by Rob Jones
Ethan passionately tried to explain to her what happened that night, that she broke in and he kicked her out immediately. His words provided no comfort for her. The hurt was far too fresh, and far too deep.
“Zoe, you have to believe me. I love you so much. Zoe…Zoe, please talk to me!” She breathed in, then she surrendered the call.
Chapter
Twenty-Nine
Ethan
A plethora of emotions filtered through him as he contemplated what just transpired. It caused him to be emotionally off kilter. His head was in a weird space. He felt as though he was coming unhinged. His hubris began to counsel him, instructing him to become defensive. He began to feel emotionally cornered by Zoe. That somehow she had taken the reigns of his life, his heart, his joy, and regulated his feelings. He had to locate some sort of control, regain what he unknowingly gave away to her. He walked back into the band room, took the bottle of Jack Daniels out of Ligon’s hand, and drowned himself in it.
“Are we ready to devour that stage tonight, guys? Ethan asked. “Let’s make everyone’s ears in that audience bleed profusely. We’re going to show them what rock-n-roll looks like, smells like, and tastes like, and then afterward we’ll grab a few choice honeys and show them what rock-n-roll feels like at the after party on the bus!” They all began hooting and hollering like beasts in the wild.
“That’s my man right there. That’s the Ethan I know and love, good to have you back. Let’s go out there and make them beg for mercy.” Ligon aggressively put his arm around him. Ethan looked away with sadness etched in his heart.
***
“Fortunately, unlike other band meetings where we had to reprimand you for your millennial infantile and decadent behavior, this meeting is all good, thank God.” Dan splashed some cream in his coffee at a local Denny’s in Kansas City. “The so-called local rock critics in the cities that we played at are raining down praises on you boys. Their reviews of your shows have been excellent.”
“Yeah, the live videos are trending and getting a lot of traction,” Bella interjected. “You are getting thousands of views on YouTube, and…” She lingered on the word. “Your song Phony is being downloaded over 450 times a day!” She shrieked with excitement.
“Is that good?” Wes mumbled with a mouthful of pancakes.
“It’s awesome, considering that the only vehicle pushing you guys is the live video being posted on social media,” she replied. “Also, there is something coming soon down the pipeline that is going to be a game changer.”
“Okay, guys, Bella and I have a conference call.” Dan looked at his watch.
“Is that what you call it now?” Ligon gave a menacing smile.
“You’re hilarious, Lig.” Dan shot him finger guns. “Enjoy your day off in the great city of Kansas City. Be ready to leave for the club tomorrow at three-thirty for sound check and please, for the love of this country, try to do as little damage to this city as possible.”
***
“So this dump is the best that Kansas City can offer?” Ligon wrinkled his nose when he and the rest of the band walked into a dive bar.
“I need a drink quick, fast, and in a hurry.”
“I’ll go with you, Lig.” Ethan and Ligon navigated their way to the bar. Wes and Owen parked at a pool table.
“Wait, is that Dan and Bella?” Ethan creased his nose.
“Oh, sorry, bro.” Dan accidently spilled a beer on a bald buff guy whose body was littered with tattoos.
“I’m not your bro, three piece. You better watch it.”
Ethan and Ligon laughed.
“Poor Dan, he’s a fish out of water.”
“He deserved it, who wears a chic blue three piece suit with a tailor made Italian silk shirt and silver cufflinks to a sleazy rock club like this, anyway?” Ligon said.
“I was thinking about wearing suits every once in a while on stage.”
“Dude, don’t even joke about that,” Ligon responded
“I’m serious. Dan said something to Bella that I thought was interesting. He said that a proper suit can communicate confidence, success, and opulence, and it gives an aesthetic pleasure for the beholder. He has an axiom that he lives by, dress how you want to be addressed.”
