Chapter 17: Label Mates

Activity filled the week. "Gobstopped" rehearsed in the basement for a tour of the US backing the release of their LP, "Choke.". Devi met with a small label in DC and got them interested in releasing it. They distributed their own bands as well as bands from France, Germany and the UK with a similar complexity and intelligence as Gobstopped, including reissues of art rock bands from a decade before finding new listeners through college radio. In fact my son's music excited the label owner because he thought the sound matched well with an old band of French and British hippies reuniting for a US tour. Accompanying them in early spring would enable the record to be pressed and promo copies sent to radio stations and a buzz created by the time the band hit the road. I dropped Devi off at the label headquarters and went to drop my resume in the hands of the Justice Department and get some preliminary interviews.

(Devi later told me) Tom, the label owner had things to do after chatting with Devi for awhile, and it turned out Tracy, who never looked thrilled by the beautiful Devi talking to her boyfriend, actually ran the business. Pale and pretty with a surprisingly large chest she hid in a loose t-shirt, Tracy needn't have worried as far as Devi was concerned.

"I hope you don't think I flirted," said Devi.

"You're remarkably beautiful," Tracy responded.

"I wanted to look my best and not be dressed up," said Devi. She wore a white peasant blouse from Madrid showing a hint of cleavage and the red bra beneath from Berlin, the bare upper chest bearing the gold Star of David medallion Bess had bought as a joke in New York, but she wore proudly as did Bess who got one for herself, purplish jeans fitting snuggly from Paris, black Italian leather boots and jacket from Milan and ruby earrings matching the ruby wedding ring, all ringed by diamonds to set them off--the earrings found in a little shop in Amsterdam.

"You could wear anything," said Tracy.

"You too, although you should show that figure from time to time, especially if you're worried about a silly lady like me stealing your man. He is cute."

"I think so. Lucky for me he still looks in the mirror and sees the shy nerd who never dreamed of getting laid."

"So you're his first?"

"Not quite. I stole him from his high school sweetheart."

"Shame on you," said Devi, smiling.

"Yeah, our bands shared a gig..."

"You're a musician?"

"Not anymore. I screamed not quite in key. The drummer and bass player could stop on a dime, you know the whole slow, fast, slow hardcore thing, but me and the guitar player sucked. One look at Tom and I fell in lust and loved what he played and felt ashamed for pretending to rock. He ended up stealing the drummer and bassist, letting the guitarist ride off on his ego."

"Let me guess: boyfriend?"

Tracy laughed. "Yeah. Seeing Tom woke me up to a lot of things. I realized I saw the world ass backwards."

"And the girlfriend?"

"Yeah. She was nice but kind of chubby. Brilliant though. She's at Princeton on a full scholarship."

"Wow."

"Yeah. Luckily I'm not a complete bimbo. I'm at Georgetown studying pre-law and business. I plan on making this label work as impossible as that sounds."

"No shit. You have to meet ... Joe!"

I arrived and Tracy and I got down to business. The contract impressed me, but needed tightening and more legal strength. Tracy became my student and attended my every word. We went over past contracts and I advised changes. By the time we finalized Gobsmacked's contract, Tom strolled in.

"Oh my god, Tommy, I can't believe what I learned just now!" Tracy said. Instead of hugging him, she hugged me. Her bountiful soft boobs felt titillating so to speak. Tom sported the jealous look Tracy featured earlier.