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“What we’re doing today are mostly ballads,” David countered. “Jay wails. I think it will be better this way. Let’s see how it sounds before you make faces.”
They laid the underlying tracks so they could play while David sang. He and Tommy belted out the lyrics, but Stan wasn’t happy.
David agreed. Something was missing, but it wasn’t Jay. Marissa stepped in and her voice was what did it. It needed her bluesy rock tone to finish it off.
He looked into the room where Cara was, just to see if she was paying attention and she was mesmerized. He knew that look when he glanced into the audience to see if his stuff was reaching them. He’d connected with her on a deep level with his words and music.
He winked.
She gave a little wave.
“Those are keepers,” said David. “See, we don’t need a strung-out, over-sexed, pompous narcissist to make a good sound.”
They toasted the success of their first efforts with a round of cold bottled waters. It was a perfect morning that was rapidly approaching mid-afternoon.
Cara let out a wail of frustration from the other room.
“Maybe we need to get her behind a mic,” he joked.
“No!” she shrieked.
David noted she was looking at her phone. He walked to her and she turned it to him, with her mouth forming a perfect O in horror. He took a look. The pictures that she and he took goofing around, kissing and embracing had been photo-shopped. The two of them were now naked in the same poses. His eyebrows nearly flew off his face. He passed the phone to Marissa and Tommy.
“Don’t show it to them!” she reached for it a moment too late.
“It’s not a real picture,” he said. “I’m sorry this happened. The only thing I find offensive is her naked body doesn’t do you justice at all. You look way better than that.”
Cara blushed hard.
He adored the pink color that rose on her cheeks. It had been a long time since he was around a person who had the decency to be embarrassed.
“I should have seen this coming,” he said. “I think Tommy and I better go have a talk with your ex.”
Marissa’s face was somber when she showed the group what she found on social media. It was a more realistic image of Cara in a bed—her face obviously transposed with whoever it really was—and Jay naked on the edge of the bed, smoking a cigarette.
David was livid. Even in pretend, he couldn’t tolerate the idea of Jay taking Cara. That asshole had taken so much and had been so destructive the night before that even a fake picture infuriated him.
“I might have to get my lawyer in on this,” he growled. He drew Cara close to him. “It will be okay.”
She leaned her head onto him and sighed.
Chapter Seven
Cara
Cara was beside herself. There were naked pictures of her plastered all over the internet. She was doing unspeakable things with men and women alike. What if her parents found them? She’d have to tell them. Since she’d gotten sober, she had to work hard to gain their trust and respect. This would ruin all the ground she’d gained.
At just a little over two years clean and sober, she still had a first thought of “wouldn’t a drink be nice right now?” But she quickly brushed that thought aside.
“I don’t know how I can go out in public anymore,” she lamented.
“This too shall pass,” said Marissa reminding her of the twelve-step slogan.
“It won’t be that bad,” David assured her. “Just go on about your business like always.”
“I have a job that deals with the public,” she argued gently. “Someone I wait on is bound to see these.”
He took in a deep breath. “They might,” he said. “How awake were you when I stopped by your work?” He sighed. “I didn’t exactly make a scene, but I think a few of your co-workers might know that you and I know each other. If I didn’t think I’d make things worse, I’d get you a couple more days off from work,” he said.
