Broken Song (10 page)

Then she hit a bank and withdrew a couple thousand dollars in various denominations of ones, fives, tens and twenties.  That kind of struck me as odd until we cruised her neighborhood and until we spotted Leo.  She pulled up beside him and lowered her window and held a ten out to him.  I immediately remembered her interactions with him and the seed money she used for Alice.  That explained the various denominations.

She cutely said, “Sup Leo.”

He grabbed the bill that she wouldn't release.  “Sup Dandelion.”

She smiled at him. “You get the word from Randy?”

He nodded. “Yup.  On my way now to get the freshie family to the shelter.”

The cute blonde imp released the ten.  “Solid.”

Leo grinned at her. “Solid.”  Then he was back on his way like no interaction had occurred.

I tilted my head and looked at her as we drove toward her place.  “You seem to pay Leo constantly for info or actions on his part.  Wouldn't it be better all around if you just hired him on a retainer for the service?  Get him of the streets?”

She stopped the car quickly at the curb and said, “Oh God no!  I'd never insult him like that, and he'd never take it.  You don't understand what is going through his head all day every day, he's a tortured soul.  He finds peace with the simplicity of the street.  He can connect with people, feel a part of things without the crushing guilt of a 'normal' life knowing the man he killed can never have that.  He's a lifer for the most part, though he will accept a cot and soup line if he feels he earned it by helping me help others.  What he does for me, he gets paid for, it is our unspoken arrangement.  I'd never insult him with charity either, he earns what I give him.  I know it is a hard concept for most, but he is really one of the best people I have ever known.  He is one of my best friends.”

I tilted my head the other way as I regarded the blonde beauty and what she was saying.  I could see what she was saying just from the limited contact I have had with Leo.  She seemed to have this uncanny knack for seeing into the hearts of everyone she meets.  I couldn't stop the smile forming on my lips. This woman was a rare creature and my heart started beating a little bit faster as I watched her own smile form on her lips again.

We were still stopped and she was staring in her rear view mirror.  “Watch,” she said.  I looked back and saw Leo walking along just a block back, and as he passed another homeless man, he dropped the ten in the man's hat.  I glanced back at her and she was still staring in the rear-view mirror with a wistful smile full of pride.  “He only keeps what he needs.”  Then she looked at me like she was daring me to say anything.  I only smiled and she started us moving again.

Once we hit her apartment again, we brought the dogs back to the park.  She was texting the whole time we were discussing just about every topic and every tangent she forked onto.

That was another thing that didn't quite mesh with the simple personality she projected.  There wasn't a single bit of distraction in her as she dealt with the “business” on her phone as she chatted so easily with me.  She was a born multitasker.

When we returned, she shot me a knee buckling mischievous smile.  “Let's get ready for some clubbing.  We can decompress from the day.”

I didn't really want to go, but how in the hell can you say no to that seductive smile of hers?  I had been fixated on her lips after our kiss earlier.  I wanted more.

A stray thought came into my head.  We had been doing things non-stop all day and she didn't seem to be giving me any breathing room to relax or think...  the darkness and despair started seeping into me again at the thought.  Was she doing this purposely so I didn't think of how fuc... umm...  friggin messed up my life had become.  Her world was not the cruel place the rest of us live in.  My cancer started taking up all of my thoughts now.  The fear, the anger.  Was she submerging me into her world so I wouldn't dwell on how I can take away all the pain with a simple step off a railing?

I was snapped out of my downward spiral by a warm hand on my cheek that I leaned into desperately.  Her voice was a lower register than normal, tinged with concern.  “Stay with me Penny. Don't go there in your head.  You're mine for forty eight hours remember?  So come on; get ready, I want to dance with you.”  She shot me a dazzling smile and kissed my lips softly then handed me some clothes from our purchases today.

I got lost in her sparkling grey eyes again and nodded and started getting ready while she got ready.  Damn she was hot in her clubbing gear.  Then she fed the animals and made a light salad for us to munch on while we watched the evening news.

