by K E Osborn
“I’m going to.”
She leans in hugging me, and I close my eyes to stop them from crying again as Techie steps up behind me and pats my back.
“I have all your stuff in the car when you’re ready.”
Pulling back I look at him. “I’m ready.”
Skye sobs letting me go, and I wince at her but start walking off with Techie toward the exit.
It feels weird. I know I might not ever come back here, and leaving without saying goodbye to everyone is strange, but this is how it needs to be done.
I take one last look around the place that was my home for the last four and a half years, and I smile. As I walk through the big black door I know for the first time in my life I’m doing the right thing.
Chapter Fifteen
Techie has brought me and my belongings back to Danger’s hotel, and as we walk toward Danger’s room, there’s a peaceful calm running inside of me. I thought I’d be panicking about leaving the clubhouse, but I feel at ease. I needed this, and I think Techie can sense that.
“You look happy,” he says as we reach Danger’s door.
Sighing, I smile at him. “I think I am.”
He nods and knocks on Danger’s door. Standing taller, I take a deep breath as Danger pulls the door open.
“Hey! Thanks for bringing her over,” Danger says taking my luggage from Techie’s hands. “And thank you for helping her leave the club.”
Techie nods and wraps his arm around my waist. “It’s going to be so much quieter without her there, but you have to promise to take care of her,” he demands, and I roll my eyes.
“I will, and I promise we’ll keep in touch. Thanks for everything man, we couldn’t have started this journey without you.”
Techie shrugs. “Meh… was my pleasure. I’m going to keep working with Luke from the back seat as you tour, and keep everything going promotion wise etcetera.”
I lean in kissing Techie on the cheek, and he smiles wide. “Thank you… for everything.”
He nods and kisses my forehead. “Have a good time. Be your true self, Lunar. You’re free to be whoever you want now,” Techie says letting go of me. He gives Danger a curt nod and then turns walking down the hall leaving me alone.
“I’m so happy you finally had the courage to leave,” he says gesturing for me to walk inside.
“It was hard, but I couldn’t have done it without you,” I say, stopping in the middle of the bedroom and turning to see him right behind me. He wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me to him.
“I’m only too happy to help. Shower?” he asks, and I smile and nod.
***
We fly out to Melbourne this morning to start preparations for Recoil’s first Australian tour. This afternoon they have a press conference, but their actual concerts don’t start for a while as they have rehearsals for a few weeks with the backing band, and no one knows who they are yet. Luke has organized it all. They’re an up and coming sensation apparently, and Luke said because Recoil are basically new in this country they have to take who they can get as their backup. They can’t afford to be picky. So Recoil told Luke to get whatever he could, and therefore they didn’t go through a selection process.
We touchdown at Melbourne’s Tullamarine airport and we file off the plane. Heading through the arrival lounge a small, and I mean small, swarm of girls descends upon Recoil—about seven teenagers in all. I smile wide as I let Danger’s hand go and allow him to do his thing along with the other guys. Danger and Ryan chuckle as they look toward the girls and shake their heads.
“This is nothing like what we’ve had in the past,” Ryan murmurs to me before they take off and start signing autographs and taking photos with their very limited adoring fans. I stand back watching in slight awe of how Danger works his devotees. They love him, and somehow he knows he’s going to be huge. There’s an arrogance about him, but that doesn’t take away from the persona he exudes. I’m sure this little ensemble of fans is nothing compared to what awaits him.
Luke steps up to me and tilts his head in observation. “How does this make you feel, Lunar?”
“This? This is great. I love how the teenagers adore him. It’s great to see them appreciating his music.”
He nods and exhales. “And if the girls were in their twenties and throwing themselves at him?”
My eyebrows scrunch together and I turn to face him shaking my head. “But they’re not?”
“No, but this is only the tip of the iceberg, Lunar. Once they start getting bigger and their fan base grows, the fans get older and they get sluttier. How will you handle that?”
