“You think we sold out?” Sonny leaned closer to be heard above the music of Cactus Blossom.
Roland shrugged. “Who knows? We’re stuck back here. Jessie will let us know.” He turned then, and saw her coming towards them.
The lights shining on the stage gave some illumination to the walkway, and he could see the serious face and dark eyes shining with purpose. He had yet to see Jessie smile tonight.
She grabbed his arm, pulling him towards her so he could hear her. “Roland, I need your help. There are too many people backstage. If we don’t clear them out, Badger says he won’t do the show.”
Roland’s eyes widened, but he didn’t ask any other questions. He trusted Jessie and knew she wouldn’t be asking for his help if she didn’t need it. He nudged Sonny. “Stay here!”
Jessie moved around Roland and grabbed Sonny’s arm.
“You need to keep everyone out of the backstage area. Don’t let anyone come through!” She yelled over the music.
Then she turned and Roland followed her behind the stage. Jessie seemed like an electrical charge of energy. She yelled at perfect strangers to leave the area immediately. He saw her pointing, even pushing people away, until they began moving towards the exits. She even told the bodyguards to help her with the crowd around Badger’s dressing room.
Roland followed her example, and when politeness didn’t work, used a more direct approach. “Get out! Now!”
He realized most of the people hanging around weren’t even wearing the badges Jessie had handed out. He recognized alumni and students from St. Joe’s. How did they manage to get backstage in the first place? Hadn’t Mark and Louis done their job right at the other entrance?
After clearing out both friends and strangers, Roland moved to a group of six men dressed in flashy western clothes. He cleared his throat loudly. “Excuse me, gentlemen. You need to leave this area.”
One man straightened his bolo tie, fingering the turquoise slide. “We’re from Treehouse Recording. We’re allowed backstage at all Badger’s concerts.”
“Not this one. We have orders for everyone to leave.” His voice grew louder. “And that means all of you, too.”
Before the man in the bolo tie or any of his associates could argue, Jessie appeared. “You men need to leave right now. Badger’s orders.” Jessie’s brown eyes gleamed with authority.
“Listen, little lady—” one of the men began, but Jessie cut him off.
“You listen, Mister! I’m in charge of this backstage area, and if you don’t leave right now, I’ll send one of Badger’s bodyguards over to throw you out.”
“But—”
“I don’t have time for buts! Get going.” Jessie moved away, heading for another group of women and students near the steps.
“You heard her, gentlemen. Let’s go,” Roland said, keeping his voice steady, although he was slightly amused by Hurricane Jessie blowing through, giving orders, and moving on to another group of unsuspecting victims.
Roland escorted the grumbling men towards the exit. The man in the bolo tie paused to look back towards Jessie. She was pointing out the exit to a pair of complaining women.
The urban cowboy’s lip drew up in a grin. “From the moment I saw that lady in Badger’s dressing room, I knew she was special. I could use someone with her spunk in my Houston office.” He looked at Roland. “She’s not married, is she?”
The unorthodox question stunned Roland. “Married?”
Roland heard the man’s lewd chuckle. The record company man walked away with the others. Good thing, Roland thought, since he almost grabbed the turquoise slide of the man’s bolo tie. He wanted to shove it into the man’s Adam’s apple.
Roland turned around. He saw that most of the backstage area was finally clear of people. The bodyguards, three or four roadies, and a couple of men with television cameras remained.
Jessie stood by the wall talking to a thin man in a black suit, and as Roland watched her, the record company man’s words echoed in his thoughts.
I could use someone like her in my Houston office.
Roland felt his stomach turn inside out. What if that man offered Jessie a job? The perfect opportunity would come at tonight’s party. A job with a big recording company that had a fancy office, a generous salary. A job that could offer more prestige than working for an all-boys school struggling to keep its doors open.
Jessie could move to Houston, and begin traveling for the company. Their relationship would have to be scheduled in between her work. How could he let her go? He loved her. Being around Jessie made him less fearful of marriage to a woman who loved her job. Maybe—because—her job let them work together. But at this moment, it really didn’t matter where Jessie worked as long as she didn’t leave San Antonio.
