“Hi,” I said, suddenly feeling shy when I looked into his green eyes.
“You look beautiful,” he said after several seconds, causing me to blush.
“Thank you,” and for a moment we just stood there staring into each other’s eyes. The time apart seemed only to draw us closer together as I felt that nervous energy dance between us.
“I brought dinner and entertainment,” he said, breaking the tension. He held up a brown paper bag in one hand and his guitar in the other.
“Perfect,” I said, letting him in the house. He grinned at me and made his way toward the kitchen.
“What’s for dinner?” I asked, following behind him. I could feel my stomach rumbling as I had neglected to grab dinner on my drive home.
“Rusty’s,” he said, setting the bag on the counter and leaning his guitar against the chair by the kitchen table. He turned to look at me, asking me some question, but I didn’t hear him. I looked into his eyes. I had so much to say to him. I needed to thank him for so many reasons, some of which I couldn’t even put into words. In that instant I crossed the kitchen, put my hands on his chest and reached up on my toes and kissed him.
He body-registered his surprise but only for a second. He wrapped his hands around me and the kiss deepened. When he finally released me, I felt weak at the knees.
“Well, that happened,” he said and grinned at me.
“So it seems.” I grinned back.
“Dinner?”
“I’m starving.”
“Tell me all about your trip to New York. How is Manhattan these days?” His voice indicated a little bit of sadness.
“Do you miss it?” I asked as I pulled some plates from the cupboard.
“The city?”
I nodded at his question and we moved to the kitchen table.
“Maybe a little bit. The city is alive. It never sleeps. It’s a drastic change from Oak Island.”
“I feel like you’re stating the obvious,” I replied.
“So you go off for a couple days and suddenly you become a jokester?” he said with a laugh. I couldn’t help but chuckle back and we fell into a casual conversation. I filled him in on most aspects of my trip to New York.
“So I saw your new ride in the driveway,” he said casually.
“Oh yea! It’s nice. I always told myself that if I ever got to live on the beach, that was the only car to have.”
“It’s a sweet ride …” He paused.
“What?” I knew he wanted to ask something but was hesitant.
“Well, it’s just that I never really pictured you driving a Jeep. I kinda saw you in something fancier, like a Volvo or Lexus.”
I couldn’t help but laugh when he had finished.
“There’s a lot you don’t know about me, but no, those cars aren’t really my thing. That would be Jay’s thing or Stella’s but not mine.”
When I finished I looked to see if my mention of Jay bothered him and he didn’t flinch or react. He just continued to listen attentively to what I had to say. We had finished dinner by this time and the sun had long set. I got up to clear the table and Ross turned on some more lights.
“So, entertainment?” I stood in front of him with my hands on my hips.
“I thought we might take another try at those guitar lessons,” he said, grabbing the guitar and making his way over to the sofa.
“I’d like that,” I said, taking my seat next to him and for the next several hours he patiently showed me each chord on the guitar, carefully moving my hand into the exact position needed. It was well after midnight when I started to yawn.
“I should get going. It’s late.”
He stood to leave. I also stood and walked him to the door.
“What are you doing tomorrow?” he asked.
“Well, last time I checked, I’m still unemployed so … nothing of importance.”
“A group of us are going up to Oceanside. Didn’t know if you would like to join us?” He seemed nervous and fidgeted a little bit with his guitar.
“What’s Oceanside?”
“An amusement park. Several of us try to go as a group every summer.”
I hadn’t been to an amusement park since I was in high school.
“Actually, that sounds like a lot of fun.” I could tell my answer surprised him. “On one condition … we take the Jeep!”
“Awesome. I’ll be by here around nine. It’s a short drive up the coast.” His enthusiasm was so contagious. But I was just as excited. I loved everything about amusement parks and thrill rides, but as Stella, Lanie and even Jay got older, everyone started to shy away from going to the parks, saying they were too busy.
“Goodnight, Jill.” Ross leaned down and gave me a quick kiss on the lips.
“Night, Ross,” I said as I watched him walk down the stairs and get into his truck and drive off.
