On the other big news front, Jake and Zane, who I’m still yet to meet, discovered who was stealing from the label.
The A&R director. No one I’ve ever met. His name is Scott Speed.
Scott has worked for Jake pretty much from the beginning, like Zane.
Apparently Scott is a gambler, and he had run up some pretty big debts. He stole the money to pay the not-so-nice people he owed.
That was his excuse, anyway.
For me, there is no excuse for stealing.
I saw how what he’s done has affected Jake, and that’s what really pisses me off. I get that Scott may have been in a tight fix, but there are other ways out.
Jake even said that if Scott had just told him what was going on, he would have helped him pay off the debts and gotten him the help he needed with his addiction.
Jake above anyone knows what it’s like to deal with an addiction.
The worst thing for Jake was that he had no choice but to report it to the police, and now Scott has been charged with fraud.
It’s sad, but Jake’s hands were tied. Scott had committed a serious crime, and if Jake hadn’t reported it, he would have been in trouble himself.
One good thing is Jake has managed to keep it out of the news. The last thing the label needs right now is any negative press.
But that’s all behind us now, and today we start our life together in our humongous new house.
Our $30 million humongous house in the Hollywood Hills.
I still cannot get over how much this house is worth. Or that I’m going to be living in such an amazing house in Hollywood.
It’s all still a little surreal.
Currently, I’m standing outside my amazing house, in my surreal moment, feeling a little redundant.
The movers are shifting all our belongings into the house for us, and Stuart is at the helm directing. I currently have nothing to do and no clue where Jake is.
He was here a minute ago but vanished, leaving me here looking like a lemon.
Almost all of the stuff being moved in is Jake’s. What little stuff I have, which Simone kindly boxed up for me, was shipped from London. It consists of clothes, shoes, makeup, accessories, handbags, and photos and mementos I’ve collected over the years.
Not a lot, really. It makes me a little sad that I have so little to show for my life in London.
Making my way past one of the movers, through the front door and living room, I go out onto the patio area, where it’s quiet.
Thankful I’m wearing denim shorts, I kick my wedges off and sit down at the edge of the infinity pool and immerse my legs in the water as I stare out at the skyline.
Suddenly awash with homesickness, I decide to call Simone.
“Hey, gorgeous!” comes her chipper voice down the line.
Hearing Simone’s voice, and London in the background, causes my throat to thicken.
“Hey,” I say, forcing my voice out.
“How’s moving day going?”
“Ah, you know.”
“You don’t sound very excited. I would be bouncing off the bloody walls if I were moving into that house!”
I e-mailed Simone photos of the house last week, and she was, let’s say…mega impressed to say the least. She screamed down the phone—a lot.
“Maybe Denny will buy you one,” I say, deflecting the conversation from me to her and Denny.
“Yeah, I’d be so bloody lucky!” she laughs.
Denny is the drummer in TMS and one of Jake’s closest friends. Simone and Denny met when I was on tour with the band. They’ve been together ever since, and are managing to successfully maintain a long-distance relationship.
How long they’ll stay long distance, I’m not sure.
I can’t see Simone giving up her job and coming over here anytime soon, even though for purely selfish reasons I wish she would. And Denny has commitments here with the band.
“I wish you lived here so we could see each other every day like we used to,” I murmur.
“Me too.”
“So why don’t you just move here?” I say. “Move in with Denny.”
“Tru, for starters, I don’t even know if Denny would want to live with me. He’s never mentioned it.”
“I bet he would. He’s crazy about you.”
“Yeah,” she sighs. “But I also love my job too, you know. I’m doing so well at work right now that I’d be crazy to throw it all away.”
“I guess,” I sigh.
Unlike me, who moves halfway around the world to be with the man she loves. But then, that man is Jake. The person I have loved for my whole life. And I guess I didn’t have to give up my job either. I’m lucky enough to have the best boss in the world, who’s letting me work transatlantic. Thank God for Vicky—and technology.
“Anyway, why are you on the phone with me in the midst of your move? It is still happening, isn’t it?”
“As we speak. I’m just…not needed. The movers are putting everything away, and Stuart is making sure everything runs smoothly, which I don’t mind, because it’s his job to do that kind of stuff. I guess I just…” I let out another sigh, kicking my leg against the blue. “Ignore me, I’m just being silly.”
“Not how us normal folk move, eh, babe?”
“Nope.” I love how I don’t have to say the actual words to Simone. She just gets me every time.
“You remember when we moved into the flat?” I say, the memory tickling me. “Just me and you, lugging furniture and boxes in. And oh my God! That bloody van we hired that kept breaking down!”