Hugo’s eyebrows went up as did his hands, palms out.
“Shit, mama, what’d I do?” Hugo asked.
“Nothing,” I returned. “Nothing to help. You’re smarter than that. I know it. You know it. But it’s always me that’s gotta keep the peace in the band.” I threw my hand out.
“You’re al smarter than this. If we don’t keep our shit together, we’re gonna fal apart and I’m gonna let it happen because I’m done. Done! Got me?”
They didn’t answer, they just stared.
I decided to take that as a “yes” and I pointed to the floor.
“Now clean this up and if you’ve caused any damage, you’re paying Annette even if you have to work it off. Do you hear me?”
They again didn’t answer so I leaned forward threateningly and repeated, “I said, do you hear me? ”
“Shit, Stel a Bel a, chil ,” Pong mumbled.
“I’l chil when this is al cleaned up,” I snapped back.
“We got it, Stel a. No problem,” Leo said softly, bending over to pick up t-shirts.
Hugo was stil staring at me and he was doing it closely.
“Nothing’s going to happen to the band,” Hugo told me.
“You’re right,” I agreed. “Nothing’s going to happen to the band. Nothing bad and nothing good either if you al don’t get your shit together. Do you want to be playing clubs in Denver and Boulder and effing Colorado effing Springs for the rest of your lives?”
Pong, Hugo and Leo looked at each other and then back at me. They’d never considered going further mainly because I never wanted to take us further.
“We gonna be more?” Pong asked, his voice edged in surprise.
“We could be, if you’d start taking care of your damn selves. We could be a lot more,” I answered. “Do you want that?”
More silence, more staring, more obvious surprise.
Final y, Leo whispered, “Shit, yeah.”
“Good then you have to help me and you can do that by growing, the f**k, up.” On that, I turned to Indy and announced, “I need a beer.”
“You’re holding one, honey,” Indy replied softly.
I looked down at my hand to see I miraculously stil had hold of my beer but it had mostly leaked onto the floor.
“I need a new one,” I informed her.
Shirleen’s hands came to my shoulders and she started pushing us forward, demanding, “Outta the way.
Emergency beer needed!”
“I’m thinking beer isn’t gonna be strong enough,” Ava muttered to Jules as they shoved in behind us and al the Rock Chicks fol owed.
Shirleen pushed me to the back where there was a pocket of space and serenity. Al y came forward and pressed a new, cold, open beer bottle in my hand and Ava took away the old one and put it on a display case.
I took a healthy swig.
“That was righteous,” Al y told me.
“Shoulda done that a long time ago, sugar,” Daisy said then she gave me a wink.