Carefully stacking the music next to the bed and putting the guitar back in its case, I grabbed my notebook and purse and went for a walk. The bus was parked in the middle of an almost empty parking lot, but it gave me plenty of space to think.
Chapter Thirteen
Chaos…
It had taken a lot longer to do the two interviews and the appearance at the statue than I thought. We couldn’t believe how many fuckin’ people fit into the park, and I don’t think I’d signed my name so many times ever. My hand started cramping and I had to stop or I’d play like shit later. I didn’t want to disappoint anyone, but there were just too many people. Terrance, our security, had his hands full keeping the screaming women off us. It was a total trip.
With only a half hour until the sound check I didn’t think I’d have time for the nap I really wanted. Even a beer would have hit the fuckin’ spot, but the no alcohol rule, my freakin’ no alcohol rule before the show stopped any hope of that. Staying sober for the Garden show worked, so I wanted to keep it going. I didn’t care if the guys bitched about it all the way back to the bus.
Arguing about who signed more autographs, we climbed into the bus. Joe’s snores as he slept in the reclined driver’s seatgreeted us. He was out cold. I turned to the guys and held my hand over my mouth so they’d quiet down but it was too late, Joe shot up like he’d been fired from a gun.
“Hey, guys,” he said through a yawn. “How’d the interviews go?”
“Great, and the signing too.”
“We were fucking swarmed, man, you should have seen all those bitches,” Fury cut me off. “They were everywhere. I don’t know how they fit so many in one place. I think every chic in Philly came to see us.”
I laughed, oh yeah exaggerate much?
Wrath and Flame laughed too. “You’re out of your mind, bro. Been smoking the weed again?”
Fury grimaced. “You know I’m not, but there were a lot there.”
Joe laughed. “I bet there were. You guys still don’t realize how big Raining Chaos is, but you will before this tour’s over. I just hope you don’t change.”
He looked genuinely concerned and I slapped him on the back. “Don’t worry, Joe.We’re good. We’ve got this, been through too much to let this go to our heads now.”
“I hope you’re right. You’d be surprised how it affects some people, even if they think it won’t.”
He had a weird look on his face, like a bad memory. Whatever he was thinking about wasn’t our business, but it definitely didn’t look like happy memory.
I grabbed bottles of water out of the fridge and threw them at the guys. “Hey, Joe, where’s Cyn?”
“She went out for a walk a while ago. She’ll probably be back soon.”
“You let her go walking alone?”
“I’m not her father.”
There was the look again. Had something happened while we were gone?
“Sorry, I know you’re not. I guess I just worry about her out there alone.”
Wrath raised his eyebrow at me. “Dude, you’ve got it bad. What are you going to do about Sweets?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Besides, Sweets isn’t going to be a problem. I talked to her last night.”
“Are you sure? Is that why they didn’t come with us today?”
“Nope, they didn’t because Rod said it was just for us. He doesn’t consider them part of ‘the band’.”
“What kind of shit is that?”
“No fuckin’ clue, but I didn’t find out until he’d already made the arrangements and it was too late to do anything to change it. I’m fuckin’ sick of all his shit. He’s showing his true colors now we’re bringing in money and I think we need to do something about him. He’s a fucking dickwad and he’s pissing me off.”
They all nodded. Thank God we agreed, although we usually did on most things. It sucked but we’d probably end up having to hire a lawyer to get out of this contract. Rod Dixon was a fucking boil on my ass and I needed him lanced.
The phone alarm buzzed telling us it was time for the sound check. At least I didn’t have to say anything, they were alreadygetting their shit together and moaning loud enough about it to wake the dead.
