Hitting the Right Note (26 page)

R
ayshawn had perfected the art of disappearing. JJ had called all three of his cell phones, his office phone, and his home numbers without success. When she ended up at the Franklin and Forbes offices, his secretary could give her no help other than to let her know he would be out of town until the following week. Frustration bubbled through JJ as she exited the main lobby doors of the downtown Toronto high-rise where the office was housed. Rayshawn was avoiding her, but she would find him eventually, and when she did, he would get more than a piece of her mind.

In the meantime, however, she had less than twenty-four hours, and a lot to do. Her next stop—at the hospital to see Sheree—was successful, if success was measured by delivering her message to her sister-in-law. If success depended on a positive response to that message, then she sat at a total fail.

“What do you mean, you won't be here for the delivery!”

JJ glanced at Sheree's heart monitor, worried that it might spike suddenly, but so far it was holding steady.

“They extended the tour,” JJ said, slipping into a chair next to Sheree's bed. “I just found out a few hours ago.”

“But how can they just do that?” Sheree moaned. “Didn't you sign a contract or something?”

JJ sighed. “I did. That's why they're calling me back early. I have to be in LA tomorrow morning to go over the changes.”

Sheree ran a hand over her face and JJ saw that the woman's forehead was damp with perspiration. She had noticed that Sheree didn't looked as relaxed as usual when she came in. There were bags under her eyes, and she lacked her usual energy and zeal. The pregnancy was getting to her. Probably the bed rest too. It couldn't be easy, stuck on your back for most of the day, barely getting any sunshine, looking at the same four walls. Plus her stomach looked like it was about to pop. The woman kept shifting, trying to find a comfortable position.

“Are you okay?” JJ asked, helping Sheree adjust a pillow behind her head.

“No, I'm not okay,” Sheree grumbled. “I feel like an obese Oompa Loompa, and my butt feels numb half the day. Plus my tits are leaking like old balloons. Yesterday, Dean came in and I had two huge wet spots on my chest.”

JJ covered her mouth to stifle a giggle, but it slipped out anyway.

“You're laughing at me!”

“I'm sorry,” JJ said, trying to hold back the laughter. “It's just you . . . I can just picture you with Dean, and your hospital gown. . . What did he say?”

Sheree rolled her eyes. “Nothing. He just kept looking at my chest, which I can understand, 'cause these babies have increased in size since the last time he got a close look. But then he asked me if I was okay and pointed to my chest, and I nearly died.”

JJ's voice shook as she asked, “Did you have to explain that it was normal?”

Sheree let out a chuckle. “Yeah, after he came back from dashing out of the room. You should have heard the excuse he made up. The poor man couldn't deal.”

JJ snorted and Sheree let out a giggle. Before long they were both laughing.

“Aww, my brother,” JJ said when they finally settled down. “He's not used to this stuff at all.”

“Don't I know it,” Sheree said. “But after we talked about it, he was cool. Even asked me what other strange things I had to deal with. We had a good little chat.”

“I'm sorry, Sheree,” JJ said, touching her sister-in-law's hand. “I can't imagine how crazy your body must be now.”

“Trust me. You can't.” She sighed. “I can't wait to get this munchkin out of my belly. It's time.”

“Three more weeks,” JJ said with a sigh. “And then it's D-day. We're almost there.”

“I thought you were going to be with me to the end, JJ,” Sheree said. The sadness that slipped into her voice was worse than the anger she'd expressed when JJ announced she would not be around for the delivery.

“I'm glad that Dean is here,” Sheree continued. “And he promised to be here for the delivery. But it's you who has been here for me through all of it. Not even my crazy mama has shown her face, and she knows I'm pregnant.” Sheree grabbed JJ's hand and held it tightly. “You've been like family to me. I can't imagine you not being here for this.”

“God knows I feel terrible, Sheree,” JJ said. She sighed. “I wish I could somehow be here, but based on the draft schedule they sent me it doesn't seem possible.”

Sheree nodded. “I understand.”

“Let's not count it out yet, okay?” JJ said. “Maybe things will change between now and when I go back. I just wanted to give you a heads-up, just in case.”

“Heads up on what?”

JJ looked up to find her third and final appointment standing at the door.

“Dr. Massri!” Sheree exclaimed. “They told me you were off today. Should have known you would be with JJ. So I guess you're mourning with me too?”

