584: A Rest Before the NBA Finals 3

A Rest Before the NBA Finals 3

Jake's friends weren't as surprised when the New York Knicks won because Jake had said it would happen. They admired his understanding of basketball and felt more at ease knowing that the Los Angeles Lakers would face the easier opponent.1

Then came June 12, 1999. The Los Angeles Lakers already knew they would face the New York Knicks on June 16, and it was also the day Kate arrived in Los Angeles again.

Jake woke up early and had the breakfast that Eva had prepared. He wanted to meet Kate at the airport, but she had come to Los Angeles without her team and only with Lily to avoid being followed by paparazzi.

If Jake showed up at Los Angeles Airport, all the paparazzi and sports reporters would follow him. So, Jake had to wait at his home for Kate to arrive. He was glad that Kate and Lily had agreed to stay at his Los Angeles home.

Even though Jake and Kate were dating, he feared that Kate might not want to stay at his house during her time in Los Angeles, even though he had a mansion with enough rooms for Kate and Lily to stay in without any worries.

But fortunately, Kate also wanted to be as close as possible to Jake. Lily knew that the two were in love and didn't prevent it from happening. Besides, it would be easier for them to meet without the paparazzi discovering Kate if she stayed at Jake's house.

Jake had hired a few more temporary security guards to better protect his friends and his mother. This way, the paparazzi would have a hard time taking the photos they wanted of his house.

Kate arrived in Los Angeles with Lily, both wearing wigs as a disguise. Lily rented a car, so they were able to get to Jake's mansion without being detected by the paparazzi. Lily chose a vehicle with tinted windows so that the paparazzi wouldn't know who was in the car.

Kate arrived at Jake's house and quickly found him. She was very excited to see Jake again and gave him a kiss. Jake was also happy, and only Lily felt embarrassed seeing the two of them kissing.

"I missed you so much, Jake. Phone calls just weren't enough to keep from missing you," Kate said, emotional.

"I missed you too, Kate. That's why I'm so happy you're here with me now," Jake replied, joyously.

"Thank you, Lily, for making this happen. I know it must have been difficult to bring Kate here in the middle of the concert season, especially having to hide from the fans," Jake said.

"It's my job, and I want to see Kate happy. Plus, when you two go public with your relationship in September, my job will be easier," Lily replied.

"Yes, in September, we can finally announce that we're together. I just hope it won't disrupt Kate's career too much," Jake said.

"It won't disrupt my career. I might even gain new fans – the fans who root for the Los Angeles Lakers and who like you. I don't need fans who would abandon me just because I found the person I love," Kate declared.

Kate spoke her true thoughts. She and Lily knew that she might lose a few thousand fans if she revealed that she was dating Jake, but those were not the kind of fans Kate wanted – fans who wanted the artist to be unhappy and alone.

It could even be beneficial for her new image as a singer. Kate, like other singers, wanted to shed the image of a teenage singer. She had a style of fashion and music that was more mature and would continue to evolve with her age.

Jake also knew that Kate was trying to reassure him, but he was aware that in a few years, the global media landscape would change with the rise of smartphones. He could help Kate improve her image through the emerging social media platforms in the coming years.

He remembered that many artists took years to get used to the new social media platforms that would emerge, and the artists who adapted better to these platforms could have a much larger audience than older artists.

Jake was currently the one who knew best how to adapt to the new social media platforms that would emerge in the future, so it would be easier for him to help Kate become one of the artists with the most followers on these new platforms, given her talent.

Jake knew that the meeting with Kate would be exciting, so he asked Eva and his friends to wait for them in the living room of his house. After spending some time with Kate, he went with her and Lily to meet Eva and his friends.

"Kate, it's good to see you again. Jake has been talking about you for the past few months; he missed you so much," Eva said.

"It's good to see you again, Eva. I missed Jake a lot too. I'll be able to stay here for the next few weeks to watch Jake's games in the NBA Finals," Kate replied.

Eva really liked Kate, and she wanted Jake's happiness. Even though in the past she may have preferred him to be with Lola, Eva knew that her son loved Kate, and she accepted her when she realized that Kate also loved Jake deeply.

Kate also chatted with Jake's friends, who were very happy to see that he had found a girlfriend who was his equal. Kate was beautiful, talented, and loved Jake, so they thought she was the perfect girlfriend for him.

Jake was very happy and wanted to spend more time with Kate, but he still had to train with the Los Angeles Lakers before the NBA Finals games. Now that Coach Rambis knew who the next opponent would be, he could better prepare the players for the final matches.

As Jake had expected, the other players on the Los Angeles Lakers team were much more relaxed about facing the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals, especially because at the end of the last game, the Knicks players were very tired.

The players of the Los Angeles Lakers were already rested from the previous games and had five more days to completely shake off the fatigue from the playoffs. Additionally, Jake, Kobe, and Shaquille were younger players compared to the average age of the Knicks' team.

The New York Knicks would have a lot of difficulty defending against Jake, so it would provide more opportunities for Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant to play freely. If the Knicks' players didn't defend against Jake, it would be even easier for the Los Angeles Lakers to win.

After a day of intense training, Jake could return home and spend some time with Kate. Since Kate was tired from the past few months of shows, Jake decided to stay at his house and rest with Kate, and they would go out on the other days.

Jake had watched many behind-the-scenes documentaries of famous shows and knew how artists could get very tired, having to travel long distances, sing, and even dance during the shows. Fortunately, Lily always took good care of Kate's health and didn't let her become overwhelmed.

Kate noticed Jake's consideration and was very happy. She was truly exhausted and much-preferred spending a day with Jake at his house than going out to explore Los Angeles, especially since they would have to disguise themselves and couldn't freely roam the city.

Jake's friends were clever and said they needed to go out and do something in the city, so they left the house. Eva didn't leave the house but told Jake to spend the day with Kate and engaged in conversation with Lily.

As a result, Jake enjoyed the rest of the day with Kate. They could date and spend time together after a long time apart. Jake's house had many places to relax, and at the end of the day, they spent a few hours in the home theater watching some movies together.

When dinner time arrived, Jake's friends had returned, and Jake invited everyone to spend time together at dinner. He wanted to spend a lot of time with Kate, but he couldn't leave his friends and his mother isolated all day.

Kate also wanted Eva and Jake's friends to like her, and she appreciated the affection that Jake showed to the people close to him. So, everyone had the opportunity to get to know each other better and have fun at the end of the day.

On the other days, Jake and Kate left the mansion a few times with some security guards to find places in Los Angeles where they could be together without being recognized.

Jake's luck helped him again, and they managed to find many famous places where they could dine at restaurants and enjoy some quality time together with fewer people around. Even Jake's security guards didn't expect things to be so easy.

Kate was also happy to spend this time with Jake without being recognized. She was a young and passionate woman, and even though they went to various places, she could rest from the routine of her shows even before the NBA Finals games began.

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