In the rise of the wind, dressed in well-whipped brine, the waves have every appearance of enjoying both their crescendo and the anticipated diminuendo. For they are part of the music of nature, part of the ebb and flow. Jess was enjoying herself one morning as she allowed the heat to rest on her skin. Her thoughts went to her mom.
I hope you are well in heaven mom, something magical happened to me recently...
"Hey Jess..." she heard a voice call her.
She turned around and saw Liam's smiling face.
"Hey, good morning." She greeted him.
He walked towards Jess and sat beside her.
"I heard about your mom, I'm sorry for your loss" he offered his condolences.
Jess looked at him and noticed his solemn face. "Thank you, Liam..." she replied.
She heard him breathe deeply.
"If there's anything I can do to help you feel better. Let me know..." he offered some help and touched Jess's hands.
"Don't bother doing that to my fiancée Liam" a thunderous voice uttered behind them dropping Liam's hand in the process.
Liam's eyes moved from Jess to Rick asking for clarity in his words.
"You know each other?" Jess asked as the shock was evident on her face too. Rick then closed their distance and pulled her away from Liam, she readily obliged.
"He's the cousin I told you about. The co-owner of the pub" Liam explained.
Rick's eyes landed on Liam telling him to back off. "It's more on I was coerced to invest in the pub or else you're not going to stop whining." He added unknowingly.
Liam watched Rick as he sent daggers in his direction.
A thought was prompted when Jess remembered what Liam shared, cousin, a popular singer... now it all makes sense, the hazel eyes! It runs in the family. How did she miss it?
"What do you mean about fiancée?" Liam asked out loud as he glared at Rick.
"It's exactly what the word means Liam," Rick replied shortly.
Liam was unable to hide his confusion. "You didn't have a whirlwind romance in our small town, right? I mean when did you two meet? Do you think it's a bit too early to talk about marriage?"
Rick smirked. "Cousin, it's none of your business." He replied by cutting Liam's questions.
"But... but I thought Jess and I have something special." Liam pouted, adding to Rick's annoyance.
Jess listened to their conversation as a slight giggle escaped her lips.
"It's all in your mind Liam..." Rick answered.
They continued to banter, exchanging insults with each other as Jess watched their childish acts roll against the tide.
What a small world after all. Then she smiled.
*************************************
Jess and Rick entered the building holding each other's hands.
Jess was feeling nervous as they trailed the familiar path of the recording studio. She straightens her dress as she tries to calm her nerves.
"Rick..." she whispered.
"Relax, everything will be alright" he assured her. He looked confident as always as he led the way for them.
When they reached the floor murmurs were heard from the other employees, but neither of them paid attention to it. they went straight to Mr. Miller's office and were greeted by Bennie and Alexander.
A warm hug welcomed them both, and Alexander sniffed as he couldn't contain his tears.
"I am happy to see you both... thank God you are looking well," Alexander stated.
Rick offered his greetings too and smiled fondly. "Thank you for your patience and understanding. I have given you a lot of headaches recently."
"We are just glad you look alright my boy" Bennie directed his answer to Rick and tapped his shoulders firmly.
When they were all seated on the couch, Rick suddenly straightened himself up and spoke. "We are here to tell you that we are getting married." Rick blurted making Bennie and Alexander cough loudly.
Jess's eyes widened unable to anticipate that Rick would share that news right off the bat.
The two old men had a moment to contemplate if Rick was pranking them. Silence descends within them testing the legitimacy of the situation.
Rick smiled, raising both their hands to prove his point. There they saw the diamond engagement ring settled beautifully in Jess's fingers.
"Oh, good God! Congratulations!" Bennie smiled and embraced Jess and Rick. When Alexander processed the information, he greeted both too.
"Both of you deserve to be happy." Alexander shared. He broke a sob once again.
Bennie laughed. "Old friend, you have become very emotional lately." He commented.
"I know! I can't help it" Alexander agreed making everyone laugh at his self-mockery.
Rick cleared his throat garnering all the attention again. "We are also here because I want to clear Jess's name from those degrading publicity gossips against her," Rick added.
Jess watched Rick as his eyes maintained the seriousness of his voice. That's a quick turn of events from his previous demeanor.
She shakes her head. This guy has a sick way of sharing things and jumble them in order. How could he share the engagement first before the actual purpose of their visit? She laughed internally.
"About that, we already worked with our legal team and cases have been filed to seek the damages it has caused between you two," Alexander uttered.
"Do you have plans on how you would play it, Rick?" Bennie asked.
Rick took a moment to think. "Schedule an interview and we can clarify all these rumors circulating our past, I think this is the best option." He suggested.
Jess was unsure if she heard the conversation right. She knew that they wanted to clear their names and have this chance to consult with Bennie and Alexander about what they could do, but interviewing on national television is a whole new level. She swallowed.
"Are you sure that's the best action to take?" Bennie asked sounding like a true businessman.
"I don't know but I think we owe it to our fans and the people who look up to us some truth to all these rumors," Rick concluded.
