by Thia Finn
“That’s rough. I’m surprised he stooped so low.”
“Yeah, me too. I never expected him to be this angry. I suppose the biggest thing that bothers me is he feels like I instigated being here on this tour. That’s so far from the truth. I never invited Cash to hear me sing, and I had no clue that he represented AD in the beginning. I certainly didn’t volunteer to crash his party.”
“You’re right. Cash talks to people in venues all the time. He likes to hear from fans who’s hot, who’s worth giving a second look at. Your talent landed you on this bus.”
“Thanks for the reassurance, Peri. I believe I needed to hear it from someone who knew the truth.”
“I’m being honest with you, Victory. Wait, is that what you want us to call you? Hayden said that wasn’t your name.”
“No, my friends call me Halo, but I thought it sounded childish for a stage name.”
“Halo’s a unique name. I think I love it, so Halo it is. I’ll tell the others unless you want to.”
“I don’t know how I’ll face the others. I’m sure Carter will do whatever it takes to turn them against me.” I hadn’t thought about how the other band members would react to my being here. “It really doesn’t matter. Carter assured me I wouldn’t be here long. He wants me gone from the tour, and he has enough pull to quick me to the curb.”
“Yeah, I’m not sure about all that just yet. We need to hear what Cash says about it. Carter could go over his head and make demands. The label wants to keep AD happy.” The pensive look she gave me over her coffee cup concerned me. “You know, let’s not worry about that for now. Carter might’ve been throwing a little tantrum. When he gets back, his whole attitude could have changed about having you here.”
“I kinda doubt that. I’ve never seen him so angry that he would hit below the belt like some of his comments did.”
“Tell me, was your relationship volatile before? What were you to each other?”
“No way. We were magic together like a first love should be. You know where you can’t spend a minute apart; a can’t breathe without sharing it kind of love?” Peri nodded her head as if she understood exactly what I meant.
“We occupied each other’s mind 24/7. We never made a move without the other knowing it for an entire year. I know you’ll find this hard to believe now, but Carter exemplified what a boyfriend should be. He lifted me up at every turn. I wouldn’t be the guitar player I am now without his encouragement.” I looked down at the floor remembering the nights we played guitars sitting on my bedroom floor.
“Are you sure we are talking about the same Carter Sheridan who is in Assured Distraction?” Peri asked me with all sincerity. “The Carter I know doesn’t resemble what you’re describing. Our Carter lives for three things: the band, partying, and women. And in that order, too.”
“My Carter’s kindness knew no bounds. His friends and family came first. I could tell you some stories about the wonderful things he did for anyone who needed it. He wasn’t one of those jocks that felt like he was in a class all his own. Even though he was definitely part of the cool kids, he never excluded anyone in any way, and he never allowed the people around him to treat people that way either.”
“Hmm. I would like to meet this guy. Don’t get me wrong. Carter isn’t a bad guy when it comes to the band family but in the public eye, you’re bound to know the reputation he carries with him.”
“Yeah, I read the stories the tabloids put out about his escapades. In the beginning, I laughed about them but after a while, I began to believe what they published. Seemed like every city the band visited, a picture or story of him surfaced, but I’m telling you, that’s not the Carter I knew.”
“Did you ever think that maybe he tried to replace something he was missing?” Peri looked at me directly, trying to judge my reaction to this comment.
I tried to remain neutral. Those feelings were boxed up long ago, and they needed to remain that way.
“No, I doubt that’s the case. If you’d have seen his face when he realized it was me, you’d know that shipped sailed a long time back.”
“I’m just offering a possibility to his reaction. I could be completely wrong.”
“Yeah, I think you are.”
“Okay. Come over to the RV with me. I’m sure my monsters are giving Nanny a run for her money. The bundle of energy they possess amazes me. I wish I could recharge that way with a little nap.”
“Sounds good. Let me get dressed. I wanted to see your custom home anyway.”
“I gotta say it’s pretty awesome. Come on.”
