“Really? You don’t think he looks like a weirdo?”
Jonny looked at the dark curly haired man. He was short and nondescript, save a prominent nose. “He’s harmless.”
Dana took the picture from Jonny and scrutinized it.
“Seriously Dana I wouldn’t give you bad advice.”
“I guess…”
“Don’t worry about it. Some of us have real things to be concerned about.” Like a jealous wife and a mistress who decided she’s in love with you.
“I just hope you know what you’re talking about.”
For once Jonny answered honestly. “Me too.”
Chapter 34
It was now five o’clock and Dana Drew hadn’t called.
So Larry called her at the station.
“WORR.”
“Dana Drew please,” he said breathlessly.
“Hold one minute.”
“Hey, this is Dana Drew and I’m away from my desk. Please leave a message and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible. Thanks.” Beep.
Her machine.
Damn it.
Larry hung up. She was on the air in an hour. He could call her then. Then she had to answer. She always answered when she was on the air.
The clock could not move any slower.
Larry watched each minute inch by letting his anger simmer. Dana got his card but didn’t call.
He wrote her a poem. Sent her a picture of them.
Together.
Couldn’t she see how much he loved her?
So much.
That hair.
Those lips.
Those eyes.
Larry took out his copy of the picture he sent her. Dana was smiling. Smiling out of the picture at him. “I love you too, Larry,” he imagined her lips saying.
Larry knew he and Dana were going to get married. Then his friends would be impressed with him. After all, he’d be married to a star. Dana Drew. No, he corrected himself, Dana Carter. Oh, his friend’s would all be jealous, all of them, especially the guys that called him Crazy Larry in high school. The ones that beat him up after class and keyed his car. Yes, they’d all be so envious that he got such a hot wife who was so famous. He’d go back to his twenty-year high school reunion and they’d all stare at him as he made his big entrance. He’d be the big man then.
He imagined Dana in a low cut black dress and himself in a fine Italian suit. He always heard the Italians made the best suits.
They’d walk into the reunion and everyone’s head would turn. Kenny Miller who called him “loser” for four years would wet his pants with envy. Farrah, Linda and Carrie who all turned him down for dates and then laughed at him when he showed up alone to senior prom would see what they missed out on. His stupid brother Paul, “the doctor” who his mother and father thought walked on water, would finally respect him. They’d all be sorry they ever called him a failure.
Oh, yes, Larry and Dana would soon be one. Surely the card was enough for her to see that he was her soul mate.
The clock ticked six o’clock. It was time to call.
The phone rang endlessly. Finally she answered.
“Hi, it’s Dana, what’s up.”
“Dana, it’s Larry.”
Oh God, she thought, Larry again. “Hi Larry. I got your card today.”
Yes! She got it. She remembered. She was so sweet. “Did you like it?”
“It was very nice.”
Nice? That wasn’t the response he wanted. “You mean nice of me, but the card meant more to you, didn’t it Dana?”
She wasn’t quite sure what he was getting at. “What do you mean Larry?”
“I mean you understood, right? You feel the same way?”
“What way Larry?”
He got shy. “You know…what I wrote in the poem…that we’re meant to be together.”
“Larry, we barely know each other,” she said with no emotion, trying to hide the fear she felt in the pit of her stomach.
His voice grew tense. “That’s not true Dana, we’ve talked on the phone lots and lots. We’re close friends.”
Dana realized this guy was one sandwich short of a picnic. She wanted to get off the phone…now. “Look, Larry, of course I’m your friend, and I appreciate the thought, but I have to go.”
“Why are you blowing me off Dana? That’s not fair of you!” This wasn’t how Larry envisioned the phone call. Not at all.
“Larry I’m not blowing you off. I can only spend so much time on the…”
He cut her off. “But I’m different Dana.” His voice was filled with anger.
“Larry, I really do have to go. I’m at work now and I’m going on the air soon.”
“Dana I don’t think you’re being fair.”
“I’m sorry, but I have to go, bye.” She hung up.
Larry heard the click, then the dial tone. How could she have dismissed him like that? And hung up on him? He wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt. Yes, he rationalized, she was at work, but he gave her his heart in that card. There was no excuse for her reaction. How could she blow him off? She was no better than any of the others. No better than Farrah, Linda, Carrie or The Bitch.
She is at work, he reminded himself.
Well, then, he thought, I’ll just have to contact her at home.
Chapter 35
Cody and the band arrived in Orlando Monday afternoon with just enough time to stop at the local radio station to promote their appearance. Alex brought his guitar to play an acoustic version of All You Were.
They walked in to a hero’s welcome. A group of fans were waiting for them outside the building of the radio station, cameras in hand. Eric shuttled The Cody Blue Experience through the small crowd. He’d done well by them, negotiating a deal with a major label for representation. It was a good deal for Eric as well. He maneuvered a clause that stated the band’s acceptance was contingent on Eric’s continued involvement with the group and a cut of the profits.
“We’ll be back,” he promised the small group of fans. “They gotta go on the air.”
