Today People

by Barbara G. Tarn

  "I'm Debby, keyboard player, I'm not single, and I prefer pop music to rock."

  "I'm Benny, I play guitar, and I'm married."

  "I'm Kyle, I play bass and I have a girlfriend I love very much."

  Bonnie winced, but she was enjoying herself anyway.

  "So, what is it like to be the leader of such a mixed band?" The host stared at Benny again, but he laughed.

  "I'm not the leader," he assured.

  "He's a natural songwriter, so he sings most of the songs," Mike added.

  "Our rule is whoever comes up with the lyrics is going to sing the song," Debby explained.

  "And Benny is our poet!" Kyle said.

  "But definitely not a leader! He wasn't even in the first line-up!" Mike concluded

  "Who's the leader, then?" the host asked, confused.

  A chorus of "Nobody!" answered her.

  "We wanted a band that could get along well and last for a long time," Debby said. "We wanted people that were friends as well as good musicians."

  "Yeah, you know, one for all, all for one," Mike continued. "Benny sings fifty percent of our stuff because he writes it."

  "The rest is between Debby and Mike," Kyle added. "I have only one song, and Bonnie none."

  "But we couldn't be a band without her!" Mike hugged Bonnie, who smiled shyly.

  "Are you two an item?" Nosy Host asked.

  "Not with this line-up, no," Mike answered promptly, keeping his arm on Bonnie's shoulder.

  "Not anymore," she added. "Only in high school."

  "I see." Nosy Host turned back to Benny. Bonnie refrained from sticking her tongue at her. "So, what's next?"

  "We're going to shoot the new video and then start the first tour as headliners," Benny answered.

  "Yeah, we're very excited and we have picked up two or three local bands to open for us everywhere we go," Mike continued.

  "They'll be able to play in front of much wider audiences than usual, but still in their area," Kyle explained.

  "We're not taking anyone with us, to give more bands a chance," Brad said.

  "Right, like the stars that helped us, by letting us tour with them," Debby added.

  "And we look forward to meet you all out there!" Mike spoke to the camera with heartfelt enthusiasm. "And some of you we already know, so it's going to be great to see you again!"

  "Yeah, I look forward to be back on the road." Kyle grinned.

  "So, how would you sum up your band and your music?" the host asked.

  Debby answered first. "Pop music with edge."

  Benny added, "A band based on songs and friendship."

  "We're a bunch of people who get along very well, and love jam sessions at all times," Kyle smiled.

  "Yeah!" Mike exclaimed. "We like to have fun, stay up all night, and really cute girls..."

  Bonnie slapped Mike's head, interrupting his tirade.

  "Speak for yourself!" Benny retorted. "I'm married and have a very religious background!"

  "Don't be the usual disgusting rock guy, Mike!" Debby chided.

  "What?" Mike protested. "That's why everybody loves me anyway!"

  "Actually, we hate you," Bonnie teased.

  "Aw, Bonnie, now you really broke my heart!"

  "OK, I think we got it all!" The host took back control of the conversation. "Any advice for wannabes?"

  Benny said, "If you do it with passion, you'll succeed."

  Mike added, "Just don't give up and keep trying."

  Debby pondered. "There's the Luck part and the Perseverance part – you better rely on the second!"

  Kyle recommended, "And always enjoy what you do. If you do it for the money, you'll fail."

  "Thank you guys! Wow, definitely some pearls of wisdom here!"

  Bonnie scoffed again. Poor Nosy Host. What did she know anyway. She was so smitten with Benny, it was useless to tell her about the sixth member of the band – their manager and Benny's wife.

  Bonnie had a crush on him when he had joined the band, they even had spent a few months together. Until Joyce had come along, managing their artistic lives – and Benny's heart. Bonnie often teased him about his awful tastes in women, even if she was included in the lot. Handsome but dumb? Maybe, or maybe only faithful and old-fashioned and sweet. And monogamous even in words – unlike Mike who loved to boast and pretend he had hundreds of women at his feet.

  ***

  "Are we finished with TV appearances?" Benny asked, slumping on the couch and leaving the travel bags where he had dumped them.