“Hm. I like how that sounds. I may have to confiscate that saying for myself. My goodness, these are some rickety, raggedy leather bar stools.” Ligon adjusted himself on the stool. “Looks like someone has taken out their aggression on them with a knife. They’re all disfigured with multiple cuts and rips.”
“Quit whining like an ivory tower princess and man up. You are soft as ice cream.”
“Forget you, you broke-down Lenny Kravitz wannabe.” Ligon chuckled.
“I guess that bald guy scared Dan away, because he and Bella are leaving. I can’t wait to give him the business tomorrow.” Ethan turned back toward the bar where his eyes fell upon a bottle of Gentleman Jack while scanning behind the bar.
“I found our liquid option, my friend. Let’s start the night off with a gentleman or two. Now if only we can get the attention of one of these busy bartenders.”
“Oh my, she is stunning. Look at her, nothing short of breathtaking.” Ligon nudged Ethan in his side.
“Which one?”
“The brunette with big brandy brown eyes. Those eyes are so big that when you gaze into them you could get lost for days and not care where you end up. Man, her beauty is more intoxicating than any top-shelf liquor could ever be. It’s plain to see that the good Lord has fashioned her in such a way that she will always accumulate the most tips at closing time.”
“Who do you think you are, Nicolas Sparks? I don’t think I ever heard you talk like this before,” Ethan commented.
“All I know is that I would love to taste those pouty but dainty lips. Look at that smile. Her dimples are as deep as the Grand Canyon.”
“She’s cute, but I can tell that she’s a little uncouth.”
“Oh I forgot, you’re too good for bar girls now. You’re all about those business-minded, high-scaled, high-maintenance, erudite types, with a blinding white commercial smile who plays violin and reads the Bible.”
“Not anymore, my friend.” What his mouth confessed and what his heart felt were antithetical to one another. Even though he was angry and hurt by Zoe, he still was hopelessly in love and devoted to her.
With her back toward him, Ethan saw the bartender stealing a glance at him through the mirror behind the bar as she was getting a bottle of Patron. She gave another glance that lingered just a little bit longer. They locked eyes, which elicited a smile from her.
“Oh Lord,” Ethan whispered to himself.
The tattooed bald man who threatened Dan earlier had seated himself next to Ethan and noticed the bartender’s preoccupation with him. He tapped him on his left shoulder, leaned into him and said, “Be careful with that one. She will make a good man write a bad check.”
Ethan smiled. “Thanks for the heads-up. Fortunately, I only have cash tonight.”
She looked at him again, gave him another smile, and walked on by to assist a couple on the other end of the bar. Ligon witnessed her obvious flirtatious smile.
“I hate you, man.” He gave a playful shove and shook his head.
The bartender worked her way back toward them.
“Oh my, you two are far too impeccable to be slumming with us lowlifes here tonight. You boys must be gluttons for punishment or you’re ready to embrace something a little dangerous. Either way, I’m here to oblige ya. My name is Riley. What’s your poison for tonight?” she asked with a flirtatious voice and flashed an I-got-what-you-need smile toward Ethan.
“We will need two Gentleman Jacks, neat, please,” Ligon answered.
“Coming right up.”
“I was right, uncouth,” Ethan muttered.
She came back with a bottle and two glasses.
“You know sometimes you can find the rarest and the most beautiful things in the most desolate places and, h
oney, you are the most beautiful thing I have ever laid my eyes on.” Ligon kissed her hand.
“I see that you got some verbal game. I like that in a man. How about you, Mr. Mysterious?” Her focus turned to Ethan. “What are you working with? You have a talented tongue as well?” she asked buoyantly while she poured their drinks
“This guy is the one women want to be with and men want to be.” Ethan looked at Ligon and placed a hand on his shoulder.
“I can see that. But I’m sure that you got a harem of your own.” She gave a coy smile and a provocative look as she placed the drinks close to him.
“Since I’m not going to score with this one, I’m going to take my game over there.” Ligon got up, took his drink, and walked over to three girls who looked like they were willing to play ball with him.
