Me: Sounds good. Dress code?
Ian: Sexy
Me: LOL k, I can do sexy.
Ian: You always do sexy.
Me: See you at seven.
Ian: I will be the guy who has the big smile on his face.
Me:
I leave the studio at four, and drive like a maniac to get home. I want to take my time on my appearance because it’s great to want to look your best. When I arrive home, Kip and Ian are on my couch playing a video game. Shit! I am in jeans and a wife beater. I’m slumming it.
“Dude, you can’t pause the game right now!” Kip yells as Ian throws the controller down and saunters over and sure enough he has a big smile on his face.
Ian picks me up, and I throw my legs around his back.
“Mmm, you always smell so good,” he nuzzles in my neck.
“Are you stalking me?” I ask.
“Yes?” he answers with a question.
“You said seven.”
“Kip invited me to surf, but we got busy with Grand Theft Auto.”
“I have to get ready, Ian.”
“K.”
“You have to put me down in order for me to do that.”
“I could wash your back,” he says still nuzzled in my neck.
“I will wash my back. If you are still around for breakfast, you can wash it then.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
He sets me down and smacks me on the ass as I quickly make my way to the shower. I take my time with my hair and makeup. I pull my hair back in victory rolls, and big curls down my back, with a grey scarf tied in front. I complete my rockabilly look with big eyeliner, light eye shadow, big lashes, and red lipstick. When I step into my bedroom I find Ian asleep on my bed with Cash curled into his neck. I smile at my gorgeous friend who has given me a reprieve from my misery. I flip through clothes in my closet, and can’t decide what to wear. Ugh!
I select three dresses, a pair of jeans, a pair of short dark denim shorts, and several shirts. If I know Ian, he will dress comfortably, which makes my decision a little easier. I choose the short dark denim short, a small grey vest that shows off my stomach, and Alexander McQueen soft pink, suede, peep-toe skull, chunky heels. I throw long beaded necklaces one, and chunky bracelets to complete my outfit. I step into my bath to spray on some perfume. I check my appearance, and smile back at myself when I see how gorgeous I look, or at least how gorgeous I feel.
“Damn,” Ian says from behind me.
“Hey, sleepy head.”
“Damn,” he repeats.
“You already said that, love.”
“Damn.”
I laugh, “Still waking up?”
“Nope,” he smiles mischievously.
“It’s almost seven, you ready?”
“Yes, but I have both bad news and good news.”
I sigh, “Give me the good first.”
He approaches me, sits me on the counter, and leans down to my lips, but doesn’t quite touch them.
“That’s my girl, always wanting the good news first.”
“Well?”
“Kip is our third wheel tonight.”
“And the bad news?”
“Kip is our third wheel tonight.”
“He suckered you,” I say softly, ever aware that his lips are close to mine.
“How did you know?”
“He’s like a puppy, you just can’t say no,” I say.
“Damn.”
“You’ve been had my friend. Kip charmed the pants right off of you.”
“Suddenly, I feel violated,” he admits
“Most people aren’t immune to his charm, but he will at least guarantee damn good entertainment tonight.”
“Yeah, I was looking forward to a different kind of entertainment,” he says as he finally kisses me. “Damn, it stays on your lips? I was sort of looking forward to getting that red lipstick all over me.”
“Behave, you get to be naughty with me later.”
I jump off the bathroom counter and call for Kip.
***
We eat dinner at a steakhouse, and head to a small bar in Pasadena. We put in a call to my goons before we head to the bar, so they can meet us there. Cory and Maurice are waiting when we arrive at the venue, and I am glad we called as the place is packed. Ian holds my hand and Kip stays close by. We order beer and find a corner to hang out in, where we can hear each other speak. The patrons leave us be for now, and I enjoy every minute we get to act like three normal friends hanging out at a bar.
The opening act sounds a lot like The Counting Crows, and I enjoy the music. We laugh freely, Ian makes as many sexual comments as possible, and Kip keeps right up with him.