Quickly, Roland walked in Jessie’s direction. It was crucial she understand how much he wanted her to be a more permanent part of his life.
Just as he approached, the thin man dressed in black walked away, and Jessie turned. He barely caught her hand.
“Wait. We have to talk,” he said urgently.
“Not now, Roland. Badger and his manager want an estimate of the number of concert tickets sold. I need to get to the front gate.” She tugged her hand out of his and ran off in the other direction.
“About a thousand tickets are left.” Jessie smiled at Badger and his manager, and two other men, recording company executives, who were in the dressing room.
The manager frowned. “It doesn’t surprise me. We were only in Austin two months ago. You should have done this concert next year. Then you would have sold out.”
“We couldn’t wait. The school was in trouble. We needed money immediately.” Jessie’s irritation tempered her voice. “You should be pleased. Getting down to a thousand tickets in Sunken Gardens means a successful concert.”
Badger stood up. “I know you’ll send us facts and figures later. I think it’s time for me to get out there and give those people what they paid money for.”
The manager shrugged and moved to fix himself a drink.
Jessie turned to Badger and saw him smile at her. A warm thrill curled down her body. Even if the manager wasn’t happy, she knew Badger was satisfied.
“Got someone to introduce me, Miss Jessie?”
She stepped back, stammering. She realized then that she had not decided which D.J. should introduce Badger. Suddenly, she had her answer and she laughed. “Yes. I’m going to introduce you. Are you ready?”
“Let’s go!”
Jessie turned and led the way out of the dressing room. She heard the whir of video cameras and blinked at a flashbulb, but she kept walking towards the stage.
For one second, she questioned her sanity in doing something like standing on a stage in Sunken Gardens and introducing a superstar. An instant later, she told herself she had earned this one moment in the spotlight.
Carefully, she stepped around the amplifiers, and kept her sights down so that she didn’t trip over wires. Just as she reached the center microphone, a blinding spotlight flashed in her eyes. From behind her, she heard a wolf whistle from one of the band members, and she heard another make a comment about the way her jeans fit. But she couldn’t see anything.
Resisting the urge to raise her hand over her eyes, she stood behind the microphone and smiled, even though she felt like she had just stepped into an oven set at five hundred degrees.
“I’m Jessie Medina, development director at St. Joseph High School. . . .”
When she looked out, the crowd was a blur. She heard catcalls and yells, and was reminded of moments when she had stood in a football stadium leading cheers, and the frame of reference gave her confidence. In a stronger voice, she called out. “I want to thank you for coming to the show tonight. . . .”
She realized she was about to see a dream become reality. The thought made her entire body burst with pride.
“On behalf of St. Joseph High School and all the corporate sponsors, I want to introduce. . . .”
As she said “Badger McCloud!” the entire theater broke into a thunderous roar of applause.
Jessie walked off the stage in the same direction that she had come on, passing Badger. He stopped her, and she felt his whiskers brush her face before his lips touched her cheek. When she heard a surge of female screaming, she could appreciate the fact that she had just been kissed by the famous Badger McCloud.
It wasn’t until she was off the stage and standing alone in the back area that she realized what she had done. She wondered if her introduction had made sense and then laughed. Who cares? Badger’s singing for St. Joe’s!
With Badger’s upbeat melody surrounding her, Jessie wanted to find Roland and share her jubilation.
“He went out to check on the booths about ten minutes ago,” Sonny told her. “Things are pretty quiet since the music began.”
Following the walkway, Jessie moved out into the theater as Badger began his second song.
Many in the audience were standing, some in the grassy areas were dancing, and others sat in the chairs, clapping to the music.
She saw Brother Edward, the archbishop, and Brother William in the second row and waved. She saw Gonzo and his party behind them, and when he spotted her, he gave her a “thumbs up” sign, and she took it as a sign that their friendship was more important than his disc jockey’s ego.
Jessie walked back to the food booth areas.
