singing.” I shifted my attention to Cork, who looked nervous. I put my hand on his shoulder. “Love your riff, man. Give me that same groove. I’ll bounce off it like I’ve been doing. Can you follow my lead at the chorus? My voice is shit without some backup.”
“Sure.” He nodded. Given a task and a deserved compliment, his nervousness disappeared.
Cork checked his amp connection like a pro and went right into it. I did my best to keep up with him. The bass popped like punk rock chords, but with a little complementary guitar work from me, the song transformed into something better than it was before.
I sang, and Cork watched me for his cue. I gave him a nod where we’d practiced the echoes. His voice melding seamlessly with mine, we continued to the chorus.
Getting into it, I moved my body from side to side, and he bobbed his head. I was so focused on him, I didn’t notice the exact moment when Saber picked up his guitar and joined us, or when Shield came in and began softly tapping on his drums.
But when we finished, I noticed a couple of things. Saber was smiling respectfully at me, and Ted had arrived.
“What the hell’s going on?” Ted frowned from the doorway.
“Sorry, dude,” Saber said. “Cork’s our man now. You’ve been fucking replaced.”
Lotus
I SCORED A lot of cool driftwood I could use as frames. Small succulents looked nice tucked into the uneven nooks and crannies on them. I also found a few decent large shells, good for the same purpose, and a couple of terra-cotta pots for my larger plants.
After storing everything I found under the stairs, I was hot and sweaty. So I took a shower, got dressed, and went to see Sophia. Though I was tempted to check up on Cork, I didn’t, remembering Journey’s words.
“Hey, you,” my bestie said as I stepped inside the jewelry shop where she worked.
“You’re sitting in Heidi’s spot?” I asked, taking in Sophia’s position behind a chest-high desk.
“Yeah.” She pushed away the magnifying glass she’d been using. “She’s out looking for new inventory, kinda like you do on trash days.”
“Only she’s at the market. She doesn’t look in alleyways and dumpsters like me.” I wrinkled my nose. I enjoyed recycling old materials, but it was often smelly work.
“She went through a lot of alleyways when she decorated the shop.”
So she had. The driftwood mirrors and the cool floor-to-ceiling shell curtain were recycled materials. I stepped closer to my best friend, peeking at what she was working on under the large magnifying glass.
“Is that a lotus flower?” I asked, taking in the delicate silver lines and the thin chain spilling over Sophia’s fingers.
“Uh-huh.” She nodded, and her long black hair slipped forward. It was loose like mine. “It’s a new piece.”
My eyes widened. “You designed it?”
“Yeah.” She looked sheepish.
Sophia could unabashedly dance at a rock concert, drawing the attention of every guy around, but she was shy about her creations. I totally got that. Art was taking out a part of your soul and putting it on display for the world.
“It’s pretty. I wish I could afford one.”
“This one is yours,” she said in a husky voice, her emotional one. “I made it for your birthday. Sorry it’s late. I had to wait for the materials to come in.”
“I love it.” My eyes filling, I gave her a watery smile. “That’s very thoughtful. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” She stood, a polishing cloth in her hand. “Let me put it on you.”
Stepping around the desk, she came to me. I turned around, lifted my hair, and she put the thin chain around my neck and fastened the clasp. I grabbed the pendant and rubbed it for good luck. Kissing it, I spun around to hug my best friend.
“I’ll never take it off.”
“Aw, you’re sweet. You can take it off. You don’t have to wear it all the time.” She returned my smile, and I could tell my appreciation pleased her. “It’s not as good as one of Heidi’s pieces, but she liked it so much, she asked me to make more to sell in the shop.”
“It is as good as one of hers. She’s lucky to have you here, apprenticing with her.”
“More like the other way around. But thanks for saying so.” Sophia gathered my hands in hers and squeezed them. “I’m glad you like it. The stuff you make is just as wonderful, you know.”