“We’ve been here an hour and already made the headlines,” Ian says.
“Yeah?”
He turns his phone towards me, and sure enough there is a picture of us sitting exactly where we are now. He is leaned in whispering in my ear, and I am beaming with happiness in the picture. The headline reads, “Hendrix and Summers getting cozy in Los Angeles.”
I roll my eyes and he laughs. The band goes off the stage, and dance music blares through the speakers. Kip leaves with Maurice to find a companion for the evening, and as soon as he is gone, Ian pulls me on his lap, legs straddling him. He touches my face, and leans in for a kiss. His hands run up the back of my legs, and cups my ass. I grind on him, and a grunt escapes his throat into my mouth.
Our little tryst is interrupted when Cory clears his throat. I pull away and look up to see his back is still turned to us.
“Cory?”
“Ma’am, Memphis Hendrix would like to speak with you.”
“What?” I ask confused.
“As in the brother you recently discovered?” Ian asks.
I nod, and step out of the booth and around Cory to see Memphis looking at the ground with his hands in his pockets, waiting patiently.
“Memphis?”
“Hey, Henley. Can I sit with you?”
“Yes, of course.”
Memphis slides in the booth opposite Ian, and I sit beside my date. I introduce the two, and they talk music.
He finally turns his attention to me, “A band I play with from time to time is the final act tonight. I was wondering if you would play a few songs with me? Dad is here somewhere to watch.”
He called him dad and the massive smile it causes hurts my face.
“I would love to play a few songs with you. What did you have in mind?”
“Well, dad says you can pretty much play anything. I don’t have anything in mind. You?”
“You played some good shit the other day at the audition. We could play a Tool song, do your guys know any?”
He scrunches his face, “No, not so much.”
“We do,” Rhys appears from behind Memphis with Griffin by his side.
“Holy shit, yeah, that will work,” Memphis says.
“46 and 2?” Rhys asks.
“Fuck yeah,” Griffin answers. “You know it, Memphis?”
“Yeah, man.”
“What else should we play?” I ask.
“I think we should rock a Nirvana song, it’s been a long time,” Griffin says.
“In Bloom,” Rhys says.
“What else?” Memphis says, excitement in his voice.
“How many more songs do we have time for?” Rhys asks.
“If Abandoned Shadow takes the stage, as many as we want,” Memphis says.
“Tool, Nirvana, Filter ‘Hey Man, Nice Shot’, The Kinks ‘Lola’, and Clapton ‘Layla’,” Griffin says.
“Fucking A!” Kip joins the conversation.
“You have plenty of guitars?” I ask.
“Yeah,” Memphis smiles. “I’m going to play a set with these guys, and then ask you guys up, if that’s okay?”
“Absolutely!” Rhys says, downing a shot.
My dad joins
us as Memphis prepares to take the stage.
“How’d he know we were here?” I ask my dad.
“The crowd was whispering, loudly,” dad laughs.
“How’d you guys end up here?” I ask Rhys and Griffin.
“This fucker invited us,” Rhys points to Kip.
“And I’m sure it’s coincidental Memphis is playing at the bar we ended up at, right?” I ask Kip.
“I’m sure,” he smiles.
“Did you know about this?” I ask Ian.
He shrugs his shoulders, give me a mischievous smile, and says, “My lips are sealed.”
I whisper in his ear, “I am sure I can unseal them, sir.”
I lick lightly and quickly on the lobe of his ear.
“You play dirty.”
“I’ve been accused of worse.”
Memphis takes the stage and for forty-five minutes, I watch the brother I never knew I had serenade the crowd with his guitar. This shit must be in our genes. My dad looks so damn proud of his son, and I watch him periodically to gauge his reaction.
“He’s really fucking good,” Ian says in my ear.
I nod my head.
