by A. M. Jones
I let my excitement get the best of me. I’m buoyant and happy, giving as much as taking. “Remember when we saw the condo?” I ask Taylor. When she nods, I continue, “When you said something about loving the giant room with all the windows would be a good work space?”
Her mouth twists to the side before she smiles. “Yeah, you should see it now. Brenna knows how to decorate.”
Even though she turned down the condo in favor of her own apartment, she’s been helping Brenna with everything Brenna thinks she needs to do for the condo. Somehow, I talked her into working in the shop office today. Things are getting better even though she’s yet to open up about how she feels.
The article garnered us a lot of attention but has her closing down and wanting to spend time by herself. I pull into the shop parking lot and blow a breath of relief when the garage doors are wide open. It means Mick is already here.
“I have something I want to show you.” I grin. “Don’t be nervous.”
When we get out, instead of going inside, I take her to the side where a beaten path leads to the junkyard. The small building needs a lot of work to make it habitable again. I emptied it of trash and storage. Milo washed the windows.
I unlock the door and swing it open. I follow her inside. “I know it needs some TLC… okay, a lot of TLC, but it’s yours if you want it.”
She swallows and strolls around. It’s one big room, less than half the size of my studio, with a small bathroom. The best thing about it, though, are the windows. They’re all the way around, not that the view is much—just a bunch of rusted cars and bushes that crawl up the back of the shop.
But I can see the whole thing cluttered with Taylor’s stuff in that weird, organized way she has. “There’s lots of natural light.” I swipe sweat from my brow, getting even more nervous now that she hasn’t said a word.
She spins. “And it is right next door to you.”
I rub my neck and laugh. “Well, yeah. That, too.”
I moved most of the stuff I stored in here, but she takes in the few crates that are left. “You don’t use it for anything?”
Truth time. I’m not sure how she’s going to take this one. “I did. When I first opened the shop, Madison and I had to live here. She couldn’t stand it since the nearest shower and kitchen are in the shop.” And by kitchen, I mean sink, a small fridge, and microwave. This small room holds unpleasant memories of explosive arguments, but new memories are bound to be made if Taylor turns it into her space.
She scans the room in contemplation. Walking over to a window, she studies the lovely view of a half rusted, booger-green Gremlin. Vines grow all over and inside of it.
She clears her throat. She wobbles her leg propped on the tip of her shoe. “Can I think about it?” I wipe my hands down my jeans. “I’m not saying no. I—”
“No, it’s okay. It’s yours if you want it.”
She grins but then she loses her smile. I open my mouth to ask her what’s wrong when I feel something being pushed into my palm.
When I see what it is, I’m shocked at the profound happiness the shiny piece of cheap metal gives me. “Really?”
She laughs as if I’m being silly, but I grin. My insides do karate moves. This is progress.
“You’re going to make a big deal out of this, aren’t you?”
“‘Course not. I swear.” I clear my throat, but I can’t stop smiling. “You know I’m going to take advantage of this, right?”
“I hope so.”
A key. She gave me a key to her apartment.
We call one last meeting of all the volunteers two nights before the big day. Eli, Gina, and Brenna have done most of the organizing. Besides rounding up authors, they put me in charge of getting local restaurants to set up booths. The vendors only need to pay for a space for the easy business. I believe I did a good job deciding on a variety. After all, this will be a seven-hour event and people eat.
Eli reads from a clipboard—his focus only noticeable by the pinch between his eyebrows. He looks up to take charge, opening his mouth when he finds me watching. He pauses, eyeing me for a second, and smiles.
“Okay everyone,” he announces, giving the chatter a moment to calm down. “We have the final count on the booths. Two hundred and thirty-four vendors will be set up across the lot.” Cheers commence at the news, and he smiles wider. “And sixteen confirmed bands. It’s done, so if you had someone holding out till the last minute, no more room. We’re calling on three separate companies for rentals already and we’re maxed out. Setup starts, bright and early, at five a.m. I believe final emails have been sent out…” He looks to Brenna, who taps along an electronic tablet and nods. “Good. Everyone will get a list of vendors on your row. Keep them happy. Milo do you have a security team ready to go?”
