a public proclamation and stood behind her,
if only for the moment. That was
worth a lot to her after everything she’d been through.
Drifting off to sleep that night, she
hoped that this wasn’t a dream that was about to turn into a nightmare.
***
When Raven woke up, she was alone in
bed. Vaguely, she remembered Jake
coming in during the middle of the night and sliding next to her, wrapping her
in his warm embrace.
But now the bed was cold and empty, and
it looked as if Jake had been gone for some time.
She had a strange feeling of anxiety
creep over her, as if perhaps Jake had been taken away—kidnapped, stolen
from her.
“Jake?” she called, getting off the
mattress and putting on a light robe, closing it around herself as she went
hesitantly out to the rest of the house. “Jake!” she yelled.
Where was he? Out at the beach? Swimming?
She walked slowly down the stairs and saw
the front door was partway open. And
then she was running down and throwing the door the rest of the way open to see who , if anyone, was out there.
And that’s when she saw it.
Jake was standing next to a sleek white
car with a big red bow stuck to it, and reading what looked like some sort of
card. He was wearing shorts and no
shirt, and looked as though he’d just come from a swim.
“What’s that?” she called out, relieved
to see him standing there in one piece, with no Club
Alpha goons in sight.
Jake waved her over. “It’s a gift from Mack Zee,” he said,
shaking his head, amused.
“Maybe he’s trying to make up for scaring
us yesterday,” she replied, as she walked closer. “What kind of car is it?” she said.
“A Jaguar XK Convertible,” Jake told her,
still reading the card. “These
things run right around a hundred thousand dollars a piece.”
“Oh my goodness,” she said. “Well, it’s beautiful.”
“Just like the woman who owns it.”
She stopped in her tracks. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, the car is for you,” he said,
handing her the card with a mischievous grin.
“Don’t be ridiculous.” She took the card, and now her hand was
shaking for altogether different reasons.
Dearest
Miss Hartley,
You’ve
been a revelation to work with, and my greatest thanks for helping to shepherd
Jake Novak’s music through the creative process and bringing both the songs and
the man into my life and my world. I’m forever in debt to you, and I anticipate this as the start of a long
and prosperous business relationship between you and I.
May
this sleek, beautiful and elegant automobile be a symbol of the class that
you’ve brought to the making of this fine album.
All
The Best,
Mack
Zee
Raven read the card at least two more
times before looking up at Jake again. “He gave me this as a gift?”
“He did.” Jake folded his arms, seeming to enjoy
the bewildered expression on Raven’s face.
“It doesn’t make any sense,” she said,
walking around the car and letting her fingers trail the outside. She couldn’t believe how gorgeous it
was. “This is the kind of thing
they give to LeBron James when he signs with a new team, not to the girlfriend
of a rock star when he signs a record deal.”
“You’re not just my girlfriend,
babe. You’re my manager, remember?”
She looked at him, stunned. “Yes, but—“
“But nothing. This is the kind of gift a big-time
manager gets in our industry. You’ve arrived.”
She shook her head and put her hand over
her mouth. One
hundred thousand dollars. On one car. She
couldn’t even imagine driving it. “I’d be scared that I’d crash it. And how will I afford the upkeep?”
Jake laughed. “I don’t think that’s going to be a
problem.”
“Of course it is. You know how much these specialty parts
cost. If I break a tail light it’s
going to bankrupt me.”
“Are you sure about that?” Jake’s eyes wrinkled,
if only for the moment. That was
worth a lot to her after everything she’d been through.
Drifting off to sleep that night, she
hoped that this wasn’t a dream that was about to turn into a nightmare.
***
When Raven woke up, she was alone in
bed. Vaguely, she remembered Jake
coming in during the middle of the night and sliding next to her, wrapping her
in his warm embrace.
But now the bed was cold and empty, and
it looked as if Jake had been gone for some time.
She had a strange feeling of anxiety
creep over her, as if perhaps Jake had been taken away—kidnapped, stolen
from her.
“Jake?” she called, getting off the
mattress and putting on a light robe, closing it around herself as she went
hesitantly out to the rest of the house. “Jake!” she yelled.
Where was he? Out at the beach? Swimming?
She walked slowly down the stairs and saw
the front door was partway open. And
then she was running down and throwing the door the rest of the way open to see who , if anyone, was out there.
And that’s when she saw it.
Jake was standing next to a sleek white
car with a big red bow stuck to it, and reading what looked like some sort of
card. He was wearing shorts and no
shirt, and looked as though he’d just come from a swim.
“What’s that?” she called out, relieved
to see him standing there in one piece, with no Club
Alpha goons in sight.
Jake waved her over. “It’s a gift from Mack Zee,” he said,
shaking his head, amused.
“Maybe he’s trying to make up for scaring
us yesterday,” she replied, as she walked closer. “What kind of car is it?” she said.
“A Jaguar XK Convertible,” Jake told her,
still reading the card. “These
things run right around a hundred thousand dollars a piece.”
“Oh my goodness,” she said. “Well, it’s beautiful.”
“Just like the woman who owns it.”
She stopped in her tracks. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, the car is for you,” he said,
handing her the card with a mischievous grin.
“Don’t be ridiculous.” She took the card, and now her hand was
shaking for altogether different reasons.
Dearest
Miss Hartley,
You’ve
been a revelation to work with, and my greatest thanks for helping to shepherd
Jake Novak’s music through the creative process and bringing both the songs and
the man into my life and my world. I’m forever in debt to you, and I anticipate this as the start of a long
and prosperous business relationship between you and I.
May
this sleek, beautiful and elegant automobile be a symbol of the class that
you’ve brought to the making of this fine album.
All
The Best,
Mack
Zee
Raven read the card at least two more
times before looking up at Jake again. “He gave me this as a gift?”
“He did.” Jake folded his arms, seeming to enjoy
the bewildered expression on Raven’s face.
“It doesn’t make any sense,” she said,
walking around the car and letting her fingers trail the outside. She couldn’t believe how gorgeous it
was. “This is the kind of thing
they give to LeBron James when he signs with a new team, not to the girlfriend
of a rock star when he signs a record deal.”
“You’re not just my girlfriend,
babe. You’re my manager, remember?”
She looked at him, stunned. “Yes, but—“
“But nothing. This is the kind of gift a big-time
manager gets in our industry. You’ve arrived.”
She shook her head and put her hand over
her mouth. One
hundred thousand dollars. On one car. She
couldn’t even imagine driving it. “I’d be scared that I’d crash it. And how will I afford the upkeep?”
Jake laughed. “I don’t think that’s going to be a
problem.”
“Of course it is. You know how much these specialty parts
cost. If I break a tail light it’s
going to bankrupt me.”
“Are you sure about that?” Jake’s eyes wrinkled,
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