Chapter Fourteen
Pressley
“Who’s that guy Bowie’s talking to?” I whispered into Tony’s ear. The crowd was loud and out here that was the only way to communicate unless I pulled my phone out or we followed Bowie down the hall. I wasn’t about to do that. If he needed me, he’d wave me over.
“I’ll let him tell you. It’s personal and not my story to tell, but believe me when I say you have nothing to worry about.” Tony was a good guy, and I knew he was rooting for Bowie and me as a couple. “If it was bad, I’d straight up tell you.”
I trusted them both, plus I wasn’t the jealous type either. Protective, yes, but jealousy wasn’t an emotion I dealt with. Though I couldn’t help but wonder, had this person hurt Bowie in the past?
“Hey,” Bowie jogged up to us as I tracked the man he’d been talking to as he left the bar. “That was, um” nerves? “The guy who hit me.”
“Hit you how?” I was ready to notify security.
“On my bike. You know, the one who had a heart attack.”
Oh shit. “Oh, whoa.”
“Exactly. It took me a minute to figure out who he was and how I knew him, but he came to apologize. Guess he’d been looking for me after he got out of the hospital but kept hitting the ‘he moved’ roadblocks everywhere he went. He wanted to say sorry and make sure I was okay.”
“That’s actually really cool. He’s welcome to stay and have a drink with you guys if you’d like?
” Internally, I breathed a sigh of relief.
This was the exact closure Bowie needed to move forward in his healing process.
I knew that accident and his scars weighed heavily on him, especially after seeing his single fuck-up he made tonight when he stopped playing to make sure his hair covered his face.
“Nah, he saw one of the fliers, popped in and said his piece, and now he’s headed home to his wife.” Bowie was all smiles, and I couldn’t stop myself from pulling him in for a kiss. “I’ve been waiting to see if PDAs were on your approved list.”
“Approved list?” I laughed. “You guys were amazing tonight. I can’t wait to see what you do when you’re plugged in. You’ll rock the fucking house for sure.”
More smiles and another kiss, only this time the sweet man I had an arm wrapped around controlled it.
“It felt good, it felt right. We fed off each other and played together, not apart. No one tried to outdo anyone else. It was fucking off the charts.” He and Tony high-fived. “Can’t shake the adrenaline.”
“Shots!” Claude called out. “On me.” He ordered the group Jaeger bombers and passed them out. “To Imminent Danger. We’re all about proving the haters wrong, and I’m proud to be a part of this group.”
“To Imminent!” They called out as they tapped their shot glasses and tossed them down.
“Now that’s what we want to hear,” Shadow said, startling the group. “You played like a band, not like individual showboaters. Forming a strong bond and friendship with your band brothers is key to the band’s success. I’d be nowhere without Ryder, Derek, and Jaxson. They’re my family.”
“Here-here!” Joey, Stoli, Mickey, and Diamond cheered, tapping their beer bottles to Shadow’s.
The wall of hired muscle did its best to keep the gathering crowd behind them, but in true Social and Maiden form, they emerged, posing for pictures and signing autographs until the bar closed.
“Reagan, Josh.” Josh was the guitarist for Chaotic Abyss, another Masterson band, and his partner Reagan owned the bar we played at tonight. “We can’t thank you enough for letting us host our first gig here. We owe you big time.”
“You owe us nothing,” Reagan said. “If it wasn’t for Easton, I never would’ve met Josh.
” Those two were beyond in love, it was clear in the way they fondly glanced at one another.
I hoped to someday have those same feelings.
The yearnings to go to sleep and wake up with the one you loved tucked in your arms. Bowie’s face the first thing I saw each morning…
Fuck.
“What’s wrong?” Bowie asked.
“Nothing, honestly.” He gave me that we’ll talk about this later look.
“Just had an epiphany of sorts.” Definitely not blurting out I love you for the first time in front of a group of our peers or in a crowded bar.
No, Bowie deserved better than that, plus if he didn’t feel the same way, I’d never be able to look any of these guys in the eyes again.
Now if that isn’t a bitch slap from the hand of reality, I don’t know what is.
Wolf and the guys finished loading up their gear in the box truck we used for local shows. “Wolf, you need some hired muscle.”
“Easton already told him that,” Diamond said, arms folded across his massive chest. “Right?”
“Ya, ya, ya,” Wolf teased back. “I’m working on it.”
“Alright, Shadow and I are out of here. Great show, guys. Claude, fantastic improvement. We’ll hook up this week.” And in typical Diamond fashion, he and his Maiden Voyage twin nodded to the group and left.
