Rock Radio (11 page)

“You’re welcome,” she said quickly, turning to the next listener who had come to talk to her.

Larry was dismissed.  How could she cast him aside so easily?  He left Scully’s quickly, sullen and a little mad.  She had to have a good reason for turning away so fast.  Dana was his destiny.  She wouldn’t do anything to hurt him.  No, he assured himself, it was an oversight.  It had to be.  Then again, maybe Dana was overcome by him like he was of her. 
Oh, Dana, you are even more like me than I thought!

He took his camera and put it face down on the seat and snapped away the remaining pictures, then screeched out of the parking lot and drove quickly to his local drugstore.  He practically ran to the photo counter.

“How fast can I get these developed?”

Jonny woke up Friday morning to Jay Jay’s booming voice coming through his clock radio.  “That’s why Loud Mike and I are going to Light’s On to stock up on flashlights.  They’ve got big flashlights, small flashlights and even some flashlights in between.”

“You can never have too many flashlights,” Loud Mike agreed.

“That’s for sure.  It’s a bright idea!  So get to Light’s On, off I-95 and Stirling Road in Hollywood!”

Jonny smiled.  Jay Jay, given the financials, suddenly realized that flashlights were a wise product.  The power of the almighty dollar.

Things were starting to fall into place.  He gave Heather the overnight shift tonight from two a.m. to six a.m.  It actually worked out to his benefit.  The guy who was supposed to be on had a last minute emergency.  Jonny figured it was probably a hot date, but it gave him an excuse to put Heather on the air.  She was thrilled at the opportunity and made no secret of how she would thank him.  Jonny knew she was dangerous, getting too close, too fast.  He realized he had to cool it off.

He had no intention of getting a divorce.

He rolled over in the bed taking advantage of the extra space.  Jill left early to go to work.  The Miami Motors campaign she was working on was taking up a lot of her time.  The owners wanted to coordinate the print ad with the radio ad, so today she was meeting with sales guy, Nick Coleman.  Jonny felt sorry for her.

He decided to sleep in a bit today, maybe then he could avoid Heather.  Seeing her complicated things.  So Jonny set his alarm for noon, rolled back over and went to sleep.

The Cody Blue Experience was gaining a fan base.  Eric had them start with a North Florida tour, then sent them into South Georgia.  He wanted them polished before taking them to the club scene in the bigger markets:  Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Atlanta.  The result was loyal fans who attended shows in their cities and even followed the band to other tour stops.  Laura’s following him though had waned.  In her last year of school, Laura was just buckling down in her major, physical therapy.  The pressure on her to get good grades was enormous.  The college’s physical therapy program was hard to get into, if her GPA fell, her chance for admittance went out the window.  Cody was traveling basically every weekend.  She couldn’t go with him anymore, and when he was in town he had to practice.  He invited her to come hang out, but she had to study and couldn’t concentrate while the band played.  Her relationship with Cody grew tense.

“Laura,” he begged, “can’t you come see us this weekend in Jacksonville?  It’s perfect, your family’s there so you can see them, too.”

“It sounds great in theory, Cody, but you don’t account for the travel time.  It’s an hour and half each way.  That’s three hours right there.  I’ll never get anything done.”

“So?” Cody said annoyed.  “I don’t get it.  We barely see each other anymore.  I don’t have much time for calls, and now, here’s the best opportunity for us to see each other and you won’t take it.”

“Maybe it’s a sign Cody.  The relationship is not going to work.”

This line shocked him.

“What do you mean Laura?  I just wanna see you.  Why is that a reason to break up?”

“Because,” Laura tried to hold back tears.  She had realized what was happening between them and it hurt terribly.  She loved Cody with all her heart.  “Because the truth is...the band is first in your life, not me.”

“That’s not true,” he countered, barely able to breathe.

“Yes, it is.  You’re always traveling, you’re never in one place for more than a night, the hours are crazy...I understand that’s the way it has to be if you’re gonna succeed, but that means that we barely see each other, barely talk to each other...”

“Laura...”

“Let me finish.”  She inhaled deeply.  “What’s going to happen when you achieve more success?  You’re going to be on the road even farther away from me.”

“Well, who knows what’ll happen,
Laura?  It could all disappear tomorrow.  Big time success...maybe it’s just pie in the sky.”  Cody’s mind raced for words as he tried to grasp what she was saying.

“Cody, part of me wished it would disappear, ‘cause I do love you so much.”  She started crying, “But I know that’s not fair of me.  I really do want you to be happy, to live your dream...”

“Do you want me to leave the band for you?”  Cody held his breath, afraid to hear her answer, especially since he knew he never would walk away from the band.

“If you did you’d resent me forever wondering, what if?  I love you too much to do that to you...to us.”  She breathed deeply, “But I can’t live like this...without you all the time.  I want a real boyfriend.  I want a man I can marry and make roots with.  What kind of life would we have?”

Marry.  Make roots.  A real family.
  It was all Cody ever wanted. 
But the music.  His music.
  It had taken a powerful hold on him, too.

“Can’t you give it more time, Laura?  For us?  I can try to give you what you want.”

“How...?   I’ve tried to think of a solution, but it all comes back to the same place.  I just don’t want to get in any deeper.”

“Any deeper?  It seems too late for that now.”

She paused.  “Face it, this isn’t fair to me or to you.  Maybe we should take a break.”

“Is there someone else?” Cody demanded.  “Who is he?”

“Cody, there’s no one else.”  She wasn’t lying.

“I don’t believe you.  What logical reason do you have for tearing us apart?  What we have is special.  Why would you throw it away?”  Cody was distraught.

“It is special.”  Laura sobbed heavily.  “This hurts me, too.  But what choice do I have?  I never see you.”

