Rock Chick Reckoning (Rock Chick #6)(134)

I closed my eyes.

When they opened them again, I was a lot more okay than I’d been for days.

I leaned into him, put my arm around his waist and my head on his shoulder.

My eyes moved to Buzz and I whispered, “How’s Buzz?”

“We had a talk on the drive home. This may sound funny but I think the funeral was good, closure. Her folks are good people and they knew Buzz tried to take care of her. You could tel they were grateful.” I nodded and sighed and Floyd went on, “Stil , he’s a little lost without Linnie but I think he’s gonna be okay.”

I gave his waist a squeeze right before the door opened again and everyone in the room jumped and turned toward it.

Hector and Shirleen were walking in with Dixon Jones.

Shitsof*ckit.

This is just your life, your career, your world, my brain said to me. No reason for you to be nervous.

Why are you such a pain in the ass? I asked.

It’s the job of every neurotic artist to have a brain that tortures them, my brain answered.

Well, f**k off, I demanded

Then to Dixon I said, “Hey.”

I moved forward, my eyes going from Dixon to Hector who gave me a nod then to Shirleen who was watching me closely and back to Dixon. “Glad you could make it,” I finished.

We shook hands.

“Would you like to meet the band?” I asked.

Shirleen shouldered close. “No time for that. Who knows what’s gonna happen? Could be snipers. Could be time bombs. We gotta get down to business.” She turned to Dixon. “Let’s go, times wastin’. What you got to say to my girl?”

Dixon looked at Shirleen then me. From what he said it appeared he, too, didn’t want to waste any time. “Feel like headin’ to the studio?”

I got that freaky thril that was half terror, half elation, bit my lip and looked at Floyd. Then I looked at Hugo then Pong then Leo and final y Buzz.

Then my eyes went back to Dixon and I said, “Yeah.” Dixon looked at Leo and Buzz. “You boys got enough new material to fil a CD?”

“Sure,” Buzz said. “But we’re The Gypsies. We gotta do a couple covers.”

“No covers. We do new shit,” Hugo put in.

“Dude, we so have to lay down ‘Ghostriders’ at least. I’m thinkin’ ‘Sister Golden Hair’ too,” Pong decided.

“Not ‘Sister Golden Hair’, ‘La Grange’, we kick ‘La Grange’ in the ass,” Leo demanded.

“’La Grange’! We do covers, we ain’t recordin’ ‘La Grange’ before we record ‘Ain’t No Easy Way’,” Hugo snapped.

Maybe I should have intervened but I didn’t. Dixon Jones had to know what he was getting himself into.

He did.

Pong, Buzz and Leo had al opened their mouths to speak but Dixon got there before them.

“‘Ghostriders’,” he said decisively and his eyes cut to me. “And we’l talk to Joel’s people, get permission for Stel a to do ‘And So It Goes’.”

“Righteous,” Al y breathed.

“You bring papers?” Hector asked Dixon and he nodded.

“In the car. I’l give them to you but you get someone who knows what they’re doin’ to look at them.” For a second, I felt relief. It wasn’t unusual for hungry new artists to get f**ked in the signing process but it didn’t seem that was Dixon’s gig.

My relief disintegrated when I got a look at the scorching hot glare Hector was directing at Dixon. His glare said he wasn’t used to anyone taking him for a fool and he didn’t like it much.

Dixon caught it too and took a smal step back. He decided (wisely) to change the subject.

“How soon can you get them into the studio?” he asked Hector.

“What studio we talkin’ ‘bout?” Shirleen asked Dixon.

“Our set up in LA,” Dixon answered. “Black Fat’l pick up al expenses. They’l have rooms at the Chateau Marmont while they’re workin’.”

Effing hel but he wasn’t messing around.

Al expense paid trip to LA staying at the Chateau Effing Marmont?

Jim Morrison stayed at the Chateau Marmont, dangled from a drain-pipe there, hurt his back.

And Led Zeppelin rode their motorcycles through the effing lobby.

My heart skipped a beat at the thought of Pong, Hugo and Leo at the Chateau Marmont. The only thing that made me feel better was that I heard somewhere the hotel was supposed to be earthquake proof which meant The Gypsies couldn’t destroy it.

And if Zeppelin could ride their motorcycles through the lobby, the staff probably wouldn’t blink at the shenanigans of The Gypsies.

“Kick f**kin’ ass!” Pong shouted, hands up in the air in a devil’s horns “rock on” gesture.

Hector delivered the buzz kil . “Stel a doesn’t step foot out of Denver until she’s safe.”

“Dude, you guys could provide security for Springsteen and the entire f**kin’ E Street Band,” Leo whined. “You could get us to LA.”

“You’re not goin’ anywhere until Stel a’s safe,” Hector said in a tone that made Leo snap his mouth shut.

“Agreed,” Dixon put in readily.

Hector nodded to Dixon, turned and pointed to me.