Between a Rock and a Hard Place (15 page)

The entire band came home for Jessi’s graduation ceremony.  Word spread of their return to the United States and fans flocked the ceremony at Radio City Music Hall, accompanied by eager paparazzi ready to snap the first photos of Immortal Angel on American soil in weeks.

They had snuck into JFK virtually unnoticed less than 12 hours ago, but their arrival spread across the internet like a virus.

Security was tight at Radio City Music Hall and restricted Jessi’s interaction with the fans, but the celebration party at Garcia’s offered the freedom to socialize.  Angel’s dad welcomed the publicity at his restaurant.

Jessi stayed out front with the band to sign autographs and take photos.  Even Alyssa, who hated the intrusion of her personal space, mingled with the line of people behind the barricades.  It sent the paparazzi into a frenzy as they snapped the rare sought-after photo of Alyssa and Damien together.

Several fans presented Jessi with flowers and gifts.  It was an unexpected show of loyalty from a body of people who she thought were there only for Immortal Angel. Her heart was flooded with appreciation and gratitude.  Today was an emotional day for her.

Jessi spotted Tommy’s dad lurking in the alcove of the restaurant.  He watched Tommy greet the fans with pride radiating from his rugged face. Her father-in-law usually wore a mask of indifference. It was uncommon for him to acknowledge anything in either of his sons’ lives with more than a nod of his head or a handshake.  But today, for the first time since she’d known Martin Blade, he beamed with admiration at his eldest son.  It must have been the crowd of fans, accompanied by the television cameras and pop of flashbulbs that finally made him realize Tommy was famous.  Martin was a rugged and tough man, but the smile emanating from his face proved that it was possible to break through his thick exterior.

Angelita, Angel’s mom, escorted Martin outside.  He didn’t venture far, only a few feet from the entrance, but Angelita walked out to the middle of the barricades and spoke to the fans that gathered outside of Garcia’s.

“Thank you, but I need my family,” she told the crowd.  “They will be leaving again for another few months.  I have little time with my son before he goes away again.”

Angelita’s warm dark eyes found Jessi and they smiled at her.  For a second she thought she was looking at Angel.

“Today we celebrate Jessica, the college graduate,” Angelita continued.  “She is the next big fashion designer.  You will see her magnificent clothing in the stores on Fifth Avenue and on the runway.  You will witness the grand opening of her new store tomorrow.  She will have much success.”

The fans cheered and applauded.  Tommy and Angel came to her side and both kissed her on either cheek.  Her smile was so wide they kissed the corners of her lips.  Tommy’s dad, the man with a heart of stone, gave her a hug. He put his arm around Tommy’s shoulder and then he did something that she never thought she’d see.  Martin Blade shook Angel’s hand.

They all retreated to one of the private rooms in the back of the Garcia’s, past the murmur of whispers from some of the patrons dining in the restaurant.  Jessi was surrounded by the people she loved most in the world.  Tommy and Angel, her sisters Ella and Maggie, Alyssa and Damien.  Ricardo and Angelita Garcia, Martin and Barbara Blade, and of course, Jimmy.

Conspicuous by their absence were Jessi’s parents.  She tried to dismiss it, but without them to share this long-awaited achievement, there was an emptiness in her victory.  She refused to acknowledge the crushing pain that centered in her chest.  She told herself that she didn’t need their support.  The only people she needed were sitting at the table with her right now.

Jessi had only spoken to her mother once since the horrific phone call that took place at the rest stop in Ohio when the band was on tour.  Her father had never even bothered to get on the line to speak to her this time.  They still weren’t willing to accept the inclusion of Angel in her marriage, and they wanted her to leave Tommy.  It was the ultimate rejection.  They had refused to apologize for the names and insults they hurled at Tommy and Angel, and Jessi refused to speak to either one of them until they did.

She took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders.  She wasn’t going to be sucked into the negative drama of her parent’s betrayal.  She was moving forward with her life.

From the outside, the appearance of Jessi’s store was deceiving.  It probably looked exactly like what Tommy and Angel were expecting – a quaint shop, featuring a modest amount of her designs.  They had no idea that she opened a top-notch retail store.  They would be the first ones to see it before the grand opening in the morning.

They paused on the sidewalk to admire the window display.  Jessi never tired of seeing her name in hot pink neon lights.  Her heart fluttered when she turned the key in the door and they stepped inside.

Tommy scanned every inch of the new store with one sweep of his eyes.  “I don’t know what to say.  This place is amazing!  How the hell did you pull this off?”

Her chest swelled with pride.  “I had help.  A lot of help.  And I had an interior designer.”

Angel slowly walked through the shop.  He was quiet, speechless, as he stopped to touch everything that his eyes fell upon.  He fingered the metal studs on a mini skirt and took the hanger off the rack.  He peeked at the hem and gasped at the lining.  “This is gorgeous!”

She knew his penchant for animal prints and that’s where she drew her inspiration.  All Jessi Blade garments were lined in a silk, pink leopard fabric.

Angel continued inspecting the store’s contents. He sat on the chaise lounge, also covered in her signature silk, pink leopard print.  He played with the trim of a black fringed lamp and clicked it on, then off. He turned to her with an opened mouthed smile.  “This is absolutely gorgeous, sweetheart.  I’m in love with the décor.”

