party also got to hear “Fuck Me Two Times,” which had already proved a crowd favorite—the crowd being the band and everyone who’d been privy to hearing the songs so far.
It went over just as well at the party.
After both songs played, Trey and Brody stepped up on the small stage at the far end of the room, beneath the screen showing the slideshow of band images. Trey thanked everyone for coming, for supporting the fundraiser, for supporting the Players, and for working so hard to make this album what it was. Brody led us in a toast to the Players and the album, and to Cary Clarke.
I put my arm around Cary and kissed his cheek, as people applauded him.
Then Trey took the mic again. “We have an announcement that’s mildly exciting,” he said, obviously understating, and people cheered in anticipation. “If you already went onto the internet to check out the songs or downloaded them, you might’ve noticed it, but the Players have decided on a name for the album.” At that, some people started scrambling for their phones to try to figure it out before he said it. But then Trey said, “Would you like to make the announcement, Cary? The idea was yours.” He took the mic off the stand and handed it to Talia, who was standing beside the stage, like he knew Cary would never come up there.
Talia walked it back to us, the crowd parting for her. She stood in front of Cary, offering the microphone to him.
I held his hand tight, trying to encourage him without embarrassing him. I had no idea what this was about, but clearly, he did. I didn’t know the album had a title.
No one had said anything about it to me. Not him. Not Danica or Ash.
To my amazement, Cary actually took the microphone. “Uh, actually,” he said into the mic, clearing his throat, “Taylor came up with it.”
I met his eyes. What the fucknuts was he talking about?
Now everyone was looking over—at both of us.
Cary held out the microphone, and for a terrifying minute I thought he was handing it to me. But then someone reached past me and took it.
“Well, why don’t we just show the fucking thing,” Ash said into the mic. He’d slid his giant demon mask around to the back of his head to expose his face. He held out his hand, redirecting everyone’s attention to the screen above Trey and Brody, which had gone mysteriously blank.
The lights all over the room dimmed smoothly, and when we were all in the dark, an image came up, bright on the screen. It was the Players’ album cover… but one thing had changed.
Now, the title of the album was written in white script across the red paint/blood.
Lovely Madness
And I remembered.
It’s a lovely madness, isn’t it.
That was what I said to Cary, the day we had the argument about this party.
What is? he’d asked me. And I said, Falling in love with a rock star.
“A quick toast to the woman who inspired the title of our album and the theme for this party,” Summer said into the mic, and as the lights came up around us again, she was standing next to Ash. “Thank you, Taylor.”
Everyone applauded and Summer and Ash gave me hugs. Then more people gave me hugs.
I was in shock.
When the attention had died down and the music came back on, and everyone went back to drinking and dancing, I tugged Cary close. “I think I just had my fifteen seconds of fame.”
“And how did that go for you?” he said dryly.
“It was terrifying.”
He chuckled. “And maybe now she understands…”
“Oh, I understand. Maybe you should just retire and we’ll call it a day.”
He gave me a genuine smile and put his arm around me. “But you just gave me a speech about how young we are…”
Something bumped me and I turned—and just about screamed at the giant, demonic head in my face. Ash was standing with his back to me, and the mask on the back of his head had bumped me.
“Shit, Ash, that’s creepy.” He turned from the conversation he was having with Dylan and Amber and grinned at me. “That is very off-putting. You’ve got an ass where your dick should to be.”
He turned around to face me. “Better?”
Dylan, who now got the mask-and-ass side, scowled. “Aw, shit. That is creepy.” He shut his Iron Man visor and turned away.
“So,” Ash said, sipping his beer. “I’m just gonna go ahead