Cody, Harper, Alex and Bobby walked through the station. They looked the part of rock stars. Now that their album had been released more pressure was put on them for their appearance. The label hired stylists to work with the guys.
It was hard work to dress like you didn’t care.
The once pudgy Alex had lost a lot of weight. He tried to work out at every stop, keeping to a regimen of sit-ups and push-ups, though he still had a small amount of baby fat that the ladies found cute. His once short brown hair was now shoulder length with blonde highlights. He wore tight leather pants and a navy silk shirt. Bobby, the tallest and skinniest of the group, was also the most aloof. Success made him withdraw into himself. He refused to color his hair or conform to a stylist’s idea of rock sheik. He wore corduroy pants and a white gym t-shirt. The clothes hung on his lanky body. Harper embraced the rock star image the most. He dyed his hair bright pink or dark green or iridescent blue, depending on his mood. Today it was fire engine red. He dressed in a black shirt and low fitting loose black jeans that he accented with a silver chain connected from his back pocket to his front belt loop. As much as they all carried themselves with the rock star look, Cody was still the most attractive, the one the women went most wild for. The stylists let him keep his trademark look of dark blue jeans and a white button down shirt. Gold highlights were applied to the tips of his brown hair. Muscular and lean with soulful eyes, Cody was a heartbreaker.
But it was his heart that had been broken.
Dana.
He couldn’t get her out of his head.
“Cody, Phillip Dover, Program Director, nice to meet you.” A chunky blonde haired man walked over to them with a huge smile.
“Good to meet you too, man. Thanks for the radio play.” Cody shook hands with the man who programmed the radio station, the man who also dressed like a rock star in a yellow t-shirt, orange pants and black sneakers with gold glitter.
“Of course, of course.”
“Let me take you and the rest of the guys into the studio. I’ll introduce you to Orlando’s favorite afternoon jock, Glenn Stone.”
They pushed through the heavy door into Orlando’s rock studio. The walls were covered with posters of bands. Pictures of all their jocks adorned the walls, their heads pasted on different bodies.
“Glenn, meet The Cody Blue Experience.”
They all shook hands.
Cody looked up at the wall and noticed Glenn’s head was attached to the body of a swimsuit model.
“I love you guys, great first album,” Glenn said, with what seemed like a genuine compliment. Glenn liked interviewing new bands. They were untouched by too much money, too much fame and too much adoration. With just a small taste of what success would be like, up and coming bands retained their hunger for success. They still needed the disc jockey. Big time rock stars often forgot from whence they came, not realizing it was the deejays who talk up their records to the fans who buy them…no, the deejays were not the right people to piss off.
But superstar bands did.
The Cody Blue Experience had great potential. Glenn hoped they remembered him when they reached the top. Inevitably, they’d want to know him again when they needed him on the way down. And they probably would come down. That’s what happened to most of them.
“Thanks for the kind words, man,” Alex chimed in, trying to take the leadership role. He was still resentful that Cody was the point person. He saw the way the Program Director approached Cody first to fill him in. He was jealous.
Glenn addressed all of them. “Here’s the drill. We’ll go on, talk about how you got together, the album and your appearance tonight. Then we’ll have you play the song. Anything in particular you want me to mention?”
They all shook their heads. “No, that’s fine,” Alex said. Cody hung back, he sensed tension with Alex and didn’t want to make it worse.
“Great, the song’s ending…here we go.” He put on his headphones. “Glenn Stone rockin’ with you on this Monday afternoon and I’m joined by The Cody Blue Experience or CBE as they’re being called these days.” He hit the sound effect for applause. “Welcome to Orlando.”
“Thanks,” the band said in unison.
“So tell us…how’d y’all get together.”
Alex leaned into the mic. “Bobby, Harper and I were friends for years. We started a band and went to college. Then we met this guy, Cody, who apparently had a gift for writing lyrics. The rest, as they say, is history.”
“And you’re doin’ real well…local band makes good. We’re all proud of you as you must be proud of your self-titled debut album. The lyrics are powerful…Cody, what’s the inspiration?”
“Real life stuff, observations…the words speak to me. I hope they speak to everyone else.”
“They do and that’s a great segue into your song All You Were. And now ladies and germs, live in the studio, it’s The Cody Blue Experience.”
Alex began to strum the signature cord. Cody leaned into the mic and began to sing. Outside the studio window a group of radio station employees gathered to hear the band…and check out the gorgeous Cody Blue in person.
Cody sang the last note. The group in the hall applauded. The band couldn’t hear them, but saw their enthusiasm and gave them a thumbs up. The ladies giggled.
“Awesome fellas,” Glenn said, “Orlando you don’t wanna miss this show, CBE, The Cody Blue Experience live at The Living Room downtown.”
He took off his headphones. “Fantastic guys.” He stood and shook their hands. “Best of luck to you.”
“Thanks.”
The guys left the studio. The group of employees accosted them for pictures and autographs. The band didn’t mind. This is what they dreamed of.
