Ethan's Song (18 page)

IN A park, at a picnic table, Ethan went over each clause with her, as her lawyer and father had done years ago. As he read and spoke his thoughts, her fingers outlined the patterns in the table made by pocket knifes. "It’s all there. I can see several ways to get out, but I suggest you stick to it for the next six months. I’ll give this copy to my lawyer and have him work out a clean break by then." He folded the legal size pages in half and in half again. "So, lovely lady, where to now?"

"Your wish is my command. Let’s go." He stood, taking her hand.
"It’s a bit over a five hour drive." She was serious as she looked up at him with her blue eyes pleading with him to really mean what he had said.
"Five hours?" He was puzzled for just a second. "I wish I could take you home with me. It would be so easy to do just that."
"It’s my home too, Ethan. This apartment seems so... Oh, I don’t know." There was melancholy in her voice. "It just isn’t my home anymore." She walked beside him, holding his hand.
"I’m glad you feel that way. The next six months are going to be pure hell, but it will go fast." His promise sounded as if he could really make it so.
"If it goes as fast as this last week, it will be too slow for me. It doesn’t seem like just Monday I left you. It’s more like months ago." When they reached his car, she sat in the passenger side, waiting until he was beside her before speaking again. "As long as you come on the weekends, I may survive it."
"You look a little tired. I think I kept you up a bit too late last night." He looked concerned, but wasn’t sorry he’d been the cause of her nearly sleepless night. "A good nap is in order, as soon as I have another talk with your agent. No," he spoke as it came to him, "you should try to sleep while I’m talking with him. I don’t want you upset any more."
"I’d rather be there." As she spoke, she thought about how she sounded, so untrusting of him. "I guess you’re right, though. I do need some sleep. You’re a big boy and can handle yourself."
"A big boy, am I?" His grin was boyish then. "When I get you back to the apartment, I’ll show you what kind of
big boy
I am." As he drove, he enjoyed hearing her laughter again. The sound was like music to his ears.
"I’ve missed you, Ethan." She had become serious again. "It sounds like an eternity until we’ll be getting married."
"Well, just remember who it was that suggested the long wait in the first place. I was totally against it, until I thought it out. It makes perfect sense, even now." He pulled into the underground garage area, parking next to her car.

AFTER A three hour nap, Jenà was in the kitchen fixing supper, wondering why Ethan was taking so long. Was Donaho giving him some problems? Before the chicken had completely thawed in the microwave, she heard him come in. Pushing the buttons to finish defrosting the meat, she went into the living room to greet him.

"I was beginning to worry about you. How did the meeting go?" She was in his arms, feeling the dizzying effect he always gave her when he kissed her.

After a deep breath, he answered her. "Everything is going to work out just fine. Philip will have a new contract for you to sign Monday morning. It’ll be for six months, and there won’t be any pushing you in any direction." Ethan pulled in a good amount of the air from the room. "Got something cooking? I thought you were supposed to take a nap."

She smiled up at him. "It’s just chicken thawing, and I took a long nap. I figured I should start something so we could eat before I have to go to work. Have you decided what you’re going to do while I’m preoccupied?"

Walking behind her into the kitchen, he took a chair from under the table. "I’m going to enjoy the evening watching and listening to you." His statement was simply said. "And tomorrow night I’ll do the same. Unless you object to having me in the audience." The last words were spoken with a little hesitation.

"Of course not." She sat on his lap, putting her arms around his neck. "I didn’t know if you would want to. It can get boring hearing the same songs over the next two nights." Teasing him, she ran her finger over one ear, down his jaw.

"I could listen to you sing the same song a hundred times, and still want to hear it again." Nibbling at her finger, he found her standing too soon, the buzzer had gone off. "Eight to midnight, right?"