Swallowing hard, I turn my head from side to side cracking my neck and exhale. “Well, it’s all part of it isn’t it? But in the end, I know he’s going back to the hotel room with me, not them.”
He smiles and nods. “Good girl. Just try to remember that when the swarms get bigger and the girls get older, okay?” He walks off and grabs Danger, telling the girls that we need to go and they all groan in disappointment.
Nate looks over at me and frowns. He knows that this is going to bug me. But I’ll be damned if I’m going to show it to anyone. Especially not Nate. He nods to me dodging the girls coming over and smiles wide. I’m not sure what his game is right now as Danger watches on but is slightly distracted by Luke talking to him.
“Lunar, it’s cool when fans greet us, hey?”
Smirking, I shrug. “I wouldn’t say this was a massive reception, Nate.”
He chuckles and nods. “True, we’ve had much bigger. And with the shows coming up, and the tour starting up, our popularity will get even bigger. Just know that if it gets hectic, and Danger isn’t around but you need someone to lean on, I’m here. I’m a good listener.”
Furrowing my brows, I tilt my head to the side and pout my lips out. “Umm, okay, thanks?” I say more like a question than a statement.
He smiles, nods, turns and walks back over to Ryan, who gestures for me to follow them as we strut through Melbourne airport now without the little fangirls. I can’t help but think that was weird for Nate, but maybe he’s just trying to be nice to me. Maybe he knows I’m going to be around for a while now and is actually making an effort? Either way, I’m not going to think about it too much and just get on with my day.
***
We arrive at the hotel in Melbourne and Luke tells us the backup band for the tour is staying here as well, and we’re going to meet them before the start of the press conference. The guys are excited to see who they will be jamming with on tour, but Luke isn’t giving them any information about the other band at all.
“Can you at least tell us the band’s name, Luke?” Danger asks as we walk to the conference room.
He smirks and takes a deep breath. “Luminous.”
Danger curls his lip and furrows his brows. “Luminous? That’s a strange name for a bunch of rock and roll guys?”
Luke swallows hard and nods as he opens the door to the conference room and we walk in. The room is small, and standing inside are a few people, mainly women, a couple of people dressed like they’re cameramen or runners, maybe show producers and reporters. Then the obvious strangeness in the room is the five women who are dressed very oddly with lightning painted on their faces, and wearing very interesting clothing. Instantly, I gaze over at Luke, who stares at me chewing on his bottom lip. I pull my lips in by my teeth and try to hide my laugh.
The guys are not going to like this.
“Okay, so where’s this band? I can see their weird-ass groupies are here, but if they can’t be here on time then we need to set some ground rules before this tour kicks off,” Danger calls out.
The shortest of the women, with her long flowing straight blonde hair and her tiny frame steps forward, she doesn’t even reach his shoulders she’s so small but what she lacks for in height she makes up for in sass. The glare in her eyes as she stares down Danger, makes him furrow his brows as he takes a slight step backward. It makes me giggle softly
.
She shoves her finger into his chest pointing it hard. “First of all, we’ve been here for over fifteen minutes waiting for you to get here. So you’re the late ones. And… we’re not the groupies you cocky, arrogant son of a bitch, we’re Luminous.” Her hands fly up into the air as she says the last word and she waggles her fingers around like she’s a fairy or something. My eyes open wide and Danger furrows his brows and slowly shakes his head as Ryan smirks.
“Fuck yes!” Ryan chimes.
“Fuck no… a bitch band?” Danger states glaring at Luke, and he winces and shrugs as the five girls all gasp.
“We are not a bitch band. We are girl rockers, and I’ll have you know we rock harder than any rock you can rock… you cock.” The blonde girl struggles with her come back while the other girls all fist pump the air and praise her for her not so witty come back as Danger squints and breathes heavy.
“Seriously Luke? You think people are meant to take our shows as a legitimate rock and roll extravaganza with Luminous and… what’s your name?” He looks at the blonde.