Tommy was still flabbergasted at the reveal.  His eyes covered everything from the floor to the ceiling. He stopped at the wall that housed the Immortal Angel merchandise and called Angel over.

“Why am I not surprised she has our merchandise here?” Angel laughed.  “Still promoting the band every chance she gets.  That’s our wifey.”

The Immortal Angel designs that she created for Falcon Records were her first designs to be sold commercially.  The label on the back of the band’s merchandise now read
Jessi Blade for Immortal Angel Apparel
.  It was another tidbit of wisdom that Angel’s dad insisted upon. Instead of selling her designs to Falcon Records, she received royalties.  Not only did the label bear her name, now she received a kick-back on the profits.

Ricardo Garcia was a smart business man and he passed that knowledge down to Angel.  Angel was the one who first insisted that she put her name on the back of her custom made guitar straps when she first started selling them at the local bars.

Even if Falcon Records didn’t agree to the negotiation, she still would have sold the band’s merchandise in her store.  It reinforced her connection with Immortal Angel and that was a tie she never wanted to sever.

She trailed behind Tommy and Angel as they ventured deeper into the store.  They studied the modern-day mannequins that sported mohawks and brightly colored hair.  Angel stopped to inspect one of the mirrored dressing rooms, while Tommy continued on to the back of the store.  He paused in front of a door with a sign that read, “Employees Only”.

Jessi’s heart was beating so fast she could feel it thumping against her chest.  “Open it.”

He gave her a quirky smile before turning the door handle.  He opened it cautiously, until he saw the rows of sewing machines.  It wasn’t a big space.  There were only six sewing stations and work tables.  Shelves of fabric and various grades of leather rested on a rack against the far wall, next to a tidy row of built in drawers that housed all of her studs, spikes, zippers, grommets, and other accessories.

Tommy seemed bewildered by the room’s contents.  His brows were drawn together as he entered the workroom.  “What’s all this?”

“It’s my sewing studio.  I hired a full time staff to construct my designs.  I can’t possibly keep up with inventory by myself.”

She was surprised he didn’t react the minute he stepped through the front door.  She went all-out with the store.  It was her dream and she splurged on it.

It finally hit Tommy.  His eyes opened as wide as the ocean and his head snapped between the front door and the sewing studio in the back.  “It costs a fortune to start up a business like this.  We don’t have that kind of extra cash.  Did you wipe out our savings account and take out a loan behind my back?”

“Oh, leave her alone,” Angel said.  “Even if she did, this place will thrive, and you’ll make it all back.”  He came up behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed the top of her head.  His tender lips expressed his encouragement and support.  “I couldn’t be happier for you.”

Tommy’s hard gaze was still fixated on Jessi.  “Where did you get the money for this place?”

The seriousness of his tone echoed his concern about the expense, but she couldn’t stop smiling.

“It’s not funny, Jessi.”

“Don’t worry, baby.  I used my own money.  I wouldn’t touch our savings without consulting you first.”  He waited for her to continue with an explanation.  He knew she didn’t have enough money to pay for the construction and start-up of the lavish store.  She exhausted all of her funds weeks ago.  “I have a very astute investor.  Ricardo Garcia.”

Angel threw his head back and laughed.  “I should have known my father wouldn’t pass up a smart business opportunity like this!”

“He was wonderful, Angel.  I couldn’t have done it without him.  I couldn’t have done it without
you.
  He gave me his lawyers and an accountant.  He used his connections to expedite permits and he helped me with staffing and a store manager. And my sister, Ella, is going to keep an eye on the place while I go to Europe with you.”

Tommy wrapped his arms around her.  “I’m so proud of you.  My wife, the entrepreneur! What gave you the idea to go to Ricardo?”

“I confided in Angel that I was having a hard time.  He told me to go talk to his dad.  Ricardo insisted I upgrade from the small boutique I originally planned on opening to a full-fledged retail store.  When I told him I didn’t have enough money to fund something this size, he insisted on lending me the money.”

She questioned her ethics in taking money from Ricardo.  She wanted to open the store on her own, but her budget would only fund a small, modest shop.  Ricardo saw her vision and he ran with it. He wouldn’t take no for an answer and he walked her through every step needed to open and run a business of this magnitude.

She smiled at Angel.  Although he resembled his mother in almost every way possible, he shared Ricardo’s keen business sense.

Her gaze shifted to Tommy, still examining racks of clothing and accessories in glass cases.  He caught her staring at him and he stopped and winked at her.

Jessi fell back into one of the lounge chairs and hugged her waist.  Her head was spinning from the accomplishments she achieved in the last few months.  Today she graduated from FIT with a Bachelor’s Degree in Fashion Design, and tomorrow she would open the doors to her very own retail store and unveil her designs to the public.

Alyssa and Damien met them back at the house, and they were getting settled in the family room while Jessi finished up a call with Marissa.  Marissa already warned Jessi that there were a million things to do in the next few days to prepare for the European tour.  It was a tedious job but Jessi was looking forward to regaining her post.