In Dreams

She parked in front and then noticed sitting off to the side another log house that was at least two or three times larger than her two-bedroom apartment. She wondered if this was the office he had talked about. If it was, she already knew that it would be where she would be working and couldn't be more pleased.

She entered the front door to find herself in a great room that ran almost 50 feet to the back windows while looked out over a patio, pool, and more gardens. Not knowing where to go, she simply stood inside the door and looked around the room. It was obviously a man's room but not overly masculine. The prints on the wall were a mix of classical ones as well as modern pieces. The furniture was comfortable and on the casual side. On one wall, there was an entertainment center along with a first-class sound system. A large dining table that would easily seat twelve people was placed looking out the back windows. She idly wondered if this private person had ever had twelve people for dinner. In spite of his statement of privacy, she felt that he had hosted meals there more than once.

His voice distracted her as he entered from the wing on the right. Again, he was in jeans and a knit pull-over work shirt. "Come on in the kitchen while I do breakfast. We can eat in there. Any problem finding the place?"

"No, none. I love the town and this place is just beautiful. Did you build it?"

"Sort of. The structure of the house was already built but not finished. The builder went broke before he could finish it. I bought it and had the finish done myself. Is there anything that you don't like for breakfast? I like my eggs scrambled; is that all right with you?"

"I like mine scrambled too and anything else is fine with me. You seem tired. Did you get in late?"

"Yeah, I did. I expected to be home by one but it was two thirty before we got everything loaded. I didn't get here until after three."

"Oh; you were working last night? You didn't say."

"Yes, I was working. I am training a couple of new guys and it takes time for them to figure out the most efficient way to do things." He paused for a moment. "How did you like the concert?"

"I loved it and it was so much fun to share it with my friends. They aren't that much into the more classical music but they really got into it. It was great fun."

"Good. I'm glad you liked it. It will make some things easier for you."

"Really? What do you mean?"

"The work I was doing last night was back stage. I saw you and it looked like you were enjoying yourselves."

"You were working back stage? Is that one of the things you are involved in?"

He wiggled nervously before he said, "You can say that. I sort of created it and act as the producer. The new interns will soon take over part of the on-the-road shows but until they are ready, I do it."

Hannah went totally silent. He finally looked towards her to see her reaction. When he realized that she was simply stunned, he turned back to the stove to turn the sausage and start the gravy.

"You created it and produce it! Holy shit! Oh; excuse me."

"I know and use the words too. Don't worry about it. And yes, that is part of what I do."

"Only part of it! What else do you do?"

"After breakfast, Hannah. We eat first and then we talk. Do you want to come over and fix your plate the way you want it?"

"You expect me to eat when I just found out that my new boss is deeply involved in something as wonderful as Miles of Music?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. Get over here and eat. Trust me; the glamor will get old very quickly; it is a lot of work."

Hannah rose and went to get her plate. Then she turned to him and said, "You are probably right but right now, at this minute, I am in awe. Let me have that for a few minutes. Please?"

"Ok, but after breakfast, you become part of the team that makes it happen. Got it?" His words hit her almost as hard as his previous announcement.

They ate quietly as they each concentrated on their own thoughts. Surprisingly, Hannah realized that the breakfast Jeff had prepared was excellent. It struck her that he couldn't possibly be this perfect. It now became her mission to find out everything she could about this man who preferred to be anonymous to the world. With that in mind, her mind calmed down and she began to focus on where to start.

When they had finished, he poured them each another cup of coffee and sat back down. "Ok, where do you want to begin?"

"Let's start with Miles of Magic. How did you get involved with that?"

Jeff smiled and replied, "I guess that is the best place to start since it is the most complex thing I do." He paused for a moment and sat back, allowing his memories to come to the forefront of his mind. "I was traveling a fair amount about fifteen years ago. With little to do in strange places, I would find bands that played in hotel lounges and local bars. Most of them were rock, folk, or country bands. Sometimes I was the only person in the room listening to them. They would talk to me directly and I would talk back. Sometimes I would suggest a song and they would try it out. Since I would stay in an area for a couple of weeks, they would invite me to clubs where they were playing or parties with other musicians. It was fun." He paused.

"Are you a singer or a musician then?"

He snickered, "Not hardly. I sang in choir in high school but I doubt that anyone would go out of their way to hear me sing and I can't play an instrument at all. I just have an appreciation for good music at all times. Understand that there are a lot of good quality musicians and singers out there. Some are better than others but most just lack something, some quality that sets them apart. Some don't have the motivation or patience to breakout; others just don't find their niche. Anyway, a couple of the bands asked if I knew places in other areas that they could play. So, I started asking at different clubs and lounges and got a few gigs for some of the groups. One day a lounge manager at a hotel asked if I could get a group to play for a special festival that was coming up. He wanted a mix of different kinds of music, some fun stuff, and mainly some dance music. None of the bands I knew had that much variety but if I combined three or four of them, we could put it together. So that is what I did and it proved to be a great success. The lounge made money, all of the players made money, and they gave me a nice cut for putting it all together. They played together mixing more and more things together and adding more humor and fun until they got tired of traveling and that pretty well ended it."

