Janelle spoke again. It sounded to Brandee like Janelle was speaking extraordinarily quietly, but that wasn't the case. Everything that Janelle said was spoken in the same even tone.
“Release the toxins. Release the fears. Breathe them out.”
Brandee's respiration responded to the sound of Janelle's voice. Brandee had begun to breathe out her fears before Janelle had stopped speaking.
“Now look up!” Janelle commanded. Brandee obeyed.
“Look at me. See the Mother Creator's spark in my eyes as it calls to your soul.”
Brandee nodded a little, barely breathing now. Janelle continued. “The Creator Spirit in all of us calls us to special times in special places. This is our special time in this special place. Close your eyes!”
Brandee obediently dropped her lashes over her blue eyes, hiding them from her spirit guide.
Janelle moved to within eight inches or so of Brandee and spoke the words of illumination.
“Oh Creator Spirit. Release this woman from the shackles that constrain her. Bring a light into all that is Brandee Reneé Alexander. Make of her the woman that she is called to be. Enhance her beauty by your enchantment. Expand her mind by your wisdom. Increase her strength by your power.”
Janelle gently placed her finger under Brandee's chin and lifted it slightly, saying quietly, but with an intensity that showed in the fire that lit her eyes “Open your eyes, Child of The Holy Awakening!”
Brandee's lashes fluttered as she opened her eyes. She would later say that at that moment she felt lighter and cleaner than she ever had in her life. She looked at Janelle, inches away. Brandee Evans closed her eyes again and covered Janelle's mouth with hers.
Janelle's lips parted instantly and her tongue met Brandee's. Brandee, her advanced state of spiritual exaltation playing itself out in a burst of forbidden desire, reached behind Janelle's shoulders and drew her closer in passionate embrace.
***
The Nissan pulled into the parking lot of Araxa Gifts and Jewelry at about 3:00 PM. Jake quickly found the items that he remembered Brandee admiring several months earlier. A silver necklace stared back at him from the display case, with a sapphire and pearl trim tracing a winding path toward the center. Nestled alongside the necklace was a matching pair of sapphire earrings. Suzi was duly impressed.
“Breathtaking,” she said to Jake. “Absolutely stunning.”
Jake was pleased. He knew that Brandee had liked the piece, but it was nice to have his selection validated by another woman. He asked the owner of the shop if she would gift wrap the item. He didn't know when he would present it to his wife, but he couldn't wait to see her eyes when she opened the gift.
Bruce, though not having much experience with jewelry selection, nevertheless thought that Jake's gift was eye-catching. He turned the box this way and that, admiring the way that the light caught the silver.
“Well played, my boy,” he said to Jake. “You don't leave any doubt when you want to kiss and make up, do you?”
“She's my life, Bruce,” Jake said. “Just like Suzi is yours.”
Bruce knew how Jake felt. When he had first met Suzi, he was perfectly happy in the life that he had chosen. He was playing music as often as he could, and that was enough for him. Suzi opened up a door that Bruce hadn't known even existed. He figured that he should probably get to know what was available in a jewelry store, and what Suzi would like to put on her finger.
“I'm going to follow Suzi around for a little bit, and see what makes her squeal,” he said to Jake, pretending to sneak up behind the guitarist, who was camped in front of the wedding set display.
Diane moved into the spot that Bruce had just vacated. She had been admiring the piece that Jake had chosen since he first asked the owner if he could take a look at it.
“My ex used to say, 'You can't buy love, but with something shiny you can certainly rent it for an hour.' Looking at that necklace, I think I knew what he was talking about,” she said to Jake. “It's gorgeous.”
Jake laughed. “You think Brandee will let me rent a little lovin'?”
Diane turned suddenly serious. “That woman is a damn fool if she lets the differences that you guys have get in the way for very long. She's young, but young isn't always an excuse for stupid. I don't think she's stupid. Stubborn for sure, but not stupid.”
Diane looked at her watch. They still had almost a half hour to go and a lot of work before show time. The time for looking at jewelry was over.
“Come on, gang. We have to play some music!”
Jake, Suzi, and Bruce trailed Diane outside. They looked at the sky and saw storm clouds coming from the west.
“Great,” Bruce grumbled. “Back in California; back to playing in the rain.”
***
Brandee and Janelle were back on the road as well. Janelle's face was flushed from her recent exertions, but her heart was overflowing. She looked at Brandee, who was being rather quiet as she steered the Sprinter up Highway 101.
“What are you thinking about?” Janelle asked.
Brandee shook her head as if to clear it. She found herself at a loss for words.
“Nothing, I guess.”
Janelle was far from satisfied with that answer. After what she and Brandee had just experienced, she felt like she had a true need to know what was on the singer's mind, even if it wasn't good.
“Are you upset with me?” she asked in a suddenly small voice.
