The Essential Jagged Ivory (Jagged Ivory Boxed Set)

by Lashell Collins

  Joe motioned to the young woman standing beside them, now holding Benji's bass. He had seen her before; he recognized her as Joe's assistant and she had been with the Thank Heaven tour from the beginning. Benji had been skeptical at first when she was hired. Not because he didn't believe a woman could be a good guitar technician, but because she just looked so young and girlie. And having chicks on the road crew with a bunch of rowdy guys wasn't usually a smart idea. Unless, of course, she happened to play for the other team, so to speak. Then it wasn't such a big deal. But if she was straight, it could only lead to hijinks and mischief, especially on the crew buses. At least, that's what he had always believed.

  “She did a hell of a job, Benji,” Joe said as he continued to sing the girl's praises. “The girl really knows her stuff and she's had a ton of experience before this gig. Plus, I've trained her myself as far as your personal preferences and how you like things done. She is the female me!”

  Benji looked at him with raised eyebrows. “Wow, that's a scary thought, Joe. 'Cause I'm betting your legs wouldn't look half that good in a skirt.”

  Joe laughed out loud at his smartass comment, but Benji couldn't miss the slight blush that stole over the girl's face. Shit. He hadn't meant to call her out on her attire.

  “I'm sorry,” he quietly apologized to her. “I didn't mean to embarrass you or to put you on the spot or anything. I was just giving Joe here a hard time. I hope I haven't offended you.”

  “No,” she replied softly, avoiding his eyes. “No offense taken.”

  Benji nodded, studying her closely. She seemed very timid to him and he wasn't at all sure that this would be a good fit.

  “Um … you're all ready to rock,” she said, offering his bass to him as she finally made eye contact with him.

  “Thanks,” he replied, taking the instrument from her. She nodded briefly before turning to walk away. And Benji turned back to Joe.

  “I don't know about this, man,” he told him quietly.

  “I was skeptical too when she was first brought on to be my assistant,” Joe replied with a conspiratorial whisper. “But I'm telling you, Benji … the chick is bad. She knows her shit inside and out. Just give her a chance. I mean, she didn't get to this level because of her great legs, you know? She may be hot, but you and I both know that at the end of the day you gotta know what the fuck you're doing up here or you'll get your ass handed to you pretty quickly.”

  Benji nodded his agreement. “Okay. But what's her story?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, is she …” he hesitated, not wanting to sound offensive. “Is she gay?”

  Joe smiled at him. “Look at you,” he said quietly. “You're back five minutes and you're already scoping the chicks!”

  “Come on, man. That's not why I'm asking,” he tried to explain, and Joe laughed at him.

  “I know. I'm just messing with you. And no, she's not. But so far, it hasn't presented a problem. She is a lot tougher than she looks, man. When the other backline guys, or the roadies give her a hard time, she gives it right back,” he said, smiling at him. “She threatened to flat kick Tiny's ass one night and he backed right off!”

  Tiny was a very large, intimidating, scary-looking type of guy. Exactly what one would picture when the word “roadie” comes up. The image of him cowering down to this little girl made Benji smile.

  “Alright,” he shrugged. “I'll give it a try.”

  “You won't regret it, man,” Joe insisted. “I promise, you're gonna fall in love with her!”

  “Yeah, we'll see,” Benji smirked at him. “I'm not crazy about the idea of switching techs mid-tour, but I know I brought that on myself. And I'm happy for you. I really am.”

  Fae stood off to the side watching the action as the Jagged Ivory guys all gathered around, thanking Joe for his service and his professionalism, and wishing him well on his new venture. And as she watched the scene, she mentally kicked herself for being such an idiot. She knew that she had made a complete and total fool of herself when Joe tried to introduce her to Mr. Staffon. She hadn't even said hello! Didn't even shake the man's hand! Where was her mind? Where were her manners, for crying out loud? He looked at her and her mind went completely blank. All she could do was gawk, and thrust his bass at him like some star-struck, mind-fucked idiot! She rolled her eyes at herself. She was a star-struck, mind-fucked idiot. This man was her hero. Her idol. How would she ever pull herself together enough to show Benji Staffon that she could be the most amazing bass tech he had ever had if she couldn't stop acting like a dope in front of him? She shook her head slightly at the thought, trying like mad to get her head back into the game.

