As always, this story cannot be used without my permission. If you would like it, contact me at XXX_Supafly@yahoo.com. This and all my other stories can be found on my website http://www.angelfire.com/mi3/TripleX.
Disclaimer: This story is fiction. I mean no offense to anyone with the contents herein. I don't own Jessica Simpson or Columbia Records. Everything else in here I do own. I hope you enjoy this.
Back in the present. Things changed a lot after that trip to Dallas. My relationship with Doyle, as can be expected, brightened intensely. My mother was suddenly interested in everything I did musically. And with school out, I was asked to perform at Jensen's on a bi-nightly basis. I'd yet to hear from Jessica, but I didn't really have time to think about that. When I wasn't performing, I was with Doyle. And any time I wasn't with Doyle, I was working on new music. So my life was pretty busy. And as she said, it would take time. That's why when it finally happened, I was more shocked than I probably should've been. In any case, cue the flashback wavy line things.
Chapter 5: The Real Beginning
It was a typical Tuesday in what had become my extremely hectic life. I slept until almost noon, before getting up and eating my usual breakfast of fresh fruit, no sugar, and orange juice. After that, it was into the shower, then straight to the keyboard where I spent most of my afternoons. Today was no different. I remained glued there until almost 6, but I was able to finish off two songs I'd been working on. After that, I ran into the bathroom to get ready for my show. I'd perfected that over the past two months, so I was ready and out the door in less than 15 minutes. As always, I did my vocal warm-ups in the car.
Jensen's was jumping by the time I got there. I fought through the crowds and made my way on stage. I said a quick hello to Skye, and told him I'd be ready in a minute. My show wasn't supposed to start until 7:00, technically, but I'd been starting earlier every night. The people expected music when they came here, and I didn't want to disappoint. I dug in my pocket and pulled out a new CD I'd burned. I tried to work in new material every time I performed. It'd get boring pretty fast if I just sang the same 12 songs every night. I told Skye to play it in order, then went up and grabbed the microphone. Instantly, all eyes in the restaurant were on me, and I felt like the most powerful man in the world. There really is nothing better than knowing that people have come just to see you. Well, there are a few things better, but none that I can do on stage.
"How's everybody doing tonight?" I asked, messing with the microphone stand.
The crowd replied with various different answers, most of which amounting to "okay." Once I'd fixed the microphone stand, I deposited the microphone down and stared out at the crowd.
"I'm going to try some new music for y'all tonight. Some new old music, actually. This first song's called Sparkle. Hope you like it."
The crowd cheered briefly as Skye started the music. I waited for my cue, then softly started with the lyrics.
Through the clouds A nice surprise To see that twinkle Return to your eyes I searched my head For some old spark Been around this place Stumbling in the dark And when I feel the skies will never clear You remind me that spring is near
How you sparkle How you shine How you rise above The darkest skies...
As usual, the crowd seemed to erupt after every song. You can call Anson a lot of things, but non-enthusiastic is not one of them. I took my usual break after song number six, Angry All the Time by Tim McGraw. Doyle and Ashley were out of town at their family reunion for the week, so I sat in the break room talking with some of the waitresses. The conversation settled on how their jobs sucked, and mine ruled. I offered to switch them places whenever they wanted, and all of them said they'd take me up on the offer. Truths be told, they'd have to stab me to death with their little pencils before I'd give up that stage voluntarily. Look at me, already having diva moments. But hey, I'm not going to disappoint the people. After all, they came to see me. Man, it feels great to say that.
After about 15 minutes, I made my way back to the stage. Skye stood over by the bar, drinking his daquiri and flirting with Melanie, the bartender. I whistled loudly to get his attention, and he jumped from his stool. He ran back on stage and grabbed the microphone. I pulled out the second mic, and took a seat behind him. It was time for what had become one of my trademark numbers, and he always got it started. The biggest reason for that, I'm just too white to rap.
"Oh yeah. Are you ready for this Jensen's?" He asked, fumbling with buttons on the sound system.
"Tell 'em Skye," I piped in.
"Yeah, here we go,"
The music slowly spread through the speakers, and Skye began the rap verse.
