Highway Song: A Smokey's Roadhouse Novel (13 page)

Amy

I
didn
’
t realize until they started practicing that Rex didn
’
t play guitar anymore. At least, not during a performance. The funny one, the guy who
’
d been trying to persuade me the band shared everything, including their women, played lead guitar. I didn
’
t know much as a kid, but I thought he was a lot better than Rex had been. Of course, he was at least ten years older than Rex had been, too.

The music hadn
’
t changed, though. The same songs Rex played back then were what the band played today.
“
Freebird,
”
“
Ramblin
’
Man,
”
“
Sweet Home Alabama
”—
songs any girl who grew up in Texas knew by heart. Sure, they
’
d reached the pinnacle of their popularity long before I was born. I didn
’
t care. That music was in my bones.

With no one in the bar but Smokey, a couple of his club members, and the band, I let myself get carried away by the music. I sang the songs I knew the words to, and danced to the others. For that couple of hours, I was as happy as I
’
d ever been in my life. And then they were finished with their rehearsal, regulars started coming in, and reality intruded again.

As I served beer and took dinner orders, the idea that I
’
d screwed up wouldn
’
t let me go. I went over the events of this morning, trying to see where I could have made a different decision. The only thing that came to me was I should have held out for Rex to offer to help me without bargaining sex for it. The first consequence, aside from what was known only to me about our relationship, was Axel
’
s behavior. It was clear to me now that Rex would have to have the band
’
s agreement to take me with them, and he
’
d probably tell them the bargain I
’
d made.

That would lead to their justifiable conclusion that I was for sale. I was right back to my old profession, and it was all my fault. What was worse, the only one who could protect me was Rex. Either he
’
d have to claim me in some way, like the bikers claimed their old ladies, or I
’
d be fair game to the others. Not all of them were as sweet and funny as Axel, who
’
d taken my
‘
no
’
answer as a challenge instead of an insult. Ike, who I now knew was the drummer, didn
’
t strike me as a man who
’
d take no for an answer.

But how could I ask Rex for protection? He
’
d never given any indication he felt anything special for me. How could he? And if he knew who I was, he
’
d probably be at least embarrassed about what we
’
d done this morning, if not horrified. My fascination with him stemmed from my little girl crush on an older boy who dropped into my life out of the blue and was gone as abruptly. His for me was just the usual attraction of a red-blooded man for any available female. It was nothing special, or permanent.

I
’
d made a fucking mess of things, and in the process I
’
d made it impossible to stay here and impossible to get away. Even worse, my thoughts showed on my face, as I discovered when Smokey took me aside and asked what was the matter.

Now was the time to tell him, and I hated to do it. If I
’
d had a choice, he
’
d have just woken up the next morning and found me gone. Confrontation wasn
’
t my strong suit. So I led with Jake
’
s threat.

“
I can
’
t stay here, Smokey. I
’
m so sorry. You
’
ve been good to me, and I know it will leave you in trouble. But Jake
’
s dangerous, and when these guys leave I
’
ll be without protection. I have to go with them.
”

“
I can have a talk with him. The club won
’
t let him hurt you,
”
he said. To my horror, his eyes filled with tears. I didn
’
t know whether it was because he truly cared about me and didn
’
t want to lose me, or because of what Sylvie would do to him if he lost the one person who made it possible for her to stay home most of the time with their grandchildren.

“
Oh, Smokey. I wish I could believe that. But you know as well as I do that whatever punishment you and the club give Jake for what he
’
ll do to me won
’
t undo the damage. And from what I saw last night, he doesn
’
t think you have the votes to stand against him. You
’
re in as much danger as I am if I stay. I can
’
t do it.
”

As I spoke, I saw his body language change, and he became just another old man who
’
d seen his power fade. It saddened me to have to do it. I put my arms around him.

“
I
’
ll never forget you, and how you were willing to help me. But it
’
s time for me to go.
”

Sighing, he patted my back.
“
You
’
re right. Ain
’
t never had anyone work as hard as you. Hate to have to pull Sylvie back in here again, too. We
’
ll miss you.
”

With that, I knew I had his blessing. I had to get through one more night of being around Jake and his buddies, but they wouldn
’
t do anything inside the bar. I
’
d just have to stay inside, even on my breaks, until Rex could escort me to the bus. Even with that unpleasant task behind me, I couldn
’
t get over the tingle in my spine I
’
d learned to heed. Something bad was going to happen. I just knew it.

