Mary’s office. Being front and center before the Queen was about as much fun as it had been strapping down her breasts with an ace bandage when pretending to be a guy.
Marcus joined his brother up on the set, the same one that would be taken down and put back up again at each city on the upcoming tour. They’d been coming to this airport hangar to practice on it for the past week. “Anyone else here yet?” he queried, speaking loud enough to be heard over the roar of a jet taking off in the distance.
“Nah, just us,” Dwight verified. “What’s going on? You sounded worried on the phone.”
There was no easy way to segue into this. “Avery’s father showed up yesterday.”
“No way.”
“Oh yeah. He ambushed us in the hall at Black Cat.”
“What did he want?”
“To talk to her, but she didn’t say more than two words to him. It wasn’t a warm reunion, to say the least. He did seem genuinely remorseful, though.”
“He should be.”
“I know. I know. He just wasn’t quite what I expected.” He ran a hand through his hair. “And I don’t think we’ve seen the last of him.”
“I hope for her sake you’re wrong.” Dwight shook his head, his mane of shaggy reddish blond hair falling forward over his blue eyes. “Where is our beautiful guitarist anyway?”
“She had a meeting with Mary.” Marcus glanced down at his Tag Heuer sports watch and frowned. “She should’ve been here by now.”
“You let her approach the Queen without an escort?”
“She’ll be alright.” He barked out a laugh. “Might be Mary that needs assistance. She’s gonna figure out, if she hasn’t already that Avery has a mind of her own.”
“In other words, Avery and Mary,” Dwight knocked his knuckles together, “Bam! Two unstoppable forces coming together with a keg of gunpowder between them.”
“Exactly so,” Marcus agreed, watching Dwight flick open the latches on his bass case. “And since I don’t have nearly enough stress in my life already, today’s also the day Avery’s brother is coming back in.”
“Sorry, little bro. I can feel your pain.” His brother gave him a sympathetic pat on the back. “How’s Justin doing?”
“Good as far as I know. She’s so excited to see him, but I worry…” Marcus trailed off.
“About what?”
“About him relapsing mostly. She says it was his choice to go in but if it wasn’t, I don’t know if it’ll stick. I get the impression he’s a pretty impulsive guy.”
“Really? How so?”
“Well, let me see,” Marcus began, ticking the reasons off on his fingers. “The drugs, the ill-advised affair with the mobster’s girl, and hooking up with V within thirty minutes of meeting her.”
“You think Mom and Dad can keep him out of trouble?”
“Pfft. Mom can handle anyone. When are they coming in anyway?”
“Tomorrow afternoon.”
“And Lisa?”
“She’s coming with.”
“How’s she feeling?”
“Great.” He beamed. “The morning sickness is gone and she’s eating up a storm.”
“Avery and I are happy for you both,” Marcus said, pulling a pick out of his pocket and strumming a few chords to check the tuning. “You’ll be an awesome dad.”
“Hope so. It’s a huge responsibility, a pretty intimidating one.”
“Hey guys,” JR shouted his booming voice echoing across the cavernous hanger. He set his aviator sunglasses up on his blond head. “I’m not late, am I?”
“No, man.” Dwight said. “We’re still waiting on Avery.”
“Ok, cool.” He hit his palm to his forehead. “Shit. I left my sticks in the ‘Vette. Be right back.”
“The step-child seems pretty happy lately,” Marcus observed watching him leave.
“Yeah,” Dwight agreed. “You know he’s back together with Samantha Daniels?”
“Uh-huh.”
“I heard maybe you and Avery had a little something to do with it.”
“Maybe.” He ran an irritated hand through his hair again and checked his watch again. “Where the hell is she?”
“Cool it.” Dwight bumped his shoulder. “She’ll be here. She still all psyched about the tour?”
“Yeah. Reminds me of how we used to be. I’m trying to be real careful not to ruin it for her with my negativity. The reality of it all will set in soon enough.”
“I don’t know, Marcus. With her personality, maybe it won’t be all that bad, for her or you. You’re in a different place now, a better place I think.”
“Maybe,” Marcus mumbled not so certain. The road was hard on everyone. Between the grind, the groupies, and the other temptations, trying to keep your balance was like trying to stand up straight inside a wind tunnel. He worried about their fledgling relationship holding up under the forces that