“Effervescent.” Her hands do the spirit finger thing again and my hand shifts to my mouth to hide my laugh.
“Oh, you have got to be kidding me? Luke!” Danger groans glaring at Luke as Effervescent and her girls smile and sway from side to side like they might very well be high.
“Okay, so yes the backup band is a girl group. But they’re not a pop band. They’re a rock group, Danger, and they’re good,” Luke defends and Effervescent nods with a satisfied smile.
“Good? They’re good? She looks like a fucking pixie, Luke? And don’t get me started on the freaking lightning on their faces. What are they, in the seventies? Are they Kiss wannabes?”
“Hey, we’re right here, like in your presence. I can read your aura, and it’s very dark right now. It’s not pleasing to my senses.” Effervescent waves her hands in front of Danger’s face while closing her eyes like she’s trying to feel his energy or something. He scoffs, standing back from her and walks over to me as she continues waving her hands through the air as if Danger is still in front of her.
“I sense you’re no longer in front of me,” she calls out.
The guys all laugh as she opens her eyes and smiles. “Wow! I’m really getting this aura reading down pat.”
“Good work, Effa,” one of the other girls encourages her.
“Yes, good work reading his absence,” another affirms.
I look at Danger, who shakes his head and grunts as Ryan walks over to the girls.
“Hi ladies,” he states while wrapping his arms around them. They all coo over him and walk off in another direction, all seemingly impressed with the lead guitarist as Luke shrugs.
“You said get who I could get. They may seem… odd, but their music is sound, Danger.”
“Odd? Odd… Luke? She’s talking about auras and waving her fingers through the air like a goddamn idiot from a children’s movie. She’s crazy, or high… and no offense, we don’t particularly want drugs on tour. I know that’s not very rock and roll, but drugs aren’t our style. And those girls are definitely smoking the wacky weed.”
“Okay I’ll tell them, no drugs, but this is happening, Danger. Like it or not, those girls will pull in a bigger crowd. Trust me, I know what I’m doing. Not only will you have the girls that will throw themselves at you, you’ll have the girls that are all about women empowerment. And if you’re seen to encourage female equality then it will only be a good thing for Recoil, Danger. This is a good thing, accept it and embrace it, because these girls are going on tour with you around Australia. And they’re doing the conference with you right now.”
“Fucking hell, Luke, I’m all for gender equality and shit, you know that. But fucking hell, hippies? Really?”
I grab his hand and turn him to face me. “Danger, this is a good thing. The publicity the girls will bring in can only be good. Having an all boy and all girl band together on tour will cause a lot of hype. Trust me, this is a good thing. Just take a breath and think of the band,” I say.
He puffs out air through his mouth and nods at me. “Fuck! Just don’t become friends with Effa, okay?”
I smile and shake my head. “No promises.”
He rolls his eyes and groans walking over to the stage to where the press conference will take place.
Chapter Sixteen
DANGER
Luminous stole the show at the conference. The reporters were eating out of their hands, and all it has effectively done is to bring up the old emotions of Recoil being the bridesmaid yet again.
This is meant to be our headline tour, and yet somehow at the press conference, we seemed to be treated more like the backup band and less like the hero of the day. It’s made my blood boil, and if there’s one thing I don’t need to be reminded about it’s how Recoil always used to play second fiddle. We were always basking under Ella’s band Staked’s limelight, and we could never get anywhere when they were around. They always had everything bigger and better than us. I guess that’s what happens when your father just happens to be a member of the biggest rock band on the planet.
Slayed was huge when we toured with them and Staked, and that really got us noticed in the UK and US, but not enough for Recoil to take off on their own merits. Without the backing of Staked and Slayed, Recoil fizzled into nothing. I think that’s when I gave up trying to make the band work on its own merits, when I knew how easily it came to Ella. It made everything so fucking frustrating. She had everything handed to her—record deals, headline tours, albums—everything just dished up like it was nothing. But Recoil, we had to fight and work our asses off just to be heard through the noise of everyone else.
