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“Oh my God! How are you? Didtheyfindyourfriend? Are you okay? I’ve been messaging you all day and night!”
Lois was happy to hear from me.
“I’m fine, I’m all right! Take a breath. I couldn’t get to a phone for a while.” That part wasn’t a lie, but I went on. “We didn’t find Vicki.”
I wondered if I’d get too good at lying.
Lois didn’t notice.
“I’m so sorry, Lochlan,” she said.
I hesitated. “Yeah. It sucks.” I knew I’d better change the subject. “But life...we’ve got the gig on Friday. The recording deal. I need to get back to work...”
“You’re sure you’re all right? I mean...”
“I’m dealing. Thanks. You’re sweet. A great friend, but don’t worry about me so much. We’ve got things to do.” I tossed in a diversion. “There’s talk of a European tour—”
“What? Are you kidding me?”
“Nope. Probably starts in France.” I stabbed a guess, but it was pretty likely from what Silana had talked about. “Can you go with us?”
“Go—are you kidding me?”
I laughed out loud.
“I’ll take that as ‘yes’ then.”
“Yes? Oh my God! Yes! I—I can’t—I can’t even...”
“Breathe. In. Out.”
“We’re going to France!”
For the first time in what seemed like forever, I smiled a real smile.
It was Wednesday, just after noon, when our plane arrived back in Austin. Sunny. Not too warm. A perfect May day, and there was no rain in the forecast all the way through the weekend, but most importantly, none for Friday night’s gig.
I called Pack right after I got off the phone with Lois, gave him the ‘bad news,’ then I helped arrange our belated dinner with Silana and Conrad.
Pack offered to call up the rest of the band to verify plans and I agreed. Gratefully.
After my phone calls, I went home to the apartment, and slept through the night and half of Thursday.
When I awoke, I found the best way to not get mired in worry over Vicki was worrying about Trip the Shark instead.
For a minute, I considered visiting Mom, but when I checked my saxophone cases, I was fresh out of tenor sax reeds. I needed to get to a shop to buy more boxes, so that’s what I ended up doing, and Austin traffic chewed up a big chunk of the rest of my day.
Just before midnight, I checked out my YouTube feed and came across an international news story about three missing children who’d all mysteriously reappeared back on their parents’ doorsteps, around the same time, but in three separate states, complete with unbelievable stories about a creepy cult, a magic dog, and a guardian angel.
“That was fast,” I said to myself. I breathed a huge sigh of relief, allowed myself another smile, then finished a beer I’d picked up with my groceries.
There were reports about Vicki and her ongoing investigation, too, but I didn’t torture myself by watching those. I was ripped up with guilt about it, but the beers helped.
Finally, Friday morning came. I loaded up the Bomber with my gig bags, sound effects rack, and microphone stand.
All members of Trip the Shark showed up early. Highly unusual. Even Jasmine was there ahead of me.
They were in good spirits, but I could tell they were uncomfortable around me because of it, so I put them at ease straight off.
“Vicki’s still missing, but y’all don’t need to walk on eggshells around me. Let’s do what we do and have fun. I’m okay, I promise.”
There was no response, only blank stares.
I lifted both eyebrows. “Cool?”
That got a few sheepish grins in return, and, finally, a chorus of agreement.
“And on that note...” I paused.
Tabor couldn’t stand it. “What? Did we lose the contract? We lost the contract! Too good to be—”
“We’re going to Europe.”
Tabor almost dropped his guitar case. “Europe?”
“A tour?” Kat asked.
“For real?” That was Lindie.
“Yeah, we’re headin’ to France first. The dates haven’t been set in stone...but soon. So get your calendars prepped. I confirmed this all last night.”
Unsurprisingly, my band erupted into a riot of shouts and hugs.
I can’t really explain how good it was to see my band so happy. Music life ain’t easy, so this wasn’t business-as-usual, and I stood back to enjoy the moment.
Once everybody calmed down a notch, we went over the upcoming night’s set list, then set up our gear out of the way, along the side of the stage.
