by J. M. Nevins
Kit grimaced. “You let him listen to one of my old demos? Oh jeez, Max. That isn’t making me feel much better, but I won’t let you down.” She grinned. “Thank you! Drinks on me when you get back into town, ok?”
“You got it. Break a leg.” She hung up.
Kit squealed excitedly, enough to garner Alexa’s attention. “What’s up?”
She smiled. “I have a gig tonight. That was Maxine.”
Alexa raised her eyebrows. “Where?”
She bubbled up with unbridled enthusiasm so much she was tempted to jump up and down. “Madame Wong’s! I’m so excited, I can’t even begin tell you. Do you have any idea of the legends that have graced the stage there?”
Alexa looked uninterested, but wanted to support her best friend. “Who?”
Her eyes lit up. “The Ramones for one. This is amazing!” She threw her arms out and spun around in the center of their living room, giggling. Will you come out tonight?”
Alexa chuckled. “Yeah, maybe. Are you going to invite your guy?”
She giggled. “Yes. I’ll call him after soundcheck.”
A month had passed since Kit landed in Hollywood. With Joe out on the road, she and Alexa went out almost every night, trying as many new clubs as they could, getting fully absorbed into the local culture.
Kit was on the hunt for a few odd jobs to make ends meet. So far she had come up empty handed. The gig tonight was proving right up her alley and it was a paying job. She relished the opportunity.
On one of her nights out on the town, she ran into David Tarrington, an A&R manager for Mercury Records. She met him at a new wave club that she and Alexa had spotted one night. They had been dating for two weeks solid and she was completely interested in what he did, hanging on his every word when he brought up work. He was nine years her senior and successful. She hoped he would stop by to see her performance that night.
Kit grabbed her guitar and sat on the sofa. She was starting to pluck away and get lost in the music when Joe walked through the door. She didn’t bother to look up until she heard the door shut. She frowned and raised her head. As she recognized him, her face burst into a wide smile and she screamed out loudly. “Joe! You’re home!”
She ran over to him and hugged him tightly. He laughed and held her tighter. “I think you should greet me like this all the time!” He pulled back and grinned. “How have you been, Kitty-Kat?”
Her eyes twinkled as she gazed up at him. “Wonderful. Totally amazing. And I can hardly wait to hear all about the ‘Monsters of Rock’ shows. I thought you weren’t home until Friday?”
He shook his head. “No. Got in late last night. The rest of the guys are chillin’ at home in England. I’ve got a few weeks off before we start the next leg of the tour.”
She giggled and grabbed his hand. “Then you have to come out tonight. I’m sure you’re beat, but please do this for me.”
He chuckled. “Kit, I have been partying for the last four weeks non-stop. The last thing I want to do is go out tonight.”
She stared at him and squeezed his hand. “But I’m playing.”
That statement grabbed his full attention. His eyes widened. “You’re playing? Where?”
She giggled again. “Madame Wong’s. I’m subbing as a lead guitarist. Now will you come out with me and Lex?”
He laughed. “On that condition, of course!”
She grinned. “Good. I have to run to soundcheck. Can we catch up when I get back?”
He nodded and grinned. “How about I drive you in my new ride and we can catch up on the way? I just picked it up.”
She chuckled and shook her head. “A new car? I didn’t know you needed one. Ok, let me grab my Strat and we’re off like a prom dress.”
Five minutes later, Kit was chatting away as Joe led her out to the alley behind her apartment building. He walked her over to his brand new, cherry red Ferrari 308. He grinned, opened the passenger door and took her guitar from her. She stopped talking and stared at it for a solid moment before looking up at him in awe. “You bought a Ferrari?”
He chuckled and popped the trunk at the front of the car, carefully depositing her guitar. He slammed it shut and smiled as he swung the keys around his finger. “Gotta look the part, honey. I’m the lead guitarist of Steel Pony. And besides, I needed a new car anyway. You know I was planning on buying something new when I got out here. I sold my Camaro to Aaron for a dollar. He needed a car and I didn’t need the cash.”
