Crazy For You (4 page)

Frank took Roxanne’s hand and led her proudly
through the mass of people. Many women in the crowd stared with
stunned looks. Their reactions didn’t surprise or bother him. He’d
never walked into a club with a girl on his arm. Now walking out
with a girl—that was a different story. But bringing a chick with
him had never been a consideration. That was too much like a date.
Not to mention that it would tie him to her for the entire
evening.

The band’s groupies quickly did away with any
bewilderment they’d felt as their frustration turned, almost
instantly, into nasty looks that were directed first at Roxanne and
then Candy.

As they passed by the waiting crowd, Roxanne was too
naïve to realize what was going on and failed to see the imaginary
daggers shooting out from the eyes of Frank’s spurned and would-be
lovers.

Candy, on the other hand, knew exactly what was
happening. She held tight to Rich’s hand as they made their way
through the crowd. Candy knew she and Roxanne were the envy of
every woman there simply because they were with the band.

Inside the dressing room, Roxanne and Candy met
three of the other four guys in the band. Bobby, Ronnie and Mike.
It didn’t take long for the fourth and final member Glen to walk
through the door with a very pretty girl on his arm. Her long red
hair seemed to brighten her green eyes that sparkled with the color
of jade. Roxanne and Candy soon learned she was Glen’s wife
Glenna.

“Hi.” Glenna flashed a friendly smile at the girls
and then turned to Frank. “Don’t worry,” she said. “I’ll take good
care of them while you’re on stage.”

“You better,” he said.

Glenna turned to her husband. “You’ve got work to
do.” She gave him a quick kiss. “I’ll just go ahead and take Roxie
and Candy out to the bar. We’ll get ourselves a drink.”

“Glenna,” Rich said. “Don’t go telling them any wild
stories about us, okay?”

“Rich.” Glenna laughed. “Trust me.”

Glenna was elated to have someone to sit with
besides the groupies who’d gather around her once they found out
she was with the band. But she knew this was different. Frank had
already given the band fair warning to be on their best behavior.
He didn’t want anybody doing or saying anything to upset
Roxanne.

Frank turned to Roxanne, resting his hands on her
shoulders. “Go on out there with Glenna.” He gave her a wink and a
smile that turned up one side of his lip. His hands slid down her
arms and his fingers tangled around hers. “I’ll see you during the
break.”

“Okay,” Roxanne said, totally under his spell. His
lips brushed against her cheek. Chills whipped through her
unexpectedly, leaving her dripping with desire.

“Now you fellas play pretty for us,” Glenna said as
she, Roxanne, and Candy left the dressing room.

Moments later, the band ascended the stage—everybody
except Frank and Rich. Curiosity swept over Roxanne and she let her
eyes searched the hallway leading back to the dressing room. It was
empty, at least of the one person she was looking for. Frank. She
paid little attention to the other band members as they filtered
out among the drums, microphones, and keyboards.

The crowd cheered. A few loud chords thundered
through the club and Glen pounded out a drum roll. The locals
celebrated louder, as if they knew Frank and Rich would be out
soon.

When it did happen—when Frank and Rich finally
emerged in two separate spotlights—the crowd went wild. Frank
straightened his guitar strap and then stepped up to the
microphone.

Rich teased the fans with a little riff of something
that sounded a lot like J. Geils.

Admiration engulfed Roxanne as she zeroed in on
Frank. He adjusted his microphone and rested his hands on his
guitar. A strange silence fell over the crowd. She heard Glen’s
drumsticks clicking as if chanting: one, two, three. And then, in
perfect harmony, the band dove full-throttle into some April
Wine.

Frank started singing and Roxanne knew for sure that
her heart had abandoned her.

Hours later, after Frank announced last call, Glenna
hopped off her bar stool and looked at Roxanne and Candy. “Come on,
let’s go back to the dressing room.”

Roxanne and Candy glanced at each other, then
followed Glenna back to the empty dressing room. Glenna took a seat
and they did the same. She dug around in her purse and came out
with a joint and fired it up. After taking a couple of hits, she
passed it to Candy.

Candy took it, toked on it and passed it to
Roxanne.

Roxanne wasn’t sure what to do. She hadn’t smoked
any weed since they’d left Tennessee.