CHAPTER 30
T
he next morning promptly at nine Ross was at my door, dressed in shorts and a T-shirt. I had, after much deliberation, decided on a pair of jean shorts and a faded, grey, vintage tee, opting for comfort over style.
“Ready?” Ross asked when I opened the door.
“Ready. I’m actually really excited about this. Where are your friends?” I asked, expecting him to be with several people.
“They are driving up in separate cars. It’s just you and me,” he said as we made our way down to the cars.
“Do you know where we are going?” I asked when we reached the Jeep.
“Yup. Been going my whole life.”
“Great. Then why don’t you drive,” I said, tossing him the car keys.
“Seriously?” he asked, looking at me.
“Knock your socks off,” I said, climbing into the passenger seat.
“Cool,” he said, getting in the driver side.
As we made our way up the coast, we talked nonstop. He asked about Stella and Lanie, as he had heard me mention them several times. I asked about his mom and growing up on the island as well as his time in Nashville. I tried several times to ask about his music, but the conversation always drifted in another direction. When we arrived at the amusement park, the parking lot was already filling up with people. We quickly found Mandy, Mark, April, Zach and several others and made our way in. When I got to the counter to pay for my ticket, I realized that I hadn’t grabbed my wallet from my other bag after the trip to New York. The only card in my bag was the black AMEX Stella had given me. Hoping not to draw any attention to myself, I slipped the card to the teller while the others paid for their own tickets.
“Ms. Greenfield?” the teller asked.
“Yes?”
“As an AMEX card holder you automatically get tickets to tonight’s concert.”
“What concert?” I asked as Ross walked up behind me.
“Problem? Do you need me to pay?” he asked and I chuckled to myself at his statement. If only he knew how ridiculous his question was at that moment.
“J. King and Foray,” the girl said, answering my question.
“I know J. King,” Ross said with a confused look on his face.
“I apparently have qualified for tickets to his show. How many tickets?” I asked the girl.
“Normally, it’s two, but let me call my manager. Someone with your card status should qualify for more,” she said, grabbing the phone and calling someone.
“What’s the hold up?” April asked as they all gathered around me.
“Jill got some free tickets to the concert tonight,” Ross said.
“How?” Mandy asked.
“Not sure,” I said, trying to downplay the whole situation.
“Ms. Greenfield, we can accommodate your whole group in the VIP section. It will also include a meet and greet before the show. We ask that you and your group be at the south gate no later than five this evening,” she said, handing me back my card and a slip to sign.
“Do we need the physical tickets?” I asked.
I heard several people in the group whispering behind me as they got a look at my card. Under my breath I cursed Stella Conner and her love for flashy things.
“No. We have your name down on the list. Just show up.”
“This is so cool,” I heard someone comment behind me.
“Thanks,” I mumbled and turned to the group, all of whom where now gaping at me.
“What?”
“Was that a black AMEX?” Mandy asked.
I finally gave in. “Yes. You want to see it?”
“Of course!”
I took the card back out of my pocket and they passed it around. They all knew what it was but they were too polite to ask how I qualified for one. Even Mandy was mum on the issue. Ross stayed at the back of the group, strangely quiet all of a sudden. After the “oohs” and “aws” over the card were done, I put it away and we continued into the park.
“Are you okay?” I asked Ross as we walked through the park. April and Mark were leading the way toward one of the roller coasters.
“I know him,” he said again.
“Who? J. King?”
“Yea. I used to work with him,” he said, lost in his own thoughts. I thought this was my window. It wasn’t the ideal place, but it was now or never. I waved the group on ahead and pulled Ross to the side.
“Ross, I know,” I blurted out.
“Know what?”
“I know about your music career, the songs, the tours, the awards,” I quickly confessed.
“How?”
“Well, your friends …”
“Mandy?”
“Perhaps.” I wasn’t ready to throw anyone under the bus. “But when I was in New York, I looked you up. Your career was amazing! You have more talent than most of us will ever have. What happened?” I asked directly, hoping he wouldn’t ignore my question.
“My mom got sick.”
“That was then and now?” I asked. I could feel the irony in my conversation. I was telling him he needed to move on, but I hadn’t done the same in my own life.