It was hard and I just essentially gave up. It was stupid. I should have never left the band, and I should have never left the States to give up everything to propose and live with Ella. That was my biggest mistake. Being around her band and still in the industry, but not making music, tore at my very soul every day. But I did it for her, because I loved her, and wanted to be with her more than I wanted the thrill of the music.
I was a fool!
We’re packing up after the press conference. Luminous left leaving us to clean up—fucking typical, and I’m hanging with Matt when Nate walks over. Rolling my eyes at his mere presence, I stand taller when he stops in front of me.
“Isn’t it uncanny?” he asks.
I want to ignore him, but he’s piqued my interest. “Okay, I’ll bite. What?”
“Effa! She’s a tiny little thing, blonde hair, smoking body, beautiful face, innocent little nature… I can’t help but think she’s sweet, just like… sugar?” Nate smirks and my body stiffens as I think of Ella and her Sugar nickname. It suddenly clicks that Effa is a lot like Ella, not regarding her happiness, but in looks and even down to her name—Effa and Ella, they’re not that different.
“Fuck man,” I jibe and Matt glares at Nate.
“Bro, seriously, we have to tour with Luminous. Try not to be a dick and make things hard for the bands, all right?” Matt chides pushing Nate’s arm.
Nate shrugs and purses his lips. “What! I’m just pointing out what everyone was thinking... right?”
Shaking my head, I scowl at him. “No, not right. I hadn’t thought of Effa that way. But fucking hell now when I see her that’s all I’m going to see… Ella fucking Slade… thanks to you. Good one, Nate, you’re a real fucking ass fucker aren’t you?” I jab and storm off past him as he chuckles to himself.
“Good! When you look at her and remember Ella, then look at Lunar and think about the outcome,” he calls out after me.
My muscles tense as I storm away hoping like fuck Lunar isn’t still within ear shot to hear that crap.
Walking out of the press conference room, I notice Lunar talking to Effa, and it’s like my past and my present colliding. It’s unsettling, and my stomach flips on itself watching the innocence of Effa with the tough confidence of Lunar. Knowing how different they ar
e, but how Lunar has changed my life so dramatically in the short time I’ve known her. Shaking my head, I walk over to the two women as they laugh together and turn to look at me with great big smiles.
“Hey big guy, we were just talking about how cool it would be for Recoil and Luminous to do a duet,” Lunar says, and I scoff.
“I haven’t heard their sound, it probably won’t even mesh.”
Effa rolls her eyes. “Oh… whatever! Just listen to us then make a call, gorilla man.”
Smirking, I tilt my head. “Gorilla man? You saying I’m hairy? Have you seen my chest?”
She chuckles. “No, but by the look of the ink I’m sure the tattoos tell a great story.”
Lunar frowns furrowing her brows slightly showing a hint of jealousy, and I exhale turning back toward Effa. “Okay fine, I’ll listen to your music. Drop a demo around to my room and I’ll think about it.”
She jumps up clapping her hands and squeals. “Thanks, this is gonna be amazing.”
“I haven’t said yes, Effa!”
“No, but you will.”
“And you think I’m a cocky shit?”
She laughs and nods. “Touché! But seriously think about it, a duet will only boost sales on the tour and get us both heard on radio. It’s good marketing, Danger.”
Lunar nods and I puff a gust of air from my mouth. “Shit, can’t argue with that. Right Lunar, let’s go. I gotta eat.” Grabbing Lunar’s hand, I pull her with me as we walk away from Effa.
“I’ll come by later with the demo.”
“Sure,” I call out and Lunar giggles beside me racing to keep up. “What?”
She looks at me and smiles. “You’re gonna cave to her, you know that, right?”
With a huff, I shake my head. “No, I won’t.”
She laughs, and we head off toward the hotel restaurant.
***
Sitting down, Lunar is at the table along with Ryan as we eat our small meals. I decide to discuss with Ryan what happened with Effa.