CHAPTER EIGHTY-NINE — Jake isn't coming back

Angry with herself for having feelings for Damian and the internet’s being ablaze over the BDSM clubs, Ainsley buried herself again in her work. It’s been three days now, and it doesn’t look like the bloggers were ever going to stop. Instead, several pictures of his past began to surface. Most of them, she had seen before. They were pictures of his past; she could live with that. Nothing about them hurt like the recent ones. Though she told herself she could beat this, she was strong enough. Still, Ainsley could feel her heart being ripped out every time she saw another picture of him. He kept calling, trying to explain himself. His messages were unread on her phone. She couldn’t read them. She wasn’t ready for him. They would deal with this when she could face him. But not now. Not like this. She couldn’t let him see her in this weak state. So, she did what she knew how to do best. She simply buried herself deep in work.

Thankfully, the music premiere was a success, and she was busy signing up new artists. For Kelton’s next musical album, he needed a female singer. Ainsley told the MD she’d be in her seat for the audition, and here they were. “Next.” she called as she just went through a rigorous recruiting process with an artist. The lady had wasted her time on crap. She kept singing off-key and looked like she would cry any moment. Usually, she didn’t sit with her panel during the drill. They do the audition and bring her the best. It was the best that she screened herself. However, this time, she needed a distraction. So, she decided to sit in. Right now, though, she was regretting that decision. Moving closer to the MD, she whispered in his ears. “You go through all this? How do you survive?”

The MD laughed, “It’s my job.” he told her plainly, “The fun ones also more than makeup for it. Eventually, it’s worth it.”

Leaning back in her seat, she watched as the next artist walked in. This lady was dressed in every color imaginable. “Okay?” she murmured as the singer approached. Her hair was purple. Her crop top was pink. Her ripped jeans were grey. She had on black makeup, lipstick, and eyeshadow. Her bracelets were green. “What’s going on here?’ she was forced to ask the singer.

“What?” asked the singer in high pitched voice.

Her voice made the panels adjust in their seat. They needed a soprano singer. “Let’s hear you sing then.” Ainsley said, shaking her head to block off her weird colorful look. “Who will you be singing?”

“Mariah Carey: Against all odds.” said the lady.

Her high-pitched sing-song voice held the judges in their seats as they waited for her to sing. When she began to sing, they were impressed at how well she could pitch. “I see now what makes up for the crazy.” Ainsley whispered to her MD. “Why don’t we try you on something higher?” she suggested to the singer as she nodded to the MD. The man stood up to play the audition song. It was a famous track by SMUGSHOT artist.

“Know the song?” asked the MD

“Yes, I do.” The singer replied.

“Okay, can you try it?”

“Sure.” replied the lady. The instrument was played, and she started to sing. The judges nodded impressively.

“I think you have your singer.” said Ainsley as she stood. Everyone nodded in agreement as they stood too. She left the room for them and went back to her office. Sighing as she saw her phone ringing. Leaving her phone behind had been deliberate. And she wasn’t surprised to see that both Damian and Jess had called her severally. She knew Jess called to say something nasty to her again for shutting out everyone. Every plea from Jess to meet with Damian fell on deaf ears. She was as upset as she had never been. Even now, she avoided Jess. She couldn’t be trusted with her incessant pleas. “Whose side are you on?” she had been forced to ask her last night when she brought up Damian’s issue again. The way her friend had been on her neck ever since hearing his side of the story had been bothersome. She wasn’t even giving her a break.

Jess had rolled her eyes irritated with her, and she murmured incoherently. “I mean.”

“I didn’t catch what you said.” Ainsley responded equally with irritation.

“You heard the guy when he came here. He didn’t do anything.” she said, stopping Ainsley, who had been about to leave the kitchen.

“I heard him, so what?” she asked, turning to face her friend. “I can’t unsee what I saw.” she rasped breathlessly. “He was there. Wasn’t he?’

“Stop sulking and just say what it is you are upset about.” Jess told her point-blank and ignored her the rest of the evening. Even when she gave her food, she had said nothing. They had both eaten in silence then went to bed.

“When are you going home?” she had asked her friend with a satisfied smirk as she threw a pillow at her.

“I’m not leaving until you see that fine man.” Jess laughed, pulling her friend for a warm hug.

“I could call McCarthy and have him drag you out of here.” she threatened.

Jess jumped out of bed instantly, “I forgot. Luke is leaving tomorrow. I’ve gotta get something for him. I have no idea what.”

“We could google up something, then order immediately.” she had suggested. They had both stayed up late to check out stuff to get a twelve-year-old boarding student. They eventually settled for a diary, cornflakes and chocolates, then some customized jersey. He was a fan of Joey, a favorite all-star Texas tennis star.