“Sheree—”JJ began, trying to cut her off. But it was too late.

“Mourning what?” Simon asked, stepping into the room. His intense, multicolored eyes looked more green than gold as he glanced between JJ and Sheree. He was dressed ultra-casual in khaki shorts and a short-sleeved plaid shirt, with his dreads only half pulled back. But the look was ultra-sexy to JJ, and all she wanted to do was slip into his arms and forget her problems for the rest of the day. But she had a feeling that after Simon heard her news, in his arms was the last place she would be welcomed.

“The tour extension,” Sheree said. She looked back and forth between JJ's guilty expression and Simon's surprised one. “Oh . . . you didn't know.”

She turned a sheepish expression on JJ. “Sorry.”

But JJ was busy watching the look on Simon's face. Apologies and questions were reflected in their eyes before either of them said a word.

“You had lunch yet?” Simon finally asked.

JJ shook her head.

“Give me a few minutes and we'll go.” He turned toward Sheree. “Just thought I would stop by and see how my favorite patient's doing.”

“Great!” Sheree said, the sarcasm dripping from her voice.

“Just feeling like a whale in a sauna, even with the AC cranked all the way up. Nothing a little delivery won't solve.”

Simon smiled as he checked her charts, then the machines by her bedside. “Everything looks okay, so that's good.”

“Thanks for checking in,” Sheree said with a smile. “I'm fine, really. I just can't wait to have this baby.”

“Soon enough,” Simon said. “Anything I can get for you in the meantime? I may not have power like Janice, but I can pull a few strings here and there.”

Sheree chuckled. “I'm fine. Just take your girlfriend here out, and make sure she enjoys the rest of her time in Toronto.”

Simon glanced over at JJ, who was still sitting quietly next to Sheree. He cracked a smile that made JJ let out the breath she had been holding.

“I think I can manage that,” he said finally.

After they both said their good-byes, JJ and Simon slipped out of the hospital room into the hallway.

“Your car or mine?” JJ asked.

Simon took her hand gently, threading their fingers together. “Neither. Let's walk for a bit.”

The day was turning out to be hot and humid, but JJ didn't mind as they walked down University Avenue in the heart of downtown Toronto. She knew Simon didn't mind it either. He loved the warm weather—probably more than she did. He didn't say anything, just ran his thumb gently against hers. She leaned closer to him, occasionally resting her head against his shoulder. She felt in place, just like she always did with Simon. Like she was exactly where she needed to be, and she didn't need anything else.

They found a tiny Vietnamese restaurant that was so narrow there was only room for a single row of tables. They opted for the back patio, where they sat next to each other and deliberated over whether it was too hot for curry. When their order of rice-paper rolls and banana-blossom salad arrived, the real conversation began.

“Andrew called me this morning and told me they are extending the tour,” JJ began, deciding to go straight to the heart of the matter. “They already bought me a ticket. I fly back tomorrow morning.”

“So you already agreed?” Simon asked, pausing from his meal to look up at her.

JJ sighed. “I didn't have a chance to disagree. The agreement was already drawn up, and apparently when they couldn't reach me, they reached Rayshawn and he gave them the okay . . .”

“Rayshawn?” Simon asked, his left eyebrow rocketing up to his hairline. “I thought you told me you were done with that guy.”

“Personally, yes,” JJ said, hating that she had to talk about Rayshawn with Simon again. “But professionally he's still my manager, and I'm still under contract.”

“So you're telling me that this man is still going to be in your life?”

JJ sighed again and put down her chopsticks. “Yes. Until my contract is over.”

“And how long is that?”

“Six months.”

Simon pushed his plate away and took a long gulp of water. When he put his glass down, he still wouldn't look at JJ. The blank expression that she remembered from the first time they had discussed Rayshawn slipped onto his features.

“Simon.” She touched his arm. “I didn't ask for this. I don't want it. But this is my job.”

He rubbed his chin, even as his jaw tensed. “How long is the extension?”

“Three more weeks.”

He turned to look at her. “So that's what Sheree was talking about. You won't be here for her delivery.”

“It doesn't look that way. Not unless the birth of her baby fits perfectly into the week we are scheduled to perform in Toronto.”

“She was really counting on you, JJ,” Simon said.

JJ ran her hands through her hair. “I know. I feel like the worst aunt in the world.” She bit her lip. “At least I know you will be there for her.”

