“Take chocolate,” Harry said. “It always works with Magenta. Accidentally blow up the TV while making it more efficient—chocolate smooths it over. Back the car into the house while finishing a game of Angry Birds on your phone—chocolate takes the edge off. Seriously, there is nothing chocolate can’t fix. Ask Lake, he’s practically married.” He turned to Lake. “Tell him. I’m right. I know it. I keep a supply on hand wherever I am. It always works.”
Matt gaped at his cousin. “It’s a miracle you’re in a relationship.”
Harry sighed in disgust. “Fine, don’t take my advice, your loss.” He turned back to his laptop and Matt was instantly forgotten.
With a last worried glance at Lake, Matt went to inform his charge that her ex needed her to strip to save his worthless life.
19
Matt didn’t get a chance to tell Jena anything. When he slipped through the back door of the hardware store, he found her face to face with a woman who looked like she’d stepped out of the pages of Rolling Stone magazine. She was dressed in tight black leather trousers, a black leather form-fitting vest—with nothing underneath—and high black stiletto-heeled boots. She had a silver bag slung over her shoulder, about a million silver bangles and thick black eyeliner. Her dyed blonde hair was long, wavy and tousled—and she was obviously Jena’s mother.
The resemblance was startling—although the mother was a thinner, harder version of her daughter. Where Jena didn’t have to make any effort to look sexy, this woman worked hard at it. Where Jena’s eyes lit with kindness and mischief, her mother’s eyes were dull and calculating. After about two seconds assessing the woman, Matt decided he knew everything he wanted to know about her. And he didn’t like any of it.
“What do you mean you won’t take me to see Josh McInnes?” Jena’s mother was saying. “Isn’t that the whole point of your move here? To get close to him so you could introduce me.”
Matt clenched his teeth as he stood behind a shelf and watched.
“Mom.” Jena spoke with the tone of a person who had already answered the question. “I didn’t move here to meet Josh. I was joking earlier. I kind of moved here by accident. I was looking for houses on the web, somewhere far away from Atlantic City, and the name of this town stuck in my mind for some reason, so I ended up here.”
Her mother rolled her eyes. “It was in your mind because I’ve been talking about Josh’s move to Scotland for forever. When are you going to start paying attention, Jena? You didn’t even tell me you’d moved country. If Frank hadn’t called, I’d never have known.”
Jena rubbed her arms as though comforting herself. Matt took a step towards her before he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to find Gordon. The man shook his head. Matt didn’t like anyone telling him how to deal with Jena, but tightness in Gordon’s expression made Matt pause.
“I did tell you, Mom.” Jena’s voice brought Matt’s attention back to her. “Several times—including when I came to see you the night before I left.”
“Was that the night I played Caesars?”
“Yeah, that was the night I dropped by Caesars.”
“Jena, that was the night there were scouts in the audience. Record companies. I told you about them when you arrived. You distracted me and made me miss my chance with them.”
Jena winced as Matt stifled a growl.
“I’m sorry, Mom.”
What the hell? Why was she apologising? He shared a look with Gordon, who seemed equally surprised. This wasn’t the Jena he knew. Where was her smart mouth? Her sass?
“Yeah, well, you can make it up to me by taking me round to your friend Josh’s house. I’ve got a demo on me, my guitar in the car and I have a new song that’s perfect for him. Plus, I cleared my schedule for a few weeks before I left. I’m sure once he hears me, he’ll want to book me for his tour. I’d like to be his support act, but I’d settle for backing singer to get a foot in the door.”
“Mom.” Jena took a deep breath. “I live here now. I’m getting to know these people. They value their privacy. They came here to get away from everything. They don’t want to be pestered in their home.”
“Are you saying I’m a pest? You know better. Just because I know how to take advantage of every opportunity that comes my way, doesn’t mean I annoy people. I’m not one of those talentless wannabes you see on American Idol. I am gifted. All I need is a lucky break and I’d be as famous as Josh McInnes.”
Jena seemed to shrink in on herself. Her normal spark snuffed out by the one woman in the world who should be nurturing it. It made no sense to Matt. Where was the bubbly, crazy woman he’d come to know?
“Where’s Frank?” her mother said. “Frank said he’d introduce me to Josh. He knows the value of using your contacts. Of networking.”
Jena didn’t even look at her mother to reply. “We split up. I told you about that too.”
“Jena.” The disproval in that one word was massive. “What did you do? He’s a great guy. Good looking, charming, working hard to get ahead. How could you throw away a relationship with a guy like that? He’s going places.”
“Yeah,” Jena mumbled, “straight to jail.”
Matt grinned, but her mother frowned. “You need to get your act together, stop messing around over here and go back home with Frank.”
Jena’s head snapped up, and some of the fire in her eyes returned. “He asked you to talk me into going back with him, didn’t he? What did he promise you in return? No. Don’t answer. I know. He’s going to connect you with Josh.”
Her mother let out an exasperated sigh. “Why are you getting mad? This is win-win for everyone. You get to go home to a beautiful house and a man who loves you, and I get the break I need. Who suffers in this, Jena, huh?”