  Once Joe was gone, the band finally got down to the business of rehearsing. And as soon as the music began, all of Benji's earlier worries that he wouldn't be able to play without having any chemical assistance onboard quickly went flying out the window. The moment he strapped on his bass and let his fingers move over the strings, he was home. His timing was perfect. His tempo was perfect. All of his musical instincts were right there where he had left them, waiting for him to return, and they welcomed him back eagerly. That wild, untamed, rambling style of his came right back to him and Jagged Ivory sounded better than ever.

  And Benji felt better than ever. As they played, he couldn't help but think about his earlier doubts and the question of when had he last played sober. He still couldn't remember exactly when, but he remembered now how great it felt. How euphoric and free. Every note he played seemed to reverberate throughout his entire body like shockwaves, and the music flowed over him and through him and around him. He felt so alive at that moment. So reborn and new! Had it always been this way? Had he actually traded in this amazing euphoric feeling for a more synthetic kind of high? How had he forgotten how good this felt for so long?

  As rehearsal wore on, Benji started to get into a groove. They practiced many of the songs from their catalogue so that they could all get back into the swing of things, and they only took a couple of brief breaks for bathroom pit stops. Mike had some deli sandwiches delivered so that they could all just grab a bite and keep on working. And as they ate, Benji noticed with great curiosity that the only beverages on tap were bottled water, various juices and energy drinks. He frowned as he chewed a mouthful and glanced back over at the food table once again, making sure he hadn't missed something. Then he took a moment to look around at the guys. They were all munching happily, enjoying the chatter that was going around the room and joking with each other. All without the aid of any booze.

  “What's wrong, man?” Otis asked him, stuffing another bite into his mouth.

  “Nothing,” Benji lied, taking a swig of his juice. “Just glad to be home.”

  They all smiled at him. “We're happy to have you home, man,” Buz replied.

  They finished their lunch and got right back to it. But Benji couldn't let go of the realization that there was no alcohol anywhere near this rehearsal studio, and he knew that it was a deliberate decision made for his benefit. It had to be. Their efforts weren't lost on him, but he wondered how long it would last. He knew that they couldn't keep up this sober act for very long, and he didn't want them to. He didn't want them to deny themselves a little fun just because of him.

  They rehearsed for most of the afternoon. And they were about to call it quits for the day when they just began clowning around together instead, having an impromptu jam session. Out of nowhere, Noah – ever the innovator when it came to rock music – threw out this crazy wicked guitar riff. It was unlike anything Benji had ever heard before, from him or anyone else, and it was incredible. Cory picked up on it right away, jumping in with a simple melody that gave it texture and depth. Buzzy set an aggressive, menacing beat behind it, driving their tune forward with muscle. And Benji smiled as he jumped into the fray, weaving his bass line between the parts and pulling them all together as one. It had long been his conviction that the bass was sort of the bridge between the drums and the guita
rs, the common ground that brought the two together and made their perfect working relationship possible. In his opinion, it was an important component to any rock band. Without it, a band's sound was just superficial, uninteresting and two dimensional.

  They were all grooving on their little tune so much that none of them really noticed when Otis grabbed a notepad and pen and began scribbling furiously, his head bopping to the music as he worked. And when they finally stopped, O's head snapped up in surprise.

  “Take it from the top,” he yelled at them as he carried his notepad over to his microphone stand.

  “What?” Noah asked with a puzzled frown.

