felt indestructible. She wanted to kiss him. She thought if she had a few more minutes in a better world they’d kiss and she would be all he needed.
“Let’s go, Tampons,” he said, taking his hat back before picking up her duffel bag and carrying it along with his to the door.
“You’re so romantic, Nathanial,” Clair joked. “I think that’s really why I like you.”
9 “This Guy Is Weird”
It was very humid as they made their way down the final block to Dark Coffee. They were a little late and Clair hoped Jimmy would give up and leave. A part of her hoped the same about Marisa.
“I still can’t believe you invited that weird guy,” she brought up. She couldn’t help it.
“Clair, it’s going to be a super great day – it has the chance of being one anyway – let’s not start it off with a tiff.” He looked back at her because she was still dragging a bit. Then he said, lastly, “I took a shower for you and everything.”
He walked up the steps and entered the crowded café, overjoyed that he wasn’t here to work but instead, here to meet his friends for a two-week adventure. He’d made this his goal since March and it was actually finally happening. He stuck to it and that felt great.
Nathanial was taller than anyone else in the café and his rugged cowboy boots making loud thuds against the hardwood floor attracted even more attention. He got behind Jeremiah and playfully wrapped his arm around Jeremiah’s neck and kissed him on the cheek. That was Nathanial’s usual greeting.
“Yo, budddd-dyyyy,” Nathanial said, smiling. Jeremiah laughed.
“Yo.” They hugged and gave each other brotherly pats on the back. “I didn’t know you were here – I didn’t smell you.”
“This little munchkin made me take a shower,” Nathanial pointed to Clair, taking the straw out of his mouth he’d been chewing on.
“She got you to take a shower?” Jeremiah said, impressed. “Then she should run for President.”
“Where’s the sassy little redhead?” Nathanial jumped to the next thing on his mind.
“She’s not here yet,” Jeremiah confirmed.
“When did you get here?” Nathanial asked him, looking around. He spotted Jimmy coming over to them from a table he’d been sitting at alone. Dread filled Clair’s tummy.
“I was on time,” Jeremiah stated.
“Hey guys,” Jimmy said. He sounded like a shy teenager.
“Oh hey, Jimmy,” Nathanial said. “How’s it going?”
“Good.” Jimmy looked at Clair, who avoided looking back at him at all costs. She stared at the floor so hard it took on a different pattern.
“Maybe Marisa changed her mind,” Clair said. “She was pretty drunk last night.”
Nathanial didn’t want to accept that. He really wanted her to go.
“Let’s get some coffee and give her a few more minutes,” Jeremiah said.
“So fuckin stoked man,” Nathanial said.
“Yeah, Mr. Clean? Oh hey, check it, I grabbed a new Drunk On Hope.” Drunk On Hope was a daily local paper on the music scene in Williamsburg, named after a street called Hope. “They reviewed our show last night.”
“Serious?” Nathanial stared at him, a bit nervous and a bit excited.
“What’s it say?” Nathanial asked.
Jeremiah seemed a bit hesitant. “Well overall I think its good…”
“Give me that shit,” Nathanial yanked the paper out of Jeremiah’s hand. He flipped through to the live show reviews as they went over to a table. He read it aloud for everyone to hear.
“Last night New York band The Wrist Burns played at Galapagos. While I want so badly not to like this band based on the singer’s silly ‘90s appearance (blue hair and Wilco hat – really?) I must admit that the band has a type of charm. His charisma last night was solid, though the Joy Division-inspired songs thing is getting a bit old. And yes “need” and “bleed” rhymes and its cool and dark and everything, but his song writing could use some help. Best moment of the night – the hard knocks life of living in New York song The City That Never Sleeps. The song bled pure, raw emotion into the stale hipster crowd of Galapagos.”
“Nathanial,” Clair sounded amazed. “That’s actually a good review. That paper always trashes everyone.”
“Clair?” Nathanial held the paper up like he was going to swat her with it. “The douche insulted my songwriting!”
Okay, he really was upset. That all changed though when he looked up and saw Marisa walk in. If people had a song that played for them when they made an entrance like this, hers would be something like Beautiful Girls by Van Halen or You Sexy Thing by Hot Chocolate.