  "Thank God, yeah." Joyce nestled against him with a sigh of contentment. "We can concentrate on the video before hitting the road."

  "I'm glad we're on our own, last tour was a nightmare," Benny said, remembering how the very famous headliner had ordered him to her bedroom one night.

  "Don't tell me, I had to watch that bitch as she came after you!" Joyce snorted.

  "Not only me, also Mike and Kyle that time," he said, chuckling at the memory. It had been as hard for Kyle as it had been hard for him. Mike probably had taken it better than both his band-mates.

  "I didn't marry them," she retorted. "She had you all, I hope she burns in hell now!"

  "Don't be nasty," he chided. They might have surrendered their bodies for one night, but they hadn't given the superstar their hearts. He had actually felt sorry for her – stardom had made her lonely and sour.

  "What?" Joyce snapped. "I thought you hired me because you didn't want to sleep with record company execs!"

  "She wasn't a record company exec, and I was honored to open for her – before discovering what she's really like," he explained.

  "Yeah, well, we're beyond her, now," she said impatiently. "Are you still considering Carrie for the video?"

  "I believe Mike is asking her tonight. We'll see what she says. Are you hungry?"

  "Not really... I'm too tense."

  "You? You haven't been under the spotlight all afternoon!" he teased.

  "Watching you getting all that female attention isn't funny, honey!" she retorted.

  He kissed her. "I know, baby, it's not easy for me either. You know I love you, don't you?"

  She sighed and hugged him. "Love you too, honey."

  They exchanged a long kiss, then Benny pulled away, blinking repeatedly. "Better take the contacts off, my eyes hurt..."

  ***

  Debby found Ricky working on his laptop. She kissed his head but he glared at her.

  "What a homecoming," she sighed. "I guess you're busy."

  "I'm not busy!" he snapped. "You're the one always busy! You know you spend more time with your friends than with me?"

  "Excuse me?" She stared at him, incredulous. "Who's working eight to five? Not me, I think!"

  "Someone has to pay the bills, what do you think?" He got up to face her, gorgeous in his anger.

  "I'm contributing too! Besides, I didn't ask you to quit the band and start modeling only to end up in an office like you did!"

  "Oh, yeah? What were you expecting, that I'd be a model forever?"

  "When you started, you earned more than the five of us together." And boy, was he still handsome – Benny's rival for the looks. "You even paid the studio for our first demo! That was the sweetest birthday present you ever gave me." She wanted to throw her arms around his neck and kiss him blind, but his frown was still there, putting a wall between them.

  "That was the stupidest, and I'm still wondering why I wasted that money!" he retorted. "It was the beginning of the end!"

  "Of what?" she asked, puzzled. She couldn't figure out what he was mad about.

  "Our relationship," he answered through clenched teeth, his blue eyes glaring at her. "It's been going down the hill ever since."

  "No, it's not!" She protested. "We're building something together!"

  "Really?" He was sarcastic now. "I thought we were working towards two very different careers, mine and yours. They don't really meet anywhere.!"

  "You could have been a model
for a little longer..."

  "Yeah, but you age very fast in that profession. I thought I'd better find something more permanent to start a family."

  "I'd be forever grateful for this." She moved one step forward, but he stepped back, still angry.

  "I doubt it, since Joyce found you that first record deal, you stopped talking about it!" he said scornfully.

  "About what?" She was puzzled again. She couldn't understand her boyfriend anymore. What was going on?

  "Starting a family." Ricky scoffed. "We've been together for more than ten years, lived together for almost nine, but no wedding and no kids and no talks about it. All I hear is music!"

  "Oh! Well, we can discuss it now. I was thinking about it, in fact!" She grinned.

  "Really? That's new." His sarcasm again.

  "Ricky, the clock's ticking for me too," she said, serious now. "I haven't forgotten our dreams! How about we get married at the end of the tour and have a baby?"

  "At the end of the tour. That's six months from now."

  "Gives us plenty of time to organize everything."

  "How? You won't even be home!"

