The Gods of Rock 'n' Roll

Don't Get Any Ideas: Phillip

Chapter Seven

Her voice lured him away from the bar to the front of the stage. He barely heard his friend Jonas.

"My niece has had a really rough time. It's good to hear her sing again."

Phillip's head spun around. "Did you say your niece?"

Jonas frowned, taking on a concerned parent, or at least older brother expression. "Yeah. My niece. So don't get any ideas about her."

"Too late, my friend. You know what she is, don't you?"

Jonas was one of the few mortals that Phillip had confided in about his "otherworldly status." Jonas was an incredibly talented musician who would never be persuaded to sign with him. When he became suspicious, Phillip invited him to play at Neither Here Nor There...and dropped all glamour. He'd tried to tempt him by having him sit in with Bon Scott one night, but Jonas hightailed it out of there before Phillip could explain. Jonas had refused to see him for a long time.

"She's immensely talented. More than either of us. She also has more integrity than any person I've ever met. She'll never sign with you."

Oh, Jonas my old friend, Phillip thought to himself. It's too late for that. I want her for much more than a contract.

Allison had spotted them talking and was frowning down at them as she finished her song. The crowd roared and wouldn't shush for several minutes. Phillip took the distraction to slip away from Jonas to the sidestage, where he removed his jacket and tie, grabbed a guitar, and stepped out on stage. He heard Jonas shout his name behind him, but this was happening. He was going to play with this muse. His muse.

Allison stared blankly at him as he started to play the first duet that came to him. When he started singing, she burst out laughing, not losing a beat. He'd launched into Stevie Nicks' part of "Leather and Lace" with gusto, his voice quickly shaking off the rust of being dormant so long.

She joined him for the chorus and the power of their voices together rang out through the club. The crowd held their collective breath and paid absolute attention to them. When it was time for Don Henley's part, he hoped desperately she'd pick it up. He yearned to hear the words spill from her lips, even though he knew they meant nothing to her except a way to pay tribute to artists that came before her.

She sang circles around him! He was so turned on by the power coming from her, he almost forgot to play the chords. He was so enraptured he didn't feel the presence from his past lurking in the shadows.

They hit the final notes together and the crowd took several beats to recover before the applause became deafening. Phillip wished he could capture the glow behind her smile. The joy she exuded at that moment could hold him for the rest of his days.

She wasn't finished with him, not by a long shot. She took control of the situation by swapping guitars with one of the band members. She whispered in the guy's ear and then turned back to face Phillip as she launched into the opening chords of "Magnet and Steel" by Walter Egan. He cut in with "Escape/The Pina Colada" song and had her cracking up again. They dueled back and forth with old hits from the 70s until their voices were hoarse and the band was too exhausted to play anymore.

"I guess we need to take a break," Allison said to the crowd as she sheepishly tucked her long black hair behind her ears. "Thank you all, so much, for humoring me and my seventies fixation."

She set the guitar on the stand and hurried off the stage, disappearing into the ladies' room before Phillip could catch her. The door slammed in his face and once again she'd left him speechless. He paced until Jonas found him.