“Yep.” This is a pay at the entrance event as well. They’ll be in charge of that and make sure parking runs smoothly. “We’re set to do a run-through tomorrow.”
Gina raises her hand. “I have good news.” All eyes turn to her and she takes a deep breath. “As ya’ll know, the radio stations have been broadcasting for us, but I got the local news station to cover the event tomorrow night on the six o’clock news.” She smiles as this awesome information sinks in. After all, my biggest fear is all this work, all the fun to be had, and no one showing up.
When everyone disperses, I’m talking to Savannah when my mother motions me over.
She hands me a sheet of paper. “Go to this address tonight. Meet me there at ten-thirty.” She eyes me. “I have a small dilemma.” I open my mouth to say something, but she cuts me off. “You can bring the coward if you’re inclined.”
Strutting off, she looks back one more time and appears amused at the astonished look on my face.
Eli and I drive downtown to meet my mother. “You have no idea what this is about?” There’s something peculiar about the way he asks.
“No clue.” I’ve never been to this nightclub before. I had no idea it existed. “My mother can find the strangest places.” He swallows, seeming apprehensive. I touch his elbow. “It has nothing do to with you, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
He nods, saying nothing.
After we park, we walk the few blocks back and pay fifteen dollars each for a cover charge.
It’s dim, but I find my mother alone at a back table. Several empty glasses sit in front of her. “About time.”
“We’re five minutes early,” I retort as we sit on leather-padded stools.
Eli scans the room. A same-sex couple occupies the table beside ours. Upon looking around, they’re everywhere. Our waitress walks up. “I’m Desiree, I’ll be serving you this evening. What can I get ya’ll to drink?” The voice is deep. Too deep. I peer into a gorgeously made-up face, carved with masculinity underneath.
I look over the beer menu Eli hands me. It’s rather extensive and filled with quite a few local brews. “I’ll have Turtle Anarchy stout.”
“Got it.” She looks to Eli, becoming flirty. “And what’ll it be for you, sweets?”
Eli smiles, amused as he looks over the menu I still hold in my hand. “Evil Octopus.”
“I’ll be right back.”
As soon as she walks away, I turn to my mother. “What are we doing here?”
Eli rubs the back of his neck. She smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. Piano music starts and my mom looks to the stage. A drag queen, dressed as Jessica Rabbit, comes from the left, swaying hypnotically. Something about her—she turns facing the crowd. I gasp. Loudly. It’s not Jessica Rabbit, but Crockett. And he has boobs.
“How does he do that?” I whisper, amazed. They aren’t huge, but at least a B cup. He’s flat as a board in that department. Shit, he looks fab and rocks the Mrs. Rabbit role hard with his ginger wig and red-glittered gown. His voice even sounds the part. Not to mention, the face—he could teach me a thing or two about putting on makeup. I grin wide, but when I look to my mom, she’s glaring. Oh. Oh!
Eli s
louches forward on the stool. She turns her glare to him. “You knew,” she hisses.
He shakes his head, rubbing his neck again. “I wish she’d hurry up with the beer,” he mutters under his breath.
“You’re sure as hell not surprised,” she says, fuming.
“When you know someone as long as I’ve known Crockett, growing up with him and everything, well… I know him.”
“He’s never told you?” I fiddle with the edge of the menu. Hiding something this big can’t be easy for him either.
He goes on the defense. “No, and I never thought to ask because it doesn’t bother me. Crockett will share what he wants and when he wants to.”
“Wait a minute. Does he know you’re here?” I ask her.
She shakes her head. “I thought he was screwing someone else, and I followed him last night and well….” She waves her hand toward the seductress on stage.
I can’t help it. I laugh. “You were following him?” Wow.
