Jimmy pulled his cap a little lower and led her away. They continued north, past the reservoir, and headed off the path through the trees. She rarely ventured off the path and enjoyed the dense greenery. A dewy scent surrounded her, and the earth was uneven beneath her feet. They were surrounded by nothing but thick trees. Hiking in Manhattan – it was surreal.
They emerged onto another path and encountered a crossroad. The sign read West 100th Street. They had walked almost the entire length of the park. She had never been this far north inside the park before. They headed back into the trees and then into a small open field. That’s when she realized where he was taking her – the Pool. It was a small body of water that sat in the middle of generous foliage and vegetation. It was a lush oasis.
There was a man in a tuxedo ahead with his hands behind his back. Several feet behind him, a picnic blanket was sprawled across the grass. Her jaw dropped open with delight as she realized Jimmy was behind this. “What did you do?”
“I made you a picnic, babe.”
The man in the tuxedo presented her with a bouquet of roses from behind his back. “For the lady.”
She cradled them in her arms. “I can’t believe you did all this.”
Jimmy cupped her elbow in the palm of his hand and brought her to the blanket. They sat together while the waiter set down two large trays. One contained a platter of fried chicken, the other a bowl of potato salad and a bowl of cubed watermelon. It was the picnic she’d dreamed about when she was a young girl. Her throat closed at the sentiment behind the kind and thoughtful gesture. When she looked up at Jimmy, a layer of moisture blurred her vision. “I can’t believe you went to all this trouble.”
“I just wanted to do something nice for you. Something that didn’t have a price tag. I could have bought you expensive jewelry or flown you anywhere in the world, but this is from my heart.”
“Thank you.” She dabbed at the tear in the corner of her eye, and her voice held a slight tremor. “This is the most beautiful thing anyone has ever done for me.”
He placed a gentle kiss on her lips. “This is just the beginning. I’m going to spoil you, not with riches, but with experiences like this. I want to give you memories that’ll live forever.”
His lips touched hers and a tear slipped from the corner of her eye. She wrapped her arms around him and pressed her cheek into his shoulder. Warmth spread through her chest, and she squeezed him tighter.
He ran his hand over her hair and kissed the side of her head. “Let’s eat. You were hungry and I dragged you through the park for a hike. You must be starving by now.”
The chicken smelled heavenly and reminded her of her empty stomach. After they feasted on a large plate of food each, they sat side-by-side with their legs spread out in front of them, leaning back on their hands. They stared off into the distance at the cool water and the weeping willow trees that danced in the breeze. The water reflected the greenery, and the color of jade enveloped them in a warm glow from every angle. Several ducks glided across the pond, bobbing their heads below the water every few seconds in search of a morsel. It was picturesque.
Audra let out a contented sigh, and leaned into Jimmy’s shoulder. They lay down on the blanket and gazed up at the baby blue sky and billowy clouds above them. It was quiet and serene. They were hidden deep within the confines of nature, surrounded by grassy banks and tall trees that shielded them from the world around them. In the middle of Manhattan, they were secluded within the walls of Central Park. Jimmy leaned over and dusted a soft kiss across her lips. It was perfect.
Chapter Ten
On the drive to the Blade-Garcia residence, Jimmy reflected on the last few weeks and how his life had taken a 360-degree turn. He never thought he would find happiness with one woman. He never thought he’d want to give up his wild nights and infinite string of groupies, but Audra changed his outlook on life. He wanted stability. He wanted Audra. She was smart, tough, classy, and educated, but she was also fun, wild, flirty, and unpretentious. And she had the same carefree and lighthearted optimistic outlook on life as he did. They were alike in so many ways. Music and Immortal Angel were just as important to her as they were to him. It tied them together. Their bond, and the affinity they shared, was remarkable.
He pulled into the long driveway and saw Damien’s Harley already parked alongside Angel’s Bentley. He wondered why the hell Angel didn’t have that beauty in the garage. He hopped up the granite steps that led to the enormous set of double entry doors and rang the bell.