Nodding as she pulled the platter out of the oven, she set it on the cabinet.
"Chicken and dumplings?" His smile grew as she nodded.
Jenà got her first break at ten. Walking through the crowded room, she made her way to the table where Ethan sat alone. Many of her friends were there, and she acknowledged them as she walked by on her way to sit beside him.
"You look absolutely radiant when you’re up there." Ethan placed a kiss on her cheek. "I can’t see how you couldn’t want more. Your singing brings much joy to you, doesn’t it?"
"It’s what I like to do." Her voice was flat, not wanting to hear any more. Standing, she greeted a couple that had come to their table. "Betty! I’m glad you came."
"I had to come bother you. I want you to meet Charles." Leaning forward, the woman whispered, "We’re getting married next month."
"I’m happy for you! Ethan," she turned to the man who stood beside her, "this is Betty Lamb, and Charles..."
"Charles Christensen." The man supplied for her.
"This is Ethan Ayers, soon to be my husband." She let the men shake hands before taking her seat again. "Won’t you join us? I’ve only got ten minutes."
"You sound wonderful, as always." Betty started talking first, not giving anyone else the chance. "I’ve always envied you."
"I’ll tell you, Betty," Jená had become serious, "sometimes it’s as much a curse as a blessing. All I want is to enjoy doing what I can do, while everyone wants to make money with my voice. You wouldn’t believe the fights I have with my agent. He’s the one who stands to make the most, and he can’t stand the fact that I don’t want it."
"Looks to me like it’s you that would be making money." Charles spoke up. "Personally, if it was Betty’s voice, I’d be for looking at a way to set her up in Branson or somewhere." He spoke to the man who sat across from him.
"I certainly won’t interfere with what Jená wants." Ethan said immediately. "This woman knows what she wants, and I’m not going to stand in her way." He had learned a lot about her from Donaho.
"I wouldn’t be sitting in any nightclubs, myself." Betty told him, as well as her fiancé. "I would enjoy the heck out of seeing my name in lights."
The conversation went on until Jenà stood, hearing the soft piano music coming to an end. "Well, it’s that time, again." She wasn’t ready to go back on stage. Bending, she kissed Ethan, leaving him something to think about. "I’ll be back."
Patting her behind as she passed him, he watched as she walked away. "That’s one hell of a woman." He said to no one in particular.
Roger appeared from one of the side tables. "Jenà." His whispered call stopped her. "I’ll play, if you want to do Love’s Stranger."
After giving it about three seconds of thought, she agreed. "Yeah, I’d like that. Go for it, Roger." As she walked on stage, she watched the musician take his place at the piano. Picking up the microphone rather than her guitar, she spoke into it. "I’ve found my personal piano player, and he’s agreed to play a special song for me." Winking at Roger, he picked up the cue to start playing the prelude. "It’s something new, something we’ve only found this week. I’d like to sing it to one special person sitting out there. Ethan, this is for you."
As she finished speaking, she started singing the words. Her eyes were on the man she had fallen in love with. His, in turn, were on her. Between them were a lot of people, but in their eyes there was only the two of them. A small murmur around the room could be heard, if one was listening for it, as many of the people were in conversation.
When the song came to an end, the room was filled with noise. Jenà could almost equal it to the caliber that brought the walls of Jericho down. Nodding thanks to Roger, she picked up her discarded instrument and beginning to strum it. Even she couldn’t hear the sounds coming from it, as close to it as she was. Ignoring the crowd, she began another song, knowing that they would calm down faster if she was singing to them.
It was nearly one in the morning when they walked out of the establishment. So many people had stopped them on their way out, complementing her, wishing her well.
"Where did you find that song?" Ethan asked her when they were safely in his car.
"It came in the mail Monday, so Donaho said. Don’t know who wrote it, but it was given to me, exclusively. It’s been the cause of the biggest fight Donaho and I have ever had." She sat almost sideways in the seat, as much as the seatbelt would allow her. "He wanted me to record it, and heaven only knows what he would do with it."
"I think you should record it. It’s beautiful." Ethan was driving toward her apartment. "If I paid for it, would you record it, just for me?"
"For you, I would. I’ve only sung it for you." She placed her hand on his shoulder. "They say it needs other instruments in the background, the piano just doesn’t give it what it needs. What do you think?"
They were still discussing it when they entered her apartment. Ethan leading the way into the kitchen, changing the subject. "Are you hungry?"
"A little." She came up behind him, hugging his back. "I only want to record one copy, Ethan." She felt the need to tell him that.
"That’s all I need. You can come over to Savannah. Do it at the studio I own interest in. They won’t let it go any further." He had taken three eggs from the refrigerator. "How about an egg omelet, Ayers-style?"
Hm-m-m." She took a skillet from the bottom cupboard, handing it to him. As she pulled the plates from another cupboard, she continued to speak to him. "But you haven’t seen my book. I won’t have time to go anywhere." Setting the plates on the small kitchen table, she turned to watch him. "It’ll have to wait until I’m through here."
The simple meal he cooked took only a few minutes to be done, then a few more to eat. She wasn’t sleepy, but she could see Ethan was. Cleaning up didn’t take long, then they turned off the lights, leaving the kitchen.
Laying beside his sleeping form, her thoughts were on the next day. He said he would be there for her Sunday night performance. She wished he would be there forever. Carefully she got up, trying not to wake him. For a long time she sat in the livingroom, reading a book, not knowing what her eyes were seeing.
"Hey." He stood in the doorway. "It’s nearly four. What are you doing up?"
Smiling, she set the book down, joining him. "Trying to keep from waking you. I wasn’t sleepy."
"Come back to bed, I’ll see if I can’t tire you out." With his arm around her, he flipped off the light then led her back to her room.