She chuckled. “Damn, Joe. I would tease you, but I just can’t. The car suits you, rock star.” He laughed, threw on his dark sunglasses, and got into the car.
Kit stood in front of Alexa and Joe in the club later that night. She swallowed hard. “Are you sure I look ok?” She was nervous and fidgety.
Alexa grinned. “Baby, you look gorgeous.”
She wore a black, leather mini-skirt with black stockings and an oversized, see-through, black, mesh blouse with a lacey, red tank top that peeked through underneath. The red stilettos on her feet completed the look. Her red tresses were teased and she had done her eye makeup much heavier than normal, adding dark red lipstick to sharpen her edgy look. She smiled at Alexa and noticed the band taking the stage out of the corner of her eye. Jeff waved her over.
She left the comfort of her friends and headed toward the stage. She stepped into the wings of the stage and smiled. She mumbled to herself. “Showtime. Here goes nothin’.” She threw on her favorite electric guitar, a coral pink Fender Stratocaster, and stepped onto the stage. Her eyes quickly surveyed the audience. She felt her heart sink. There was no sign of her new guy, David, anywhere.
She heard the drummer counting off the first song, ‘The Wind Cries Mary,’ by Jimi Hendrix. She got lost in the music instantly. David’s presence was now the furthest thing from her mind. She fully relished playing with this band. They were a very tight cover band, reminding her of one of her first bands in high school, a classic rock cover band. She was sixteen at the time and everyone else in the band was at least ten years older than her with the exception of Joe.
The set planned was short; only four songs to warm up the crowd and get them ready for the line up of local bands due to hit the stage later that evening. It was early by club standards, only nine o’clock. The club was already packed. She had learned that this cover band was well known in Los Angeles and didn’t play out all that often in the clubs. They were usually getting hired for private parties and frequently had their dance card filled.
They would show up occasionally at Madame Wong’s, never disappointing. Their lead guitarist had pneumonia and wasn’t able to perform. Kit felt bad for the guy, but in this case, his loss was her gain. She was enjoying herself and realizing how much fun it was to be up on stage with her guitar again. There was nothing quite like hearing her Fender Stratocaster squeal at full volume in a club—a sound that brought her unadulterated joy.
They jumped from Hendrix to Cream’s ‘Sunshine of Your Love,’ and then to one of her favorites, ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps,’ by the Beatles. She had played it over and over for what seemed like a million times, but each time she found something different, something amazing and intriguing that pulled her in. Tonight was no different.
Sully walked into the club. Jimmy and Remo trailed behind him. He headed over to the bar and leaned in to order a beer, yelling over the music. He glanced over at the guy next to him and did a double take. He stared at him in awe. “Hey, aren’t you the new lead guitarist of Steel Pony?”
Joe chuckled and nodded. “I am.” He extended his hand. “Joe Arden. Are you in a band? You certainly look the part.”
Sully grinned. “Yeah, in a band called Gypsy Tango. We play on the Strip when we can save up enough cash to secure a slot, but otherwise we’re pretty much confined to our practice space. We’ll get there.”
Joe nodded and saluted him with his beer. “You certainly will. You’re living in the land of Hollywood where rock ‘n’ roll dreams do come true.”
Sully and Joe continued to talk and within minutes, were acting like old friends. Sully tried to catch a glimpse of the band on stage. He grinned when he recognized The Beatles song. He strained to see the band better.
Joe leaned over and yelled to him. “Dude, go check out the guitarist. She’s killer.”
He turned to him and frowned. “She?”
Joe laughed. “Yeah, she.”
Sully was curious. He raised his eyebrows. “Is she your girl or somethin’?”
Joe shook his head and took a swig of his beer. “Hell no. My girlfriend isn’t here. She’s an old friend. We grew up together. She’s pretty badass. Go check her out.”
Sully abandoned Joe at the bar and headed toward the stage to get a better look. He honed in on the band as he got closer and laughed as a wide smile spread across his face. His new friend Joe had been right. The lead guitarist was a young woman—a highly attractive one. He cocked his head to the side, instantly intrigued. He shoved his way through the packed crowd to get closer to the stage. Standing only a few rows back, he watched her, amazed at her technique and skill. Not only was she fiercely stunning with her wild, long, red mane, she played guitar like a demon. He stared in wonder, unable to wipe the smile from his face.
