Dear Readers, this is the continuing saga. I would appreciate any feedback. Constructive criticism is important to me as I am writing this story. Thanks.

P.S: I have added and changed the beginning of the story several times. I've updated that too.
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Chapter Thirteen
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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.

“Where are you going, honey?”

“Bathroom. But I’m coming back.”

“Mmm. I’m keeping your side warm.”

Around noon, Jack was sitting at the console adjusting the mics before they started recording. This was the kind of thing that an assistant would do, if he had an assistant. But this was not a well-known group, and they didn’t get any special attention from the bosses. Jack was used to it. He preferred these young groups who were just getting started over catering to the prima donnas and their outrageous demands.

The Electric Lady owners knew that getting important players recording in their studio wasn’t a given. There were way too many recording studios popping up everywhere. It used to be that groups had to wait in line for a chance to record, but digital equipment meant that $50,000 would provide a console, a hard drive, and all the necessary recording equipment. It’s the same thing with portrait photographers being replaced by the iPhone. He saw the handwriting on the wall and was already thinking about retiring.

The truth is that they were paying for the producer, not the equipment. Unless you can offer beautiful vistas, amazing sunsets, and a lake to dip your feet into, every studio was the same. Jack knew that New York didn’t provide any of those dreamy spots, just the center of the world. It was long ago that Jimi Hendrix opened the studio so he and his friends could record there.

Finally, his rock group appeared, looking a little worse for wear. One glance and you knew they’d been out partying, but most groups did. New York offered way too many temptations. He laughed, thinking of his girlfriend who was quietly working at home, earning what he made in a week in two hours. He’d watched her show, realizing it was addictive to listen to her voice and watch her smile as she sat there undressing and trying on new lingerie. He observed the number of subscribers she had and how she was on a first-name basis with all of them. Jack was amazed at how much she collected in tips each hour.

Emma was right. What she was selling was advice. She was a great listener and did know her stuff. None of these guys were disparaging or rude. They talked about relationships and intimacy. She was a great listener and was so soft-spoken. He felt like he was watching her giving a TED talk in lingerie.

Emma was gifted, beautiful, and talented. Emma was selling herself directly to the public who wanted her. He once checked and was surprised to see how many subscriptions and likes she had. The website owners periodically sent her gifts. They wanted to fly her out to Las Vegas for a meet and greet. Of course, she said no.

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, but it never worked out. Big business only thought about the bottom line and the shortest path between A and B. But his friggin’ ego got in the way.

He saw himself as an artist intent on making a masterpiece regardless of how long it took. When Jack listened to his recordings, he had to know that it was 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 they will do, but you’re not taking a deep breath and standing back far enough. You can hyperfocus, blocking the music that’s right in front of you.”

Jack remembered taking a deep breath. “What should I do?” He realized that she was right and knew what she would say.

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

He stared, realizing that she was right. 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 back under the covers. “I love you, too. But we can worship each other right now.”

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. He’d saved and even without work had enough to cover his New York expenses for eighteen months. His condo was paid for, and he just had his HOA monthly fees. Jack’s dream was to sell the place for millions and buy a cabin in the Adirondacks. 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’d scoped out the region and had found some cool spots on a lake.

His plan was to sell and move away. He didn’t see Emma being with him in five years, let alone a lifetime. She was her own boss, and he envisioned her earning her doctorate and teaching. He smiled just thinking of all the students jostling for the front row when she lectured.

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

“I was envisioning your life.”

“My life? No our life?”

He grinned. “You know, I see us together, but then I start to realize that I’m looking at retirement eventually. I’m not planning to live my life in the city forever.”

“Jack, this is not what I signed up for. I’m not a New York girl and miss the wide open spaces. I’m from Montana. I was brought up on a ranch.”

He suddenly realized they’d never talked about her background. He was embarrassed to realize he was guilty of not asking. “Duh. You know, I really should cross examine you and find out more.”

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

Jack nodded. “Okay.”

“Question one: Tell me about your homelife.”

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. We have a ranch and raise big steers. We plant crops to keep the animals fed during a long winter. I learned to ride when I was four. I have two sisters, one has four kids, and the other is happily married in Washington, DC. Mom worked 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 wide open spaces. I like winters and love 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. Your turn.”

Jack kissed her. “I want to eventually quit, hang it up, and not look back. Sell the condo and buy fifty acres in the Adirondacks. 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 will take my guitar to town and play on the weekends at the local bars. I would be happy 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. Thinking that maybe it’s best that she didn’t hear about his love for her. He knew it would make it easier when she deserted him.