Not long after the band finished their rehearsal, I noticed Rex going out the front door. When he came back in, he huddled with the others, and they all got agitated and went outside with him. It looked a lot like a couple of days ago when they learned they were stuck here until a new bus got here. Speaking of which, it still hadn
’
t shown up. I intended to ask him what was wrong when he came back in again.

Meanwhile, there was work to do as usual. I
’
d just finished making my rounds and sat down on a bar stool to rest my feet when Smokey came to me and pressed a wad of bills into my hand.

“
Your pay through tonight,
”
he said.

I riffled through the stack.
“
This is too much.
”

“
No it isn
’
t. Overtime, for the double shifts. You
’
re gonna need it, girl, so just say thank you and shut up.
”

“
Thank you.
”
I added another heartfelt hug, since he wouldn
’
t let me say anything else. With what he
’
d just put in my hand and what was hidden in my room, I
’
d leave here with just over two thousand dollars. Even though it seemed like a fortune to me, it wasn
’
t much to start over on, unless I could find another situation like this.

Minutes later, Jake and his crew came in. I nudged Smokey and nodded toward them. He shrugged.

“
They got as much right in here as anyone else, long as they don
’
t start trouble. I
’
ll take care of
‘
em. You stay away from
‘
em.
”

I had no objection to that. Even though they wouldn
’
t start anything inside, they could make it miserable for me by crowding around and putting their hands on me like they usually did. Today, though, I was carrying my knife for just that reason. If one of them got hold of it, a real brawl could ensue. I didn
’
t want that, not only because it would bust up Smokey
’
s place, but because it might fuck up the music later. I needed the band to be able to leave as soon as possible, so I didn
’
t want that either.

With one eye on the front door and the other keeping watch on where Jake and his buddies were all the time, I was nervous as a Chihuahua in a houseful of cats. Smokey kept giving me looks when I screwed up someone
’
s change, or jumped at a burst of laughter. It felt to me like a gathering thunderstorm with all the electric tension in the air. I tried to pretend I was only watching for Rex to come back in, but in reality I half-expected to see the men I was running from saunter through the door with semi-automatics.

This day couldn
’
t be over soon enough for me, and yet I had another eight hours, minimum, to get through. The music wouldn
’
t start until nine, four hours from what the clock said. There was still plenty of time for disaster to strike, and I expected it to any minute.

TWELVE

Rex
 

I
f one more fucking excuse came from the damn bus company, I was going to walk to Cheyenne, rent a car, and go blow up their headquarters. The bus that should have been here yesterday to substitute for the dead one in the parking lot had also broken down. At least it managed to do it in a town where there was a fix, but it would be another half a day getting here. Short of a miracle, there was no chance now we
’
d make our slot in Seattle.

We were already scheduled last in the program. There wasn
’
t any give in the schedule from here on out. I went in to let the band know what was going on, and as I expected, they weren
’
t happy. I shouldn
’
t have told them before our get-out-of-roadhouse-jail gig. But they were my peeps. I couldn
’
t keep it from them, either. Their reaction was exactly what I knew it would be.

“
We might as well join the fucking motorcycle club and settle down here,
”
said Kirk.
“
We
’
re never getting out of here.
”
My thought, too.

“
I
’
ve got Mark looking for other gigs west of here, or even back toward the east. We
’
ve exhausted our options for Seattle. I
’
m sorry it didn
’
t work out.
”
Such mild words compared to what I was really feeling. When we started out, I had no doubt we
’
d be playing real tours by now. They
’
d believed in my dream, and I had let them down big time. Ike and Kirk were already dissatisfied, and I could see the band breaking up when we finally got out of our predicament. It was the end of my dream, and the end of theirs as well.

We
’
d survived crushing disappointment before, but never before had I stuck my neck this far out to convince them of a plan of action and then had it fail. Even Axel and Cole, my staunchest supporters, couldn
’
t hide their disappointment. Cole
’
s sad brown eyes accused me of some kind of betrayal, looking like a puppy I
’
d kicked. His words were a knife in my gut.

“
It
’
s okay, Rex. You couldn
’
t have predicted all of this.
”

No, but I knew racing halfway across the country with minimum funds on the hope of winning a big competition was risky. I
’
d gambled with their future and lost. Never mind it was my future swirling down the drain, too. I was the leader. It was my responsibility.

Mark was the one who started the fight.

“
Rex, you could still get there. After the gig tonight, get out there and hitch to Salt Lake. There
’
s room on one card to get a one-way flight to Seattle. Pick up some studio musicians in Seattle and win that competition.
”