“Finally, I got you to myself.”
“You are beautifully dangerous. I imagine that you have captured a lot of prey with your weapons of choice.” What was he doing encouraging her? Nothing could come of this but regrets and problems. He should have just gotten up, taken his drink, and went to play pool with Wes and Owen.
“Yeah, this body of mine is lethal and dangerous.” She poured a shot of whiskey for herself.
“You have no idea how dangerous I truly am, but I’m willing to give you some intel if the mood should strike you.” She took the shot, leaned forward on the bar, and began to creep ever so slowly toward Ethan until she was close enough that he could smell the hint of mint mixed with whiskey on her breath, and see the vertical oral piercing on her tongue. “You have no idea how much danger you are in right now.” She grinned and bit his lip lightly, then extended her arm that had a tattoo of a multicolored coral snake and orchids.
“I never got your name, handsome.” Riley slid her tongue over her top lip.
“Ethan,” he said.” He took the warm glass of Gentleman Jack and downed it with great velocity. He made a face to indicate that the burning sensation had invaded his chest.
“Mm, mm, mm, burns so right.” Ethan placed the empty glass back on the bar. “I think I will take another, please,” he requested.
While Riley began to pour the second shot of Gentleman Jack for each of them, Ethan leaned back on the bar stool to reach into his front pocket and pulled out his money clip that had multiple twenty-dollar bills.
“Bottoms up.” Ethan raised his glass, they toasted, and tossed the liquor down their throats. He squinted and blew out a hot breath. She had no reaction.
Applause erupted as a band took the stage. He saw Owen motion him over to the pool table. “Thank God,” he muttered. He could use Owen as an excuse to leave before they did some bad things to each other and that’s the last thing that he wanted to do. His ego and she were trying to seduce him, but they were no match for his love for Zoe. He refuse to give up on their relationship, he was going to fight for her with every inch of his heart.
“I am being summoned by my friend over there.” He gave Riley a fifty-dollar bill. “Keep the change.” He submitted a smile.
“You’re not going to walk away from all this, are you?” She stepped back and used her hands to accentuate her body like she was a contestant in a beauty pageant.
“Enticing as it is, I can’t, I’m in love with a very special woman who has my heart going through changes.”
Riley took the money with a smile, got a napkin from behind the bar, and with a pen wrote down her number. She kissed the napkin, leaving a silhouette of her lips in cherry red. She leaned over the bar and placed it in his front pocket and said, “Whenever you’re ready for your heart to have a change for something better, I insist that you call me handsome.” They stared at each other studiously. He swallowed hard, then walked away.
When the band began playing, a few girls got up and started dancing, hooting and hollering. The lead singer jumped off the stage and joined them on the dance floor while singing to them. The band played a few pop rock songs that eventually got a nice crowd out on the dance floor.
“Man, this band makes me wish that I didn’t have ears. You know what would be a savage move?” Ligon said after downing another glass of whiskey.
“Oh no, he’s got that Nikki Sixx look in his eyes,” Owen commented.
“After this band completes their set, let’s get up on the stage and start playing Phony for the crowd. I’ll get someone to video us doing it. That’s instant publicity right there, boys. People will start tweeting and Facebooking it. This will give us that bad boy brand and elevate our status.” They were all in on this. The band on the stage played several more songs and then took a break. They left the stage and went outside with a few girls who looked like they were born with meth pipes in their mouths.
“Okay, boys, let’s go and show them how to play their own instruments.”
Ligon and Ethan corralled some girls to video them. They seized the compact stage and started playing. They got to the chorus of the song before the members of the other band made a mad dash back in. They all had a look of disbelief and annoyance carved on their faces. They yelled at them, then rushed the stage. Ethan kicked one off the stage, Owen made a face at another band member and stuck his tongue out like he was Gene Simmons. The guy unplugged the bass Owen was playing.