"That doesn't sound at all like Miles of Music."

"No, it doesn't but the idea of mixing different styles to create a fun evening for the audience had worked. I had to go to Europe for a month and that was the eye-opener for me. Over there, music isn't as tightly classified as it is here. People go to classical concerts in casual dress and sing along or dance as the music fits. It was really a fun time. When I got back home, some of the more serious musicians and I got together including some of their serious classical music friends. They were talking about how hard it was to get paying gigs because the audiences tended to be so small. The big civic orchestras were all constantly struggling for funding and most of the musicians had regular jobs teaching and other things. The lounge owner from before called and asked if the bands would come back for another festival but that it was to be outdoors and during the day. I suggested that the original group wasn't available but that if he was willing, we could try a different concept. He said yes and the rest is history."

"Wait a minute; you just skipped over a lot of stuff. Explain."

"It really wasn't that much. There have always been cross-over songs and classical orchestras have played "Pop" concerts. But recently that has been more of trend towards what is called Classical Crossover. I got several of the classical musicians together and asked how we could put something together that would be serious but also fun for the audience and still be economical since the gig was almost a thousand miles away for them. The answer came fairly easily. The core group would create the program and put together the music. Then they would contact local musicians there to fill out the orchestra. So only about ten people actually had to travel and live out of a hotel. They went up a week before and worked with the local musicians to bring it all together. Since they were all serious musicians, that was all it took. One of the violinists was somewhat of a ham and showman so, he took on the role of conductor but every musical section had their moments to shine. All I had to do was coordinate everything. When it was over, we were all exhausted but higher than a kite and wanted to keep doing something like this."

"Where did the name come from? Miles of Music is kind of odd."

"When they were packing up to leave, one of the musicians said 'This has been a lot of miles to travel to just make a little music.' So, it became Miles of Music. Now we have several groups of local musicians across the country who participate. Most of the musicians you saw last night are local. The core group is the only one that travels."

"I see. How is the group organized? I mean, did you incorporate or something?"

"No; that seemed like a lot of unnecessary work at the time; sorry, lawyer lady. Basically, every concert and event is a stand-alone entity. We know who was involved in it and they get a percentage of the revenue based on a formula that everyone has agreed on. When we started recording and doing videos, the same carried over. Those who participate earn royalties on everything they participate in. In general, everyone is happy. The local people play and generally make more than they can as a soloist at home. The core group people are now basically a full-time but they still do their own things at their home base."

"And you are the producer?"

"Yes. I am the contact for the group and coordinate with the core people. We all agree on doing an event and how we will prepare for it. Then they do the musical work and I coordinate with the venue and sponsors. A lot of that will now be on your shoulders."

"I see. That sounds interesting. I am eager to dig into the details."

He grinned. "You say that now but you might be pulling your hair out before it is all said and done. Come to think about it; I am going to Pennsylvania since we are doing a concert there next Saturday. Why don't you come up on Wednesday and see how it works in real life?"

She smiled broadly, "I would like that very much. What else do I need to know?"

He thought for a minute before he replied, "This is the busiest part of my life because of the travel and details. The other things are less intensive but just as important to me. But let's take another cup of coffee into the office and talk. Things will be easier in there; I think."

They refilled their cups before he led her down the hall to a room at the end. She immediately recognized that this was where he had his "office." There was a table on each of the side walls each piled with envelopes, letters, and assorted things. On the far wall were two tables stacked with similar items but twice as high. In the middle was a table-like desk with a computer and nothing else on its surface. She wondered if she could find enough trash bags to use since she had a feeling that her first job was going to be sorting through this room.

When she let her eyes focus on the walls, she was surprised again. Over one of the side tables were several framed book covers that she recognized along with a movie poster for a very popular movie. Over the other table was a number of photographs of singers and bands along with what appeared to be two gold records. If there was something on the back wall, she couldn't tell because of the stacks of paper on the tables.

Before she could say anything, Jeff spoke up defensively, "Before you panic and scream, there is rhyme and reason to this and it isn't as bad as it looks."

She couldn't stifle her giggle. "You are going to have to prove that before I will believe you."

"Ok, smart ass; I will. This table is stuff about my writing projects. This table is about my songwriting stuff. Those back there are about Miles of Music. None of this stuff is current or pending. Mostly it is just stuff that I don't know what to do with. That filing cabinet in the closet has all off the current and pending project documentation in it. Top two drawers are Miles. The third one is writing and the bottom one is songwriting. The other cabinet has projects that are complete. See; it is organized and under control."

She continued to giggle lightly as she said, "Organized? Maybe. Under control? Wait a minute, you write things like books and songs too?"

"Yes. That is kind of how I got started with all of this. I wrote a book, it sold pretty well, and then got bought by a movie company. That is the poster on the wall. I don't write the music of course, but I wrote the words and someone else wrote the music. They did pretty well too. Now Miles takes up most of my time but I want to get back to writing more. I have a couple of stories that need to be told. Satisfied?"