  “You heard me! Take it from the top, hot shot,” he smiled. “We got ourselves a song here! Hey, somebody get this on Pro Tools,” he barked at the backline, instructing them to make sure to record the session. And when the music began again, Benji could sense everyone's delight when Otis opened up, trying out the lyrics he had just written on the spot. Without even trying, the guys had written a song together, like back in the early days of their formation when their collective creative energy was riding high and they were all learning each other's strengths and gifts. It was an awesome experience and Benji reveled in it. He had missed these guys so much! Otis' song lyrics were all about brotherhood and that notion of kinship and solidarity that the boys of Jagged Ivory had always felt and lived by. It made Benji feel good to think that maybe his return had inspired that feeling of camaraderie and friendship today. Otis called the song “Brothers,” and they all thought it seemed appropriate.

  As their gear was being unplugged and packed away, Benji looked off to the side and noticed Cory standing by himself. He remembered from recent conversations with Noah and Buz that Cory was going through a rough time right now with his brand new wife and some stupid scandal, and he wanted to say something to him. Walking over, he patted his friend's shoulder. Cory looked surprised to see him standing there.

  “Hey, man. It is so good to have you home,” he said, looking Benji in the eye.

  “Thanks, man. It's good to be home,” Benji responded in his usual soft-spoken manner. “And this felt so damn good; you have no idea,” he said, glancing around the rehearsal space.

  “Uh, I think I do,” Cory smiled. “That jam session was fucking amazing. Man, we have not played like that since you left. And it's been a long time since we all sat and wrote a song as a group, you know? Usually it's me and Noah writing as a team, or he's writing by himself and Otis is writing by himself. But that shit was awesome!”

  “Yeah, it was. We need to do more of that,” Benji smiled shyly and nodded his head. He paused for a minute as he tried to decide what to say. Hooking his thumb into the front pocket of his jeans, he said, “Listen, Cory … I just wanted to tell you how sorry I am about all the tabloid bullshit you must be going through. I don't know a lot of the details, only what Noah and Buz have told me. And I don't pay any attention to the shit on TV so …”

  “Thanks, man. It's … nothing. It's a couple of faked pictures and a bunch of made-up scandal and innuendo. It'll pass. And Donna and me … we've already talked it all out and we're cool. But I appreciate your support, man.”

  “Yeah, of course. I'm sorry I wasn't able to be at the wedding,” he said, feeling the need to apologize about that.

  “No, man. I'm sorry that we couldn't wait. I really wanted to, but Donna's brother was moving to France for his job and he wouldn't have been able to be there otherwise,” Cory said, apologizing himself.

  “No, it's cool, man. I understand,” Benji told him. “But I'm real happy for you, and I just wanted you to know that.”

  “Thanks, brother,” Cory smiled, hugging Benji once more and slapping his back affectionately.

  Once Cory walked away, Benji wandered over toward the backline again so he could gather his bass to leave. And as he did, his eyes landed on the shapely legs of his new bass tech. She was bent over, placing his instrument back into its case, and he felt his eyebrows lift as his eyes drifted from her high heels and ankles all the way up. She was wearing a short, billowy black skirt that seemed to float around her thighs and a white sleeveless t-shirt that hugged her ample breasts. She certainly had a flattering figure, and Benji found himself hoping that she didn't always dress this way. It would be extremely distracting on the road. He also noticed for the first time that she was heavily tattooed for a girl, and he had to admit that he found it sexy. She had a very colorful full sleeve of what looked like faeries or butterflies or something down her right arm, and what appeared to be musical notes running over her upper left arm. He also spotted tiny stars running the length of the ring finger on her left hand. She looked up and smiled at him as he slowly approached her.

  “Hey. I, uh … I adjusted the intonation for you,” she said somewhat timidly, as she hefted his bass case and held it out for him.

  Again, Benji felt his eyebrows lift in surprise as he stared at her. “Oh. I was going to ask you to check that,” he said quietly, reaching out to take the case from her.

  Fae nodded her head. “Yeah, well … it just sounded a bit off to me so …” her voice trailed off nervously and she felt herself blushing as she looked down at the floor. Damn it, Fae! Pull yourself together.

