(4)
“Jim! Hi! How are you?” Jaclyn grinned as she walked towards the security guard of her father’s apartment block.
Jim smiled in recognition, giving the girl a small hug then his face changed to curiosity and confusion. “What are you doing here Jaclyn?” Jaclyn looked at him with uncertainty “What do you mean what am I doing here? I’m here to see dad of course. You know, like I’ve been doing for God knows how long now?” “What? He didn’t leave you a message or anything? Weird…” “What? What message?” “Jack, he’s not here, he won’t be for the rest of the vacation. He’s in Oklahoma right now.” “Wha-when did this happen? Why was I not informed? Where was I during all of this?” “I don’t know, but I’m sure he would have left some notification…hmm…I do have the address he is staying at in Oklahoma. Would you like it?” “Hell yeah, I did not come down here for nothing. When did he leave?” “About a little over a week ago. He hasn’t called you or anything?” “Nope. I hope he’s alright…” a look of concern washed over her tired face. “Oh he is. He rang to check up a couple of days ago.” He called out as he rummaged through his desk. “Ah ha, here it is li’l lady.” He bothered to check up on his house but not his daughter? Jaclyn pushed aside the grimace that threatened to take over her face and put on a smile instead. “Thank you…what’s he doing in Oklahoma anyway?” she read the address scrawled on the piece of paper. “Tulsa?” “Business he said…not sure what exactly.” “Hmm, well, thank you Jim, I’ll see you again sometime.” “It was nice to see you again sweetheart, take care of yourself alright? You driving?” “Yeah, it was gonna be a surprise pop up so no planes or anything…” “Well make sure you get some rest along the way you hear? I’ll see you later Jaclyn.” She smiled as she waved before getting into her car. “Bye.” She drove through the city of Orlando for a while before coming up to a row of phone booths. Parking her car on the side of the road, she jogged to the phones and entered a booth. Digging into her wallet, she pulled out a few dollars. Punching in the numbers she was familiar with, she waited patiently while the phone dialed. “Hello? Paul Roady speaking.”=+=
“Well, that’s a wrap.” Paul smiled “At least, for this song anyway.” “How many more do we have to go?” Zac mumbled from the small couch he was lying on. “We have done three already. And that’s pretty good, especially since two of them were totally new songs.” Paul grinned proudly at the three boys. “I don’t think I’ve ever worked with any artists who were more efficient then you guys.” “Well it goes to show you, we have no lives. Right guys?” Zac smirked. When he received no reply, he turned his head. Isaac was looking through some sheets of music, while Taylor sat there, fiddling with a few buttons, clearly ignoring his younger brother. Zac rolled his eyes. Taylor had given him the silent treatment since yesterday afternoon’s minor incident in the car. Couldn’t he just get over it already? “Fine then, just ignore me.” “We will. We are.” Isaac mumbled, not looking up from the sheets. He picked up his acoustic, strumming a few chords. He then frowned, placed the guitar flat on his lap and picked up a pen, making some changes. A couple of minutes passed, and the only sound in the room was of Isaac’s guitar and Taylor’s button clicking. Paul sat a few feet away, working rapidly on a computer. Then suddenly breaking the silence and causing Isaac to drop his guitar, the shrill ringing of a cell phone rang. “It’s mine!” Zac yelled triumphantly as he sat up. Isaac frowned. “You don’t have a cell Zac.” “I know.” Zac replied dully, letting his body fall back on the couch. Giving the two boys an amused look, Paul reached for his cell. “Hello? Paul Roady speaking.” “You know, if you weren’t my father, I’d be seriously plotting your death. Then again of course, if you weren’t my father, I wouldn’t have bothered at all. Of course, I could devise a plan of your death anyway, even if you are my father.” “Excuse me? Jack, is that you?” The fore mentioned name caught all three of the boys’ attentions. Isaac mouthed her name in question, and Paul nodded, a frown covering his face. “You remembered my name? Wow…” “Jack what’s wrong? You alright?” Paul glanced at the three boys, Isaac with a concerned look at his own outburst of concern, Taylor looking mildly intrigued and Zac sitting up, waiting for more. “Me? Of course I’m alright. I have absolutely no idea where you are, well, I do now, since Jim kindly informed me of your whereabouts. I have absolutely no idea why you’re there though, and that’s what’s worrying me.” “Jim? Honey…you were in Florida?” “Yeah, still am. Some random booth if you’d like to know. Isn’t it nice that I’m informing you of my whereabouts? Something you need to learn father dear.” “Florida…” the boys definitely looked