"At this moment, I'm not sure whether to be embarrassed at teasing you or shocked at the diversity of things you have been successful at. And I still can't believe that you want me to get involved with all of this. Are you sure?"

He became serious as he replied, "No; I am certain that I made the right choice. The only issue I am concerned about is getting you through the newness and surprise so we can move forward. That is why I didn't want to talk about this outside of here. And as I said, I don't talk about it often or to too many people period."

"But a lot of people must know you because you obviously have been involved with a lot of people. Don't they know or ask about all of this?"

"No, for two reasons. First, most people only know me through one thing and they know me by various names. Secondly, I don't wear any of this on my lapel. If you want a simple statement, it would be that I want people to know me because of what I do, not because of who I am. I want the work to speak for itself. Being a personality is not something I aspire to be. It just gets in the way of the work."

In a flash, a number of things that she had been told in the past several days became meaningful to her. Doc Miller had told her, "... you don't really understand yourself or the life you have chosen to pursue. You are one of the hardest working students I have ever had. You don't give up and you take care of the details that most students ignore. If you get into a high-profile law firm, you will have to become a smiling face that attracts new clients and pay just enough attention to details to insure a continuous flow of billable hours. Frankly, I think that you would burn out in that world." "...An opportunity like this won't come along very often but it is the world you are best suited for. For now, at least consider what Jeff has to offer. You might be surprised." And Jeff had told her, "I have gotten to the point where I can spend all of my time taking care of these things or doing the work that I do best."

"I am sorry for laughing; I wasn't laughing at you. I am just blown away by the scope of things you have done. You should be proud. As for me, I look forward to learning everything I can and taking over the details that are getting in your way. I have a lot to learn though. I hope you can be patient with me."

"Hannah, I am proud of what I have done; very proud. But I don't dwell on it. I call this my Ego Room because this is where my memories are kept. Outside of this room, I am Jeff McDaniel, a guy looking for the next opportunity to make a difference. These other things might help new things to be accepted more easily but they won't make my future work any better. When I stop growing, I will start dying."

"Then let's keep you growing. What's first?"

That began a three-year odyssey for both Jeff and Hannah. She learned quickly that his new pursuits included two new novels and several songs along with additional Miles of Music shows. After the Pennsylvania concert, they went into New York City for a day to talk with the publishing house about the contract for the new books. The next week, she was on the phone to the managers of several well-known bands about recording the new songs. She had to call Doc Miller a couple of times for clarifications on a number of issues since he had been Jeff's advisor for a number of years.

In the process, she also discovered that a couple of Jeff's anonymous affectations included the fact that he had no idea how much money he had or was worth and that he went under several pseudonyms in his activities. Whether by chance or intent, the Miles of Music people knew him as Mack Daniel. His books were published with the author shown as Blaine Daniels; Blaine being his middle name. His songs were credited to JB McDaniel. That gave meaning to his words, "...known by various names."

When she went into town, she discovered that he was also surprisingly well-known in the local community but mostly for his generosity as he supported the local high school with funding for computer systems, upgrades to audio-visual equipment, and sponsorships for their yearbook, school dances, and prom for which he frequently provided a regionally well-known band to play. He also regularly hosted a dinner for students who were successful or showed promise in one area or another. By then, it didn't come as a surprise to Hannah that he prepared the meals for these dinners himself although she wondered where he learned to cook.

Her ventures into town had started with her looking at apartments and perhaps an office. That brought her into contact with a variety of local people who were surprised to discover that she worked for Jeff but readily accepted her as part of the community as a result of that connection. She was still commuting each day from the city until she finally found her way to the adjacent building that Jeff had offered as a potential office. What she found was a fully furnished guest house that appeared to have never been used. Jeff finally admitted that he hadn't invited anyone to stay there because he was gone so much and offered it for her to live in rather than trying to find a place in town. She readily accepted his offer and moved her belongings in the next weekend. She set up her personal office there but usually spent a lot of time in Jeff's "office" looking through past contracts and sorting the volume of mail that he received.

As he had promised, he traveled between two and three weeks each month, although they communicated daily by e-mail and a private social message service. After the first month, Hannah had cleared up the clutter in Jeff's office while discovering literally hundreds of thank you letters from individuals and communities addressed to Miles of Music for their recent performance. She dutifully organized them in sequence and created a historical notebook of memories.

When Jeff returned from a trip, she let him wind down and rest before they sat down to go over important issues that had arisen. She was surprised at how good his memory for people and places was when a request for an interview or a concert was solicited. Jeff admitted that he no longer wanted to do public appearances and would only do radio interviews over the phone. When asked to do a television interview about his latest book, Jeff told Hannah to do it since it was an important show. He basically told her what was on- and off-limits to talk about. By now, she was very comfortable with his efforts to retain his privacy. As a result, she became a frequent interviewee on both radio and television for her reclusive boss. She did well enough that she gained a small following in her own right.