There was another report about that female soldier who been in the news so much the past couple years.  She had been in another firefight and the men in her group were praising her uncanny ability with weapons, saying she was able to hold off the enemy until backup troops arrived when they had all run low on ammo.

I shook my head, that woman was pretty spectacular.  I could see that San had the same opinion as she watched.  She turned to me. “She's from Washington, you know.  Vancouver.”  She said with an air of pride.

I smiled. “Cool.  I didn't know that.”

She took a breath as she turned off the television.  “Ready to cut a rug, lady?” I tried to stop my smile and failed as I nodded and we started for the door to head off to the Ballyhoo.

This will be so odd.  I had played at the Ballyhoo the year they opened.  The same year Leather and Heels got signed.  Just like Seattle, I haven't seen it since I got married.  That thought got me thinking. It was almost like I gave up my previous life for Victor and the record label, odd I never saw it happening at the time.

Sandra stepped aside before we reached her door and started looking bashful again as she called someone on the phone.  “Hi Jane!  Just wanted to let you know I'm heading to the Ballyhoo tonight... no... no not alone, I know the rule.  Penny is going with me.  She's... no Crystal knows her.  Oh... OK.  I'll call you when I get home.  I love you bunches, too.  Bye.”  She hung up and excitedly grabbed my hand then dragged me out to the car.

It was a short drive before we were pulling up the the warehouse building that the club was in, and it looked just as glamorous and popular as it was back in the day.  Though it was relatively early in the night, the line stretched the entire length of the building.

We hopped out and before I knew it she was excitedly dragging me to the doors.  I was a little shocked.  I mean, I'm used to bypassing the lines because of my fame but I didn't expect her to use that, especially with how careful she has been trying to hide it.

But that thought died in its infancy as we approached the heavyset woman on a stool at the door and she turned to see us approaching and she smiled hugely at Sandra.  She stood quickly and hugged Sandra and got a kiss on her cheek from my impish blondie.  “San!  Long time no see cutie!”

Sandra was blushing deeply now.  Then glanced at me.  “Hi Minnie.  I'd like you to meet my friend Penny.”  Minnie started glaring at me as she still had an arm around Sandra protectively before recognition lit her eyes.  Before she could say anything Sandra said with a quick tone, “Just Penny tonight.” Again I was struck by how protective everyone was about her, well I've been feeling the same way too so I totally understand.

Minnie shook my hand.  “Pleased to meet you Penny.”  But she didn't release my hand until she added, “You take care of our girl in there OK?”  There was a warning of the pain to be had if I didn't, burning in her eyes.

I just smiled. “Will do Minnie.  And it was a pleasure to meet you too.”

Then Minnie smiled at us. “Go on in ladies.  Have a great time!”  To the protestations of the people waiting in line that were silenced by a fierce glare from Minnie.  I almost snorted.  She was my kind of people.

I was dragged through the doors by the giggling blonde dervish holding my hand and pulled up to the bar.  The cute thirty something woman who was tending bar looked to be a year or two younger than San and lit up like a Christmas tree when she spotted the blondie. 
Hmm... I have no clue how old Sandra is... thirty five-ish?

She ducked under the bar squealing, “San!  I haven't seen you in over a year!” She engulfed Sandra in a big hug and was rewarded by a kiss on the cheek from my smiling companion.

The imp giggled. “Hi Maggie!  How's Xander?  Oh, this is my friend...”

Maggie turned to me and finished Sandra's sentence, “Penny.  Just Penny.  I know, Minnie messaged a moment ago.”  She gave me a conspiratorial wink then turned back to to San.  “I think Xander is going to pop the question tomorrow!  He set up reservations at Alessandro's somehow!  I think I detect one of Crystal's markers in play there.”

They did a giggly shared squeal then she ducked back under the bar.  “What can I get you girls?”

Sandra shot me a look I couldn't decipher and spoke before I could,  “We're not drinking tonight Maggie.”  She raised her eyebrows, “So? Water? Cola?”

I smiled at her, knowing she knew I had stopped drinking for my girls.  “Cola would be fine.” Then the imp turned back to Maggie and held up two fingers.  I started dwelling on the fact that my daughters wanted nothing to do with me.

