Jagged Edge (6 page)

The next few weeks passed by in a blur, he barely looked at me and only spoke to me through emails and nothing else; I guess he got what he was after. I had to get a taxi to and from work every day.

I managed to eventually get a cab and get home after a long day, my landline phone bleeped at the display of a new message. I pressed play

“A message was left today at seven fifty six p.m from telephone number 0-7-5-9-8-7-6-4-6-3.  Hey Lissa it’s Carl, I am in London tomorrow for a big interview, I spoke to your mum and she told me where you work, small world, that’s where my interview is! I wondered if we could meet up and you could show me around a little, all the best”

I smiled widely just hearing Carls voice, I missed him so much, we were great friends but when I got my internship I lost quite a few because I was always working, he had always called me Lissa, people always say being friends with a guy never works, but we would always prove them wrong, I wondered what he was interviewing for and so I sent him a quick text saying he could crash here and I would love to see him.

The next morning I got up with no lift from Eric, I guess I really had pissed him off last night, I was about to leave when my phone rang.

“Lissa! I am downstairs, I couldn’t work your damn buzz thing, I think its busted, anyway there is a note down here with your name on it when you're ready, I want to see the building, they won’t mind will they?” he was so excitable, and I was worried about this letter for me, I must have missed the buzz because its broken, damn it!

“I will be right there, C.J” I shut my phone up and slammed the door. I got down the million steps and rushed into a big bear hug from C.J, he held me close.

“Hey sweetie; seems life is treating you well! Nice clothes, and this place looks pretty grand, good work. You smell insane, like lightning somehow, what is that?”

“Oh, its called Jar, I have no idea really, shall we go?” I tried to skip the questions, I knew everything I had was expensive and I didn’t knoiw how much Carl knew about expensive things, luvkily it appeared he knew very little. I got a cab and we climbed in.

“So I have something to tell you, don’t get all mad at me, okay Lissa?” he winced slightly

“Okay, what?” I said with concern

“My interview today, well - it’s for your job” he mumbled the last two words and I felt my heart shatter. So this was it, he was firing me today and he chose Carl probably because he knew I knew him, son of a bitch. If he wanted it like this that was up to him but I wasn’t crawling back, he can take his job, his money, all of it. I tried to keep the sadness from my face but Carl knew me too well.

“I'm sorry baby girl, I just couldn’t pass it up, I know it makes me look like a douche but – I care about you so much, please don’t be sad” he held me close in the car and swiftly gave me the envelope he had been holding that had my name on it, I moved away slightly and ripped open the envelope.

Ms. Payne

I tried to pick you up this morning to no avail; I let Mr Edge know, he asked that I leave this and that you should come to his office at your next convenience regarding a young woman that goes by the name ‘Red’.

Kind regards,

Eric Stapleton

Fuck.  So this was going to be his excuse to terminate my contract, I was still in my trial period and therefore he needed no warnings at all, he could fire me on the spot.

I shook my head and Carl took the note and read it, he screwed it up, opened the Taxi window and threw it out.

Chapter Nine

I walked to the elevator and hugged Carl wishing him luck, I was sad but if anyone was having this job I'm glad it was going to be him, he kept apologising but I told him it was fine.

I rode the elevator to the top floor, my heart raced and I walked as calmly as I could into Jareds office, I knocked as I walked in and he looked up from his desk with another man I didn't know across from him and he asked me to sit.

"Melissa I'm glad you got my note, this is Mr. Conlin, he is our artist manager, I asked him to join us for this" he pressed a button on his keyboard and Reds lyrics strummed through.

Didn't your mother warn you

Girls like her

Will make or break you

Many cracks in her armour

She is always questioning if you will harm her

She will keep you away

The angel of loves decay

She won't let you in

Only as far as she is willing to give in

You think you finally have her

Then she switches back to the insecure little girl

She is young, but wise

Lived so many different lives

You know, through her eyes

Her life is lived with a cover of disguise

You don't want to be outside of her

You try to calm her, make her shine

She does, but one word and she breaks

Cracks in her armour slowly mending themselves

She knows it hurts

When she questions the love she deserves

She knows it isn't fair

To expect you to always be there.

She has lived her life in silence

Now she wants to scream

But no amount of promises

Mean she will learn to dream

She fixes slowly

Then breaks quick

She isn't going to let her life

Mess up the only future, where she is a wife

No amount of insecurity could pull me away

All my love is with you, my baby

I was still as struck by her lyrics as I had been the first time I heard them, she had such an unusual voice, Jared stopped the music.

"Sophia called today, asking about if I received her MP3, I told her I had and that I knew she sent a cassette and that I didn't listen to it, I asked how these MP3 songs made it to me, under some duress she told me she had lunch with you, how you advised her on her musical career. Melissa, that is not your job, you assist me, you are not an artist recruiter, do you understand?"

I just nodded and was about to get up when Mr. Conlin started talking

"So - I spoke to Sophia and Jared and I convinced him to let me have you, I want you to be an assistant recruiter and Sophia asked that you help with her promotion and activities and so you will be her point of contact, your salary will remain the same after  a month we will give you twenty two grand a year instead, you have promise Melissa, you let me down though and you will be out."

I stared in disbelief, what was happening? This was insane, I would be working with actual artists, my dream come true.

"I'm shocked, I can't believe it, thank you, I won't let you down" I stared at Jared, "thank you".

"I'll leave you in Jareds capable hands, I'll set up your office" Mr. Conlin left

We looked at one another in silence, he walked over and rested his forehead to mine and whispered

"I'm sorry" his words caressed me, he carried on "you really do deserve this job, I swear I'm not doing this to flatter you, before we do anything else we both have to confess everything, tonight, please - I guess - I miss you"

He was asking not telling, I liked that, I held his hand and said of course.

