We Are One (The Monkees Family Vol. 1)

Chapter 33

The guys insisted that Davy spend Saturday in bed and that Davy let Lynda go home to change her clothes and unwind before that night's gig.  They really didn't even want Davy to play the gig because they were so concerned about his health, but he insisted.  So Mike shooed Lynda out the door despite her concerns about leaving Davy's side, and then Micky pulled up a seat next to Davy's bed.

"Talk to me Davy.  How are you feeling?  What's going through your mind?  I'm here."  Micky knew that Davy had a lot of different things running his mind and wanted to allow him to let off whatever steam there was, but he had a feeling that Lynda was foremost on his list of concerns, especially given the previous chats he had had with Davy to try to nudge him in the right direction.

"Micky, I'm losing Lynda.  I think I've already lost her."  Davy was sitting up in bed, with his elbows on his knees and was running his hands through his hair, pulling at the roots in frustration.

"Davy, I'm not going to take a position on it because I haven't spoken to her about it and I don't know where her head is at, but let me ask you this.  Did you ever really have her?"

Davy dropped his hands from his head and slowly looked up at Micky as if he were having an epiphany.  His eyes widened and then he sighed in defeat.  "No, I don't suppose I really did.  That's what she was telling me last night.  In fact, I'm pretty sure she's been trying to tell me that all along.  I thought if I stayed with her and was true to her – didn't date anyone else or flirt with the groupies – that would count for something with her.  That it would show her devotion and discipline, some values that she'd admire.  And I think in my mind, I was more devoted to her than she realized, but maybe I never really got it across to her with real talk, just compliments and my usual banter." 

"So what makes you think it's over?"

"We talked last night while I was hooked up to that feedbag and I kind of forced the issue and made her admit it to me.  She told me I didn't know who she was, that all I knew was that she fit well with the image of the person I wanted as a girlfriend.  She also said that she didn't think I could change me ways."

Micky felt like he was whistling past the graveyard, having a déjà vu.  "Yeah, I've heard that speech before."

"I know!" Davy cried.  "I told Lynda that you and Gabby overcame the challenges of the past you had and have grown so close and loving and I asked her why couldn't we do the same."

"What did she say?"

"She basically said the only one I really love and care about is meself and that any bird I date is just an accessory to me ego.  She also made it sound like I'm a hardcore criminal when it comes to groupies and you were just an amateur who crossed the line but got yanked back over before any real long-term damage could be done."

Micky closed his eye in shame and remorse, as well as pity for Davy.  He was really hurting for Davy, but he also was feeling like he came close to toppling over the edge of one of those cliffs in Palos Verdes and only the love, perseverance and leap of faith that Gabby took on him had saved him from the misery that Davy was now suffering him.

"Did she break up with you for good?"

"Nah, she didn't, but I think maybe she just didn't want to dig the knife in while I was literally down and out and still have this physical hanging over me head.  But I can sense it's over.  She did say that if I wanted to get to know who she is and decided that I really liked who she is and wanted to start over and try dating her again with the right approach, she'd be willing to listen."

Micky perked up now and said "You know, that's pretty much what Gabby said to me when I asked her if she'd let me pursue her.  I said I wanted to date her, but she was so stuck on my past as what she called 'a groupie gatherer,' and she just couldn't let it go because of something awful that had happened in her past with an ex-boyfriend who cheated on her with groupies and abused her.  I told her I would like a chance to prove myself a better man and that I'd like to be her friend first.  Then she could decide whether she even liked me as a person, whether she could respect me, and whether she thought I was worthy of her love.  So that's what we did.  We became friends.  We did a lot of talking and getting to know each other, and I didn't lay a hand on her until we felt like we knew each other well enough and even then we went really slow to establish trust and make it special.