World tour, p.7
World Tour, page 7
I nod. “Yes.”
“Did you…?”
I shake my head, and now my eyes are bulging. “God, no.”
“Are you going to? Like, are you seeing each other?”
“Somewhere out there, Amanda’s head is exploding right now, but no.” I go for stroke number two. “But he asked me to stay with him.”
She’s confused. “Stay…like…to live with him?”
“Yes.”
“But you’re not….”
“No.”
“Then…why?”
I figured that she’d freak out because I just met the guy and he’s asked me to live with him, but I guess, coming from a woman who’s dipped her toes in the waters of adultery, she isn’t one to judge. Plus, it’s not like he’s a stranger. I mean, he is Danny Spellman. I’ve practically known him for the last ten years, since they were new.
“I guess that’s how rock stars do it, mom. They meet someone and they invite them to live with them. I don’t know.” I shrug, trying to play stupid, and it looks like it’s working.
“And don’t you think that your father is going to chain you to your bedpost when he gets wind of this?”
“Well, I thought I would tell him that I’ve decided to move in with you?” I squish my neck up, cringing, trying for a pleading look.
“Diana, it’s bad enough that I lied to your father for the months that I did, about Douglas.” She explains. “Now, you know that I’m not an advocate of lying. Lying about going to a concert is one thing, but lying about your home address is another.” She pauses, sipping her tea. “Besides, I don’t know how I feel about you living with this rock star. This is so unlike you, Diana.” She angles her head. “Is this a joke? Did Amanda put you up to this?”
“No, not at all.” I bite my lip. “Mom?”
“Yes, honey.”
“Danny asked me to stay with him because…he…saved me last night.”
She sets down her cup. Her face is washed with concern. “Saved you from what?”
I feel the tears well up. My chin quivers. “From dad.”
She’s awestruck. “What do you mean…from dad?” Her voice is soft, like in another life, she was a therapist.
“Mom, dad was arrested today.”
She swallows, covering her mouth. “What did he do to you?” the way she says it, it’s like it will only take one answer for her to turn into mom, the tiger.
“He would go out drinking, come back, and…beat me.” I gasp. Tears stream down my face. “Danny found the bruises last night and he made me go to the hospital and report it to the police.”
Her voice is flat, like, if dad was here right now, she’d tear his heart out with her bare hands. “Did he…touch you?” the implication is all there in what she means.
I shake my head fast. “No, never anything like that.”
“I’ll kill the bastard.” She says coldly. Her face is like stone. “The son of a bitch will pay for that.” she looks at me. “Show me.”
Sliding down my jeans, I show her the welts on my thighs, and then I lift my top and show her the bruise on my ribs. “Nothing’s broken.” I say clearly. “The x-rays were all clear.”
“And you’re sure he never took advantage of you?” she says, putting her mom hat on again, removing her mom, the tiger, hat.
“No, mom. I promise.”
“So you say that he was arrested?”
“Yes. The police called me earlier at Danny’s house to let me know.”
“And you’re pressing charges?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Well, I can’t say that I blame Danny for offering to have you stay with him, then. It’s not like you would want to go back to that house.” She comments. “How long has this been going on for, Diana?”
“Since right after you left.”
Her eyes widen. “That long?” she gasps. “Why, why didn’t you say anything, Diana?”
“Because you were so happy, and he threatened to come after you if I did. He threatened to come after anyone I love if I squealed. But now, now that he’s behind bars, it’s okay, I think.”
“You needn’t worry about that, Diana. I know that you were probably too scared to even defend yourself. Me, if your dad came after me, I’d tear him apart. And then Douglas would kill him. And I’m sure that your friends Amanda and Danny would finish him off, too.”
I’d never even thought about that. The part where everyone I love would kill him and the part where I wouldn’t want to go back home, even if it was safe. If I’m honest with myself, that house, even if dad hadn’t touched me, has not been the same since mom left.
