He and Hailey made plans to go to The Dewdrop Inn that night. It would be the first time they would be seen in public together. He planned to let the rumor mill go until she decided they could announce they were together. She liked that it was exclusive and quite dark. He hoped she didn’t chicken out.
He wondered if anyone showed up, so he went right to Jon’s office. It was empty, though. After he checked the conference room as well, he cocked an eyebrow. Where is he? Jon’s bike had been in the parking lot, so he knew he was there.
Voices brought him to the rear of the studio. The door that was installed between the studio and the building they bought next door to it was open. It had been put in days before. Jon and the contractor were next door.
“So is it safe to walk through?” Jon asked as they moved toward the front door.
The contractor nodded. “I don’t see why not. The building’s up to code. The ceiling’s fine. They left it in good condition.”
That building had a secure parking lot. Tommy knew right away what was in Jon’s head. They could have the guys park there for the meeting to avoid the cameras still camped in their parking lot. That meant he needed to make a few calls.
“So we’re using this lot today for parking?” Tommy asked as he approached Jon.
Jon turned. “Yeah. Can you text everyone? I’ll have Rick man the gate.”
“Sure.” Tommy noticed the parking lot was almost empty. “Where’s Sam?”
After he thanked the contractor, Jon started toward the studio. “He’s at my place with Winter Winds and few of the other guys.” They walked together. “Anthony and Tony were there before I even made it downstairs.”
“I’m glad Dominic suggested them.” Tommy led the way to the main hall. “Without Tony, we wouldn’t have figured out Barney was the leak. That kid got some skills.”
Jon walked into his office and sat behind the desk. “He sure does. Him and his dad are a godsend. Never thought we could find someone we trust enough to take over while we’re on tour.”
“I’ll contact everyone and get everything set up.”
Tommy turned and went to the conference room. The calls only took a few minutes. Everything was set soon after. All they had to do was wait for the band members and lunch to be delivered.
* * *
Less than an hour later, Brandon Knight of Wicked End called to Tommy when he exited the men’s room. “Hey. So glad you guys have a parking lot. Hate parking in Manhattan.” He smiled.
“That was the biggest reason we chose this building,” Tommy explained. “We didn’t want to force bands to search for parking. And the guy next door was cool. Glad we were able to get the building when he sold it.”
Brandon nodded. “Me, too. Much easier using that lot, with all the craziness out there.” He pointed a thumb toward the front. “Why’re they swarming the place, anyway?
“The Noelle and Chris thing.” Tommy didn’t think he needed to elaborate. The insanity outside was the reason Winter Winds would not have anyone at the meeting. Movement in the main room caught his attention.
Shane walked toward them. “Not sure why I’m here. I didn’t find a bassist.” He put out a hand to Brandon. “Been a long time, man.”
With a smile, Brandon shook Shane’s hand. “It has. Good to see you. Hope things are better.” Wicked End had been on the tour that had to be canceled because of Troy. “You look sober.”
“I’m good.” Shane glanced down. The last time they saw each other was Troy’s funeral. The time before that, he was high as a kite and punched Brandon, who destroyed his coke. “I’m clean forever. Never gonna touch that stuff again. Promise.”
Brandon patted his shoulder. “I knew you could do it.”
“We’re gonna be in the conference room,” Tommy announced. “Chris’ll be here in a few. Anthony and Dean’re running late.” He led the way to the conference room, where Vince, Trip and Luis waited. “Make yourselves comfortable. Drinks are in the fridge.” He pointed to the far corner.
Not long after, Chris arrived. “Those vultures are still here, huh?” He shook his head. “Hope Noelle’s OK.”
“She’s at my place with everyone else.” Jon entered the room, and they both sat down. “Who’s missing?” He looked around. “Right—Anthony and Dean.” He cleared his throat. “Anyone have questions?”
Most of the next hour was spent reminiscing. Chris seemed to be in awe, since he had just started his journey in the touring world. Brandon, Shane, Tommy and Jon told stories about mishaps on stage or backstage. They talked about women and how annoying some of the groupies get. It seemed most did not plan to partake in the endless supply expected on that tour.
