Quickly, she got to her feet and hugged him. “We will. I was going to say Mitchell singing it wouldn’t work. Chris is perfect, like we talked about a while ago. He’s got a great voice.” She kissed his neck a few times. “It needs to be polished and needs a few more verses.”
“We can write ’em together,” he whispered. “I’ll write a piano piece for it, so Mitchell doesn’t feel so left out.”
She smiled. “Great.” She pulled back. “Let me get some paper so we can write everything down.”
By the time they had the lyrics and piano sections done, hours had passed. Noelle enjoyed writing with Dominic. It wasn’t like it was with her band. Her bandmates joked around more; Dominic was quite serious when he wrote.
“I’m thirsty.” Noelle set the guitar on a stand. “Do you want a drink?”
“Sure.” Dominic looked up at her. “We can take a break if you want.”
She sighed. “I need to call Emilio, too. I’ll make us lunch.”
“I can cook.”
With a shake her head, she replied, “Nope. You cooked yesterday.”
He watched her leave the room. The call to Emilio could change everything or make everything even better. He decided to call Jon to see what he could offer Winter Winds to help sway them toward the East Coast.
“Hey, man,” Jon answered. He was in the control booth with Sam. Metal Fuckers in Hell had just finished a demo of their first single, which was to be released in a month or so. “Something wrong?”
Dominic smiled. Noelle hummed their new song in the kitchen. “Nothing wrong. Noelle is calling Emilio today about writing their next album. Is there anything you can do to entice them? She’s worried about Jack and Trevor. They have wives and kids, so staying here for weeks or months may be complicated.”
“Ah, OK.” Jon exhaled loudly as he thought it over. “Since they’re on the West Coast, I planned to offer to let them stay at my place. You know I do that. I’m sure I can figure something out with the kids.”
Since Jon’s house had six large guest bedrooms, he was sure there was enough room for the whole band. “That’s good. She wants to sign with you, so maybe that will help push them your way.”
“Hope they do.” Jon smiled as he saw Noelle in his head. “We don’t have any female singers. I think they’ll be big one day. She has an incredible voice.”
Dominic grinned. “Yeah. Wait till you hear the song we wrote today. Oh, by the way, we’d like Chris Bradley to sing it with her.”
“A duet. Nice.” Jon loved the way Noelle and Mitchell’s voiced blended, but Chris’ voice was better than Mitchell’s. “Chris’ll make it a hit.”
Noelle strode into the room while she carried two glasses of pink lemonade. “Who’s on the phone?”
“Jon.” Dominic took his glass. “He said your band can stay at his house with the kids and all. He’s got lots of room.”
She clapped her hands. “Maybe that will help.” She took a few sips of lemonade. “Jon might wanna stay with Tommy with all the kids, though.”
“How many kids do these guys have?” Dominic was nervous.
“Relax.” Noelle knew what he was thinking. “Jack has two, 10 and 7. Trevor’s kids are 2 and 4.”
Jon heard the entire conversation. “OK. So we can set up a playroom or something. We’ll figure it out.”
“Thanks.” Dominic waved at Noelle. “Jon says he’ll set up a playroom. Anything else you can think of that will eliminate excuses?”
She sighed. “School. It’s not summer.”
“OK. I’ll work on a tutor, too.” Jon hoped they were worth all the effort. Although it was only for a few weeks or so. “Can I talk to her?”
Dominic handed her his phone. “He wants to talk to you now.”
“Hi, Mr. Harris.”
Jon laughed so hard, he almost fell out of his chair. “Call me Jon. No one calls me that.”
“OK, Jon.” It felt odd to call him by his first name, since she might soon work for him, in a way, if her band agreed. “So, the only ones I’m worried about are Jack and Trevor. Emilio and Mitchell would love to move out this way or just stay for a while. Mitchell loved New York, and Emilio is ready for a change. Just the other two are family men, and their children come first.”
Glad she was honest, Jon said, “I understand that.” Sean came to mind. He wouldn’t want to be far from him if he was his son. “We’ll do our best to accommodate anything they need. Let them know to ask me directly if they have any serious concerns, Dominic can give you my cell number.”