Except for the drums. Those would be used by the night’s opening band.
Not long after, Lois walked through the back door of the club, right on time for the sound check.
“Hey, y’all,” she said.
The band greeted Lois in chorus, but she came straight to me.
I gave her a bear hug squeeze, then put her down gently. “Good to see you, shorty.”
Lois feigned outrage and soft-punched my belly. “You too, jerk. You guys ready?”
“Yup, pretty much.” I turned to face everyone on stage. “Now that Lois is here, let’s get the sound, and... I’m treating for lunch!”
Running Bear coughed loudly. “Whoa! What the hell?”
“Is the world ending?” Pack joked.
I almost said the wrong thing in response but caught myself.
“We ain’t poor scrubs anymore, all right? So, let a guy splurge a little. Even on you band o’ trolls!”
Pack pointed at me. “Ah, there’s the real Loch. Had me worried for a second.”
Laughing with the band felt like home. We got set, then sound-checked easily enough because Lois did her thing. (The girl’s got a good ear, what can I say. I don’t hire hacks.)
I informed everyone over barbecue that Lois was now an official part of the team and would be on the tour. That bit of info—and the BBQ—went down super well with Trip the Shark. So well that Lois was spontaneously lifted onto the shoulders of Pack and Running Bear and paraded around the restaurant like a Macy’s princess.
After our happy meal, we went separate ways to chill before the midnight set. The split was into the usual duos and trios.
As for me, Lois insisted I hang out with her and give up all the details of my searches around Austin. We jumped in the Bomber and quickly found a local, air-conditioned coffee shop.
We jawed in that place for three hours.
I kept quiet about flying to Nevada or any of the insanity that had transpired there. I mentioned my UT campus finds and conversations, then I flat out lied about taking part in a police search. Not knowing how long I could keep the deception up, I gradually shifted our conversation to what visiting Silana and Conrad’s house had been like.
Lois gobbled up the Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous stuff.
Soon enough it was time for me to grab Pack and head to dinner, so I dropped Lois off to replace him as hang-out buddy for Running Bear and Tabor. I told her about the never-ending queso bowl, to which Lois admitted she had a date with a fine cheese, and that I’d just have to get over her. Then she ran her smart ass inside the bar to join the guitarists.
“I like her,” Pack said as he climbed into the Bomber. “Good people, and she makes sound-checks a snap.”
“Yeah, she’s awesome.” I pulled out into East Austin traffic. “So, you ready to go muck it up with the mucky-mucks?”
“Fuck yeah. I still can’t believe this....”
I nodded. “Believe me. I’m right there with ya.” Oh, brother, was I.
Pack clasped his hands in the passenger seat, and I sensed his tension. “I’m sorry you didn’t find your friend, man,” he said. “There’s still a chance. I pray to God every night.”
I nodded at my kindhearted partner. “Thanks, Pack.” I thought of Vicki, lost but not lost, in the ether, frozen in time. “There’s definitely still a chance.”
Pack changed the subject. “Sooooo. You and Lois...” He gave me a goofy grin.
“Wait. What? No. No, just...definitely not. Get that out of your head, okay? Just buddies is all. That’s it.”
“Ah, right. Right. Sorry. I just sort of assumed—”
“Drop it, Pack.”
“Dropped, dropped.”
But I saw why he might have assumed as much between me and Lois. I’d have to watch out for that. I didn’t want to complicate touring, and certainly didn’t want to mislead Lois.
Ironically, despite all of it, it was comfortably normal to be worrying about potential band drama, something so mundane in the grand scheme of things, after all the occult shit I’d just experienced.
––––––––
DINNER WITH CONRAD and Silana would be a much-needed return to more of that normal, even if it was dinner at a mansion being served to us by a pair of immortal beings. But Pack didn’t know that, so I reveled in his first reactions. His first sight of the house. His astonishment that the gate had a speaker system to let us in. His flirtation with Gloria, the now familiar voice on the other side of the gate’s speaker. And his face-to-face meeting with Silana’s dog pack.
