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“I hate you, Shea Cummings.”
“Yep, and I hate you, too, but if you take this exit and get this fine-tuned monster car up to the speed limit, and maybe a little above, we can make it back to Dirty Coyote in about fifteen minutes or less. Or you can continue up this road and return to the life you know. The choice is yours, my sweet cousin. What’s it going to be? Because either way, I’m on your side.”
Josh 18
We were already about thirty minutes late going on due to the shock of watching Connie drive away with her cousin and having to reshuffle our cover songs to accommodate Bobby and Rascal taking the lead vocals. Not that they sounded all that bad. In truth, they sounded good, but they didn’t have the showmanship that Connie did. She dominated the stage. They were simply on it.
It wasn’t like there wasn’t any music in our absence in the massive dance hall; there was, just not live music. And so far, nobody seemed to notice. Everyone was happy enough, but we had no idea how long that would last. They’d come here to hear a live band, not the streamed music pumped out over the expensive sound system.
I had to admit, Connie’s last-minute flight took me by fucking surprise… took all of us by fucking surprise. I mean, the possibility never completely left me, but I knew about the deal she’d made with Rascal, so I’d felt more confident about her going through with this. Plus, she took the ranch and the Caddy, I thought that meant something.
I couldn’t be wrong. I just fucking couldn’t.
“We have to get out there,” Luke said for the second time. “We can’t delay any longer.”
We’d gone back to the waiting room to do some major reshuffling of our list of cover songs for each set. Bobby and Mrs. N had stayed until we’d come up with a solid new list for the first forty-five-minute set, but then left to talk to their friends before we went on. They wanted to prepare everyone.
“Okay,” Jimmy said, as he entered the room, looking totally flustered. “I contacted Joey Osborn, the guy who played at Dusty’s funeral. He has a band, and as long as they can use some of your equipment, drums, keyboard, pedal guitar, etc., they can be here and set up in time for the second set, and they’ll finish out the night.”
“Wait,” I said, wanting to disagree with his entire notion that Connie wouldn’t return, and therefore we couldn’t handle four sets without her. For one thing, I knew we could knock it out of the park despite her not being here. And anyway, I had a gut feeling she’d return. “If they take over after the first set, what does that mean? That we’re done as in our contract is broken, and they’ll finish it out?”
“Sorry, but yeah. That’s exactly what it means. It’s just business, guys. Nothing personal,” Jimmy told us, looking sincere. “I can’t take any chances. Way too much of my money is tied up in this place.”
“I get it, but don’t count us out yet. That’s not going to happen,” I explained. “She’s going to come back. I just know it. Connie won’t leave us stranded like this. She just won’t. Not this time. This is different. She’s too invested in this working.”
I wanted to tell him how much I loved her, and I knew she loved me… loved all three of us, and no way would she throw that away now. Not after everything we’d shared in the last few weeks. It wasn’t just the music part she’d be throwing away; it was part of her heart and our hearts that she’d have to stomp on, and I just couldn’t see her doing that.
“Well, if she’s not back in the next ten minutes, you’ll have to go on without her. She’s the main attraction. Most of the folks that came tonight, came to hear Connie sing. They either attended Dusty’s funeral or heard about it. If she doesn’t show, I’ve got to offer a refund, and that’s going to kill me and kill our contract. I can’t hold off any longer than ten more minutes. Besides, Joey and his band are on their way over. Most folks already know their music and like them just fine. No surprises there. I was taking a chance with Hot Sugar, and if I get burned because of it, you do too.”
“What’s your plan B? What if she shows up in the next ten or so minutes?” I asked, still feeling as though she wasn’t going to let us down.
“Tell you what. As a favor to Dusty, and because I know my customers would rather have your band playing for the next month, if Connie shows up, I’ll compensate Joey and tell him they’re not needed after all, and I’ll look at this as a bump in the road. But if she doesn’t… well, it’s been a learning experience. That’s for damn sure.”
And with that, he walked out of the room.
“Ten minutes. She has ten fucking minutes to get back here. Does your crystal ball tell you she’ll arrive in time, or are you still going on the fact that you told her you loved her, and that should make all the difference?” Rascal’s words were excessively harsh, but I knew he was hurting like Luke and I were.
Part of me was angry at the whole situation, and I wanted to lash out as well, but I knew it wouldn’t get me anything but hard feelings. Somebody had to stay calm, and that someone was me, no matter what Luke and Rascal or anyone else threw at me.
Yes, I was in love with her, and I’d told her so several times during the past few weeks. Did she say it back? No, but I didn’t care. It was enough that I was able to tell her, albeit secretly… or at least I thought I’d kept my voice down, but apparently, everyone knew. Maybe she’d told them, or maybe they simply heard me. Either way, I said what I needed to say.
And yeah, I thought my words might have a bearing on her walking the fuck away from us, and it might make her rethink what it meant to abandon all those fucking raw emotions.
My anger was right below the surface, eager to leap out.
“How’d you know? Did she tell you?” I asked.
“No. I fucking heard you,” Rascal said, his voice still sounding harsh.
“So what? I’m in love with her. We all are, but so far, I’m the only one who said it out loud.” I wanted to say more. Call them both emotional cowards, but I stopped myself. Now was not the time to get into it.
“A lot of good it did. She ran anyway,” Luke said, looking like he was about to start bawling at any minute. I’d never seen him so upset. “Still, I must admit, I didn’t think she would. Not this time. Not after everything… Just goes to show you what the fuck I know.”
“I can’t believe this is happening,” Rascal said, as he leaned against the doorjamb, his big body taking up most of the space. “What the hell is she going to do with the ranch now? And that amazing car? Does it all go back to Dusty’s family? And what about us? What the hell do we do? Fuck, Ihatethis!”
“Five minutes,” a male stagehand announced as he walked by. I couldn’t see who he was from my vantage point, only that it was a guy.
Just then, Bobby and Mrs. N appeared right outside the doorway. “Let’s do this,” Bobby said as Rascal moved out of the way. “Everybody ready?”
