Fast Lane - Kristen Ashley Page 0,101

so Lyla gives Sonia an earful, Sonia gives Vanessa an earful and Vanessa rips Shawn a new one.

Shawn is back in Louisiana, sorting shit for the gig so he’s not close to, you know, say, high five Preacher and then have his ass reamed even more by his wife.

We’re all getting ready to head out there to do some rehearsals and get our shit tight for the show, but for six weeks after Preacher pulled that stunt, kid you not, six weeks, I can barely keep my cell phone charged, it’s ringing so damned often, and when it isn’t, it’s glued to my ear.

Sonia up in my shit to get Preacher to fuck off.

Jules the same.

Penny and Lana both wanting to know what’s up Lyla’s ass that she just doesn’t take Preacher back.

Mom, torn between her two unofficially adopted kids, wanting what they both want, which might be contradictory, so she’s screwed.

Dave and Tim picking sides.

Dave, he picks Lyla.

Tim, Preacher.

Then I get the call.

The fuckin’ call.

[Off tape]

[Simms stops speaking for such a long time, a prompt is needed]

What call?

[Focus]

The call from Lyla.

She’s the one person I haven’t talked to yet. I’m giving her space because I figure everyone else is not.

She says, “Hey, Jess. You have a minute to talk?”

“For you,” I say back, “always.”

“Good, I’m sitting outside your house in my car,” she replies.

[Shakes head and doesn’t stop]

Fuck me.

Fuck me.

[Stops shaking his head]

I live in LA, the woman lives in Phoenix, and she’s sittin’ outside my house in her car, and she needs to talk.

Fuck me.

[Tips head back to look at the ceiling before righting it]

I know this is gonna be bad.

See, I want her for him because I love him, and he wants her and she’s good for him. And I want her for him because he got a raw, bloody deal for the first part of his life and multi-platinum albums don’t repair that damage.

A good woman repairs that damage.

Or, at least, having her makes it hurt a whole lot less.

But I love her too, and if she’s comin’ to me to ask me to get him to back down, I gotta do that for her.

I gotta do that for China.

Caught between light and dark.

No, sister, this just all seemed dark.

So, she comes in and I offer her a drink.

She wants a pop.

I get it for her, and we go out to my pool.

She’s got on this flowy skirt that I remember has a lot of red in it and a little black tee.

She flips off her flipflops, pulls up the skirt and sits her ass down beside my pool, putting her legs in.

I roll up my jeans, do the same, and, man, it is not lost on me that I’m in the same position I saw Preacher in just minutes before this epic story started off.

I wait for her to say something. I need her to guide this.

She’s staring at the pool.

And then I wish she’d keep doing it when she turns her head and looks at me.

“I’m pregnant,” she says.

It feels like my heart explodes.

Then she goes on in a whisper.

“And I don’t know how to tell Preacher.”

McCade:

I still had that pad, up the PCH from Timmy, but I was packin’ up because we were heading out soon to go to Louisiana. [charmingly pronounces “Louisiana” as “Looseeana”]

Jess calls, says he wants to come over.

I don’t got a lot of shit, but packin’s not fun, so I’m down with him rollin’ up so we can throw some back. Maybe go out and get some nachos.

[Blows breath out his nose, drinks some bourbon]

Jess walks in and Lyla’s with him, the look on her face, the look on his.

[Shifts to take hold of barstool and sit down]

[Whispering] Shit.

I know my life’s about to change in a way there’s no goin’ back, those looks on their faces.

Lyla:

I was terrified.

Utterly and completely terrified.

Jesse:

I didn’t know whether to stay or go.

The way they were looking at each other, I had to find a way to give them both what they needed.

So, I said to Lyla, “I’ll be right outside in the car.”

She nods, barely tearin’ her eyes from Preach.

I give him a look.

Under that bushy beard, his jaw is flexing, almost bulging, and he nods.

Then I go.

Lyla:

[Head turns to look at door, smiles softly]

Well, what do you know.

That man always had good timing.

[It’s then the growl of an engine can be heard, and all of the dogs start barking, the ones on the floor rise up and move about agitatedly, the