Tommy answered almost immediately. “Hey. I was just getting my axe. We’re going over Lethal Injection. Angel wants to add it to the Canadian shows, you know, mix up the set a little, and I’ve been working on a new intro.”
“I thought the great Tommy Blade played those intros off the cuff. I didn’t know you practiced them. Man, I’m so disappointed.” He mocked his friend with a teasing smile.
Tommy gave him a playful shove in the chest and shut the front door.
Jimmy followed Tommy through the long foyer and through the door that led to the studio downstairs. The house was quiet. “Where are the girls? Audra said she was spending the day with Jessi and Alyssa.” Audra had stayed at her apartment last night, so Jimmy hadn’t seen her since yesterday evening, and he was hoping to run into her. It had been 15 hours since he’d last seen her, and he missed her every minute of it.
“Jessi left with Alyssa about an hour ago. I think they were meeting Audra at Jessi’s shop.”
“Dude, finally! You’re here!” Damien called up the stairs. He plucked the strings of his Ibanez which sent a deep rumble through the amp. “My timing’s off without you, and songs sound like shit with no beat.”
The second Jimmy walked into the studio, he left everything else at the door. Nothing mattered but the music. It consumed him, and energy coursed through his veins. He automatically started tapping out the beat to Lethal Injection on his leg. He never had to think about it. His hands instinctively took over and played on any available surface. His poor thigh took a beating when he was a kid. Now, the muscles were well defined and strong from almost three decades of kicking the bass drum.
He jumped behind his Tama kit, pulled a pair of sticks from the stickbag and let them fly across the toms. He added a steady beat on the bass and smashed his sticks into the cymbals, before returning them to his snare. He freestyled across his drums until a steady series of beats took form and created a rhythm. It wasn’t anything planned or anticipated. His hands and feet worked together on autopilot.
“What was that?” Angel asked. “Is that from a song?”
“Nah, man. It just hit me.” He sat slightly back on his stool and glanced at the various sized toms and cymbals that comprised his kit, and the love he had for his instrument filled him with pride. “It just came to me the second I sat down.”
“Well, it was fucking awesome!” Angel opened his laptop to record the beat. “Do it again. We can use that for a new song.”
Jimmy repeated the rhythm and incorporated a few more beats from his floor toms. He played the beat continuously, blocking out anything else. The bass drum reverberated in tandem with his heartbeat, and he became one with his instrument.
The deep, low notes of Damien’s bass filled Jimmy’s ears and sent his heart racing. He hit the drums harder, while Damien’s beat matched the heavy sound of the kick drum.
Tommy’s guitar wailed into the melody without warning and sparked a flame inside Jimmy’s soul. He worked in another beat and Damien followed it. It was an incredible high. He caught sight of his bandmates between hits to his drums.
Damien faced Jimmy, which he rarely did on stage. He bobbed his head and the front of his blue mohawk dipped in time with the beat of the music. There with a hint of a smile tucked in the corner of Damien’s mouth for a few seconds, before his face turned serious, and he closed his eyes, lost in the music.
Tommy had one foot on the amp and rocked his head back and forth, which sent hi
s long blond hair flying. His hands were fast and quick, and created a body-rocking melody that evoked emotion into the song.
Angel was in awe watching his bandmates create music. His smile spanned his face and his foot tapped to the beat. He grabbed the mic and hummed the melody. He had no lyrics, just some jumbled tones that flowed, but he hummed them like they were written into the song.
The excitement was overwhelming and Jimmy slammed his stick into his snare, and then threw them in the air over his head. They hit the ceiling and added a new set of dings to the series of dents from his past moments of exaltation. “That was fuckin’ awesome, man! Let’s hear it back.”
Angel hit a few keys on his laptop and the rough draft of the new song filled the room. It was unpolished, but it was incredible. “Man, I never expected to write a song that fast. I thought we were just gonna rehearse some songs off the second album for the next leg of the tour.”
“We were,” Damien replied. “But you showed up, dude, and cranked out that monster beat.”
“Shhh,” Angel’s hand flew in the air to silence them. “Let’s listen to it. It’s amazing!”
