If we were going to do this, it wouldn’t be in here.
The recording studio was sacred to me.
I turned off the gas fireplace.
Nash and Dex took off.
Jay wiggled his phone at me. “Company is on its way.”
“What about the piano?” Sab asked. “There’s some leftovers over there.”
Jay looked at me and grinned.
I laughed.
“We better clean up before things get filthy.”
I wandered my way outside.
My house was loud. Full of booze, drugs, and half naked women.
God bless rock n’ roll.
I took a deep breath of the warm night air and smiled.
Above me the stars shined.
That was another cool thing about living out here.
You had a sense of being away from the world yet still being a part of it.
I kept walking and knew I was going back to the studio.
My bed was big enough to fit me and four women comfortably and here I was sneaking away to the fucking recording studio.
I’m getting as soft as Nash and Dex here…
I went into the studio and there was just one light on in the place.
It was just enough light to see the shadows of everything.
I sat my ass back down in front of the piano and started to play.
Whatever came to mind, I went with.
“Honey, you’re on the corner, singing for the night… don’t look away from me, not this time…
The fire in a man’s heart… a tough game to play… you know come midnight, I have to make my way…”
I played through the piano part again.
“Ten years disappear in your smile, I don’t need this bottle to think. I fall into you as you fall into me…”
I stopped playing.
I took a deep breath.
It was all there. Right in my mind.
Fucking with me.
It was the image of Abby, standing on the corner, wearing some kind of outfit or costume with a few other women.
The wild girl who I met when she was singing on the stage in a Nashville bar.
I looked down at the piano again.
“Honey, are you still on that stage? Making your way. Taking their hearts, for three minutes of pay. Chasing your voice each and every way…”
I kept playing and shook my head.
Hands touched my shoulders.
I looked left to right.
I grinned when I saw the color of the nails.
A flirty neon-green color.
Those hands moved down to my chest.
Then her cheek was against mine.
I shut my eyes and thought about Abby again.
Fuck.
I opened my eyes.
“You’re not supposed to be in here, honey,” I said.
“The door was unlocked. I was looking for you.”
“And you found me,” I said.
Her hands moved down some more. “Was that about a girl that broke your heart?”
“That’s a secret song,” I said. “No telling you heard that.”
“You’ll have to keep my mouth shut,” she whispered. “Or full.”
“That can be arranged.”
“Then arrange it, Reed,” she said.
I slowly turned around and leaned back against the piano.
She was in a ripped t-shirt that looked stylish on her.
And a black pair of panties.
That was it.
She had been eye fucking me all night.
She touched my chin and bent forward to brush her lips to mine.
The taste of whiskey on her lips made me smile.
She moved to her knees and I opened my jeans.
I put my head back and let out a sigh.
She put her hands to the piano bench and let her mouth do all the work.
It wasn’t what I wanted.
But what rock star is ever going to turn down the chance to unload in a groupie’s mouth?
4
ABBY
“Still awake or just getting up?”
The glow of the TV spread across the living room as Jess shuffled toward me.
“Which one would make you hate me less?” I asked.
“The one where there’s coffee already made,” Jess said.
“Fuck. I let you down.”
Jess yawned and grabbed a blanket and crashed down to the couch next to me.
“I always end up out here anyway,” she said.
“Why?”
“I don’t know. It’s my routine.”
“I guess everyone has a routine,” I said.
“And yours is staying up all night to watch infomercials about vacuum cleaners?” Jess asked.
“No,” I said. “The last one was for some foot stuff that takes years off your feet.”
“Wow,” Jess said. “Sounds like you had a busy night.”
“Shut up,” I said and yawned.
“Close your eyes, Abby,” she said. “Get some sleep.”
We stared at each other for a few seconds.
She knew why I was awake.
I knew why I was awake.
I didn’t want to talk about it.
But I knew Jess was going to poke at me.
“You should figure it out,” she said to me. “I don’t know how that side of life works. But running and ignoring it…”
“You have money?” I asked.
“No,” Jess said with a laugh.
“So then don’t talk about it.”
“Talk to Sasha,” Jess said. “Or get some extra gigs. Go to Ungro. There’s got to be stuff out there.”
“What about you?” I asked.
“Oh, no, no,” Jess said, shaking her head. “You’re not twisting this thing on me. I don’t have people calling me. Looking for me. Scaring the hell out of me.”
“I’m not scared,” I said.
“You’re wide awake, Abby. Your eyes look sick. You look ready to throw up. Don’t tell me you’re not afraid.”
“I’m going to sleep now,” I said.
“Of course you are,” Jess said.
I put my head down on the pillow Jess gave me hours ago.
The guy on TV was very excited that his vacuum picked up all the cereal off the floor faster than the competitor’s vacuum.
Maybe I can do that. Get paid to be overzealous because of a vacuum. Do TV and commercials…
My eyes started to shut.
Jess touched my leg and patted it.
She was a good friend.
Probably the only true friend I had.
She didn’t know all the secrets, but she knew enough.
Just me being in her apartment was a risk for her.
She knew that and didn’t care.
I drifted off to sleep.
I need a few hours rest.
I had a big day ahead.
Singing Happy Birthday to some spoiled little brat.
I woke up to breakfast on the coffee table.
Jess was in the shower as I ate.
I cleaned up everything in the kitchen as my way of saying thanks to her.
When she got out of the bathroom, I went in for my turn.
I showered and cleaned myself up.
The call from yesterday was already working its way out of my head.
It happened more times than I’d ever admit to anyone.
And they knew I didn’t have the money.