Cu approached us with his train of dogs the second we exited the Bomber.
Pack joked, but he was genuinely nervous. “Is that a dog—or a shaggy horse? Did they feed it?”
I laughed. “It’s fine, don’t freak out. He’s a buddy.” I petted all the dogs surrounding us but reserved special attention for the huge wolfhound. Cu clumsily licked my hands as I reached out to ruffle his jowls.
I leaned in to whisper into a furry ear. “I owe you one, big guy. Thank you.”
Cu smiled at me. A big, sloppy, doggie smile, with tongue dropping out the side of his snout.
“Cu, meet my pal, Paz. Paz, this is Cú Chulainn.”
Cu half-sneezed and licked Pack’s face in one long swipe.
“Okay. Not Cu for Cujo. Nice to meet you, too, I think...” Pack stammered. “Jesus, he’s what? The biggest fucking dog ever?”
“Could be,” I admitted. “Is your mom inside, Cu?”
Cu ruffed twice.
Pack took a step back. Cu was loud, even when he wasn’t trying to be.
“I’d say that’s an affirmative,” Pack said.
“Yep. Come on.” I patted Cu’s nose. “See you later.” I let the dog pack lick and sniff my other hand, down at my hip. “Later dogs.”
Silana met us almost as soon as I rang the doorbell, but Conrad wasn’t with her.
She beamed. “Paz, Lochlan. Please come in.”
We entered the foyer. It was perfectly cool inside. Across the way, the two broad doors that lead to the outdoor pool were open, and a breeze was blowing. The entire hall and living room were bathed in warm, late afternoon sunlight.
After a few pleasantries and choices made about appropriate household footwear, Pack had both sandals set by a section of wall near the entrance. Silana took him by the hand and led us into her kitchen.
Something smelled delicious. A jambalaya recipe Silana had picked up in New Orleans. The hotter the better as far as Pack and I were concerned. Silana stirred a big pot with a wooden spoon, then invited us to sit around the pool, designed like two teardrops joined at irregular angles. Not gigantic like the one that Silana had emptied back at Serenity Mere, but still stately.
Unfortunately, there wasn’t time for swimming before the gig.
We talked about things small and large. Silana filled Pack in on details of the Euro tour, to which he responded excitedly. Some of the info I hadn’t heard yet either.
We’d be traveling in style. Security to be provided. Food catering. The best hotel accommodations filled.
It was going to be something to remember.
Fifteen minutes of chit-chat later, Conrad approached the pool from across the wooded yard that flanked the nearby river.
“Very sorry, gentlemen. I was preoccupied. I’m sure Silana has kept you entertained?”
“Enchanted,” I said. Conrad gave me a knowing grin.
“I can’t get over this place, Conrad,” Pack said. “When I’m rich, I want one just like it.”
We all laughed.
“Well, I’ll help you design it,” Conrad said. He was being serious.
“Holy...okay, sir. You’ve got a deal,” Pack said.
The three of us talked briefly about Conrad’s workshop while Silana went to get us all drinks. Conrad said he’d been putting the finishing touches on a gift for his wife. Something to help out in the kitchen.
Silana returned with a silver tray filled with beers poured into frosty, glass mugs, and one tall pitcher. Local brews from around Austin and enough in the pitcher to refill for a second round.
The suds were cold and fresh and tasted like paradise.
I’d almost forgotten, but there was business left to deal with, and so Pack reached into a leather tote he’d brought along. His hands emerged with his signed LMG contract.
“All signed and ready to go,” he proclaimed.
“Excellent,” Silana said, as she accepted the stack of papers. She checked the signature and then set the contract down on a nearby glass table. “Looks to be perfectly in order. How exciting! Soon we shall all be in my homelands, and I can’t wait to show you around.”
“It’ll be good to see the coasts of Europe again,” Conrad agreed.
