by J. M. Nevins
She sat up slowly and groaned. She tried to jog her memory from the night before. Her last memory was doing shots of Jack Daniels with the entire band then everything went black. Her fingertips throbbed. She started to rub them and winced. She groaned again. She figured out that she had played way too much guitar the night before, but couldn’t remember one lick of it. She felt like she had played an all night set and she tried desperately to jostle a clue from her mind only to come up short.
She noticed a glimmer on the floor below her, right next to the sofa. She had found her keys. She happily seized them and held them close to her heart for one full moment, completely grateful she wouldn’t have to launch a search party under naked bodies for them.
She got up and headed toward the door, tip-toeing in hopes of not waking anyone. She was almost to the front door when Sully appeared, walking out of the hallway next to the door, wrapped in a sheet, completely disheveled, and looking drowsy. She suddenly had a blurry recollection that the whole band had gone streaking up and down the hallways of the apartment building at some point in the wee hours of the morning.
He grinned as he blinked sleepily. “Kit, what are you doing?”
She glanced over her shoulder and looked at him, her eyes wide as saucers, feeling like a teenager caught sneaking out by her father. She whispered hastily. “I’m leaving.”
Sully frowned, definitely hungover and still slightly disoriented. His voice was gravelly when he spoke. “But why?”
She faced him and smirked. “Because I have to go. I have to be at work in two hours. I have the lunch shift at the café today. What are you doing up?”
He shrugged his shoulders and started to head for the kitchen. “Dunno, but I’m gonna go pound a beer and go back to sleep.” He stopped in his tracks and turned around, looking at her and holding fast to his sheet. He appeared confused, not completely registering what she had said. “You’re not going to stay and hang out with us? Once everyone wakes up we’re gonna move the party poolside and catch some rays.”
She leaned forward and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “No, babe. I gotta go. I’ll catch you at rehearsal tomorrow afternoon.”
“Ok. Suit yourself, missy. You’re missing out on an awesome pool party.”
She chuckled. “No doubt. I’ll catch the next one.”
“See you tomorrow, Kit.”
She shook her head and grinned to herself as she walked out to her car. A big part of her wished she could go back for the pool party Sully was throwing later that day. She got her first taste of the party life in the Hollywood music scene and she liked it—a little too much. She wondered how she would stay focused on work and finishing law school.
She talked to herself in the car as she headed home. “Think working for a big record company, think of turning average artists into stars, think success, Kit.” Her chant was proving triumphant at keeping her on track for the moment. Now all she had to do was get rid of her nagging hangover.
CHAPTER 6
Kit pulled into the small parking lot in front of The Fortress, a rehearsal studio at the corner of Selma and Highland in the heart of Hollywood. As she got out of her car she heard a band rehearsing. She walked toward the studio in front of her and realized it was Gypsy Tango.
Over the last few weeks she had been meeting with them sporadically and providing tips here and there. It became evident to her quickly that she and Sully were on the same page, musically speaking. They were both perfectionists. Jimmy and the rest of the guys liked to slide and were sloppy at times. Sully enjoyed that Kit sided with him. He felt like he had a partner in crime and Kit enjoyed the experience. It was fun for both of them.
She waited until the song was over and pulled the door open, confidently strolling in. She assessed who was in the room and was surprised to find their manager, Slade, absent. As usual, there were a handful of groupies camped out on the sofa in the back, ogling the band and playing with each other’s hair. She stared at them and wondered what kinds of thoughts ran through their minds or if they were completely blank.
She thought the groupies were all very sweet, no doubt. They all wanted to be friends with her, sensing her influence with the band, but upon attempting conversations with any one of them, she found there wasn’t enough in common to pursue a true friendship. Most of them were transient anyway—there one week and gone the next. Nevertheless, she knew it was good PR for her to befriend them. She smiled and waved to them. They all waved back and attempted to connect further by waving her over excitedly. She held up her finger to signal that she needed a minute.
