“At the moment, the formula is to strike while the iron is hot. You know, to build upon the success you already have.”
“I keep hearing fans will forget you if you don’t produce quickly, but I don’t buy it.”
“You can’t deny the cycle is much shorter these days. It makes it hard to enjoy the success you have now.”
“I’m doing my best.”
“Thank you, Cory, it’s been a pleasure.”
Cory said goodbye to the reporter and went up to Tracy. “And this guy is a friend of yours?”
“It wasn’t that bad.”
“The reason I can’t enjoy the success is because of people like him. How the hell did he find out about the hotel and Joanne? This is gonna be a disaster if you can’t keep that stuff out.”
As he stormed away, a text came in. It was the blackmailer. What the hell did he want now?
Chapter Twenty-Four
Send another $10,000.
Cory stared at the message. His mind churned like a washing machine. He’d just sent the bastard fifty thousand. How could he have the nerve to ask for more?
Cory felt they were trying to see how far they could push him. He knew that if he sent more money so soon, it would spin out of control. He couldn’t allow that to ruin everything. As he thought about what to do, his phone rang. It was his wife.
“How could you?”
“What? What’s the matter?”
“Don’t you play dumb with me. What do you think, I’m some kind of fool? I’m here raising your kids, and you’re screwing that bitch?”
“It’s not true. I didn’t do anything.”
“Don’t give me that bullshit. You’re disgusting, you know that?”
“I swear, Linda, the press is making it up. There’s nothing to it.”
“How can you lie like that? There’s a picture in the Post of the two of you. You make me sick.”
“But it isn’t what it looks like.”
“Are you kidding me? At least be a man about it and admit it.”
“I’m sorry.”
“You better find a new place to live. I don’t want you near me or the kids.”
“Ah, come—” She hung up on him.
Cory called back but it went to voice mail. He tried again but she wouldn’t answer. He punched in another number.
“Tracy, we got to do something. Linda found out about Joanne. There was a story in a New York paper. The damn press is looking to bring me down.”
“I told you, you have to be discreet. There’s no shortage of reporters looking for celebrity stories.”
“I know, but what am I going to do? She’s freaked out, doesn’t want me coming back to the apartment. I gotta see my kids.”
“Let me make some calls. I’ll reserve the suite at the Mandarin and check on short-term rentals if you can’t patch it up quickly.”
“That’s too far uptown. I want to be closer to my kids.”
“Trust me on this. What Linda needs right now is space. Plus, the hotel is right across the street from Central Park. You can take the kids there.”
“All right. Look, is there anything we can do about Joanne?”
“You want to replace her?”
“No. I wasn’t thinking that, but maybe that’s an idea.”
“Don’t rush into anything. She’s an important piece of the band.”
“I know but . . .”
“Let me think this over a little. Maybe I’ll talk to Joanne and plant a story about her and a longtime boyfriend.”
“Oh, that would be a lifesaver, thanks.”
“But you still have to work on it with Linda.”
“I will.”
“Just please remember, the press likes to build people up, but they really enjoy tearing them down.”
Cory flopped onto the couch. If the media ever found out about the stolen music, he’d be destroyed. He had to find a solution, but first he had to repair the damage he’d done to his family.
He hit redial. “Tracy, I need you to get some toys sent over to the apartment for the kids.”
“I’ve never had kids, but I think it might be better to pick up a couple of things here and give them to the kids when you see them.”
“But with everything going on, I figured—”
“I doubt that Linda said anything to the kids. Just be yourself with them.”
“She better not have.”
“Don’t worry, you have one more show. That’ll give her some time to cool off a little. And when you’re back in two days, you’ll have to patch things up.”
“Okay. Send her two dozen roses. Make sure they’re red.”
* * *
Cory felt it was a slog at times, but the final show went well. He poured himself a bourbon. “This time tomorrow, I’ll be back in the city. I don’t want to be away from my kids this many days again.”
Tracy said, “This wasn’t a long tour. You do Europe and you’ll be away a lot longer.”
“I won’t do it.”
“You may have to. The European circuit is very lucrative. But you can take your family with you.”
“That’s an idea. I’m beat. I’m going to sleep the whole flight home.”
“I have to check on tomorrow’s arrangements. I’ll be back.”
Cory thought about seeing his kids as he put ice cubes in his glass. He couldn’t wait to see them. He tipped the Pappy Van Winkle bottle, but only poured half a glass. He didn’t want to be hungover tomorrow.
Finishing his drink, he reclined on the sofa and closed his eyes. He tried to imagine how much Tommy might have changed in three weeks. Pictures only provided a snapshot of a moment; seeing and playing with his son would reveal how much he developed.
Wondering what his children would do for a living, his phone signaled a text. He reached for his phone.
It was the blackmailer: Don’t fuck with me. That was stupid and it’s going to cost you. Now I want thirty grand. By tomorrow.
* * *
The plane began its descent. The coffee wasn’t working. He dug into his backpack and pulled out a bottle of Adderall. He took two of the stimulants and watched the city come into view.