I left his office and went to Mr Conlin' s office, Mr Conlin was an older man; early fifties perhaps, he was rather optimistic, which I liked. He sat me down and discussed everything about my job and contract, the contract had many confidentiality clauses and basically stated I couldn't steal artists from this label or they would slaughter me.

Mr Conlin showed me to my new desk and left me to get settled in, I went to my old desk to collect my stuff, I saw Carl approaching and I completely forgot up until then that he was here, interviewing for my old job, I really hoped he got it, not just for Carl's sake but for having one less woman falling off Jared would be nice.

Carl smiled at me and I saw he was alone so I walked over and explained about my new job, he hugged me when Jared opened his office door to call Carl in, he looked confused and then said.

"Carl Johnston if you could finish manhandling my girlfriend and come inside for your interview I would fully appreciate it"

My cheeks turned crimson, he had never called me his girlfriend before; after so much silence I wasn’t sure I was anything. Carl looked like someone had run him over with a truck, like all his happiness had been dashed. He smiled weakly at me and went in for his interview; I would love to be a fly on the wall for that one.

I got back to my new office and was startled by the phone ringing, I answered and it was Red.

"Hi saskia, how are you?"

"I'm very well Red. So how does it feel to be signed to our label with an album in the works?" I grinned, I was so happy for, this is why I wanted to work in music so unknown singers like her could be heard.

"Saskia, it's incredible and terrifying, I am so busy recording and writing, I just wanted to say thank you, I know this was all down to you and your guidance and I trust that, I'm from a small place and I know there will be sharks in this industry but I know I can trust you, that's why I made them make you be a part of my team before I signed anything, you're a star Saskia" I blushed slightly, I think maybe Red and  I could be friends.

Before long the day was over and I walked to the elevator when I bumped into Alistair.

"Hi, how come you're on the first floor?" I asked him; we hadn’t spoken much since the elevator.

"Well, I actually came to ask if you wanted to get a drink, you can't turn me down a second time" I half smiled, knowing Jared wouldn't like it, then my phone buzzed

Hi sask, I got it, got the job! Interview was so strange and you never said you were dating this guy! I'm at the bar across the street, come celebrate with me.

Carl was an unknowing life saver, I text back asking if Ali could come and sent another text to Jared explaining I was with Carl.

"Sure Ali, my friend is in the bar across the road"

We made it to the bar and after introductions we toasted to Carl, it was all going well, Ali and Carl both had a love for football to which I zoned out, this was all so easy, no tension or crazy fireworks just nice conversation. Carl started discussing his interview.

"Did you know that there is a no dating policy at GME records? Shame he doesn't practice what he preaches huh, Saskia. He asked me how I knew you, in fact the whole interview was about you, apparently I'm not allowed to blink in your direction" he rolled his eyes and laughed.

I felt some hands on my shoulders, before I could turn around Carl blushed

"Oh hello Mr Edge"

"Hello Carl, congratulations by the way. Alistair, didn't know I would find you here" he looked at Ali with pure contempt and then back at me wounded, he sat next to me.

"I'm sorry to barge in, I just need to talk to Melissa about some things, I figure I'm allowed, since she is my girlfriend after all" he may as well have picked me up and put me over his shoulder to show I was his, I was so embarrassed. Ali and Carl both nodded and I gave them an apologetic smile and left with Jared...my boyfriend.

"Failed to mention Alistair joining you, I figure because you knew I wouldn't be happy, why can't you just say no to him?" He was angry, his nostrils flared

"I tried, Carl wanted to celebrate so I thought.... maybe I could just take him too and kill two birds with one stone" I felt bad, but I knew I did nothing wrong.

"It doesn't matter, we have bigger fish to fry, if we are going to get everything how we want them we need to be honest with one another" he grabbed my hand and pulled me into his waiting taxi and we drove to his apartment.

Chapter Ten

We got up to his apartment, I liked it here, it was always safe and peaceful, everything was neat and in its place; the view was spectacular, I imagine he must have a thing for a view.

He sat me on his sofa and took my hand in his and clasped it there, he leaned in and gave me the softest most innocent of kisses, almost asking for forgiveness.

"Mel, I have things to say and I need you to listen, I've never told anyone but for us to move forward I have to.  You can't tell anyone, ever. I want to trust you, I want to tell you, after so much silence I think you deserve that, deserve the truth.

“When I was six years old I was with my mother, we had just been shopping, it was Christmas time, cars and people everywhere, shops were rammed, I lost my mum a few times but I found her again.

"Then we were walking to the car, we weaved between a van and a car to get to ours, the van door opened and a man grabbed me, he had a knife and he stabbed my mother in the stomach, right in front of me, it scared me so much, I still remember her face as she realised that I had been taken and that she was powerless to stop it" he stopped for a second and cleared his throat, I had a feeling worse was yet to come.

"They drove out for hours, I had no idea where I was, they finally pulled up and blindfolded me, they led me through someplace, it smelt like decay and I heard woman and children crying and it stained through my ears to my brain, I already knew that I wouldn't leave the same. They brought me to a cage, they uncovered my eyes and had me chained up, I didn't cry, not yet.

"They brought out a woman covered in blood... She was dead in the eyes, on some sort of drug,...that woman..." his voice broke and he was my Jared again "she was my mother, they lay her in front of my cage and told me I had to keep my eyes on her at all times, three men took turns turns raping her and abusing her, I looked away once when one man was being so rough that she was crying for him to kill her and when he saw I looked away he rammed his finger inside her stab wound and she cried out so loud and he didn't stop till I looked back, I was six Melissa, then when they were done with her, I watched as they slit my mother's throat, and only then did I cry...