MONDAY MORNING he waited until her eyes were open before kissing her goodbye. He’d try to be back Friday night, he whispered to her, but could give no promises. If his business was to be in such shape that they could have a long honeymoon, he would have to buckle down and start clearing his desk.

A sadness came over her when she watched him walk from her apartment door. Dressed only in her robe, she leaned on the door frame, her thoughts fast forwarded to the time she’d see him next. Only having one night off this week, there was no way for her to drive over to be with him, and be rested for the next evening’s performance.

"Morning, Miss Wisdom." An older couple walked by. The woman spoke, her tone and look spelled criticism, but her husband smiled and winked at the younger woman.

She closed the door and went to finish the cup of coffee Ethan had made before she woke. How different things were going to be in six months.

Her thoughts moved deeper into the future. She’d see him out the door, returning to take care of their home. The baby would sleep a bit longer, but the two toddlers would be running around the rooms until their mother sent them out to the sand box. The back yard would be fenced because the river was too close. How had his mother kept Ethan from wandering down there? She’d make sure there would be no accidents.

At five, when he came home, she’d have supper ready, the children fed and off playing so their parents could have time together. It was going to be a perfect marriage, she knew. There was far too much love between them for it to be anything but wonderful.

The ringing phone interrupted her thoughts. Feeling a resentment, she went to the living room to see who dared to call her when she wanted to be alone with her thoughts. On the third ring, she lifted the receiver, giving her answering word s little bit of sweetness she didn’t feel.

"Tell me it’s true, Jenà." Donaho’s voice was in her ear. "Ethan called this morning and told me you’re going to record Love’s Stranger. He wants us on it first thing this week."

"Wait a minute, Donaho." She sat with a heavy sigh, not expecting to hear this. "I don’t know what Ethan told you, but I agreed to record it for
him
. Period. No other copy is to be made. If that’s understood, then we’ll go for it."

"That’s what he said, with instructions to find the right background for you. It could take days, even a week or two, you know? His instructions are that it’s to be perfect." The agent sounded as if he had hit the jackpot, his words excitedly spoken. "I’ll set it up over at Hargrove’s, and let him hear the demo tape we made last week."

"Not at Hargrove’s." Her tone was insistent. "I have no wish to see that man ever again."
"I know, baby, but he’s the best in town." His voice trailed off, knowing there would be some argument he would have to get around.
"You were going to take it to Donnie’s last week, if I remember correctly. What’s wrong with that now?"
"He and I don’t see eye to eye right now, honey. I don’t think we could trust him to keep it quiet. We should use Hargrove’s." He toyed with the things on his desk, his thoughts on the words he wanted to say. "You know I talked with him about that little incident. Things will be all right, I promise."
"I remember a couple of promises made last week that you broke. I think that’s when this
little incident
took place." She didn’t know whether she should trust him again. After all, it wasn’t just once that he had pulled this kind of thing in the past.
"I’ll be there with you, Jenà. You know I won’t let you down." The man pleaded with her, as if something was riding on it for him. "I’ll set up time to take the tape in and let him decide what it needs, and I’ll pick you up at your apartment?"
With his assurances, she wasn’t sure she could refuse. "All right. Set it up. I don’t want anything early morning, nor after five." With that established, they hung up, she went back to her coffee, which had grown cold, and decided breakfast would be good right about then.