“More for me,” Chris joked. He couldn’t wait. It sounded like the perfect way to spend most of the next year.
Shane leaned his chair back a bit. “What if I don’t find a bassist?”
Jon glanced his way. “You will.”
“If not, I’ll fill in,” Tommy offered. “I can sing.”
Sure an argument was futile, Shane nodded. “Yeah, you can. Surprised you don’t sing more.”
“I used to.” Tommy had started a band with him as the singer while Dominic grieved. He needed an outlet to deal with everything. Dominic leaned on him often, and Gasoline was on hiatus. “My throat doesn’t like me singing too much.” He started to take singing lessons, but that ended when Dominic wanted to play again.
Jon tapped the table to break Shane out of a haze. “Do you still have a crew?”
“Huh?” Shane had been lost in a memory from the last show Silverblade did. It was a disaster.
Since he knew it wasn’t easy for Shane, he didn’t rib him. Troy’s widow, Patty, had asked him to push Shane to find a replacement. Jon felt if he assumed Silverblade would play, Shane would have to find a bassist.
“Do you still have a crew?” Jon repeated.
Shane shrugged. “I still talk to most of the guys. Dave’s a definite. He couldn’t take a job with someone else. I think he’s in a band, though. I’ll have to make sure they don’t have gigs planned.”
“If you need guys, let us know.” Tommy looked across the table at Shane. “If it comes down to it, I’m sure our crew or Wicked End’s’ll help out.”
Brandon raised a hand. “We’ll find a way, man.”
Anthony Demarco, from Mark of the Devil, suddenly walked in the door. “Hey. Sorry. My flight was delayed.”
“No worries.” Jon waved a hand at a free chair, close to him. “We can start without Dean. I’ll fill him in later.”
Chris leaned over to Tommy. “What’s up with Dean?”
“He’s at the outpatient clinic.” Tommy explained. “It’s a term of his release from rehab.” He hoped it was the last time. So far so good, though. Dean had not shown signs of relapse yet. Although, it had only been a week. He had been sober for at least a year or two after the big fiasco three years earlier. “Just hope it sticks.”
To be supportive, Chris patted his shoulder. “You gotta believe it will.”
Jon cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention. “I’m not sure if you guys’ve been paying attention to ticket sales or anything. We have VIP packages where they choose a meet and greet for one band. There’s a limited package that gives them a seat on stage, but that’s only at venues with a large enough stage.” He turned to Tommy.
“These have all the info you should need.” Tommy passed out flash drives to each band representative. “Dates, schedules, maps, venue websites. Let me know if anything is missing, and I’ll email it to you.”
Brandon pocketed his and turned when the door opened. “Fucker,” he mumbled.
As soon as Dean’s eyes found Brandon’s, he cringed. One seat on the opposite end of the table was available. He sat and casually glanced Brandon’s way. Thankfully, Brandon ignored him. He tried to pay attention to what went on. When something his hit finger, his head snapped up.
“Check this out when you get home.” Tommy tried to
give Dean the benefit of the doubt. “It’s the tour info.”
Dean nodded. He was used to Tommy being organized about tours, even if the band or studio wasn’t in charge of it. A drink company sponsored their last tour, but Tommy had some input as well.
“Thanks.” Dean looked at his hands.
The expression on Dean’s face had Tommy worried. “You still clean?”
“Yes.” Dean closed his eyes. “I swear.” He could still see Jon’s sister, Amanda, in his bed that morning. Wonder if she’d be interested in going out or something? He smiled at the thought. “I’m gonna do it this time. Promise.”
Jon turned on the projector Tommy had set up. He didn’t think they would need it, but Tommy insisted. “As you all know, we didn’t announce the full lineup publicly yet. The venues that already sold tickets have Gasoline, Wicked End and Triple Threat on the bill. Then we posted on social sites that more bands will be added. Tickets aren’t cheap. So I purchased a block of lower level and floor tickets to give to local veterans or servicemen in each city.” His eye caught movement.