We can do it in the mix I'll even raise the privacy shade if we do it in the six Everything his and hers I know you like sipping K until you vision blurs Exquisite furs, this preferred You even got a set of keys to the Spin in Jers Get your man that ain't promise I'm the kid that'll make sure you keep that tan from St. Thomas It's no trouble at all So you can imagine after I go double this fall Most this player can do is retire I know Gucci's newest attire And shoes is required I don't care who was your priors Any man saying he don't want you is a liar All they can do is admire F-A-B-O-L-O-U-S I do this Mariah
As soon as he finished the rap, I began with my part. I always loved this number, because it gave Skye a chance to go out and work the crowd, and that got the crowd really into it. I'd yet to perform this song and not have half of the restaurant standing up and dancing. This time was no different. I got right into it with them, dancing on stage while I continued to belt out the song. That's probably how they were able to sneak in without me noticing. But I noticed the huge entourage as they neared the stage and sat down in front of me. My jaw nearly dropped as Jessica looked right at me and waved happily. Thankfully, I was able to finish the song. The second I finished, Jessica rushed on stage and hugged me.
I was shocked to see her. I was starting to think everything was going to fall through, after all it had been over two months and I'd heard nothing. But here she was, surrounded by bodyguards and lots of people in suits. I kept glancing down toward them as Jessica was still hugging me, trying hard to recognize at least one of them. I couldn't do it. When our hug parted, I was shocked again as she snatched the microphone from my hand. She winked at me, and ushered me over to the stool I'd been sitting in. I raised my eyebrows questioningly, but did as I was told. She walked to the middle of the stage, and the entire restaurant gasped when they realized whom it was. They erupted in applause, but she was able to quiet them down by simply waving her hand downward, telling them to sit down. That was something I'd yet to manage. When they wanted to cheer, they cheered, I couldn't stop them. But I wasn't Jessica Simpson, either.
"How 'bout him huh?" She yelled, glancing back toward me. "He's awesome, isn't he?"
I found myself blushing when someone yelled back "Hell yeah he is!" If I didn't already know she was out of town, I'd swear it was Ashley. That's the type of thing she'd do, just to make me blush. But this was a guy, Drunk Darren, I think. That's what the waitresses had nicknamed him, because anytime he's here, that's exactly what he is. His name is Darren, and he's always drunk. I just smiled and jokingly shrugged off their praise, secretly loving every minute of it.
"He is awesome, and that's why I'm here. Y'all might not know this, but about two months ago Ethan here recorded a demo with me,"
Again, the restaurant gasped in surprise. This time I laughed, because they either wanted to pretend they didn't know, or never listen to me when I talk, because I know I mentioned it several times after it first happened. The excitement of mentioning it died down after awhile though, so maybe they just forgot.
"Yeah, and it was a damn good demo, too. Well, it took me a couple months, but I got it all straightened out. So we came here to make it official," She explained, motioning toward the people in front of the stage.
My pulse was quickening as she continued to speak. I could literally hear my heart thumping in my ears. I saw one of the men stand up and open a briefcase. Piles of documents were pulled out and sat on the table, facing the stage. He pulled a gold pen from his pocket and sat it dramatically on top of the first stack of papers. He adjusted his glasses with his thumb, then stared up at Jessica. My eyes shot to hers immediately. She simply smiled at me, and nodded her head.
"It's real Ethan," She explained, completely reading my mind. "Are you ready to become Columbia Records' newest recording superstar?"
I couldn't move. I almost felt glued to that stool. I glanced around at the crowd, all of their eyes glued on me. And for the first time ever, I got stage fright. My mouth felt incredibly dry, and my palms were so sweaty a microphone could've rusted in my hand. Jessica must've noticed my nervousness, because she deposited the microphone back onto the stand and walked over to me. She put her hands on my shoulders and squeezed them lightly. She then brought them to my face and lifted my eyes to hers. The smile on her face was incredible. You could almost drown in the happiness in her eyes.
"Ethan, baby, you've earned this. Everybody loved you. You sign those papers, and you are on your way to superstardom,"
It took only seconds for her words to sink in. I could almost feel my own face light up. I stood up from my stool, but my knees were too weak to hold me, so I fell right back down onto the stool. Jessica threw her head back in laughter, then walked around behind me. She started to massage my shoulders, and instantly I was reminded of Doyle. While her massage was good, it was nowhere compared to his. The smile left my face only briefly as I thought about him not being here. Any other week, he'd be right beside me. But this week, the week when my dream finishes coming true, he's in Michigan at a family reunion. Talk about bad timing. But nonetheless, he'd still be happy for me. He understood this was my ultimate dream. And while he'd be upset about not being here for this moment, he'd want nothing more than for me to sign that contract. I craned my head back toward Jessica, and she dropped her ear near my mouth.
