Peter gave the DeVilles a cassette with some more songs he thought they could do at their demo session, “Radar Love” and “Taking Care of Business” among them. Rocky asked him to write something for Daphne to sing, and the boy gave them a tape of himself singing a falsetto version of “Afternoon Delight.” It was meant to discourage Daphne’s joining in on the recording, but she said she loved it and made the DeVilles learn to play it. Lou Pitano said it was the best song of the bunch.
So it was a surprise when Peter went to a band meeting at the DeVille house and they fired him.
“We intend to keep you on as a writer,” Lou Pitano explained. “But we’re going with Daphne as the singer. Frankly, Peter, I have a certain image in mind, and you don’t fit it. Nothing personal. Ricky, Rocky, and Barry have a look.”
“Well,” Peter pointed out, “they are brothers.”
“Exactly,” Lou said. “And Daphne, she’s this beautiful flower child.”
“I get the picture,” Peter said. He was offended in principle but not particularly disappointed. His goal was to make some money on music publishing, not become Foghat.
Lou Pitano would certainly be upset when he found out that Peter had copyrighted all the songs and they wouldn’t be able to release them without his permission, but he decided to sit on that information for a while.
Barry DeVille was strutting around the room like a bouncer, waiting for any excuse to toss Peter out on his ass. Daphne was folded into Rocky like he was her chair. Their fingers were entwined.
The only thing that hurt Peter’s feelings was that his new friend Ricky had gone along with the coup. Peter looked at Ricky, his long hair covering his aviator glasses, and said, “You agree with this, Rick?”
Ricky DeVille looked up with intensity and snapped, “Never get between family.”
Peter didn’t know what that meant. Barry stopped pacing and glared at him. Then Peter got it. He looked at Daphne, who affected a false concern. She had surely suggested to the brothers that Peter had eyes for their mother. Under those circumstances he was lucky he hadn’t ended up strung from a ceiling fan like Mrs. Quigly’s cat.
Wendy DeVille was nowhere to be seen. Her sons had picked a time when she wouldn’t be home to excommunicate the interloper.
Peter stood and shrugged and asked if they wanted him at the recording session anyway. They were doing his songs…
Barry said no. Lou Pitano got up and, taking the boy by the elbow, walked him to the door. He stepped outside with him and whispered, “Nobody likes a smartass.”
Waiting on the street was Daphne’s friend Pasa. Peter assumed she had been sent outside while the ax fell, but it was quickly apparent that she had no idea what was going on with the DeVille brothers’ band.
“Peter,” she said in a whisper. “Is Daphne in there?”
“Uh, yeah, Pasa. Why don’t you go knock?”
She jumped back. “Oh no. I’m not going into that house. Daphne’s mother called my house looking for her. She told her mom we were having a sleepover. Now my mom’s freaking out and Daphne’s mother is threatening to call the police and have Rocky arrested for contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Would you please go back and warn her to maybe get out of there before the cops come?”
Peter stood there thinking about it.
“You know, Pasa,” he said, “the greatest act of friendship we could show Daphne might be for us to do nothing and let the law take its course. Get her away from that Manson family before she’s hopelessly corrupted.”
Pasa nodded.
Peter figured that if Rocky ended up in jail for statutory rape, they would have to let him back in the band. It was cruel, but he was more hurt than he was ready to let on.