Eli still looks uncomfortable. “If he wanted us to know, he would’ve said, ‘You guys better come watch me shake my ass in my new dress.’” I laugh at his impressive imitation of Crockett.
“I couldn’t give a shit,” she spits, leaning across the little round table. “I don’t see how you’d even begin to understand. You’re not the one screwing a drag queen.” Her voice carries, and several heads turn our way. She doesn’t notice because she’s too busy downing her drink with her hand raised for another.
Desiree brings our drinks and only lifts a brow at my mom when she sets her drink down in front of her.
The song ends, and Jessica focuses on a couple in the front by the stage through the microphone. “Look at you. It’s my lucky day. A straight dude. I love straight dudes. Wanna find what I’m packing?” Jessica wiggles her hips. The guy’s girlfriend cackles can be heard over the audiences laughs as he shakes his head with a red face. “Oh, come on, it’s not gonna jump out and bite you!”
Eli chokes on his beer, laughing. “Yes, it will.”
I laugh but when I get a look at my mother’s glare, I clear my throat. Eli stops his laughter, too. He becomes pensive, and I hope he’s figuring out a way to defuse the situation.
Truth is, I’m not sure how I’d feel if I were in my mother’s shoes. I watch Jessica Rabbit—still fucking with the straight dude. My heart breaks for my friend as I realize he’s hiding himself. But what breaks my heart even more? I’m still doing the same thing.
We drop my mother at her house after she’s had too much to drink.
“Do you think she’ll confront him?” he asks me.
“I’m not sure. I wish he would’ve told me.”
“Don’t take it personally. Crockett’s had it rough, and I’m sure this is just his way of letting go. Like, maybe it’s something he needs to do. Something separate from his life and the band.”
“Maybe,” I say, looking out into the night at the passing lights.
“Are you going to confront him?”
I shake my head.
“Why not?”
“Because you’re right. If he wanted us to know, we’d know. And besides, I’m sure my mother has that under control.” Thinking about my mom and Crockett, I feel bad for him. He’s got no idea what’s coming.
I slam my laptop closed. “Ugh.” Eli hears me and darkens the doorway of his office in the shop as I lean back, crossing my arms. As if he has an itch, he swipes his forearm across his chin to avoid getting grease on it. It’s no use, however, because there’s a smudge left behind.
He shakes his head. “Stop looking. Some people have no lives.”
“You’re a lying, cheating abuser who’s now taking people’s pity money.”
Not even a blink. I’m not sure I understand why the situation doesn’t bother him. He laughs. “If you think about it, there’s truth to that.” He bends down in front of me as I shake my head in disagreement because all proceeds go to Beams Nashville. We aren’t keeping a penny. Looking into his warm eyes as he tucks a strand of my hair back, I know there’s no way he ever laid a hand on Madison. “Do you ever get this mad when someone hates your books?”
I let out a little laugh. “I did at first, but then it sinks in that not everyone will like what I have to say.”
“Exactly. Not everyone will agree with us, so there’s no point in beating yourself up about it. Anyway, they don’t know everything there is to know. They know your side, and whatever Madison said to that gossip columnist.”
He wouldn’t know since he never read the whole thing because it doesn’t matter. There isn’t anything for him to gain by reading it, so he didn’t. He’s right about the public not knowing everything. They don’t know about the “wanting to start a family” lie to screw with his mind and make him feel like shit all the time, or Madison’s lover and the fact she bragged about it. Or that she had sex with an agent just so she could make the gossip column worse. Not to mention the way she took pleasure in Eli’s misery. To me, all the manipulation and the fact she spread lies during his grieving, just to garner attention, should be enough to make casual onlookers disgusted with her.
I nod my agreement and smile. “I should be the one talking you down.”
He laughs, taking my hands in his. “I lived through it, and I’m so fucking done with it all. I’m ready to move on with my life.”
“Better things?”
