CHAPTER ONE
Jack
Present day…
I pulled up to the studio and parked the truck. I still wasn’t sure this was a good idea, or if I was up to the task, but I’d said yes and that was that. I’m not entirely sure why I’d agreed to a reunion tour, but I suppose I had run out of excuses, not to mention, it was always hard for me to say no to Rex. As the youngest member of the band, I’d always looked up to him and he’d never steered me wrong. Not to say that Rex wasn’t without his faults, he was a lead singer, after all.
“Jack Henry Gornitzka, as I live and breathe,” Robbie said as he came bounding out to greet me.
“Mitchell Roberts the third,” I yelled back, before embracing my old friend. “Robbie” as he was known, was the band’s guitarist, and the one most responsible for my joining RatHound.
“How was Spain?” he asked.
“It was great. I got a lot of great shots. Hopefully some of them will make it into the next book. Forget about that, what are you up to? How are Lisa and the twins?”
“They are about to go into college. Can you believe that? Shit man, I still remember sneaking your scrawny ass into the clubs, and now I’ve got kids in college!”
I’d been a big fan of the band back when they were still playing clubs up and down the Pacific North West. I never missed a show when they played in Portland, and often drove as far as Tacoma and Seattle to see them. I was four or five years younger than anyone in the band, but I knew all their songs, inside and out, and was obsessed with their original drummer, Ben Gorman. Ben was kicked out for being drunk all the time. Ironic, since the rest of the guys were too, the only difference being they could still do their job shit-faced. Ben couldn’t. He’d been my hero, but that still didn’t mean I didn’t jump at the chance to audition when Robbie asked.
“I wasn’t sure you’d have the balls to show up. You know all our songs?” Robbie grinned from ear to ear. These were the same words he spoke to me the night that I’d auditioned back in 1990. I was just a scrawny kid trying not to embarrass myself in front of my local heroes, but I was prepared, played my ass off, and ultimately got the gig.
“C’mon, we’re just getting set up,” he said, and led me into the studio.
Fastback Studios would be our home for the next three weeks or so. We’d be using the space to rehearse for the tour and to record a few new songs. Pacific Records, our old label, was paying for the studio time in hopes to woo us back to them. I wasn’t convinced that we’d be able to make any kind of waves in today’s ever-changing music business, but was intrigued by the idea of creating new music with Rex and Robbie.
Rex was sitting at the mixing board, along with a recording engineer. He stood up as we entered and reached out to hug me. “It’s great to see you, brother. I can’t believe we’re all finally here.”
“I’m having a hard time wrapping my mind around the whole thing, to be honest with you,” I admitted.
“Well, you’d better get used to it fast, we’ve got a shit ton of songs to play and we can’t play them without our drummer.”
It was good to see Rex so happy. He’d been through a lot (hell, I’d put him through a lot), and he and Roxie had literally saved my life after Pam.
“Roxie is so excited to have you back home. Your room is ready and waiting as usual.”
Rex and Roxie had a guest house that had served as my home for two years. They took care of me when my world fell apart, and I owed them my life. They were the most generous people I had ever known and I learned a lot about being in the service of others from them.
Rex was a spiritual man with an almost Shaman like presence. Many great singers from Jim Morrison to Bono had this kind of vibe and it made them very attractive to people. I had been drawn to him as a kid and I still found myself in awe of him at times.
“I can’t believe she keeps that place empty for me. You guys should use that space and I can stay in a hotel.”
“Use the ‘Jack Henry Suite’ for something else? Like what? Plus, what would we do with your drums?” He smiled. “Although, I must admit we did have another drummer staying there not too long ago.”
“Is this Lucy’s guy?” I asked flatly.
“His name is Bam and he’s her husband Jack,” he responded.
“How the hell could you let her marry a drummer, Rex? What the fuck were you thinking?”
Rex smiled even wider. “What can I say, Uncle Jack? She loves him.”
I crossed my arms. “Don’t much care about that fleeting emotion, Rex. I’m worried about her being with a musician, a drummer none-the-less.”
“You’re so cruel to your own kind Jack, you always have been.”
“Damn right. I hate drummers!”
Rex laughed. “Well, rest assured, Bam’s one of the good ones.”
“Guys or drummers?” I asked.
“Both, actually. I think you’ll be impressed with Roses for Anna’s music and Bam’s playing.”
“I’m not easily impressed.”
“I’m aware,” he said. “But, you should know, he’s a big fan of yours, buddy.”
“Shit. Are you kidding me?”
“Nope.” He grinned. “He’s not supposed to know that I know that.”
“Well, young marriages can be annulled and if worse comes to worse, drummers and their bodies can easily disappear while on tour.”
“Don’t worry brother, I’ve already fitted him for his own road case.” Rex laughed and showed me around the studio complex.
“This place is great,” I said, surveying my surroundings. I loved being in recording studios. They were like sacred ground to me.
“Vic here is an amazing engineer. He gets great drum tones, you’re gonna love him,” Rex continued.
Vic looked up briefly, smiled, nodded, then went right back to his work. I noticed my drums had already been set up and it sparked a feeling inside me I hadn’t felt in a long time. Until very recently, I hadn’t played in years. I started rehearsing on my own a few weeks ago, and the blisters and sore muscles were proof.
Drums are a very demanding instrument, and time spent away from the drum kit is much like ignoring the gym. Getting back into drumming shape is slow and painful, and the fact that I was now approaching my mid-forties, certainly didn’t help.
“Wow, we’re already set up to record.” I was both excited and nervous about this. “I didn’t know we’d be diving right in.”
