Jessica – Chapter 8e – Evil continued

“You’re serious!” Riley said.
“And insane!” Angus added when Jessica nodded.
“Do you honestly want to provide food and entertainment services for Paul and Anthony?” Scott added.
“No, not really.” Jessica said, “But intelligence is our main service to Paul. This is secondary. And it will make us indispensable to him. I mean, how often do Paul or Anthony entertain anyway? They’re too busy killing people …”
“I’m with Jessica on this.” Abe said. “There’s not much better that can be done in these circumstances and in the time we have. Paul is desperate and I think that if you don’t offer him a solution tonight he’ll just go to war.”
“We have him where we want him.” Justine said, sounding somewhat surprised. “To not take advantage of that is insane.”
“Well?” Jessica prompted her men when no one said anything.
“But you’re not just married to Jim, Jess, you’re married to all of us.” Riley said.
Jessica shrugged, “Stasia is not the expert on us. Just because she told Anthony that the lead singers are married doesn’t mean she would necessarily know anything else about them. We can make up whatever we want so long as there’s a place …” she opened her hands to indicating the room, “lead singers … “she indicated herself and Jim, “and a metal band,” she pointed at Abe.
“Okay.” Riley said. He looked at Abe. “You think I have to talk to Paul tonight?”
Abe nodded.
“And then we have twenty-four hours to get ready …” Angus said.
“This will work.” Jessica said, squeezing Angus’ hand.
“So much for the rest of your party …” Josh said.
“It’s not going to take long.” Jessica said, “it’s early still. Get this over with quickly with Paul and then we still have time to finish the party.”
“Assuming Paul goes for it we’ll have a ton to do to get ready.” Jim said.
“And we can do that tomorrow.” Jessica said. “A few hours won’t make much of a difference.”
“Okay. But Jess, I’m going to deal with Paul tonight. You’re going to stay out of it. Understand?” Riley asked.
Jessica nodded. “Perfectly.”
“And Beth …” Riley said, “Jess …” he pulled Jessica out of Scott’s arms and took her by her shoulders. “I know you want to help Beth. But you have to stay away from her. Listen to me …” he said when Jessica was about to protest, “we will find a way to help Beth …” he said nodding his head at the others, “But if Paul gets any indication that you have any relationship with Beth he’s going to consider you his enemy. And any agreements that you had with him will be void. Do you understand?”
“You promise to help her?”
Riley nodded.
“Okay. I won’t talk to her, I promise.” Jessica said.
“Don’t go near her either. No singing together at the bar, nothing. Please Jess. It’s really important.”
Jessica nodded. “I promise.”
“Okay. Well, I guess we better get back.” Riley said looking around.
Everyone looked glum. All that fun earlier seemed to be a distant memory.
Everything got packed quickly but quietly. Jessica helped too despite everyone telling her to leave it to them and just relax.
They returned to the house by six.
“There was so much more planned …” Jim said as they all stood on the front lawn looking despondent. “Dinner, cake, presents, bonfire, singing …”
“It’s only six o’clock.” Jessica said, “I’m not even hungry yet. Riley, call Paul. Let’s get this done and then we can have dinner and finish the party.”
Jessica looked around at all the sad expressions and stomped her foot in frustration. “Will you people snap out of it!” she demanded but her voice couldn’t match the appropriate tone required to convince anyone that she was angry. “I’m still the birthday girl, right?” she tried to demand, “Right?”
“You are Jess.” Scott said but he couldn’t help but smile.
“Well, then …” Jessica said still trying to exude authority but getting confused by the smiles developing on everyone’s faces, “then I demand a party. And you all have to be happy again …” but her voice faded as it became clear that everyone was humoring her.
“So …” Angus said pulling her into his arms, “you were going to act like you were married to another man were you?”
“Well, if it was necessary …” Jessica said, watching the bemused look on Angus’ face.
“And would it have been as convincing as your little attempt to make us believe that you are a spoiled birthday girl and that you want us all to enjoy ourselves for your benefit rather than ours?” Angus continued.
“I don’t know …” Jessica said uncertain whether Angus was insulting or praising her acting abilities but one look at the smiles that split the faces of everyone around her she realized that they hadn’t believed her for a second. But she also realized that they were looking at her with love. Even Abe and Rick. They looked at her like her parents had, like her brothers, her God father, her parents’ friends and colleagues had. A warmth filled her … starting from her stomach and radiating out all over her body. Despite this she couldn’t help but be a little defensive. “I was just warming up, I can be convincing …” she said lifting her chin, her cheeks turning red.
