Chapter 10

No surprise to anyone when Henry took his revenge on Joe via Lindy on Saturday. They met at a small club in Orange County which somehow sustained its existence as a punk club for Valley misfits since the early eighties, the latest version headlining Johnny’s band, even though all the members of the band but one hailed from Hollywood, and the exception from East LA.

The opening band ended up being loud and fast and terrible and luckily fairly near the end of their set. They sat at a long table at the back of the space, they being Joe, Lindy, Connie, Henry, Dave and surprisingly Stuart and Mary. Also a tall blonde woman sat beside Henry, her build and her looks reminding Joe of Lindy, but only barely.

A young woman, barely eighteen Joe guessed, bounced up to Henry, her pigtails settling from the bounce. “Chubby! You don’t want to hear this shit. Come with me. Your friends too.” She whispered/yelled into his ear and he nodded.

“Follow me guys,” Henry said.

Outside the club they followed the girl into a garage as in a place to fix cars. A tall blond man with a scruffy goatee and a goofy smile gave the girl a kiss, but she pouted when he attempted to wrap his arm around her shoulder, pulling it off. “Later for that Scruffy,” she said.

Entering the garage proper, past a couple of cars, in an open area, the band around passing a joint and a bottle. Brit settled against Johnny, accepting her possessive arm around her waist.

“Whip it out, Chubby,” Johnny grinned, and Henry pulled out a joint and lit it, passing it to Johnny, then a large bottle of 101 Wild Turkey which he handed to his new companion, and after a big swallow, she handed it to Lindy.

He paused his supplying of inebriants to make introductions, including Holly, the prostitute, which he introduced as Lindy’s double for the film. The two had already met over a bottle of Wild Turkey which, after a couple swigs, Lindy reluctantly passed off. They ended up remaining together as Henry hoped

He introduced the bouncy blonde as Ariel. “Name’s Brit,” Brit corrected. “He thinks I’m going to play this girl Ariel in his film.”

Henry’s and Joe’s eyes met, Henry giving Joe a shrug. Joe had to admit she looked the part of a feisty young woman.

Dave focused on the beautiful lead singer and she accepted his gaze.

After finishing the introductions, Henry pulled out his dark green medicine bottle of coke, and after taking one in each nostril, offered, “Who wants some?”

Holly and Lindy got first dibs, and then Brit and Johnny. After that it was first come first serve. Joe and Connie declined, Joe declining the booze as well, though Connie had a swig or two, but he took in some of the weed. Not surprising Stuart and Mary hung back, observing, but surprised Joe by taking a drink, perhaps to calm them.

After the last sniff had been given, Henry pocketed the bottle and tiny spoon and coaxed Tom to a place of privacy. “Johnny’s songs in the second set?” he asked, having gotten Tom’s number from his sister, and promising quite a bit of money if they include four more of her songs in the second set.

“We rehearsed them and we’re ready,” Tom told him.

“Good man,” Henry grinned and handed Tom a thousand dollars in cash as promised, Tom quickly pocketing it, grimacing when Henry’s sweaty hand patted his shoulder.

Halfway through the second set, Tom announced from his keyboards. “Tonight we’re trying something different, a set within a set. Johnny?”

“Okay you fucking cocksuckers,” she growled with a wicked smile, “You’re about to be rocked into the abyss. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

And aside for a couple quieter tunes, she did in fact rock in her inimitable funky way, taking lead singing except for some close in harmonies with the beautiful rhythm guitar player, the set ending with her fuck you, get the fuck out of here song.

After, instead of leaving, they jammed. Dave joined them partway through, Tom letting him use the electric piano he wasn’t playing. The hot singer/guitarist positioned herself so they could gaze at each other.

Theoretically they could jam all night since the club didn’t have a liquor license, but they quit after about a half hour with a lengthy crescendo of loudness.

By then Henry had left with Holly and Lindy, Lindy especially drunk from adding the bourbon to her cokes.