15.

"You guys . . ," said Sam, looking at each member of the band in turn. "This song Rhin just played. . . There's a saying, you know, don't miss the diamonds in your own backyard, so don't go out looking all over the world for wealth and riches cause it's right in your own backyard. This fucking tune. . . You guys played one fucking original tune written by a guy who isn't in your fucking band anymore. So what the fuck is original about that? Every tune you played all night was written by guys who aren't in your band. You know what I mean?"
"I agree completely," said Rhin.
"Yeah, well . . ." started Jammer.
"You'd get along with Scottie, our road manager," said Kelly.
"Well where's he?" asked Bette.
"Back in North Carolina," said Kelly.
"That's where we're based," said Rhin.
"So your road manager is back at home," said Sam.
Dex laughed. "Yeah."
"Well what does that make you Jammer?" asked Bette.
"I'm . . ."
"Equipment flunky," said Rhin.
"Hey," said Jammer. "Who is it who got us this gig?"
"So what?," she said. "You called school friend Lou. Big deal."
"Who calls the shots?" asked Sam.
"What about the shows at Fayetteville?" asked Jammer.
"Oh great one," said Rhin.
"Fayette-nam," said Dex. Kelly and Rhin laughed.
"Who calls the fucking shots?" insisted Sam.
Silence, then Kelly said, "Joe."
"Joe's our real manager," said Rhin.
"Where's Joe?" asked Bette.
"Joe is . . . ," said Kelly. He looked at Dex. "Where is Joe, anyway?"
"Joe is out to lunch," said Dex.
"Joe is probably getting another divorce," said Rhin.
"Joe's in New Orleans," said Jammer.
"Getting started on the next marriage," said Kelly.
"Siring the new master race," said Rhin. She and Kelly started laughing.
"He's a bit high on himself," she explained.
"Well does he want to make money?" asked Sam.
"Well yeah, of course," said Jammer.
"So, you tell this fucking asshole that you've got some original material that will affect the audience."
"Yeah, you'd definitely get along with Scottie," said Kelly.
"It won't work. He won't go for it," said Jammer.
"Why the fuck not?" asked Sam.
"It's not him, or us. It's the owners, like Lou. People are on vacation and want to hear their favorites, you know."
"You mean the same shit they hear at home," said Sam.
"Right," said Rhin. "Exactly."
"I thought your song was a real pretty love song Rhin," said Bette. "I mean, I'd like to hear it. It's nice it's yours too. Knowing you wrote it."
"That's cause it's not just the same old fucking thing," said Sam.
"There's ten-thousand cover bands to your one, and no one will ever remember you unless you play them something with your name on it."
"Oh I don't know," said Jammer. "A lot of people remember us when we play the same place twice. Even here. We played here a year ago and we get people saying they liked us before."
"I remember you," said Alec.
Dex snorted one of the lines with a rolled up dollar bill. Jammer said, "My God Dex these are earthworms." He snorted one of the lines and stood up and walked out to the balcony. Dex followed him.
"You may as well save your breath Sam," said Rhin. "It's an old argument." She leaned over and did half of a line. "They're convinced our audience would fly out of the club in horror if we played anything . . ."
She did the rest. ". . .nearer to the heart than the pap they've grown used to on the radio. We play for Top 40 zombies."
"That's just a bit cynical, don't you think?" said Alec.
"You're damn right," said Bette, taking her turn at the table.
"When have you got to play your own shit?" asked Sam.
"Plenty of times," said Rhin. She looked at Kelly.
"They seem to like Considerate Stranger."
"Yep," said Kelly, doing a line. "We should definitely include that."
"We should just play 'em tomorrow," said Kelly. "Fuck his set list."
"We should," said Rhin.
"Okay," said Kelly.
"Okay," said Rhin. She smiled at Kelly. "Let's."
Jammer came back and asked, "How do you turn the light on in the jacuzzi?" He walked to a panel of lights and flipped several switches. Lights went on and off in the room.
"It's out," said Alec. "It's never worked." He did a line.
"Well I'm gonna get wet," said Jammer. Taking his shirt off, he walked out again. Dex was naked and was stepping into the jacuzzi.
"I swear," said Bette, looking out at Dex and Jammer.
"Moon's out tonight." She went out to the deck.
Sam snorted his line, stood up, and said, "Time for tunes." He walked up to the compass and put on a disc. Loud guitar jolted the room at once.
Alec yelled, "Hey. Turn it down."
"Blow it out your ass, Alec." He half-danced his way down to the couch and sat next to Rhin. "'You know you are a cute little heartbreaker.'"
"Here he goes," said Alec to Rhin. "The perfect gentleman."
Sam eyed Alec while he pulled out a joint from his shirt pocket. "Ooh. Them's fightin' words. Hey Alec, you know what you remind me of?" He lit the joint and inhaled three times quickly. "You're the kid everyone wished would stay home but sticks around anyway." He passed the joint to Rhin.
"Coming from you that really worries me."
"Alec, Alec. Don't you know you're not wanted here? Peg couldn't believe you came here." Alec waved off the offered joint from Rhin. Sam took it back from her. "Peg doesn't want you here Alec."
"Well I'm glad you know her so well after one night together." Rhin raised her eyebrows. She looked at Sam.
"You are a blind motherfucker, man." He took a hit and passed it to Rhin.
"You're down a day and you think you know her," said Alec.
"It doesn't take a lot to know someone's sick to death of someone else's bullshit manipulative controlling attitude and wants out."
"Listen to you. I ought to tape this."
"Maybe you should have taped your phone call to her this morning. Maybe if you listened to it ten hundred times you might finally catch on that you're not wanted."
"Hey boys," said Rhin. "Cool your jets. We're having fun."
"Peg's got a million and one moods to her," said Alec. "Tomorrow she'll be a different woman and it'll all be the same as before."
"Dream on, buddy. She's a lot smarter than that."
"Look Sam. You can have her. Is that what you want? You can have her. You have my complete blessing."
Sam laughed. "Hey maybe we need a lawyer for this. You got the deed with you?" He put out the joint with his tongue and put it back in his pocket.
"Guys cool it."
"Rhin, you can be a witness," said Sam. He leaned toward the table, snorted a line quickly and said, "You are good for one thing Alec." He
stood up. "You brought blow."