Oh, well
… She gave in to temptation and took
the joint from Candy. Besides, what could it hurt?

After a few hits, Glenna left the joint to her
newfound friends and concentrated on a tote bag sitting in a corner
near the door. She took out a handful of towels, a blow dryer, and
a brush. She put the towels on the counter near the door, plugged
the hair dryer into a nearby outlet and waited with it in one hand
and the brush in the other.

What the hell was she doing? Roxanne looked at
Candy, and then at the towels sitting by the door. She had no idea
what they were for, or what Glenna was seemingly waiting for, and
she doubted Candy did either.

Her questions were answered when the band filed into
the dressing room. Each one grabbed a towel and used it to soak up
the moisture from their sweat-drenched hair and faces. Glen dropped
into the seat in front of Glenna and she began drying his hair.

Frank ignored everyone in the room except
Roxanne—that included several groupies who’d been vying desperately
all evening for his attention. Instead of making them perform for
his affection, as he would’ve done on any other night before this
one, he pulled a chair up in front of Roxanne, turned it around
backward and sat down facing her.

He took the towel to his damp hair, swabbing out
some of the moisture. His thoughts settled around her beauty. Her
eyes sparkled with the color of purple African violets. Frank had
never seen anything like it. He leaned forward and bent sideways to
look at her eyes from the side.

“What?” she asked curiously.

“Are you wearing contacts?” It had to be an
enhancement. How could anybody’s eyes be that color naturally? He’d
seen a lot of girls in his day, and he’d never seen eyes like
these.

“No.” She shook her head.

“Hey, Frank…” Rich’s voice infiltrated his thoughts.
“Earth to Frank!”

“What?” Frank said abruptly, his eyes never leaving
Roxanne’s face.

“Candy wants to get something to eat. You and Roxie
want to come too?” Rich’s words came across as a real invitation
but Frank knew better. Rich wanted nothing more than to get Candy
alone.

“How about it, Roxie?” Frank reached for her hands
and entwined his fingers around hers. “You hungry?” he asked, even
though it’d irritate Rich, but maybe she wanted something to
eat.

R
ich was thankful Roxanne
had declined to join him and Candy for breakfast. They ran by the
apartment and grabbed Rich’s car. Normally, he would’ve coaxed the
girl up to his bedroom and forgot about feeding her, but there was
something about Candy.

Her long hair was gold, like the morning sun. Her
eyes were as green as emeralds. Pretty, in a bright cheery sort of
way, she seemed to radiate electricity. She said exactly what was
on her mind. And she’d ordered a smorgasbord of food that was now
laid out in front of her. She had no qualms about eating it either.
Rich found petite little Candy and her frankness utterly
fascinating.

“Where are you from?” he asked.

“Tennessee,” she said. “And where are you from?”

“Right here.”

“Born at Denny’s, huh?”

“Although it would be a great honor—” He played
along. “—I cannot boast that privilege honestly.” The urge to laugh
was too strong, even though he was the butt of the joke.

“You can take a joke,” she said. “I like that.”

“How old are you?” he dove back into his desire to
know her better.

“Nineteen,” she said. “And how old are you?”

“Twenty-five.”

“Jeez you’re old,” she said with such a straight
face that it almost hid her inner laughter.

“Who’s older anyway?”

“You are.” She giggled.

“No…” He was unable to contain the urge to laugh
that’d been lingering around for some time. “I mean you and
Roxie.”

“Oh.” She tilted her head back slightly. “Roxanne
is.” She dropped it at that, but he got the feeling there was more
on her mind.

Maybe she was worried about her friend. Frank did
have quite the reputation as a ladies’ man. At least Rich could
ease her mind in that department. “You know…” he took on a serious
tone, “my friend is quite taken with your sister.”

“Look,” she said, “you don’t have to sell me on
Frank Garrett. What Rocky does is strictly her business.”

“I’m serious. She’s all he’s talked about ever since
the night they met.” Rich thought the whole thing was a bit
corny.

“Would you do me one favor?” She took on a look of
genuine sincerity. “Rocky…she’s very naïve…and vulnerable,” she
said as if it were a secret. “Would you explain that to Frank?”

“I don’t understand,” Rich said, baffled.

