Chapter 1: Finding the Gems - Meeting the Girls

Once Bob had listened to the demo tape that Judy had sent to Sara, he had to contact Judy directly. The quality of the recording left a lot to be desired, but what do you expect on a home cassette recorder. She probably used the kind with the built in microphone that would pick up just about anything including traffic passing by on the street. Even with the crappy recording, it didn't hide the quality of the music that was being played. This was live? In a garage?

If possible, there was no way Bob was going to let these young women get away, not that they were planning on going anywhere. They were just having fun, but it sounded like they had put a lot of effort and work into their learning after his sessions three years ago. This could be the path he'd been looking for, leading him directly away from boredom.

While Bob talked with Judy on the telephone he got a feel for what was happening, and what they were all doing. He was hoping to get a first hand view of things, and asked if it was ok to shoot down the next day to sit in on that weekend's session. Judy wasn't sure there was one scheduled, but figured there would be as they played for hours just about every week. She also said she'd rather them make noise in the garage than have to fight off boys their age. None of the girls were all that interested in any kind of relationships and were willing to wait it out.

While they were having their chat, Michelle apparently popped in so Judy took the opportunity to ask her about their plans for the weekend session and if it was ok to invite someone to listen in.

Bob could tell that there was a little resistance on Michelle's part, probably due to a lack of confidence. From what he'd heard she didn't need to have any lack of confidence. It became obvious that Michelle asked who it was, and when she heard it was Bob, he could clearly hear the squeal in the background.

"Only a teenage girl could make that sound," he thought to himself with a growing grin.

Judy came back on the phone and said, "I guess that's a yes Bobby, come on down."

He heard some other excited voices in the background so he assumed that one or more of the other girls were there with Michelle.

"Bob, I think you're going to be a hit," Judy intimated with a chuckle. "Heather and Janell are here and when Michelle told them what was going on, their eyes got really large and I heard a 'Wow' from one, and a 'Far out' from the other."

"Cool," he said. "Don't tell them, but I'll bring a couple of my bass guitars and an amp or two. Perhaps I'll join them for the session and we can all have some fun. It'll be nice to play with some quality musicians, talent that hasn't been jaded or tainted by the real world yet. We'll see what we can make happen." Bob already had a plan he hoped he could make fly.

"That would be fantastic. They keep talking about trying to find a bass player because Maryanne wants to play the other things but she continues to play the bass. I guess they're either too picky, or there just isn't anyone that can play as well as Maryanne."

"Ok," said Bob. "That gives me some ideas. I'll have to make a few phone calls to see what I can scare up, so I guess I'll see you all tomorrow, probably sometime in the evening. I'll give you a call if I'm going to be too late. Depending, I may have to go to downtown for a while before I make it back up to your area."

"Don't worry about a place to stay Bob, you're welcome to stay with Michelle and me. There's nobody in Maggie's old room these days. Besides, the session for this weekend is here at the house, so you won't have to drag your instruments all over town."

"That's not a big deal Judy, hell I'm used to dragging them all over the world," he chuckled. "I thought your girlfriend was staying in Mag's old room."

"Not anymore," she said forlornly.

"Oh?" he said raising one eyebrow. "Problems on the home front?"

"Nothing for you to worry about Sweetie, I just don't have a significant other at the moment."

"I'm sorry to hear that Judy. I'm sure it will all work out for the better in the long run. Most of those things usually do."

"Yeah, you're probably right. Bottom line was drugs. We caught her stealing stuff from the kid's rooms to feed the habit, so she really had to go. I suppose I could have called the sheriff but that wouldn't have solved the underlying issue. She needs help, but she won't get it until she accepts she has a problem and asks for help. The sheriff certainly wouldn't have done anything to enhance that possibility. I still care. I can't believe I didn't pick up on it a lot sooner."