They all stared at Angel’s laptop as if it were a television screen. His mumbled lyrics played back along with the music they had just created, and Tommy burst out laughing.
Angel turned to him with a teasing scowl. “What’s so funny?”
Tommy flipped his hair back, and his laugh tapered off. “We all came up with killer beats and you sang gibberish. Is that all you got, A?”
Angel’s eyes narrowed, and he roughly grabbed Tommy’s chin in his hand. “I guess there’s only one way to curb that defiant mouth of yours.” He gave Tommy a hard, passion-filled kiss, which caused Tommy to bend at the knees. Music always got those two horny as fucking rabbits.
“A-hem,” Damien cleared his throat loudly. “Can we get back to work or do you wanna suck each other off first?”
“Oh, I like that latter suggestion,” Angel replied.
“Me too,” Tommy agreed.
“Save it for later, man,” Jimmy said with a light laugh. “Let’s finish listening to the new song.”
“You’re such a spoilsport.” Angel tapped some keys on his laptop, and the song came to life again. It was pretty damn awesome for a spur of the moment jam.
“This is going to be a hit when it’s done,” Angel said confidently. “As soon as we’re through rehearsing, I’m going to shoot this to Kira. Maybe we can work on it some more if there’s time. I’m already floating some lyrics in my head.”
Kira was the new A&R rep for Immortal Angel, and she gave input on new music. It would be the first piece of raw material that she’d hear from the band, which meant she would be jumping out of her skin with excitement, which meant she would beeline over to Audra’s apartment. Jimmy adored Kira, but after spending the day away from Audra, he didn’t want to share his lady. “Why don’t you save it for the morning? Don’t send it to Kira tonight.”
Angel looked confused, but Damien got it right away. “Don’t want your girl’s sister intruding on your evening, huh?” He mocked Jimmy with a laugh. “Good luck keeping those two apart. They’re inseparable.”
“I’m not trying to keep them apart. I dig Kira and all. I just want an evening alone with my lady.” He pressed his sticks across his chest. “She got my heart and won’t let go.”
A heartfelt smile spread across Angel’s face. “I’m glad you care about her. She’s a very sweet girl. I was worried at first, but I can see you’re serious about her.”
“And she’s crazy about you.” Tommy rested his arm on Angel’s shoulder. “I’m glad someone took her mind off my guy. When I first met Angel, I thought I was going to have to pry those two girls off of him after every show.”
“Oh, they weren’t that bad,” Angel replied. “They were young and enamored with the music, that’s all.”
Jimmy felt that tug on his heart again at the thought of Audra’s prior infatuation with Angel. It must have shown on his face, because Tommy erupted with laughter.
“Shit. You’re jealous! I don’t believe it!”
“It was totally harmless,” Angel said. “It was just a passing infatuation.” When Jimmy didn’t reply, Angel looked at him intently. “Nothing ever came of it. And you know I’m gay. I had no interest other than friendly affection.”
“And look at you now,” Damien teased Angel. “You got a beautiful woman in your bed every night.”
“Yes, and I barely touch her.”
Damien’s mouth gaped open and his eyes widened. “Barely? I knew you were hittin’ Jessi, and you tried to tell me you weren’t.”
“I’m not hitting Jessi! Are you insane?”
“I call bullshit.”
“Damien, we don’t— Sometimes I—”
Angel was flustered, and everyone thought it was hysterical. Jimmy began to wonder about the dynamics of Angel, Tommy and Jessi’s relationship and if Angel ever experimented with Jessi on a sexual level. They kissed; that was no secret. Not just a peck on the lips, either. Jimmy had seen Angel and Jessi make out plenty of times. It didn’t carry the same heat that Angel and Tommy or Tommy and Jessi shared, but it was still something Jimmy never expected to see from his friend.
“Can we just get back to the music, please?” Angel’s voice broke Jimmy’s train of thought. Good thing, because it was beginning to get graphic.
“We gotta get this song down if we’re gonna play it live next week in Ontario and Montreal.” Stress started to creep into Angel’s voice.
Damien slapped Angel on the back. “It’s cool. No one’s gonna judge you for fuckin’ a chick.”