Stepping into that thing made me feel like I should remove my shoes and wash my hands, but then two screaming hyenas came busting out of a back room with little boats in their muddy hands and underwear. I turned and looked at Peri, surprised.
“Dudes, has your daddy been making mud pies in the bathtub again?”
“Mommy, we don’t make pies. We driving tugboats on the missippi river.” Tucker looked exasperated at his mother.
“I think that’s Mississippi River, son.”
“Dat’s what I said, Mommy.”
“Yeah, that’s what he say, RiRi,” Crew added his two cents.
“Why are you both wearing underwear in the tub, no river?”
“‘Cause tug boats drivers don’t go wifout clothes, Mommy.”
I grinned at their developing language. Where one mixed some words, the other mixed completely different ones. Time would take care of this. Crew looked at me over his shoulder as he started back to the river.
“Miss Vic,” Crew yelled. “Did you see my daddy this morning?”
I squatted down to meet his eyes. “Yes, I did. How about you?”
“Yes, ma’am. He’s playing with Pops.” Crew continued on to the bathroom yelling, “She’s here, Daddy.”
I looked at Peri. “Who’s Pops?” I wondered if I’d missed meeting someone with the band.
“Oh, that’s their new name for Ryan. He kinda likes it, too,” she said with an easy smile.
Two big men came wandering out of the bathroom, and I wondered how all of those guys managed to fit into one RV bathroom.
“Glad to see y’all don’t have on muddy underwear, too.” Peri laughed at the two men with muddy hands.
“No, we couldn’t drive the tug boats so we had to be the cranes that loaded stuff onto the barges,” Hayden added.
“I want to know who’s going to clean that mess up. I did it last time.” I couldn’t believe she let them do that more than once. Dirty water in the tub?
Ryan raised his hand. “We flipped for it. I lost.”
I couldn’t resist any longer. “Why do you let them do it anyway? Isn’t that kinda nasty?”
“Heck yeah, it is. That’s why we let them do it. They’re kids. Kids need to get dirty,” Hayden offered in defense. “They’re too little to play in the river and can’t on the road anyway.”
“It’ll be over my dead body that my child will ever be playing in the Mississippi River,” Peri spoke up. Her force of words surprised me.
“No, I pray mine won’t either, but we’ve got some sandy-bottomed ponds out behind my mom’s house that they can play in and get dirty.”
“I might go for that, but not a muddy river.”
An argument formed between the two boys so the two older boys left to settle it. Peri turned and looked at me, and I couldn’t help but start laughing.
“Don’t encourage them by laughing at this scene. Your turn will come one day, and paybacks are a bitch you know.” Peri gave me her famous stink eye look, but it didn’t stop me from laughing.
It felt good to laugh. My emotions had taken over every minute in my head for so many hours that laughing turned into great medicine. At least for a few minutes. The door to the RV unlatched but didn’t completely open. The voices weren’t loud, but the words held a heated tone to them.
“I want her gone now, Cash.” Obviously, Carter returned determined to continue his tirade ove
r my being here.
“It won’t be that easy, Carter. I’ve already told you this once. We signed a contract with her.”
“I don’t give a shit if I have to pay the contract out. I want her off the tour.”
“And the label wants her on the tour. You’re not bigger than the label,” Cash replied.
“Then I’m off the tour. I’ll get my shit and be gone shortly.” Wow, Carter’s anger flared even more than earlier. He couldn’t leave the tour.
“You can’t do that, dumbass. Stop and think what you’re saying here, Carter.”
“I’ve thought about it all morning. I can’t do this with her under my feet every damn day. I won’t fucking do it, so you solve this problem, or I’m out.” He made the demand in slow and pointed words. I heard a car door slam and more squealing tires.
I looked at Peri and the other two who returned from the back. “Guess I’ll go pack my stuff and get a flight out this evening.”
“Wait, Halo.” I pushed the door the rest of the way open and skirted around Cash who also yelled my name as I ran to our bus.
