When they were all finally settled in David's office, Tasha- the bassist- spoke. "Where have you been the last five years, boss man? We ain't heard hide nor hair from you in that long. Did you crawl under a rock?" The Mississippi drawl in her voice was hard to miss.
David laughed. "No, I've been watching my family explode. I have as many grandkids as I do kids now and not all of my kids are married. I've walked one of my girls down the aisle to give her away to the man of her dreams. I've also watched two of my sons get married to the women they love and watched all but four of my kids have given my grandkids. And in the mean time my wife and I have been trying to find a house in Israel so that we can both retire. Does it seem like I've had the time to be anything other than a husband, father, and business man? Hell, I've barely had the time to write."
"Wow. You've had a lot going on. We're glad you guys are including us in your final show", Selene- the lead guitarist- said. There were faint traces of a Cajun accent to her soft voice.
"Well, if it weren't for me signing you Demonatrix wouldn't have a career, as you girls have said before. I do apologize for you girls hearing more from Dan than you have from me."
"I'd say don't make a habit of it, but you're about to retire and out us in someone else's hands", Natalia said. She had slipped into the persona she used onstage as though she were on the defensive. He'd noticed she would do that sometimes. There were times when he worked with them that he would provoke that. He wanted her mad so that she would deliver the performance he knew she was capable of. This was NOT one of those moments. He'd ignore it for now, but he was sure there would come a point when he would have to out an end to it.
"Well, Justin and James will take good care of you girls. They know me and Danny's standards and they know how to make sure that those standards are met. You have nothing to worry about. James and Justin have good ears."
"But, David, my concern is that they'll try to strip us of that creative control that we've fought for", Nadia- the band's drummer- said.
"You girls have been producing your own stuff for a while now. They won't step in unless they hear something that's sub- par. But, Nadi, I'm glad you're voicing that concern to me. Danny and I will let James and Justin know."
"Do either of them know anything about music or running a record company?"
"Yes. James and Justin and mine and Danny's sons respectively. They both grew up around music and they both know what goes into writing a record. Justin himself plays guitar like Danny. James is in law school to take care of any and all legal stuff you and the label need. Now, we need to talk about the show in April. Natalia, you asked for a catwalk, am I correct?" David asked as he looked at his paperwork from the manufacturing company.
Natalia looked at him with cold eyes and attitude that hadn't been provoked. "That's right."
He fought off the urge to roll his eyes and ignored it for the time being. There was business to attend to.
He didn't have time to deal with the child she was acting like. "Do you mind sharing it with Reckless Disregard. Jordan wants one as well and it's nearly as expensive to have just one fabricated as it is to have two fabricated."
"As long as she's willing to pay half for it. And if she thinks she's going to screw me I'll take it out of her
ass with a flogger."
That did it. David rolled his eyes as he spoke. "Bitch please. Knock off the Dominatrix act, Natalia. I'm not buying it. If Jordan were to hear you say that, she would chew you up and spit out your bones. My daughter does not take insult or disrespect very well. And just so that you know, she's already given me the money to pay for half of the catwalk. Sell that act somewhere else, Natalia. I'm not buying and neither will anyone else in this house."
The girls all looked back and forth between David and Natalia, who sat in her chair in shock. She was stunned that David would speak to her that way. "Boss man, I think we're going to take Natalia back to the hotel and have a band conference. We'll call you after the holiday so that we can all meet again to talk about paying for the set up and the other aspects for the show", Tasha said as she and the other girls pulled Natalia to her feet.
"Wise decision. Fair warning; Jordan is in the house. She's helping her mother prepare for dinner tonight and Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow. Keep her from saying anything stupid to her because Jordan will show no mercy when she lays into Natalia. She will verbally eviscerate her."
"No problem, boss man. If she opens her mouth to Jordan she deserves the ass chewing she gets", Selene said as they pulled her out of
David followed them as far as his office door and watch as the specticle unfolded. He listened as his grandchildren played and poked fun at the girl in the shiny pants. Miri, the ring leader, was loudest of them all with her 'nana-nana boo-boos' and his personal favorite, "Her pants my be shiny but her personality sure isn'!" He didn't even know that his little Miri knew what a personality was let alone the word itself. Apparently, she was learning quite a bit in nursery school. "She's been spending too much time around Aunt Jordan", he thought as the went back to his desk to handle the rest of his business.
---------------
Finally, he was finished with the business that he had to handle and before Thanksgiving and he could relax and enjoy the holiday with his family. Jona's parents were on their way up and David rather enjoyed having Skyler around. He and his family- Kaylian and Damian- would be there in a couple of hours.
When he walked into the kitchen, he let out a heavy sigh. "That girl knows just how to push my buttons", he said as he walked to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water.
Jordan looked up from the bread dough she was kneading. "Who?" she asked as the brushed her bangs from her face. She then picked up a pastry cutter and started sectioning off the dough. Half of it would be used that night for rolls for dinner. The other half would be frozen to be used the next day.
He sat down at the bar. "Natalia Wadsworth. It's no wonder why I lost contact with them. She knows how to piss me off the fastest."
"I've heard she has a talent for doing that. What did she do to piss you off today?"
