The One I Love

Charlie

The past couple of days have been great. Ada and I have been clicking and while I’ve been keeping my eyes out for trouble, I’m not too concerned about her dad and ex-boyfriend coming after us.

I’ve been more concerned about having to avoid George. I wouldn’t put it past him to just show up with Corky when he gets despe

rate. The last thing I need is to bring him around my kids. I wish George didn’t know where my studio was so he couldn’t find me.

We’ve got class with the students this afternoon and after we plan on going back into the studio. I moved class to Thursday this week so we could get in the extra time. I can’t put them off anymore.

It's going to be a good class with Ada. I think I've almost convinced her to sing with the students. I go and have a sandwich with Paulie. I can tell he's surprised that I actually kept my end of the bargain. This time I don't try to get any information out of him. We just talk. I tell him about the recording and he tells me about his grandkids.

Once I'm done with that I go into town to shop for the studio. We need some small things like stands for the kid’s music, guitar picks, and strings. Once I'm done there it's almost time to head to class so I just go over early and work on the song I've been writing for Ada. It's going to be a surprise for her. It started with the verses I'd written for both of us and Thomas's unhinged muse comment and it just came to me. It's been through three rewrites now and I still don't think it's perfect.

Ada shows up a little after all the kids. I'm secretly glad because Sheila was in rare form and had her breasts pushed up by some device. She kept leaning into me and touching me with them. Thomas comes in a little after we get started with a few chords. I wasn't expecting him so I make a big deal introducing them to my agent. They think that's the coolest thing in the world.

"Are you like a secret agent," Braleen asks walking over and tugging on his jacket.

"Sort of," Thomas says.

"I'm just here to give you a bit of good news. We've got a gig. A pretty big one. It's at the Lemon Festival. There will be tons of bands and tons of fans there."

"That's awesome!" I tell Thomas. I've been to the Lemon Festival and it is indeed a big deal. There are going to be some pretty popular bands there.

"Ada, are you ready?" Thomas asks turning to her.

"I think I'll be as long as we have a lot of rehearsal time." She smiles and looks over at me. "When is it?"

"It's Thursday around two o'clock," Thomas says.

Ada goes white. She sways a little on her feet and I move forward to catch her.

"That's way too soon. We've not even got a set worked out. We've barely sung together." Her voice is getting higher and her eyes are wide. I guide her into the chair and she sits obediently.

"We can do it," I try to sound encouraging. We just do a few covers and Bring on the Water. It will be great."

"No, Charlie. That's too soon. There's no way I can do it. I just can't do it.”

“You can, you know why? Because I have faith in you. All my students have faith in you, and your students have faith in you.”

“I’ll try. That’s all I can do. If I get stage fright though, you’ll have to go on without me.”

“Okay, I can do that.”

After the kids leave we rehearse for about an hour. We’re both hungry so when eight o’clock rolls around we decide to go get some food.

I grab her hand as we walk out together and feel her stiffen. When I turn around at first, I don’t know what she’s scared of, then I see him.

“Hey there guys, I’m back.” Jimmy was standing in the middle of the parking lot. He has a gun in one hand and a sick grin on his face. At least I think he has a gun. It’s dark and hard to see, but he’s holding something in his hand and now he’s raising it to point it at us.

“Shit,” Ada said as she saw him and I’d already started pulling her back in the studio. We ran to the back and slammed the door. I pulled my phone out and called the police.

“He has a gun now,” she said. The panic in her voice barely contained.

He walks towards us slowly with the grin spreading. Out of everything I can see that the most. He looks like a man possessed. I’ve played this scenario over and over in my head ever since Ada told me they’d threatened me. Until this moment I didn’t realize how serious it was.

“Go,” I tell her, “go now.”

She rushes behind me and goes back in the building. As soon as I get the door shut behind us Jimmy fires the first shot. It’s loud and hits the ground outside the front door. I lock it even though I know it won’t stop a bullet and rush Ada into the back room.