“OK. I’ll tell them.”
Jon put his feet up on the edge of the large soundboard before him. “So about your next album, do you have it all written out already?”
“No. I have the song from today,” she explained. “We normally write together.”
He sighed. “OK, so then this might be a long visit, huh?”
“No, Dominic suggested video chatting to write. I think they’ll go for it.” She sat on Dominic’s lap when he patted his leg. “I’ll call Emilio in few. Then we’ll both talk to the others. We’ll call you when we know. OK?”
Jon nodded. “Sounds good. I gotta go anyway. Talk to you later.”
Tommy opened the door. “Hey. Me and Chris are going to the Dewdrop tonight. Wanna come?”
“Uh…” Jon quickly ran through a list of possible excuses. He didn’t want Tommy to know he had tracked Emma down and planned to meet her for a late dinner. “I have a date.” It was close to the truth.
Tommy chuckled. “Going that route again? Glutton for punishment.”
He knew how it would go. Jon would promise monogamy, then cheat when they went on tour. Jon didn’t get that girls didn’t like that. Or maybe he didn’t take promises seriously. Tommy would never promise something he couldn’t deliver. It bothered him that Jon didn’t stay faithful, although he said he would. It wasn’t fair to the girls.
“Just a date,” Jon insisted. “No strings.”
“Yet,” Tommy added. “Don’t do this to yourself. We go on tour in January. At least break up with them before we leave.”
Jon huffed, “I don’t plan on letting her fall for me. Last time I learned a lesson.”
Layla had trashed his favorite room in his house when she saw a picture of him and a groupie kiss online. He had to replace everything in his man-cave on the first floor. She even smashed all his DVDs. He had sworn off relationships since. The night with Emma was to talk about Sean and set up blood tests.
“Who was on the phone?” Tommy sat in the only free chair. “Your date?”
Jon set his feet on the floor. “Dom and Noelle. We were talking about how to get Winter Winds to sign with us. Sounds like three out of five are on board.”
“Cool.” Tommy licked his lips. He could see Noelle naked in his head. “Love to have her around more.”
“When we got this song finalized, I’ll call Ted.”
Ted was Jon’s contact at Seton Hall, a New Jersey college. They were usually able to get their harder bands’ music played on the college’s radio station, WSOU. Most other rock stations weren’t interested in anything harder than Slipknot. They also contacted radio stations that had late night metal shows as well.
“Cool.” Tommy slapped his thighs. “So, should we have them do another song, or let them go home?”
“We have time for one more.” Jon stroked his goatee. “How about ‘Sinister?’ ”
Tommy nodded. “Good choice.” He stood up. “I’m gonna call Shane and see if he talked to any of the bassists I sent him. Hope he can get through this. I can’t imagine losing one of you guys.”
“Me neither,” Jon agreed. He had checked on Dean after he was transported to detox that morning. “By the way, Dean’s in detox.”
It was hard not to show the anger that lingered, so Tommy forced a smile. “It better work this time.” He left the room without another word and headed to Jon’s office. Once closed inside, he dialed Shane’s number.
&nb
sp; “Hey, Tom.” Shane’s voice was almost monotone.
Tommy leaned back in Jon’s chair. “Wanted to check on you. How’s things going?”
“Same.” Shane sighed. He felt like life would never get better. “Trying to move on, but it ain’t so easy.”
Unsure what would help, Tommy closed his eyes. “I’m sure it ain’t.” He paused a few seconds. “Have you called anyone on that list I sent you?”
“Yeah, but I haven’t clicked with anyone yet.” Shane found something wrong with all of them. “Thanks for trying. I thought about going to clubs with you. Maybe that could work. At least, I could hear them play and sing.”
Tommy couldn’t help but grin. “I’ll check my schedule and let you know what nights are good.” He planned to research locations and bands, as well, so they wouldn’t check out crappy bands. “I’ll call you in a few days. OK?”
“OK.” Shane hoped it helped him accept that, if they replaced Troy, it didn’t mean they had forgotten him. “Talk soon.”