“It’s okay Jess.” Riley said slapping her butt as he walked by her on his way to the house, “I like the fact that you’re so transparent. But it’s cute when you try not to be.” He held up his cell phone and tilted his head toward the house, “I’ll make the deal with the devil inside.”
Jessica watched Riley jog up the stairs and disappear into the house. When she turned back to Angus she was taken off guard by how desperate he looked.
“Honest Angus, this has been the best day ever. And it really isn’t over …” her voice trailed off when Angus lifted his hand to her cheek and stared at her with more intensity.
“Angus?” Jessica asked, worried now.
“Angus?” Scott asked. He , Jim and Josh had been watching and Angus’ expression was so … off, that they moved closer.
“What’s wrong?” Jessica asked, looking from Scott, Jim and Josh to Angus.
“Riley’s right.” Angus said in what could only be described as a broken voice. “You are transparent. Incredibly transparent. You couldn’t lie to save your life. Why couldn’t I see that before? At the beginning … when I thought you were plotting all the time. Trying to escape. When I thought you were lying? I hurt you so much …” he whispered, his voice trailing off.
“Angus … I was trying to escape … at first. Remember?” Jessica said, panic evident in her voice. “Besides, we agreed that the beginning was a different life. We were different people. Please Angus, don’t go back to that … please …” Jessica’s voice was becoming hysterical at the thought that Angus was losing it. “Besides …” she added, unable to help herself, “I can lie just fine, thank you. I convinced Paul to let me ride for him you know!”
Jessica and Angus stared at each other for a moment or two before Angus began to laugh. At first Jessica worried that Angus had completely cracked but then he pulled her to him and he could barely contain his laughter, “Paul knew you from a hole in the ground. And thank God because I’m sure you were anything but convincing to anyone who knew you.” Angus was laughing … not in a mean way but in absolute happiness and pretty soon Scott, Jim and Josh were laughing too. Jessica looked around and everyone else had been listening and they too were chuckling.
“He’s right.” Abe said, “If I’d known you like I know you now, I wouldn’t have believed you then.”
And that brought on more chuckling. Despite Jessica’s relief that Angus hadn’t cracked she couldn’t help but start to feel insulted.
“Well, you’re wrong …” she said, not convincingly, but she did try to push away from Angus.
“Hey, Where do you think you’re going?” he asked and pulled her back against him.
“Somewhere where I won’t be laughed at …” Jessica said but again couldn’t bring the appropriate amount of anger or indignation to her tone.
“We’re laughing with you sweetheart …” Angus said.
“Hmph.” Jessica said, half-heartedly pulling away again.
“Never at you Jess, always with you …” Angus said and pulled her in for a kiss that left her breathless. Angus didn’t let her up until he heard Josh say, “What’s wrong Riley?”
Jessica gasped for breath as she turned to find Riley looking really pissed off.
“It didn’t work?” Jessica whispered.
“I guess we’ll know in about half an hour … Paul refused to discuss it on the phone. Said he was coming over.” Riley said, kicking a rock on the ground, sending it skipping off into the distance.
“Shit.” Scott said.
“Is that a bad sign?” Angus asked Abe and Rick.
“No. If he intended to say no he would have on the phone. Either he’s coming here to kill you, or to negotiate.” Rick said.
“What the fuck?” Riley thundered, “So where does that put you two? Are you going to kill us?”
“No.” Abe said. “We’re with you.”
“You are?” Angus asked in complete surprise.
Rick nodded without hesitation.
“We better get ready then.” Riley said.
“If they don’t come in shooting, he’s here to talk.” Rick said. “It’s not Paul’s style to have a gun fight face to face.”
“I remember.” Riley said, “He refused to have it out in the stands at the race.”
“We’ll finish putting the horses into the barn.” Abe said, and he and Rick moved toward the barn.
“I’ll help.” Corey said.
“When you ask for immunity.” Jessica said to Riley, “Include Abe and Rick.”
Riley nodded. He was beyond being surprised. “What if they don’t want immunity? We haven’t even discussed it with them.”
“They can refuse it if they want to.” Jessica said, “if they don’t it will tell us a lot about them.”
