manage anyone , really. I’m just kind of in the scene and just…make recommendations sometimes.”
“What do you mean? Consulting?”
“Uh, for other bands? Yeah, I suppose. I just like to help ‘em out.”
“Well do you have a job title?” I chuckled. “I don’t understand.”
He smiled but seemed to stall for a moment. Why was it so hard to just say what you do for a living? Like with Zack, I was afraid it was going to be something bad, so I was caught off guard when he said, “I’m a musician.”
I know I paused for a while as I processed the information. A musician? Well that sounded okay.
“What does that mean? ” I wanted to clarify. “ You have a band? Or do you, like, play and compose music sometimes or …”
“Yeah, both. I have a band, and I write and compose.”
Again I processed the information. I guess it made sense thinking back to our previous conversations, and then all these job offers that involved music. But why did he look uncomfortable telling me he was a musician?
“ Is something wrong?” he asked. “You look confused .”
“ Uh, b ecause I felt like you weren’t going to tell me. Is there more? A reason why you hesitated?”
He seemed a little surprised, and by the way he paused again, I was afraid there really was something more. But he shrugged and said, “I guess I’m trying to figure you out, Taryn. You didn’t like corporate, apparently I’m underdressed here … I was only wondering if being a musician was also going to work against me.”
“What?”
“ You asked why I paused, and that’s why. That’s what was going through my head.”
“You don’t seem like the type that would c are what I think.” Was he? He just seemed so confident and secure . That side of him really did remind me of his dad.
“Normally I wouldn’t,” he shrugged. He dried his hands on a towel and smiled at me, and then he rejoined Maggie at the table .
The conversation was left just like that. He didn’t expound voluntarily, and I didn’t question it because I knew the answer. He was implying that he liked me and wanted me to like him too , but how was I supposed to address something like that w hen I already had a boyfriend? Well, someone I was currently seeing…
He left about ten minutes later. I’m sure it had to do with the fact that Maggie asked when Zack was coming over. Jared didn’t seem surprised, and he also didn’t seem bothered by it. We had a conversation with Maggie about Halloween and what she was going to dress up as, and I was amused by how much Jared made her laugh and some of the questions he asked her. He was really good with her , and it made me respect him quite a bit. It’s not always easy for young kids to warm up to adults , and Maggie was usually one of the reserved ones.
I walked him to the door and our parting was on good terms. He wanted me to let him know if Maggi e decided to go with the purple -leopard-print Diva, or the Bumble Bee Ballerina for Halloween .
He waved as he walked to his ’68 Camaro, just as Zack pulled up.
Chapter Eight
I didn’t even think anything of the two coming across each other . T hey sort of seemed to acknowledge the other as Zack got out of his Jeep and Jared got into his car. Zack glanced at him pulling away as he walked up to the house, and then looked at me and said, “Nice car. Who’s that?”
“Uh, Jared,” I replied as he entered the house.
It was then that he gave me a funny look. “Jared? You mean he really does exist?”
I wasn’t sure why he looked so surprised until I remembered how he actually knew of “ Jared ” in the first place.
“So he really is a ‘friend’ of yours?” he asked.
“What? No, he’s not that kind of ‘friend.’ I wasn’t serious when I brought him up before, you know.”
“Yeah, I knew that at the time…”
I shut the front door and sighed. Zack’s tone wasn’t accusatory, but I felt guilty anyway.
“Hey, Maggie,” he
“What do you mean? Consulting?”
“Uh, for other bands? Yeah, I suppose. I just like to help ‘em out.”
“Well do you have a job title?” I chuckled. “I don’t understand.”
He smiled but seemed to stall for a moment. Why was it so hard to just say what you do for a living? Like with Zack, I was afraid it was going to be something bad, so I was caught off guard when he said, “I’m a musician.”
I know I paused for a while as I processed the information. A musician? Well that sounded okay.
“What does that mean? ” I wanted to clarify. “ You have a band? Or do you, like, play and compose music sometimes or …”
“Yeah, both. I have a band, and I write and compose.”
Again I processed the information. I guess it made sense thinking back to our previous conversations, and then all these job offers that involved music. But why did he look uncomfortable telling me he was a musician?
“ Is something wrong?” he asked. “You look confused .”
“ Uh, b ecause I felt like you weren’t going to tell me. Is there more? A reason why you hesitated?”
He seemed a little surprised, and by the way he paused again, I was afraid there really was something more. But he shrugged and said, “I guess I’m trying to figure you out, Taryn. You didn’t like corporate, apparently I’m underdressed here … I was only wondering if being a musician was also going to work against me.”
“What?”
“ You asked why I paused, and that’s why. That’s what was going through my head.”
“You don’t seem like the type that would c are what I think.” Was he? He just seemed so confident and secure . That side of him really did remind me of his dad.
“Normally I wouldn’t,” he shrugged. He dried his hands on a towel and smiled at me, and then he rejoined Maggie at the table .
The conversation was left just like that. He didn’t expound voluntarily, and I didn’t question it because I knew the answer. He was implying that he liked me and wanted me to like him too , but how was I supposed to address something like that w hen I already had a boyfriend? Well, someone I was currently seeing…
He left about ten minutes later. I’m sure it had to do with the fact that Maggie asked when Zack was coming over. Jared didn’t seem surprised, and he also didn’t seem bothered by it. We had a conversation with Maggie about Halloween and what she was going to dress up as, and I was amused by how much Jared made her laugh and some of the questions he asked her. He was really good with her , and it made me respect him quite a bit. It’s not always easy for young kids to warm up to adults , and Maggie was usually one of the reserved ones.
I walked him to the door and our parting was on good terms. He wanted me to let him know if Maggi e decided to go with the purple -leopard-print Diva, or the Bumble Bee Ballerina for Halloween .
He waved as he walked to his ’68 Camaro, just as Zack pulled up.
Chapter Eight
I didn’t even think anything of the two coming across each other . T hey sort of seemed to acknowledge the other as Zack got out of his Jeep and Jared got into his car. Zack glanced at him pulling away as he walked up to the house, and then looked at me and said, “Nice car. Who’s that?”
“Uh, Jared,” I replied as he entered the house.
It was then that he gave me a funny look. “Jared? You mean he really does exist?”
I wasn’t sure why he looked so surprised until I remembered how he actually knew of “ Jared ” in the first place.
“So he really is a ‘friend’ of yours?” he asked.
“What? No, he’s not that kind of ‘friend.’ I wasn’t serious when I brought him up before, you know.”
“Yeah, I knew that at the time…”
I shut the front door and sighed. Zack’s tone wasn’t accusatory, but I felt guilty anyway.
“Hey, Maggie,” he
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