Listen To Your Heart ~ Book One.

Peed On?

"I'll handle it."

(I go shower and change clothes. Then settle into a seat on the bus with my guitar and a notebook, as the buses head to their first destination. I begin writing the words to a song, then crumple the paper up, and leave it on the table. This is followed by a lot more crumpled paper. I couldn't find the right words.)

"Wish I had a piano."

"There's one towards the back of the bus. Unless you want to ask Billie or her brother to borrow theirs?"

"Ha! Don't feel like getting pissed on again... thanks."

(I sit at the piano, trying to come up with anything. Naturally, I couldn't think of a damn thing. Might as well play something I know.)

"That song sounded familiar."

"Yea...it's Nadia's theme, from the Young and the Restless."

"A guy who likes soap operas?"

"Yea...okay...ha ha...no wise cracks, Stephanie."

(I write down a few lyrics and eat some dinner and talk to the band and bus crew. As night falls, I keep expecting the busses to pull off somewhere, so I can join Billie on her bus...but one-night turns into two nights, and still not a word from Billie.)

(Around one a.m....we're pulling into a hotel in Dallas, Texas.)

(I'm given a hotel room key by the hotel clerk, and we're soon waiting on the elevators to take us to our floor. Billie's family had gone on the elevators first of course, followed by photographers. I made sure to keep my distance from the 'prima donna'. Later I'm in my hotel room, when I hear cheering outside the hotel.)

"What's the noise about?" I ask.

"Billie on her hotel balcony. Waving down to her fans." Stephanie replies.

"Won't that noise bother the other hotel guests?"

"You do realize that they rented out the whole damn hotel...don't you?"

"Ha....money talks. I'm guessing that I don't have any fans out there?"

"You want fans, you got to earn them you know."

(Smirks)"Thought I did that at the Van Halen concert."

"You're not touring with Van Halen...you're touring with Billie. Besides, you seriously want to get on her 'bad side' before the tour even starts?"

"Worse that can happen is, she yells at me. Won't be the first time...but I don't work for her."

(Stephanie clears her throat.)"Well...technically...you do. You agreed to take care of her dog."

"After her dog peed on me? I retire."

(As if on cue, there's a knock on the door. Stephanie goes to answer it and walks in with Billie's puppy on a leash.)

"Think this is for you."

(Sighs)"Me and my big mouth. Okay...where do I take him for a walk?"

"Ground floor. There's a dog park across the street. Here's a flashlight and some bags too."

"Bags for what? Oh, you've got to be shitting me!"

"You agreed. Besides it's the law." Stephanie replies.

"Of all the fuckin stupid...okay...okay...I'll take care of it. C'mon puppy."

(I lead the puppy towards the elevator. It refuses to go in. I tug on the leash. The puppy sits on the floor and whimpers.)

"Don't like elevators, huh? Alright."