Jimmy walked up to him and frowned. “Why do you have that stupid look on your face?”
Sully chuckled and motioned. “Check her out.”
Jimmy raised his eyebrows and then a wide smile spread across his face. “Damn, she’s good! And she’s hot!”
Sully nodded, took a sip of his beer and kept his eyes trained on her, fully enjoying the show. When the band headed into their last song in the set, ‘Highway Star’ by Deep Purple, both he and Jimmy stared at the female guitarist in awe.
He chuckled and looked at Jimmy. “She could smoke you!”
Jimmy glared at him. “Shut up.”
Sully smiled and looked at Jimmy again. “She just looked at me and smiled!”
Jimmy laughed. “No she didn’t. She was looking at me.”
When the song reached the guitar solo, both of their mouths dropped open. Jimmy looked at Sully. “Shit, she could smoke me. I think she just did. Damn. Who the hell is this girl? I’ve never seen her before.”
Sully shrugged his shoulders and smiled. “I dunno, but I’m gonna find out.”
At the end of the song, Jeff yelled out introductions of each band member. He pointed to Kit. “And filling in on lead guitar tonight for Mike is Miss Kitty-Kat kicking ass and taking names.” The crowd roared with approval and Kit laughed. Jeff then yelled. “Thank you and goodnight!”
He headed off stage and high-fived Kit. “Damn girl, you kicked ass in soundcheck today, but you fucking blew me away tonight. There’s something about you on a stage in front of an audience. You killed it! Impressive. You can play with us anytime. I’m gonna tell people about you.”
Kit chuckled and smiled. “Thank you. It was a blast and an honor.”
He nodded and led her down the stairs over to the bar where he grabbed a beer. He looked at her. “What can I get you?”
“Scotch on the rocks.”
He smiled. “Scotch girl, huh? Nice.” He handed her the drink moments later. “I’m gonna have to take Max to dinner for hooking me up. You can come too. Did she tell you what I do…like as my day job?”
She shook her head. “No.”
“I’m a sound engineer. I’m always looking for session musicians. By the way you played tonight, I’m guessing you could handle it. Are you looking for work? I know you just got into town last month.”
Kit smiled and her eyes twinkled with enthusiasm. “Yes! I did session work when I lived in Philly. I would love to have session work out here.”
He nodded. “You’ll have it, sweetie. I’ll make sure of it. I don’t have anything this week, but I’ll check with some of my friends and some producers I know. You’re gonna make a name for yourself in this town, McKenna. I know it.”
She giggled. “Thanks, Jeff.”
He noticed someone waving to him. “Hey, I need to go talk to that guy really quick. Come find me before you jet tonight.”
She nodded. “Will do.” She watched him walk away and was about to search for Alexa and Joe when she noticed someone approaching. She smiled wide, excited.
Sully and Jimmy walked side-by-side looking like a duo of big hair and tight pants, headed toward the beautiful, redheaded guitarist. Sully nudged Jimmy. “Look, she’s smiling. She’s excited to see us!”
David kindly pushed his way through Sully and Jimmy, headed toward Kit. She ran over to him and threw her arms around his neck. “Baby! You made it! Did you see my set?”
He nodded. “I caught the last two songs. You were amazing!” He kissed her deeply.
Jimmy looked at Sully. “He was standing behind us. Looks like we won’t be meeting her tonight. C’mon, let’s go find someone that we have a chance with. Look dude, she’s with a suit. He’s older, has money, probably a cool pad, and a nice car too. Not only that, but didn’t you say she’s friends with that guy from Steel Pony? Crap. We’re out of the running. She’s out of our league, completely.”
Sully nodded, regretfully. He started walking away with Jimmy and looked back one more time to see his new favorite guitarist all lit up, talking to her boyfriend and laughing. He shook his head. He wasn’t ready to admit defeat. He headed back in her direction before Jimmy could stop him.