He lifts his eyebrows. “Better? If that’s not an understatement, I don’t know what is.” His gaze slides down to our entwined hands. My heart pounds as he feels my fingertips that are getting rough. When he looks back at me, his eyes narrow.
“Hey boss.” Mick comes into the doorway. “You need to look at this. This dumb fuck rigged a hose and I can’t get it off.”
When he drops my hand, spouting swears all the way out the door, I can only thank the dumb fuck who rigged a hose. Whatever that means.
Later at Gina’s, our closest friends get together for some stone-baked pizza and beer to watch the nightly news. Our local station interviewed Eli, so I’m excited to see what he had to say. Although, there is a little tension coming from my mother. She eats and Crockett seems agitated as he picks at his food with long fingers. I can only guess my mother confronted him. He hasn’t been able to look me in the eye long, so I can only assume he knows I know.
“Hmmm. Why do I get the feeling you never run out of story fodder?” My closest author friend, Kate, asks, watching Crockett. She’s in town for the event and staying with me and naturally curious. She waits for me to answer the question while picking toppings off her pizza and plopping them in her mouth.
“She doesn’t,” Eli says with a smile, trying to be sly about stealing my beer. I don’t see how he thinks his huge arm goes unnoticed. Kate and I watch him swig the stolen beer.
She leans toward me. “You let him steal your beer. It must be serious.”
The table bursts out into laughter, and Eli’s face softens in a lopsided smile.
Kate raises a brow. “Barf.” She looks at her watch. “When can I get back to my laptop? I need to slaughter shit.” His smile widens.
“Oh, oh, it’s on.” Gina turns up the volume on her TV that she rigged in the kitchen. Everyone gets quiet as the newscaster emerges.
“Eli Gregor—owner of Gregor’s Quick Service Auto Repair and the lead of Nashville’s very own indie rock group, Tainted District is hosting a Stop the Bash Benefit for a great cause.”
I smile as Eli appears on the screen with a microphone in his face. I recognize the brick wall of the shop in the background. His expression is serious as he explains, “All net donations goes to the students of Beams Nashville—an organization that focuses on interventions, prevention, and treatments of bullying, alcohol and substance abuse, and violence.”
The screen flashes to the newscaster. “The event starts tomorrow at ten and tickets are fifteen dollars at the door. For more information you can visit the event site at www.StoptheBash…” She goes on with other local new
s, and we cheer and clink beer bottles together. Brenna squeals over everyone else’s comments.
“That was quick,” Milo says.
Eli nods. “Yeah, they said they’d only pick a portion of the interview for the forty-five second spotlight.”
Mick sighs and bangs his beer bottle on the table. “Doesn’t matter. She mentioned the shop. We’ll have more business than we can handle now.”
Eli eyes him, but I agree with Mick. My phone buzzes with an incoming text. My heart beats out of my chest when I see it’s from my dad.
“My dreams are coming true.” I’m told those are her words verbatim. It’s in the bag.
Holy shit. She accepted it. I stare at the words on the screen and feel a little bad, but I only gave it a shove. She could’ve turned it down. Only someone like her would think this kind of thing would equal to dreams coming true.
Peeking at Eli, I realize he’s watching me with a curious eye.
Gina turns the TV off. “All right. Big day tomorrow. Go get some sleep. The crew bringing tables and tents will be at the lot around four-thirty.”
I sigh, a little anxiousness creeping in as I stand to help clean. It’s still light out, and even if it wasn’t, I doubt I’ll be sleeping anytime soon.
A half hour later, I’m downstairs in the basement checking the gift bags that go to the first hundred at the door. Everything seems in order, but I organize them better than they are. The system will be easier to grab and go without spilling anything out of them.
“Hey, lush.”
I spin to Crockett, smiling. “Hey.”
His features brighten, but only a little. “I was just coming down to see if you’re ready for tomorrow?”
“You know I am.”
“We’ll have to do it last. He won’t be good for anything else after. I can’t wait to see the look on his face.”