Wild Secret

by Tripp Ellis

  27

  After a few minutes, Mendoza arrived. The patrol car pulled in behind us, red and blues flashing.

  “Smoke break is over,” JD said. “Lose the cigarette.”

  Marshall spat it to the ground.

  I snapped on a pair of nitrile gloves, picked it up, and stuffed it into an evidence collection bag.

  Marshall’s face twisted. “What the hell are you gonna do with that?”

  I smiled. “DNA.”

  Anger reddened his cheeks. “That’s bullshit. You can’t do that.”

  “Yes, I can.”

  JD stuffed Marshall into the back of the patrol car, and Mendoza took him to the station.

  A tow truck arrived to impound the vehicle.

  We headed to the station where Marshall was processed, printed, and booked on reckless driving and a host of other charges.

  It didn't take him long to start complaining of head, neck, and chest pains. Said his vision was blurred, and he felt nauseous. We called an ambulance, and he was transferred to the emergency room for evaluation. It was probably all BS, but we had to check it out.

  We filled out after action-reports, and by that time it was most definitely happy hour.

  The band was scheduled to play their last show with Faye later that evening at Sonic Temple. We grabbed a quick bite to eat at Blowfish and washed it down with a few cocktails before heading over to the practice studio.

  The guys were breaking down their gear when we arrived, but Crash hadn’t shown up yet. We made short work of it and loaded all the gear into the band van. The rebuilt ’70s van was a beast—matte black with chrome pipes, fat Cragar rims, and the Wild Fury logo on the side.

  I tried calling Crash again, but he didn't answer. I asked Faye, “Have you talked to him?"

  She shook her head. “I tried calling a few times. He's giving me the silent treatment.”

  The guys climbed into the van, and we followed them to Sonic Temple. We loaded the gear into the venue. Wild Fury had played so many times that the sound guy knew exactly how to set the levels. There was really no need for a soundcheck anymore. Just a brief run-through of a song to make sure everything was wired up correctly and functional. We were in and out within an hour, and I still hadn't heard anything from Crash.

  The band didn't take the stage until 11 PM, so we had plenty of time to kill. The guys wanted to celebrate their last night with Faye on bass.

  The sun had just dipped over the horizon, and the evening was just beginning. We left Sonic Temple and walked down Oyster Avenue toward Overboard. Tourists started crowding the strip, and the smell of grilled meat and spices filled the air.

  The walls at Overboard were painted to look like the deep sea with rolling swells. Sharks and other creatures lurked below. The main bar looked like the stern of a ship that was leaving you behind. Blue lights cascaded across the bar in an attempt to make the place feel like you were underwater. The drinks were reasonable, and the music was good.

  "Is he just not going to show up?" I said in reference to Crash.

  "He doesn't want to be around me," Faye said. "I get it. This is all over after tonight, anyway. I'm out of your hair, and you guys can go back to being what you are."

  Dizzy raised his glass to toast. "I know it hasn't exactly been smooth sailing, but we had some good times. Thanks for being part of the journey."

  We all clinked glasses and sipped our drinks.

  "You're a really solid bass player," Styxx said. It was rare praise coming from him. "I gotta give you that. From a strictly musician standpoint, I've enjoyed it."

  "I have no doubt that you’re going places with Lip Bomb,” JD said.

  Faye’s eyes misted. “Aw, you guys! You’re going to make me cry. I'm gonna miss you."

  "It's a small island," JD said. "I'm sure we'll see you around."

  Faye gave us all hugs. She wiped her misty eyes and lifted her glass. "Enough of this emotional nonsense. Let's get our drink on!”

  We clinked glasses again and stayed at Overboard for a few hours. The band drank more than they should. As usual, Faye seemed to hold her liquor better than most.

  It was drawing close to show time, so we stumbled back down the avenue to Sonic Temple. The line to get into the venue was around the corner. Sounds of heavy rock filtered out, rumbling the block.

