Chapter Six
Jack
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T HE PEPPERS AND ONION sizzles as I stir them in the pan, The scent of roasting chicken filling Jinnie’s small kitchen. I hum under my breath—one of my new songs—as I check the oven. I’m making chicken fajitas for her. It’s one of the easy meals I learned to cook a long time ago. I love the aroma. It’s all pretty basic, but sautéing peppers and onions makes me feel like I’m a professional chef. And it smells damn good.
She should be home any minute.
The table’s set with her favorite blue plates, the ones with the tiny sunflowers around the edges. There’s even a candle flickering in the center. I wanted tonight to be perfect. Jinnie’s been working every day and with me trying to get as many of the chores done for Aggie, we hadn’t spent a lot of time together. Part of me felt like she might have been avoiding me.
But dismissed that idea. She was happy for me. She told me she was looking forward to seeing me on stage. Tonight, I’m going to spoil her. It’s going to be the first of many nights I get to spoil her. Tonight, I’m making her a simple dinner. But I’ve got big plans for the next time I get to spoil her. I’m going to take her to a five-star dinner. We’ll ride in a limo and then I’ll take her out on the town.
And then when I really start making money, I’ll take her on a private jet and whisk her away to Paris. Or Milan. We’ll stay as five-star hotels and eat room service naked in bed. There will be champagne.
My phone buzzes in my pocket.
Liz: Contracts are signed and waiting. Can’t wait to get you in the studio.
I grin, tapping out a quick reply before shoving my phone away. Tomorrow. By this time tomorrow, I’ll be in Memphis, starting my real career. The thought sends a thrill through me.
The front door opens and Jinnie walks in.
Her eyes widen as she takes in the set table, the steaming food, me standing there with a ridiculous grin.
“What’s all this?” she asks, setting her bag down slowly.
I walk over to her and pull her into a hug. “Our last supper,” I joke, kissing the top of her head.
She stiffens slightly in my arms, but when I pull back, she’s smiling. “You cooked?”
“Yes,” I say, leading her to the table. “Sit. Relax. Let me pamper you.”
I pull out her chair, then kneel to untie her work shoes. Her laugh bubbles up, genuine and surprised, as I slip them off. “What are you doing?”
“Gotta make sure you remember me fondly while I’m gone.”
The words taste bittersweet, but I push past it, jumping up to carry the food to the table. Jinnie watches me with a soft smile as I bustle around the kitchen, filling her plate with perfectly roasted chicken, sizzling peppers and onions, and a dollop of sour cream on the side.
“This looks amazing,” she says, picking up her fork. “You’ve been holding out on me.”
“I’ve got hidden talents,” I tease, sitting down across from her. “You’ll find out about them all eventually.”
She takes a bite, her eyes closing as she savors it. “Okay, this is really good.”
I grin, watching her eat. “Told you. I’m a man of many surprises.”
I scoop more of the veggie mix into the center of my tortilla. She takes a bite of her fajita and glances up at me.
“You’re staring,” she says with a shy smile.
“Can’t help it.” I reach across the table, linking our fingers. “Gotta get my fill.”
She smiles and takes another bite. The candle between us flickers. For a moment, everything feels perfect. But there’s something in her eyes—a shadow I can’t quite place. She’s quieter than usual, her smile’s not quite reaching her eyes. I want to ask her what’s wrong, but I’m scared of the answer. Scared that she’ll say what I already know: that she’s afraid of losing me, just like I’m afraid of losing her.
“How was work?” I ask.
She shrugs, pushing a stray piece of onion around her plate. “Same as always. Busy. Hot. Flour everywhere.”
Normally, she tells me about the pictures she posted or a funny story about a customer. I had a feeling her quietness was about me leaving.
“I was thinking,” I start, setting my fork down. “Once I get settled in Memphis, you could come visit. Maybe spend a weekend. I’ll show you around the city. Take you to some real music spots.”
She looks up from her plate, her expression softening. “That sounds nice.”
“We could make it a thing. Every couple of weeks, you come out, or I come back here. It doesn’t have to be goodbye.”
“I know.” She smiles.
“It’s probably gonna be a bit before I get everything figured out, but as soon as I do, I want you to come and see me.”
“Of course,” she replies. “I’m sure you’re going to be very busy.”
“Yeah.” I nod. “Liz says they want me in the studio right away. They want to release a single while I’m cutting the album. She says it’ll get buzz going about me so when the album drops it will be a hit.”
She nods. “I imagine she knows what she’s doing.”
“Yeah, she’s repped a couple of Grammy winners! Can you believe it? She told me once my album is produced, she can nominate me for New Artist of the Year! I may actually be walking red carpets next year!”
“If you’re nominated, I have no doubt you’ll win,” she says softly.