"I don't really have to sign it now, do I? I can't legally without my mom's permission, anyway," I asked in a whisper.
"Oh, no," She replied quickly, shaking her head. "This is just a mock contract, couldn't legally bind you if they taped it to you. Just a little show for the crowd,"
"Okay," I replied, glancing back out into the crowd.
All eyes were still on me, but this time, my nervousness didn't exist. I stood confidently from the stool and stepped off stage. The second I neared the table, I heard someone yell Ethan. I glanced around quickly, not really searching for the voice, and smiled as I stepped to the table. As I picked up the pen, the restaurant began chanting my name. For what seemed like the billionth time over the last few months, my smile couldn't be surgically removed. I held the pen up for all of them to see, then brought it back to the paper. In John Hancock fashion, I signed my signature as big as I possibly could, this being a phony contract and all. The restaurant burst into applause, and Jessica tossed her arms around my neck. She planted a big kiss on my cheek, staining it with the ruby of her lipstick. I giggled, but didn't attempt to rub it off for fear of smearing it. She laughed and squeezed around my neck before jumping back on stage. I shook hands with the man who'd produced the documents, then turned to Jessica. Another dream came true for me this very instant. She stood on stage, a microphone in one hand, and the other extending one to me.
"Get your ass up here and sing with me Ethan!" She yelled as I stepped on stage.
I'd probably never smiled bigger in my life than I did at that very moment. I took the microphone from her hand and glanced over at Skye. I held up 2 fingers, which had become our universal code for Irresistible. He gave me the thumbs up, and if he had spoke, I'm sure it would've been "You got it, Chief." When the music started to play, I bowed to Jessica and stepped out of the way. She smiled and stepped to center stage to sing the song that put her on the map.
Jessica (and myself, though I didn't do a whole lot) kept Jensen's rocking until 2:00 A.M. After that, she and I talked for a little while about the whole contract situation. She apologized countless times for taking so long. Eventually I got sick of it, and told her to shut up. I guess I felt comfortable with her as a friend to do that. She just laughed and hit me in the shoulder. If you would've asked me even three months ago, I never would've guessed that I'd be giggling and talking with Jessica Simpson. I don't think I'd ever fully get a handle on that one.
After Jensen's closed down, some of the "suits", as Jessica had called them, explained the contract to me in full detail. They advised me to have a lawyer look it over, which wouldn't be hard since my neighbor was a retired lawyer. It didn't really matter to me what was in that contract, as long as I got to sing. They explained a few of the minor details, and said if I had questions, have my mother call them. That might be a problem, with her being in Houston for the week. I didn't let them know that, and just sleepily nodded my head. They all shook my hand before they filed out and into their limo. Jessica hugged me, and said she'd call in the morning. By this time, all I could do was yawn. She laughed, and I kid you not, said "Okay, let's do lunch." I was able to nod my head. She gave a quick hug to Mick before rushing out the door and to the limo. I gathered up all the documents I'd been given and yelled bye to everyone who was left. I didn't stick around for replies, just walked out to my car and fired up the engine. I was totally drained. How I made it home without falling asleep at the wheel will forever remain a mystery. When I got home, I left the contract in the car and walked inside. I didn't make it much further than the couch, where I instantly fell asleep.
I woke up the next morning with the stiffest body I've ever encountered in my 17 years. When I rolled off the couch and got to my feet, I felt like I'd been paralyzed and suddenly got better. Stiffly, I walked down the hallway and into the bathroom. I turned the shower on and slowly stripped out of my clothes. Each tiny movement caused my entire body to ache. By the time steam began building, I was begging for hot water to relieve the stiffness. I stepped cautiously under the stream and let the hot water pour onto my back.
I spent at least an hour in the shower. When the water began to turn cold, I realized it was time to get out. My skin had pruned almost beyond recognition. But on the plus side, the stiffness was gone. I quickly dried myself and fastened the towel around my waist. I walked across the hall and plopped down onto my bed. I glanced over at the picture of Doyle on my night stand and a smile came to my face. I couldn't wait for him to get back so I could tell him about everything that had happened. My euphoria wouldn't be complete until I saw the happiness in his sparkling green eyes. I don't think I'd really be able to enjoy everything if he wasn't happy for me. But thankfully, I knew he would be.