“We sold out!” Chris Sotello exclaimed when he saw Jessie. “Those people stood in line so long, they bought everything out. Did you plan it that way?”
“Hardly.” Jessie allowed herself a smile. Now it was easy to laugh about the anxious moments preceding the concert.
“The school band sold out of everything, too. I don’t know what kind of fundraiser you plan next, but I want to be a part of it. Congratulations!”
Jessie accepted the coach’s handshake, then wandered over to the beer booths, where her brothers served beer.
Joe grinned when he saw her. “Hey, Jess! You sounded like a professional announcer.” He leaned over the railing and gave her a hug. “Going to change jobs now?”
“This job isn’t finished yet.” She smiled. “How’s the beer selling?”
“Great. Of course, we caught Vince giving a beer away to some pretty blonde a while ago!” Joe said.
“That blonde was my boss. And I paid for it.” Vincent playfully punched his brother in the arm. “Hey, Jessie, we’re all really proud of you. This concert is great.”
Gilbert finished with his customer and came up behind Joe, clapping him on the shoulder. “Jessie! Do you think we made a million dollars?”
“I know we made enough to get everyone’s attention. And this is only the beginning.” She smiled, waved, and moved on to the next booth.
She saw Roland standing on the other side, his arms folded across his chest. He was staring at the stage. She came up from behind him, slipping her arms around his waist. His body stiffened as if she had startled him, then she heard his chuckle.
Roland lifted his arms, and she slid around him, keeping one arm around his waist. His arms were a loose ring around her shoulders.
“You must be very happy right now.” His lips pressed against the top of her head. “You did a great job on everything, Jessie. I’m very proud of you.”
Her answer was a relaxed sigh. Her project was a success because she had worked hard, but also because everyone she contacted had believed in the school. And best of all, she had the love and support of the man beside her. As she thought about the past two months, she could remember moments of panic, and recalled how Roland had given her a boost of confidence. And it wasn’t in anything he said, but just his strong presence and faithful support for her work. He did not always agree with her methods, but he had learned to trust her instincts, just as she had discovered the tender, caring man beneath the stubborn traditionalist.
Her musings were interrupted by a loud burst of applause as Badger ended his song.
She looked up at the stage, and saw him readjusting his guitar and moving the microphone so he could sit on a tall stool.
“I’m going to change the mood a little.” His deep voice carried out into the crowded outdoor theater. “I want to dedicate this song to the people at St. Joe’s School, because I hold all of you close to the heart.”
After the initial applause and whistling, the audience quieted as Badger began to sing his famous ballad.
“Jessie.” Roland’s voice sounded like an echo. “I need to talk to you.”
“I love this song,” Jessie whispered. “It reminds me of us.”
“Jessie—”
“Sh-sh-sh,” she hissed. “I want to hear this.”
We can chase our own dreams forever
And pretend we’re the best of friends
But in the end we only drift apart
If we chase our dreams together
We’ll stay close to the end
And hold each other close to the heart.
If we chase our dreams together
We’ll stay close until the end
And hold each other close to the heart.
As she listened to Badger repeat the refrain, she realized the dream that had come true tonight belonged to everyone. She had other dreams, though, which only two people could share. As if he read her thoughts, Roland tightened his arms around her. She pressed her self against him, so he would hold her close to his heart and never let her go.
After that romantic song, Roland was ready to propose to Jessie that they make a permanent plan to hold each other close to the heart. No sooner did the song end when one of the beer kegs sprouted a leak. Someone yelled for Roland. Meanwhile, Jessie ran off to telephone the restaurant about the post-concert party.
Since he had promised to supervise all the cleanup after the concert, he didn’t arrive at the party until after one in the morning. The whole time he was worried the record company man had made Jessie an offer she wouldn’t refuse. What if she accepted before they could talk?
Inside Flavio’s restaurant, Roland found her talking with Gonzo and his pregnant wife, and two gentlemen from Mitchell Brewers, whom Jessie introduced, but Roland barely acknowledged.
