“Fuckers,” she says then leaves.
“She’s such a delicate flower,” I say.
“I like the way she talks,” Abigail says. “She’s like a Lisa patch.”
I give Abigail a smile. I’ve asked her if she misses home these past few weeks of touring, but she keeps telling me that while Inferno Falls is home, it also kind of isn’t. We’ll be back there soon, but all she’s missing for now is the two jobs she doesn’t need because of the flash sale Freddy did online before we left. Who knew there were that many fans out there ready to snatch up something I released? But I guess that’s why we need Freddy. He doesn’t just sell. He parlays. The income from the sale went into more studio time and a rerecording of some of the old songs to go with the new ones we’d already released. Gavin Adams had a lot of fans, but Firecracker Confession had a whole lot more.
Abigail’s home is with her parents. I’ll have to point that out to her someday, but we’re taking this one revelation at a time. First, she shows me something obvious. I’ll return the favor, maybe after the tour is over.
Freddy actually laughs. When our little ensemble first formed and we hired Alicia as our drummer, Abigail told Lisa, and Lisa became our first groupie. She was as loud and obnoxious as any groupie should be, likely because she was high. I had plenty of my own groupies at the time, but Forbidden Muse was still nothing before it grew from Lisa to leagues. Freddy got the tour bookings on the strength of my name, but by the next go-round it’s on Forbidden Muse’s. There’s no question Freddy is earning his percentage. Even when the assets were all mine instead of the common assets we now share as a band, Freddy’s brain and hustle made it all work. He didn’t just book shows; he booked signings and meetups using the social networks I still don’t understand. Freddy called it the rule of small numbers, meaning that if we had enough smaller events, they’d add up to a lot. I call it magic. Some shows only have a dozen fans. Others have hundreds, but few are in traditional clubs so we’re not even spending much. Freddy’s tour is more like an organized network of flash mob sessions than anything. We’re hit and run — guerrilla indies in the strictest sense.
“You’ll see her soon, won’t you?” Freddy asks.
Abigail shakes her head. We discussed it this morning while lying in bed. Our lyrics are all written for now, so it’s not like we need a writer permanently on call the way politicians need speechwriters. Her plan was to hang with us for a while to get the feel for what our songs created, then bail around the halfway point. But rather than feeling like a long, plodding journey, our tour has gained momentum, with more fans at each stop. Thanks to Freddy’s creative spending, we’re netting a huge percentage of everything we do, and her cut of our profits are more than she’d make waitressing. Staying onboard means she’s not banking much, but Abigail doesn’t care. She says she’d rather stay. And when I point out that the band will be okay without her for now if she chooses to go back, she clarifies: She’d rather stay with me. And because I’m used to touring with my songwriter and girlfriend anyway, it only feels natural.
“I’m going to finish the tour.”
Freddy smiles wider. I’m kind of a business dullard, but Freddy and Abigail both have the gift. Freddy’s been hoping she’d stay. It makes sense. We’re like a little family. Alicia is our profane black sheep cousin.
Freddy’s eyes flick back toward the package. I almost forgot I was holding it.
“I guess I should open this.”
But both of them, again, look nervous. I say, “What?” but neither responds.
When I pull the foil from the package, I find myself looking at a shiny wooden plaque with a vinyl record affixed to it. Gold, like the foil.
“What is this?” We don’t have a gold record. Not even close. I’m not even sure you can have an official gold record as an independent artist; that sounds to me like something conferred by industry bigwigs to industry superstars.
“It was her idea,” says Freddy.
I turn to Abigail. “No it wasn’t. It was Freddy’s.”
“It was Abigail.”
“It was both of us.” Abigail smiles.
They’re looking at me as if awaiting judgment. Their eyes are wide. I get the feeling of a big risk taken, and this is the limbo period where everyone waits to see if it’s paid off or flopped.
There are no answers on Freddy’s or Abigail’s faces, so I turn to the plaque. I’ve never seen a real gold record up close, but to my eyes, this could easily be the real thing.
The tiny brass engraving below the record says, Firecracker Confession. Below that: Brutal Design.
My eyebrows bunch up. A sense of vague melancholy descends, thick like a curtain.
One last time, I say, “What is this, you guys?”
“A symbol,” Freddy says. “You know. In tribute.”
I look from Freddy to Abigail. Then back to Freddy.
