Lauren was at the Draiman home in not time. She was staying in town trying to get the band gigs when she got the call from Malachai that there was an executive form a major record label at the house. Of course, she booked it over there.
When she was let into the house, David answered the door. “Hello, Lauren”, he said pleasantly.
“Hello, Mr. Draiman”, she said with a bright smile.
“What brings you here?”
“A phone call from Malachai telling me that there was a record executive here to sign my band.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, there’s a record executive here”, he said. The look on his face said that he was hiding something, but it didn’t matter if she asked or not. He was going to let her find out for herself what had him laughing. He just stepped out of the doorway and let her in. “The meeting is in the kitchen. My wife’s already in there, as it the band. Have fun.”
When Lauren walked into the Kitchen with her briefcase in tow, she never expected to see who she saw sitting at the table. It was none other than Dan Donegan. She put on her professional face and walked in. Extending her hand, she smiled her bright professional smile and introduced herself. “Hello, I’m Lauren Cook. I’m Reckless Disregard’s manager.”
Dan turned to her and gave her a small smile of his own. “Dan Donegan, Intoxication Records.” He took her hand and shook it. “Nice to meet you, Ms. Cook. Please, have a seat and we can talk business.”
She took a seat and they did just that. By the end of the meeting, Dan had convinced her to sign a 10 album deal. After all of the figures were in place, the contracts were signed and Lauren went on her way. “Let me know the soonest you want them in the studio, Mr. Donegan, and I’ll have them there. Just give me the date, time, and location.”
“No problem. I’m going to look around to see if I can find them a good producer.”
She handed Dan her card and left. David made his way into the kitchen after she left. “So, folks, what’s the news?”
Jordan jumped from her chair and jumped up and down squealing, “WE GOT A RECORD DEAL, DADDY!!!!” She threw her arms around his neck.
He stumbled back half a step from the impact of his daughter jumping on him and laughed. “That’s great, Jord. I’m proud of you guys. You’ve earned this.”
When she stopped squealing, Jordan looked at her father. “Can we do something to celebrate?” she asked.
David looked to his wife. “What do you think, baby? Should we do something to celebrate this?”
“I don’t know, honey. I mean, she still has yet to finish her homework, and the last time I looked at a progress report her Lit. grade was suffering. I don’t know if she deserves to celebrate.”
“Mom, my American Lit. grade has come way up. Mr. Noland was supposed to email you a copy of the updated progress report.”
She looked at David. “Have you received such an email? I don’t think I have.”
David shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ll have to check on my laptop.”
“Why can’t you check on your desktop?”
“It decided to give me the blue screen of death. It’s toast.”
Brie shrugged. “Ok, check both our email’s please. You know my password.”
David nodded. “I’ll have it checked in just a moment.”
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While they waited for David to get back from checking the email accounts for Jordan’s updated progress report for her American Lit. class at school, Dan decided to ask his goddaughter a question. “Jordan, your Dad told me something earlier that I just can’t quite believe. Are you..?”
“Gay?” she finished for her godfather.
“Yeah.”
“Yes, Uncle Danny, I bat for the home team.”
Logan, Caleb, and Dan all stared at her in shock. “You’re WHAT?” Caleb asked.
“When were you going to tell us?” Logan asked.
“When I felt like you all needed to know, that’s when. Since Dad let the cat out of the bag to Uncle Danny here, I suppose there’s not time like the present.”
“I just can’t believe it. Whatever happened to that cutesy little thing you had for my little brother?” Logan asked.
“It was a cover. I thought for a little while that I should at least try to go out with a boy before telling my parents that I don’t like them. If you’re not related to me or somehow considered family, then I’m uncomfortable. Most boys make me skin crawl.”
“Wow”, was all Dan thought. At first, he’d laughed at David, thinking, “It sucks to be you”. But now? Not so much, now. Now, he was in shock. He didn’t understand why he was taking it so hard. Neither of her parents seemed to be. It just didn’t make sense to him. She was a beautiful young woman. If Justin were around her age, he’d probably try to ask her out if he was to see the way she looked now. The change between Hanukkah and now was evident. Jordan had always had an air of confidence to her but now it was more than that. He didn’t have a word to describe the palpable aura that surrounded his goddaughter.
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David came back with a piece of paper in hand. “They’re good, baby. I checked all of her grades and she passing with all A’s but the American Lit. class and that’s a high B.”
She nodded. “Then I have no objection to celebrating.”
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After the discussion of what the celebration was over, Malachai went out to his little house out back and checked on his fiancée. She was still sound asleep. When he walked into the house, he went into the bedroom to find Mandy sleeping peacefully. He went into the room and crawled into the bed they shared. A waved of sleepiness came over him as he settled into the bed with her and fell asleep.
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