“Badger just left,” Jessie said. “I’m sorry you missed him.” She rested her hand on his arm casually.
He nodded, trying to recognize faces in the crowded restaurant. “I guess most of his record people left, too, huh?”
“Not all of them. How did cleanup go?”
“Fine. Fine.” His eyes came to rest upon her face. She looked relaxed and happy for the first time all night, and it made him smile. “Do you think we could go some place quiet and talk a moment, Jessie?”
Her eyebrows raised. “Is something wrong?”
He didn’t answer her, just took her elbow and led her towards the front part of the restaurant near the stone fountain shaped like a seahorse. The waiting area had several ornamental benches, which would provide a more romantic setting for all he had to say.
“Roland, you’re acting very strange.”
“Being strange is only part of my charm.” He made a joke but she looked apprehensive.
They walked past the cashier’s counter, and he led her around a teakwood room divider. And standing on the other side were the man in the bolo tie and another man in a western shirt and jeans with a large silver belt buckle.
“You’re just the lady we’ve been talking about!” said the man in the bolo tie, a wide grin sending an earthquake of lines and cracks over his weathered complexion. “Gene said he met you in Badger’s dressing room, but I haven’t had the pleasure. I’m Bill Jarrett, vice-president of marketing for Treehouse Recording Company.”
Smiling, Jessie reached out and shook his hand. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Jessie Medina. This is Roland Tovías.”
Mr. Jarrett shook hands with both of them, then turned his gray eyes back on Jessie.
“I’ve been talking to Gene. He said you put the show together from scratch. I’m really impressed, Jessie.”
Roland understood what the man felt. He had been impressed by Jessie’s work, too.
“I didn’t do it alone,” she said modestly. “There were a lot of people who helped me put this show together. Roland and the alumni—”
“Jessie, let me get straight to the point,” Gene said, taking a step closer to Jessie. “We need a new promotional and marketing rep in Houston, and Bill and I think you’d be perfect for the job. Now, we’re a good outfit, and we got some big, big plans.”
“You’d start at forty-five thousand, with a three-thousand-dollar monthly expense account. We’ll give you an allowance for moving to Houston, plus the usual perks and incentives,” Bill told her.
“Perks and incentives?” Roland inquired, wondering if Jessie understood all the jargon.
“The more stations you get to play our records, the more money you make. You can earn trips, cash, even double your base salary,” Bill answered, although he explained it as if Jessie had asked. “Everyone I’ve talked to says you work hard and you don’t take no for an answer. Heck, I saw you talking to Badger and his manager like you were old friends. We need a woman with your kind of confidence working for us. What do you say, Jessie?”
She stepped back, bumping directly into Roland, but she never stopped looking at the two men. Excitement beamed in her face. Roland put his hands on her arms, wanting to say, But I love you. Don’t do this to us, Jessie.
“Gentlemen, I’m flattered by your offer—” she began, stammering over the words.
Bill interrupted her. “You’d have your own company car, do a lot of traveling, and get to meet a lot of famous people, Jessie. I’m ready to hire you right now.”
“I can’t make a decision that quickly,” Jessie told him. “And you realize that I just can’t just pick up and leave tomorrow.”
A weight seemed to drop on Roland’s midsection. He kept waiting for Jessie to say she was committed to St. Joe’s, that she had everything she wanted right where she was.
Gene pulled out his wallet, and handed Jessie a white card. “You call us once this holiday weekend is over. We’ll set things up for you to come to Houston and work for us. I guess we can wait a week until you clean things up down here.”
“Thank you.” Jessie touched the edge of the card to her lips. “I’ll call you soon. I promise.”
The two men both shook her hand, and even Roland’s, too, and went into the restaurant slapping each other on the back.
Jessie spun around, her body almost melting against Roland’s. “Can you believe that? A promotional rep for Treehouse Recording Company. What a job!”
Roland’s hands rested around her waist. “Jessie, would you really take that job?” An empty feeling settled upon him.