Brandee paused for a moment before answering. “It isn't that. I'm just confused. I just cheated on my husband; I don't take that lightly. I've never cheated on him before.”
Janelle put her hand on Brandee's left shoulder, rubbing it gently. She could feel tension in the singer's muscles. “I love you, darling. If you love me, that changes everything.”
Brandee looked at Janelle. She saw the deep emotion there that confirmed her words. She wanted to be as honest with Janelle as she could. First, though, she had to sort out in her own mind what would be the honest thing to say.
“You're very special to me, Janelle. I felt a deep peace back there when you taught me to meditate. I felt the presence of The Creator Spirit. I also wanted to be close to you in the way that we were. That's why I'm so confused. I love my husband. I just kind of feel like I need you, too. Does that sound selfish?”
Janelle breathed a sigh of relief. Part of her had been afraid that Brandee might be so stricken with guilt that she would send Janelle away. Now she felt like that danger wasn't there.
“We're seeking a greater meaning for our lives. Both of us. That's why I love you, Brandee. You're the rest of me!”
Brandee nodded. She and Janelle were attached on a meaningful level. What did that even mean, though? What about Jake? She had a lot to think about and a show to do. What a day it had been, and it was only half over.
***
Brandee was performing as the entertainment following the Tough Truck Demolition Derby at the Del Norte County Fairgrounds. The mobile stage was to be brought to the middle of the rodeo grounds after the vehicular chaos, which didn't leave the members of Brandee with much to do in the hours preceding. The normal acoustic and sound checks were impossible, so the performers spent about a half hour bringing their equipment to the covered storage area, checking it in with the security force that would be caring for it, and approximating their staging positions for the show that night, before heading for The Northwoods Inn. By this time, some of the jalopies that were going to be competing that evening were starting to roll up to the fairground entrance.
Even though the group hadn't been together for even an hour at the fairgrounds, Diane sensed that something was amiss. Janelle had always pretty well kept to herself as the group set up. She would carry the things that she was asked to carry, but beyond that she would stay quiet, almost like she didn't want to be noticed. This was not the case in Crescent City.
The young newcomer seemed almost giddy. She was giggling at everything Brandee said, no matter
how inconsequential it was. She marched around the rodeo grounds, not like a visitor, but like she belonged there. Diane supposed that it was just a matter of being more used to being where the group was, but the drummer couldn't shake the feeling that Janelle was inserting herself where she didn't belong, by her attitude if nothing else.
Jake didn't notice anything different. His mind was still on the item in his coat pocket. He didn't know when he would give it to his wife, but he wanted it to be at exactly the right time. Jake watched her from a distance during setup, anticipating how she would react to the present.
Crescent City, California sits in one of the great rain forests in America. The people who come to the Del Norte County Fair were used to being entertained in the rain. That, combined with the fact that Brandee was a much more polished group than they had been so many months ago in rainy Ukiah, made for a rocking good time.
Bruce Jackson was particularly on his game this night. Maybe it was the smell of burning rubber that lingered in the air from the demolition derby; maybe it was just simply his night to be on, but whatever it was, he was flat shredding it at The Del Norte County Fair!
Brandee Evans fed off Bruce's energy. She would never tell anyone, but she was still feeling the effects of the injury that she had suffered at Cache Creek two nights earlier. Her natural stamina wasn't back yet, but the fact that Bruce was in such a nice groove helped the young singer to get over the mountains that she needed to climb vocally.
The cowboy-hat-wearing audience appreciated the work that Brandee was doing this night. Word of mouth about the group had spread through the town since they had performed twice before at The Harbor View Grotto, and the crowd was not disappointed by what they heard. One gentleman in particular, standing a ways apart from the bulk of the cheering crowd, nodded his appreciation for the group's performance.
Brandee Evans was not only a voracious little girl but also a tired little girl by the time her set was over. She begged off from the clean-up duties in favor of trying to get an extra couple of hours of rest. She was hoping that by the time the caravan hit Eugene, Oregon the next day, she would be in better shape. She and Janelle headed for the Northwoods Inn.
Suzi briefly considered saying something about Janelle leaving with Brandee, since part of the arrangement that Janelle had agreed upon was that she would pull Suzi's weight when it came to setup and break down. Things had definitely changed. The group had become two separate entities. Not only did it not surprise Suzi that Janelle had left the two- to three-hour task of breaking the show down to the other members of the group, but she actually found herself feeling relieved that Janelle had left the post show routine to the members of the group. She no longer even pretended to be with the group as a whole. Suzi decided to keep her mouth shut.