Moments later Eric apologized to the group at the station and led the band out of the building. It was his job to keep them on time. They did stop to sign some fan autographs for the people who still stood outside the building. Fans were very important. The band knew this.
As quickly as they arrived, they were back in the van, back to the hotel, with just under an hour before they had to get back in the van again and to the venue.
“So Cody, what’s up with you and that Miami deejay?” Harper asked.
“Nothing.”
“I thought you were really into her,” Alex said.
“Nah…just another girl, you know,” Cody lied. He was eager to change the subject. “What about your love life, Alex?
“My love life…well things are heating up between me and Kylie.” Kylie was Alex’s girlfriend of six months. They met on the road at their show in Gainesville.
“Is that so?”
“Yeah, um, she’s pregnant, she thinks.”
The three guys looked at Alex. This was a bombshell. “What?!?”
“That’s a bit more than heating up,” Eric said, upset at this unneeded complication.
Alex ignored Eric’s remark. His face grew serious. “She said the stick turned blue.”
“Dude, is this what you want?” The normally reserved Bobby was curious.
“I think it is,” Alex said, trying to cover his sheer stupidity at being careless.
“Are you gonna marry her?” Harper’s shock laced every word.
“I don’t know yet…I haven’t really had time to think about it. I just found out yesterday.” He sighed loudly. “She called to tell me about the pregnancy test. I’m supposed to see her at our gig in Tampa.”
“So you’re gonna be a Dad…?” Cody couldn’t believe this revelation.
“I guess.” Alex ran his fingers through his hair over and over again.
“Are you okay with this?” Cody probed.
“I’m not sure, but I do know I love Kylie, I mean I think I do.”
“What about protection…to prevent this type of thing from happening?” Cody felt bad for the unborn baby with two parents that weren’t sure if his or her conception was a good idea or not. It was how he grew up.
“Aw, you guys know how it is in the heat of the moment…”
They looked at him.
“Do we look that stupid?” Harper asked.
Cody interrupted Harper’s sentiments, “If you need a friend I’m here.”
“Me too,” Bobby said.
“Yeah dude, I’m with you. I was just bustin’ your chops,” Harper added.
“Thanks…it means a lot.”
“Okay, any other confessions? Let’s clear the air now.” Eric asked from the driver’s seat.
Silence.
“I’ll take that as a no. Now let’s try and get this out of our heads and get ready for tonight. We need a good show.”
When don’t we need a good show? Cody thought.
They arrived at the hotel, showered and left for the club.
Tonight Orlando, tomorrow Tampa…the crazy train pushed on.
Cody looked out the window en route to the venue as the streets passed by and let the image blur before him.
Clarity was not something he wanted right now.
Chapter 36
Jill Roeker got home early from work. She had a splitting headache. Still feeling unresolved about her relationship with Jonny, she ducked out of a meeting with Miami Motors. She was actually relieved she had an excuse. The ad partnership with Nick Coleman was getting on her nerves. He was an obnoxious little weasel who spent the entire meeting trying to hit on her. The less time she had to spend with him the better. She lay down on the couch and fell asleep.
Jonny’s touch woke her from her slumber. “Hi, Jill.”
“Hi.”
“Are you okay? You look like you don’t feel good.”
“I came home early today. I had a massive headache.” She put her hand up to her head. “I still do.”
“Is there anything I can do…make dinner, maybe?”
“Why don’t you get undressed, take a shower, I’ll have supper ready when you get out.”
Jonny was trying extra hard. He thought he could break things off with Heather, but it wasn’t so easy. He wasn’t emotionally attached to her, but physically she had become an addiction. He couldn’t stop fantasizing about her. There had to be a way to keep her and Jill…he just hadn’t figured it out yet.
“Dana’s back with Sam,” he told Jill at dinner, filling the uncomfortable silence with station gossip.
“Really? I didn’t see that one coming.”
“She didn’t either. I’m not sure she’s all in.”
“Huh…well…” She put her head down on the table. “I’m sorry Jonny, I’m not much in the mood for conversation. I think I’m just gonna go to bed.”
“Okay. I’ll be in soon.”
The phone rang. Jonny jumped.
“I’ll get it,” he said rushing to pick it up. “Hello?”
“Jonny, it’s Dana.” He was relieved.
“It’s Dana,” he mouthed to Jill. “What’s up?”
“I’m freaking out. That guy Larry called me.”
“Larry?”
“Larry, the listener. The one who sent me that card? Remember we had a long discussion about it today?”
“Oh yeah…what happened?”
“He called me tonight. He thinks we’re destined to be together.”
“Does Sam know? This might make him jealous.”
“Be serious, please, I’m really spooked. He was delusional.”
“Dana, I understand what you’re saying, but I really think he’s harmless. You know how some people get. Whenever I go to an appearance the listeners are always acting like I’m their buddy. It’s the whole illusion.”
“This guy seems different.”
“You may be overreacting. He’s infatuated.”
Dana wanted to believe him. “You think?”
“I think. He’s just some lonely guy with too much time on his hands.”
“I guess you’re right…but I think you’re lulling me into a false sense of security.”
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