Eventually, I got up from the bed and slapped some clothes on. I tossed the towel back into the bathroom as I made my way into the kitchen. I grabbed a bottle of orange juice and skipped out to my car. I grabbed the contract from the passenger seat and made my way over to the fence. I opened the gate and walked into my neighbor's back yard. I glanced around quickly and saw him watering the flowers surrounding his patio. I walked up behind him slowly, scuffing my foot on the ground to alert him I was here. He turned around when he heard me and smiled.
"Good morning Mr. Weisman," I said as I approached, shielding my eyes with the contract.
"Good morning Ethan. What can I do for you?" He asked, motioning me over toward his gazebo.
"I was wondering if you could glance over this contract for me. You remember the whole music thing? Well they gave me the contract last night and asked me to have a lawyer look it over,"
"Sure, lemme have a look," He said, pulling the contract from in front of me. "Do you want something to drink while you wait?"
"No thanks, got my orange juice," I replied, shaking my bottle of orange juice.
He just smiled and pulled his glasses from his shirt pocket. He opened the contract and began reading it over as I glanced around the yard. For as long as I could remember, Mr. Weisman had the best lawn in the neighborhood. My mom always said she was going to make hers better, but she never stopped working long enough to do so. As soon as I started making money, I was making her quit. Shed worked nonstop my entire life, there was no way I'd let her keep doing it after I was making millions. She'd taken care of me, now it would be my turn to take care of her.
It took him close to a half hour, but Mr. Weisman read through all 17 pages of the contract. He explained everything to me, and it all sounded pretty good. Seven albums at ten million-dollars an album, and a one million-dollar signing bonus. Three to four singles to be released per album, an unlimited video budget, complete per diem, a huge advertising budget, and a puppy. Okay, so there was no puppy. But that was really all that could've made this better. I could hardly contain my excitement as he went over the details of the contract. By the time he finished, I was fidgeting in my seat.
"That's everything," He stated, depositing his glasses back into his pocket.
"So it's all legal and fair and stuff?" I asked, standing up from my seat.
"Absolutely. I'd still go over it with your mom though, just so she knows about everything,"
"I will, don't worry," I replied, gathering the contract up and tucking it under my arm. "Thanks Mr. Weisman," I said again, shaking his hand.
"Anytime Ethan, anytime,"
He walked from the gazebo and back toward his house. I walked back over to the fence and opened the gate back to my yard. I couldn't help but yell "Yes!" from the happiness coursing through my body. I ran into the house and immediately grabbed the phone. I dropped the contract onto the coffee table and plopped down onto the couch. I tried to dial, but my hands were shaking too much from my excitement. I sat the phone down next to me and took several deep breaths, trying to calm myself. That succeeded somewhat, so I grabbed the phone and dialed my mom's cell phone number. I don't care what she's doing, she needs to come home and sign that contract. As far as I was concerned, she could quit her job now. I get one million just for signing, she doesn't need to work anymore. I waited impatiently for her to answer. Then just before the voicemail picked up, I heard the phone turn on.
"Ethan, what's wrong?" She asked, barely audible over the noise occurring in her background.
"Nothing is wrong. I just want you home so I can sign the contract," I replied plainly, waiting for her reaction.
"What?" She asked, sounding shocked.
"The contract, THE contract. Jessica and company brought it to me last night at Jensen's. I had Mr. Weisman go over everything, and it's all good. I just need you here to sign it,"
"Oh Ethan! I'm so happy for you honey! I'll be home by tonight, I promise!"
"Okay, see you then Mom,"
Love you sweetie,"
"Love you too,"
I hung up the phone and collapsed back onto the couch with a happy sigh. As soon as my mom signed the contract, I'd officially be on my way to superstardom. I would officially be a Columbia Records recording artist. Just thinking those words made my heart flutter. I hadn't felt this happy since the first night with Doyle. I almost felt like I could float from the excitement running through my veins. Nothing had ever made me this happy in my life. Not even Doyle, as much as I hated to think that. I sat up on the couch and grabbed a pen. I flipped to the last page of the contract and stared at the X next to my name.
"Eh, what the hell," I said aloud, and signed my signature to the contract.
When I finished my signature, I closed the contract and placed the pen on top of it. I stood up from the couch and stared down at the contract with a smile on my face. One more signature, and everything would be complete. It may've started over two months ago, but this was it. This, was the real beginning.
TBC