As soon as Cory landed at Newark Airport, he called Linda. “Hey, I just got off the plane. I want to see you and the kids.”
“You can see the kids, but I’m nowhere near ready.”
“Aw, come on, Linda.”
“You hurt me, Cory. I need time to get over this, if I ever do.”
“You don’t understand. Nothing happened.”
“Please don’t say that, it insults my intelligence. Give me an hour and I’ll have the kids ready.”
He hung up and said to Tracy, “She won’t see me. We’re gonna have to pick up the kids.”
“Did she say anything about the hotel last night?”
“No.”
“Be prepared, it’ll get out.”
“I hope not.”
Cory put the privacy screen up in the SUV. They were parked in front of an apartment building, his eyes on the door. He took a vial of coke out and snorted four hits. It felt good. Watching the entrance, he slipped the small bottle into his pocket.
The doorman held the door as Tracy, holding Ava’s hand, and the nanny, rolling a stroller, emerged.
He bounded out. “Hey, guys.”
Ava ran toward him. “Daddy!”
Cory scooped her up. “I missed you so much.”
“Me too!”
He set her down and knelt by the carriage. “Hey, little man, how you doing?”
Someone yelled out, “Hey, look, it’s Cory Loop.”
As a small crowd formed, Tracy said, “We better get in the car.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
They double-parked in front of a glass building. A chorus of beeping horns sounded, almost drowning out Ava. “Do we have to go, Daddy?”
“Yes, Mommy is waiting for you.”
“Why can’t you come home with us?”
“
I have to work very late the next week or two. I’m working on the new album.”
“Can I come and watch?”
“Absolutely. I promise that as soon as possible, you can come to the studio and watch.”
“When?”
“I’ll let you know.”
“Can I bring Mary with me?”
“Sure. Let’s get your new toys together.”
After seeing the kids off, Cory was dropped off at his hotel. Up in his suite, Tracy said, “Good to see you smiling again.”
“It went so much better than I expected. Ava is something, isn’t she?”
“A special little lady.”
“Be honest with me, Tommy seems tiny, doesn’t he?”
“He’s only a couple of months old. Kids grow at different rates. He’ll probably have a growth spurt.”
“I gotta ask Linda what the pediatrician says. He was in something likethe eightieth percentile last time.”
“I’m sure he’ll be okay.”
Cory’s phone pinged with a text: Where is my money?
His fingers tapped back: It was sent. Let me check on it.
Cory dialed the phone as he retreated to the bathroom. “Lew, what happened with the wire I told you to send?”
“Oh, sorry, I forgot about it.”
“Are you shitting me?”
“Take it easy, Cory. I’ll get it out in the morning.”
“No! I want it out now.”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
“Don’t see what you can do. Just fucking do it!”
Cory told the blackmailer it had been sent and did two lines of coke. When he came back into the living area, Tracy was on the phone. He poured a glass of bourbon and put the TV on.
Tracy hung up. “That was the general manager of the hotel.”
“Yeah. What do they want?”
“They’d like us to leave.”
“Why?”
“The Mandarin is part of the same company that owns the one in Dallas. Corporate office told them after what happened there, we’re not welcome.”
“That’s bullshit. How can they kick me out?”
She sat next to him. “Cory, that suite was really trashed.”
“So? I’ll pay for whatever happened. What’s the big frigging deal?”
“Money can’t fix everything. We’ll have to move fast; they want us out in two days.”
“Screw them. I hate this frigging place anyway.”
“I’ll see what’s available. If you think the situation with Linda is going to persist for a while, perhaps we should look at a short-term lease on an apartment.”
“Do it. Make sure it’s got bedrooms for the kids. I’m gonna hop in the shower. Tommy drooled down my back.”
Cory went into the bathroom. Undressing, he noticed a trickle of blood coming out a nostril. He wiped it away and tilted his head back.
* * *
Tracy brought her laptop to Cory. “Here are the places I think are suitable for you. They’re all three bedrooms, except the one in Hudson Yards, it’s a four-bedroom place, and furnished. I’m only showing it to you because it happens to have a studio with a baby grand piano in it. It’s not short-term, and at twenty-eight thousand a month, it’s steep.”
“I like it.”
“Take your time. The others are nice, and the one on West Thirtieth has a large terrace space.”
“How much is it?”
“Twenty thousand a month on a short-term basis.”
“Okay.”
“You tell me which ones you want to see, and I’ll set it up.”
“Just take the one with the studio.”
“You don’t want to see it first?”
“In the pictures it looks super. I dig the studio, and with the piano, maybe I can get some writing done.”
“But it’s a full-year lease.”
“I know, but after the crap came out about the hotel, Linda is demanding we go to marriage counseling.”
“It might be a good idea.”
“It’s bullshit. But we start tomorrow. I’m frigging dreading it.”
“Just be open about it, and it’ll work out fine.”
* * *
Donny stepped out of the elevator into Cory’s apartment. “Hey, it’s good to see you.”
“Yeah, been too long. You want a hit?” Cory extended a joint.