Cody heard her last words.  She was right, but that didn’t make it hurt any less.

“Laura, I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

“Maybe we’ll find our way back to each other,” he said.

“I hope so,” Laura whispered.

“Like I said, we’ll be in Jacksonville this weekend if you change your mind.”

“I don’t think that’d be such a good idea.”

Cody sighed.  “Good-bye, Laura.”

“Good-bye, Cody.”

Cody hung up the phone in disbelief.  He was in a hotel room in Tallahassee.  Alone.  Tonight and tomorrow they were playing sold out shows at the Tallahassee Theater.  Then they were off for a two-night stint in Jacksonville.  It
was
a crazy life, but he didn’t think he’d lose Laura over it.  Everything else was going so well.  They’d finally finished up a list of eleven songs that Eric felt were good enough for an album.  They needed to make a CD, Eric explained, to get radio play.  Radio play was the key to making it big.  Everything was coming together and now Laura was leaving him.  “Nothing ever works out,” he yelled to no one and left his hotel room.  He knocked on Harper’s door.

“Hey, buddy what’s up?”

“Laura wants to take a break.  I think we’re done.”

“Come in, come in.”

Cody told Harper the whole story.

“Dude, you’re gonna be a rock star, you can get whatever girl you want.  Hell, we’re not even that famous and I’ve managed to get laid.  Many, many times in fact.”  He smiled at his conquests.

“This is different.”

“No, it’s not,” Harper said.  “A girl is a girl is a girl.”

“Laura is not just a girl.”

Harper lightly punched Cody’s shoulder.  “C’mon lets go downstairs and get a drink.”

“Naw, I don’t feel like it.”

“That’s exactly why you should go.”

“Maybe another night.”  Cody had a splitting headache.  He thought he wanted to talk, but realized he just wanted to go to bed.

“Suit yourself, bud.”

Cody left Harper’s room, took some PM cold medicine to help him sleep and went to bed.  A nap would be good before tonight’s performance.

Cody was on automatic pilot for their two night stint.  He had no one to sing to.  The van ride to Jacksonville was especially hard.  He could only think of Laura.  If things were the way they should be, he’d be seeing her tonight...touching her soft skin, running his fingers through her golden hair.  They hadn’t spoken since the fight.  The realization that it was over was sinking in hard and fast.

After checking into the hotel, he tried calling her, but only got her machine.  He tried again an hour later, still no answer.

Harper came to Cody’s room.

“Dude, I’m kidnapping you.”

“What?”

“We’re going downstairs to have a drink.”

Cody held back.

“I know, I know, you’re not a big drinker, but one won’t kill you.  You gotta snap out of this funk.  This Laura crap is affecting your performance.”

Cody knew he was right.

“Let’s go.”

The two friends went down to the bar.  Harper ordered two shots.  The burn of the alcohol felt good down Cody’s throat. 
Is this what my dad liked?
he wondered.

“How ‘bout another?” Harper asked motioning to the bartender.

“Bring it on.”

They had two beers before heading back up to get ready for the show.  Cody had a good buzz going.  He felt better.

“Thanks, man,” he told Harper as they headed to the show.

“I told you, Cody, you’re a rock star.  There’s another girl for you.  Don’t hang yourself up.”

“You’re right.”

The guys entered the club.  It was a huge venue, bigger than any they’d played so far.  The owner came to greet them.  “We sold out your show,” he said.  “I appreciate that.  Good luck tonight.”

They began setting up their instruments.  Cody wandered to the bar.

“Gimme a shot of tequila.”

The bartender looked at him.  “You sure?  Before you perform?”

“Why do you think I’m so good?” Cody replied flippantly.

“Okay.”

Cody gulped down the shot.  “Another.”

The bartender raised his eyebrows and obliged.

Cody threw the liquor down his throat, letting it scorch its way down to his stomach.  Who needed Laura?  Certainly not him.

The band took the stage to an enthusiastic crowd.  Cody sang his heart out, parading around the stage with renewed vigor, every bit the star.

They finished their set and the crowd went wild.

“Great show,” the owner said, coming backstage to congratulate the band.  He opened a cooler filled with beers.  “Let’s toast,” he said, “for an even better show tomorrow.”

Cody took the cold beer and drank it like soda.  He was hot, sweaty and thirsty.

“I’m going to mingle,” he said, grabbing a second can.

Cody walked out into the crowd.  His tight leather pants stuck to his skin, his trademark white shirt damp with sweat.  The ladies didn’t mind.  They surrounded him the minute he came out.

“Cody!  You’re amazing!” a brunette with huge breasts said, pushing her body against his.

“I think so, too,” said a short, pink haired girl as she grabbed his ass.

Is this what he’d been missing all this time?
 
Going like a good boy back to his hotel room after every performance to call Laura?
  Laura.  Just the thought of her made his blood run cold.  She took his heart and smashed it...like what they had meant nothing.  He didn’t need her.  He didn’t need anyone.  He proved that to himself when he was fifteen and took a gun to his father’s head.  No, now was the time to enjoy the fruits of his labor.  And right now he was staring at two of the biggest melons he’d ever seen.

“Cody, I just love your voice,” a voluptuous bleach blonde cooed, sidling up to him so he could fe
el her curves.  She looked nothing like Laura.  Dark red lips, low cut shirt, lace black bra peeking out.  She had his attention.

“Thanks.”

“I think you’re amazing.”  She looked up at him with
I want you
eyes.

“Is that so, beautiful?” he said, wanting to see how far he could take this.

She slowly ran her tongue across her lips.  “Yeah.”

Her adoration was a powerful aphrodisiac.  “So why are we still here?”

He took her back to his hotel room and tore off her blouse, kissing her intently.