shit,” stated Jake bluntly. “I’ll be back on time. Trust me.”

  “Let them go,” said Maddy, intervening. “He’ll be fine.”

  “Can you at least stay in the complex? There’s a bar/grille at the far end. Go there if you need some time together,” suggested Gary, failing to hide his exasperation. “The doors aren’t open to the public for another two hours or so.”

  “Maybe. We’ll be back by five thirty.”

  “Have you both got your security passes?” asked Maddy calmly, resting her hand on her bump.

  “Yes, boss,” said Jake with a wink. “See you in an hour.”

  As they walked through the concourse where the merchandising stalls were being set up and the centre’s staff were having a team briefing, Jake suggested to Lori that they take a walk outside.

  “That would be good,” Lori agreed. “Some fresh air might help to keep me awake.”

  “What time did you leave yesterday?”

  “I left the house just after lunch to drive up to the airport. I got in here around eight this morning, I think. It’s been a long day, but I’m fine.”

  “Did you get any sleep?

  “A few hours on the plane, then a couple at the hotel,” she said before adding, “Don’t fuss. I’m fine.”

  “As long as you’re sure, li’l lady. Now how about a walk around the building then we can come back in and grab a coffee and something to eat at that place Gary mentioned?”

  “Sounds good,” agreed Lori, taking his hand. “I’m just happy to be here.”

  It was dark outside when they slipped out of the building, but the floodlights were on, lighting the way for them. Hand in hand, they meandered slowly round the large exhibition centre, their hoods pulled up to ward off the cold. They kept their heads down as they walked past several small groups of fans, who were already gathering for the show. Jake led her past the huge trucks that transported all the gear for Weigh Station, then pointed out the smaller truck that their gear went in. There were three large tour buses parked nearby and again, Jake pointed out the silver coach that was theirs. He explained that they would be in the hotel for the night, but would travel to London overnight on the bus the following night. Apart from an interview in the morning, the band had most of the next day free. Seizing the chance to play tourist, Lori suggested that they go into the city to see a bit of Glasgow after the interview.