Nash laughed. “Hey, you really bolted out of here, Reed. I saw you were-”
“Where the fuck is Reed?”
Toby’s voice boomed through the room.
I looked back and nodded when he saw me.
He had his phone in his hand.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Toby yelled at me.
“That’s a long list,” Dex said.
“Seriously, what do you want, Toby?” Jay said. “We’re working here.”
Toby tapped his foot against a few whiskey bottles on the floor. “Working hard?”
“We fund your life,” Sab said. “We sacrifice our livers so you can drive a nice car and afford women way out of your league.”
We all laughed.
Toby didn’t.
“Explain this,” he said to me as he shoved his phone in my face.
It was a quick, three second clip of me on my motorcycle, giving the middle finger to a car as I cut it off.
“Wow,” I said.
“Wow?” Toby asked. “Wow? That’s all you have to say?”
I looked up at him. “Yeah. Wow. This just happened a few minutes ago. People are fast.”
“People know who you are,” Toby said. “You’re famous. What the fuck is this about?”
“I was pulling into traffic and they got in the way,” I said. I shrugged my shoulders. “They beeped so I waved.”
“That’s not a wave.”
“It’s the lazy man’s wave,” I said. “Why put up your entire hand when you can just put up one finger.”
“A finger is different than a hand,” Toby said.
“That’s a good point,” Jay said. “You play with a woman with one finger and she’ll squirm and giggle. But if you get serious and work your entire hand up there…”
“Jay, shut up,” Toby said.
I looked away from Toby toward Jay. “Your entire hand? Seriously?”
“Everyone has a kink,” Jay said. “You kind of have to put your fingers together like this… looks like a cone… or like you’re making a finger monster…”
Jay put all of his fingers together.
He fucked the air with his hand, nodding.
“Wow, what a lesson here,” Nash said.
“Goddammit,” Toby said. “You know what, Jay? You go finger whatever you want, however you want to, okay?”
“Even your mother?” Jay asked.
Sab clapped his hands together. “Oh, shit…”
Toby stared at Jay.
I grabbed Toby’s phone out of his hand and stood up.
People were crazy.
Then again, I should have known better.
We had some of the best fans in the world. The wildest fans in the world. And at the same time there were those who hated us.
The building we were in had a notorious reputation for the baddest of rock stars recording there. That meant going back fifty years. The baddest of the bad. The best of the best. Those who didn’t live to see thirty. Those who were pushing seventy, still partying as hard as ever.
“So what do you want to do here?” I asked.
Toby set his sights on me again. “I don’t know, Reed.”
“It’s a middle finger. I’m a rock star. Fuck it.”
“The headlines… FLIPPIN’ THE BIRD TO AN INNOCENT GRANDMOTHER…”
I looked closer at the screen. “You’re really going to pick on the woman’s age.”
“Age doesn’t mean anything,” Nash said.
“What the hell, Toby?” Jay asked.
“I’d fuck someone no matter their age,” Sab said. “I have…”
“Who?” Dex asked.
“You remember that strip club up in Airan?” Sab asked with a grin.
“Yeah,” I said. “All they wanted us to do was sign their tits. And then everyone in the place wanted the same. That was the worst strip club I’ve ever been to.”
“Not for me,” Sab said. “Remember that waitress… Betty…”
“No fucking way,” Nash said.
“Yeah,” Sab said. “She was hot.”
“Good for her,” Dex said.
“Good for me,” Sab said. “She was wild.”
“What the hell is the point of this?” Toby asked.
“This is your fault,” I said to Toby. “Age discrimination.”
“It was a fucking example of a headline!” Toby yelled.
“Who cares?” I asked. “I’m on my motorcycle, doing my thing. I threw someone the middle finger. If anything, it’ll go viral and we’ll stay in everyone’s mind.”
“You’re releasing a sad song soon…”
“Which fits the bill,” Nash said. “We show our tender side yet this proves we still have our bad ass side.”
While Toby looked at Nash, I hurried into the settings of his phone.
I handed him his phone back and sat back down in the chair.
“This just shows you how fast… hey, what’s wrong with my phone?” Toby asked.
I grinned.
“Reed,” Toby said.
“What?”
“You changed the language on my phone,” Toby said.
“Toby, we’re in the middle of something here,” Jay said. “Go find us a show to play. Or an interview to do. Get out of here.”
“I can’t read anything on my phone,” Toby said.
“Now’s a good time to learn a new language,” Dex said.
“Oh, fuck, here come the calls,” Toby said. “Thanks for this, Reed.”
I waved without looking back. “Anything for you, Toby!”
He left the room.
Nash was back next to me again.
“Don’t say it,” I said.
“You ran out of here and got on your motorcycle and cut off a car. Threw the middle finger. Then came right back a few minutes later.”
“Your point?” I asked.
“What was it all about?”
“I just needed a breath of fresh air.”
* * *
I looked through images of the rooftop photoshoot.
