by DaNeo Duran
To his surprise so did her lips.
She kissed between his shoulder blades. Her arms wrapped around him. He opened his eyes and cursed Mazz for suggesting the leather pants; he should’ve listened to Stu.
Linda wanted him to turn back around. He reclosed his eyes. Again, he sat on the bonnet.
Linda said, ‘I don’t suppose you’ll ever get over the trauma that caused scars like that.’
‘Maybe, but you’d better understand what someone has to go through if I stood between you and them wanting to hurt you.’ Finally he opened his eyes.
Linda nodded. She wanted to be kissed, he knew that now.
Putting his face beside hers he inhaled the scent on her neck. At last she responded the way he dreamed she would.
Reaching for her hair Linda pulled a pin and a second later her blonde locks tumbled around her shoulders only to be swept into Johnny’s hands. His fist held her head fast.
Linda’s hands gripped his arms. She couldn’t pull away if she wanted.
Johnny knew what she wanted and moved his mouth to hers. As her lips received his the relief surpassed his first successful transatlantic landing.
Linda seemed to be experiencing the same elation. The kiss broke.
Nose-to-nose neither could stop smiling. They tried kissing again but their teeth clashed. Johnny couldn’t pull his lips into action.
‘Don’t ever leave me, Johnny.’
‘No fear.’
‘Can you wait?’ she asked. He didn’t know what she meant but she said, ‘Give me the keys.’
Thursday 04th October 1984
‘Oh God, look at the time.’
Johnny stirred. ‘Linda?’
‘We must have slept through the alarm.’
‘What time is it?’
‘After eleven.’
Johnny watched his naked agent head out the bedroom.
The previous night Linda had taken the car keys from him and screeched the Lotus to a halt in the entrance of a drive he hadn’t recognised.
Johnny had leapt out and sweeping her off her feet carried her up the path to a door he hadn’t recognised either.
He woke again an hour later feeling his eyelids being kissed and saw Linda; fresh makeup but wet hair.
‘Thank you for still being here,’ she said, ‘for not running off after the deed?’
‘Which deed d’you mean?’
‘After the first the second surprised me, the third amazed me.’
‘Well the pleasure’s all mine.’
Stroking his face she said, ‘Mine too.’
‘Can’t have been, you don’t fancy me.’
‘Did you ever believe that?’
‘I believed you believed it.’
‘You’ve been shaking those beliefs for some time now.’
‘I’ll never give you reason to doubt me.’
‘That’s been my biggest worry, you seem too good to be true.’
‘Just because I’m better than what you’ve had doesn’t make me too good to be true.’
‘And you’ll be on tour.’
‘Absence makes the heart grow fonder. I can vouch for that.’
‘I can’t have kids.’
Johnny frowned. He’d never given much thought to starting his own family. The sadness of Linda’s expression left him in no doubt how much she wanted kids though.
‘Lie down with me,’ he said.
She cuddled into him. ‘The doctors say the likelihood of me conceiving is beyond remote.’
Johnny’s touring habits left his suitability as a father figure lacking but in Linda he knew not to underestimate the power of maternal instinct.
Linda said, ‘Thinking about you and me together; it doesn’t make much sense but not thinking. Just feeling feels better.’
‘So go with that then.’
‘I worried that if we kissed I’d enjoy it too much.’
‘Are you telling me you didn’t?’
‘Not at all. I just mean …’
‘What?’
‘I was scared I’d never want to let you go.’
‘And now?’
‘I don’t ever want to let you go.’
Johnny pulled her tighter into his arms.
Linda said, ‘Anyway, how d’you like my new apartment?’
* * *
After a shower Johnny decided he liked her apartment very much. He rang the hotel and spoke to Christine, then sat on Linda’s new balcony surrounded by potted trees admiring the view which rivalled Mulholland Drive’s from the previous night.
Linda joined him bringing a tray of fresh orange juices and bacon sandwiches.
‘Just spoken to Fiona again. I should pop in but everything’s under control. She says hi by the way.’
With a stomach full of food and heart full of love Johnny didn’t want to move. He didn’t know what had happened to Linda but the seal had been broken and she’d become for him the woman he knew deep down must have been there all along.
‘Come and see your present,’ she said excitedly.
He’d been wondering about that. He stood up and gathered the breakfast things.
‘Leave them, I can’t wait any longer.’
She handed him a folder but forbade him to look in it.
Led by the hand he followed her through the front door he’d carried her through the previous night.
‘Okay,’ she said, ‘I want you not to look until I say so. In fact face the other way.’
He did as instructed. Facing the trees on the other side of the road he heard the garage open, then a car door. For a moment he wondered if she’d bought him a car but dismissed the idea as ludicrous. His present must be in the car – but Linda’s car lay in front of him.
Then he heard a starter motor. Four turns of an engine and Johnny heard a V8 fire into action and reverberate around the double garage.