The band takes a break and comes over to meet us. They are stoked to have us take over the second set. Koi and Jagger join us with their dates. I ignore Jagger and his lingerie model. I know it sounds catty, but really, someone should feed her a sack of cheeseburgers. Ian senses my nerves with Jagger and the impending live performance. I haven’t played live with my guys in close to five years.
“You will be great. No worries. I can’t wait to watch you play,” Ian says and then kisses my temple.
I make my way to the stage, where Memphis hands me a Fender strat. I place the strap over my head, take a few breaths, and recite the Invictus poem in my head. I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul.
I take the dark stage, and Rhys counts off on the drums, Griffin opens up the song on his bass guitar, Memphis rings in with his guitar, and Rhys adds percussion. As the song winds in, I enter with my guitar. The lights go up, and it takes a few moments for the crowd to realize whose playing, and when they do the screams are deafening. I sing the song, but can barely hear myself over the crowd. When the first verse is over, my nerves have calmed, and I get lost in my guitar. Memphis and I play against each other when I’m not singing and easily find a rhythm between us.
When the song is over, I look up at the crowd, and even though it is a small venue, I smile at the packed bodies in the room.
“What the fuck’s up, L.A.?” I scream into the microphone.
They scream back at me, and that is one of the most exhilarating moments a person can ever experience.
“How about some Nirvana?” I ask, and they scream in response.
We sing “In Bloom” and I find it amazing how well Memphis fits in our style of music. He doesn’t miss a lick on his guitar and improvises like a pro. We make it all the way through our five songs and walk off stage. The crowd is chanting our name, and from the side of the stage we all hug one another.
Riding high on emotion and answering the crowd’s pleas, Rhys asks, “Hen, you think you have it in you to scream out ‘Bodies’ tonight?”
Memphis and Griffin let out “Fuck yeah’s” and how can I say no to that. We take the lit stage sans my guitar and whisper the intro to the song. The guys come into the song with their instruments, and I scream into the mic on the edge of the stage where the crowd surges forward. They jump with the music, and sing with us. By the end of the song, my throat is killing me, and I need beer. Euphoria overcomes me, and I’m ready to celebrate the amazing music we just made.
I wish the crowd a good night and thank them for listening to us. I meet my band mates on the side of the stage, and jump into Rhys’ arms. I hug Griffin and Memphis, and we float on our high.
“Does this mean you will join Abandoned Shadow?” Griffin asks Memphis.
“I would love to, if everyone is in agreement,” Memphis answers sheepishly.
“I would love for you to be a part of this band,” I say.
“Fuck yeah!” Rhys seconds.
“Then, consider me your new guitarist,” Memphis grins.
“Studio, tomorrow my man!” Rhys says.
Cory and Maurice escort us back to our table, and they have a hell of a time getting us there as the crowd fights against them. My dad is the first one to pull me into his arms, and he holds me tightly. Tears prick my eyes as I realize it is the first time he’s seen me play in five years. I feel his tears on the cheek pressed against my face, and I let my own spill over. I conquered a demon tonight. We hold each other for quite a while, not caring who sees our emotional embrace. I never realized what my walking away from music did to my dad, or to myself for that matter. I now know, I need it to breathe. Arms surround me from the back.
“You were amazing, sis,” Koi’s voice cracks in my ear.
Dad releases me and Koi pulls me into his arms, where he holds me just as tightly. Kip pulls me from Koi’s arms and picks me up in a hug. Ian is right behind him, wipes my tears away before he kisses me on the tip of my nose, and pulls me into a hug, with his chin resting on top of my head.
“You were so amazing. I am genuinely in awe of you,” Ian says.
“Thank you. Can I have lots of alcohol now?”
He laughs, “Whatever the lady wants.”
We turn back towards our group, and Jagger’s eyes are on me. He doesn’t look angry, like I think he would be over my embrace with Ian. He looks heartbroken and lost. Tonight is a good night though, and I will not allow him to ruin it for me. People who love me surround me, and I rocked this crowd tonight with the help of three amazing musicians.
