What Now? (10 page)

“Yeah. Just give me an hour to process this stuff and
I’ll be fine.”

“OK. See you in an hour.”

Shari was surprised when Nick answered the door to the
suite. Had he been waiting for her or was he just passing the door as she
knocked? A wave of alcohol from the glass he held assailed her nostrils, but
she didn’t have the heart to comment on it. The grief on his face was too
naked.

“How’re you doing?” She asked as he stepped back to let
her in.

“Not good. I can’t believe this is happening.”

He downed the rest of his drink and leaned against the
wall for a moment with his eyes closed before he roused himself enough to lead
her into the suite.

Shari subconsciously appreciated the décor, but was
distracted by the events of the night and her concern for Nick. Tim appeared
from somewhere in the suite also holding a glass and looking worse for wear
than Nick. She wondered how many drinks he’d consumed in the hour.

“Hi, Shari,” he greeted with a slight slur, his gaze
roaming over her. Shari had changed into a leopard print skirt that ended just
above her knee and a black sweater. She was adequately covered, but somehow Tim
made her feel undressed.

“Are you sure you’re up to this now?” Shari asked again.
She felt uncomfortable under his gaze and almost felt like postponing the
interview. Besides, she wondered if she would get any coherent answers out of
him.

“Better do it now because we never know what tomorrow
will bring,” he said philosophically. “Isn’t that right, Nick? YOLO,” he added,
raising the glass in a salute.

“Yes. You only live once,” agreed Nick. “And you
shouldn’t have to die trying to get into a concert,” he added bitterly. “I’ll
be in my room,” he said to Shari, heading to another part of the suite. Shari
felt the loss of his presence.

“Let’s talk in the media room. It’s nice and cozy. Do you
want a drink? I’m getting myself another one.”

“No, thanks.” Shari gazed after Nick, wishing that he had
stayed. She didn’t feel comfortable with Tim when he was sober far less when
he’d had several drinks. The fact that Nick was in the suite made her feel
better but, then again, the suite was bigger than some people’s houses. Would
he hear her if she called? Would anyone? She was being ridiculous. Tim was
probably harmless. At least she hoped so.

The media room was truly luxurious, but a little too intimate
for Shari’s liking. The walls were finished in black and brown and the room was
dominated by a large, dark-colored sectional with a few throw cushions
scattered on it and an oval coffee table within reach. A massive TV was mounted
on the wall and there were other electronic devices for entertainment. The dark
walls and partly-drawn curtains gave the room its intimate feeling and the last
thing Shari wanted was to be in a dimly lit room with Tim Benton. 

He gestured to the couch and waited until Shari sat and
took out her recorder and tablet. He sat closer than Shari would have liked and
leaned forward to rest his glass on the table. His jean-clad knee brushed
Shari’s and she moved hers slightly in what she hoped was a discreet way.

She’d done some research on him and found that he’d been
with the band from its club days. He had left another band at a time that
Nick’s fledgling band was looking for a drummer and he’d been with them ever
since. He’d been married for four years during which time he and his wife had
split twice. He’d been arrested for possession of cocaine a year ago, but the
charges were dropped. That didn’t seem to have stopped him from using by the
looks of things. Wonderful! She wondered if that was why Nick had told Brad to
look for another drummer. Maybe that was what the anger in Vegas had been
about. Now, it was as if the outburst in Vegas had never happened.

“Do you mind if I record our conversation?”

“Go right ahead, darlin’.”

Shari spent a few minutes talking about his music career,
how he got into drumming and how he started with Nick’s band, although she already
knew the answers. She just wanted to get the flow of conversation going.

“When I joined the band it was called Unzipped and then
it became Nick Badley and Unzipped and now it’s just Nick Badley,” he laughed
mirthlessly.

“Does the rest of the band have a problem with that?”
Shari asked.

“I can’t speak for the rest of them, but it sure pisses
me off. It’s as if we’re only there to support Nick, while we’re all great
musicians in our own right. Drummers get the least respect. I’m sure you’ve heard
some of the drummer jokes.”

“Uh, no. I can’t say that I have.”