“As if standing with us instead of Paul hasn’t already told us a lot.” Angus said. Everyone nodded.
“I guess it would be too much to hope that you’ll stay tucked away in one of the bedrooms when Paul’s here?” Josh asked Jessica. “I thought so.” When Jessica looked at him like he was insane.
“Should we talk with him out here?” Sean asked indicating the front lawn.
“No, let’s invite him in. If he’s not comfortable he’ll ask us to come out.” Riley said.
“And if he asks out to come out, what does that mean?” Jim asked.
“It means he trusts us as much as we trust him.” Don said.
“Well, I’m going to change.” Jessica said looking down at the t-shirt and shorts that covered her bikini.
“You sure that’s a good idea?” Sean asked, “You in a bikini makes a deadly force. We may need that tonight.”
“Ha, ha, ha.” Jessica said.
“That’s perfect!” Justine said clapping her hands. “I got you a dress for tonight as your present. We all have dresses too. Let’s go change and we’ll do our hair and make-up!”
“Now that’s the spirit!” Jessica said as Justine grabbed her arm and towed her toward the house.
“We’ll look so gorgeous, Paul will be too mesmerized to kill anybody.” Leah muttered as she and the other girls followed Jessica and Justine to the house.
“I wasn’t joking about Jessica and the bikini.” Sean said when the girls disappeared inside.
“I know man,” Scott said clapping a hand on Sean’s back, “But what really is funny is if the girls really think they’ll be done changing and doing their make-up and hair by the time Paul gets here. Besides, Jessica can kick ass no matter what she’s wearing but let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”
Sean nodded.
“Let’s get ready.” Riley said. “This better be over quick. Jessica will insist on having the rest of her party after.” Rile added with an incredulous laugh.
A chorus of chuckles ensued while they headed into the house.
Forty five minutes later the girls were dressed, coiffed and made up, and everyone was assembled in the living room watching Paul walk in. That made two surprises. The girls were ready in record time, and Paul apparently trusted them more than they anticipated.
Paul was flanked by two beefy men that no one recognized accepted for Rick and Abe who offered curt nods, and Jessica. She recognized them as two of the men she rode with at the motorcycle race.
“Well, well.” Paul said, his eyes flicking over the women who had been strategically placed near the hallway. Justine, Sara and Amanda sat on chairs. Jessica and Leah stood, leaning against the wall. Obscuring hand guns behind their backs. In contrast with the men who held their guns in plain sight. “You didn’t have to get dressed up on my account.”
“They didn’t.” Angus said in a grumble. Jessica winced. Her men sensed it, knew she would, and it took all the will power they had to not turn and look at her.
Paul ignored Angus and settled his eyes on Jessica.
“Jessica, it’s a pleasure to see you again. And I’m glad to see you that you’re doing so much better after that unfortunate attack by Daryl.”
“Thanks.” Jessica said. She saw her men’s bodies go rigid but she simply couldn’t bring herself to be rude. “And thank you so much for all your help. It was … is, greatly appreciated.”
Paul nodded, “Your earlier message was passed on and appreciated as well.”
“Jessica?” one of the beefy men asked, leaning forward and squinting at Jessica.
“Hi Mason, Oliver.” Jessica said, working hard to ignore the body language of her men, and hoping their patience with her would hold out.
“Jesus Christ … you sure look different.” The other man said, “I never would have recognized you …”
“Can we get on with it.” Angus interrupted and this time his voice had an edge to it that made Jessica realize that she’d definitely overstepped the limits.
“Right.” Paul said an unmistakable edge to his voice also. “You said you had a proposition for me.” He pinned Riley with his gaze.
“Your situation with Stasia and Anthony has come to our attention.” Riley said and Jessica closed her eyes. His tone made it clear that his patience was gone too. It was gone, so he was going to be reckless. Paul wasn’t known for his patience either. Jessica wondered if things could possible go any more wrong. But when she opened her eyes she knew that they could. Paul was glaring at Rick and Abe. “And we believe we have a solution for you.”
That took Paul by surprise.
“What kind of solution?”
“We’ll offer you our pool house, our services in the kitchen, waitering, and Jim and Jessica as the lead singers of that metal band. Anything you need to prove to Anthony that Stasia was telling the truth.”
Paul looked around the room, leaving Jessica for last. He watched her for a few minutes, and she watched him. Finally Riley cleared his throat.