  Benji smiled slightly at her. Did she always blush like this or did he just make her nervous? “Um … we never actually met properly, I don't guess,” he smiled. Then he held his hand out to her. “Benji Staffon.”

  “Fae Miller, Mr. Staffon,” she managed as she took his hand with an awkward smile. She nervously tucked a strand of her shoulder-length, black curls behind her ear. “And we've actually met once before. I ran the backline for you in Hamburg when Joe was sick.”

  “Oh. Really?” Benji asked, surprised to hear this bit of information. Then he instantly felt embarrassed. “Wow. I'm sorry. I don't remember that. But I was probably … really messed up at the time.”

  “No. Don't apologize, Mr. Staffon,” she insisted. “We didn't have a whole lot of interaction. I wouldn't expect you to remember me.”

  Benji looked at her again, grateful for her willingness to overlook his shortcomings. “Well. If we're going to become a team, Fae … you have got to stop calling me Mr. Staffon, alright? I'm just Benji. Just like that cute little lovable mutt in the old kid's movies. Although I will allow you to call me Benjamin if you are exceptionally pissed at me for some reason. But only then, okay?” he smiled.

  Try as she might, but Fae simply could not help her completely girlie giggle when he smiled at her that way. He was so charming and self-deprecating, and it tugged at her heart. “Okay, Mr. Sta …” she stopped abruptly and blushed as she caught herself. “Benji,” she smiled.

  “Alright,” he smiled. “Well, I suppose Joe has already told you pretty much everything you need to know about me as far as the bass goes.”

  “Yes, sir,” Fae answered, and Benji chuckled at her response.

  “Okay, one more time. There is no sir, okay,” he smiled. “No sir, no Mr. Staffon. You can call me Benji. You can call me Boss. You can call me 'Hey You,' or 'Dumb Ass.' Or 'Bass Guitar God' would really make me happy! But please, just don't call me sir or Mr. Staffon, okay?” he said, as she continued to giggle uncontrollably. “Have we got a deal?”

  “Yes,” she laughed. “Mr. Bass Guitar God, sir. We have a deal,” she exclaimed, giving him a genuine, relaxed smile.

  “Alright,” he laughed. “Well, I guess I'll see you at the next rehearsal then.”

  “Okay.”

  He smiled at her once more, and then turned and left the building with his bandmates.

  Chapter Two

  “Alright, let's take 'Slave For Your Love' from the top one more time,” Otis called out. And Benji began the song with his famous opening bass solo once more. This was one of his favorites, and the crowd always loved it too. Whenever they performed it live, the crowd would go nuts as soon as he started to play. Stadiums full of people, all rocking to his bass groove. It was beyond awesom
e. It was also the first – and so far the only – song Benji had ever written by himself. Not the lyrics, of course. Those came from Otis. But the music and the arrangement … that was all him, and he was so proud of it. And the praise his bandmates had lavished on him had been so unexpected and made him feel so good about himself and his abilities. He couldn't believe it when they had chosen to include the song on their first album, over all the other songs that they could have put in its place. But Noah and Otis had both insisted that they felt it had something. And the fans had agreed because the song spent five weeks at number one on the charts, and another twelve weeks in the top ten. Benji had been overjoyed. And he had intended to keep writing, maybe come up with another song or two. But his intentions had been overridden by the drug haze he had lost himself in for so long. Maybe now that he was clean for the first time in several years he would take another stab at it.

  The thought rattled around at the back of his brain as rehearsal wore on. They had been at it all week long, getting together for several hours each day to prepare for the start of the next leg of the Thank Heaven world tour. Usually this kind of intense preparation wouldn't be needed mid-tour, and Benji knew that this was all because of him. Because the guys and Mike needed to know that he could still do the job and that he was really ready to be back on the road. And even though it was never mentioned, he knew that they had another bassist lined up, waiting in the wings just in case. Especially now that Joe had taken another gig of his own. He didn't blame them. He understood that it was just a smart precaution for the band to take. But Benji had no intention of letting the guys down again. He was determined to regain their trust in him. And he couldn't wait to get back on the road.