“You think?” I grin before taking another bite. “I’m trying to decide what I’m going to buy first when I get my first fat check.”
“What are you leaning toward?” she asks without meeting my eyes.
“A new truck,” I say, leaning back in my chair. “Mine’s barely holding together as it is. Maybe something with leather seats. Or a house. Something with space, you know? A place where I can really spread out and write.”
Jinnie nods, her fork pushing the last bits of food around her plate. “That sounds nice,” she says, but her voice is distant, like she’s not really listening.
I watch her for a moment, trying to read her expression. She’s been off all night—smiling when I look at her but retreating into herself the second she thinks I’m not paying attention.
“Sounds like you’ve got it all figured out,” she adds after a pause, finally looking up at me.
“Not all of it,” I say quickly. “I mean, I could totally bomb. End up being the guy who gets dropped from his label before he even cuts a record.”
“I don’t believe that for a second,” she said. “Liz seems very confident you’re going to be a huge success.”
I grin. “Yeah. She told me about the last guy she found in some small town in Idaho.”
Jinnie looks interested. “Yeah? Anyone I know?”
“He never made it big,” I admit, shrugging. “But Liz says he got a taste of the industry and now he’s working as a session musician in Nashville. Not bad for a guy who was playing bars his whole life.”
Jinnie nods, but her smile doesn’t quite reach her eyes. “That’s something, I guess.”
“Yeah,” I say, trying to keep the conversation light. “And Liz says I’ve got more raw talent than he did. She thinks I’m going to blow up.”
“That’s great,” Jinnie murmurs, her fork clinking softly against her plate. She’s barely touched her food.
I lean forward, my elbows on the table. “Hey, what’s going on? You’ve been quiet all night.”
She hesitates, then sighs, setting her fork down. “It’s just... I don’t know. Everything’s changing so fast, Jack. You’re leaving tomorrow, and I just I feel like I’m losing you already.”
My chest tightens at her words. “You’re not losing me, Jinnie. I promise. This is just the beginning for us. Once I get settled, we’ll figure it out. You can come visit, or I’ll come back here. It’s not goodbye.”
She looks at me, her eyes searching mine for something—reassurance, maybe? “But what if it is? What if you get out there and realize you don’t need me anymore? What if you meet someone who fits better into that world?”
“I won’t,” I say with a shrug. “I know that.”
She’s quiet for a moment. “Jack, are you sure this is what you want? To be tied down while you’re starting this whole new life?”
“Tied down?” I shake my head. “Hell, no. This is freedom. Freedom to do what I love.”
“I’m really happy for you, Jack.”
There’s something in her voice—a hesitation—but I choose to ignore it. “It’s going to be amazing,” I say. “And I hope you’re not afraid of flying. I’m going to be flying you to every show.”
She take a sip of her soda. “That sounds expensive.”
“I’ll be rolling in it, babe.” I wink, trying to lighten the mood. “First album goes platinum, remember?”
Her laugh sounds forced, but she lets me pull her up from the table and into my arms. “Let me clean up,” I murmur against her hair. “You relax. Go take a shower. When you get out, we’ll watch that stupid show you like.”
She hesitates, her hands resting on my chest. “You sure? I can help—”
“Nope,” I cut in, pressing a quick kiss to her forehead. “Tonight’s about you. Go on. I’ll handle this.”
Her smile softens, and for a moment, she looks like herself again—the Jinnie who laughs easily, who teases me about my terrible taste in TV shows, who always knows how to make me feel like I’m the only person in the world that matters. She nods and heads into the bathroom, leaving me alone in the kitchen.
I clean up quickly, stacking plates and scrubbing pans. The sound of running water from the bathroom fills the small house. I try to ignore the feeling of dread that has been lingering. This is our last night—our last chance to make memories before everything changes.
When Jinnie emerges, her hair is damp, and she’s wrapped in her favorite oversized sweater that hangs off one shoulder.
“Feel better?” I ask, drying my hands on a towel.
She nods. “I do.”
“Go sit. I’ll be in.”
She nods once before she walks toward the room. I turn off the lights, blow out the candle, and join her. I kick off my shoes before climbing onto the bed with her. The TV is on, her show, some goofy baking show that she loves to pick apart.
Her head rests against the familiar spot on my shoulder. I kiss her temple, then her cheek, then finally her lips—slow and deep, pouring everything I can’t say into it.
She kisses me back just as desperately, her fingers tangling in my hair. When we break apart, breathless, she looks up at me. “I’m going to miss this.”
“Hey.” I tilt her chin up. “It’s not goodbye. It’s just see you later.”
She nods, but her eyes shine with unshed tears. I kiss her again, trying to chase away the sadness, trying to make her believe what I do—that this isn’t the end, just a new beginning.