The Gemini

16 - Studio

October 30, 1988

Dez slouched in a chair, slowly swiveling from side to side, half listening to a video recording that he'd seen at least ten times in the past eighteen hours. He wasn't in the mood for any more repetitive actions right now. Roger was pissing him off. The man had been on edge more so than usual, snapping at whatever breathed and for the pettiest of reasons. Roger started in on him because his guitar was too loud; and that almost turned into a fist fight. When the leader informed the makeshift band that they would be performing live on Halloween night, Dez was excited and then the true meaning set it.

They didn't go home last night. None of them went to sleep. They all stayed up practicing like their lives depended on it. And now here they sat in the studio. What began as yet another talk about the importance of tomorrow ended up as another review, revision and lecture session. Roger had yet to dismiss them and they were all praying that it would be any minute now.

On a full rotation of his chair, Dez saw a face that rang vaguely familiar. The body that stood in the doorway was one of the most beautiful that he'd ever seen. Equaling its loveliness was her sparkling brown almond shaped eyes and the mischief there within. A finger was lifted to her lips in a 'shh' gesture. Looking around, Dez saw that he wasn't the only one to see her. Riot's sleepy cerulean eyes awakened, hardening at the sight of the other woman.

She only got three steps into the room and the tape was stopped. Dez wanted to praise the heavens but he was too tired.

"Y'all can go now." Roger spoke.

"Thank god." Riot sighed.

The group of five stood and made a beeline past Jody for the door. She watched them drone zombielike out of the room.

Sitting in the chair that Dez previously occupied, "Long day?"

"Long night, long morning." Rubbing his eyes, yawning, "What time is it?" Roger asked.

"I don't wear watches. But the clock in the car...." A pause to remember, "I'm pretty sure its a little past five." She watched him rub at his eyes again. He looked absolutely depleted. "Have you been up all night?"

"When you got motherfuckers making dumbass mistakes you have to." Words were bitter laced, inside flickered the memory of hours before. Hand on the back of his head, he eyed the brown paper bag that Jody held out. "What's this?"

"Just a little something." At his hesitation, she sat it in his lap. "Open it, it's not gonna kill you."

Unraveling its neat fold, he took out the styrofoam takeaway box it contained. Lifting the top he smiled. "Chocolate mousse cake."

"Tada!" Jody said brightly. "I was feeling generous earlier. Which I see was a good thing because you look stressed as hell right now."

"Understatement." He swiped at the icing with his finger and sucked it off.

"You know they say chocolate is a stress reliever, like sex." His action and her saucy reply coinciding. "There's a fork in there."

He found the utensil at the bottom of the bag and wasted no time breaking off a nice sized bite. It was the first thing he'd eaten all day. "Thank you." He said with a full mouth.

"Mhm."

While he ate, Jody took a look around room. She'd been inside of a couple of studios before but they looked nothing like this one. Scanning over the buttons, switches, and levers of the mixing board before them she resisted her want to touch.

"How do you afford all of this fancy shit? You loaded or something?"

"No."

"Rob banks in your free time? I can't picture you with a 9 to 5."