“What? You haven’t heard these?
‘Will the musicians please come to the
stage? Oh, and the drummer too.’ ‘What do you call ten guys in a drum circle? A
dope ring.’ ‘
What do you call a drummer that breaks
up with his girlfriend?
Homeless.’ ‘How can
you tell when a drummer's at the door? He doesn't know when to come in.’ ”

Shari tried not to laugh as she could see that he was
getting increasingly upset with each joke.

“But do you get paid any less, have any less perks
because the name of the band has been dropped?”

“We don’t get any less, but I’m sure that Nick gets more
than he did before and it’s all about Nick Bad this and Nick Bad that.”

“What happened at the rehearsal in Vegas?” she asked,
moving to something else.

“Nothing that hasn’t happened before. Nick is a
perfectionist and sometimes he just drives me crazy with it. It’s no big deal.
We have blow ups all the time.” 

Shari wasn’t convinced that was all, especially since
Nick had asked Brad to find a new drummer, although she hadn’t heard him
mention it again.

“Why didn’t you take the jet the next day?”

“What are you? My shrink?” He didn’t seem offended.

Shari smiled slightly. She
was
acting like a shrink,
but she couldn’t help it. “Just curious.”

“I needed to blow off some steam so I stayed in Vegas a
bit longer and flew in on United.”

“When we were on the plane, Nick read a tweet that
someone had leaked about the blow up at the rehearsal. Who do you think may
have done it?”

“How the hell would I know?” he asked defensively. A
little too defensively, thought Shari. Time to change the subject.

“OK. I understand that you’ve been married for four
years. How is it being on the road without your wife?”

“It’s not easy, but I try not to get too lonely and
depressed about it.”

Shari had to bite back the remark that sprang to her lips
as she remembered him and the blonde in ZigZag.

“So, tell me what you think of Nick and the band, Shari?
Are we what you expected?” Tim threw out his own question.

“More or less.”

“You have few words for a journalist. Do you get a kick
out of hanging out with the great Nick Badley?”

Shari began to feel uncomfortable with his tone. “You’re
taking over my job now,” she teased to ease the tension.

“Women always throw themselves at him,” he went on as if
she hadn’t spoken. “All of us, in fact, just because of who we are. We can get any
woman we want,” he boasted.

“I’m sure that’s true for a lot of women, but I don’t
think you can say that for all,” she corrected.

“Are you saying that you’re an exception?” he challenged.

“We’re not talking about me.” She didn’t like where this
was going.

“Ever made it with a drummer? Did you know that drummers
do it with rhythm?” He drew closer to her. Shari moved a little further along
the couch. She couldn’t believe that Tim was coming on to her.

“OK, Tim. I think I’ve got enough to work with.” She put
away her recorder and started to stand up.

“I haven’t,” he said, pulling her back down. She overbalanced
and landed on his lap. He quickly flipped her over so that he was partly lying
on top of her.

“I knew you couldn’t resist,” he taunted. The smell of
his breath reminded her that he had consumed a lot of alcohol, plus who knew
what else, and that made him dangerous.

“OK, quit it, Tim. This isn’t funny.” She tried to keep
the panic out of her voice as she struggled to get free.

“First you barely talk, now you’re talking too much.
Let’s see what else that mouth can do.”

Disbelief and shock caused her to freeze as he ravaged
her mouth with his. His hand sliding under her skirt shook her out of her daze
and she began to pound at him with her fists.

“You like it rough? That’s OK. We can play it any way you
want it.”

His hand grabbed her underwear and began to pull it down.
This was not happening to her! She felt as if she had left her body and was
looking down at the scene on the couch. He was serious. Tim Benton intended to
assault her sexually and he would say that she wanted it. Shari opened her mouth
and screamed one word: “Nick!”

Tim jerked back as if he had been slapped. He seemed
genuinely amazed that Shari had screamed.

“What the hell was that about?” He now looked possessed,
as if he had been taken over by one of his demons. He pulled her back to him
and hissed in her face: “You know you want it. You all want to make it with the
band.”

Help me, Lord.
Where was Nick? Had he heard her? The suite was huge. Tim could assault her in
the media room and Nick would be oblivious in his luxurious bedroom. Shari
started to shake.

“Nick!” she screamed again frantically, but to her it
sounded weak. Had Nick heard her the first time?