Chapter Fifteen
The sign read “Welcome to Sunny California”, and I knew I had traveled west far enough. I whipped a u-turn in the parking lot of the visitor’s center and headed back east down Interstate 10. This Corvette handled smoothly flying down the paved roads in the middle of nowhere. I needed to get one when we returned to Austin. There’s plenty of open roads west of Austin, and the speed limits are higher than most places out there.
My phone rang, and Cash’s name appeared on the screen so I accepted the call.
“Yeah?”
“Where are you? The band’s got sound checks in a few, and you usually like to do your own.” I didn’t have to do it, and he knew it.
“Let Gary take care of it today. I’ll fucking be there in time to go on.”
“That’s cutting it close, Carter. Where are you?” Cash asked again and actually sounded worried.
“I’m flying down the interstate in BFE Arizona.”
“Flying in a car, I take it.”
“Hell yeah. This car’s perfect for the open road. I’m buying one when we get home. Come to think of it, I might buy it and drive this badass between shows.”
“I’m thinking that’s not a great plan, but we’ll talk about that later.” I knew he had more to say.
“What else you got, Cash? I’m busy here.” And by busy, I meant watching the miles tick off on the odometer.
“You come on in, and we’ll talk about the situation with Halo.”
“So she’s let y’all in on the back story, I’m assuming.”
“No, not too much to me. I think Peri talked more to her. You’re my concern.”
“That’s bullshit, and we both know it. You’re worried about your new jewel you’ve found and how to juggle us all.”
“Dude, I’m not going to address that because you know it’s a damn lie. Assured Distraction will always be mine. You guys are more than another band to me.”
“Then why do I feel like the odd man out here, Cash?” A very pregnant pause happened over the speaker.
“You are not the odd man out, Carter. Come back, and let’s talk. Maybe if you talked to Halo everything could be worked out. She’s willing to leave if you’re adamant about it, but I hate to see her and Hayden not get a chance to make this work for them. They’re solid when they sing together. If you’d just give them the opportunity, it could be the break they need.”
Cash knew I wanted Hayden to make it big. His talent knew no bounds. He wrote music like no other, he sang any kind of music and made it sound like it was written just for him, and he could play almost every instrument on the stage. The gifts the kid possessed needed to be exploited but in a good way.
“Sounds like you’re begging now, Cash.” I laughed when I said it. I hated hearing him beg.
“Come back, Carter.”
Well, shit. How could I say no when it meant so much for Hayden’s success, but having Halo around all the time. I didn’t know if I could do it. “I’m headed that way.”
I arrived with plenty of time to get ready to go onstage. The others acted like I had deserted them or something.
“It’s about damn time.” Gunner gave me a fist bump. “We were thinking we might have to pull a White Stripes and play without a bass tonight.”
“Fuck that. You know you need me out there to keep your dumbass from missing the beat.”
“Yeah, yeah, you say that but hell, dude, you know it’s the other way around.” He popped open a beer and offered me one.
“Hell yeah. I’ve been in the damn desert all afternoon.” I took a long pull on the cold brew.
“Was there a horse with no name out there?” I turned and looked at him. “Sorry, dude, couldn’t resist. You know I grew up on classic rock.”
“I do believe they are referring to another kind of horse, dickhead.” We both laughed at the stupid conversation we were having. Leave it to Gunner to get me in a better mood.
“So what’d you find out there?”
“Not a damn thing except I made that Corvette stand up and go like a motherfucker.”
“Nice. Lots of power?”
“Hell yeah, it does.” The door opened and the rest of AD came through along with Peri.
“Glad to see you’ve decided to grace us with your presence. Where the hell you been?” she asked me.
“Out.”
“Out? Out where? I’ve been worried to death about you taking off in that fast car. I could see you wrapping it around a tree somewhere as mad as you were when you left.”