She reached over and slipped her hand under his dreads to the nape of his neck. “I am so glad you said yes when I asked you to stay. For more reasons than one.”

He smiled. “Trying to butter me up, Miss Isaacs?”

She smiled back. “Is it working?”

He reached for one of the rolls. “Lucky for you, you don't have to try very hard.”

She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “I am really, really getting used to having you around, Simon Massri. You sure you don't want to come on tour with me? You can be my personal bodyguard.”

“The way things are going, you might need one soon.” He nodded toward the doors, where two young women were trying to be discreet as they stared at JJ and whispered.

“They're just jealous 'cause I have a hot boyfriend,” JJ teased. She chuckled as she saw a tinge of pinkness color Simon's fairer skin.

“Eat,” he said, handing her the chopsticks she had discarded. “That should keep both of us out of trouble for a while.”

She grinned but took his advice. How had she ended up with this man? He was definitely worth the wait. So gorgeous, so amazingly kind, and so unbelievably understanding. Other guys would have thrown a fit. Other guys would have made demands. But Simon was giving her so much room to breathe that she almost wanted to beg him to tie her down.

“Speaking of being around, they offered me a position here in the University Health Network,” he said, dishing some of the salad onto his plate.

JJ's eyes brightened. “As in a permanent job?”

“More like a long-term contract,” Simon said. “It would be after I get back from Malawi, of course, but it would have me in Toronto for a longer time after that.”

“Would something like that even interest you though?” JJ asked. “I know how much you love to travel.”

He swallowed his bite of salad. “I haven't said yes. But I'm thinking about it.”

JJ dropped her chopsticks again and twisted in her chair till she was facing him.

“You're thinking of staying here?”

He shrugged. “Why not?”

Something was happening in JJ's chest. It was like someone had placed a balloon there and was slowly filling it with air. Filling it and filling it until she couldn't hold anymore. She also couldn't breathe or speak. All she could do was launch herself at Simon, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in his neck. She didn't care who was looking or what people might think. They didn't understand what was going on, what this man was considering for her. Tears she didn't expect or understand began to leak from her eyes, and she began to tremble.

“Hey, hey,” he said, holding her gently. “I hope those tears mean you're glad.”

JJ nodded, still unable to speak.

“Was that a yes?”

JJ pulled back so he could see her face.

“Yes,” she said. She pressed her forehead against his before kissing him softly. “Absolutely yes.”

B
y the time her plane touched down at LAX in Los Angeles, all the serenity that JJ had acquired from her last few hours with Simon had dissipated. She was nothing but a ball of nerves. Her sister's words came back to her in full force. She really shouldn't dread coming back to work. Especially when work was doing the one thing she loved most in the world. Something was definitely not right with this picture.

As she walked through the airport, pushing her luggage on a cart and looking for the signs for a taxi stand, another sign caught her eye. One with her name on it. One with Miles holding it. She hurried over to him.

“Miles! What are you doing here?” She hugged the bulky security guard, more out of surprise than real enthusiasm.

“I'm here to take you to the hotel,” Miles said with a smile. “What else?”

“Special treatment?” JJ asked. “This is new. Did everyone get a raise or something?”

Miles chuckled and took the cart from her hands, leading her out the doors to the pickup area where his signature black SUV was parked. This one, however, had California plates, so she knew it wasn't the one he'd had in Atlanta or New York.

He opened the back passenger door for her and her mouth fell open.

“Deacon?”

“Shhh,” he said, glancing behind her to make sure no one noticed them. “Will you get in and stop alerting the whole airport that I'm here?”

She slipped into the vehicle and closed the door as Miles loaded her luggage into the back.

“Okay, now I am officially worried,” JJ said. “Is everything okay?”

“Everything's fine,” Deacon said. But his eyes were hidden behind his usual dark glasses, so she couldn't verify.

“Then why are you picking me up?” JJ asked. “Are you going to be needing my help again?”

“No,” Deacon said. He waited until Miles was in the vehicle and they had pulled away into the traffic leaving the airport. “I'm actually here to do you a favor.”

JJ's curiosity was officially piqued. She settled back in her seat, turning questioning eyes on Deacon.

“I'm listening.”

“Good,” Deacon said. “Because I am about to tell you something completely confidential. No one knows but me, Miles, my lawyer, and one other person. You can't tell anyone else.”

