by Rob Jones
“Brothers, we are the ones in the arena striving valiantly, doing the deeds, spending ourselves in a worthy manner, and at the end we will triumph. That’s why it is my pleasure to share the stage with you each and every night, because we dare to be great, and that’s what we are, great, and that crowd, the Gutter Dollz, and the world will witness this tonight and every night we get up on that stage. Bring it in, boys.” They all held hands as Ethan asked Wes to lead them in prayer.
“Hey, guys, there will be about a twenty-minute delay due to some electrical problems so hang tight,” Bella said with an even tone.
“Well, that’s just great! Owen, pass that bottle of Jack.” Ligon demanded.
Bella leaned on the wall, folded her arms with a vacant look in her eyes. She inhaled, then dropped her head that caused her midnight hair to cage her face. When she lifted up her head Ethan noticed her unoptimistic countenance. He cocked his head, and then he walked toward her.
“Go ahead, spill it. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” she replied.
“Don’t give me that nothing crap. You have something written all over your face.” He grazed a few strands of hair away from her face.
“Okay, it’s Dan,” she said softly.
“Come on, let’s go in here so we can talk privately. He took her hand and led her to the bathroom.
“Ethan, I just don’t know what’s going on with this guy. He is charming me and harming me at the same time, toying with my emotions, conveying mixed messages unintentionally, I think? We have spent a lot of time together in the last few months, and sometimes…” She took a deep breath. “I sometimes can feel the intense infatuation swelling between us and I’m waiting for him to fan the flame that is so evidently burning between us, and this has me climbing the walls. He is always bragging about how he’s a go-getter, an initiator, that he takes life and puts a leash on it and leads it where he wants it to go. But when it comes to pursuing me, he’s anything but a go-getter. And what’s so frustrating is that I know he likes me. I guess I just need to modify my expectations.”
Ethan looked at her in silence, not knowing what to say to console her.
“I said too much, I’m sorry, it must be the whiskey talking.” Her lips twisted. “Ugh, being so close to him day after day after day is driving me crazy. It’s like smelling your favorite food all day and not being able to eat it. It’s complete torture. I don’t understand him at all.”
“We men can be total idiots sometimes. He’s into you, that’s for sure. How could he not be? I can tell that he’s a driven guy, and right now the band and this tour is all that he can juggle. Well driven men can be a little complicated, you know.”
“Yes, he is all about you guys, and he thinks that you all are going to be the next big thing. He really thinks that you have star appeal. I told him that as long as I can remember you had a way of pulling people in and holding them hostage.” She chuckled. “You always have done what you wanted to do. I remember when you used to say that you were a bona fide rock star and that the normal rules didn’t apply to you like us normal people. Hmm. Looks like you were right.”
There was a knock on the door.
“Ethan, they’re ready for us, let’s rock the hinges off this place,” Owen said.
“Hold on, here I come.” He cupped his hands on each side of Bella’s face.
“Don’t stress over this, Bella. I’ll do some vetting on him and see what’s going on.”
“Don’t you dare, Ethan.” She playfully slapped his chest.
“It’s all good, I got you girl.”
“Ethan, Ethan, Ethan!” He walked out with a devilish smile painted on his face.
Chapter
Twenty-One
Ethan
“Slow down, slow down, there’s another one right there, steady, steady.” Bang! Ligon shot another sign from the interstate while on their way to the hotel. “Ooh we! That’s three in a row, bro. That means you owe me thirty dollars, Owen, pay up.” Ligon put his right hand out while holding a flare gun in the other.
“Will you two booze hounds pipe down and close the door before you fall out of the van, I’m on the phone,” Ethan demanded.
“Dude, take off your Debbie Downer panties, loosen up, and have some fun,” Ligon suggested.
“Hey, guys, I could have sworn that I saw Gavin at the show tonight. Did anyone else see him?” Wes asked while he drove the van.