Clair sensed something had changed in the room – a tidal wave of estrogen or something. She turned and stared at Marisa’s white-as-porcelain skin complimented by that crazy red hair. She was wearing tiny white shorts and six-inch red platform shoes. She also sported a vintage Kansas tour t-shirt under a very feminine white blouse with pink lilies on it. This was it, she was going, Clair realized. It changed the whole dynamic of the trip.
Nathanial immediately went over to her, tossed the copy of Drunk On Hope into the trash and leaned against the counter and gave Marisa his brightest, most flirtatious smile.
“You made it,” Nathanial said, smiling as he stood up to hug her.
“Yeah, thanks for waiting.” She placed her red vintage suitcase, which perfectly matched her red shoes, on the floor before giving Nathanial a big hug. She felt amazing. He couldn’t wait to be out there with her, at a campsite somewhere by the lake with a bottle of wine.
“You get enough sleep?” he asked as they went over to join everyone else.
“No but I’ll be okay.” She smiled at everyone. “I didn’t have any of you guys’s phone numbers so I couldn’t text you,” she said, apologetic.
“Oh man, I should have given you mine,” Nathanial rubbed the back of his neck. He was so nervous around her. “Was so drunk last night…I’m glad you came.” He put his arm around her again and turned her away from the group and walked her towards the counter. He lowered his voice when he spoke. “I have something special planned for you on this trip.”
“Really?” Marisa couldn’t believe it. This was actually happening.
“Yeah. Its gonna be rad. Let me get you coffee,” he offered sweetly. His voice was still hoarse from the show. Clair stared at him, unable to hide the envy she was feeling from her face.
“So are they like boyfriend and girlfriend now?” Jeremiah asked. Clair just shrugged.
“Damn, yo,” Jeremiah picked up his hat and put it on his head. “I don’t want no drama on this trip.” He watched as Jimmy got up to use the bathroom.
“Yeah,” Clair agreed. “I mean it started out as just the three of us – now its five?”
“Whatever, Nathanial gets way too excited sometimes and doesn’t think straight. We dump this guy off in Wisconsin and then hopefully everything will be cool. Let’s just focus on the destination, Clair.” Jeremiah stood up, finished his coffee and headed over to the trashcan with it. On their way out he put a supportive hand on Clair’s shoulder.
“Just try and remember this is supposed to be fun,” he told her.
“I’m trying,” Clair muttered. She waved a goodbye to her fellow coworkers but couldn’t shake the feeling that she might never see them again…and not for good reasons.
10 “Are You Serious?”
Josh felt tired. He usually felt hung over after a show but he never felt like this – tired all over. Tiredness in his bones. He was only twenty-seven, he shouldn’t feel so weary yet. Then again, he lived life in the fast lane, doing more things in one night than the average person did in a lifetime – pouring bars of booze down his throat, screaming his lungs out, having sex with…oh, he didn’t want to think about that. Too early.
He pulled himself out of bed and went downstairs. He loved the first floor of his house – how sunlight poured in from every direction. He kept
it spacious – not too much furniture or too much of anything. He preferred space to clutter. He kept all of his guitars and treasured gifts from fans locked up in a room upstairs next to his bedroom. It was like a giant suitcase of his most prized possessions. If he should ever wake to a burning house, he’d grab as much as he could from that room and haul ass.
The crew had crashed here once again – Stokey on the couch, Birth in a lawn chair out by the pool, and Lyle…who knew where Lyle slept? Josh just knew he was here because Lyle had an endless crush on Josh and was always around. Josh was just grateful they were all still asleep. He very much appreciated the silence of morning as it was the only quiet time he ever got. He tried to get up extra early just to claim a little more.
He took out two soft white pieces of bread and dropped them on the cutting board. A nice breakfast would make it better, some OJ, lounging by the pool, then slowly he could readapt to this havoc of a rock star life. This was what you wanted, remember?
The fog began to lift from his brain, thanks to the Lavazza he was sipping. He popped an Aleve on his tongue. He supposed it was his fault his band crashed here all the time. He did have the best house of them all. It used to belong to rocker Glen Danzig, and before that Lucille Ball. Josh liked the fact that two people so amazingly different fell in love with the same house. It was in Cheviot Hills, a very quiet neighborhood conveniently close enough to everything – L.A.’s bustling nightlife, Fox Studios, Sony Studios – but also far enough away to