“It’s a real record. I took the digital tracks we rerecorded, and I found a place that does single pressings like this. You could play it if you wanted. All the old songs you used to play with … with them.”
My breath feels short. I can’t stop blinking, as if there’s too much dust in the air.
“You would have got it, Bro. You know you would have, if … ” He trails off.
My gaze again goes to Abigail.
“Say something,” Abigail says, watching me, watching Freddy. “Should we have not done it? Are you mad, or … ?”
I set the record on the table. Then I put one arm around Abigail and another around Freddy. I tug them close, and for a moment we sit just like that.
“Thank you both,” I say, my voice thick.
Deep down, I hear Grace and Charlie, telling me I’m welcome.
Inferno Falls Continues in Book Three ...
Want more Inferno? CLICK HERE … the story continues in book 3!
He left her alone. Now he’s back … but too much has changed.
Maya never thought she’d end up a single mother spending her whole life in the small town of Inferno Falls. But fate changed when Grady, her high school love, moved away and left her alone to raise her daughter before the ink dried on their diplomas. Eight years later, Maya’s struggling to make ends meet — and when life gets too tough, she heals the void inside in the only way she knows … whether it’s right or wrong. When Grady returns and Maya finds herself hoping that Grady has come home for her, all seems to be falling into place … if Maya’s dark secret doesn’t tear them apart.
Regret falters and hope blooms in THE SECOND CHANCE. Go here to get your copy:
http://aubreyparker.net/book/the-second-chance-inferno-falls-book-three/
Stuff You Should Know
Hey! You came back!
Just about the best thing in the world that an author can write is a second author’s note. The author’s note from a first-in-series book is pretty great, but it doesn’t hold a candle to the note that goes into the second. Here’s why: it’s possible you, as a reader, would finish the first book in a series, hate it, and still read the author’s note. But if you’re reading this author’s note, that means I did something right. You liked the first book enough that you wanted to read the second one … and then went on to read the author’s note at the end of that book. So if you’re here, reading these words right now, that means I did my job well. And I like to do my job well and make readers happy. :)
I’ll let you in on a secret: I actually wrote the first three books in the Inferno Falls series right in a row. All three were written before I published the first one. So when I published The Boss’s Daughter, I knew that I liked The Forbidden Muse even better. I loved writing that first book. But I knew anyone who stuck with the series would love the second even more.
Now for another secret that you may have already seen coming: just as I like the second book in this series better than the first, I like the third book best of all.
That third book is The Second Chance, and I promise you’re going to love it. It’
s about Maya, the waitress you’ve already met, who has her daughter and a sad story about being left in the past.
I don’t want to say too much about that book, but I will say two things:
First, it’s full-full-FULL of emotion. If you’ve ever wanted or needed a second chance, you’ll absolutely love it.
Second, it’s a little dirtier than these first two books. Not a ton. But I don’t like to hold myself back, and Maya’s secrets made me resist any urge to do so. :)
Oh, and speaking of dirtier/spicier books … I’m also working on a sideways novella series that’s super hot … think of them as Inferno Falls books 3.1, 3.2, and 3.3 to go between 3 and 4. You’ll dig ‘em.
You can actually get the first in that series, The Burning Offer (Trevor’s Harem book 1), for free if you join my mailing list. You can get your free copy here: http://aubreyparker.net/join.
Also, My Facebook page is here. I’m not very active on Facebook, but I run contests and stuff, so please be sure to “like” my page. That way you can stay up to date on my giveaways.
Anyway, if you liked this book, you’ll definitely want to read the third in the series, The Second Chance. You can get it right now at this link: http://aubreyparker.net/book/the-second-chance-inferno-falls-book-three/
… and please be sure to stay tuned. I’ve got a LOT more in store for you, and it’s going to be a really fun ride. :)
— Aubrey
WANT TO GET THE FIRST BOOK IN MY UPCOMING SERIES FREE?
The Burning Offer is the first book in “Trevor’s Harem” — a sideways series that occurs after book 3 in the Inferno Falls series. Get it free (or reserve your free pre-launch copy if you’re reading this before it’s out) when you join my mailing list!
CLICK THE LINK AND CLAIM YOUR BOOK:
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THANK YOU FOR READING!
Aubrey Parker
The Forbidden Muse (Inferno Falls #2) Page 22