Jess couldn't agree more with his stated sentiments, as a fanatic, Rick's fans must have been devastated by the bad media surrounding him. It also fueled more hate towards her because she's dragging Rick's good name in the mud.
Alexander nodded after a while. "We can schedule an interview for both of you. But just know, we can't control the questions they might throw. So, you had better prepare for it. It's your last call for redemption." He uttered truthfully.
Jess understands what he meant and the gravity of the action they're willing to take, should they succeed, it would usher them back to the top, especially for Rick but if they mess it up... she closes her eyes trying not to entertain the thought.
Rick smiled not even an ounce of doubt on his face. "We are ready Alexander." He started and squeezed her hand in the process.
Jess looks at Rick and somehow, she believes him.
****************************************
Jess walks side by side with Rick into the interview room with the soul of a kitten, no matter how many times she tells herself to become the lion.
The interview studio has this simple minimalist vibe, it has the feeling of a fresh new page, one awaiting the words for her soul needs to write and for people to judge. She roamed her eyes around the live audience. She panicked.
After they pitched the idea of an interview, it didn't take long for the journalist to pick on the interest for an exclusive. Alexander was the one who selected where they could do this battle and still have a fighting chance to defend themselves in the process.
Jess was in awe of how professional Rick could appear from their practices on the possible questions to how they could formulate their words and even postures.
Rick turned his head around and smiled at her. "You look beautiful." He commented, temporarily forgetting her anxiety.
She smiled back.
"Don't worry, I'm here with you." He whispered to her, bringing warmth to her chest.
The stiffness of her muscles slowly relaxed and the thoughts that continued ringing her head had eased a little bit. She inhaled.
When the host went in and sat on the couch right across from them Jess took a moment to observe. She was wearing bright pink colors, she was smiling from ear to ear, greeting the staff and crew, and then at them, she didn't look intimidating or stoic at all. She shakes their hands before the camera rolls and makes sure that the microphones are working fine.
"Rick... it's been a while." She greeted me.
"Yes, it is Lisa," Rick replied shortly.
They exchanged pleasantries then Jess heard a call that they would be live in a few seconds, when it finally aired, she felt Rick's hand on her telling her it was fine.
Jess heard the introduction and the purpose of the interview, as she was self-aware of the camera rolling in every angle.
"Both of you never uttered a word when this scandal broke down and even disappeared for some time. There was even an article posted that it was a coward's way. What made you change your mind to be here and do this interview with us?" Lisa throws the first question.
Rick answered promptly. "Staying silent and choosing not to dwell when the scandal broke before was not a coward's way for me. This is past that, to be honest, hasn't been fully healed yet, and seeing how it was consumed by other people knowing that these are private things is a difficult thing to process. I learned as well that when emotions are at their peak, you must pause and think through and not be impulsive. We are here because we feel we are ready to face the world and shed some clarity on the hanging questions you might all have." He finished. Jess can't help but feel proud witnessing the exchange.
"Miss Lynn, you were subjected to such scrutiny in the public eye of your intention on Rick. What can you say about it?" Lisa directed the question to her.
She exhaled. "It's easy to draw some conclusions based on what's in front of us, whether it's legit information or not. I acknowledge that it can happen, but being involved in the music industry was never my plan. I was discovered in a diner with the diner's crew playing musical instruments with no care in the world. We were doing it for our patrons, but Alexander was there, my manager, and allowed me to see a different side of this world. I didn't know that Rick was on the same label too. The first time we worked together was on the awards night we attended. Having these stories, knitting our past together was beyond my comprehension until it happened. She genuinely answered.
"What do you say to those bashers saying your mom wrecked Iris and Adam's family that led to that tragedy?" she asked again.
"I can't speak ill to the dead especially if they cannot defend themselves too, but my mother has her own story to tell and what version prompted all this to occur. Either it's right or wrong but that was the decision that Adam and Kris made." She replied shortly.
"What about you Rick?" Lisa stated.
"They say that the young are the ones who suffer from the mistakes of the adults. I guess that plays true to this circumstance right now." He smirked. "Jess and I have no control over what our parents did. We were just collateral damage from their pains and heartache. And so, what I am asking is a little understanding from the public. We are here as musicians, a part of ourselves is shared for everyone to partake. That is authentic and that's what I want. The dark curtain hanging around our past can't be changed, but how we look at the world and inspire people is for me more valuable than whatever's behind us." Rick added genuinely.
Jess felt the solemn atmosphere from the live audience and even the staff and crew. She felt a positive energy flowing within her veins. They were just being truthful in their statements and hoping people could see their sincerity.
I guess it's working. She thought
"If I may ask further. I noticed a big chunk of diamond ring on Miss Lynn's finger, may we know what's that about?"
Jess suddenly gets pulled to reality upon hearing the mention of her ring. She turned her head around and watched Rick smile.
"Oh, that one. It's her engagement ring. We are getting married!" He announced it on national television.
Jess watched him in horror as she saw the shock and happiness from the host and a loud gasp registered from the crowd.
Jess suddenly felt she wanted to throw up as Rick's warm laughter echoed in her ears filling her mind over and over.