“Yeah, he was there. Bella said that she saw him but he didn’t acknowledge her,” Owen added.
“Interesting, why would he be in St. Louis at our show?” Wes wrinkled his brow.
“We got a beast of a night ahead of us, boys. I invited a lot of super-hot girls to the hotel and told them to bring their super-hot friends. It’s going to be on and popping.” Ligon held up the gun.
“Hey man, I’m on the phone with Zoe, keep that on the low,” Ethan whispered to Ligon while he covered the phone.
“That bodacious, delicious girl with the afro who was telling Ethan the blacker the berry the sweeter the juice, and that her juice is worth the squeeze, said that she will be the first one at the hotel.” Wes and Owen laughed as Ligon teased Ethan.
“I’m going to rain down judgment on you when I get off this phone,” Ethan finished angrily. Ligon pointed the gun at him with a sinister grin.
There was an adequate crowd loitering around the parking lot at the hotel. They were smoking, drinking, getting high, and playing loud rock music from their cars when the band arrived.
“Looks like you guys are ready to get turned up. Welcome to the after party. Come follow me, heathens.” Ligon led them to the rooms like he was the Pied Piper.
After a few hours the adequate crowd became an out-of-control mob. People were throwing bottles and bodies out of the window into the pool. There was every drug known to man in the room. Girls throwing themselves and their clothes at the band members. Ligon shot the flare gun in the room and caught the curtains on fire. Manix and Syd did body shots of tequila off several girls and off of each other.
“Let’s go Motley Crue style!” Smokes and Phantom, the other two members of the Gutter Dollz, suggested. Phantom drew some tequila out of the bottle with a needle and shot it in his arm. “Yeah!” He gave the rock-n-roll sign, started jumping up and down, and ran to the window and jumped two stories down into the pool.
“My turn.” Smokes shot himself up twice, then he drank out of the bottle. Ligon followed suit. The music and the commotion could be heard throughout the hotel. The night manager was at the door to confront them. She said that there were several complaints about the ruckus. She saw what was going on and ended up participating in their lawless party, doing shots, keg stands, and illegal activities.
A man knocked fervently on the opened door with an outraged face. He began berating and threatening them by saying he was going to call the cops to get them kicked out. Smokes and Ligon grabbed him and tied him up with bungie cords in a chair and commenced chugging cheap vodka and whiskey down his throat. Then they threw beer cans at him. Afterward they sat him outside the door, still tied up in the chair. Ligon with a half of cigarette in his mouth, blew out several small smoke rings then put it out on the man’s head and closed the door.
A brunette woman with an hourglass shape and green eyes whispered something in Ligon’s ear. He nodded and they both walked over to where Ethan was sitting, drinking and strumming a guitar.
“Hey Ethan, this lovely creature said that she is trying to get a picture with you, but you’re not showing her any love. What’s up with that, bro? We’re supposed to be nice to our fans,” Ligon sat her down by Ethan.
“Oh, I remember you,” Ethan said with glazed eyes. “If you wanted a picture with me, all that you had to do was ask, beautiful.” He slurred his words from all of his alcohol consumption. “Let me put my guitar away.” He stood up and almost lost his balance, trying to put his guitar behind the couch. Then he sat back down.
“Ethan, give me your
phone and I’ll take a few pics of you with this BLT,” Ligon said.
“BLT? What the heck is that supposed to mean? I’m not a piece of meat, if that’s what you’re referring to.” She stood up, put her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes.
“No, no, no, lovely, BLT means a Beautiful, Lovely, and Tasty.”
“You got that right, baby.” She sat back down as she tossed her hair back.
“Now, get a little closer. Uh, what is your name, love?” Ligon held up his phone.
“Khloe with a K.” She nestled up closer to Ethan.
“That can’t be right. I’ve never met anyone that spelled Khloe with a K.”
“You have now, cutie.” She puckered her lips as to gesture a kiss.