“Dude, was that a compliment from Diamond?” Tony asked.
Smartass Claude winked. “Indeed, it was, mi amigo.”
“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to those two.” Tony shook his head. “Claude, I don’t know how you made it through your sessions without vomiting.”
“Who said I didn’t?” Claude teased, his grin giving it away.
“The first session I was a ball of tension, and they saw that. Talked me through it and were actually super chill. After that, the pressure eased, and I was able to be myself. Not gonna lie and say it didn’t piss me off in the first place why I was there, but they saw things I didn’t, and having the extra set of eyes and ears really helped improve my game. ”
“I couldn’t agree more,” I chimed in. “Watching you guys these last few weeks has been mind-blowing. With each practice your connection strengthens and you feed off each other. Tonight, you were awesome, totally on fire, and had the crowd eating out of your hands.”
“It felt good,” Bowie grinned. “When’s the next gig?”
“You are booked solid Friday and Saturday nights up until the weekend before Rocktoberfest.”
“Wait, what?”
Wasn’t the way I planned to spring it on them, but hey, now they knew. “Shoot, did I forget to tell you?”
“I think you did,” Stoli smirked. “Kinda feels like you planned it this way.”
Bowie grabbed my shoulders and shook me. “Spit. It. Out. Pressley.”
“You’re playing at Rocktoberfest opening day at noon. Kicking off the whole crazy-ass weekend!” I shouted, just to rile them up more.
“Fuck yeah!” they hollered, hugging one another.
“Social, Maiden, Embrace, and Chaotic will be there too,” Stoli added while Josh high-fived the guys. “This is a huge break. Don’t. Fuck. It. Up. Bowie, can I borrow you for a minute?” Bowie followed Stoli back inside while the rest of us waited for them.
“I can’t fucking believe we’re playing at Rocktoberfest.” Claude shook his head. “Moving to Seattle was the best choice I ever made.”
“We’re happy to have you. Masterson took over Rocktoberfest after a few issues last year. They are all about bringing talent into the light, so with that, they added another day. The event kicks off on Thursday at noon and runs until Sunday night.”
“Holy shit. That’s insane. It’s like Hellfest on US soil.”
“Something like that, Tony. But I believe there are a couple others on US soil that run just as long. Aftershock, Rockville, Louder than Life. But don’t quote me on the length of each.
” Add research into the festivals to my research list. Feels like things that will come up in general conversation from time to time given my new profession.
“I just can’t believe we’re finally here,” Tibby said. “I’ve played with so many bands that fizzled out. It’s like karma was finally on my side.”
“This week we’ll be in the studio,” I said as Bowie and Stoli walked up. “You’ll still work on the songs you’re playing at the weekend shows, but Easton wants you to start laying down some of your own tracks for your debut record release next April.”
“What the fuck, man. You’ve got to work on your delivery,” Bowie laughed. “These are all big things you’re throwing down last minute. I mean, our first release. That’s a huge fucking deal.”
“My bad?” Collectively, they sighed.
“Dude, no.” But Tony was all smiles.
“Alright, it’s time to bid you goodnight.
See everyone Monday at ten.” We loaded up and waved at Josh and Reagan as they locked up and headed to their vehicle.
What a night. I was nearly as amped up as the guys were.
They keep playing like this, and there will be no stopping them as they rise to the top of the charts.
Tony and Bowie sang along with the radio, air guitars running wild while Bowie cranked out random drumbeats via the dashboard. The guys were riding high, and it was gonna be a while before they came down from it. Though I had to admit, this drive was quite entertaining.
There was no bringing them down, nor would I try, so as soon as we got home, I lit the firepit and grabbed us each a beer. “Gentlemen, join me outside?” and held the bottles up. Tony snagged his, while Bowie’s came with a bonus kiss.
“Peaceful serenity,” Bowie broke the silence. We’d quietly sat around the fire for a bit, coming down and enjoying the warm evening. One of the last ones for a few months, I’m sure. “I find my Zen out here and have done some of my best writing fireside.”
“I’m happy to hear that.” Hopefully that will aid in his final decision when it comes time for him to move out…
or not. I wasn’t above pulling out all the stops.
Even though we’d skirted around the issue of monogamy, in my eyes we were a couple working toward a future together.
Guess it was time to determine relationship boundaries.
“Alright,” Tony yawned, “I’m calling it a night. Hasta manana, mis amigos.”
“Night,” Bowie and I replied.
As soon as the door closed behind Tony, I mustered the courage for our long overdue talk. “So, um, where do you see this going? You and me, I mean.”