“Nope, no trees today. Just miles. Lots of them. But hey, I did wrap myself around a hot stripper earlier in the day.”
KeeMac joined us. “A stripper? Dude, you went to a fucking strip club and left the rest of us to fend for ourselves?” This earned him “the look” from Chandler.
“Yeah, I didn’t think the fiancés and wives would exactly go for that.”
“Good thinking, Carter,” Peri added. “At least some of your brain works correctly when it needs to.”
“Don’t start, Peri. I’m here aren’t I?” I glared in her direction before finishing off the beer.
“Sorry, you’re right. I’m glad you made it back in one piece and ready to go onstage.” This time she offered me a slight smile.
“Come sit with me for a minute, trail boss.”
“Trail boss?” She sat down and straightened the polka-dot skirt.
“Yeah, you’re always hot on my trail when I stray from the fold.”
“What’s going on, Carter?” I loved Peri. She never stayed mad for long at any of us, even when we deserved it.
“I’m sorry I’ve been such a prick, but you should know that this is hard for me, too.” I turned to face her on the couch.
“I know it is, but Carter, Cash believes in them. He wants to see Hayden succeed and right now, he feels like Halo and Hayden are the real deal. None of us want to see you hurting. Is this going to come down to that?” She placed her hand on top of mine.
I looked down at her petite hand with the tattoos covering the back and let out a long breath. “I don’t know. What I do know is it’s going to be difficult. I keep going back and forth on the idea. One minute, I’m like, ‘hell no’. I set the rules, like today when I left the strip club. Then, when I think about what it could mean for Hayden, I change my mind and decide well, maybe I could make it with her around.” I turned my palm over and squeezed her hand.
“We don’t want to see this be a problem. We want it to work out for the best for everyone.”
“I know y’all do. I need to talk to Hayden without her. Do you think you can arrange it tonight after our set?”
She looked at me with those golden-flecked brown eyes. “Yeah, I can do that for you. Can you not blow up before then even if you find yourself in the same room? Can you do that for me?”
I wanted to say hell no but knew better. I nodded my hea
d and kept her hand in mine while I laid back on the couch and closed my eyes. I needed some connection right now, and Peri was always one to offer.
I felt like I flat lined at the show or maybe my mind couldn’t concentrate to make it my best. I played my bass the way I always did, but I just wasn’t feeling it. My mind flailed all over the place, and my attention to the audience completely failed to show up. Beautiful women knocked themselves out to capture my attention. Flowers, panties, and other random shit landed onstage as usual, but I couldn’t make myself care. When we took the first break for KeeMac and Chan to do their numbers, I sucked down two bottles of water. I knew Halo lurked around there somewhere offstage, but I tried not to think about her.
Hayden appeared at my side during the second bottle.
“She’s not here so stop looking for her.”
“I’m not.” I lied.
“Yes you are, so quit.” Leave it to the kid to call me on my shit. “She’s already back on the bus. Cash worked hard all evening to get her to stay. Her instincts told her to bolt, but he talked her out of it.”
“Yeah, did he beg her like he did me?” This conversation needed to happen elsewhere at another time.
“We’ll talk after the show. Peri found me earlier and said you wanted to talk but not now. You’re playing sucks enough already.”
“Listen, you little dumbshit.” I couldn’t finish because he stood there laughing. I smirked at him.
“Go on, old man. Your turn to shine because you’ve been dull the whole damn show. You’ve still got time to redeem yourself, so do it.”
“Fuck off, kid. I’ll deal with your smart ass later, and who are you calling old? I know you’re not referring to me.” I walked back onstage with more enthusiasm than I’d had the entire first hour of the show and played my heart out.
When the final encore ended, the newly-engaged two did their usual sexing in an empty room. I wondered if that tradition would ever get old with those two. Peri met Ryan backstage, and he carried her wrapped around him to the party going on. Gunner’s phone rang letting me know his evening plans just improved, especially since Lola would be joining the band next Saturday for a couple of weeks of vacation.
