CHAPTER ONE
Used to Like You—Sal
I like Jack Hansen but he is infuriating. He’s adorable and a pain in the ass, funny yet obnoxious, charming but can be a real dick when he wants to be. Sometimes, he plays the dumb hick even though he went to an Ivy League college. When we were both married, when it was innocent flirting, when we were happy, I liked him and it was innocent.
I’m not happy. Not since Evan left. Not since he told me he didn’t love me anymore, out of the blue. Evan is currently banging his manager Kate. I used to like her too. Now I pretty much like myself, a few of my friends, and my kids, Molly and Eli, that’s it. Well, maybe Jack is in there somewhere.
I’m not happy, but I suck it up. For my kids, my family, my friends, my fans and of course I suck it up for High Note. High Note has been a great distraction. I love mentoring young performers and it gives me one more thing to do to distract me from my unhappiness.
High Note is where I met him. Jack Hansen. Jack is one of country music’s superstars. He’s 35, tall, devilishly handsome and knows it. He even has dimples for Pete’s sake. People adore him and he is untouchable, even when his marriage fell apart, he came out unscathed. He confided in me once that he married another singer to make the label happy and has always regretted it.
Jack’s wife, Allison, got caught blowing her guitarist in a restaurant bathroom about a month after Evan left me. I got a call from Jack a week later to come back for a new season. He seems to be handling it well if the line of women coming in and out of his trailer is any measure. Rumor is that their marriage was manufactured for marketing. His attitude points to the truth of that, he doesn’t seem broken up about it. The jury is still out on me. My marriage was real, or so I assumed, silly me.
I liked Jack once, when things were simple, but now he’s standing in my way and it pisses me off. His singer, Grace, is up against my Nicolas. Nic is this amazing 18-year-old kid who sings like an angel but has the self-esteem of a dirty dishrag. Jack takes advantage of this whenever he gets a chance to speak to Nic, whether it’s on TV, on social media, or in the studio. He knows how to get under Nic’s skin. He knows all of his weaknesses and he’s been exploiting them since Nic picked me to be his mentor. He knows I won’t retaliate with Grace because I’m a decent human being.
Nic is from a small town in Idaho and is one of those adorable kids that has no idea of his effect on others. He’s a corn-fed, tall drink of water and the girls go wild for him. His rabid following he’s picked up is also a tad alarming. The possibility of him getting to Beiber-like levels of screaming fans and possible stalking is real.
During auditions, Jack was the first to show interest, but Nic hates country music, thank goodness, and went with me after I promised to cater to his edgy-pop interests. Needless to say, Jack has been pissed ever since. He ended up with Grace who is a fantastic singer-songwriter. What pisses Jack off is she’s over 30. He’d never say it in public but he is an ageist asshole when it comes to performers. He gives some lame excuse about longevity, but he’s full of shit. This is the first time I’ve seen him choose someone who was older than 25. Grace is 32 but she looks like she’s 18, so I think that made it easier for him to “settle” for her.
High Note is unique in that there are ten mentors and we go through auditions and try to get a performer who not only can win the show but who meshes with our style. We see 40 contestants and if someone catches our eye we hit our button and our “magic microphone” lights up. If no one else hits their button, you get your match. This almost never happens. By design, the producers want us to fight over contestants, obviously, so there’s drama. They stack about 15 amazing singers with about 25 mediocre ones, knowing we will all wait for that someone special. We know how to push each other’s buttons and we give good drama, especially Jack and I. Our battle over Nic was epic and since it aired most people believe we are fucking. We’re not. Trust me, there’s been no fucking for me for over a year.
The mentors are all successful musicians and are well known. Jack is the leader along with Carla Fountain since they helped create the show and are also producers. The rest of us cycle in and out when our schedules allow it. Despite the competition aspect, it’s one of my favorite things I’ve done recently. To be able to mentor new talent gives new life to me and my career, also being with my peers is fun and humbling. Being a popular musician can be isolating at times. You have your people around you and they are all there to cater to your whims. My kids keep me in check most days, but collaborating and spending time with people who are living the same type of life grounds me.
Last night was the final three show and I’m positive that Nic will make it through to the finals. I had him sing “All My Life” by the Beatles and “Starman” by David Bowie. He blew them out of the water, even though he had never heard of either. One of the things I love about High Note is we can only pick classics to sing. Nothing after 1985. It’s a risky move but there are so many great songs to choose from, so it works. I head to the craft service table to get some lunch while I decide what Nic will sing next.
I’m piling up my plate when I see Jack heading my way. My mood is weird right now and I’m definitely not interested in dealing with him. He is so fucking hot though. He saunters over in what would be a ridiculous get up on anyone else. He is head to toe country boy, jeans, cowboy boots, flannel shirt rolled up at the sleeves, and that fucking cowboy hat. His eyes light up when he gets near and his smile is as bright as the 4th of July sky. He’s a star for a reason. Beyond handsome, charming, and oozing confidence. God, I hate him.
When he and I met for the first time, I was on a reunion tour with my original band, Superfrogs. We were in Nashville and he came to see us backstage. He was charming and seemed to be really into our stuff. I was married and hopelessly in love at the time so I remember him being cute and nice but that’s it. I do remember Evan later making fun of his songs and singing ability. He also didn’t like the way Jack seemed familiar with me because he hugged me and kissed me on the cheek. Evan was a little possessive, but not enough I guess.
A few months later Jack called me to ask me to be on High Note. It was perfect timing. My kids were all in school, I was just finishing up my third solo album and the idea really spoke to me. I love sharing my gift and experience with new artists. I was lucky to have had such a great support system with my band and the other bands we would open for. This business is such a crap shoot. If you get anywhere, it’s probably 99% luck or who you know. If I can help a truly talented artist with some luck and connections, then sign me up.
The first season I was married, and I thought it a was secure and happy marriage so I felt Jack and I’s flirty banter was fun and harmless. Evan didn’t like it but I would reassure him it was good for the show and meant nothing. Little did I know he had already fallen out of love with me and was fooling around with his manager. I am over it now, kind of. I’m mostly just holding on to residual anger and a strong desire to kick my ex in the balls. I wouldn’t go back to him if he begged me. I took my commitment to him seriously and would have tried to work it out if he was willing. He was not. The quickness that he was willing to dissolve our ten-year marriage was jarring. If we didn’t share children, I’d be delighted to never see him again.
The minute I stepped into the studio for this season, I knew it was different. The chemistry between Jack and I shifted and I can’t decide how I feel about it. Or if I want to do anything about it. The look on Jack’s face as he saunters over makes it clear that he definitely wants to do something about it.