Dear Readers, Here is a newly rewritten chapter that integrates with the core of the original Wildcat Fall. This is the continuing saga. I would appreciate any feedback. Constructive criticism is important to me as I am rewriting this story. Thanks.

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Chapter Fourteen
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Chapter Fourteen

Jack was trying to slip out of bed without waking his girlfriend. He needed to go to the bathroom and didn’t want to disturb Emma.

She opened one eye. “Where you going, honey?”

Jack smiled and whispered, “Bathroom. But I’m coming back.”

Emma was already closing her eyes. “Mmm. I’m keeping your side warm.”

Around noon, Jack was sitting at the console adjusting the mics before they started recording. Another engineer walked by and stopped in to say hello. Ed Maynes watched as he was setting up the studio, too.

“You know, Jack. This was the kind of thing that your assistant does.”

Jack didn’t lift his head to answer.”If I had an assistant, but Deep Bayou is not a well-known group, and I didn’t get any special attention when Capitol goes cheap on their recording budget. But I’m used to it. Honestly, I prefer these young groups who’re just getting started.”

Ed laughed, “As in catering to the prima donnas and their outrageous demands.”

“Yeah, those days are gone when Electric Lady was getting important players in here. There’s no guarantees anymore.”

“You know it. There’s way too much competition out there. Twenty years ago, groups had to wait in line for a chance to record here in the Big Apple.”

Jack smiled. “You know it. Times had changed. Fifty grand means that you buy an Apple computer and a couple big screens, recording software, a couple hard drives, mics, stands, baffling, and you're ready.”

Ed smiled. “I should know. All the energy I've put into running a sound board and balancing a studio is non-essential for the kids. They learn all that stuff on the fly!”

Jack laughed. “It’s the same thing with portrait photographers being replaced by the iPhone. Man, the handwriting’s on the wall. I’m thinking about retiring from the business.”

Ed sat down and made himself comfortable. “Unless you could offer beautiful vistas, amazing sunsets, and a lake to dip your feet into, nowadays, every studio is the same. The truth was that artists were paying for the producer, not the equipment. Well-known producers were almost as famous as the recordings they made.”

Jack laughed. “Yeah, the truth is that I’m not interested in the spotlight. So nobody knows about me. And while the Big Apple is still considered the center of the world, it’s an expensive place to be.”

Ed laughed and shook his head. “Fifty years ago, when Jimi Hendrix opened the studio, it was so he and his friends could record here. Times have changed.”

After he was set up, Jack waited for the band and mused about his job. He wondered if he should be more demanding, but knew that wasn’t him.

Finally, when his rock group appeared, they looked a little worse for wear. One glance and you knew they’d been out partying. The big city offered too many temptations, he thought. Jack realized he’d been waiting half the day for four teens whose only musical experience was playing music in cow fields at festivals this summer. He smiled, knowing he was a facilitator, not their parent.

As he greeted them, Jack thought about his girlfriend, Emma, who was working at home, earning what he made in a week in two hours.

Out of curiosity, Jack signed up and watched Emma online. He realized how addictive it was to hear her voice and see her smile as she tried on new lingerie in front of the camera. Emma was on a first-name basis with most of her fans. She had them eating out of her hand as she curled up in her oversized, comfy chair and talked.

He noticed that Emma never gave up her dignity or pandered for attention. And Jack was amazed at how much she collected in tips each hour from her appreciative subscribers.

Later, when they talked about what he saw, “You’re selling comfort. You’re a great listener and know your stuff. None of these guys were disparaging or rude. They talked about relationships and intimacy. It was like watching you giving a TED talk in lingerie.

Jack knew that Emma had it all. She was gifted, beautiful, and talented. Emma was selling herself directly to the public who wanted her. He was surprised to see how many subscriptions and likes she had. The website periodically sent her gifts and wanted to fly her out to Las Vegas for a meet and greet. But of course, she declined.

“That’s not for me, Jack. I like the idea of knowing that I am removed from the porn industry. I know it sounds snobish, but that’s what I need. I’m not that Hooter’s girl anymore.

Jack knew he was good and earned his money, but in his field, an independent contractor could go weeks without work. He’d tried being a company man several times, but it had never worked out. Big business only thought about the bottom line and the shortest path between A and B. And his friggin’ ego got in the way. He was a perfectionist.

He saw himself as an artist intent on making a masterpiece regardless of how long it took. When Jack listened to his recordings, he knew they were the best. He never punished the musicians by demanding excessive takes. He just wanted them to strive for perfection.

One day, when he came home all tied in knots, Emma had tried to console him, “Jack, honey. You’re going to drive yourself nuts. You’re not hearing everything that’s coming at you.”

“What’s that mean?”

“It means that you’ve already recorded the best, but you’re not taking a deep breath and standing back far enough. You hyper focus, blocking the music that’s right in front of you.”

Jack realized she was right. “What should I do?”

“Just move on to the next song. Come back and listen to it when you’ve got the proper distance.”

He stared. She was brilliant and the most perfect woman that he’d ever known. She blew him away. “You are amazing. You are a goddess. I want to worship you.”

Emma grinned as she pulled him into their bed. “I love you, too. But we can worship each other.”

Later on, Jack lay there listening to her softly snore. He wondered how long this romance would last. She was the perfect woman, and he would ask her to marry him in a heartbeat. But he knew the truth. He was just too old for her.

He tried to imagine what his life would be like in ten or twenty years. Jack’s dream was to sell the place for millions and buy a cabin in the forest. He wanted to chop his own wood and have places to hike without worrying about bumping into hipsters from Brooklyn out for the weekend. He wanted a cool spot on a lake.