Pack followed Conrad across the grounds for a tour of the property, down to the riverside and following the trails I remembered from my first visit, but, notably, Conrad left off a stop at the Workshop. Conrad and Silana pointed out the adjoining compound where LMG staff and security worked, and Pack just stared for a long moment, then he mouthed a ‘wow’ at me when nobody else was looking.
And that’s pretty much how the early evening went. The jambalaya was delicious. The dinner conversation was happy and casual. Everyone was looking forward to the tour, and so Pack had no reason to suspect there was anything else to it.
When it was finally time to get to Emo’s, to mingle and play our sets, Pack and I said our thank you's then headed out back to the Bomber.
There was one last thing on my mind. I waited for Pack to climb into the car, and as he and Silana made small talk, I leaned toward Conrad and asked, “I’ve been meaning to ask. Is Sophie all right? I know she probably was just being quiet but—”
“She was listening over dinner, I’m sure. She wanted me to tell you that she is very sorry about what happened. She’s still getting used to the concept of death and suffering, Lochlan. It’s...complicated for her. You understand.”
I wasn’t really sure I did. I mean, how could I really? But I said, “Yeah. Sure. Of course. She’s...can she...” I inhaled deeply and finally finished in a whisper. “Can she feel? I mean, really feel anything?”
“You’re wondering because you can’t sense her emotions, right?”
“Well, yeah, there is that.”
“It’s difficult for me to know either. And I designed her. But she’s extraordinary. My greatest achievement. Well, right up there anyway...”
Conrad didn’t explain further, but added, “Let’s just wait and see what happens.”
I nodded. “Fair enough. I’d like to talk to her soon though.”
“Oh, you will. I’ll make sure of it.”
“Good,” I said, and then I walked over to the driver’s side of the Bomber. “Thank you for the hospitality. See you at the club?”
Conrad nodded. “We’ll be right behind you.”
We arrived back at Emo’s not long after sunset. Most of the band sat at the bar. Lois was chatting with Tabor, Running Bear, and Lindie when we interrupted.
“Hey-oh,” I said.
“Oh, hey there,” Lois said, a little too loudly, and I wondered if she’d maybe snuck a sip of something stronger than a Coke while I was gone.
As if to mark my thought, Lindie and the boys greeted us with a tip of their drinks.
Lois pointed out an archway that led to the dance floor and stage. “The Kettle Men are almost ready for set one. Looks like the crowd is already here, too.” She gestured back over my shoulder toward the front doors.
Sure enough, a line had formed at the door, and money was exchanging hands with two tellers.
I nodded. “Gonna be a good night,” I said. “Pack handed over his contract. That means the rest of you’ll be getting yours collected soon.”
“Things are moving fast,” Running Bear said.
“Not fast enough for me,” Tabor said. “When does the plane leave?”
“Soon as we’ve rerecorded our singles,” Pack said in an exaggeratedly blasé manner.
“W-what?” Tabor stared at me with wide eyes.
“We’re recording in a studio?” Lindie sounded breathless. “Please tell me we’re getting engineered. Like the big kids...”
I dipped my brow at Pack and let him do the honors.
“We ab-so-fucking-lutely are! LMG just told us,” Pack roared.
Lindie hopped off her bar stool. “Holy fuck!”
“Right on,” Running Bear added.
“I guess Europe can wait a couple days,” Tabor snarked, and he clapped Running Bear on the back.
“Relay the good news to the girls when they show up, but I’ll be making announcements to the crowd later tonight anyway,” I said. “So, I’d say—it’s time to do a little drinking—and you fuckers are ahead of me. Bartender!”
Shark grabbed the drinks I sprung for, and then all of us roamed up into the balcony level for the two upcoming sets by the Kettle Men. The crowd of Austinites entering the club was quick to flock to the bar we’d retreated from, and more kept coming in.
Emo’s is a popular place, so I was proud to know we were drawing a good chunk of the audience.
The Kettle Men carried a three-piece horn section along with the core band. I hadn’t seen them play live before, but tagging horns garnered my immediate respect. Call it horn-bias if you will, but brass makes everything better. A mixture of ska and R&B, the Kettle Men delivered a slick first set of the night and got the crowd warmed up for us, good and hot.