"She just ran her mouth too damn much. She accused you of being a cheat."
Jordan froze. "She what?" she asked in a low dangerous voice. David know all too well that tone of voice. He had one, his wife had one; all of his children had one. His brother in law had one. It was the tone they got before they did or said something they might later end up regretting.
"She said that if you tried to cheat her on your half of the money for the catwalk, she'd take it out of your ass."
"Man, let that stupid bitch say something to me about it. Instead of talking shit behind my back, she needs to say what she has to fucking say to my face."
"I told her band mates to keep her from speaking to you because I know how you would have reacted. You've never been one to physically assault someone, but you will tear them apart with your words and make them feel like they're microscopic."
"I may have gone against my nature over that if she had said it to my face. Just hearing you recount it makes me wanna knock her head off."
"Jordan, she apparently doesn't know better", Brie said as she prepped the turkey for Thanksgiving dinner the next night. "I think Natalia needs someone to sit her down to figure out why she uses this persona as a defense mechanism."
"I've tried", David said as he opened his water to take a drink. "She won't open up to me."
"No offense, love, but you're a MAN."
"Do you think you can do it?"
"I'd be happy to give it a shot. She had better realize that the moment she disrespects me, I will have no problem putting her in her place."
"I'll be sure she knows, but don't expect it to be easy for you to get through to her without having to go off on her."
"I"ll do what I have to do. It's not the first time and I doubt it will be the last."
---------------
Jona and Jeremiah were in their room relaxing their room after 'Miah had finished setting up the bassinet they would be using for little Mattie. It didn't take long. It was one of the bassinets that his parents used when Malachai had kids. Hand me downs in his family were no surprise and were usually in really good shape when they came to the next person in need.
Jona was curled against the front of Miah's chest as they talked about the things she wanted when Mattie finally arrived. "I don't want a room full of people, 'Miah. I just want you, your mom and my mom in there. That's it. maybe Jake on stand by, though I hope you mom will just have Jake on stand by anyway so that I don't get caught up in all of the what ifs."
"I'm not going to let you get caught up in the what ifs, baby. But, if that's what you want, I'm sure we can make it happen. All we have to do is tell our parents what we want for this. Jake being on standby should be your idea. Mom will do it anyway, but if you suggest it, it will be a load off of both of their minds."
She snuggled in closer to her husband. "Ok, I'll bring it up at the next appointment." She sighed. "I'm so fat, 'Miah."
"No you're not. You're positively glowing. You're more glowing right this moment than you were the day we got married and you glowed more then than you did the day we met."
"You're just sucking up so I'll give you some", she giggled.
"Baby, if you're in one of those moods where you want some, then I'm more than happy to give it to you. If not, then I can wait."
"And spend time with Rosy Palm and her five sisters."
"Baby, there are only so many times I can thump him down before he stops listening.", he chuckled.
She turned to kiss him and shrank in pain. "Oooh. I don't care how far along I am, I'm never going to get used to that."
"He just kicked?"
"Yeah. I think he thinks my bladder is a weight bag."
'Miah laughed. "He's going to play soccer like Uncle Jake. Take it easy in there, Mattie. No need to practice your kicking on Mama's bladder." He pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Can I lay my ear against your stomach?"
"Why?"
"I wanna talk to our son." Jona smiled and moved to lay back against the pillows on their bed and he slipped off of the edge of the bed to put his ear gently to her stomach. "Hey little Mattie. It's Daddy. Take it easy on Mama for me, ok? I know you're only doing what you do, but try not to kick Mama so that she has to jump up and go pee every fifteen minutes. Can you do that for me?" There was a gentle thump against his cheek and smiled. "That's a good boy." He slipped back into the bed next to her and pull her into his embrace. It wasn't long before she was sleep.
---------------
Once her was sure his wife was napping he went downstairs to get a bite to eat. He was also going to have a bowl of yogurt ready for her in the fridge once she woke up. When he got to the bottom of the stairs he was greeted by his father in law. "Hey Miah", Skyler said.
"Hi Skyler", he said with a smile. He looked back and forth between his father and father in law. "I'm glad I caught you both in the same spot. Jona and I were talking about her wishes when the baby is born and she only wants a few people in the room with her."
"Who?" David asked.
"Mom, Kaylian, and me. And between the three of us, she wants Dr. Draiman on stand by just in case we need him."
"Do you think you will?" Skyler asked.
"No, but it's always nice to be prepared. But I was wondering if the two of you would mind keeping the nosy ones away from the room during the delivery. Until Jona and I say people can come back?"
David and Skyler exchanged a look. "Mr. Mason, are you thinking what I'm thinking?" David asked.
"I believe I am, Mr. Draiman, but do we have a way to make it happen?"
"Torturing my children? Oh yeah. I can just call Morbus."
"Morbus? The band's old bodyguard from during the Occupation and afterward?"
"One in the same, my brother. He have a great deal of things to torture people with."
"Can you get in touch with him so that we can talk to him?"
"Well, yeah. He lives on the property."
"Well, don't do it just yet. We can talk to him about it over Hanukkah."
"Sounds like a plan to me."
No comments:
Post a Comment