Sandra was shaking my arm from side to side by our laced fingers.  When did she do that?  “Hey. Tonight is for fun, not thinking,” she scolded.

We got our drinks and moved over to get a table, luckily it was early and there were still a couple open.  As we sat the piped in music stopped and the live cover band, Vortex was introduced.  They started with a fun cover of Amber LaLanie's 'Kick It Up!'.  Damn, these guys were good!

A super cute intense face was suddenly smiling in my vision.  “Dance with me!”  She demanded.
Jesus, how could you say no to that sheer amount of cuteness?!

I laughed as she bounced out to the floor with me in tow.  Then I was floored again; this girl had moves!  She seemed a part of the music injected with ten times the fun as she swayed and bounced and moved with a fluid grace.  There was nothing overtly sexual about the way she was dancing but oh my gawd was it turning me on!  In spades!

Before I knew it I was having more fun than I can remember, dancing and bobbing out on that dance floor with her.  I seriously couldn't tell you how many more couples were out on the floor with us, at the moment I only had eyes for her.

The song ended and that crazy popular song, Snowflakes by Satin Thunder was next.  She squealed and we just kept dancing.  I was having the time of my life with her.  When the song ended she dragged me back to the table.  She seems to have taken control of everything today.  Being a control freak like me, it was odd that I wasn't fighting her.

Almost immediately after we sat, girls were trying to get her to dance.  Others were offering her drinks that she politely declined.  I was getting a little pissed off, couldn't they see she was with me?  They were all ignoring me.  Then one girl sat down at the table without being asked.  She put her back to me and started trying to egg Sandra into drinking some shots with her.

San turned her down.  The red headed girl got belligerent saying, “You're just as stupid as ever.  Why are you MILF slumming with her when I can show you so much more of a good time?”

That was it, I stood, knocking my chair over and as the girl turned toward me with a smirk that quickly turned to fear when she saw my cocked fist.  “Nobody insults Sandra, bitch!” I started to swing but my arm didn't budge.  I looked back and Minnie was there, holding my arm back and grinning at the red head.  I swear it was like a shark who had spotted prey.

She turned to me and spoke in my ear so nobody could hear,  “You don't want to be doing that.  I'd have to kick you out.  Let me take care of bitcherella here.”  Then she winked at me.

I couldn't stop my smile as she released my arm and said, “You!  Firetop, get the hell out.  This is the last time I eject you before you are banned Lori!  You got it?”

The girl stood in a huff and shot me a glare then left.  Calling back to Sandra, “Stupid simpleton bitch.”  To which Minnie cuffed the back of her head.

Sandra looked deflated, like she was on the verge of tears.  I went quickly to her side.  I looked directly in her eyes.  “You're not stupid.  You understand?  Actually your pretty much a frigging genius for not hooking up with that bitch.”  This got me a tiny smile.  Then I leaned in slowly and deliberately, so she knew that I knew what I was doing, and giving her a chance to pull back, and kissed her gently on the lips. Our lips lingered there for a few seconds.  God I was tingling.

She giggled and blushed and was dragging me again to the dance floor near the stage.  A slower song started, a ballad.  And we wordlessly just held onto each other closely and swayed to the music with her head on my shoulder.  It felt like it belonged there to me, but that is where this perfect moment all fell apart.

The next song was one of mine, Leather and Heels, Slapped.  This alone started me spiraling down the rabbit hole again.  But the band suddenly stopped and we looked over and Vortex's lead singer was looking at me as he spoke into the microphone.  “Ladies!  It appears we have a celebrity in our midst! Penny Franklin from Leather and Heels!”  Cheering erupted as he spoke,  “Maybe if you cheer real loud we can encourage her to sing a song!”

The cheering doubled and Sandra was grasping my hand tightly and shooting an apology to me. “I'm so sorry Penny.  Let's just go home.”  I'm sure I looked like a mouse cornered by a barn cat.  I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.  I slumped my shoulders in defeat.  “It's OK San.  I'll be right back.”  The cruel part of my personality thought, 
Fine, if they want a song, I'll give them one, but not what they are expecting.