“I don’t know,” he said, looking past me into the distance.
“I think you do and if you don’t want to tell me, that is okay. But let me ask you this: do you still love music?”
“Yes.”
“Love performing?”
“Yes.”
“Do you picture yourself doing anything else?”
“Nope,” he said, looking at me now.
“I think you have your answer then. You can’t hide forever. Trust me. I know,” I said, taking his hand and giving it a squeeze.
“It seems like a lifetime ago. I wouldn’t even know how to get back in the game.”
“Well, you don’t have to make that decision now. Let’s enjoy today and see what happens,” I said, trying to be as “chill” as possible, but inside I was freaking out.
“You’re right … and Jill? ... You’re awesome,” he said as we started walking to where his friends were now in line.
“I know,” I said, smiling.
We spent the next several hours waiting in lines, riding rides and eating the best amusement park food. It was the most fun I had had in a long time. Mandy, as it turned out, was scared of most rides and instead took pictures all day, making a picture documentary of our journey. It was almost five when I asked the group if they wanted to attend the concert. A unanimous yes followed my question. I looked at Ross to see if he was okay and he nodded. With that, we headed over to the gate the girl had instructed us to go to, and we waited.
“Jill?” Mark said.
“Yea?”
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re way cooler than I thought you were going to be,” he said, making me laugh.
“Thanks, I think.”
Just then, my phone rang and I answered without looking at the screen.
“Hello?” I said, motioning to Ross that I would just be a minute.
“Jill! What the hell is going on?” Harry shouted at me from the other end.
“Harry, I didn’t recognize the number,” I said with a frown.
“Yea. It’s probably the only reason you answered. You would know I got a new number if you had ever bothered to reply to me,” he snapped.
“What do you want, Harry?” I snapped back, walking farther away from the group.
“Jill, I just saw the house had a sold sign out front … Where the hell are you? I heard this rumor you were living in a beach house … one that Jay bought you.” He accused more than he asked. I hadn’t realized the house had sold, but Harry was unable to see the surprise register on my face.
“Not that it’s any of your business, but yes I have decided to move. I couldn’t stand to live in a house I shared with Jay when he wasn’t there to share it with.”
“Are the rumors true? Are you living in a house on the beach on that island?”
“Who told you that?”
“Peter called to tell me that Jay had made some smart investments and left you with a boatload of money and a house.”
“Of course he did,” I thought.
“Well, if Peter told you that, why are you asking me?” I asked, annoyed.
“So it’s true.”
“Does it matter? It’s not really any of your business.”
“You’re wrong. You are my best friend’s wife, so that makes it my business,” he said heatedly.
“Harry, you need to drop this. Jay is gone. I am moving on.”
Ross came up behind me, putting his hand on the small of my back, startling me.
“You okay?” Ross asked.
“Who is that?” Harry asked.
“Harry, I don’t think this is healthy. You need to leave me alone. Put Jay to rest and let me move on,” I said, ignoring his question.
“Where the hell are you? Who are you with? Why are you keeping all these damn secrets,” he asked, becoming more agitated.
“Good-bye, Harry,” I started to say.
“Jill, you bitch. Don’t hang up on me,” Harry shouted back.
“Good-bye,” I finally said, hanging up the phone and turning to face Ross, who now had a concerned look on his face.
“Before you ask, I’m okay,” I said, wondering how to explain it all. “Just an old friend who is having some trouble moving on.”
“You want to go?”
“No. I’m good.”
“Okay. They are ready to let us in,” he said, pointing toward the group and some official-looking woman with a clipboard.
“Right. Let’s do this,” I said as we walked back to the group.
The woman checked my credit card at the gate and verified our names on the list before letting us in. Once inside, we were ushered backstage to a large tent that was set up to look like a lounge where we were told to wait. April and Mandy were talking excitedly about meeting J. King and seeing the concert. I could not have named one song that he sung, but I was glad they were excited. We waited for what seemed like an hour before a large security guard came in and took us to another tent. The second tent was set up much like the first one, but bottled water, sharpie markers and J. King posters were set up in this one. I knew that J. King had arrived by the sudden squealing and shrieking from Mandy and April.