“Nah. What’s with the new place? I thought you said you were going stay at a hotel until you patched things up with Linda.”
“She insisted we go for counseling.”
“Oh. How’s that going?”
“This woman doctor is tough. She’s always breaking my balls.”
“She’s taking sides?”
“A little, but the other day she said what we needed was to find a place we can get away from everything and have some family time.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
“Yeah, she said to maybe find a place out of the city, away from all the distractions. I got Tracy looking at properties in Connecticut.”
“Connecticut?”
“Yeah, Linda doesn’t want it to be in a high-profile place like the Hamptons.”
“She’s got a point.”
Cory took a drag as he went to the bar. “You want a drink?”
“Uh, no. It’s kind of early, isn’t it?”
“It’s two o’clock.”
“It’s not good to be partying so much, bro.”
“Lighten up, man.”
“Can I say something without you flipping?”
“Of course, we’re brothers.”
“I’m worried about you.”
“Me?”
“Yeah, I know you’re under a lot of stress with everything coming at you a hundred miles an hour, but it’s changing you, man.”
“Bullshit. I’m still me.”
“The old Cory wouldn’t be drinking and popping pills like you’re doing.”
“Just trying to relax a little—”
“It’s way past that, man. You’re losing control.”
“That’s bullshit!”
“Yeah, what about you screwing around on Linda? The sad thing is, you’re not even being cool about it.”
“I fucked up. I know it, and I’m working to fix it. I know what I’m doing.”
“Yeah? How do explain trashing the hotel? How could you let things get so out of control?”
“It was a mistake. I went overboard a little.”
“Do yourself a favor and stop with the partying. Now.”
“I can stop anytime I want.”
“Well do it. Because you don’t want to end up like Jay Bird.”
Cory got up and poured his drink down the drain. “You happy now?”
“I’m just calling it like I see it.”
“Well, let me tell you something, okay? You aren’t seeing it right.”
“I just want the best for you, man.”
“I know. Look, I got to get ready for a meeting with the suits.”
Cory thought about what his friend had said. He’d drank and anesthetized himself from the stress of being blackmailed, but he could handle it. As far as women were concerned, there was no doubt he’d been reckless. But it was the first time he got to be like a kid alone in an ice cream store.
Though women like Joanne were hard to resist, he had to smooth things out with Linda. Cory loved her and especially his kids and didn’t want to hurt them. Maybe Donny was right. He’d slipped up, but he’d fix things.
First thing he had to do was finish writing the tunes for the next album. He went into the studio and sat at the piano. He couldn’t focus. What if they didn’t like what he wrote? They never liked his stuff before. Why did he think they would now?
Cory had one song left from what he’d stolen. It felt like another winner. He’d used pieces of the partial songs and weaved them into two songs, but they needed work. Three other originals were pretty good, but they were like the stuff he’d always written. He needed hel
p. But who could he reach out to?
Cory got up and poured himself a drink. As he sipped the bourbon, it came to him. He pulled out his phone and made a call.
Chapter Twenty-Six
The phone woke Cory up. He grabbed it off the nightstand. “Hello?”
“Don’t tell me you’re still sleeping.”
“Yeah. I was up late. I was writing all night.”
“Hurry up, Linda and I are waiting in the car for you.”
“Oh shit! I forgot we’re going to Connecticut. Uh, don’t come up. Go get coffee for me. I’ll be right down.”
“Okay. See you in a bit.”
Cory hopped out of bed. Joanne said, “What’s the matter?”
“I gotta get going. Tracy is waiting on me. We’re heading to the country.”
“Cool. Can I come?”
“Not this time. Where’s your purse?”
“In the living room. Why?”
“My ass is dragging. I need a hit before I jump in the shower.”
* * *
Cory hopped in the front seat of the SUV. “Sorry, guys. I was up till three composing.” He blew a kiss to Linda, saying, “You look super nice today.”
“Thanks. Uh, you could use a shave.”
“I know. Tell you the truth, I just got out of bed and jumped into the shower. I didn’t want to keep you waiting.”
Tracy said, “I was showing Linda the properties we’re going to see. Which one did you like, Cory?”
“Uh, I . . . I think Linda and me need to see them. Make sure they’re good for us and the kids.”
Linda said, “I’m impressed. The whole time we’ve been talking to Dr. Bruno, I thought you weren’t listening.”
Cory smiled. “She’s growing on me.”
The gate to the second property swung open, and they drove up a long, winding driveway. When it ended, Linda said, “Look at that view! You can see Long Island Sound from here.”
Tracy said, “It’s a special estate. Twenty-two acres, with a main house, a guest cottage, and a barn outfitted for entertaining. It’d be a great space for the kids. But at eighteen million, it’s the most expensive of them all.”
Cory said, “Isn’t that always the case?”
“Usually. I’m not selling you on it, but the size of this place gives you the privacy and security you need.”
The Realtor showed them the entire property, then left Linda and Cory by the pool to talk alone. Linda said, “This place is incredible. Look at this pool area and the tennis courts. I always wanted my kids to play.”
Cory's Dilemma Page 9