  "There's the internet, and the phone. Of course I can take care of it while I'm away."

  He didn't look convinced, but calmed down. "OK, deal. Six months from now."

  "Promise." She smiled, relieved, and he finally took her in his arms to kiss her.

  ***

  Kyle found Betty cleaning the kitchen.

  "Hey," she greeted with a tired smile. "Thought you'd arrive later. Have you eaten?"

  "Plane food," he said before kissing her mouth. "If you have anything to throw in the microwave..."

  She did. Kyle watched her as she busied herself, sitting at the table. "How was your day?"

  She shrugged. "Busy, as usual. You'll never know what it means to be an employee."

  "Do you want me to quit the band and start working for your boss? If Ricky did it, I can do it too."

  She served him the pre-cooked dinner with a smile. "You wouldn't last a month. We already tried it. And since you bring money home too, I don't see why you should quit. How was New York?"

  "Great, as usual."

  "Are you doing the Madison Square Garden again?"

  "Yeah, but we won't be the opening band anymore. It's very exciting."

  "I'm so happy for you..." She lowered her eyes as her smile faded away. "Do you think we can have one of those serious talks after the tour?"

  "Definitely." He smiled. "Or do you want to talk about it now?"

  She shook her head. "Not in a hurry. When you come back is fine."

  "Do you think you'll be able to take some days off during the tour?"

  "Oh, I don't know. I'm afraid it's the busiest time of the year! But I'll do my best to join you somewhere out there, promise!"

  Kyle thought he was the luckiest man on the planet.

  2.

  Bonnie sat with the band in Benny's living room. Joyce was there too, and so was Carrie, Mike's red-headed supermodel girlfriend. Bonnie stared with a mix of disgust and frustration at Carrie's sexy attire that made even Debby look uninteresting.

  "Sure, I can do the video," Carrie said. "How much will you pay me?"

  "You help your boyfriend's career and want money for it?" Joyce asked with a frown.

  "Honey, I'm a professional model, I don't work for free," Carrie shot back with her sweetest smile – which made Bonnie want to slap her.

  "And how much is a professional model paid for a music video?" Benny asked.

  Carrie stared at him with lust. "We can discuss a special price in private," she purred.

  Bonnie felt sorry for Mike. What a slut he had found.

  "Forget it," Joyce snapped. "You're not having sex with him, bitch!"

  Mike looked uneasy as Carrie glanced at Kyle. Double bitch nymphomaniac! Bonnie thought.

  "Say how much you want and we'll see if it fits our budget," Kyle said. "No extras."

  "Is Betty as jealous as Joyce, Kyle?" Carrie teased.

  "You're Mike's girlfriend, you're his business, not mine," he replied.

  "Fine. Here's my price." She whispered in Mike's ear, smiled at everyone, and rose. "I'll wait in the car, dear," she said, sauntering away on her high heels, her hips swaying.

  Bonnie snorted, noticing Mike drooling after her. But he sighed and lowered his eyes as soon as Carrie was out of the room.

  "What the fuck do you find in her?" Bonnie exploded.

  He shrugged. "She's a sex-bomb."

  "Great! A fuck friend!" She was sarcastic now.

  "If you want to think so." He avoided eye contact.

  "And aren't we supposed to be your friends?" she insisted. "Or is a fuck friend better than a lifelong friend?"

  "It's different!" Mike sounded frustrated. "Guys, if we want a pro, she's available at the same price of her colleagues. It's up to you if you want her or someone else."

  Kyle shrugged. "She's hot all right, fits the song."

  "As long as I don't have to sleep with her," Benny grumbled.

  "If we can afford a professional model, I don't care who she is," Debby said.

  "It's her, or your sister all dressed up!" Mike rolled his eyes. "We have run out of relatives to use in videos, in case you forgot."

  "Please, Mike, don't be an asshole." Debby glared at him.

  "I hate her," Bonnie muttered. "How could you spend one and a half years with me if you like girls like her?" she asked.

  "Geez, Bonnie, we were just kids!" Mike said, exasperated. "And you're still looking for Prince Charming, who doesn't even exist!"

