Spoiler atlert!
It's a looooonog chapter. . . Enjoy
**
It was so nice to have someone to show off to the guys again. After the third divorce, Brian was sure that attatchment to anyone was done for. It would be high school all over again. He'd be one lonely sex-obsessed man with too much time and so many ideas for artwork to be allowed. It seemed like fate had physically pushed him into that taxi all those weeks ago just so he could have one last shot at love.
Alice was just what he needed.
She persisted in talking about art and love. Two things that gravitated in the periphery of his mind for years but never really thought about as individual concepts. Both were his reason for being. She seemed to put them into different perspectives. She was so god damned smart.
He looked at her in the passenger seat. She was excited to meet the band, her big green eyes were sparkling in the moon light as she looked out the window. The bright city flying by. His eyes went back to the road, making a left turn.
What was it with her? He's made moves before- lots of times- but they bounce off of her like quarters. (Agh god, sexual!)
A phone rang.
"Sorry, that's mine." Alice said, fumbling in the pockets of the jacket on her lap. "Hello?"
She listened.
Brian returned to driving. They were driving to the Xiekrit club down town (Xiekrit pronounced secret) where only vacationing celebrities knew where it was and how to get in. He had his own booth in the VIP section.
"Dumbass."
"Me?" Brian said, just in time to watch her snap her phone closed.
"No! Some idiot just called me. I don't know what it was."
"Well, it isn't Nick Simmons." He returned.
"You mean Nick Simmons-Simmons; like Jean Simmon's son?"
"Nick," he explained, making another left, "Just had his phone stolen or lost or something and I got a few crank calls from some kid in California or some bullshit."
"Highly doubt he has my number." Eyes meeting his, she stopped.
"I know. I was just hoping you'd laugh." Her laugh was nice.
Her phone rang again. She picked it up.
"Stop calling me." she demanded. "Hello?" She listened. Then hung up.
"Give me your phone."
He used his left hand to steer and dialed *69 on her Motorola cellphone with the other. He put it on speaker.
'.....'
"Hello?" Brian said aloud.
'.....'
"Don't fucking call again asshole. I know who you are." He was just bluffing, he let Alice know that by offishly shaking his head.
"...Do you? Manson?" They hung up.
Alice looked at him, panicked.
"Oh my god how did they know who you were?"
It was his responsibility to make her welcome in this new life of theirs. This wasn't going to fly. It was so unfortunate seeing her scared, like a bird with broken wings.
"They recognize my voice. They sounded my generation, so they must've listened to my music, then." He dared to place his hand on her shoulder, her skin was icy, he felt soothed and hoped she did too, "Don't worry about it."