“Shit,” Dean mumbled as Brandon stalked toward him. He had nowhere to go. The door was beyond Brandon.
Tommy took Jon’s pause as a cue. He put up the first image. Dean scrambled backward and almost kicked his chair over. Then he noticed Brandon as well and got to his feet. He didn’t have to do anything, though.
Jon blocked the way. “Please let it go.”
“Do you know how hard that is?” Brandon seethed but forced his voice to stay steady.
With narrowed eyebrows, Jon growled, “Yes, I do. Hardest thing I ever did, but I couldn’t let it consume my life.” He wondered if he should explain, but he didn’t want to dredge up painful memories. His voice softened, so no one else could hear. “Just trust me. I been where you are, and it sucks, but please let it go. He learned a hard lesson. Stayed outta trouble since then.”
Brandon nodded and sat down again. He took a few deep breaths and tried to relax again. His girlfriend, Mackenzie, would never want what Dean did to her spread around.
One glance to the right told him Dean was terrified. He also noticed that he looked sober. That was a change as of late. He had seen too many overdose or destroy themselves with drugs easily obtained on tours. Dean had obviously slipped. His attack on Mackenzie made more sense. He just hoped he was on the road to recovery again, for the rest of his band’s sake.
Jon looked around the room. He wanted to preach about the need to stay clean on tour. However, he knew most in the room had been through hell and back with drugs. If not with themselves, then someone close to them. He didn’t want to ruffle any feathers. Instead, he talked about some of the venues they secured and the perks available. He answered a few simple questions. Then he glanced at Tommy and lifted his chin.
“We have several sponsors now, thanks to the big names we have on the bill.” Tommy grinned. “Seems you guys are quite famous.” He got a bit of laughter. “We’re keeping control. So, this is still Demonfire’s baby. We just promised signage and exclusivity for their support.”
Jon quickly scanned the room. “We set the lineup, but won’t make an official announcement until Shane finds a bassist, which he will.” He smiled at Shane. He was sure a bit of pressure would push him to search harder. “So this will stay the same throughout the tour.” A list appeared on the wall.
Triple Threat
Raining Black
Winter Winds
Mark of the Devil
Silverblade
Wicked End
Gasoline
“Wait.” Brandon stared at the lineup. “We’re playing after Mark of the Devil and Silverblade? But they’ve been around so much longer.”
Tommy quickly glimpsed at Anthony and Shane. They didn’t seem to have an issue with it. “You guy’re more popular, at this point.”
“He’s right.” Anthony leaned over Shane and patted Brandon’s shoulder. “You worked hard to give fans what they want. You deserve this.” He knew his band had slacked off for a few years, and that hurt their popularity. “You guys do more shows a year than almost any other band. And Brandon, man, you kick some major ass on that guitar of yours. I wish I could play that fast.”
Brandon grinned madly, floored that his idol would compliment him. “Thanks.” He hoped he didn’t blush. “Wow,” he muttered, in awe.
“Really.” Anthony could see Brandon was shocked. “How do you think you got that Six Strings gig? They wanted the best on their equipment. You do realize you’re on par with Dominic Spinelli. Right?”
Even more flustered, Brandon glanced around the room. Most nodded. “Thanks.”
Shane smacked Brandon’s back. “Dude, you are amazing.”
“He’s young.” Tommy laughed. Other than Chris, Brandon was the youngest in the room. “We have a lot of talent on this tour. That’s why every show is gonna sell out.” He looked up. Joel, one of the new hires, waved a hand. “Looks like the food’s here. Let’s break for lunch, and we’ll discuss any concerns after.”
Chapter 29
Just as everyone headed out, Jon stopped Brandon. “I’m sorry to kinda get in your face before, but I don’t want you to hang onto that anger like I did. I can see it in your eyes. She didn’t want to press charges, so there’s nothing you can do. We’ve been keeping a closer eye on him. So far, he’s clean again.”
Brandon nodded. “Thanks. It’s just not easy.”
“True.” Jon smiled. “Safe trip home.”