Sully approached her and smiled. “Hey.”
Kit stared at him, her smile fading slightly. Her green eyes searched his urgently as she tried to jog her memory in hopes of discerning if she knew him in any way. Coming up empty-handed, she tilted her head and responded awkwardly. “Hey.”
He couldn’t wipe the smile off of his face. His enthusiasm was uncontainable. “Your set was awesome! Your playing was impressive. You can really shred.”
She smiled warmly and nodded. “Thank you, that’s sweet.” There was something about this guy that she immediately liked. She couldn’t place it, but wanted to find out who he was. She was about to ask when her boyfriend interjected, interrupting Kit and Sully’s slowly unfolding introduction.
He gently grabbed her arm. “Honey, we need to go. Alexa and Joe are waiting for us at the door. I got us a table at the Roxy.”
She nodded to him and looked at Sully one last time. “Thanks again. I appreciate the comment. That was really nice of you to take the time to tell me.” She couldn’t understand why she suddenly didn’t want to leave. She wanted to talk more with this kind stranger in front of her that had a way about him that completely intrigued her. Noticing the look of impatience on David’s face, she opted instead to reach out and gently touch his hand. She turned around one last time and grinned at him as her boyfriend led her away. She gave him a flirty wave and secretly hoped she’d run into him again.
Jimmy walked up and handed him a beer. “And down in flames he goes. She called you sweet? That’s the kiss of death, man. Good effort, buddy. She was with a suit and has a friend that’s a rock star. You didn’t stand a chance.” He slapped him on the shoulder. “Why don’t you go talk to that brunette over there who has a thing for you.” He pointed to a cute brunette girl sitting at the bar. She smiled and waved to him.
Sully nodded and smiled, putting on the charm as he headed over. No sense in dwelling on the redhead with a boyfriend when there was a perfectly attractive brunette calling him over to buy him a drink.
CHAPTER 4
The line outside the Roxy was long and stretched down the boulevard. Kit giggled as the people waiting went into a frenzy seeing Joe strut by. As she made her way past the line and into the club on David’s arm in tow of Joe, she was amazed at how much he was recognized. Alexa laughed as she watched him get stopped several times to sign female body parts with a pen while David led them to the reserved table off to the side.
Once they were seated, Kit leaned over and yelled to Joe over the music. “Nice entrance. I guess this is how Hollyw
ood is gonna be for you now, huh?”
He grinned but wasn’t exactly sure he was comfortable with it. He swallowed hard. “I guess. I’m gonna grab a drink.”
She stopped him. “No. Stay here. We have a waitress.”
He shook his head. “Naw. I wanna walk around. I’m antsy. See if any of our peeps from Philly are here.”
She frowned and sensed something was wrong. Joe hadn’t been himself since he returned from the road. She noticed it on the drive over to her soundcheck earlier in the day and realized she would need to carve out some time to get to the bottom of things. Tonight wasn’t the time. She nodded. “Ok.” She watched him walk away, out of sight.
Joe was about to head to the bar when he noticed his girlfriend Janine and two of her friends coming through the door. His eyes lit up and he made a beeline for the entrance. Janine squealed with delight and threw her arms around his neck, planting a kiss on his lips. He pulled back and smiled. “What luck? Told ya we’d run into each other at some point tonight.”
She giggled. “You were right. Baby, can you work your magic? Tina has a guy with her that she met earlier at Madame Wong’s and the bouncers are saying it’s too packed in the club to let them both in. She just met him and really likes him. Do something, please?”
Joe nodded and leaned out, straining to find Tina, who he had never met. A cute, brunette gal waved to him frantically. He motioned Janine over. “Does she have brown hair?” She nodded.
He leaned out again and smiled, noticing that his new friend from earlier, Sully, was with Tina. Sully recognized him and laughed, waving. Joe looked at the bouncer and grinned. “If you can let those two in,” he pointed them out with his finger and then looked at him again, “I will make it very worth your while.”
The bouncer stared at him unfazed. “You big rock stars think you rule the roost, don’t you?”
Joe slipped him two hundred dollar bills. “That enough?”