“He’s going to love that Jersey.” Jess said, looking so happy. The package was delivered the following day. Jess had grabbed it and dashed for her boyfriend’s house right after. “Call that man you’re in love with and talk about this thing that has you knotted up there.” she rushed back to say and then left. That was after she smeared her pink lipstick all over her friend’s face.

Seated now in her office, Ainsley sighed heavily. Her friend had been right. She wasn’t just upset that he was there. She was upset about how she felt around him. He made her weak emotionally. Heaven knows it had been a while she felt so vulnerable like this. And to think he was taking her for granted. Tsk! She hissed as she shut down her laptop again. Her phone had kept ringing all morning, distracting her. She refused to pick because it was a strange number. Her assistant, Porsha, was screening her calls. But right now, she was nowhere around. When it rang again, she became interested in the persistent caller. Picking it up, she breathed out as she said, “Hello?”

Jake Malone laughed at her raspy voice, “Hey, girlie.” he greeted excitedly.

“Jake?” she asked, relieved that the caller was someone she knew and could speak with. Maybe she was a little disappointed that it wasn’t a certain fine hunk of a man calling. Not that Jake wasn’t one. But hey, he holds no torch to the man in my life. The man who right now had her in a knotted emotional state.

“You sounded like you wanted the caller to be someone else.” teased Jake as he laughed heartily over the phone.

If only he knew how close to the truth that he was, thought Ainsley as she laughed briefly. “I have no idea whose line this was.” she said, dismissing the truth with that, “How are you?” she quickly asked, changing the subject.

“I’m good.” he said, then added, “I’m safe. How are you?”

“I’m all right.” she told him with a deep sigh.

“Do I sense something wrong?” he asked.

She didn’t know her sigh had been that loud. “I…”

He suddenly cut her off, “Oh, my bad. I believe I know just what upsets you.” he had seen the articles about Damian online. They weren’t looking pretty at all. And he knew about Ainsley’s relationship with him. If she was hurting right now, that meant one thing. She loves him. While it was true that he left, he had kept a tab on Ainsley’s social life. She changed men like she changed her clothes. He knew that was her way of shutting men off and avoiding any real emotional connection with any man. He had done that to her. Women who had become so brazen and in control didn’t care what their men did. They were only stringing them along. Nothing serious. Unless, of course, when they start to fall in love. She had started dating the man who melted away her self-defense. Good job, Damian! The man had managed to do what no man ever did. He had filled the void his betrayal had created in her. But his pictures circulating weren’t good at all. She would be hurting so badly. He should have been a bit sensitive. “I’m sorry, Damian shouldn’t have done that.”

“I know right.” she blurted out angrily. “He didn’t do anything. But he was there. And he was unlucky to get caught on camera. It’s so frustrating, you know. I have to see those stuff…” she rasped out and went on and on angrily.

“Wait a minute.” Jake said, cutting her off briskly yet again. “You just said he didn’t do it.” why then was she upset so much if she already knew he did nothing with the lady?

“I… well, he was there. That’s enough for me to be upset.” She pointed out, “What was he doing there at all?”

“Ainsley?” he called her attention as she was still busy ranting over the phone. It was obvious she was in love with the playboy. And judging by how Damian looked when he saw her hug him the other day, he was as much as in love with her too. The night Axel had driven him out of Texas, he had seen Damian get out of his car. At first, he didn’t know he was the one. He stood afar. But when Ainsley hugged him, she was him hit his car. He didn’t approach them, so it was pointless telling the others. And he wasn’t a danger too. Apparently, he had been there to pick up his woman. Again, he might have kept quiet for a different reason entirely. Their relationship was a frustration to him. The man had his woman. He had even thought his presence in her life was the reason she didn’t give him any attention. He was her first love, shouldn’t that count? But the girl he left when he was a star wasn’t the woman he met when he lost his fame. She had changed. She had moved on. It was a low blow when he eventually realized that. Damian had nothing to do with her getting over him. She did that all on her own. And now, she had fallen in love with the man.

Perhaps, one last favor, he said to himself as he calmly told her this, “Damian loves you, Ainsley. Don’t blow this away. Listen to his explanation.”

Ainsley sighed. “Why does everyone keep saying that?” she asked as she angrily brushed aside a teardrop. Why the heck am I crying now? She hissed at herself, covering the phone so Jake wouldn’t catch that.

“Because it’s the truth. Just hear the man out and stop being so stubborn about it.” he cautioned her with a teasing chuckle.

“I’m not stubborn.” she protested weakly as she sniffed severally. The tears had stopped, but her running nose was becoming a mess. Reaching for a tissue, she stuck it in her nostrils. It stayed there awhile, soaked up some moisture. Then she removed it and threw it in the waste bin beside her seat.