The crowd laughed and cheered while videoing what they were witnessing.
“Thank you very much. We are Slither of Light, and we’ve been great—follow us on Twitter!” Ethan dropped the mic and leapt off the stage during the applause from the crowd.
“That was beast! You guys rock!” someone from the crowd shouted.
“That was so freaking ballsy. We are savages. I love our band! Let’s get an Uber and amp this party up.” Ligon pulled out a tiny bag of cocaine.
***
Zoe
“Hi, Mrs. Thorn.” Zoe, Abby, and Tori arrived at Helen’s home with a gift basket, flowers, and several books by Martin Luther, Helen’s favorite author and theologian.
“Oh, what a wonderful surprise. Please come on in and have a seat.” Helen’s voice was delicate and breathy.
“We wanted to bring you a little something to lift your spirits.”
“Oh, you shouldn’t have, ladies, but I’m glad you did. Thank you so much. You can set them on the kitchen table.” Helen appeared frailer and a little more willowy than usual, Zoe thought.
“So how are you doing, Helen? Abby inquired.
“I am managing better than I deserve, that’s for sure.”
“Charles told me that you have a respiratory therapist coming to visit you daily.”
“Yes, she is delightful, a little bossy but—” A sequence of coughs interrupted her. “She means well.”
“Well, just like her we will be checking on you every day, and if you need anything, and I do mean anything, please don’t hesitate to call Charles and me anytime.”
“Oh, bless your cotton socks.” Helen shook her head and smile.
“I mean it, Helen. You promise?”
“I promise. You are worse than my hummingbird, Ethan. He calls me a thousand times a day. I can tell that he’s conflicted about leaving me here, but I assured him that everything is fine and that I have a support team around me.” She continued to cough.
Zoe’s heart deflated when Helen mentioned his name, and the photos of him that were in the house didn’t help matters much. She didn’t know what to do or what to believe when it came to the Khloe situation. He sounded sincere and genuine every time that he called and left voice messages, but those photos of Khloe in his bed were tattooed in her memory. She felt a rumbling of tears starting to surface.
“I need to go outside for a minute. I’ll be right back.” Zoe walked out of the house and Tori followed.
“I know that probably wasn’t easy for you, Puritan.” She hugged her. “Sorry, Zoe,” she whispered to her.
“Thanks, Tori. I don’t know what I’m doing. Ethan swears up and down that he never touched her and that somehow she broke into his place.” A cloud of annoyance
filled her.
“You know, Zoe, to be truthful, Ethan is a lot of things. He’s a dirt bag, a player, a conceited jerk, a—”
“I get it, Tori.”
“But the one thing I know for sure about him is that he is not a liar. And no matter how painful it is for me to admit this, and believe me, it’s painful, I think he is telling the truth about this.” The sun began to break forth and sat in the sky like some kind of sepia fruit.
“You may want to hear him out and give him a chance, Zoe. Ethan has this crazy, amazing cultish prowess that causes women, and guys, to do things they normally don’t do. It’s his gift and his curse.”
Tori’s kind words about Ethan were an unexpected surprise. For Tori to try to vindicate Ethan was like a mongoose defending a snake, nothing short of a miracle. Strangely, those words were like a healing balm to Zoe’s soul. She stored them up in her heart so she could contemplate them later. “Thank you, Tori Farrow. You just made things even more complicated.” She laughed and embraced her.
“Zoe, Mrs. Thorn wants a word with you,” Abby said as she walked outside. Zoe quickly wiped the tears from her eyes and walked back in.
“Zoe, I don’t know what’s really going on between you and my grandson. I understand that he can be a little hard to love, but I’m confident that he will be worth loving at the end of the day.” Helen took her hand. “I’m not saying this because he is my grandson, I’m saying this because I know that you are good for him and you bring out the best in him. He loves you. I know this just like I know I’m holding your hand right now. I’m praying for you and for the life within you.”
