Zane distinctly saw a smile pass Todd’s lips when they sang the line, “One of these days, maybe today, one of these days, you’re gonna get yours,” and he knew he got the obvious reference toThe Honeymooners. But then the smile faded, and Todd sat perfectly still, his back ramrod-straight.
The silence that followed the last note was more deafening than anything the band had ever played. The audience didn’t clap. They didn’t cheer. They didn’t even breathe. It was as if they were all crammed into a roller coaster car paused at the top of the first climb before it shoots down the track. All eyes were on Todd, who made a smacking sound with his teeth, then turned to Phillip. He shook his head. “I’m sorry, Phil. I know this isn’t what you want to hear, but they’ve got it.”
The next thirty seconds were pure joy. Steven sprung up from his stool and scrambled to get to Mike and Zane. June jumped out of her chair and threw her arms around her son, giving him several quick pecks on the cheek and whispering how proud she was of him, before she let go to hug Mike. Her eyes filled with happy tears, while her husbandsat slumped in his chair. But Zane didn’t care one bit that his father’s dream for him had been suddenly chucked out the window. He was too busy letting his mind wander to what would come next. He was going to get himself—and his best friend—the hell out of Spokane forever. Away from Mike’s drunk mother and his brute of a father. Away from his own dad, who was an empty husk of the content, successful man he had been.
But Zane was getting ahead of himself, and Todd, who was waving his hand for them to quiet down, was about to bring them all back to reality. “All right now, listen carefully, because this is the best advice you’re ever going to get. It comes free of charge. If you’re going to make a go of it, you need to know the band only works with Russell here in it.” Todd gave Zane a hard look. “You might think I don’t know what I’m talking about because I’ve never seen you play guitar, but trust me, Russell’s got the best hands I’ve seen. Once-in-a-generation hands.”
“Pfft, no,” Rusty said. “That can’t be right. I barely play anymore.”
“It’s right,” Todd told him. “And if you don’t at least try to make a go of this, I’ll kill myself, then haunt you for the rest of your life for wasting your potential.”
Uncle James cleared his throat. “Um, Todd, that’s a little much, don’t you think? They’re just kids.”
“Kids or not, they’re about as talented as they come.” He turned to Zane. “You’ve got the look and the voice—it’s gruff yet there’s a sensitivity to it that makes you unique. If you want to play guitar as well, that’s fine. Lots of rock bands have two guitar players. But you need Russell,” he said. “Moving on, you’re going to need a new name. The Milky Way Trio won’t work, for obvious reasons.”
Mike, who had come up with the name, let his shouldersdrop, then his eyes lit up. “What about The Milky Way Quartet?”
“The number wasn’t the reason,” Todd said, pursing his lips. “It would’ve worked in 1949, maybe, but this is 1966. It’s been a hell of a long time since Bill Haley and His Comets had a hit single. Rock and roll has changed. You need a name you won’t mind having thirty years from now when you’re grizzled old men who’ve been through the ringer for your art. You need a name that’ll get you laid.”
Zane’s momtsked. “Todd! Please!”
Todd raised an amused eyebrow at her. “What do you think ‘get girls’ means?”
“Certainly not that!” she answered, collecting the empty dessert plates.
He shrugged at her back. “They certainly aren’t looking for someone to play Pinochle with.”
The boys tried not to snicker, but the thought of ‘getting laid’ was too much for their young brains.
“All right, Todd, we don’t have to talk about that, now, do we?” Phillip said. “Not with Zane’s mother here. And… Kitty.”
Todd threw a lazy grin in Kitty’s direction. “Oh, I think she’s on board.”
June looked at Kitty. “Come on in the house, Kitty. If these men want to be crass, they can do it without us.”
Kitty gave Rusty a grin that said she was definitely on board, then tucked her lips between her teeth and hurried to catch up with June. As soon as the screen door slammed behind the two women, Phillip, who seemed frozen until that moment, leaped from his lawn chair, the force of his movements causing it to collapse with a clang. Ignoring it, he turned to Todd. “Are you seriously trying to say that these…” He pointed in the general direction of the band. “That they’re talented enough to make money at this? Like they could actually pay their bills with this…this noise?”
Todd glanced at Zane, then back at Phillip with a superior smile. “It’s not noise. It’s music. And not only their bills. Yours, their kids’ and grandkids’ and great grandkids’.”
Phillip turned to his brother-in-law. “James, tell me the truth. Do you hear what he hears or what I hear?”
James gave him an apologetic look. “Sorry, Phil, but Todd’s right about this. They’ve got something people are going to want.”
Mike slapped Zane’s arm with the back of his hand and grinned at his best friend. “Can you believe it? We’ve got something people want.”
Todd nodded at Mike. “You do. And I’m so confident about it, I’m going to set up a meeting with Larry White.”
Phillip asked the question that was on all the boys’ minds. “Who’s Larry White?”
“A senior producer at Full Moon Records. Rumor has it he’s going to be the next big cheese over there,” Todd said, turning to Zane. “He’s going to love you guys.”
“You would do that for us?” Zane asked.
“Yeah, I would, kiddo,” Todd answered, his expression softening. “You’re like a nephew to me, and I want to see you succeed.”
Phillip threw his hands into the air and then muttered, “Well, isn’t this just great? I better go tell June.”
They stayed out on the driveway until late evening, none of them noticing the cool breeze as it kicked up or the stars as they brightened against the black sky. They were hot withexcitement as they made plans and tried to absorb a lifetime’s worth of advice.
