Sheet Music - A Rock 'n' Roll Love Story
- Автор: Lister Ann
- Серия: Sheet Music #1
- Год: 2011
- Язык: голландский
- Год: Lulu.com
- ISBN: 9781105173578
- Жанр: Прочая древняя литература
Электронная книга - «Sheet Music - A Rock 'n' Roll Love Story». Краткое содержание книги:
Almost daily, he called Doctor Ramos from Boston, asking for an update on her condition. She was doing as well as expected. That was their standard reply. But no effort was ever made by Annie to contact him. When he asked if he could attend family day to show support for her, through her doctor, she refused his request. When Michael called two months later he was told she had discharged herself with no further information. His next call was to Jimmy at Lola’s to see if Annie was performing in the area clubs. Jimmy did some checking and called back with a confirmation. Annie was indeed still on the island and performing sporadically but obviously did not want further contact from him. The reality of that hurt him deeply.
So, that was how it was going to end for them, he thought? He had too much emotionally invested in her to let it slip away. Everyone around him, especially Brian, urged him to let her go, and move on with his life. It wasn’t as easy as they made it sound. Nothing ever was.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Annie ignored the first two rings of the telephone, thinking it was merely part of her dream. Only after the sixth ring did she realize it wasn’t. She searched the nightstand beside her bed, aimlessly groping for the receiver in an effort to stop the incessant noise.
“Hello,” she said in an irritated voice, while one eye strained to read the time on her alarm clock.
“Well, you’re a hard woman to track down,” a raspy male voice replied in her ear.
“Who’s this?” she asked, her sleepy brain struggling to recognize the vaguely familiar vocal tone.
“You mean, you don’t recognize my voice?”
“No, and frankly, it’s too damn early to be playing the guessing game too!”
“Annie, it’s Brian.”
“Brian who?”
“Brian Lofgren,” he replied, with tension in his voice. “Exactly how many Brians do you know?”
“It’s nine o’clock in the morning, Brian. What can I do for you?”
“Well, I’m glad to hear you haven’t lost your spunk.”
“Is that what you call it?”
“Annie, I’m calling about Mike,” Brian blurted, the levity evaporating from his tone. “I know you don’t want to hear this, but…”
“Has something happened to him?” she asked, cutting Brian off in mid-sentence, and sitting upright in her bed.
“No, not physically but it’s nice to hear the concern in your voice. That must mean you still care for the bastard.”
“Maybe,” she sighed. “But in the big scheme of things, it doesn’t really matter, does it.”
“Look, Annie. I don’t know exactly what happened between you two and it’s really none of my business. What I do know is, it’s been over six months since you split up and Michael is still moping around as if his life is over. He’s been useless as a musician, fumbling his way through gig after gig, with an annoying ‘fuck all’ attitude that is destroying the unity of the band.”
“He’s not back on drugs is he?”
“No. Management suspected the same thing and hauled his sorry ass in for a piss test. He passed it with flying colors but not without a mountain of verbal abuse aimed at anyone involved in what he now refers to as ‘the conspiracy’. I’m telling you, he’s out of his mind.”
Annie pushed the hair out of her eyes and exhaled heavily. “What are you expecting me to do with this information, Brian?”
“I love Mike as a blood brother. I can’t stand by and watch him disintegrate before my eyes without attempting to put his life back in order for him. Besides, the unity of the band is also at stake. If the guys don’t vote to have him kicked out, I’m seriously afraid he’s thinking of quitting. It’s that bad. He’s lost his creative drive and his spirit is slowly withering away.”
“You’re not painting a pretty picture,” Annie replied.
“I’m not trying to.”
“So, what do you want from me?”
“I want you to come and see him.”
“Oh, Brian, I was afraid that’s where this was leading. I don’t think I could do that. Besides, I thought he had a girlfriend. Why can’t she deal with this?”
“Let me guess, you’ve been reading the music rags at the grocery store check-out?”
“Maybe, but that’s not the point. I just assumed by now he’d be with someone else.”
“Nope. Personally, I think he’s secretly preparing for a career in the priesthood.”
“Michael as a priest? He wouldn’t last a day! It would mean he’d have to get out of bed before noon on Sundays and no musician likes to do that.” Annie giggled nervously, unsure why she was so relieved to hear no one was sharing Michael’s life.
“How about you, are you seeing anyone?” Brian asked.
“No,” she quickly replied.
“Great! We’re scheduled to play at the FleetCenter in Boston next Friday and Saturday nights. I’ll send you tickets, backstage passes, transportation, whatever it takes to get you there, as long as you come.”
“Jesus, Brian! In all seriousness it sounds like you’re trying to get us back together and I really don’t think that’s possible.”
“Then come see him as a friend. That’s all I’m asking.”
“Brian, you don’t understand.”
“Mike was there for you when you needed him, twice if memory serves me right. He needs you now. Come to the concert and listen to the crap he’s subjecting the audiences’ ears to, then afterwards, maybe you two can sit down and talk through your differences. I’ve known Mike a very long time, Annie. And I can honestly say I’ve never seen him as happy and content as he was when you were with him. I know he’s a very difficult person to get along with, but, I also know soul mates when I see them. It’s the poet in me. I’m eternally looking for the happy ending to everyone’s life story. As for Mike, I believe his happy ending revolves around you.”
“Brian, you’re putting a lot of pressure on me to make something work that I’m not sure is a reasonable conclusion.”
“I know. I know. I don’t mean to come off sounding this desperate, but I guess I am. If we lose Mike, the band is history, and honestly, I don’t know if I can handle that. Besides my wife and kids, the guys in the band are the closest thing I have to family.”
“You’re not being fair to me,” she said softly. “What happens if I agree to meet with Michael and we decide to keep things the way they are between us?”
“Then at least I know we tried.”
“You have no idea of the living hell I’ve been through over the past year,” Annie said, her voice pitching an octave higher as she attempted to control her temper.
“Are you referring to your addiction to the pain killers?” he asked.
“That was the easy part. The pills were an escape from the real torment I was dealing with,” she continued, wiping loose tears from her cheeks.
“I’m listening, if you want to tell me about it,” Brian suggested, his demeanor softening as he felt Annie’s pain wafting through the phone. “I know you’ve been through a lot and you must think I’m a total asshole for shoveling more shit into your lap. If you want, we can forget I ever made this phone call. Mike will never know we talked, and you can go on with your recovery. Would you like to do that?”
There was a long pause on the other end and Brian feared the worst. In no uncertain terms did he want Annie to give up and walk away from Mike. Selfish as it was, he was willing to do anything necessary to save his band. No matter what the cost, he at least had to get Michael and Annie back in the same room together. Fate would fix the rest. He was sure of that.