“Hey,” Tommy interrupted them. “You’re talking about my wife.” He playfully kicked Damien in the butt, and Damien responded by swinging his bass at Tommy like a baseball bat.
Jimmy laughed at the antics of his bandmates. It reminded him of his brothers and the way they always roughhoused with one another. His thoughts suddenly drifted to Audra. A borough between them was like an ocean. He wanted to live closer and decided to investigate one of the apartments in her building, but was that too close, too soon? They’d only been together a few weeks. He scratched his chin. It felt like so much longer, probably because of their years of friendship. Angel’s voice broke through his thoughts, again.
“Now you’re dazing out on me?”
“Just goin’ over the new beat in my head.” He tapped out a rhythm. “I’m ready.”
“Good.” Angel turned back around to face an invisible audience. “Take it from the top.”
Jimmy clacked out four beats on his sticks, and the band broke out into the gritty tune of Lethal Injection. It wasn’t a song they played live many times in the past, so they had to run through it several times. When it sounded perfect, they ran through it again. Immortal Angel was hailed as one of the best live bands in the country, and none of them would settle for a mediocre performance.
After two solid hours, they all agreed they were ready to perform the song live.
Someone’s cell phone buzzed as soon as they took a rest, and everyone stared toward the sound of the interruption.
“Who brought a phone in here?” Damien demanded. “No phones in the studio. That’s the rule.”
“It’s mine,” Angel said, crossing the room to retrieve the offending phone. “The girls are out together by themselves. I was concerned and told Jessi to call if they needed anything.”
Angel was a worrier. He needed to chill out sometimes.
“Is it her?” Tommy asked.
Angel furrowed his brow while he stared at the screen. “No. It was Mr. Abelman.” He scrolled though his phone. “And Marissa. They both called three or four times.”
“Maybe there’s a problem with the tour.” Tommy glanced at Jimmy and Damien with apprehension, but the nagging turmoil in Jimmy’s gut made him fear that it was much worse.
Nervous tension churned in Jimmy’s belly while he watched Angel press some buttons on his ph
one and put it to his ear.
“Mr. Abelman. Hi. It’s Angel Gar—”
Angel’s eyes darted to Jimmy. “Yes. He’s here with me now. We’re—”
Again Angel’s sentence was cut short by Mr. Abelman’s irate voice on the other end of the phone, and Jimmy’s stomach hit the floor.
Angel kept his gaze fixed on Jimmy. “Okay. I’ll tell him. Is something wrong?” He paused. “Hello? Mr. Abelman?”
Jimmy knew exactly what was wrong – Mr. Abelman must have found out about him and Audra.
Angel lowered the phone from his ear, confused and puzzled by the cryptic conversation. “He hung up.”
“What the fuck was that about?” Tommy asked.
“I don’t know, but I’ve never heard him so angry. He wants to see Jimmy in his office. Immediately.”
Three pairs of eyes zeroed in on Jimmy and waited for an explanation. He knew the conversation with Mr. Abelman was inevitable, but he didn’t expect the explosion that took place on the other end of the phone. He slowly stood up with a heavy sigh. “I better get this over with.”
“What’s goin’ on?” Damien demanded. “Everything okay with you and Audra? You better not have broken that girl’s heart. Angel was just sayin’ how much it looked like you cared about her. If you—”
“I do care about her. Everything’s great with me and Audra.” But Jimmy knew her father was about to throw a grenade into that happiness.
“Then why is Bossman so pissed off?”
Jimmy tapped his sticks fast and hard on his knee as his eyes shifted to each of his bandmates. “I guess he finally found out we’re seeing each other.”
Angel was the first to respond. “You mean he didn’t know?”
Jimmy shook his head. “I think Audra was trying to skate under her father’s radar to avoid a confrontation. I can’t say I wasn’t happy to do the same. But now, the shit’s about to fly.”
Jimmy watched the numbers on the elevator wall as the car traveled to the 53rd floor. The ball of his foot beat the hell out of the travertine floor, and his fingers tapped on the leg of his jeans faster than he could keep count. His usual smile was reduced to a worried straight line.
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