“Roland, did you hear that starting salary? Traveling and meeting all those famous people? I’d be crazy not to think about taking that job.” Oblivious to his anguish, her voice celebrated with laughter. “I can’t believe I got offered such a glamorous job. Me!”
“But Jessie, I—” He swallowed hard, then opened his heart before her. “I love you. I want to marry you someday.”
“Oh, Roland.” Her voice lowered, and her fingers outlined his jaw. “I love you, too. And I-I’d love to be your wife—someday.” She touched his lips with a feathery kiss. “I could have everything I’ve always wanted. A wonderful man who loves me and an exciting career.”
“But, Jessie. The job’s in Houston.” Roland’s eyes burned into her smile. “My work is in San Antonio.”
“Roland, cars break down in Houston, too. You can open another Tovías Mechanics.” Her ambitious enthusiasm had extended into his career as well, only she had no real idea of the investment of money and time involved in relocating in Houston.
Unknowingly, she had ripped his heart in two. He couldn’t just leave his business or his family and follow her to Houston.
“Jessie.” The words hurt as they passed through his lips. “Since I was fourteen years old, I’ve worked in Tovías Mechanics. Now I own half of it. When Jorge retires in three years, the business will be all mine. I have an obligation to people who depend on me. I can’t leave San Antonio.”
The sparkle in her dark brown eyes faded into an emotion he couldn’t name, but he knew it wasn’t some thing that would help them stay together.
“You’re forcing me to choose between a new career and you, Roland. You want me to pass up the job of a lifetime so I can stay here—and marry you?” Her hollow laugh filled the air. “Is this a worn-out cliché or what?”
And he didn’t resist when she pulled out of his arms.
Roland started to tell her that she could have any job she wanted as long as she stayed in San Antonio, but he realized she was not the person he thought she was if she could desert the school for a higher salary and a glamorous job. She didn’t have the strong ties to the school Brother William thought she did. If Jessie could put her personal ambitions above a school community who needed her, would she put her career needs above her husband and children, too? And that was one choice he couldn’t accept. He had learned all about compromise and sharing when he fell in love with Jessie. As much as he loved her, though, he couldn’t toss aside his values and traditions on a dream of Jessie’s he didn’t share.
Lowering her eyes, she slowly slipped the business card into her shirt pocket. “I guess I have a lot of thinking to do, Roland.”
“I think I have some thinking to do, too, Jessie.”
Slowly, Jessie’s eyes moved up his stiff, lean body. He gave her a black look, as if his negative feelings were all her fault.
Was it so wrong to feel flattered that important people noticed her work and offered her an impressive job? Why couldn’t he share her excitement? Wasn’t her happiness just as important as his?
He never said, “Let’s talk about this. Let’s discuss options and possibilities.” He just said, “I won’t leave.” An outdated “Do it my way or not at all” attitude resurfaced when she had wanted him to be open-minded. Was there really any way to discuss this further when she and Roland were both such stubborn individuals?
Rather than subject herself to frustration and anger, Jessie chose to postpone any decision for now. Like Roland, she had people who depended on her, and many of them were enjoying a party in the next room.
“Roland, I really need to get back to the party.” She was in no mood to celebrate anything right now, but she wanted to be available for all her guests.
He cleared his throat. “Well, my job is done. I made sure things got squared away at Sunken Gardens. And I’m not hungry. So, I’m going to leave.”
As if she had a sudden chill, Jessie crossed her arms. “Thank you for everything you did tonight.” She felt like she was talking to one of the corporate sponsors, not someone whose loyalty to St. Joe’s ran deep within his heart.
He gave her a small salute, then he walked around her, and headed out the front door of Flavio’s restaurant.
Jessie’s sigh barely released the disappointment filling her body and soul. She had expected to be happy, relieved, and proud when the concert was over, but right now those emotions seemed out of her reach.
Her eyes drifted over the restaurant dining room, past faces of people who had made tonight such a success. Now she knew that the one man who should have shared her spotlight, had just left her standing alone in the dark.
Drawing strength from every professional instinct inside her, Jessie pasted on a smile and returned to the post-concert party.