Candy hesitated and seemed to be searching for the
right words. Finally, she shook her head and looked at Rich. “She
doesn’t understand about guys just wanting to get laid.”

“Not that I know all the details, or anything,” Rich
said carefully. “But I don’t think sex is Frank’s main
objective.”

F
rank stood behind Roxanne
while she unlocked the front door. “I had a nice time tonight,” she
said, entering the condo.

“So did I.” He followed her inside. “But I’d like to
take you on a real date when I have a night off.” He’d used that
line before, but this time he really meant it.

“I’d like that.” She stepped down into the living
room and claimed a seat on the end of the couch. “But I did enjoy
watching you guys play tonight. You’re pretty good.”

“Yeah.” Frank’s sharp laughter pealed out before he
could stop it. “As far as playing other people’s music goes,” he
added, criticizing himself for his inability to write a song.

“Well…I have a feeling you’ll do okay.” She had such
certainty in her voice that he could almost believe it. “Someday,
I’ll probably be standing in a long line,” she supposed, “trying to
get tickets to your show.”

“That’s where you’re wrong,” he said decisively.
“You will be right there by my side.”

Garrett-Hollander was among the best—as far as bar
bands go. Rich could play the guitar like nobody’s business. The
problem was that no one could come up with any original lyrics. And
everybody knew that without original music G-H wouldn’t get
anywhere in the rock-n-roll world.

Frank wouldn’t let himself forget that. Music was
his life. He knew he’d never be any good at anything else. And now,
Roxanne had come into the picture. She wasn’t like the others. Her
mere presence made him feel like he could do anything. He felt a
certain sense of pride, looking out over the audience and seeing
her sitting there watching him play.

Somehow, he knew she was the one thing in this world
that could motivate him. He wasn’t sure how, but he knew…
somehow…some way…and some day…she would be the root of his
success.

D
uring the next few weeks,
Frank and Rich spent every spare moment they had with Roxanne and
Candy. Right away, Frank began his transformation of Roxanne. He
changed the way she dressed, draping her in elegance and a subtle
hint of sexiness. He taught her to show off her beautiful head of
hair, and to carry herself with confidence.

His efforts paid off. Roxanne had turned into an
extraordinary beauty. One worthy to be on the arm of Frank
Garrett—the rock star.

***

Chapter 4

G
len and Glenna owned a
place out in the country that was excellent for parties and
rehearsals since there were no neighbors around for miles. Every
summer they threw a Fourth of July bash, and this year they’d
invited Roxanne and Candy to their unfettered celebration that
always included the rest of the band.

The drive out to Thonotosassa had been quiet for
Roxanne and Candy. The silence spoke volumes. But Roxanne wasn’t
going to encourage Candy because it seemed that all she wanted to
talk about these days was Frank Garrett and what he did and didn’t
know.

Candy cleared her throat.

Uh oh, here it comes
.

Roxanne fiddled with the stereo buttons, turning up
the volume.

Unfortunately, the radio didn’t drown out Candy’s
question. “Have you told Frank about Chuck?”

“No.”

“Don’t you think you should?”

“No.”

“I think he’ll understand.” Candy sounded sure of
herself. “Besides, you’ve got to tell him sooner or later.”

Later was better than sooner, as far as Roxanne
could see. She’d barely accepted the fact that she’d fallen head
over heels for Frank the first time she laid eyes on him. She
needed time to let it sink in, then figure out what she was going
to do about it. Her biggest fear now was the thought of losing
Frank. Maybe that’s why she didn’t want to tell him about
Chuck.

The best defense with Candy was diversion. Roxanne
decided to turn Candy’s examination around on her. “What about
Rich?”

“Hey, Rocky…” Candy objected quickly. “How ‘bout you
handle the settled down scene,” she said. “And I’ll cover swinging
singles.”

A
t Glen and Glenna’s house,
Frank had been hanging around out front, waiting for Roxanne to
arrive and it seemed like it was taking forever. The thought had
crossed his mind, more than once, that maybe he should’ve gone and
gotten her himself. When he’d just about convinced himself to get
in his car and go find her, he saw the dust clouds billowing up the
lengthy gravel driveway. Finally, the green van appeared amid the
haze.