  A security guard let us in the back entrance, and we headed to the green room where there was more whiskey, vodka, tequila, and beer. We hung out until Emissaries of Torment finished their set. They were a heavy death metal band with painted faces.

  The house crew hustled to move their gear off stage to make way for Wild Fury.

  JD huddled the band, and they all clasped hands. "Let's go out there and blow the roof off this place. Just like it was the Garden. Let's make Faye’s last show with the band memorable."

  The band cheered, and we hustled out of the green room as the Emissaries of Torment filtered in. They were drenched with sweat, their makeup running. They floated on the high that came from finishing a live performance, smiling and high-fiving each other.

  I followed Wild Fury to the side of the stage. They gathered for a moment as the lights dimmed. I climbed the steps to the stage and took to the microphone. A single spotlight illuminated me. I had taken on the role of introducing the band in New York, and it stuck. I’d brought on the band ever since, and I didn’t see that changing anytime soon.

  I hesitated for a moment, looking over the crowd. The blinding light squinted my eyes, and it was difficult to make out discernible features of the audience. But the place was packed.

  In my best announcer voice, I said, “Please welcome to the stage, the mighty… Wild Fu-u-u-u-u-ry!”

  The crowd erupted.

  I rushed off the stage as the band ran on. Styxx took his position behind the candy-apple red drum set.

  Dizzy and Faye took their place on either side of the stage.

  JD pranced to the microphone.

  Lights swirled.

  The audience roared.

  JD didn't even need to ask, but he did anyway. It had become his signature opener. "Are you ready to rock 'n' roll!?”

  Piercing screams filled the venue.

  Dizzy clicked off the beat, and the band thundered. Waves of sound crashed over the audience like a tsunami. The crowd was filled with stunning vixens wearing miniskirts, fishnet stockings, and high-heeled shoes. Lots of teased hair and heavy makeup.

  As I came off stage, Sadie Savage was waiting for me.

  "I'm surprised to see you here," I shouted over the music.

  She smiled. “Well, you guys did come out for our show. It's the least I could do."

  "Can I get you a drink?"

  "I thought you'd never ask," she said.

  We weaved our way to the bar. Since most of the patrons were enthralled with the show, there wasn't much delay in getting a drink. I'd worked out a deal with the venue that all our drinks were on the house. They had been providing complimentary beverages in the green room, but not out front. As JD's band gained more clout, it gave us more leverage to negotiate.

  The bartender poured two glasses of whiskey and slid them across the counter. I handed one to Sadie, and we clinked glasses.

  "To rock 'n' roll," she said.

  "To rock 'n' roll."

  She looked absolutely delicious. She never lost eye contact with me as she wrapped her lips around the glass and took a sip, leaving a cherry stain. She had a diabolical look in her eyes. "I have a confession to make."

  "I'm not a priest, but you can tell me your sins."

  She chuckled. “We don’t know each other that well yet.”

  I waited eagerly for something juicy.

  28

  “This isn’t my first Wild Fury show,” Sadie said.

  "I snuck out to a few shows before, just to keep tabs on the competition."

  "Competition?"

  "I wanted to see what you guys were all about."

  "Was this before or after
Faye joined the band?"

  "Faye hasn’t joined your band. Just so we’re clear. But I saw the band once before and once when she played."

  "And what did you think?"

  "I thought you guys were good. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't jealous about how quick the band has risen. Faye is good with these guys. She fits in well. It's a great opportunity for her. And it's already drawing more people to our shows. A lot of people come to see Faye, that chick bass player from Wild Fury. That's how she's getting known."

  "And how do you feel about that?"

  "I'm over the whole ego thing. I don't care how or why people find our music. I'm just happy that they do."

  We clinked glasses again.

  "I'm sure you guys are well on your way,” I said.

  “That's kinda what I want to talk to you about."

  "So, you came just to talk business?"

  She frowned at me playfully. "No. I came to show my support. Getting some alone time with the cute manager is a bonus."

  I grinned. “You think you can smile at me, bat your eyelashes, and get whatever you want?"