One of the groupies was off to the side, leaning on an amplifier, standing in front of Sully and playing with his hair. Jimmy noticed Kit first. He stopped playing his guitar and pointed to her. He leaned forward and spoke into the microphone. “Hey, girl. We need to talk to you.”
Jimmy’s voice got Sully’s attention. He looked over and noticed Kit. He instantly freed himself from the clingy groupie pawing at him and ran toward her, hugging her tightly and giving her a kiss on the cheek. “Kit-Kat!”
She started laughing and shook her head. “Hi, babe.”
He looked into her eyes and smiled. “He’s right, you know. We do need to talk to you. Let us get through this set and we’ll all have a sit down, ok?”
She nodded. “Yep. Knock ‘em dead, babe.”
He winked at her and flashed a charming smile. “And you know I will.”
Kit stood with her back against the wall of the small studio, dead center in front of the band. It was the best place in the house to assess the sound accurately and watch them all. The groupies observed half-heartedly, preferring to gossip on the sofa on the side, while some tried desperately to see and hear what Kit did.
Although she loved the song they were playing, her gut told her it could be improved and she knew how. She waved her arms signaling them to stop playing. Sully saw her first and stopped singing. The rest of the band followed suit.
He looked at her and spoke into the microphone. “What’s up, Red?”
She shifted her eyes to every member of the band and back again. “I figured out what needs to be fixed in the song. Remember our conversation two days ago?” Sully nodded in agreement with her.
Jimmy looked at her and spoke into the microphone, irritated. “What is it now?”
She gave him a look of warning. “Do you want my help or not? You guys have been struggling with this song. Sully has some great ideas and you haven’t integrated one of them. My ideas are mostly in line with his.” She gave Sully a look of caution so he wouldn’t gloat and repeated herself for emphasis. “Mostly, Sull.”
Jimmy shrugged his shoulders. “Ok. So what is it?”
She walked over to him. “Gimme your guitar.” Jimmy reluctantly handed it to her. She seized it and turned to face the band. “Ok, from the top. We’re only going the first sixteen bars.”
The band started to play and she added her flourishes. Jimmy stared at her, his eyes narrowing. He couldn’t help feeling threatened by her. He knew she was a very talented guitarist, something he had discovered over the last few weeks. Her talent and skill set made him completely insecure and her constant alliance with Sully’s creative ideas didn’t help matters. When they finished the sixteen bars though, he couldn’t deny that the flourishes she added enhanced the song and gave it more of an edge that they had been looking for, but were unable to find on their own.
Sully looked at her. “Ooh, that was hot and very tasty. I like those riffs. Jim? What do you think?”
He nodded and approached her. “Yep, they’re good. Let’s keep ‘em in. Let’s run through it again. I want to make sure I have it.”
Kit handed the guitar back to Jimmy. She looked at the band. “I’m not done yet, guys. The harmonies need work.”
Jimmy rolled his eyes. “What? Oh, c’mon.”
Sully looked at Jimmy. “She’s right. We discussed this earlier today. Did you not have your listening ears on again?”
Jimmy was visibly annoyed. “Ok, let’s play with ‘em. Let’s sit down and figure them out.”
Kit worked on the harmonies for the song, mostly with Sully. Jimmy nodded in agreement. Once again, he couldn’t deny that Kit had a keen ear, one they desperately needed to get ahead.
As much as he didn’t want to agree with her and secretly wanted to hate her, he knew in his gut that her critiques could possibly take them to the next level. He decided to give in a little more. He had seen what she had done with the other bands she managed on the Strip—two of them were their biggest competition and their fan bases were growing daily.
After running through the harmonies a few times, he looked at Bryan. “Hey Bry, get Kit set up with a mic. We’ll put her next to Sully for the run through. Guys, let’s go through it, see if we got it.” He looked at Kit. “We’re looking to you to lead the harmonies.” She grinned and nodded as she took the mic that Bryan offered her.