“Any man who attacks his only, defenseless daughter, is a coward in my book. Your father is no fighter. He can barely push the damn lawn mower over the grass for chrissake.” She seethes. “He’s just going on liquid courage. If you say that he’s drunk when this happens, and you’re too scared to defend yourself. That’s all that’s happened here, Diana. Your father feels like he’s lost control of his marriage, so he’s taking control over you to compensate.”
“What do you think will happen to him?”
“I’m not sure, Diana. But assault and battery can be tried in court as a felony, and I’m thinking that because it’s on his own daughter, that that will hold up with any judge in the state of California.”
“So, will he be in jail for a long time?”
“It all depends. He could be in jail for a couple of years or not at all. It depends on how the courts see it.”
“What’s going to happen to the house?”
“Well, it’s paid for, baby. So it’s all dependant on what happens with your dad. We’ll have to keep the utilities and taxes paid or we’ll be in trouble, if he does do time, but it’s up to you what you want to do.” She explains rationally, which is making me more thankful that I’m telling her. If she got all emotional, I think I would lose it. “For the time being, you can stay with your friend Danny if you want, at least while Douglas’s parents are here. Then you can live with me and Douglas if you want. This also depends on what you want to do about school, too. You can get a place in residence if that suits you.”
“I’m not sure, mom. I haven’t even decided what I want to do after this year.”
“Well, now isn’t the time to worry about that, Diana. We have bigger fish to fry.” Mom says. “How about I take you over to the house so you can pick up some things? Bring what you want to Danny’s house if that’s what you decide to do, and leave the rest here.”
“Okay, mom.”
Mom finishes her tea and puts mine in a travel cup, and we’re off. Despite the weirdness of mom being in the house for the first time since she left it, she’s not giving me any sense of awkwardness, and I love her for it. She’s making this about me, not her, classic mom. “We can make as many trips as you need, Diana, so don’t rush.”
We stuff all my clothes into garbage bags with the exception of stuff I want to wear now, and place that into a suitcase. My closet is full of childhood memorabilia, and mom places it all into her trunk, dividing between both mine and her cars. Everything plus my bedding all fits into both cars. For having lived in that house for nineteen years, I have surprisingly few belongings. “Have you told Amanda what’s going on?”
“No, not yet.”
“Well, you may want to soon, Diana. She’ll come looking for you, and it’s not fair to her not to know. She’s your best friend.”
“I know. I told you first, but she’s next.”
Speak of the devil. There is a knock on my bedroom window. “That’s Amanda now.” I say to mom.
“Well, go do what you have to do, Diana. Do you want me to leave?”
“No, you can stay.”
I open up the side door by my room, and let her in. “Oh, good, you’re alive.” Amanda says facetiously. “Jesus, I’ve knocked on your window three times today looking for you.” She complains as we walk into my bedroom. My mom is standing there, packing up the rest of my stuff. There is literally nothing but my bed and my dresser left.
“What the hell is this?” Amanda scoffs. “Are you moving out? Hey, Leslie.”
Mom looks at Amanda and gives her a smile. “Hi, Amanda. How are you?”
“I’m better now that I know that your daughter is still alive.” Amanda looks at me. “So, what? Did you finally decide to go to some Ivy League school?”
“Not exactly.” I give her the abridged version of what happened, only leaving out the part where I’m moving in, however temporarily, with Danny.
Amanda looks me over. “You’re not fucking serious.” Her voice is flat, and once she’s realized that she’s ‘f’ bombed in front of my mother, she covers her mouth. “I’m sorry.”
“Feel free, Amanda.” Mom scoffs. “Believe me, I almost removed my filter, too, when she told me.”
“You want me to go trash his room?” Amanda offers.
Mom looks up, with an ‘are you kidding me?’ expression on her face. “If anyone’s trashing his room, it’s me.”
I chuckle. I like this side of mom.
“Nobody does that to my baby and gets away with it.” she adds, aggressively shoving a t-shirt into the last clothes bag.
