CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Rory
The show was a huge hit. The planning, the promotions, the absolute care that went into the entire production had Jacine’s hand all over it. Of course, we had to add our spin to it and showed up in LA County orange jumpsuits. The crowd went wild, especially since we kicked off the show playing together our second biggest hit as Banshee, Running Wild in LA.
Then we split up into our bands and rocked the Hollywood Bowl. The energy was thick enough to get me higher than a kite. Cole ran out on stage and mimicked Jersey on the guitar, and Jersey got him back by handing him a guitar and challenged him to a guitar riff. No one, but no one, can stand up to Jersey on the guitar, and Cole is a bassist anyway, so Cole got his head handed to him. But in the end, the crowd enjoyed it. Kane shook Jersey’s hand, and Jersey gave him a brotherly hug making a lie of the truth that they hated each other.
It was a beautiful thing.
My group went on first, then Cole’s, then Jersey’s. The concertgoers were encouraged to place their vote for the best band through their phones with the idea that the winner would play the last set. On either side of the stage, display’s flashed the tallies as they came in. So Cole, Jersey, and I stood backstage toweling our sweat waiting for the results. Jacine stood near us, and I swear I felt her eyes at the back of my head. I was about to turn my head when Jersey did first.
“Come on, girl. Time to take your bows.”
“What?”
Jersey pulled her hand and Cole and I exchanged glances. Not about to get left out we went onstage too. Jersey took the mike in his hand.
“Turn off the tally boards,” he yelled on the darkened stage. A spotlight turned on him, and everyone stared at him.
“Bring up the lights on my friends,” he said, and as some poor light engineer fumbled with the computer settings, spots hit Cole and me, too.
“Do we need anyone to tell you who the best band is? No! You know which ones grab your heart. There is no best band. But there are such things as the best people. And they are on the stage right now.
“Wise words, my friend,” I said into a mike, and my voice boomed over the loudspeakers.
“Dys, you dog,” said Cole. I swear he was about to cry.
“And then there are the people that support us. For one, we’d like to thank Tobias Marshall, the man that kept our asses out of jail for our stupidity. Tobias, come out on stage and take a bow.”
Shell-shocked Marshall walked out on the stage and Jersey, and Cole raised his hands and then pulled him into a theatric bow.
When the crowd died down, Jersey turned to Jacine.
“And let’s give a hand to the best-damned PR person in the world, the person responsible for us being here tonight, Jacine Alexander of Alexander and Wells. Give it up to Jacine!”
Jacine blushed as the crowd applauded, whistled and stamped their feet. It took a while for them to settle.
“And to show you who the best band is, Cole, Rory and I will play this last song, together as we used to in Banshee.”
Jacine tried to leave the stage, but Jersey grabbed her arm.
“Oh no, you are the one we are dedicating this song to. Tobias, make sure she doesn’t leave.”
Curiously, she shot Marshall a cold look, as he wrapped his arm around her waist, but there was no time to suss that out. We needed to end this show because we had three road crews waiting to load up our shows and no time to screw around without incurring extra expenses.
Shoot me. I keep track of that shit.
I climbed the pedestal to my drum kit and pounded out the initial beats of Ever. Jersey took up the soulful opening rift, and Cole began to sing staring right at Jacine.
If you ever need a friend,
Someone to help you tie loose ends,
The one who’ll send you roses,
And watch the stars with you,
Call me.
I’ll be there always and ever.
I couldn’t see exactly what was happening or hear over the roar of the audience, so I kept pounding out the beats, though, at the last chorus, Jersey signaled through his guitar, like he used to, to keep repeating the rhythm.
“That’s our show for tonight!” said Cole. “From Jersey Dys, Rory Holmes and myself, and our bands, Arcane, Clash, and Obsidian, thank you all for coming!”
We finished the song with a flourish, just like we used to as Banshee, and the spots went dark leaving us semi-lighted.
“Let go!” she said squirming in Tobias’s arms. She broke free and flew off the stage at the side exit.
“What the hell!” said Cole.
“What was that about, Marshall?”
“I may have upset her.”
“Is that her handprint on your face?” said Cole with glee.
“You are a dick,” said Jersey.
“Who?” said Tobias.
“Both of you,” said Jersey.
“Oh for heaven’s sake,” I said and dashed after Jacine. Whatever troubled her, I wouldn’t let her deal with it alone.
But I found they followed me, and we ran down the hall bumping into road crew as we plowed the crowded passage.
We found her at the back door frantically punching in numbers in her phone.
“Hey,” I said.
“Go away. All of you go away,” she said. Jacine tore through the doorway to the back lot, running left to valet parking.
“Where the hell is she going?” said Jersey pacing beside me.
“I didn’t think a woman could run that fast in high-heeled boots,” huffed Cole who pulled up on my other side.
“Jacine,” I called.
She stopped at the edge of the valet parking lot. Jacine stared at us like a frightened deer, and maybe if I had three, no four guys chasing me wanting to catch me, I'd have the same expression. I held out my arms and stopped running.
There were twenty feet between her and us, but by the expression on her face, it might have been a million.
“Jacine,” I said holding out my hands. “What’s wrong?”
“You! All of you! It’s enough I tell, enough. Just go away.”
“I’m afraid that’s a no-go, baby,” said Cole. “You can’t run away from us. We’re stuck on you.”
“Well, that’s just the problem, isn’t it? How can I pick one of you?”
A light breeze whipped up and stirred her blonde hair, and I don’t think I could have been more in love with her in those hot thigh high black boots and that tight jacket.
“We’ve been talking about that,” said Jersey.
“You have?”
“Yes,” said Cole with a nod of his head.
“I think we have a solution.” I said at last.