"Hear ya," Bob commented. "I can't tell you how many people I saw destroyed while on the road. It's no wonder the road kills; all the temptations are there for the taking because someone's trying to kiss your ass. Well, anyway..."

"I'll let you go Bob, I'm sure Michelle will be looking forward to seeing you." Judy told him. Then thinking laughingly, "You have no idea what kind of crush she has on you fella, but you'll find out while you're here if she has anything to say about it. I just don't want her to be hurt."

"See ya Judy, and hey, thanks!"

After making a few phone calls to selected friends to see if he could find a few new tools, Bob started getting his instruments together for a road trip. He had to take along enough clothes to last for a while because if things worked out as he hoped they would, he'd be gone more than just this weekend. There were a lot of variables to be considered so that remains to be seen.

He ended up getting immediate answers to all of his telephone inquiries; one in particular put a big grin on his face. As he was pulling the truck and trailer out of his driveway heading south, he just smiled to himself thinking, "This is going to be fun."

Little did he know?

After what seemed to be forever, he finally got into the LA area. As usual, the traffic on the freeways was more like a parking lot than a roadway. He navigated around as best he could, considering he was in a fairly large truck and a long trailer.

He made a few stops to pick up a few things that he needed before he concentrated on making his way to Judy's place. Back out into traffic, it didn't seem to matter what time you hit the LA freeways, they were always bumper-to-bumper, barely moving, pollution generators. If you wanted to get from point A to point B in any semblance of reasonable time you have to drive like a complete asshole. Don't signal that lane change because that's just telling someone to fill in that gap you were looking at, then flipping you off just because.

Once he had picked up the things he'd detoured for, he headed back out with "Samantha" giving him the directions. Sam was his Garmin navigator. He plugged in addresses and after a few minutes of calculating Samantha started giving him instructions. Since he subscribed to a traffic advisory service, the navigator would steer him clear of the worst of the standstills by giving him lesser-clogged alternates.

In LA?? Yeah right!

When he finally arrived at Judy's, he was pleasantly surprised to find the driveway was clear. He made his wide turn in front of the house and backed the trailer in, making sure that he was as close to the door as he could get without knocking it down or putting a trailer sized hole in it.

Michelle burst out of the front door on a dead run, squealing again like only a teenage girl can do. She met him as soon as he'd managed to get the door to the truck open and a foot put down on the driveway. If the seat hadn't been behind him she'd have probably knocked him down.

"Bobby," she squealed loudly. "I'm so happy you came to listen to us play. I got so excited I almost peed my pants."

He gave her a wry smile, "Well you wouldn't want to do that Sweetheart, it's not becoming a beautiful young woman to have a wet spot in her pants." Then with a big grin, "Especially there!"

When his feet finally hit the ground, her arms wrapped around his neck and she pulled him down for a kiss. It wasn't the kind of kiss you'd give to a friend or relative. She put a full on lover's lip lock on him and wouldn't let go. Her mouth opened slightly and she hesitantly poked her tongue out to lick his upper lip. He had no problem returning the kiss or the tongue invasion in kind. This is a gorgeous young woman.

"Chelly, leave the poor man alone. He's been on the road all day," came from the direction of the house. "He's barely got out of his truck. Good god girlie, you need to get a room."

She pulled her face back breaking the kiss and looking over her shoulder retorted, "I don't think you'd approve of what would be happening in that room mom."

Then turning around, looked lovingly into his eyes, and kissed him again. "I've really been looking forward to seeing you Bobby," she cooed softly in his ear.

She still hadn't released her grip on his neck while Judy was approaching the two of them, shaking her head with a huge grin. Chelly was still hugging him tightly when her mother came up and slapped her loudly on the butt.

"Owww, Mom. What's with that?" She turned around with a hurt look on her face.

"I told you to leave the man alone honey. At least let him get into the house and a little relaxed before you start your all out attack."

"Oh fudge, you're no fun at all," she said throwing out her lower lip in a pout.

