Buckingham Nicks-Part II of Fritz Series

He had a Nasty Reputation as a Cruel Dude

****NSFW, also just a warning for this one there is implied dating violence in this part****

"Ladies and gentlemen please welcome to the stage Buckingham Nicks!" Stevie and I walk out hand in hand as the audience in the arena erupts in applause. There are about ten thousand of them, a sold-out show. When I first started in Fritz we were lucky to attract ten people, now here we are at the Fillmore in San Francisco with an enthusiastic audience Bob is still out so Don is filling in for him. He keeps telling me him and Glenn are working on getting a group together. I'll believe it when I see it.

We start off as usual with Rhiannon, Stevie puts her whole heart and soul into the song, but twirls less. The extra weight she's gaining has thrown her balance off and she's currently teetering on some seriously high pumps. By the end of the show she's exhausted holding her belly and sipping a cup of tea. Robin sits next to her as they flip through a fashion magazine remarking on different outfits.

I look around trying to locate Don, he's usually attached to Robin at the hip. When I ask Robin gets looks apprehensive but finally answers "He's probably off somewhere with someone, who knows" Stevie's look tells me to drop it, so I do. "Say Buck is there anymore whiskey in here?" Jeff X, formerly Kalimba Formerly, Rev peeks in our room. We've rented the entire top floor of the Hilton and currently three or four parties are taking place up and down the hall.

"I think I have a bottle in my gig bag" I check and I find that I do "Don't drink too much" I say and he grins "Never, you know me" I do that's why I remind him Janet peeks in and snags him by the waist waving at Stevie and Robin. "You don't want to join the party honey?" I look up from my guitar as I work on Storms "Not really". And it's true, it's not really the same when she's not there. And because she doesn't want to expose the baby to a Smokey room, she's more or less imposed an after-party embargo on herself.

Hearing a familiar southern drawl, we all look up as Don practically falls into the room some brunette clinging to his shoulders. He looks at us and snickers "oops, sorry folks" Robin turns and buries her nose in the magazine again, Stevie hugs her shoulders whispering something to her. I hear a soft sob and Robin hugs her back. What in the hell is going on? "Robin's going to stay in our room honey". Fantastic. I mumble in acknowledgment wondering when Donny boy stared sleeping around.

I need a drink.

"I'm going to grab a beer, I'll be back" Stevie squeezes my hand and I bend down to kiss her temple. Walking down the smoke-filled tunnels I pass party goers around every corner. When did this become so much of our career that it doesn't faze me in the slightest? There's music coming from the room at the end, and I watch as someone holds Brian upside down over a keg. Should be some beer in here. No one bothers to look up from their revelry as I unobtrusively snag a beer from a cooler and walk out.

Don, is in the room across the hall getting to know his female companion. I clear my throat and he looks up "Whats up Buck?" he grins sucking down what I know to be a flask of his favorite beverage. "Nothing much, Robin know you're doing that?" I don't mean to sound accusatory it just comes out that way. "Robin and me are fine. Mind your own business" my arms cross "Well she's my wife's best friend, so it kind of is my business. You're pretty fucking low down for doing this man, or maybe you can't tell she's in love with you?".

Don, looks at the brunette in his lap tilting his head toward the door "Get lost will you" scoffing she flounces from the room wobbling toward the next available warm body. "Since when do you give a shit about Rob huh? My understanding is that you tolerate her for Stevie's sake." Well, that's not one-hundred percent true, but if Robin's unhappy then Stevie's unhappy which means I'm unhappy. And Lindsey likes to be happy.