Jake had just begun his portion of the breakdown procedure when he was approached by a middle-aged man. Jake had briefly noticed him during the show for two reasons. First, he had been standing near the stage but away from most of the crowd. In fact, he hadn't been far from Jake's location during the show. Second, his attire had stood out from the others in the crowd. The majority of the County Fair crowd was dressed in cowboy and work attire, but the man who now approached Jake was dressed in a business suit, covered by a rain-repellent topcoat. Jake was no fashionista, but the London Fog label on the topcoat told Jake that this man saw nothing out of the ordinary about paying $500 for a good raincoat. Jake greeted the newcomer with a smile and his right hand.
“Good evening, sir. I'm Jake Evans. What can I do for you?”
“Tom Ferrari, Mr. Evans. Pleasure to meet you. I know you're with the band. Are you their manager?”
Jake laughed. “I'm not sure that I know the answer to that, Mr. Ferrari. My wife and I started the band, but we pretty much all work together.”
“Your wife? Oh, oh, yes. My apologies. You're Brandee's husband.”
“That I am. Is there something that I can do for you? You don't strike me as an autograph collector, but if you are, I'll see what I can do.”
The well- dressed stranger laughed, exposing a mouth full of capped teeth.
“I think that I have all the autographs I need, Mr. Evans. You said that the group works together. If I could have a few minutes of the group's time, I would like to tell you what I'm doing in this corner of the world tonight.”
With that, he opened his wallet and handed Jake a gold-embossed business card. Jake took it and tilted it a little so that he could read what it said.
Thomas E. Ferrari
New Talent Evaluator
Arista Entertainment Group
912 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY. 10020-2244
(215) 725-3152
Jake read the card and looked at Mr. Ferrari. “Would you have a seat in the dressing area, Mr. Ferrari? Let me get the group together and we'll be right with you.”
Tom Ferrari peered into the backstage area, looking for a dressing room. Jake saw that he was confused.
“Let me take you there. It's behind the furniture dolly. Nothing like a county fair. is there?”
“Nothing at all, Mr. Evans. Nothing at all.”
Jake stopped talking and led the visitor toward the dressing area of the fairgrounds, stepping around the car parts that were indiscriminately scattered in their way. Jake hid his excitement as well as he could but knew that his babbling about fairs to Tom Ferrari had told the tale of how excited he was right now.
“You just have a seat right in there,” Jake said, indicating the chair that Brandee had used earlier. “I'll be right back.”
Jake left Tom Ferrari in the dressing room and ran outside. Diane was the first person that he ran into, almost literally.
“Diane! There's a guy from a record label who wants to talk to us!”
Diane's eyes opened wide. “WHAT!?”
Jake bobbed his head up and down. “It's true! He wants to talk to us!”
Diane absorbed the news. She looked around and saw Suzi and Bruce Then her face fell.
“Where's Brandee? She has to be here for this!”
“Damn it!” Jake said. “I'll have to go get her! Let me go get Bruce and Suzi, and we'll all go into the dressing room where this guy is. Then I'll go get Brandee!”
Jake took off at a dead run. He corralled Bruce and Suzi and got them headed for the dressing room, but not before Suzi had thrown her arms around his neck in her excitement.
“This could be our biggest night, Jake! It really could be!”
Introductions were made in the dressing room. Tom Ferrari distributed business cards around to everyone, and prepared to get down to business. Jake stopped him.
“I need to go get my wife, Mr. Ferrari. She spent a night in the hospital after our last show and she's not back to being at her best yet. She should be here, though.”
“First of all, enough with the Mr. Ferrari business. Call me Tom. What's this about Brandee being in the hospital? What happened?”
Jake quickly recounted the story of the electric shock that Brandee had suffered at Cache Creek and the subsequent trip to the hospital. He assured Tom that Brandee was no worse for wear, at least from a permanent standpoint. He went on to tell him that the injury was the reason that Brandee had left early tonight.
“I'm glad to hear that she's okay,” Tom said. “Looks like I missed an interesting stop.”
Bruce spoke up. “Missed an interesting stop? You've seen us before tonight?”
Tom inclined his head toward the keyboardist. “You might say that. I first saw you in Utah. I missed the Wyoming show, and just went from Salt Lake down to Grand Junction. I missed Jackpot, saw you in Winnemucca, and now here tonight.”
“Why watch us so many times and wait until now to us?” Suzi asked.
“It's what I do. I trail acts that we might be interested in signing if they are on the road when we hear about them. I wanted to see what kind of range you have. That's part of what makes up marketability.”
“Wha
t kind of range does Brandee have Mr. F--, sorry, Tom?” Jake asked.
“We think you have good range. The first two shows that I attended were somewhat alike, and I wondered if you could do more than just power ballads and angst rock. It was your show in Winnemucca that showed me something different.”
The members of the group looked at each other and smiled. They remembered how the Winnemucca show came to be. It had been a different kind of show, for sure. Brandee's voice couldn't handle the dusty prairie, so they adapted.
“I need to get my wife back here, Tom. The group is named after her. We can't really talk to you until she gets with us.”
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