“Yes, you are.” Jake told her frankly. “Do you remember that time we were to go camping at the Lake Beach Resort?” he asked, smiling as they both went down memory lane. He could never forget how she made him eat shrimps and spent hours telling him he wasn’t allergic to them.

Ainsley laughed as she remembered the occasion. The camping had been with some friends, and somehow, Jake was invited as a singer. It was a family and friends’ vacation. Because the Resort was on the Lakeside, seafood was the only food available. Jake had always said he was allergic to shrimps. But from his stories, she suspected there was a mistake somewhere. He had said the first time he ate shrimps, nothing happened. Then some neighbor had brought some fried ones as a welcoming gift when his mom moved to a new place. They ate those, and he landed at the hospital. He never tried them afterward. That was odd, and she said it immediately. Perhaps there was something else that caused the reaction. Jake wouldn’t accept. He was staying off shrimps for the rest of his life. That was safer than having to find himself unconscious and at the hospital every time he tried shrimps.

Saying nothing about her plans, she had gone to get them some food while he entertained others. While at the kitchen, she told the chef to help her decorate the food, especially the shrimp. The chef was all too glad to oblige. He coated the shrimp with flour and some vegetables. That masked both the taste and the look. It was amazing. Jake ate the meal without noticing anything. “You just ate shrimps.” she told him.

“Wait?” Jake had been so shocked and scared. He had tried vomiting the delicious meal he had just had. All his attempts failed while he listened to his girlfriend telling him he would be fine. It was the worst and best moment of his life. She scared him with her stubborn wit.

“You were fine.” Ainsley teased him as she remembered how scared he had been. “And to think you almost gave yourself a heart attack over something that you don’t have…” she laughed as she said that. Jake had looked out of sort that she had been scared for a while.

“You played a trick on my health with your stubborn wit.” he said, “Which more than says how stubborn you can be.”

“I was only trying to prove a point.”

“A point that could have landed me in the hospital another time.” he told her.

“But it didn’t.” Ainsley pointed out. Instead, it had made him realize he could enjoy his shrimps.

“Yes, now, thanks to you, I can eat shrimps and not worry that I’m allergic to them.” he said, “They might even be my best food.”

“Good”

“Well, now, you need that stubborn wit to make things right. Not break your heart.”

“Okay, then.” she sighed, “Enough about me. When are you coming back?” she asked. The Latinos and their little mobsters had been arrested some weeks ago. Jake should have returned. She didn’t understand why Axel wasn’t saying anything. She was supposed to have reached out to the man but had been so swamped with work. Then there was the issue of getting in touch with Jake, whose line had been changed so he wouldn’t be tracked. One of the men had escaped, and they had been scared he would go after him. Fortunately, he was arrested, and the whole issue was under control. Blake, Axel and her father were handling that. She didn’t even want to know what they did or how they treated the men. She was pretty sure it was for the best.

Jake took his time to answer. He wasn’t going back. That life was no longer his. “I think I’ve overstayed my welcome in the entertainment industry.” he told her as simply as he could put it. “It’s time to step down honorably.”

“But you have another chance to get it right, make money….” She said, worried about him. Was he scared of the Latinos still? “The situation is under control. All the men were arrested, and….”

“I know everything, Ains.” he sighed, “It’s what I want now. I’ve made some pretty cool cash. So, I’m looking into investing a few and finding my place here.”

“Where are you?”

“With my mom.” when Axel had told him he had to go into hiding, he had been happy he was taken to a place close to home. When the danger passed, he had moved to his mother’s home. She was happy to see her son after so long. “I’m going into the family business.”

She recalled his family owned a ranch along the countryside. “Ranching?”

“Yes, that.”

“You love to sing.” she couldn’t believe that was a life he was choosing. He had left the countryside to look for something better. Was he now returning to a life he had once rejected?

“There’s an old diner here. I’m singing there tonight. Nothing fancy… but it’s what I need now. Some quiet and some old country lifestyle.”

“Wow.” she said, not in amazement but concerned resignation. “I’ll come to hear you sing someday.” she promised.

“I’ll wait for that day.” he teased, “Make sure you don’t come looking alone.”

She knew who he meant and smiled, “I will make sure he comes.” she assured him, sniffing again. The tissue had fallen off while they talked. Taking another wrap, she wiped her tears as the call ended. Jake Malone isn’t coming back. Somehow that made her sad too. Putting her head on her desk, she cried softly over several heartaches. She had been strong for so long. Perhaps, like Jake Malone, it was time to let herself enjoy this new feeling. It was time to open up her heart and let love in. She was going to call him so he could meet her. Just as she reached for her phone, a message for Axel asking to meet the next day dropped in. “Okay, tomorrow then.” She would see Damian tomorrow after meeting his father. Somewhat excited, she packed her things and closed for the day.