“So, you’re going to stay with your mom?” Amanda asks me.
“No, actually, after Danny took me to the hospital, he offered for me to stay with him.” I explain how Douglas’s parents will be occupying the guest room for a while.
“You want to stay with me?” Amanda offers.
“No, really.” I state, feeling uneasy. “I don’t want the whole world to know what happened. Not yet, anyway. This is enough, you know?”
“I get it, girl.” Amanda pats me on the back. “So, you’re actually going to live with Danny Spellman?”
“Yeah. He’s so sweet. I met his parents earlier.”
“Oh yeah?” Mom says, impressed.
“Yeah. He’s really close with them.”
“He’s a good boy, then.” Mom compliments. “I like him already.”
“Make sure you give me his number, so I can call you, okay?” Amanda interjects.
“Just make sure you don’t sell it to anyone.” I warn, mockingly.
“Please. If I was going to sell anything, it’ll be Booker’s underwear that I snatched last night.” she winks.
My tone is flat. “He actually wears underwear?”
“Not last night. I stole it from his bag in the dressing room.”
“Classy.”
“So, you got to meet the band last night, too?” Mom asks Amanda.
“Yes. Booker more than any of them, but yes, I met them, too.” Amanda brags. “My white tank top sure paid off. Not just with the ticket scalpers, but with Booker’s roadies, too.”
“Oh, Amanda, you’ll never change.” Mom says. I love it that mom isn’t offended by Amanda’s tartness. Dad never knew how to take her, so he always left the room whenever she was around. Mom gets a kick out of her.
“What fun would that be.” Amanda shrugs. “Take me as I am. Like me or not.”
“How about love?” I say, grabbing her and giving her a squeeze. “If it weren’t for you talking me into ditching my dad last night, none of this would have happened. You are my best friend for a reason, girl.”
“You bet your ass I am.” Amanda says, lifting her chin righteously. “And…don’t worry about dear ol’ daddy, little girl. I’ll be sure to…err…plant a few treasures for him.”
“Don’t get yourself into any trouble on his account.” Mom warns. “He’s not worth it. The man is hopefully going to rot in jail for a while, otherwise he’ll have a fine so large it’ll put him in the ground financially. Serves him well. It’s a good thing the divorce is already paid for.”
Amanda high fives mom and I smile. These are my two favorite people, right here.
“Alright, Diana. That about covers it. How about we take this stuff to my place and I get you back to Danny’s, so he isn’t worried about you?”
“Sounds good.” I copy Danny’s number from the sheaf of paper I wrote it on, which is inside my purse, and give it to Amanda. “And I’m not kidding. This phone number is strictly for your eyes only.”
Amanda looks at me. Cocky as can be. “Oh, that’s okay, sister. I’ve got Booker’s number, too.”
Chapter 7
Danny
The gate is open as Booker and I jam in the basement. I half want to invite Kramer and Phil over, too, but Booker and I are only getting rudimentary stuff down. Also, until Diana returns, I’d rather not have everyone over. It’s bad enough that Booker is sniffing for intel. Either way, we’re making headway with some of the riffs I’ve come up with, and I learned a couple new licks while we were on tour, too, so I’m practicing them while Booker comes up with some lyrics. It’s crazy how productive we are sometimes, while other days it’s like beating a dead horse. You would think that we’d be exhausted, but it seems like today we have a creative streak, probably from being unable to actually sit down like this in months.
In my basement I have a keyboard, a bunch of guitars, a drum kit, amps and some recording equipment. I could basically consider this somewhat of a recording studio with the exception of a soundboard, which I’m getting, plus it’s soundproof down here, and both Murphy and Leonard have been down here hundreds of times, so it has their seal of approval if ever I do want to do some serious recording down here. With all the land that I have, I could build my own damn studio, but I don’t know if I want to go that far. Maybe one day I will, but for now, this works well. We have partitions that we put up to decrease bleed from between the instruments, and that helps with isolating the different sounds when we are recording bits.