Great. More secrets.
JJ took a deep breath. “Deacon, I don't know . . .”

“I'm leaving Sound City.”

JJ snapped forward. “You're leaving the label? What. . . how. . . but you . . . what?”

“I'm serious,” Deacon said, his face hardening. “I'm done with Hugh Kelly and his money-making machine. This tour extension? They just sprang it on me. I didn't ask for it, didn't agree with it. And it's been like this for the last couple years. I feel like I have no control over my own life, and I can't live like this anymore. I'm out.”

“Deacon,” JJ began. “Clearly you're upset about everything. But no one just leaves their label. Those contracts are tighter than a celebrity prenup.”

“This isn't a spur-of-the-moment thing, JJ,” Deacon said. “My lawyers have been working on this for over a year, trying to find a way out for me. I have eighteen months left in this prison, and so even if I leave them I won't be able to perform until that time runs out. And since any new material I would want to put out would come under their purview, I probably won't be recording either.”

“That's terrible, Deacon,” JJ said. “You live for performing. Are you really ready to give all that up for a year and a half? What will you do?”

“Focus on what's important, and who's important in my life,” Deacon said, looking at JJ purposefully. “Deal with a lot of my responsibilities that I've had to neglect because of this life I've chosen.”

JJ nodded, understanding exactly what he was saying. He wanted to be more involved in his son's life. He was making this decision for Xavier as much as he was for himself. Clearly a lot had happened in less than a week.

“Anyway, the reason I'm telling you all this is because it changes what I can do for you at the end of this tour,” Deacon continued. “You have amazing talent, and if things were going better, I would make sure you were a part of my team. But now I can't do any of that. As it stands, at the end of the tour, She-La will be disbanded and you will be back on your own.”

JJ sighed and eased back into her seat once more. She had been thinking about what would happen with the band after the tour. She had heard about artists like Prince helping their band members develop careers of their own. It wasn't unheard of in the industry, and at the very least she had hoped that her time with Deacon Hill would give her the exposure and the connections she needed to further her music career. But now it seemed like there would not be as much of that as she thought.

“Look, I have friends,” Deacon said, leaning toward her. “I can look into a few things for you. But honestly, once this firestorm with the label starts, I'll probably be in industry quarantine. Fighting with your label is bad for business, and no one really wants to be associated with that.”

“Yeah, I know,” JJ said. “I've heard.”

“It sucks, but this is the only way I know to get my life back.”

“Thanks for giving me a heads-up,” JJ said. “Does Sabrina know about this?”

Deacon snorted. “She'll know the same time her daddy finds out. Then she'll have to find some other man to manipulate.”

JJ frowned. “What are you talking about? Who is her dad?”

Deacon looked at her as if she had asked who was the current president.

“Hugh Kelly. Didn't you know that?” Deacon asked, surprised. “Why else do you think she has so much pull?”

The pieces began to click together in JJ's mind like a puzzle. Sabrina's father owned Deacon's label. That's why he kept warning JJ about Sabrina. That's what Miles had meant the night she called him to pick up her and Deacon. And that's why no one was willing to get in the middle whenever there was a fight between Deacon and Sabrina. Just one word from Sabrina and any of them could be gone in an instant. No one was willing to take that chance. No one except JJ, because JJ was the only one who hadn't known.

“So you're dating the daughter of the label's owner?” JJ asked. “Is that why she's in the band? Did she even have to audition?”

She heard Miles chuckle from the driver's seat and Deacon grinned.

“You're really going to have to stay more informed if you want to survive in this industry.”

Moments later they pulled up in front of JJ's hotel. JJ lingered in the backseat as Miles got out to retrieve her luggage.

“I hope everything works out with you and your son,” JJ said quietly. “You both need each other.”

Deacon nodded. “Thanks.”

JJ opened the door.

“Remember, no one else,” Deacon said as she stepped out.

JJ nodded. “You have my word.”

She waved to Miles and trudged wearily into the hotel lobby. She barely registered what the clerk said as she checked in, but just knew that her bags would be sent up to her room. She was more than happy to take the stairs to her fifth-floor room. It would give her time to process everything that Deacon had just told her. First the tour extension, now Deacon leaving the label. The past two days had been crazy. But when she slipped the key card in and opened her hotel room door, she knew that the madness had just begun.