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It had been a couple months since Jay and Karen McCarey, Marlene Potsie, and Carla Sanchez had moved to Detroit. They do miss Las Vegas and are enjoying Detroit. Jay McCarey was at his new house and saw the time on the wall clock, which read 1:30 that afternoon. He got up from the kitchen table and grabbed his car keys and locked the door behind himself. He remembered he had a three o’clock appointment in town and he wanted to be on time. He had an appointment at the Rainbow Room on Mile Road. He knew it was a nightclub. He heard about it from Bill and Bill had told him it was a five – star nightclub and Bill had heard about all the reviews the club had been getting from the past years it had been in town.
“Maybe they’d love to hear you sing your Elvis songs,” Bill told his best friend.
“Maybe. I’m good at Elvis. I’ve been singing since I was eighteen years old,” Jay reminded Bill.
“You don’t even have a manager,” Karen reminded him.
“I’d love to be your manager, hotcakes,” Marlene said.
“What do you know about being scheduling dates?” Jay asked.
“Nothing, but I know a lot about men,” Marlene said, giving him the flirt with a wink.
Jay didn’t respond to Marlene right away.
“Well, all right, Marlene. If you want to be my manager, we’ll give it a shot and see how it goes. If it doesn’t work, then you’re out,” Jay said.
“Trust me, it’ll work,” Marlene said.
Jay rolled his eyes.
“I saw that,” Marlene said.
“Why don’t we all go with Jay?” Carla suggested.
“Count me in,” Karen said.
“I want to see how my dear brother does,” Karen added.
As the group waited for the bus to come, Marlene said, “Why don’t you sing a different song instead of Elvis Presley? Elvis is too old fashioned.”
“What do you have in mind, Marlene?” Bill asked.
He didn’t mind hearing Elvis at the audition Jay was going to do.
“Why don’t you do “I Will Always Love You?” Marlene suggested.
“I know it but I’m not a country music fan, Marlene,” Jay said.
“I’d rather hear that song than listen to Elvis Presley. Elvis is dead,” Marlene said.
“We know that, Marlene,” Karen said.
“Can’t Jay pick his own song he wants to audition rather than singing the one you want to hear?” Carla asked her older cousin.
“If I’m going to be hotcakes’ manager, I pick the song. Got it?” Marlene asked.
“It doesn’t work that way for managers, Marlene,” Jay told her.
“When you’re with me, hotcakes, I pick the songs and schedule the dates. Got it?” Marlene asked.
Jay didn’t reply to Marlene. He thought she sounded a bit bossy.
“I said got it, hotcakes?” Marlene repeated.
He still didn’t reply.
“Why isn’t hotcakes saying anything?” Marlene asked.
“I guess he doesn’t like the way you’re bossing him around,” Carla said.
“I’m not bossy,” Marlene said.
“From your tone of voice, it sounds like you’re bossy, Marlene,” Bill said, agreeing with Carla.
“Why is everybody ganging up on me?” Marlene asked.
That’s when nobody answered her.
“Fine. Don’t answer me,” she said.
The bus finally parked in front of Mile Road and the whole group got off the bus and walked inside of the Rainbow Room. Jay walked to the receptionist and gave his name.
“We’ll be right with you, Mr. McCarey,” she said.
He didn’t say anything. A few minutes passed and the group saw a tall, brown – haired man enter the room and call his name.
“Right here, sir,” Jay said.
The man saw Jay wasn’t alone.
“You’re ready to audition for me?” the man asked.
“Yes, sir,” Jay said.
“Follow me,” he said and the group followed him.
They entered the stage.
“We’re ready,” the man said and joined a blonde woman and sat next to her.
“What song do you want to hear me sing?” Jay asked.
“We’ll listen to your song first and then we’ll give you a song,” the woman said.
“Okay,” Jay said and started to sing Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” as Marlene had suggested earlier.
“If I should stay
Well, I would only be in your way
And so I’ll go, and yet I’ll know
That I’ll think of you each step of my way
And I will always love you
I will always love you
Bitter – sweet memories
That’s all I have, and all I’m taking with me
Good – bye, oh please don’t cry
Cause we both know that I’m not
What you need
I will always love you
I will always love you
And I hope life, will you treat you kind
And I hope that you have all
That you ever dreamed of
Oh, I wish you joy
And I wish you happiness
But above all this
I wish you love
I love you, I will always love you
I, I will always, I will always love you
I will always love you
I will always love you
I will always love you,” Jay sang.
After he finished singing “I Will Always Love You,” the man and woman clapped.
“That was beautiful,” the woman said, tears in her eyes.
“What do you want to hear me sing next?” Jay asked.
“The song we’d like to hear you sing is “Travelin’ Man” from Ricky Nelson,” the woman said.
“That’s an easy one,” Jay said.
He began to sing.
“I’m a travelin’ man
Made a lot of stops
All over the world
And in every part
I own the heart
Of at least one lovely girl
I’ve a pretty senorita waiting
For me
Down in old Mexico
If you’re ever
In Alaska
Stop and see
My cute
Little Eskimo
Oh my sweet fraulien down
In Berlin town
Makes my heart
Start to yearn
And my China
Doll down in old Hong Kong
Waits for my return
Pretty Polynesian baby over the sea
I remember
The night
When we walked
In the sands
Of the Waikiki
And I held you
Oh so tight
Instrumental
Oh my sweet fraulien down
In Berlin town
Makes my heart start to yearn
And my China doll down in
Old Hong Kong waits for my return
Pretty Polynesian baby over the sea
I remember the night
When we walked
In the sands of the Waikiki
And I held you
Oh so tight
Oh, I’m a travelin’ man
Yes, I’m a travelin’ man
Yes, I’m a travelin’ man
Oh, I’m a travelin’ man
Humhh…,” Jay sang.
Both the man and woman clapped as Jay finished the last bars of “Travelin’ Man.
“Well, what do you think?” Jay asked once he finished the song.
“We loved it,” the man said.
“Does that mean I get the job?” Jay asked.
“Yes, you do, Mr. McCarey. You can start next Monday night,” the man said.
“Okay. What time do I come here?” he asked.
“We’ll call you,” she said.
“Okay,” he said.
The man and woman left the room and Jay and his friends left the Rainbow Room.
“You did great, Jay. Wait till you start coming here every night. Wish Steve were here to hear you sing those songs,” Bill said, thinking of their friend who was left behind in Las Vegas.
“I know,” Jay said as they waited for the bus to show up.
Once the bus came, they hopped on the bus and the bus drove off.