They ran through the song with Kit effortlessly leading the harmonies. She thought it sounded good but wouldn’t be truly convinced until she heard the guys do it on their own. She enjoyed singing with Sully and it seemed he liked singing with her too. She hadn’t been on a stage singing anything since she left Philadelphia. She loved harmonies and found that she and Sully had a nice vocal blend.
After a few attempts, Kit turned off the mic and set it down. “Ok guys, run it through with the changes and harmonies, without me. I want to hear how it sounds.”
She walked back to her favorite spot to hear the band and leaned against the wall. She nodded and Remo counted off to start the song. She watched them like a hawk, her arms folded in front of her, nodding her head gently to the beat. As they finished the song, she gave them two thumbs up and smiled. “You got it, guys. Sounds fantastic!”
The band finished up their set and started to take down equipment. The groupies hovered and Kit ducked out to smoke a cigarette. She sat on the hood of her car and wondered what the guys wanted to talk about. Remo gave her a nod of respect as he carried his kick drum out and loaded it into the back of Bryan’s van.
Sully did his duty of walking the groupies out to their various cars parked on the street. He returned moments later and sat next to Kit on the hood. He looked at her and smiled. She giggled. “What’s that look for?”
He chuckled. “Just you. You never cease to amaze me. You’ve got some pipes, girl. I had no idea you could sing so well. I knew you could shred on a guitar. Seeing you for the very first time at Madame Wong’s playing ‘Highway Star’ before I even knew you. I remember that shocking the shit out of me. Then you ripped it up playing along to Van Halen’s ‘Eruption’ at our party that night after the Whisky. But the singing, I gotta say, I’m impressed, McKenna.”
She looked at him, wide eyed, and put her hand to her mouth in shock. “Oh my God. Is that why my fingers were so thrashed the next morning after your party?” She burst out laughing. “Wow! I don’t even remember that. How many songs did I play?”
He snickered. “Like six. You and Jimmy were having a shred off. You won. He was pissed.”
She was still laughing. “Classic.”
“Oh yeah, and the fact that you can’t remember makes it even better!” He laughed loudly.
She shook her head, still smiling. “And so begins the Hollywood rock ‘n’ roll life for me. So much different from Philly or Chi-Town.”
He grinned. “Oh yeah, sister. You’re living it now. Sucked in, no escape. Anyway, I would love it if you could help us out more with harmonies. Seems you and I are on the same page with that kinda stuff. You’re a perfectionist like me. I love it.”
She shrugged her shoulders and playfully shoved him. “Thanks for all the compliments, Sull. You know I’m always happy to help you guys in any way I can. It was really fun today. I haven’t gotten to do that since Philly when I was in a band of my own. I didn’t realize how much I missed it until today.”
Sully nodded in agreement. “It’s like a drug. Once music gets in your blood, you’re done. It’s like it chooses you and then takes over your life.”
She nodded. “Completely.”
An awkward silence followed and Sully felt the pressure to either fill in the gap with conversation or kiss her and he knew the latter wasn’t the best idea. He found his words quickly. “Have I ever told you what a sweet ride you have?”
Kit laughed. “I think you’ve told me that like a thousand times by now.
He tried to charm her with his most suggestive smile possible. “So, when are you going to let me drive it?”
She moved her face in close to his and gazed deeply into his steel blue eyes, smiling. He raised his eyebrows, still smiling, and wondering what she was going to do next. He was enjoying every second and wondered if she had somehow telepathically picked up his desire to kiss her. She giggled and threw him for a loop. “How about never?”
He let out a groan and rolled his eyes as he pulled back. He huffed. “You are the most difficult girl I know. I don’t think easy exists in your vocabulary.” He shook his head.
She laughed and patted him on the knee. “Honey, you’re just used to groupies that give you anything and everything you want. You’re a little spoiled, that’s all.”