“Don’t be scared, Shari. I won’t hurt you.” Tim started
to press soft kisses on her face which made her even more afraid. He was crazy!
The drugs and alcohol had made him crazy. He started to kiss her again, softly
this time.

“Stop it, Tim.” She pushed him off. She was scared of him
turning into a beast again, but she had to stop him. He ignored her, pulling her
roughly back to him.

“Why are you fighting? I’ll give you more pleasure than
you’ve ever had. Don’t forget: Drummers do it with –”

“What the hell is going on here?” Nick burst into the
room, slightly out of breath as if he’d been running.

“None of your business, Nick. Get out of here. Shari and
I are having a bit of fun. You know how women always like to make it with us
guys in the band.”

Nick took one look at Shari’s terrified face and launched
at Tim, pulling him off and sending him sprawling to the floor.

“That’s not what it looks like to me. What the hell are
you thinking, man? The drugs have fried your brain!” He dragged Tim to his feet
and pushed him out of the room. Tim stumbled and fell to his knees only to have
Nick drag him back up and force him towards the door of the suite.

“We’re stars, Nick. Women flock to us. You know they want
to make it with someone famous.”

Nick couldn’t deny that there was some truth to what Tim
was saying, but hearing the words out loud disgusted him.

“Not all, Benton! You’ll be lucky if Shari doesn’t call
the cops!”

“You just want her for yourself and what Nick Badley
wants, he gets. Well, you’re going to get more than you bargained for. You just
wait and see –”

Nick pushed him into the hallway and shut the door, cutting
off his words. His chest was heaving with the effort and with anger. He
couldn’t believe this! Wasn’t it enough that people had been killed coming to
see their concert tonight? And now this? God! He didn’t know how much more he
could take.  Was it all worth it?

Nick found Shari shaking badly when he got back to the
media room. Tears were running silently down her cheeks, but she made no sound.
She looked shell-shocked, like one of the survivors of a bombing or some other
tragedy. It was eerie. Tim Benton had reduced Shari to this. That made him
furious.

He lowered himself next to her on the couch and gently
gathered her to his chest. It was as if she had been waiting for the comfort of
his arms and the dam broke, filling the room with her sobs. Something stirred
in his chest at the sound of her sobs and the way she clung to him with
absolute trust; as if she knew he would never treat her as Tim had.

“I’m so sorry,” Shari apologized after several minutes. She
turned away in embarrassment and started rummaging through her bag for tissues.
After blowing her nose several times, she dropped the used tissues back into
her bag, trying to avoid eye contact.

“There’s nothing to be sorry about. I’m the one who’s
sorry. I should never have left you alone with Tim, especially since I knew
he’d probably been snorting and he was definitely drinking since we came back. 
I never thought he was capable of this. Did he hurt you?” He looked intently
into her face.

Shari was amazed at how ashamed and dirty she felt, as if
what had almost happened was somehow her fault. She shook her head, looking
down. Nick gently took her chin and lifted her face up. His eyes commanded her
to look at him as he said forcefully: “It’s not your fault. You did nothing
wrong.”

Shari nodded, beginning to feel the guilt slip away under
his assurance.

“What happened?” Nick prompted gently.

“I don’t even know what to say. I don’t know what
happened. He started saying that drummers get no respect. Then he said that
women wanted to sleep with all of you because of who you are. And I said not
all women. He must have seen it as a challenge or something and wanted to prove
me wrong and then he started to kiss me…”

She shuddered as she remembered how helpless she had felt
against his strength.

“I was coming out of my room. I started to feel uneasy
and I was trying to figure out where you were meeting when I heard you scream.
I didn’t know what to think. This place is so big, I couldn’t even find you.”

“You probably heard my second scream. I was so scared,
Nick. I couldn’t fight him off. I’m so thankful that you showed up when you
did.”

Nick folded her into his arms again and held her until
her shaking stopped.

“Do you want to file charges with the police?”

“I don’t know. I don’t want to cause any trouble for you
and the rest of the band, especially now, but I don’t want him to do this to
any other woman.  Maybe I can let Brad handle it and tell Tim that I will file
charges if he doesn’t check himself into rehab.”