“Okay Khloe with a K, plant a big ol’ kiss on that pretty face of Ethan’s.”
She grabbed his face and plunged into his mouth. Ligon took several quick photos of them both. Ethan got up and pushed her away.
“I know that you can’t help yourself and you want more, but that’s all that I can give you, darling. This meat is off the market.” He sat back down, poured himself a shot of whiskey, picked up his guitar, and started playing again.
“Come on, Ethan, show Khloe with a K a good time. What happens in…” Ligon looked around. “What’s the name of this hotel? Well, happens in this hotel, stays in this hotel.” He took some more pictures, and began to walk away. “Oh, Khloe with a K, give me your number so that I can text you these pics.” She gave him her number while two girls tried to whisk Ligon away. Ligon encouraged the girls to take pictures with him and Ethan. Some of the pics were provocative and suggestive, to the point that Ethan felt a little uncomfortable.
“Make sure you delete those Lig,” he demanded.
“Lig, someone at the door for you,” Smokes said.
“Tell them to come on in, I’m busy.” Ligon was getting familiar with the two girls.
“I did but he just said fourth quarter. I guess he’s referring to a ball game.”
Ligon’s smile vacated quickly.
“Hold those sexy thoughts, girls, I’ll be but a moment.” He shot up immediately, went to the door, and opened it.
“You are doing an incredible job guarding the door, my man.” He patted the head of the man who was passed out drunk in the chair that they tied up earlier. “Hey Gavin, so glad you could make it to the after party.” His voice trailed off when he shut the door.
“Gavin? Did I hear him right?” Ethan shot up. “Whoa.” Khloe grabbed his arm.
“Pay attention to me,” she said in a whiney tone. “I want to know all about you and your band, babe.”
“Hold on, just let me check out something right quick and I will tell you everything that you want and didn’t want to know.” He scooched toward the edge of the couch.
“You promise?”
“I promise.”
“Okay, but I will need you to share a shot of whiskey with me first.” She took half of pint of Jack Daniel’s out of her purse and opened it.
“One thing I do know about you is that you like whiskey.” She brought the bottle to her mouth, then she leaned over and placed her mouth on his and transferred the whiskey in her mouth to his. He coughed.
“Mm. That was the best tasting shot of whiskey I’ve ever tasted.” She swept her tongue across her lips. His eyes hardened. He got up and headed toward the door.
“Hurry back, babe!” she yelled and took another drink.
Ethan stumbled toward the door and just when he was about to open it, Ligon came through it.
“Where are you going, man?”
“Were you out there talking to Gavin?” Ethan shook a critical finger at him. Ligon didn’t answer immediately, he just creased his brow.
“What, what? Was I, what? He gave an unsettled smile. “Come on, dude. Why would I be talking to Gavin? Better yet why would he be here? You are tripping, my man. I think that you’ve had a little too much tonight. Now if you can excuse me, I have some unfinished business with those two bewitching women over there. You can join us if you like.” He began to walk toward them. “Ha, ha, ha. Gavin. Man, Ethan, you’re hilarious.” As he walked away Ethan twisted his mouth and shook his head.
“He’s up to something, I just know it. Whatever he’s up to, it will all come out in the wash.”
***
“Thank you, officers. We will definitely pay for all of the damages, sir, and on the behalf of each member of the bands, we truly apologize. Again thank you for being understanding and thank you for your impeccable service and hard work.” Dan walked the policemen out to their cars.
“This is not our first time dealing with young, dumb rock bands. But this is the first time that we have seen a band destroy three rooms in that fashion,” the officer who had a body that was shaped like an umpire commented. “For the life of me I don’t know what that smell was in those rooms. It smelled like something out of the Old West.” The officer shook his head. “Just be glad that you worked out something with the hotel manager, otherwise they all would be carted off to jail. Keep those boys under control.” Both officers got in the car. “You take care now.”