“Don’t worry about the microphones. Just ignore them. I figured we may as well record our rehearsals so we can go back and review the “game tape” as a band.” Rex smiled reassuringly. “You’re not the only one that hasn’t played some of these songs in years.”
“No pressure,” I said
“Pressure? You’re Jack fucking Henry!” he joked. “Modern Drummer magazine’s 1991 Newcomer of the Year. This should be a cakewalk for you, unless magazines can’t be trusted.”
“Well, obviously magazines can’t be trusted. People named you Sexiest Man Alive…twice!”
It was good to be with my brothers-in-arms again. I can’t truly explain the bond that band mates share. It exists somewhere between brotherhood and war buddies. Musicians share an intimacy that few people can ever understand, but on the other hand, we’re selfish and often times guarded. Taking the piss out of one another was the best was to keep each other on the same, level playing field.
“Screw both of guys!” Robbie chimed in. “The only magazine that ever wanted me on a cover was MAD.”
Laughter filled the air for the next half an hour, as we eased ourselves into the task at hand. I’d made the final tweaks on my drum kit and we were tuned up and ready to play.
“No time like the present, gents. Shall we?” Rex said into his mic.
“Whatta you want to start with, Jack?” Robbie asked.
“I feel pretty solid on ‘Pages.’ How about that?”
The guys nodded, and for the first time in as long as I can remember, I counted my band in.
* * *
Hadley
I was late. Crap! I was supposed to meet Lucy Haddon at the RatHound rehearsal ten minutes ago, but I’d gotten lost. Stupid Seattle. It was too big. I was a southern girl unused to the big city…although, truth be told, I got lost in Montgomery as well.
I pulled my rental car up to the front of Fastback Studios where the band had been rehearsing for several weeks, and took a deep breath. I was about to walk onto holy ground and I wasn’t quite sure how to react. RatHound was one of the biggest bands on the planet, and they were heading on tour with Roses for Anna (the band I now managed), which meant more pressure than I think I was prepared for.
I slid out of my car, grabbed my purse and portfolio (I was still old school enough to write everything down on paper), and walked inside.
The receptionist smiled and I made my way to her desk. “Hi. I’m Hadley Simon. I’m meeting Lucy Nelson for the RatHound rehearsal.”
“They’ve been expecting you,” she said, and rose to her feet, handing me a visitor badge. “I’ll walk you back.”
“Thank you,” I said as I stuck my badge on my blouse, and followed her to a back studio area. I stepped inside and froze. I couldn’t have moved if I’d wanted to. I was alone in a small reception area; one large glass window gave me a direct line of sight to the mixing room, another looked into the tracking room…and the drummer.
I couldn’t breathe. Jack Henry was a god and I had just become his willing worshiper. He drummed like a man possessed. His long, dark hair fell over his full beard as he hit the skins, but then he looked up, and piercing blue eyes that caught mine as I stood transfixed, stared into my soul. I swallowed convulsively and then forced a slight smile.
He stared at me for a few tense seconds and then grinned over at Rex Haddon, and I lost my connection to him. I scurried through another door which led me to the mixing room where Lucy hugged me as soon as I walked inside. “You made it.”
I nodded. “I’m so sorry I’m late. I got a little turned around.”
Lucy Nelson, nee Haddon, as she was newly married to the Roses for Anna drummer, was a full-figured, drop-dead gorgeous red-head whose father had put her in charge of this tour, and his band. Even though I was several years older than her and had been doing my job for a while now, I knew I’d be able to learn a lot from her.
“Don’t worry about it; it’s easy to do here.” She grinned. “Next time, I’ll have Sully pick you up.”
Sully was Lucy’s driver, and rather gorgeous himself. He looked a lot like Pierce Brosnan, only he smiled a hell of a lot less. I guess that was part of his job, though, as he also served as her personal security detail.
“Where’s Bam?” I asked. “I thought he’d be here.”
Lucy nodded. “He’s making a coffee run.”
I raised an eyebrow. “He’s making a coffee run?”
“He’s learning that if I’m happy during the day, he’s extra happy at night.”
“Lucy Nelson, are you exchanging caffeine for sexual favors?”
“Absolutely,” she said. “I like my lattes like I like my men, strong, bold, and slightly whipped.”
I couldn’t stop a giggle…just as the door to the tracking room opened and Rex walked in. “Hey, Vic, can we get the playback? Oh, hey, Hadley.”
“Hey, Rex, how are you?”
He leaned down and kissed my cheek. “I’m good. How ’bout you?”
“I’m great.” My eyes couldn’t stop glancing over his shoulder just in case Mr. Sex on a Stick walked in. I didn’t have to wait long. Robbie, their guitarist, pushed through the door, followed by Jack.
I squared my shoulders and forced myself to look away from my own personal Dionysus. It was all I could do to stop myself from dropping to my knees as he pulled his hair into a messy man bun.
Twelve years ago, when his wife died of cancer, Jack Henry went off the grid, and all but vanished from public life. I was twenty-three at the time and getting ready to start my senior year in college. I’d been a huge RatHound fan, as was just about everyone that I knew, and although Jack had been considered a sex symbol due to his boyish good looks, he’d never really pinged my radar, because he was clean-cut and I’d always been a sucker for the rugged bad boy.
Today, the creature who stood in front of me was all man and my girl parts were pinging and ponging.
“Hadley, have you met Jack and Robbie?” Lucy asked.
“No,” I managed to squeak out.
Robbie shook my hand, gave me a quick nod, and then focused back on Vic the engineer, but Jack…Jack took my hand and held it a little longer than I expected while he gave me a slow, sexy smile and said, “Hi Hadley. It’s nice to meet you.”
Ping!