“Paul …”
“In exchange for what?” Paul demanded, suspicious eyes landing back on Riley.
“Immunity from the field for Sean and his clan … including Quinn.” Riley added inclining his head toward Quinn, “and Rick and Abe.”
That caused a stir. For Paul but Rick and Abe too. Rick and Abe lost their composure for a moment, looked at Riley, and then at Jessica.
“Well, you have been making lots of friends here, haven’t you?” Paul asked Rick and Abe and it was clear that whatever anger he’d felt toward them before was now more than doubled.
“Only if you want to …” Jessica said quietly, moving closer to Rick and Abe.
“Be careful Jessica …” Paul said, settling a cold stare on Rick and Abe, “they may get you into all kinds of trouble. Ask Stasia …”
“Just a minute …” Rick started but Abe grabbed his arm and shook his head.
“With all due respect Paul,” Jessica said to the groan of her men. She paused and Paul looked around at the men. He brought his gaze back to Jessica, an eyebrow arched with amusement. Jessica cleared her throat but lifted her chin with resolve. “With all due respect, I believe Stasia was the one calling the shots. I mean Abe and Rick were her bodyguards, right? Not her keepers.”
Paul looked at her for a moment before smiling slightly. It was a tight and forced smile, but a smile nonetheless. “I suppose you’re right Jessica.” Paul said. “So if I agree to these terms, what exactly am I supposed to do with all of these clan members who won’t do what I need them to? They’ll be useless to me.”
“You’re negotiating with me Paul …” Riley said in a slow, controlled voice.
“Oh yeah. I almost forgot.” Paul said in such a scathing tone that Jessica quietly moved back to her place at the wall when what she really wanted to do was throw her arms around Riley and apologize.
Everyone was tense, even Leah, who kept throwing glances at Jessica. Jessica lowered her gaze and wished she could crawl under a rock. She had completely undermined Riley.
“So, you were going to tell me what I was going to do with all these useless people.”
“They won’t be useless.” Riley said. “In fact they’ll gather the best intelligence you’ve ever had.”
“Intelligence. Oh that’s funny. A lot of good intelligence will do me with no one in the field.”
“You have plenty of people to go into the field Paul.”
Paul looked over at Jessica again. She was doing her best to not look at him.
“And you have no intention of trying to save little Beth with this deal?” he asked, a sickeningly sweet tone to his voice. And he smiled when Jessica’s eyes shot up to look at him.
“No.” Riley said. He said it clearly and with a great deal of finality.
“Really?” Paul asked, “What about you Jessica? No desire to save your best friend? I mean she really stood by you.”
Jessica leveled her eyes on Paul and it nearly killed but she said, “You heard Riley. What he says is final.”
Paul smiled. She’d been firm in her delivery, but her voice cracked. Paul turned his eyes back to Riley.
“Good. She could never be part of the deal. As you know, no one leaves the clan. No one.”
A small squeak escaped Jessica and she sagged against the wall. Leah moved closer and slipped her arm around her. And with her squeak there was an imperceptible shift of emotion in the room. Paul perceived a general rise of impatience. Everyone looked like they wanted nothing more than to turn around but something was stopping them. It didn’t take long for him to realize that the something was him.
“Okay.” Paul said. “But if this doesn’t work and something happens to Stasia … you all go in the field. All of you. Sean and his clan, Riley and his clan, Rick, Abe, and … Jessica.”
“No!” Riley and Angus yelled. Everyone raised their guns … except for Paul and Jessica. Paul, Mason and Oliver were greatly outnumbered but Paul didn’t seem the least bit worried. He looked at Jessica … who looked a little ashen.
“Jessica, you would have to be the first to admit that I’m putting a lot into this little deal. My sister’s welfare. My clan’s welfare. I need some kind of compensation should things go wrong. The way I hear it, you took out Daryl and his men single handedly. You would be a great asset in the field. The only thing standing between cushy jobs for you, your husbands, and your friends is this deal. I mean, really, what could go wrong anyway?”
“Maybe you’re deaf.” Corey said, “The answer was no.”
“Okay.” Jessica said.
“What? No!” Jim bellowed, almost lowering his gun and turning around.
There was a general uproar while everyone spoke at once. Paul, Mason and Oliver looked around in bewilderment.