Dan turned around in the direction of the van where the guys were at, hungover and barely awake on the ground. “Are you guys really that stupid? You are grown men and you’re acting like high school freshmen whose parents are away and you’re tasting freedom for the first time.”
“Shut up, pops.” Ethan muttered.
“No, you shut up!” Visible veins bulged out of Dan’s neck. “I came into your rooms and the curtains are burned up, smoke burns on the walls, naked bodies passed out all over the floors and terrace.” He paced back and forth in the parking lot. “Which one of you geniuses spray painted three things I hate, graffiti, vandalism, and sarcasm on the wall?” He gestured his hands as if to say why?
“That’s funny.” Ethan smirked.
“There are witnesses who said that they saw midgets being tossed out the window with nothing on but fire extinguishers strapped to their backs. What the…” He broke off.
“They preferred to be called little people,” Ethan said in a sarcastic manner.
“You just better thank God that they landed in the pool unscathed. Each and every night these parties are getting worse and worse, and expensive, taking money out of your pockets, money that you don’t even have yet. This isn’t the eighties. Bands don’t behave in this manner anymore.”
“They should. I’m getting in the van, I’ve heard enough.” Ligon opened the van door, got inside, and slammed the door. Dan opened the door back up.
“If this happens again your first tour will be your last tour with Meltdown Records, and if you think this is just an idle threat, try me. You guys are nothing but walking clichés.” Dan grumbled to himself as he paced back and forth. “Man, I am second-guessing my decision of teaming you guys up with the Gutter Dollz.” His phone rang.
“Hey there, Mr. Downs.” His eyes were red as he rubbed them. “Yes, I saw the carnage that they left behind, the evidence of a night of mayhem and debauchery. I heard about the wild parties and drama that came with the Gutter Dollz, but just seeing it, smelling it, and touching it in real life is a whole different thing. We have to curtail this quickly, Mr. Downs. They are becoming unhinged and out of control.”
***
“Shh, man, my head is banging. It feels like a horse on HGH just repeatedly kicked me in it.” Ethan began to wipe last night from his eyes.
“You’re the only one making noise, bro. Shut up.” Owen lifted his head off the van’s floor. “Are we still in St. Louis?”
“I have no idea where we are. I faded out during Dan’s temper tantrum.” Ethan scanned the van. “Where’s Wes?”
“Did somebody call my name?” He poked his head through the window, energetic and spry. “I got you guys some java to get you kick-started.”
“How are you not comatose like the rest of us?” Ethan observed him through eyes squinted.
&nb
sp; “Because I’m all about that moderate life, a couple of beers and shots and I’m good. You should try it so that you can be the best you that you can be.” He handed him a coffee.
“You might have a point there, Wes. My body is broke down, I need to detox for real. Did you get any bottled waters?”
“I only got two hands.”
“Whatever. Woo, things escalated to a fever pitch last night. Did I see some bleeding little people? Things are a little hazy for me this morning.” Ethan closed his eyes while massaging his temples.
“Yeah, it was like a circus on acid last night,” Wes said. “If you clowns got to use the bathroom, you better go now, because our next stop will be three hours from now!”
Ethan’s cell rang. It was Helen.
“I will be home soon, Nana. It’s been incredibly fantastic being on our first real tour, but I can’t help worrying about you. I feel bad not cooking breakfast for you on Sunday mornings.” He swallowed hard, trying to dismiss his guilt.
“Oh hummingbird, there is no need for you to worry, or feel guilty. Your lovely Zoe has been coming by and she has been bringing me breakfast on Sunday mornings. She said that she was going to look after me until you return. She has such a beautiful soul,” Helen said with affection. Ethan again swallowed hard and smiled while his heart flamed from hearing those warm words about Zoe. “You need to get on your knees every moment of every day and thank the Lord for gifting you with Zoe,” Helen teased.
Several coughs sounded through the phone. “Are you all right, Nana?” The coughs continued.