Tommy sighed and logged into his account on the desktop before him. He had a list of popular small venues in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, DC and even Maryland. Any place that they could find potential bands to add to their collection. Or have their bands play at to get exposure. He and Jon had visited each place before it was considered for the file.
It took him almost an hour, but he had 10 possible places to check out with Shane over the next few months. He hoped he could hook-up with a few women in the process. It was worth a few Friday and Saturday nights if he got laid and Silverblade found a bass player.
When Tommy’s phone vibrated in his pocket, he sighed. “ ’Sup, Jon?”
“Got another call from Noelle.” Jon was happy as could be. “We’re gonna do a conference call with Winter Winds. You free tonight so we can go over the details of what we wanna offer them? Shouldn’t take more than an hour.”
Tommy mentally checked his calendar. “It’s cool. I don’t got plans.”
“Cool, Dom and Noelle will be here like, three tomorrow. Her West Coast boys wanna sleep in.”
Chapter 9
Noelle was nervous. They were on their way to Manhattan for the conference call about the switch to Demonfire. She sat in the passenger seat and hoped Jon and Tommy could make it work for all the guys. She knew Jack and Trevor were nervous that their wives would refuse. Jack’s family would also be at Trevor’s place. Mitchell and Emilio already said they were in, if the others were.
When Noelle next looked up, she saw a large tollbooth bank ahead. The others on the turnpike had maybe four lanes, Dominic had an EZ Pass, so they barely had to slow down unless there was traffic. Once they entered the Lincoln Tunnel, she was quite sure they were close.
Dominic drove as if he didn’t have a care. However, he knew that how his life went for the next few months rode on the video chat. If the rest of Winter Winds didn’t like what Jon and Tommy had come up with, Noelle would most likely be in Seattle for most of those months. He knew Jon would do all he could. If Dominic had not lived in the same town as the other Gasoline guys when Annabeth was born, he might have left them behind. Family is more important than music.
By the time he pulled into a parking space, he had relaxed and hoped for the best. While Noelle gathered her things, he hurried out and around the car to open her door. He smiled at her shocked expression.
She took his hand and grinned widely. “Thanks. Didn’t know I rated so high.”
“You always do.” He helped her out and pulled her into his arms. “You’re highest on my list.” His lips pressed to her temple. “Always.”
Dwayne opened the studio’s main door. “Hey, Dominic. Not trying to rush you, but we’ve had an issue with unauthorized pedestrians checking the lot out.”
“We’ll be right there.” Dominic knew he was subtle for Noelle’s sake. It wasn’t the first security break they had, but there had not been one in a while. He shifted and put his arm over Noelle’s shoulders. “Your band awaits.” They walked inside. Dwayne secured the door behind them.
Tommy was in the conference room. He tested the new equipment. Casey, Gasoline’s guitar tech, set out refreshments on the table nearby. He was glad to be on Demonfire’s payroll when the band was off tour. Tommy called Jon in his office. Within seconds, Jon’s face appeared on the flat screen mounted to the wall.
“Look good?” Jon asked
“Yep.” Tommy adjusted the volume. “Move around a bit.” He smiled when the picture stayed in focus. “Let me do the same.” He walked around the table. “How’s that?”
Jon stood. “Great. We ready?”
“Waiting on Noelle.” Tommy looked up and saw her and Dominic in the hallway. “Never mind. They’re here.” He waved at them. “I’ll start the call.”
Minutes later, Jack, Trevor, Mitchell and Emilio were seen in Trevor’s living room. Kids could faintly be heard in the background over the speakers. Noelle waved to them all as she sat down. Tommy and Jon also took seats.
Dominic stayed in the hall so he wasn’t in the way. He did not want Noelle to consider him when they negotiated with her band. They needed to make it business only. He hoped it ended with her able to stay until January. No music played, so he assumed correctly that no band was scheduled to record in that hour.
He wandered around. Soon, he greeted Sam, who ran the studio for the most part, Vince, Sam’s assistant when not on the road and Casey. Then he sat in the lounge area in the front of the building. Rarely did he get to use it. He grabbed the remote and turned on the television. Then he switched channels until he found a sitcom. Laughter was good for the soul.