“Listen to me, please.” Jessica kept repeating and finally the arguing died down. “Paul is right. Nothing is going to go wrong. This will be easy, and the payoff will be big. But I can’t expect everyone to take all the risk and not assume any. Besides. If you all have to go in the field then I’ll want to be with you. Trust me.”
“Jessica, that’s insane …” Josh began.
“I seem to be hearing that a lot lately.” Jessica said, “So maybe I am not all there. Okay. I can live with that. Please, just accept the deal and let’s move on.”
“Gentlemen?” Paul asked, “Ladies?”
Riley finally nodded.
“Excellent. I’ll be in touch about the details.” He paused and looked at Rick and Abe. “I take it you’re throwing in with their lot then?” he asked, inclining his head at Riley.
“Yes.” Abe said.
“Fine then. After this whole nightmare with Stasia is over you can come get your belongings. Good night.”
Paul turned, his goons turned, and they disappeared out the front door.
There was a general feeling of relief when Quinn, who was watching from the window, reported that Paul and his men had driven away.
Riley had barely turned around when Jessica threw herself on him. She wrapped her arms around him, buried her face in his chest.
“I am so so so sorry.” She said, and looked up at him, “I don’t know what was wrong with me … I just couldn’t stop talking … sorry.”
“I’d be lying if I said that your issues with rudeness aren’t a nuisance sometimes.” Riley said, but he was smiling while he said it.
“I know … I’ll try to be ruder. Really, I will.” Jessica said, relieved that he wasn’t mad. Surprised when he started to laugh.
“That son of a bitch Paul knows your transparent alright Jess.” Angus added and she was surprised to see him grinning from ear to ear.
“You’re … happy about that?” Jessica asked.
“Damn right. It proved to Paul that we were being straight.” Angus said.
“I was worried about that deal though.” Jim added and he looked at Jessica in awe, “How did you manage to convince him of that?”
“The deal?” Jessica asked.
“Yeah. You know, you going in the field. You knew that would never happen but you fooled Paul … that was really good.” Leah said. “Uh, Jessica,” Leah added when Jessica looked at her like she was completely lost.
“Oh my God!” Sara said, staring at Jessica in horror. “You really meant it. You really meant you’d go in the field if things didn’t …”
Everyone was looking at Jessica like she’d grown two heads.
“Jess …” Scott said dropping onto his knees in front of her. He looked like she’d hurt him somehow. “Don’t you know that if we failed somehow, with Stasia that we’d just …” Suddenly a thought occurred to Scott and he turned to look at Rick and Abe.
“Sorry about just assuming you’d take us.” Abe said.
“That’s not a problem.” Riley said, “You’re welcome here. But you may have a problem with this. Our plan is to leave the clan. Forever. This whole immunity thing is to just to buy us time. So, if you’re with us you go when we go. If you’re not, then you’re free to go. We’re expecting that you won’t tell anyone though. So I guess you have another decision to make.”
Rick and Abe looked at Riley in stunned silence. Finally Abe said, “There’s no problem here.”
“None at all.” Rick added.
Scott turned back to Jessica. “We’d just leave. You’d never have to go in the field.”
Jessica looked surprised. “That’s true.” She said. “Ha!”
“But, you didn’t think of that when you agreed to the deal …” Angus said.
“Well, no.” Jessica said, “But I knew we weren’t going to fail.” But then she looked at Angus like she just realized something. She looked around the room in the same way. “But you all are great at acting! You started yelling, and carrying on like the deal really bothered you. That was fantastic.”
“Yeah. Jess, it did really bother me until the end. I didn’t thinking of leaving as the solution until you’d already agreed.” Josh said with a sheepish look on his face.
“Me neither.” Amanda confessed.
“And how do you know the buffoons Paul has as bodyguards?” Riley asked Jessica, “No offense …” Riley said to Abe and Rick when Jessica was about to protest the comment.
“I rode with them at the race.” Jessica said and then laughed, and threw her arms around Angus’ neck when he scowled at her before cracking into a grin himself. “Okay. Can we get back to the party now?” Jessica asked.
“Yes birthday girl …” Jim said when Angus twirled her out to him. He dipped her, kissed her, and said, “we just have to take care of the animals first.”
“I can change and help you …” Jessica said, “and then change back. I can’t believe I forgot that they needed to be taken care of!”
“Jess, it’s your birthday. Just relax, okay?” Jim said.