He planned to move away. Sadly, he couldn’t picture Emma being with him in five years, let alone a lifetime. She was her own boss, and he envisioned her earning her doctorate and then maybe teaching. He smiled just thinking of all the students jostling for the front row seat when she would lecture.

“What are you grinning about?” He heard her sleepy voice as she cuddled up close to him.

“I was envisioning your life.”

“My life? Not our life?”

He grinned. “The reality is that I’m looking at retirement and not planning to live in the city forever. But I’m not selfish by making you give up your future and your life.”

Emma laughed and stared him in the eyes. “Jack, this is not what I signed up for. I’m not a New York girl. I miss the wide open spaces. I’m from Montana. I was raised in Big Sky country.”

Jack realized they’d never talked about her. He was embarrassed and realized he was guilty of not asking. “Duh. You know, I really should find out more.”

“Good. Let’s play twenty questions. I go first.”

Jack nodded. “Okay.”

“Question one: Tell me about your home-life.”

Jack smiled. “I was raised in Cape May, New Jersey. My dad taught music at the high school and gave private lessons to make ends meet. Mom was the elementary school librarian. I have an older brother and a younger sister. They’re both happily married and have each had two children. Now you answer question number one.”

“I was born in Bozeman, Montana. Our family still has a big ranch and raises Angus steers. We plant crops to keep the animals fed during a long winter. I learned to fly fish when I was four. I have two sisters, one has four kids right in town, and the other is happily married to her wife in Washington, DC. Mom works in the local newspaper office, and Dad works part-time as a fishing guide. Your turn for question number two.”

“What’s your dream?”

Emma smiled. “I want freedom, wide open spaces, cold winters, and summer breezes. New York City weather sucks, and I would pack anytime you’re ready to move. I want to grow old with you and push your wheelchair.”

Jack kissed her. “You know I want to hang it up and not look back. I want to sell the condo and buy fifty acres in the mountains. I want to build a zero-emissions house and have a carbon-neutral footprint. I want snowshoes and a birchbark canoe that I build myself. I’ll take my guitar to town and play on the weekends in the local bars. I want to just be a guy named Jack. Oh yeah, if you were to come with me, then I would live happily ever after.”

Jack leaned over to kiss her and discovered that she’d fallen back to sleep. He smiled and wondered if she’d heard his true confession.

Jack smiled, thinking about last night with Emma. He spun his desk chair around and stared out the window. He was listening to Deep Bayou on his speakers. The project was done and he’d sent the masters to Capitol in California. He’d received their last payment and was thinking about surprising Emma with a week off when his phone rang.

“Jack Dempsey.”

“Hi, Jack. This is Laura at the desk. You have a woman waiting to talk to you down here. She said she made an appointment.”

“Thanks, Laura. Tell her I’ll be right down.”

Jack shook his head. It was written on his calendar and he’d been daydreaming. He got a quick glub of mouthwash in the bathroom and went to meet his appointment.

Jessica parked her truck and took the train into the city. She’d made an appointment and met him in the lobby of the studios. She smiled, realizing she was the same height as he was. Reaching out her hand, she made eye contact. “Thank you for taking the time to meet with me, Jack. I’m Jessica Jade, and I wanted to talk to you about when you donated sperm samples.”

Jack studied the tall woman. She had a pleasant smile but her topic had spun him around. “Uh, yeah. I remember. That was back in Philly. I was struggling to stay afloat. Playing gigs and doing session work, but wasn’t making ends meet. I know I paid that clinic a lot of visits that winter. All those checks kept me out of the poor house. But how can I help you?”

Jessica smiled. “Well, do we have a place where we can talk privately? I’d gladly buy you a cup of coffee or lunch?”

“Jessica, right? Can I see some identification? We’re talking ancient history here, and well, I wonder if I should get a lawyer. Am I in trouble?” Jack crossed his arms defensively.

Jessica produced all her IDs and handed them over. She looked Jack over while he checked her credentials. Lisa was right. Jack Dempsey didn’t look anything like either of the Nelson women. He was really good-looking, rugged, and masculine. She noticed that his haircut looked good, and even his nails were trimmed. When she handed over her ID, she had a chance to smell his person. He smelled clean, with no body odor or smells of alcohol. His teeth were clean and his breath smelled fresh.

Jack handed everything back. “Okay. I’ve got my own office upstairs.” As they turned to walk up the old building’s stairs, he tried to smile. “Did I do anything wrong here?”

Jessica shook her head. “Oh, no. I’m here on behalf of my clients.”

As Jack unlocked his office, he shook his head. “Clients?”

Jessica sat in a comfortable chair and watched as Jack chose to sit on the couch rather than at his desk. “Yes. Your sperm was used to produce two children. They are grown and want to have children of their own. One of the women wants to use another one of your sperm samples to impregnate her girlfriend.”

Jack was shaking his head. “Oh. That’s quite a story. Since they know who I am, is it possible that I can find out more about this family?”

Jessica nodded. “That’s not for me to say. They would like to go forward slowly.”

Jack looked up at the framed posters all around his walls. Each was a concert bill showing one of the many bands he’d produced over the years. This room represented his life and everything he’d worked for. The only exception was a photo of Emma and him posing in front of the Grand Canyon. Really, everything was pretty impersonal. He sighed. “Sure, I’d be happy to cooperate in any way. My life is an open book, and you’re welcome to investigate as much as you want. I’d really be curious to see what happened with those samples. That all took place at the beginning of my adulthood. I was sixteen.”

Jessica did a double-take. “Didn’t you have to show them ID? I thought you had to be eighteen or twenty-one.”

Jack nodded. “Uh-huh. They saw my driver’s license, and well, I remember getting a physical. But no one stopped me. I think they were more excited over my sperm count.”