  A devilish smirk curled her plump lips. They were slick with gloss and looked tasty. "Yes,” she said with a hip shake.

  I had a sneaking suspicion that Sadie could get just about whatever she wanted. "So, what kind of business do you want to talk about?"

  "You guys did really well with the video for All I Need. If we had a video that did a fraction of that, it could really catapult us."

  "So you want us to shoot a video for you?"

  She gave a hopeful nod.

  "I'll consider it," I said, trying not to sound too eager.

  "It'll be fun. Hot girls, short skirts, good music. What's not to love?"

  “I believe I could be persuaded.”

  She smiled. “Good. I’ll work on persuading you.”

  We moved away from the bar and hung out at the back of the venue, avoiding the sweaty horde.

  Two girls from the Official Wild Fury Fan Club sold merchandise from a table at the back of the club. They were happy to do it for free T-shirts and tickets to shows.

  Sadie looked at the stacks of T-shirts on the table with envy. “See, that’s another thing I need to talk to you about. You guys are really good about the whole branding and merchandising thing. You sell T-shirts, koozies, key chains, collectors edition vinyl records…”

  “Whatever we can think of,” I said.

  “We leave so much money on the table not doing that kind of thing. Maybe you could give me some pointers.”

  I smiled. “Maybe I could.”

  Crash emerged from the crowd and headed toward me.

  “You decided to show up,” I said, surprised to see him.

  He gave me a handshake and a bro hug. “Yeah, sorry, man. I was in a funk for a few days there. I was mad, and I took it out on you. I apologize. I know you were trying to look out for me. Are we cool?”

  I smiled. “Yeah. We’re cool.”

  Crash hugged me again.

  We hung out and watched the rest of the show. The band rocked out, and the audience went crazy. Wild Fury played a couple of encores to thunderous applause, then retired to the green room. We joined them, and there were high-fives all around. There was an awkward moment of tension between Faye and Crash when he first stepped into the room.

  "Great show," Crash said, breaking the weirdness. He lifted his arm and displayed his cast. "I'm glad I get this off tomorrow. Too much more of this, and I might be out of a job."

  “No way, dude," Dizzy said. "Wild Fury for life!"

  "I'm glad you came to see my last performance," Faye said to Crash.

  He struggled for words and just nodded.

  "You doing okay?"

  "Yeah,” he said. “I'm hanging in there. It's all good."

  "Good.” She extended her hand. "Are we friends again?"

  "Yeah. Friends."

  The two shook, gazing into each other's eyes, that spark still there. Crash held onto her hand for a long time, and she finally slipped it away.

  "I'm glad we got that settled," she said, trying to dissipate the awkwardness. "You want a drink?"

  "Yeah, sure."

  Faye spun around, and her frilly skirt twirled. She grabbed a bottle of whiskey from the table and poured two glasses, then handed one to Crash. She lifted her glass to toast. "It's been a fun ride, gentlemen. And I know I haven't always been easy to deal with."

  Sadie chuckled.

  Faye’s eyes snapped to her. "Shut it," she said playfully. Then continued her speech. "But I'll always look back at this time with fond memories. And I'll be able to say that I played with the mighty Wild Fu-u-u-ry!"

  The guys roared and whistled. We all clinked glasses and took a swig.

  "Party on the boat!" Dizzy shouted.

  I gave a nod, and there was much rejoicing.

  We finished our drinks, then loaded out the gear. If Wild Fury got much bigger, I was considering hiring a road crew to lug the equipment around. The streaming residuals were trickling in, and they were nothing to sneeze at.

  We headed back to the practice studio, unloaded the gear, then drove to the marina. The guys had put the word out before we left Sonic Temple, notifying a select group of available women that there would be a late-night soirée. By this point in time, it was well known that the band liked to party after shows, and a growing bevy of groupies would turn up at the marina, invited or not.

  The neighbors were always invited to our little gatherings, and we tried to keep the racket to a dull roar. But we did get the occasional complaint. Now and again, someone would call the sheriff, and an envious deputy would show up and tell us to tone it down.

