on the drug in question,” drawled Phil. “Jason once got wasted off a bottle of Jack before a show. We were so fuckin’ pissed at him, thought his roadie would have to step in or we’d have to cancel. But then, he snorted half a gram of coke, got on stage, and never missed a beat.”
Jason laughed and whistled. “Yeah, don’t think I’ll be snortin’ much of anythin’ anymore. I don’t even remember why I felt the need to drink a whole bottle.”
I noticed Sheri blushing, and I had the feeling she hoped Jason never remembered.
“Well then, it did its job,” joked Phil.
“I guess. But Flipper, man, that cat likes to take a hit of acid five minutes before a set. Says there’s nothin’ better than trippin’ balls behind his kit. He’s one of those people who never hallucinates or anythin’. Acid is just fun to him.”
“Yeah, that’s how it is for me. I’ve never hallucinated on acid or mushrooms. I prefer mushrooms though. It’s like having a laughfest for six hours, and then I can go to sleep. Acid just keeps me up too much.”
Sheri and Jason looked at me in surprise.
“What?”
“You do acid and ’shrooms?” asked Jason.
“I used to. I spent a lot of my adolescence tripping the time away. Alys and Lili, too.”
“Really?” asked Sheri.
“Uh, yeah. Why does that shock you?”
“Well…you’re a doctor,” stated Jason.
That made me laugh. “Yeah, I grew up on a hippie compound. My parents were well into psychedelics.”
Phil busted out laughing at the incredulous looks on Sheri’s and Jason’s faces.
“What about other shit?” Jason asked. “Coke and heroin—”
I shook my head. “No way. I have my limits, and the hard shit never appealed to me. Far too synthetic and cut with god knows what else.” I looked over my shoulder at Phil. “What about you?”
“Yeah, it kind of comes with the territory,” he replied with a self-deprecating smile.
“Needles?”
“A couple of times. But they were always clean. I took them out from the sterile packin’ myself. I’m just not that into that kind of shit. Tried it. Yeah, it was a hell of a rush but not anythin’ I’d chase.” He looked me dead in the eyes, his gaze scorching. “I had better things to live for.”
“Phil likes to be in control and prefers to be sober on stage,” chimed Sheri. “The rush of being on stage is the best high for him. He doesn’t even really drink. Just a beer or two here and there. I’ve only ever seen him really drunk a handful of times.”
“Yeah, well, the amount of alcohol he has to consume to even get there is ridiculous.” Jason laughed and whistled. “Shit, I wish this fuckin’ noise would stop.”
“What about X?” I asked.
“Whiskey and weed,” replied Phil. “But I think that’s what we’re all partial to. Nothin’ other than that. We tried some shit out when we were younger, but we’re in this for the music, not the lifestyle.”
“Always the music, man,” agreed Jason, bobbing his head. “When it becomes about anythin’ else, then that’s when it’s time to hang it up. You can’t make the best music if your head’s stuck in a drug fog. You write like shit, you play like shit, and it just ain’t worth it.”
“Well, that’s good to hear,” I said. “I do therapeutic work with addicts in rehab. The shit those people go through…I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.”
“No worries on that front,” said Phil, dropping a kiss on my head. “I’m ready for the water,” he announced, pulling off his plain gray T-shirt.
He looked fucking adorable in a pair of brown-and-gray Hawaiian floral print swim trunks. I had been taken aback when I first saw him in them. I honestly hadn’t thought he owned anything to actually swim in.
“Hell yeah.” Jason got to his feet and took off his shirt, too.
“I just want to lay out,” I told Phil.
“Me, too,” piped Sheri, removing her tank top and cutoff jean shorts, which were surprisingly not micro.
Eyeballing her from behind my Jackie O’s, I found myself completely jealous of her huge tits and tiny waist. I almost wanted to keep my tank top and Phil’s shorts on just so Phil couldn’t see how seriously lacking I was in the mammary department in comparison. No shit, Sheri would be a perfect candidate for a Victoria’s Secret model.
“What? Am I supposed to make out with Jason in the water?” Phil glared at me, all grumpy-looking.
“I wouldn’t suggest it. His face might cave in,” I retorted.