The look fit the band.
Toby wanted us to do an in-depth interview but we were all against it. Nash didn’t want someone digging into Liv’s life. Dex didn’t want someone bothering Candice and her family.
I didn’t think everyone needed to know every detail of my life either.
There was a time when our image was good enough.
Now it seemed everyone wanted more.
And when they got more, they wanted even more.
It became a vicious cycle.
Social media and everything that came with it made everyone seem closer.
I wasn’t sure whether that was a good thing or not.
“Okay,” Nash said, slamming his hand to the table. “We need to listen to the auditions. Finalize this part.”
We were in Nash’s house, sitting out back with lights glowing all around.
The walkway glowed every few blocks. There were also lights under the railing of the balcony.
Behind me I heard the door open and shut.
When I turned my head, I saw Liv coming outside.
“Hey,” I called out. “How’s the writing?”
“Great,” she said.
“When are we going to hook up, Liv? You and me. I’ll tell you all my filthy secrets. Now that’s a book everyone wants to read.”
“I think that would be considered a horror novel,” she said.
She settled on Nash’s lap.
The way he looked at her was something else. He wasn’t even aware of the way he was looking at her.
That’s what made that shit real.
And to think, Liv had been following us around, writing semi-fake stories to keep Nash’s reputation decent enough so that we could keep touring.
“I thought you didn’t want everyone to know your secrets, Reed?” Nash asked me.
“True,” I said. “But have you seen Liv?”
She laughed.
Nash l
ooked pissed.
The rest of the guys came outside.
They had plenty to drink. Plenty of other stuff too.
Liz kissed Nash like the world was ending and then she stood up.
She gently patted between Nash’s legs.
“Did I wake him?”
“You always do,” Nash said to her.
Jay stepped away from the table.
Nash jumped up and pointed to him. “She’s not touching your dick!”
Jay showed his hands. “Whoa, Nash…”
“You were going to say it,” Nash said.
“Your point?” Jay asked.
“Goodnight, boys,” Liv called out. “Don’t make too much noise.”
“Only when I think of you,” I called out.
Nash lunged at me.
He grabbed my shirt.
I smiled.
He shook his head.
“You know it’s out of love, right?” I asked. “Liv is beautiful. But she’s all yours.”
Nash pushed away from me.
We started listening to the auditions.
The process was weird.
Here we were, just a group of rock stars, judging the voices of random women.
We took a vote on each voice.
We marked down the names that got the highest votes.
“Here’s the next one,” Nash said.
When I heard the voice, I stood up.
I walked away from the table.
I knew Abby’s voice from anyone in the world.
She was by far the best singer I had ever met in my life.
“That’s a definite,” Sab said. “No question about it.”
“I agree,” Jay said. “That’s skill.”
“That’s familiar,” Dex said. “There’s something…”
“Reed, what about you?” Nash called out.
“There’s others,” I said. “We don’t need someone to outshine us.”
“That won’t happen,” Jay said. “It’s just for the song.”
“Well, maybe we can take them with us,” Sab said. “Three singers. Play some shows. Right?”
“No,” I said. “Skip that one.”
“That’s the best voice we’ve heard,” Jay said.
“Wait a second,” Dex said. He stood up and pointed to me.
“Don’t do it,” I said.
“What is it?” Nash asked.
“We know that voice,” Dex said. “That’s why Reed took off from the studio…”
“We know…,” Jay said as he played Abby’s recording again.
“Dex is right,” Nash said. “We do know that voice.”
“I’m not doing this,” I said.
“I am,” Dex said.
“You really want to do this?” I asked. “Bring her into the studio? That’s what you want?”
“We’re supposed to pick the best singers,” Sab said. “Who is it?”
“It’s Abby,” I said. I walked back to the table.
“Abby,” Nash said.
“Abby,” I said.
Jay snapped his fingers. “That’s the one…”
“That’s the one,” I said. “And you want to bring her into the studio with me?”
“She’s the best singer in the auditions,” Sab said.
I looked around the table.
They all stared at me.
They all understood what had happened earlier in the studio.
We were all about the music. Creating something that could live forever.
But we were also a bunch of dickhead rock stars.
That meant they would love to see me suffer a little too.
“Want me to replay it again?” Jay asked.
“No,” I said. “I know what her voice sounds like.”
“It’s pretty awesome,” Sab said.
“It’s the best voice I’ve ever heard. No offense, Nash.”
“None taken,” Nash said.
“So what’s the plan?” Dex asked.
I looked away from the guys.
I licked my lip where Abby had hit me.
I shook my head.
“Reed?” Jay asked.
“I guess I should tell Abby in person she’s got the gig.”
6
ABBY
“Are you going to tell me the truth now?”
We sat outside a cozy little bar that was near the beach.
Music with twangy guitars and steel drums played through the speakers.
The night was perfect.
Except for Sasha never giving up on what happened back at the studio.