Right around when the Kettle Men took their first set break, I stood alone among the listeners on the balcony level. I’d said a few hellos to familiar fans for sure, but up until that point I hadn’t been chatted too often, at least not so often that I was ready to flee to the green room.
Turns out, I was glad I’d hung out and was looking over the railing at the front entrance, because someone caught my eye. And that doesn’t happen every day.
She was a tall girl with jet black hair and a fair shade of eyes that sparkled in the light of lamps overhanging the cashiers. In gray jeans with blue cowboy boots and a small, black leather vest open to reveal a low-cut ladies t-shirt in white, her figure was, well, let’s just say every red-blooded man nearby noticed. I thought a few might end up with whiplash.
Despite this, she appeared to have arrived at Emo’s alone. My curiosity piqued, and I kept my eyes locked on her moves. The beautiful girl didn’t walk straight to a bar, but instead found a spot in a corner and appeared to scan the crowd for someone. A boyfriend surely. Which made sense enough—there was no way a chick that hot would be out on a Friday night solo.
I still hadn’t gotten a good look at her face from my angle upstairs, but right as I considered possibly moving for a better view, she looked up at the balcony to my left and panned her eyes in my direction.
The word ‘perfection’ gets overused too often, but let me tell you, when I saw this girl’s face, that’s the only word that came to mind. She made me a little nervous. Me. The Angel of Death.
She gazed straight into my eyes, and I must have had the dumbest expression on my face in that instant because she smiled. A big, shining, blinding smile.
I was sure I’d never seen this girl before, but she turned—and headed straight for the nearest stairway to the balcony level. I stepped back from the railing and took a gulp of confidence out of my beer bottle. She climbed the stairs, moved easily and gracefully through the crowd, turned again and aimed herself—right at me.
Just your imagination, fool, there’s no way—
She walked up, the crowd on the balcony level parting for her as if she were royalty. In fact, she hardly noticed the surrounding people.
The girl stood in front of me, my back to a section of balcony, and I wasn’t sure whether I felt more turned on or cornered. Her eyes were steel-gray and absolutely breathtaking up close, even in the low light of the club.
“You’re Lochlan Nohr,” she said simply.
I got a hold of myself. “I am. But we haven’t met. I sure as hell’d remember.”
She smiled again. “You really don’t know me?”
I stared at her face and then sized her up and down. My usual boldness reasserted itself.
“Unless I was stoned out of my mind, there’s pretty much no way I’d forget. I mean, hello...” I pointed an open hand at her.
“I’m not playing fair. You know my employers. LMG.”
“Really? Oh, well shit. That’s a sad surprise. So this ain’t just a random thing. And here I was hoping you were a rabid fan looking to take advantage of me.”
The beautiful girl laughed. A musical, amazing laugh.
“Now, why would I take advantage of you? I’ll be working with you.”
My heart sank.
“Fuck. Doesn’t that just figure?” We both laughed.
“So, you like what you see then?”
It’s a trap, I thought. “Um. I really shouldn’t answer that.”
“No. Please. I’d like to know. Just be honest.”
I grimaced at her for a second. “Well, okay. Only since you’re asking again, and because I’m almost sure nobody will fire me from my own band. Almost.” I took a breath. “You are the hottest thing I’ve seen all night. Maybe all year.” I met her eyes. She was the hottest thing I’d seen in ten years, but I didn’t want to overdo it. “And I’m crying inside because you work for LMG.”
I’d paid so little attention to the surrounding crowd that I didn’t notice Silana and Conrad until they materialized out of my mental fog on either side of my new, lovely acquaintance.
“I see you found him,” Conrad said to the girl.
“He’s difficult to miss,” Silana said. “Have you been properly introduced yet, Lochlan?”
I acknowledged my bosses. “Oh, hey you two. Um, no, we were just, um, getting to know one another. And I’ve just now realized I don’t know your name...Miss?”