interested now. The last they’d heard, she was somewhere in Europe. “Why aren’t you? Aren’t you supposed to be…” “Here? Which is where you’re supposed to be, correct me if I’m wrong, but your apartment is right here.” “I’m here on business honey, when did you get there? How did you get there? What about your mother? I thought you were going to Paris with her.” “WHAT?” The three Hanson boys’ eyes grew wider as they heard the screech from where they were sitting. They exchanged looks, each wondering just what the hell was going on. “Where did you hear that?” “Well I rang before I left for Tulsa…your mother said that you were going to Paris with her.” “SHE WHAT? OH MY GOD…I AM GOING TO SO MAKE THAT WOMAN-” If it were possible for the boys’ eyes to grow bigger, it was what they did. This sure didn’t sound like the sweet little girl Paul had described “Honey, stop it, listen to me. Now, calm down. Deep breaths…calm down, that’s it. That a girl. Now, I don’t know what exactly happened with your mother, but we’ll figure it out, just not over the phone. What’s your plan now?” “Well, it looks like I am headed for Tulsa this fine afternoon…what time is it there right now? It’s 2:30pm here.” “No difference hun, it’s the same here.” “Alright then, you may expect me in possibly little less than a week. Love you, see ya.” “Jack wait! Jack!” He stared at the phone as it the dial tones rang. “So…what’s the verdict?” Isaac asked. “And please start from the beginning, all I could really hear was you and an OH MY GOD I AM GOING TO MAKE THAT WOMAN!” Zac yelled, receiving a frown from Taylor and Isaac. Paul sighed as he let his body fall beside Zac on the couch. “Well, it seems like there was a little confusion, Jack is not in Paris with her mother, but in Orlando, in a phone booth.” “But you’re here.” Isaac frowned. “Exactly. And now she’s coming here. She hung up before I could do anything, like get her a plane ticket or something.” Paul sighed again, running his hand through his hair. His cell wailed again. Paul instantly picked it up. “Jack I’m getting a plane ticket for you so don’t even think about driving all the way here.” “Paul?” Paul fell back into the couch. “Walker, oh God, yeah, it’s me.” “Something wrong with Jaclyn?” “She’s driving up here, to Tulsa from Orlando.” “Isn’t she supposed to be somewhere in Europe?” “Apparently not.” “She’s driving?” “Yeah…left before I could organize a ticket for her or anything.” “Problem…” “Exactly.” “Well, I just rang to say there’s a traffic problem so I’ll be in later than expected. Everything okay there?” “Yeah, yeah…apart from Zac dying of boredom we’re all fine.” Zac snickered. “Okay then, tell the boys I’ll be there soon.” “Will do.” Paul put his cell down again. “You father’s going to a bit late…traffic.” The phone rang again. “Well someone’s busy today.” Zac commented as Paul picked up his phone for the third time. “Hello?” “Dad?” “Jack! Hold on, don’t hang up. Now, I’m getting a ticket for you, so I suggest you head towards the airport now.” “What?” “Airport, now. You can pick your ticket up there, it’ll be waiting for you.” “But how? What about my car?” Paul’s voice became stern. “You can leave it at the airport. But in the meanwhile, as soon as you get off the phone, you are heading straight for the airport. No where else but the airport.” “Oh man…I knew I shouldn’t have called again…I was just wondering what you were doing there. The curiosity would have eaten me alive. The curiosity killed the cat. Well, that doesn’t have much to do with this but well…you know.” “Just get your butt up here young lady. I will be expecting you no later than tomorrow. I am going to check with the airport to make sure you boarded that plane.” “Yessir…you don’t know how much money you’re wasting. You don’t know how miserable this makes me…” Jaclyn whined. “Get over it kid. I love you.” “Woah wait, you still haven’t told me why you’re there and I’m here.” “I’m working. Business? I assume I’m working.” “Nooo! I figured that out dad. I may be a blonde, but it’s not that light.” “Funny. No, I’m working on an album right now.” “You’re producing? Cool. Who?” “Ever heard of Hanson?” “Who?” “Hanson, you know, three guys?” The three a fore mentioned guy exchanged looks of confusion. She didn’t know who they were? Yet her father was working with them? “Ohhhh, the gay ones…yeah I do.” “Jaclyn Roady.” Paul warned. “Oh, the whole name…sorry, couldn’t help it. But yeah I do know them. Isn’t their father that friend of yours?” “Yeah, you remember him? Hey, wait, did you just say blonde?” Paul asked suspiciously. “Mmm hmm, but I gotta go, I’m running out of change.” “Alright then,” Paul replied, an uncertain look on his face. “I love you sweetie.” “Love you too dad, see ya.” “I take it she wasn’t happy?” Taylor mused. Paul chuckled as he started dialing the airport. “You guessed it.”