The four of us met for drinks.
Jess went to have a cigarette.
Rae went to the restroom.
And Sasha pounced on me.
I looked at her and shook my head.
“I’m not going to force you to tell me,” she said. “But I’m not letting it go. That was intense. He was coming after you like he knew you. And the look on your face…”
“What look?” Rae asked as she stealthily returned to the table.
“Nothing,” I said.
“Were you eye fucking the bartender too?” Rae asked. “Did you see his forearms?”
“Forearms?” I asked.
“I have a thing for forearms,” Rae said.
“I didn’t notice,” I said.
“Good. Don’t. He’s mine.”
“That’s confident of you,” Sasha said.
“Have you seen me?” Rae asked.
“She’s got a point,” I said to Sasha. “Rae is hot.”
“See?” Rae asked. “Enough about me though. I want more details about today.”
I looked at Sasha.
Sasha just smiled. “It was fun. Kind of quick though. In and out.”
“I hope the bartender isn’t the same,” I said with a wink.
Jess came back to the table.
Our eyes met and she sat down.
“So I have a theory,” Rae said.
“About?” Jess asked.
“You know I love gossip.”
“Oh, great,” I said. “What is this going to be?”
“I think I know who the audition was for,” Rae said.
“How?” Sasha asked.
“Saw a video today,” Rae said. “Right around the time you two were at that studio. It was the bassist from FILTHY LINE. On his motorcycle, giving the middle finger to some woman in a car.”
My face turned bright red. “Did you see who the woman was in the car?”
“It was an older woman,” Rae said.
I sighed.
“Oh, for the love of anything, Abby, just tell them what happened today,” Sasha snapped.
“What happened?” Rae asked.
“Sasha,” I said.
“I can’t take this,” Sasha said. “The bassist? Reed? He was chasing after Abby!”
“No way,” Jess said. “That’s the rock star you knew?”
“Wait, you knew about this?” Sasha asked.
“I just knew at one point in her life she knew a rock star,” Jess said.
“You know Reed?” Rae asked.
Their voices went through me like someone scratching a fork to a plate.
“Fine,” I yelled. “It’s true.”
“What’s true?” Rae asked.
I took a deep breath. “I’m not getting into details. But, yes, I knew Reed at one point in my life. Kind of around the time I was starting out. Okay? It was a thing. Nothing more. And he turned out to be the biggest asshole I ever met in my life. I swore to myself I would knock him out if I had the chance.”
“And you saw him today?” Jess asked.
“Yeah,” I said. “And he chased after me. He wanted to talk. I couldn’t get rid of him. He followed me on his motorcycle while I drove my car. So I finally just pulled over.”
“The bassist for FILHTY LINE…” Rae said.
“Yes,” I said.
“What happened then?” Jess asked.
“I punc
hed him in the mouth,” I said.
“You hit him?” Sasha gasped.
“That’s right,” I said. “I hit him, then I drove away.”
“This is crazy,” Rae said. “What if they want you to sing for them?”
I laughed. “Not a chance in hell. Reed will never let that happen. He’s a terrible person. The rest of band… whatever. They can have their success. But I wish Reed would hit his head and forget how to play bass.”
“Wow, that’s harsh,” Jess said.
“That’s how much I hate him.”
“Something bad happened between you two, huh?” Rae asked.
“I’m done talking about this,” I said. “I think I’m going to head home. I need to get some sleep. It’s been a long day.”
“Don’t leave,” Sasha said. “I’m sorry… I’m…”
“It’s not your fault,” I said.
I stood up and put some money on the table.
As I walked away, Jess came after me.
“Hey, are you okay?” she asked.
“I’m fine,” I said. “I just don’t like talking about it.”
“That was probably a big shock for you.”
“Yeah, it was. I know he lives here. This is his city. Whatever.”
“You punched him? For real?”
I showed Jess my right fist. “That’s right.”
“You’re awesome, Abby.”
“Not even close,” I said.
“You can crash at my place again if you want.”
“I’m good,” I said. “I need my bed tonight. I need to sleep it all off.”
“Are you sure that’s going to happen?” Jess asked.
“Nope,” I said.
I walked to my car and drove home.
Home meaning Valerie’s apartment.
Where I had some space.
The size of Valerie’s entire apartment was probably the size of one of Reed’s closets in his house. Where I lived was probably the size of the room that housed his pool filter for his in-ground pool. And he probably had fancy lights, a heater, a hot tub at one end. You know, anything to give him that rock star sex appeal.
And he probably had to use three times the chemicals to chase away whatever diseases floated in the water thanks to the cheap women he enjoyed.
I hated that Reed was so heavily on my mind.
That punch didn’t do a damn thing.
I should have known better.
When I pulled into the parking lot, I saw someone was parked in my designated spot.
Of course someone was.
What a perfect way to end the day.
A FILTHY Enemy: a filthy line novel Page 5