“Sophie,” the beautiful girl said.
I chuckled. “That’s...ironic. I know a Sophie...”
“I know you do.” She grinned slyly at me.
“Lochlan, meet your new head of security, Sophie Carlisle.”
“You’re shitting me,” I said. “Our Sophie?”
“I am. I’m sorry, Lochlan. They made me do it, but I must admit I enjoyed seeing your reaction to this new body.” She turned to Conrad. “You must have done a superb job, sir. His heart rate increased rapidly with my approach.”
“I, uh, yeah. Guilty as charged.” Silana laughed as I grinned weakly at Conrad. “Wow. Mad skills. You’ve got mad skills, man,” I said to him sincerely.
“Oh, I won’t take all the credit. I used you as inspiration. Doesn’t she look a tad related? To you, I mean.” Conrad caressed his wife’s shoulder. “And Silana added her extra bit of magic.”
Sophie stood up straighter with an expectant look on her face.
“Ya know, she does, now that you mention it. It’s the eyes,” I replied.
“The ones I wanted,” Sophie said. “Your eyes.”
The club music playing through the speakers all around us covered our conversation. Nobody paid too much attention to us in my corner of the balcony, but a door to the green room was nearby, just in case.
Silana rubbed a hand along Sophie’s back. “Sophie’s finally free to see the world from our perspective.”
“I’ll be damned,” I said. “Head of Security. Tabor’s gonna have another heart attack, but yeah, I can see it. Why not? Happy for you, Sophie.”
“Thank you, Lochlan.” She put one palm on her chest. “I’ll do my best.”
“I know you will,” I said. “Anyway, let’s get into the green room, gang. I need a fresh beer, and y'all look thirsty to me. I mean...can you drink?” I looked wonderstruck at Sophie.
She laughed again. “Yes. I can metabolize all food and most liquids.” Then Sophie’s expression relaxed, and she looked more human than ever. “I’ll have what you’re having.” And she winked.
I chuckled loudly. “Damn. Damn, damn, damn.” I shook my head. “Come on, this way.”
I turned to pull open the green room door, but a familiar voice stopped me.
“Is that where the free booze is stashed?”
I glanced over past Conrad and Silana. Fan Zhan sauntered up in high heels and a skin-tight, black and white dress. Striped, as if a mad genius had painted it on her. Let me tell you, it worked, whoever the designer was.
Right behind Fan, a young woman with light brown skin followed, lead lightly by Fan’s fingers drifting behind her. She had big brown eyes, pretty ones like Fan’s, but unlike Fan, this girl’s hair was long and chestnut brown and wavy. She was a tiny thing, too, half a foot shorter than Fan, even in her high heels. She had a comfortable pair of blue jeans on, and a sparkling, red and silver blouse accented by a pair of silver necklaces and prominent earrings.
Fan pulled her date next to her. “Everyone, this is my friend Adriana. Adriana, this is Conrad, his wife Silana and this tall, handsome hunk is Lochlan Nohr.”
“Hello. Nice to meet y'all. I’ve seen you play before, Lochlan. Can’t wait to hear your band again,” Adriana said.
I grinned at Adriana and then at Fan. “Well, thank you. You both look lovely.”
Fan noticed Sophie. “I’m sorry,” Fan said, “but I don’t believe we’ve met.”
Conrad took the lead. “Actually, you have, but not in person. Fan, this is Sophie.”
I sensed and saw a pang of shock run across Fan’s features, but to her usual professional credit, she adapted so quickly, hardly anyone besides me would have noticed.
“Sophie!” Fan took a step forward and embraced our shiny, new android in a hug. “So glad to finally meet the real you.”
Sophie evidently caught the joke. “Yes, I’m a real girl after all,” she said and shared a laugh with Fan.
“Sophie, Adriana,” Fan concluded.
Once all the introductions were out of the way, I got back to the business at hand. Beer business.
“Follow me. I’ll get us some drinks and then I’d better get ready.”
