Fast Lane - Kristen Ashley Page 0,69

own thing.

And his own thing was the shit.

When he wasn’t shooting fashion magazine spreads, he was putting together shows that sent the Christian right to thumping their Bibles so hard, they put their fists through them.

And he wanted to shoot the band.

We all knew who he was, and not only because all of us but Preacher had dated models he’d shot, so that agenda item at a band meeting took us about thirty seconds to discuss before we said yes.

Deal was, for the first time for anyone outside our inner circle, Trelane had all access all the time except when a member of the band was in their own space, say in their suite. He couldn’t invade that unless he had permission.

And Preacher wanted right of refusal on whether or not he published images he’d taken of Lyla.

We thought that last would blow the deal.

But Trelane agreed.

The man even walked out onstage to take pictures of us while we were playing, with Preacher saying shit into the mic like, “That’s Cat Trelane, and the man’s got talent, so if you don’t know who he is, find out. He’s thinkin’ of putting together a book with pictures of the Roadmasters on tour. So, he decides we’re worthy of that, you better fuckin’ buy it.”

And man, when that book came out, I’ll tell you what.

[Lengthy pause]

They bought it.

But Trelane dipped in and out of the tour. He wasn’t with us the whole time.

When he was, he was everywhere.

Sound check. Backstage. Dressing room. When we were partying. On the plane with us.

And true to form with him, we watch, and his favorite subject, bar none, is Lyla.

But also, he’s all about Leeanne.

Not with pictures so much.

But he had a fascination with her he didn’t hide.

The band caught it, and I can’t say any of us got it.

She definitely caught it, and she came in thinking her shit didn’t stink, but that made her think it smelled like roses.

I don’t think Tim noticed.

[Off tape]

I see your theme continues, dark and light.

Yeah.

And not only because Lyla is blonde and Leeanne was a brunette.

Because one woman had a soul of gold and one had a black heart.

We really had it good.

We really did.

It’s one of those things you don’t understand until it’s over. You don’t understand and so you don’t celebrate it, cherish it while you have it.

Keep it safe.

But we got along.

We all got along with each other and collectively.

Until we didn’t.

That first breakfast after there was a couple of days Preacher seemed off—when Tom and Shawn came down pissed right the hell off, and Preach looks like he’s been whipped, and Lyla’s not even fuckin’ there, and Tom shares he almost called an ambulance because he couldn’t wake up Dave, and Dave loses his mind Tommy’s tellin’ us that—things that were already on edge and we didn’t really get it, probably thought it’d just go away, got razor sharp.

Tom wants a clean tour, no booze, no drugs, cold turkey, and DuShawn is backing that and doing it hard.

Dave is ready to get up and walk away.

Tim’s high on something. We’re talkin’ about a clean tour and he’s wasted.

I don’t give a fuck, but to be honest, I could use a break and I tell the guys that.

Preacher refuses to weigh in, but he does this watching Timmy real close and I can tell something is turning over in his head, so I figure he’s eventually gonna back going sober. And I’m hopin’ he does ’cause if Preacher says it, even Dave is gonna pull his shit together.

Then, before we can lock that down however it’s gonna get locked down, Trelane strolls up and says he’s with us for the next coupla gigs.

We’re to the point in our careers…

And this isn’t the first time, Tommy worked hard at keeping the band’s reputation what it was back when we were on the road, playing bars in the Midwest.

So, it wasn’t about three pages of riders and some lackey picking out the green M&Ms in the bowls in our dressing room, or whatever the fuck.

Though we definitely had M&Ms [chuckles] and Snickers. Dave had a sweet tooth.

[Smiles]

And, you know, Van Halen pulled that shit as an easy way to know if the more important riders on their contract were seen to. You know, like reinforced stages so they didn’t fall through and break their necks while playin’, [grins in a manner that’s more a grimace] shit like that.

There’s a lot to be said about the life and