After a few minutes, Crazy Mike, Gasoline’s head sound engineer, walked into the room. “Hey, I’m ordering pizza for about 5:00. Any preference?”
“I’m good with whatever.” Dominic planned to be there a few hours. “Don’t forget to get Tommy anchovies.” He laughed.
Crazy Mike grinned. “Damn, that would piss him off. Good idea.”
Dominic laughed as Mike left the room. Tommy hated anchovies so much, he’d most likely throw a fit when he saw them on his pizza. They all had fun playing jokes on each other over the years.
Some time later, he heard a motorcycle engine outside. He jumped up and looked out the window. Giovanni Saracino, Triple Threat’s drummer, backed his Harley Sportster into a free spot. Crystal took off her helmet as she waited. Dominic wasn’t sure why they were there. If they stayed, they could put an end to his boredom. He hadn’t thought that television would get monotonous after a while.
Jon emerged from the conference room when he faintly heard Giovanni’s bike. The negotiations had gone well up to that point. Jack and Trevor’s wives were on board once they heard about the concessions Jon made just for the children. Tommy worked out travel arrangements and what was needed for their possibly extended stay on the East Coast.
He walked to his office where he pulled up the Craigslist ad for the Kawasaki Mean Streak he wanted to purchase. It needed work. Therefore, he asked Giovanni to come up to check it out. The owner lived in Brooklyn. Since Giovanni was a bike mechanic by trade, Jon trusted his opinion.
Dominic stepped into the hallway just as Giovanni and Crystal walked in the front door. “Hey. Need something?”
“Meeting Jon.” Giovanni nodded at Dominic. “He’s putting my other skills to use.”
Crystal squeezed Giovanni’s arm. “Am I going with you?”
“We won’t be too long,” Jon said as he exited his office. “We’ll take my truck. I got straps in case you like the bike. Glad you had time. The guy said it was today or nothing. Got another buyer lined up.” He wanted the bike, but only if Giovanni said it could be fixed.
Giovanni nodded. “Don’t worry. Got a few tools in the backpack.”
“I’ll keep Crystal company,” Dominic assured him. He knew how protective they were of her since her attack. And keep Tommy at bay. “We could watch a movie in the lounge.”
; Crystal looked up. “Lounge?” She had never seen it. “Where is it?”
“Hidden away.” Jon winked.
She laughed then dug through the backpack at her feet to get her things. They were placed in various pockets of her jeans. “OK. All set.”
With a grin, Giovanni pulled her close and kissed her lips. “We’ll be back.” He grabbed the backpack, stepped away and headed for the door. “Later.” He waved to Dominic.
“Come on.” Dominic walked to the lounge. “Put on whatever you want.” He sat in a recliner and sighed. “I’m flexible.” When she put on a marathon of House MD, he was glad.
Crystal felt vibration in her pocket. She looked at her phone with a smile. There was a Facebook message from Paulie Capacette, the first man she fell in love with. She was glad he contacted her. They had lost touch. She had not thought of him in a long time. It stirred some old feelings, but her and Giovanni’s relationship was strong enough to handle it.
Movement attracted Dominic’s attention. He watched Crystal type on her phone with a few giggles. The look on her face was familiar. It was the one she had when she looked at her best friend Chad. He couldn’t let her ruin all their progress.
“Who you texting?” He knew it wasn’t really his business, but if she hid it, he would know to worry.
She looked up and grinned widely. “Paulie. I dated him in college. He stayed with Reckless and moved to California.”
“Ah, him.” He had no real clue about Paulie, but it explained some things. Reckless had come up a few times in the last few months, so he knew that was one of her and Chad’s old bands. “He wanna met up or something?”
Crystal shook her head. “No. We’ve been talking for a few days now. He heard my song on the radio.” She glanced at his latest message.
You mean Dominic Spinelli of Gasoline? Seriously?
“Do you mind if I start a video call?” she asked as she typed a reply. “He don’t believe you’re really here.”
Dominic laughed. “Go ahead.”
Evolving Urges (Gasoline Book 2) Page 6