Conrad and Silana fell in behind me as I opened the green room door. Fan and Adriana followed Sophie.
Trip the Shark filtered in and out of the green room as the Kettle Men played their second and final set, and I made introductions whenever I could. A friendly waitress took care of my guests’ drinks, and I finished off another beer I’d pulled out of a nearby ice bucket. A small table between two couches had tortilla and potato chips, and those were snatched up by musicians and guests alike.
When I eventually readied to take my leave for the stage, I slung a neck strap over my head, then knelt down and removed my tenor and alto saxophones from their cases. It was good to have them in hand again.
“Just when I thought you couldn’t get any sexier, you put those things on,” Fan said. Adriana giggled.
I stood back up and clicked the tenor onto the end of my neck strap. The alto I held up in my left hand until I could deposit it on a stand. “It’s what I’m here for. If y'all come out this way, you can find good spots near the side of the stage. They’re reserved for guests.”
My friends followed me out the other side of the green room to the curtained rear of the stage. It was loud as hell from the cheering crowd and the rumblings and horn blasts of the Kettle Men, so I pointed a finger to where everyone needed to go and nodded at a burly man in a black t-shirt adorned with SECURITY in big, white letters. He nodded back and motioned for everyone else to follow him.
All of Trip the Shark gathered at the rear of the stage, and waited patiently for our final stage prep before our midnight set. The band was all smiles and high spirits.
What a difference a day makes.
My mind wandered back to Lake Tahoe for a second, but I shoved the darkness aside and blew air into my alto sax to warm up the brass body. My saxes are always a great focus when I need it, and, after the Round Table, I definitely needed it.
Cheers and whistles from the crowd resounded after the last note from the Kettle Men. My band praised the guys as they exited the stage and popped through curtains to where we all stood, and the Kettle Men wished us a good set. Kirk, their leader, shook my hand and then moved off for the green room.
When Trip the Shark entered the stage to move our equipment into place, the crowd went a little wild. The band waved greetings. For me, that meant waving my alto sax, and that got another cheer. It made me smile again.
I set my saxophones onto a dual stand near my vocal mic and checked to make sure the sound was active. A single finger-tap did the trick. My wireless sax microphones were on. Green lights equal good.
Across the crowd, inside the sound booth, Lois gave me a thumbs up.
Once the stage was set, we all exited to wait out the few minutes until midnight. Then it was time for the real thing.
And the crowd let us hear it.
“I love you, Jaz,” a random girl shouted at Jasmine.
“I love Lochlan more!” yelled another random girl, pulling a lot of laughs out of the crowd.
“We love you, too,” Jaz said into her center stage mic. “How y’all feeling tonight, Austin?”
The crowd erupted.
I turned around to face Lindie, Running Bear, Tabor, and Pack. They were ready. Kat on her drum kit met my eyes. With a single chin wag from me, Kat clicked drumsticks four times into our first song of the night.
Trip the Shark was loose again.
The midnight set brought me back to the place where I belonged. Back to the music.
After the first tune was over, I made announcements.
First, I gave up the news that LMG had signed us to a deal.
The crowd lost their minds.
Next, I announced we were to begin recording our first LMG album within just a few weeks.
The crowd blew up into hoots, whistles and hollering.
Finally, I announced Trip the Shark’s first world tour would follow that, beginning in the early fall.
I almost went deaf from the response.
We quickly followed up with more of our originals, and then after our fourth song of the evening, I had something more important to say.
“As I’m sure most of you have heard by now, a professor out of UT was kidnapped over the past weekend.” The crowd hushed itself. “What many of you probably don’t know is Miss Victoria Lott is an old friend of mine.” Many distraught responses to my revelation bounced around the large hall of the club. I put up my hands. “This isn’t about me. I just want everyone to please pray for Vicki. She’s a wonderful person, and I’m sure, a fantastic teacher. Why anyone would harm her...I’ll never understand, but I know if we all...keep her in our hearts and minds, it’ll help. Trust me on this. So please. Pray for Victoria.”