"I'm your mother sweetheart, I'm not supposed to be fun. Remember?" she chortled with a big grin.

Bob looked at the both of them shaking his head, laughing, "You two are something else. It's gotta be why I love you both so much. Maggie too."

"You don't love me," Judy insisted with mock indignation. He didn't need any reminders that she liked girls. It was no big deal to Bob, she was still a very beautiful woman.

"I most certainly do," he replied. "I know your persuasion, but that doesn't mean I can't love you."

Judy didn't feel very comfortable with guys anymore. She had some pretty bad experiences in her life, and had gone to the "dark side" as some say. The bad experiences were totally "self induced" by her apparent inability to choose a "good man". She always seemed to go for the "users and abusers".

She just needed to find a man who would treat her like a good woman deserves to be treated, but she wouldn't even look, so the chances of finding him were pretty slim. She had a steady girlfriend for a long time, but he figured from their conversation that relationship had recently ended badly. Another loser so unfortunately Judy's record was intact. This time it was a female, but another loser nonetheless.

"Can I get you something to drink?" Judy asked. "I have just about anything you'd like." Then added with a grin, "I even went out and got some of your favorite lemonade."

He gave her a big smile and asked for lemonade with plenty of ice. After some rattling around in the kitchen, she set a full glass on a coaster in front of him then moved to sit in one of the empty chairs.

"Thank you mama," he said quietly.

Michelle had seated herself next to Bob nearly attaching her body to his. Bob had a smirk growing on his face and his eyes were dancing as he looked across the table. Judy just chuckled shaking her head.

"I'm eighteen now. I'm legal, I can do anything I want," Michelle said defensively.

"That's very true honey, but you need to learn some couth, a little subtlety. You're demonstrating the tact of a Yak in heat."

Michelle's mouth hung open hearing that description, and laughing Bob observed, "Careful young lady, you'll catch some flies, and you know crawl on and flies eat shit."

Her head snapped around to look at him, and when her eyes met his the look she saw started her laughing hysterically.

Judy had a look of amusement on her face looking at the two of them. She shook her head calmly, and took another sip of her drink. She knew what Chelly wanted, and so did he. Truth be told, she was in heat, and had been since she found out Bob was coming down. Judy also knew her daughter; she'd end up getting what she wanted.

Bob needed some information so he began softly interrogating Michelle. "Ok, Chelly there are four of you that play on the weekends, correct?" He already knew the answer but asked anyway.

"Yeah, we actually have a pretty complete band, except Maryanne doesn't want to keep playing the bass. She likes the other instruments and when she can do the other things she's so good at our play list is ten times longer. It's not that she doesn't like the bass; it's just that she has so many other things she can do. Having to play the bass is limiting her."

I can pick up the bass line on the synth, but unless I "record" the riff and just loop it, I can't really do what I need to do with orchestrations and some of the other things I do already. I don't have three hands, so we're kind of damned if we do, damned if we don't.

"Well, I can tell you that even from the demo tape I heard, she's pretty damned good at it."

"Bobby, Maryanne's good at any instrument she picks up. She did violin in the orchestra for middle school and most of high school, but when she was a freshman, she started picking up all kinds of other stuff. Drums, congas, keyboards, even a sax and flute for a while. She can fill in any instrument that we don't have when she's not doing the bass."

"It sounded to me like every one of you is very accomplished at your chosen instruments. Your keyboards are damned fine work young lady."

Michelle lowered her head blushing brightly, whispering, "Thank you Bobby. Coming from a musician that has played with 'everybody', I take that as high complements."

"I don't know whom it is playing the drums, but that girl is a wizard," he commented shaking his head wistfully.

"That's Janell. Yeah, she started drumming to take out her family frustrations on something other than her brother. When you talked to us three years ago, she decided to get serious and take them up passionately. Her biggest problem is being able to afford a really decent set. She does the best she can with the set she has. She's not poor, but a really good set of drums is really expensive."