He looked at her again, this time more determined. “I don’t think I’ve ever shared this with you, but I’ve always dreamed of driving a Porsche 911 Carrera convertible. In fact, in my dream mine’s just like yours but in a different color. It would be pretty amazing to drive it in person. It would be like a dream come true.”
She nodded and smiled. “Mmm hmm. Wouldn’t it? C’mon, Sull. Did you really think that was going to work?”
He shrugged his shoulders. “Was worth a try.”
Jimmy walked out of the studio and whipped his finger around in the air to signal the wrap of their session. “Load out complete. Let’s go.”
Kit looked at him. “Where are we going?”
Jimmy nodded. “The Westbury.”
Sully smiled and looked at Kit. “And I’m riding with you.”
Kit stared at him. “And why is that?”
He tried to hold his laughter back, but it wasn’t working. “So you don’t get lost.”
She laughed. “Wow, Sull, that was really smooth. Why don’t you just say ‘cuz I want to ride in your car with you, Kit, and get a high off the smell of the leather seats? That probably would have been more authentic of you.”
He stuck his tongue out at her and opened the passenger door, getting into her car. “Now, seriously, you do know where you’re going, right?”
She kept her attention focused on the rearview mirrow as she started the engine and put her car into reverse. “Yep.”
He giggled, wanting to engage in playful banter with her. “Are you sure?”
She took a moment to stare at him, blankly. “Sully, I’ve been over to Jimmy’s favorite groupie’s place a handful of times now.”
He continued to tease her. “Ok, smarty pants. What street?”
She revved the engine and put the car into first gear. “Sycamore.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Ooh, I like to hear you rev that engine. Run those RPMs, baby. Ok, so what’s the apartment number?”
Since they were sitting at a red light, Kit looked over at him. “Is this a pop quiz? Remember, I’m a law student. I can remember details easily. Don’t place any bets if you know what’s good for you, because I will win. It’s 302, by the way.”
He smiled and liked that she was getting feisty. He wanted to keep pushing the envelope. “Green light. It means go. Careful, sweetie, don’t pop that clutch. I heard Porsche transmissions can be a little persnickety.”
She laughed loudly and pressed down on the accelerator so hard that the car lunged forward into traffic at a high speed, completely catching Sully off guard. He scrambled to grab onto the door handle. “Holy shit, Kit! You’re crazy!”
She glanced at him. “Where did you ever get the impression I was sane? And persnickety
? Where did you pull that one out of?”
They both burst into laughter and continued their banter all the way to Jimmy’s apartment. Sully directed her into the smallest parking space known to man a few hundred feet away from the entrance to the apartment complex, the only space left on the crowded street. Hollywood street parking was never easy to come by.
She plopped down on the rickety sofa in the living room and waited while Sully made a phone call and Jimmy put his guitars away in his room. He returned moments later and sat on the chair across from her. “Do you want a drink, Kit?”
She chuckled. “Will I need one?”
He laughed. “I dunno, maybe.”
“Make it small. I’ve gotta go home and study for a midterm, so I can’t get too tanked.”
“Scotch on the rocks, right?”
“You got it.”
Jimmy nodded. “Ok. I’ll be right back. I’ll steal some out of Sully’s private stash. I’m sure he won’t mind.”
He walked into the room catching the tail end of the conversation. “Won’t mind what?”
Jimmy looked over. “Giving Kit some of your special scotch.”
He nodded. “Oh yeah. She’s worth it.” He winked at her and she laughed. He walked over and jokingly sat down on her lap.
She shoved him. “Get off me. You’re heavy!”
He grinned at her. “Ok. Wanna sit on my lap instead?”
She laughed and shook her head. “Oh, jeez. No!”
Jimmy walked out and handed Kit a drink. “Kids, please. Sully, stop harassing her. She’s immune to your advances, remember? She’s smart. Your normal tactics don’t work with her. Plus, we don’t want her running for the hills just yet.”
Sully plopped down on the sofa on the opposite end from her. “True.”