I choked up as a legion of emotions washed into me, most my own but hundreds outside myself. I was moved close to tears and the crowd could tell. Shouts of encouragement and love hit the stage—and me.
I managed to get back in control. I wanted to do something special for the Austin crowd, and also as a tribute to Vicki, so I reached down for my alto sax.
“We’ve got the greatest fans in the world. God bless you all.” Uncharacteristic of me to utter into a mic, but that last week had gotten to me. I wasn’t the same man.
Literally.
I gave the crowd a minute to quiet down and then I continued.
“This one’s for Vicki, everybody. It’s something brand new,” I said, and Kat clicked slowly into a blues inspired ballad I’d composed only a month before. “We’ll call this one...Sublime.”
The crowd roared and whistled but fell to a murmur when I blew out the first somber note from my alto.
The end of our second set also ended the night for me. I was spent, and, despite every attempt I’d made to keep it all a happy occasion, especially for our fans, I couldn’t completely shake the past week’s events.
I said my goodnights to the band, gave kudos all around and then I went outside the stage into the crowd to reunite with LMG. I shook many hands with fans and acquaintances on the way but managed to not take too long to find Ordo Severinus.
Fan and Adriana were sharing a tall drink decorated with orange slices. Sophie continued to gaze at the crowd like a child at her first sporting event, and Silana and Conrad were snuggled up against one another in a corner of a bar in the most open display of affection I’d yet seen between them.
“So, final verdict?” I asked. “The crowd seemed to be into it.”
Sophie gave me a look I couldn’t discern. “A strange kind of happy. There wasn’t a dry eye in the place—that’s the phrase—yet, the crowd was pleased. Yes. They were. Into it.” She was learning.
“Your tribute. It was... I witnessed a performance of Beethoven, and I am not sure which left me more at a loss for words,” Silana said seriously.
“Uh. That’s a huge compliment. I...I’m sorry. I didn’t try... I mean, I tried not to use my powers...” I ran out of words. I wasn’t sure what I’d done or not done, really. I’d performed like any other night, but I’d released so much passion during the two sets, things might have gotten away from me.
Had I evolved so quickly since learning about my heritage?
“What are you talking about? You were amazing. The band was amazing. Here, you need this more than we do?” Fan offered me her tall, fruity glass.
I shook my head. “No, sorry, I’m good. Just tired. ‘Fraid I should call it a night, guys. I need to be fresh for tomorrow. And gotta visit Mom in the morning.” I hefted the alto sax case in my hand then pulled my tenor bag closer to my shoulder. “Be sure to update me as soon as a time is set for Dante’s funeral, okay?”
“We will,” Conrad said.
Fan suddenly hugged me. When she stepped back, I grinned at her girlfriend.
“It was a pleasure meeting you, Adriana,” I said.
“I had a blast. We might be back tomorrow night? Maybe?” Adriana looked at Fan.
“We’ll be here,” Fan replied.
“Me, too,” Sophie said.
Silana hugged me next, then I shook Conrad’s hand.
“Get a good night’s sleep,” Silana said. “If you wish to stop by for lunch or dinner tomorrow, our door is always open.”
“The way you cook, you should be careful about makin’ offers to an eatin’ man.” I waved my alto case around. “Okay. I’m off. Thanks for helping make the night so special for me and the band.”
But I wasn’t done. Not quite.
“Sophie,” I said, and opened my arms. The look on her face made me grin. Everyone grinned, even Adriana, though she wasn’t in on what was really happening.
Sophie blinked and hesitated as if calculating a response. Then she smiled, too, and slowly entered my embrace, strong and—human.
We separated and for the first time since I’d met her, Sophie was speechless. Her eyes said all I needed, machine or not. She was ours. And I trusted her and Conrad to get the experiment right.
“Now I’m really out,” I said. My new friends waved goodnight, and I escaped Emo’s through a back door to the Bomber, loaded the trunk, then drove back to my apartment.
I left the radio off all the way home.