As Casper had described to him and Stu, Johnny witnessed the symphony of sound; each cylinder a member of the orchestra. No way could he keep from looking now.
Turning he saw a black Chevy Camaro reversing onto the drive. As it emerged into the light it changed from black to blue.
Linda got out.
‘You looked,’ she said her face beaming with mock surprise.
‘How could I not?’
‘Camaro SS 1967.’
‘Can’t be for me?’
‘It is.’
‘It’s on lease, right?’ His knees quivered.
She shook her head. ‘You can look in your folder now.’
He opened it and found documents and a spare key. By his side, Linda pointed to his name confirming his ownership of the vehicle.
‘Nobody’s ever done anything this kind before.’ His voice had turned to a course whisper.
‘I guessed as much,’ she said opening her arms.
‘Don’t hug me,’ he said but she ignored him.
Her arms wrapped around him and she kissed his cheek. He’d never cried since leaving Carlisle.
Neither heard the phone ringing in the apartment.
‘I’m sorry I looked too soon,’ he said sniffing.
‘That’s okay. You gonna take me out for Lebanese tonight?’
‘Better make sure I can drive it first.’
‘Come on then.’
The couple went indoors, changed their clothes and left the apartment. Linda didn’t check the answer machine and didn’t hear the phone ringing again as she buckled up next to Johnny.
* * *
After driving to the coast they parked the Camaro in town and entered a photographic studio. Linda would have phoned her office but Trudie had already arrived at the studio.
Johnny headed off to makeup giving Linda just two moments to tell Trudie what had happened the previous night, before the rest of The USed Wonz and Little Spirit showed up for their publicity photos.
* * *
‘Everything alright?’ Linda said to Fiona when she had chance to sneak off to the phone.
‘No, I mean yeah, but I
’ve been phoning and leaving messages.’
‘What’s up?’
‘A man’s called twice today from Spain.’
‘Spanish?’
‘English, says his name’s Rhys Rivers. At first I thought it might be a prank, you know, Linda Lake, Rhys Rivers?’
‘Is it a prank?’
‘I don’t think so. He said he’d been given our number as best means of contacting Johnny Won, by someone called Linah Clarke and that there’s a little man who wants to meet his uncle? Does that mean anything to you?’
Linda leant against the wall. ‘Oh my god, it does.’
‘Well, he said they’re nine hours ahead in Spain. He’s given three contact numbers, all Spanish but said he’ll ring the office again at 5pm tonight. I told him it’d probably be tomorrow when we ring back.’
‘You did the right thing. I’ll let Johnny know as soon as the photographer’s finished with him. We’ll see you later though.’
* * *
Johnny grinned at the camera; not something he made a habit of doing but couldn’t help himself.
His new girlfriend had just walked into the whitewashed room, smiled and blown him a kiss. Outside a supercool car would roar the streets back to her apartment and then to dinner.
Behind the lights Grace, Dane and his new friends Little Spirit waited with Trudie who guaranteed to turn both bands into global stars.
Christine nuzzled into the crook of his left arm; Mazz under his right. He felt Stu’s hand patting his shoulder. Returning the gesture he looked over Mazz’s head winked at his mate.
In front of them the cameraman said, ‘Tell me again who are you incredible guys?’
All four said, ‘The USed Wonz.’
‘Louder,’ the cameraman said.
‘The USed Wonz.’
Flash.
‘Awesome.’
The End
Acknowledgements and legal bits
Again I’d like to thank everyone who has read Johnny and The USed Wonz. Of course I hope you’ve enjoyed it and if you haven’t yet read Little Spirit I’d love you to enjoy some time with it too.
Need I ask you to leave a review? I’m sure you can imagine how much I’d appreciate your thoughts and feelings. I’d love to hear from you at https://www.daneoduran.com
The story of Johnny and The USed Wonz is my own and is a work of fiction. All the characters in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. If you have any queries contact me at https://www.daneoduran.com
The Book Cover design was by myself DaNeo Duran but I’d like to thank https://www.dafont.com for providing the fonts used. In particular Digital Nestor Delgado for the ‘Expansiva’ font and TracerTong for their ‘Universal Accreditation’ font.
About the Author
DaNeo Duran is a novelist, Leeds University graduate musician and Carol Wilson Performance Coach. He has spent many years in amateur and professional bands and has decades of music industry experience.
During the 1980s he played drums in many bands and throughout the 1990s made a gradual switch to bass guitar. Also during the 1990s he studied Music Production and song writing.
After one too many career disappointments DaNeo turned to novel writing in order to enjoy the so-near-yet-so-far professional success that had at that time eluded him. He now enjoys touring as a musician and promoting his novels.
For plenty more information, music, photos, live appearances and a means to contact DaNeo Duran visit: https://www.daneoduran.com.
