Rhythm of Heartbreak (COMPLETED)

Chapter 8

The words flashed in her mind like a musical note, she had been unmindful of the people around her. She suddenly felt sad as she recalled the song that had been her only salvation when she was younger. The adaptation of the movie Wizard of Oz marked her greatly when she was a little girl. It was nostalgic that she was singing one of the monumental classics. Loneliness has touched her heart multiple times; she tried to whisk it and focus on the song. The words rolled off her lips as she pulled back a little bit of her vibrato and hit the low notes accordingly.

Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high. There's a land that I've heard of once in a lullaby.

Somewhere over the rainbow, the skies are blue , and the dreams that you dare to dream do come true. 

When she gathered the momentum together, she increased her pitch accordingly giving enough chills to her audience, when the lyrics concluded she ended it in an acceptable degree of faintness, she paused for a little while to let it simmer, and she then slowly opened her eyes to see the four people in front of her.

She swallowed hard. She felt that breathing was becoming more strenuous as she waited for any reaction from them. She was unsure if they liked or hated it. The anticipation was intense.

Sussie suddenly broke the silence. "Your voice is a groundbreaking exploration of music itself; it is an eloquent language that you were able to share with us, it expands the boundaries of musical execution creating landscapes of sound that unearth feelings, energies, and memories for which there are no words that I can describe." She explained vaguely that Jess had no idea what she meant. She smiled.

"Now it is clear to me as to what Alexander has seen in you. You are a gem. You have no idea what we can do to make you better, but you have a rare talent, and that makes you special. Marlin added.

Alexander winked at her; his eyes oozed with pride.

Jess smiled shyly. She doesn't know when she can get used to this flattery. Her eyes went to Bennie. He had not uttered a word yet and she knew that his decision had the most impact. He was the owner after all.

The silence lingered for quite some time as she clasped her clammy hands as the mental image of what may come was killing her. She swallowed hard once again.

Bennie's eyes roamed around listening to what Susie and Marlin uttered as he weighed things altogether.

"The song that you selected just now was smart..." Bennie pointed out. "It was indeed a combination of pleasure and sadness mixed within while I listened to your song. I used to hear my grandmother hum the melodies when I was a little boy and I kind of remembered her with your song." He said while trying to maintain his cool.

Jess realized that even successful people have something that makes them vulnerable at times. As for Bennie Hacks, it was his grandmother.

"I see something that you might not realize yet young lady and that is the uniqueness of your voice and how it can portray a story, the emotions you convey are raw and real. If you use it accordingly, you can sharpen it into a tool for you to make a significant change to this industry..." Bennie said with a hint of depth to his statement.

He then stood up and marched to her, and his next action was not what she anticipated.

"It would be an honor to work with you. Do you accept our offer to be an exclusive musician for our Record label Jess Lynn?" He asked as his strong hands went to her shoulders.

Her tongue was caught in her throat as she could not find the words to say. She suddenly felt the warmth rise within her as she flushed and nodded continuously. She then shakes the CEO's hand vigorously, her shock still obvious. Laughter broke in that conference room as Alexander tapped into a job well done.

The entire afternoon was spent away as she was oriented with the things, she needed to understand about the new task she was about to embark on. The contract was prepared, and Jess took the time to read it and asked questions about those parts that she found confusing. The entire staff has been good to her and has treated her professionally and Alexander has been accommodating too. Jess had never been regarded as an adult before and has always been treated as a child. It was such a breath of fresh air that she was now making a big leap for her career and her future. She probably would thank Shaun for pushing her to the edge and for that burning desire to make him pay for belittling her. Soon enough her revenge would take place.

As a new talent she was subjected to Alexander's care, it was expected nonetheless, but when she heard about Alexander's background, she felt a bit intimidated. Little did she know that he had been a respected talent manager in the industry for quite some time now. His natural way of managing his talents has been spot on through years of experience, he was also good at managing schedules and enticing marketing promotion that helped his artist hit the top and increase their popularity. Many performers were managed by him, and Jess was amazed at how these popular artists started like her too.

When Jess was done with her accountabilities, she made a final remark to the staff and thanked them genuinely. She also embraced Alexander as her gratitude was overflowing.

"You are welcome. I hope that you will do your best and do not waste this opportunity..." Alexander uttered seriously.

Jess smiled and nodded. "I will do my best not to disappoint." She promised.

She then headed towards the lobby silently and waited for the elevator. Jess suddenly roamed her eyes, maybe she was nervous earlier when she came in that she did not notice the interior of the place. The lobby was sparse on the usual ornate detailing, more geometrical than classical. The colors were on the palate of a beach, every hue from golden sand to the rich wood of a fishing boat. The accent colors were the sky and the sea, all of it the perfect complement to the onshore breeze that brings a salty fragrance. Whoever was the designer knew some plants as it was vivid in the eyes. Every possible place for a plant has one, lending its virescent hues to finish the color scheme perfectly. The scene adds to her good mood.

She then took the time to recall the preceding that day. She could not believe that something amazing would happen to her life. As a simple woman who only went to the city to let someone else dream become a reality, her pursuit of her future was nothing but foreign to her. She would never have imagined that fate could be kind to her, and such chances walked her way unexpectedly. She almost felt lightheaded and even wanted to scream because of her contained excitement. 

When the familiar beep was heard, and the elevator swung open, she immediately went in, and when she realized she was alone, she burst into eager enthusiasm. She knew she looked ridiculous as she turned around and opened her arms twirling. She did not mind that there were cameras inside the human conveyor, she was overjoyed.

When the elevator snapped open and Jess was smiling from ear to ear, she readily went out with her head bent down as she tried to hide her emotions when suddenly she hit her head against a hard body in a forceful way. She readily attempted to steady herself.

"I am so- sorry..." her words hung open. Her heartbeat doubled.

How do you describe horror? Fundamentally it's an emotion, an extremely intense sensation that can seize anyone's life and Jess finally realized how that felt.

However, despite her shock, she was fixated on his eyes... His eyes were brilliant hazel. She wonders if he was jovial, his eyes might turn to warm, lively, and sparkled with mirth and when he might be downcast it would seem to grow dim and dark. The smooth green on the edge contrasted beautifully with the amber color in the middle, capturing the heart of any woman who gazed at him. He had one of the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen.

She punched herself internally. Her mind wanders elsewhere without full regard that the man has looked at her oddly. His brows crossed and he watched her keenly. He did not say a word.

After a moment the thought immersed her whole being. That was when the intimidation kicked in, seeing this man out of nowhere was beyond belief. Her body tenses up, her thoughts run far too fast, and the things that she always dreamed of saying came out all wrong, or worse, not at all. She was tongue-tied.

After all, in front of her was none other than Rick Reed.