“Oh, I was going to see if Trent could fit me in next week before the show.”
The North American leg of Dred’s tour was coming to an end in Miami, and she’d heard from Trent that they had a brief break to record a new album before starting the European leg.
“Why didn’t you call his cell?”Pixie pulled up the appointment schedule on the computer she’d just started up.
“Because if I call here and leave a message,youhave to call me back.”
Despite herself, she laughed.“Yeah, he can do any time from midmorning.”
“Put me in for noon.So when I’m down there, are you finally going to agree to go on a date with me?”
Pixie smiled.He always asked, and she always replied the same way.“Not until it snows on the Sahara.”
Dred laughed.
It felt as though a butterfly was trapped inside her chest.
“You’ll cave eventually Pix.I give good date, among other things,” he said suggestively.
“I’m sure you do.See you next week, Dred.”
“Count on it, Pixie.”
The phone went silent.She knew the day would come when he stopped flirting with her, but a relationship with him was simply impossible.
And she fucking hated her stepfather for that.
* * *
The way the sun cut through the clouds, only hitting parts of the earth ...focused ...could you chase the brightness ...move from place to place and stay in its rays ...or would the sun always find you if you stood still?
“What do you think, Dred?”
Dred returned his attention from the view out of the Cessna’s window and finished scribbling the thoughts into his lyrics notebook.He closed it with a snap and looked over to Sam, Preload’s manager.
“What?”he asked calmly.
“We only have another hour left on the flight and we still have a lot to get through.Could I get your attention please?”
“Cut him some slack,” Nikan said.As the eldest of them growing up in the group home together, Nikan, guitarist and back-up vocals for the band, had always taken on the role of protector.“If you hadn’t committed us to getting the new album out so fucking quick, he wouldn’t need to be thinking about lyrics twenty-four seven.”
Dred appreciated the intervention, but the truth was, the lyrical ideas came to him when they were ready.He could no sooner turn them off than he could stop blinking.Can you turn off the sun?...Does love burn like the sun?And if so, could you avoid love, the way you avoid the sun?
“Dred.”Sam’s voice cut through his thoughts.
They were two hours into the early morning flight to Miami, and business was the order of the day even though his mind was on the inspiration outside the window.Dred unwrapped a lozenge, and caught the flight attendant’s eye for another cup of hot water.The last thing he needed was a sore throat, but the telltale irritation and dryness said one was on its way.
“Keep your shirt on, Sam,” Dred said.“We know what needs doing.You’re going to give yourself an ulcer.”
“Right.So, Lennon, I have a deal lined up for you to be sponsored by Soidal.You’ll need to use their drum kit on the next tour.”
“Soidal is a total rip-off.All they’ve done is taken all the good ideas from Tama and Yamaha and wrapped them up in a sweatshop package.It isn’t ethical and it’s crap.Sounds like it too.I’ll stick with Tama,” Lennon replied.
Dred shook his head.Soidal sponsoring them was a stupid idea.Everyone knew Lennon wouldn’t budge, because Lars Ulrich was his fucking idol.Shortly after their first single released, they’d played on a daylong festival bill, headlined by Metallica.They’d walked off the stage after their set to find Lars Ulrich backstage, standing out of sight of the crowd.Lars had congratulated them on their performance, but told Lennon he needed a better drum kit.He’d introduced Lennon to his contact at Tama and it was the only kit he’d used since.
“The endorsement is huge.Gives us free gear shipped and set up anywhere we play in North America.You could even sign the fucking things, give them to local charities to auction.Think of all the free publicity you’d get,” said Sam.“It’s my job to find these deals for you.”
“It’ll be my job to kick your ass out of that emergency exit without a parachute if you sign that fucking contract,” Lennon fired back explosively.Dred casually flicked open his seatbelt, ready to hold Lennon back if he needed to, but was relieved to see Lennon grab his headphones.