  "The fact that you're not a Prince Charming doesn't mean he doesn't exist," she retorted.

  "Fine, I'm not, and I like sex-bombs, what are you gonna do, kill me?"

  "No, I only feel sorry for you."

  "I'm very fine, thank you!"

  "Good for you. Then we can put your beloved girlfriend in our latest video and start the damn tour!"

  Mike looked around the room. "So everybody agrees?"

  Nods and shrugs all over. The bitch had won. Sometimes Bonnie really hated compromise. Mike had been her boyfriend back in high school but they had split when they had hit their twenties. He was still her best friend and bodyguard, and they were quite fond of each other – except when Carrie was involved. Bonnie couldn’t stand the glamorous red head. She thought Carrie was wrong for Mike. Maybe she was being overprotective of her ex-boyfriend.

  ***

  Mike was still nervous entering his apartment with Carrie – mostly because she looked so triumphantly serene. He threw his keys on the table, upset. She obviously didn't care the band hated her, but Mike was torn. Lust on one side, his best friends on the other – what was a man supposed to do?

  Carrie went towards the bedroom, but stopped at the door to look at him in a sexy pose. "Are you coming?"

  Mike slumped himself on the couch. "Not now," he muttered.

  "Why are you so mad at me?" she asked, playing innocent. "Didn't you pay Ricky for the Streets of Love video?"

  "Yeah. That's not the point." Mike frowned, refusing to look at her.

  She went to him, swaying on her high heels, and sat near him. "What is, then?"

  "They don't like you," he grumbled. "They don't like me being with you."

  She scoffed. "Joyce is jealous all right, but what did I do to your precious little high school friends?" she asked.

  "Nothing, you're just... Too different. Guess you remind them of Rachel."

  "Another one of you exes they didn't approve of?"

  "No, our first lead singer. Back in high school."

  "Gee, can't they grow up?" She snorted. "We're not in high school anymore, are we? We're all pros, now, even you!"

  "Yeah, and I wrote that damn song for you, so I want you in that video!" Now he was getting angry at his friends.

  "I'll be in it," she purred. "Then you'll go on tour and I'll keep working on my own..."

  She licked his ear
and he took her in his arms. "I love you, babe."

  "I know. We'll meet in L.A.," she whispered back with a mischievous smile.

  His tongue dived into her mouth, struggling with hers as the lyrics of the song she had inspired sang in his head.

  She's hot

  she's rich

  she's tough

  she's bitch

  she's tall

  she's cool

  she falls

  she rules

  she's mine, oh yeah

  just mine, I swear

  she's red

  she's blue

  she threats

  she rules

  she smiles

  she pouts

  she's shy

  she's out

  she's mine, oh yeah

  just mine, I swear

  she cheats

  she jokes

  she quits

  she pokes

  she loves

  she hates

  she glows

  she breaks

  she's mine, oh yeah

  just mine, I swear.

  ***

  "So we leave tomorrow, but as soon as I get back, we can get married," Debby said, sitting on the couch with Ricky, who nodded, thoughtful. "We were also thinking about buying a huge house where we could all live together and have our own in-house recording studio."

  Ricky's head snapped up as he glared at her. "You're kidding, right?"

  "No, why?" she answered. "It would save time for everyone! Since Bonnie moved out of her parents, we don't even have their garage to practice anymore."

  "This is... totally insane!" Ricky exclaimed, furious. "Do you realize what you're saying?"

  "I'm saying I could work from the house and spend more time with you," she explained. Why was Ricky being so dense all of a sudden? It made perfect sense, didn't it?

  "And with your goddamn friends!" Ricky jumped up and started pacing nervously in front of her. "I don't think we can go on like this, Debby! What's the point? This is the end of it, I wish you good luck, but don't come back here at the end of the tour."

  "But why?" She couldn't believe her ears, and her eyes followed his pacing, widened in shock. "You knew all along what I wanted!"

  "Yes, and I thought I could handle it, but I can't!" he insisted angrily. "Debby, you see your damned friends more than you see me! You don't have a life outside the band, at least not with me!"