“Come on.” Sara said, “You messed up your hair and make-up. We’ll fix it up, and I’ll give you my gift.” She held her hand out to Jessica until Jim let her up.
“There’s one other thing.” Abe said, “before we get back to the party. It’s kind of embarrassing really … we have nowhere to live.”
“No problem.” Riley said, “We have plenty of room here.”
“Thanks.” Abe and Rick both said.
Jessica grinned at them, “Welcome to our family.” She said before Sara dragged her down the hallway to the bathroom.
“We’re a big freakin’family.” Corey mumbled.
“Does she always do that?” Leah asked Jim when Jessica was out of sight. “Put other people ahead of herself like that? I mean, you weren’t kidding about the rudeness. I was half expecting her to invite Paul and his men for tea and crumpets … but Jim, she will obviously do whatever it takes to get us out of the field.”
“That’s her alright.” Angus answered for Jim.
“Protecting her from herself is a full time job.” Scott added.
“In that case.” Leah said, “What are your plans for helping Beth? You promised you’d do that and I’m guessing that if you don’t and soon, Jessica will be unable to keep herself from breaking her promise to you about keeping away from her.”
“Wow.” Josh said. “You’ve figure out in a few weeks what it took us years to understand about Jessica.”
“Pretty impressive.” Jim said. “I’ll go by the bar tomorrow. Have a talk with Beth. She loves Jessica. I’m sure she’d come back for her.”
“For now we’d better get moving on feeding the animals.” Scott said.
“I’ll start dinner.” Abe said. “Rick, give me a hand will you?”
An hour and a half later the animals were cared for, dinner was eaten and everyone was lounging in lawn chairs that the men had set up in the front yard. Patio tables with umbrellas and balloons, like the ones at the pond, sat between every two lawn chairs as well.
Jessica was resting on Jim nursing a glass of wine and opening gifts from Leah and Amanda. Spa and shopping gift cards led to a round of hugs.
“After this thing with Anthony we’ll go to the spa and relax!” Leah said as Jessica settled back against Jim.
“Do you want your cake now or after my gift?” Jim asked, rubbing his hands up and down Jessica’s arms.
“I can’t eat anything else right now.” Jessica said, unable to hide her excitement.
“Mhmm.” Jim said with a laugh. “Maybe we should let you rest for a bit … digest …” the expression on Jessica’s face, a full blown pout while she tried to look non-chalant, had everyone chuckling. “Okay, okay.” Jim said, pushing Jessica forward so he could get up and then pulling her up by her hand, “let’s go impatient birthday girl.”
Jim pulled Jessica behind him into the barn. Everyone else followed behind them. Jessica looked completely bewildered when Jim stopped at the ladder to the hay loft.
“After you …” Jim said sweeping his arm to indicate that Jessica was to go up the ladder.
“When did you put that wall up? And the door?” Jessica asked just then noticing that the entire loft was closed in by a wall. And at the top of the ladder was a door.
“A few days ago.” Jim said.
“But why …”
“Shhh, shhh. All will be revealed when you get your adorable butt up there. Go.” Jim said patting her bum.
Jessica shrugged and began to climb. At the top, in the loft, Jessica stood gaping. Somehow the loft had been transformed. Instead of bales of hay and pitch forks there were sound proofed walls, a stage, instruments, a panel with a million buttons on it, chairs and sofas in front of the stage. And the whole portion of the barn ceiling that was in the loft was now glass instead of wood and tile.
“I don’t know how many more surprises she can take.” Sara said with a giggle.
“Are you okay Jess?” Josh asked coming up behind her and squeezing her arms. Jessica looked up at him.
“How?” she asked and then looked at Jim, “How did you do all of this without me knowing?”
Jim grinned, picked her hand up and kissed it. “We have a lot of good co-conspirators.” And he looked around at everyone.
“Abe and Rick were pretty good at keeping you occupied with your dancing lessons.” Riley said.
Jessica looked at Abe and Rick. Rick shrugged, Abe smiled and winked, “It was a good cause.” He said.
“What’s this for?” Jessica asked going to the panel.
“This is your own recording studio Jess.” Jim said, “This is for recording music, mixing, increasing or decreasing bass, treble …” he continued, pointing at some buttons.
Jessica turned and stared at him.
“I know you’ve never done it before but I kind of thought you may want to try …” he began, but his voice died down when all she did was stare.