  We all stumbled down the dock to the Avventura, and I ushered the guests aboard. I took Buddy and Fluffy up to my stateroom to keep them out of the fray, and by the time I returned to the main deck, JD was behind the bar, pouring drinks.

  Sadie and I headed up to the sky deck and hung out by the Jacuzzi. There were already a few topless beauties frolicking around in the water, pawing on Dizzy and Styxx. They wasted no time getting things rolling in a positive direction.

  Sadie looked impressed. “Living the rock ’n’ roll lifestyle, eh?”

  I nodded sheepishly. “Somebody’s gotta do it.”

  "You guys sure are having a good time, aren't you?"

  I smiled. "We have our ups and downs. Mostly ups."

  "How can a girl ever hope to compete with this?" she asked with a seductive glimmer in her eye.

  "It's not a competition."

  She gave me a sassy look, then bent over gracefully and untied her boots. She had a nice bend. Competition or not, Sadie took it as a challenge. She pulled off her boots and proceeded to peel off her shirt and unclasp her bra. Her glorious orbs sprang free, and my eyes widened.

  Her perky peaks jiggled as she shimmied out of her miniskirt. Her pleated plaid garment slid over her luscious hips and fell to the deck, followed by her frilly black panties.

  She gave me a naughty glance and shrugged. “When in Rome,” she said before strutting toward the Jacuzzi.

  She climbed in, and Dizzy and Styxx’s eyes rounded.

  The jealous groupies they were with quickly refocused their attention by pulling the guys’ faces back in the proper direction, planting kisses on their lips.

  Sadie looked me dead in the eye. “You coming in?”

  29

  There was enough chlorine in the Jacuzzi to kill just about anything. I hoped. It had definitely seen its fair share of action.

  It didn’t take long for Sadie’s wet lips to find mine. Our tongues danced, and my hands explored the inspiring curves of her petite body. It wasn’t long before we decided to find a more private location.

  Call me modest, but I didn't want to climb out of the Jacuzzi with the captain standing at attention. I gave it a moment for things to settle down, then we climbed out, toweled off, scooped our clothes from the deck, and moved the party to my state
room. Once inside, we resumed where we left off.

  Our bodies collided, and we melted into one another—her warm skin pressed tight against mine, my hands groping delightful mounds of flesh. I led her into the en suite and dialed up a hot shower. We both climbed inside and washed the chlorine off.

  Water glistened on her skin, and steam filled the compartment. Her brunette hair was soaked, and mascara streaked down her cheeks as the water poured down. Sadie had a set of lungs, and she sang for me in the shower, putting on a hell of a performance as we made the most of the confined space.

  Afterward, we toweled off and slid into my bunk where we cozied up to each other. She curled around me, stroking my skin with her delicate fingers. The rumble of the ongoing party filtered through the bulkheads.

  Sadie felt good. There was no doubt about it.

  "That was pretty fun," she said. "I might be inclined to do that again sometime."

  "Play your cards right, and you just might get lucky."

  She smirked. “I think you’re the lucky one, Mister.”

  No argument there.

  She leaned in and planted her plump lips on mine. Her delicate fingers traced my abs, gliding south. It didn’t take much effort to rekindle the fire. We went for broke again and finally collapsed, fully satiated. I lay there with a heady swirl of whiskey and pleasure chemicals in my brain. Not a bad way to end the night.

  I woke in the morning with the shafts of sunlight beaming into the stateroom, painting patterns on the deck. Sadie's naked form curled beside me. It was a nice sight to wake up to.

  I slipped out of bed so as not to disturb her, pulled on a pair of shorts, and stumbled down to the main deck. As usual, the place was littered with empty beer bottles and drink glasses. I moved into the galley and put on a pot of coffee, then took Buddy out for a quick walk. I came back and started fixing breakfast.

  Crash staggered into the galley. He had a look of pure bliss on his face.

  "You seem like you're in a good mood this morning," I said.