A waitress arrives with a tray of whiskey shots, and places it on the table. Ian hands out one of the many shots to everyone at the table.
We raise our glasses as dad toasts, “There was a time I never thought I would see the Guitar Goddess play again. Tonight I was able to see my eldest son play for the first time, he joined Abandoned Shadow, and Henley is right back where she belongs. I couldn’t have asked for more. This has been one of the best nights of my life. To my children, who far surpassed my own talent, and make me so damn proud.”
“Here, here,” we toast back and toss back shots.
“It’s my turn,” Kip says.
“When I was a kid, I thought you were the coolest kid I had ever met. You always have been the most amazing person I know. Tonight I watched a new version of the Guitar Goddess get lost in her music. You are no longer a young woman who climbed her way to the top, but a strong woman who has been through hell and back and still stands proudly at the top. To my friend, the Guitar Goddess, you never cease to amaze me.”
Damn allergies. I toss my shot back and sniffle.
My turn, “To Caleb and the new Abandoned Shadow. May we enjoy the new journey we embark on and never forget how we got here. We miss you.”
We drink and dance the rest of the evening. Kip persuades some girls into dancing with dad, who is thoroughly embarrassed. I pay no attention to Jagger and for most of the night. I can forget he is even here.
Ian and I fall into bed in the early hours of the morning, where he takes his time showing every inch of my body the attention it has longed for all evening long.
Chapter 20
Henley
1 month later
Ian spent three more days with me before he went home to spend time with family. I always enjoy time with him. The day he left, Samantha called with an offer from Playboy. They want me to pose, and I agree to the shoot as long as my girly bits are covered. I’ve honestly been nervous about the shoot. I’ve done sexy shoots before, but this is Playboy.
Today is the day the shoot is taking place. The day is packed since tonight is also Kip’s birthday party at a local club. Apparently strippers are the theme, go figure. Samantha is more excited about this party than she ever has been about her own b
irthday. I wonder if it has to do with the strippers.
Jessica agrees to go to the shoot with me as moral support. The photographers are super excited when I arrive, and it helps put me at ease. They select some gorgeous lingerie for me to wear. The shoot takes close to four hours, and I am thankful they’ve already styled my hair and makeup so it’s already done for the night.
Halfway through the shoot Kai texts, and asks if I want to ride with him to the club tonight, and I agree. He’s been in a horrible mood lately, so I am thankful to see him return to normal. Jessica and Koi are apparently not speaking, so she is flying solo. They are about as bad as Jagger and I. I stay out of their business since he is my brother, but hope they know what in the hell they are doing.
I dress in a lacy blue cocktail dress with a deep V cut into my chest. It fits snug against my body, and I pair it with a pair of navy stilettos. I keep my hair in loose waves down my back and reapply lip-gloss. Kai picks me up around nine, and we are off.
“You look gorgeous,” Kai says a few moments down the road.
“Thank you. You look hot yourself in that jacket and jeans. Very Hollywood,” I smile.
He laughs.
“I owe you an apology, Henley. I’ve been a dick lately. I’m sorry. It wasn’t anything you did. I have family shit,” he says.
“S’okay. As long as you start acting like your old self.”
“So you and Ian?”
I laugh, “The million dollar question, but Ian and I are just friends.”
“Just friends?” he sounds shocked.
“Our relationship is not complicated at all. We’ve been friends for a long time. We have similar personalities, and just have a great time when we’re with one another. If we’re single, we sleep together. If not, we hang out like friends do. We have each other’s backs, and that’s rare in this industry. He showed at the wedding because Jagger was bringing a date. He knew about it before I did and was there to see me through. He’s one of the few people I trust in this industry outside of the people I grew up with.”
“That makes sense I guess. I just don’t see how feelings don’t get involved. It would be difficult for most people to separate the two.”
“I agree. Our hearts belong to other people. When our bodies don’t, we take advantage,” I laugh.
Guitar Face Series Box Set: Books 1-4 Page 45