“Hey, I like that one.” Booker comments as I strum out a lick. “Play that one again.”
I do and he’s rocking away with it, and I can tell that his wheels are turning on lyrics, because he gets this far off look in his eyes, seemingly focusing on a spot on the wall. He tells me to play it about three times and then I decide to record it. He’s got something for sure, so I tell him to sing along with the lick, and we jam out a full riff for it, before moving on to some harmonies for it, too. I add some backup vocals on another track, and we think we’ve really got something. It’s a midstream tune that isn’t too hard or too soft, but it’s definitely a toe-tapper. We tend to create a lot of those, which is why our tunes are considered so danceable.
After adding a simple drum beat and a small piece of bass, we’re talking ourselves into calling the other guys, when I realize that I’ve been down here for hours, and I had turned the phone off down here. The front door is unlocked as is the gate, but I have this sinking feeling about Diana. I’m worried about her and how it’s going with her mom. I turn the phone back on after we’re happy with the tune and have gone as far as we can go without the rest of the gang. “Why don’t we head back upstairs and work on some stuff there?” I suggest.
“You want to make sure you hear your baby come home, don’t you.” Booker teases. “She said that she’d call, man. Don’t sweat it. You’ll get some more tonight. She’s good for it. Fact, if she’s anything like her partner in crime, you’re set for a while, man. That chick was on fire.” Booker scoffs.
“Yeah, that I didn’t need to know.”
“I’m just saying. Chicks like that are good to go and they’ll come back for more.”
“Thanks for the expert advice, man, but I don’t need it.”
“She’s a hot little number, man. Hey, if you don’t want her, I’d like to see if she’ll tag team with the blonde.”
“Fuckoff, man, she’s not like that.”
“What are you getting all bent out of shape for? From that kiss, I can tell that she’s totally into you.”
I’m still confused by that, and as much as I want to forget about it, it is helping me to write this song. The tune is precisely about mixed messages from women. One minute they play shy, the next they’re kissing you. But I still feel uneasy about this whole thing. And I’m itching to clear the air and find out what’s going on with Diana.
Booker picks up on the fact that I haven’t responded to him, and I must look like I’m in my own little world, which I kind of am. “Hey, dude. You don’t think she’s into you? Did you not bang her last night?”
“No, man.” I shake my head. “Look, I can’t get into any details, but there’s more to this girl than I’ve told you. Yeah, she kissed me, but it’s confusing the shit out of me as to why, because…well, let’s just say at the moment, we’re just friends.”
He cranes his neck back and a ‘v’ forms between his brows. “What the fuck are you talking about? She kissed you, plain as day, and then you kissed her back like you meant it. Are you telling me that that was my imagination? Because I didn’t pop any of the good stuff today…yet.”
“No, it wasn’t your imagination, man.” I bite my lip. “I really don’t know why she kissed me, and then stupidly, I kissed her back.”
“You mean you don’t like her?”
“I do, just…I don’t know. That’s not why she was here. I didn’t sleep with her, in fact, I didn’t even kiss her.” I rest my head in my hands. “It’s…fucked up.”
He pauses, staring at me like I’m sprouting a second head. “Let me get this straight. You bring her back to your place. You don’t fuck her. You don’t even kiss her, yet she clearly stayed overnight. Then she kisses you first and you kiss her back, yet nothing is happening between you two?”
“I told you it’s fucked up.”
“So…what did you do all night? Sleep?”
“Not exactly. I can’t get into it, man. Believe me, it’s killing me that I can’t, but, until I talk to her, I can’t tell you what’s really going on here.”
He claps me on the back. “I respect that, dude. She’s not asking for money, is she?”
I shake my head. “No, nothing like that.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, totally.” I nod. “It’s absolutely nothing like that.”
Inga left a few shirts on the dryer, which are visible from where we’re sitting. One of them is pink, and it’s clear that the garments are for a female. “What, is Inga leaving her shit here now?”
