“You sound pretty confident of that.” I force a little laugh out.
“I am.”
He takes another long drag of his cigarette, eyes fixed on mine.
Looking away, I shift nervously in my seat.
“You okay?” he asks. “You seem a little uncomfortable.”
Still as direct as ever. That obviously hasn’t changed obviously.
“Of course I’m not uncomfortable.”
Yes, I am. I’m a little intimidated by you and confused by your questions, and flustered and ready to leave to be honest.
“I just need to–”
“Do your job.” He finishes for me. “Okay, go ahead, ask me anything. I’m all yours Tru, for the next thirty minutes.” He glances at his expensive watch, then leans back against the sofa, putting one arm to rest on the back and smiles at me. It’s a smile with something behind it. A cheeky kind of smile.
And it doesn’t relax me at all. Not one single bit. If anything it makes me even more nervous.
Putting the end of my pen in my mouth, I glance down at my first question, but now it just seems so lame and I feel embarrassed. I’ve done so many interviews in my time, but I can honestly say this is my hardest to date. Maybe it’s because I know … knew him so well.
I know his eyes are still on me, I can feel them, and a heat is fast rising up my neck.
I get my water from the table, have a drink of it, put it down and without looking at him, say, “It’s been said in the past that you’re a perfectionist when it comes to your work – your music, and because of that you can be … at times, difficult to work with. Do you agree with that? Do you consider yourself a perfectionist?”
The question was actually fourth on my list, but I decide to go straight in with the question that may possibly piss him off first. I’m just in that kind of mood now.
I look over at him and I can see the tiniest hint of a smile on his lips. He actually looks impressed. And for a moment, I wonder what he was expecting me to ask him.
“People don’t work with me, Tru, they work for me. And the guys in my band, the ones who matter, don’t seem to have a problem with the way I run things.”
Wow, arrogant much? And kind of hot.
Crap.
“But to answer your question,” he continues. “I want my music and my label to be the best it can be. Currently it is, and I intend to keep it that way, so if I have to bust a few balls and have myself labelled as a complete shit to work for, or a ‘perfectionist’,” he air quotes, “to keep me, my band and my label at the top of its game, then yeah, call me a perfectionist. I’ve been called worse.” He grins.
And it travels all the way through me. I have to press my knees together to stop my legs from trembling.
I scribble down the last of his answer quickly, and clear my throat. “The general feeling and what people are saying, is that ‘Creed’ is your most chart-friendly album to-date, do you agree with that?”
“Do you?”
Eh?
“Me?”
“Yes. I’m assuming you’ve listened to the album.”
He’s testing me.
“Of course I have … and … yes, I agree with the general consensus. I think that a lot of the songs are holding a softer tone than your previous albums. Especially ‘Damned’ and ‘Sooner’.”
Ha, suck on that!
“Good. Then then the point of the album is being received.” He smiles, and I feel a little lost.
What?
Okay, recover yourself Tru.
“So tell me – what would you be doing right now if you weren't talking to me?”
“I’d be catching up with an old friend.”
Oh.
“Um…” I stumble, caught totally off guard, yet again. “Okay … it’s been a while since you toured, are you looking forward to getting back on the road and playing live again?”
He sits forward, closer to me. I have the urge to lean back, but I don’t, instead I cross my legs in front of me, feeling like they could somehow protect me from whatever answer, or quite possibly question, he has ready to throw at me.
He was always smart when we were kids, and so quick, but this grown-up Jake is like a snake in a stallions clothing.
He most certainly does not come across as the womanizing, drinking, drug addicted Jake the press claim him to be. Or even like a man who just got of rehab a little over four weeks ago.
He seems in control. Or maybe this is just what sober Jake is like.
His eyes flicker down to my bare legs, quickly travelling up them and back up to my face.
And there’s the womanizer in him.
“Playing live is what I love to do, it’s what I live to do … and I have a feeling this tour is going to be a very interesting one – probably my most interesting to date.”
“Oh yeah, and why’s that?”
I’m curious now, if anything I thought this tour would be hard for him with Jonny gone. Especially, considering what happened in Japan.
He runs his hand through his hair. “I’ve just had a recent addition to my team and I know for sure she’ll make things different, interesting … better.”