Tommy was several feet away with Chris. “You meeting us at Dewdrop tonight?”
“Yep.” Chris chuckled. “Who’s this chick you’re bringing?”
As he bit his lip, Tommy replied, “Someone I’m seeing.”
“Whoa! You dating?” Chris took a step back and lost his balance for a few seconds. “No fucking way!” He was sure it had to be Hailey, though.
Tommy grinned widely. “Yes, way. You’ll like her.” He just hoped Chris wasn’t upset they had deceived him. Dean passed them, head down. “Hey. Dean. You wanna go out with us?”
“Seriously?” Dean turned around. He had not expected Tommy to ever socialize with him again. “Where you goin’?”
Chris put a hand on Dean’s shoulder. “Dewdrop. You can be my wingman.” He laughed, comfortable enough with the members of Gasoline that he didn’t see them as rock stars.
“Sure.” Dean smiled. It was not something he did unless with Amanda lately. Then he groaned. “I’m sorta broke.”
Jon heard and glared at Dean. “I just put $300 on your card. What the fuck you spend it on?”
“I took Ama—a chick to dinner.” Dean’s eyes flitted around out of habit when he lied.
Chris was even more taken aback. “Wait. What the fuck’s goin’ on around here? You took a chick out? As in a date?”
“I was hungry.” Dean groaned loudly. “She was with me, and I was hungry.” What a slip up. He never meant anyone to know he took Amanda out. Although she insisted it wasn’t a date, just dinner. “No big deal.” It was. He had not taken out a girl in… well, forever. When he was younger, he was timid. Then when he joined the band, he had women all over.
Tommy spoke up. He didn’t want things to escalate. “I got you covered tonight. No worries.”
“Thanks.” Dean relaxed.
Jon sighed. “Sorry, I jumped down your throat.” It was hard for him to trust Dean. “I saw the email you sent. You can still buy the boat, but do you need a down payment?’
“Yeah.” Dean’s brain started to rev up. Cash would give him so many options. Then he closed his eyes. No more fucking drugs!
When he saw Dean’s expression, Jon wanted to strangle Dean. “I’ll wire the money to the boat dealer.”
“OK.” Instead of disappointment, Dean felt relief. He turned to Tommy. “We staying here till then or heading back to Jersey?”
Tommy winked. “I got a hotel room. We can hang there till later.” He looked Dean over. Ripped jeans, old T-shirt, snea
kers. “But you need clothes. Can’t go like that.”
“Macy’s?” Chris cocked an eyebrow.
With a shake his head, Tommy said, “No, too crowded. I like Men’s Warehouse. The one on Madison always has exactly what I want.” He was glad Dean was back to his old self. “Let’s go dress you up.”
“If you’re sure.” Dean felt weird about Tommy’s offer.
Tommy rolled his eyes. “I am.” His phone suddenly went off. He quickly answered, “Hey, Hailey.”
Hailey sighed. “Hey.” Eyes closed, she quickly told him, “I can’t make it. I have to work.” She was in her apartment, curled up on the couch. “I’m sorry.”
She freaked out when she had realized someone would most likely take their picture inside or outside the club. When she was online to research a case, Tommy’s picture came up. She Googled him and found several pictures of him with different women. Then she scrolled through hundreds of pictures of him taken everywhere. One photo was taken at the Dewdrop Inn. That meant it wasn’t so secure. Tommy didn’t have much privacy. That was not something she could handle yet.
“You’re kidding.” Tommy had looked forward to that night, and her promise of an entire weekend together. “I don’t make promises I can’t keep.” He couldn’t curb the anger of his tone. “Tell me you’re at least coming to the hotel tonight.”
The hurt in his voice made her feel guilty. Suddenly, she wanted to tell him the truth. She debated how to explain it. However, she didn’t want him to know she also had doubts about their relationship.
“Will I see you at all this weekend?” He looked around, surprised he was alone. “You said you took off for us.”
She sighed quietly. “I know. I don’t know how else to say it. I’m sorry.”
Evolving Urges (Gasoline Book 2) Page 22