Rose

Chapter Two

Jake led Rose in and sat her between Josh and himself.  Rose expected the room to be full of groupies and hangers-on and the girlfriends of the guys, but the room was empty except for the five of them.  She looked around and asked, "Where's everyone else?"

"What everyone else?  We're it," Sammy replied.

"Really?" asked Rose, somewhat amazed.

"Oh," said Josh, " you were expecting the 'before show' orgy, huh?"

Rose felt herself blush and Josh laughed.  He said, "Don't be embarrassed, most people assume that's the way it is.  We just go with the flow.  We do party, but never before a show."

Rose noticed the roaches in the ashtray.  "Well," Danny chimed in, "We aren't saints."  He grinned at Rose and went back to his phone.  He was texting his girlfriend Rose assumed.

Rose had no idea what to say or do.  How was she supposed to be a groupie if the guys weren't your typical rock stars?

"Would you like something to drink?" Jake asked her.

'Yeah' thought Rose, 'A huge bottle of tequila, with the worm.'

"I'll just have what you're having," she said.  Jake went to a red phone and picked it up.  It led straight to the bar.  He ordered five somethings that Rose couldn't hear and put the receiver back in its cradle.  Rose looked at Josh.  He got all serious, leaned in, and whispered, "The Batphone."

Rose laughed.  Not that it was such a great joke, but Rose was nervous and her nervous laughter was par for the course.

Josh leaned back and asked, "Do I make you nervous?"

"Well, you are Josh Kiszka.  And here I am, a nobody from Tennessee, having a drink with Greta Van Fleet.  I mean the whole thing is just bizarre!"

"Rose, everybody is a somebody.  We were just lucky we found a sound most people seem to like.  The world at large gave us this responsibility and we're going to take it for as long as they want us.  When you can make a living doing what you love, it's a blessing, you know?"

Rose knew, she just didn't know what she wanted to do.  Being a groupie for a few years, she thought she would eventually figure it out.  But that didn't entirely suit her either.  She loved music, and most of the stage clothes, but she thought she could do better.

She realized Josh was looking at her funny, and she said, "Yes, yes I know exactly what you mean."

"But you think there's more to it, huh?"

"Well, money can't hurt.  It allows you to do the things you want.  I may be somebody to somebody, and I haven't found him or her yet, but tomorrow you're off to sing in some other town, and I'm stuck here, well, not stuck, not exactly, but I have to hit the streets and find a job."

"True, the money is nice but it's not the be-all-end-all.  We really do believe in our message.  Peace, love, unity, and equality.  And we practice what we preach.  Anything wrong with that?"

"No, no, but..."

A knock came at the door and a plump woman brought in a coffee service for five.  

"You just have time for one cup, boys.  About forty-five minutes until you have to leave."

"Thanks, Pat, we remember," said Jake.

The woman Jake had addressed as Pat left the room.  Jake sat down and poured a cup of coffee for Rose, then for himself.  As Josh held out his cup.  "Pour your own damn coffee," Jake said good-naturedly.  Josh turned his gaze on Rose still holding up his cup.  Without a second thought, Rose took the pot and filled Josh's, Sam's, and Danny's cups too.

Rose realized what she had done and blushed a bit.  "Sorry," she said, "must be the waitress in me.  I just normally serve."

Josh fixed his coffee to his liking and said, "No, Rose, you weren't born to serve.  Nobody is.  It was a nice gesture, that's all."

Rose sipped her coffee black.  She just normally preferred it that way. 

"Surprised it was coffee?" asked Sam.

"A little.  Not even Irish coffee before a show?"

"We smoke a little, but that's it.  Gotta keep it tight for the fans.  I'm not saying we don't make mistakes every now and again, but usually, only we know when we fuck up unless it's major.  Jake getting his hair caught comes to mind or Sammy slipping and going down hard on his ass," grinned Josh.

"Or," retorted Jake, "When Josh is out of tune.  But he really belts those tunes out so the crowd doesn't seem to notice."

"Oh, screw you."  And all the guys laughed.

"So, Rose, how long have you lived in New York?  Not long, did you say?"

"This is my second day.  I came in by bus yesterday.  I found a room, got some sleep, and then had some breakfast this morning.  I was reading the paper and I turned to the entertainment section, and there you were."

"So, are you going to come to the show?" asked Danny.

"I can't, no ticket and frankly, no budget to buy one if one was available.  I would love to hear you play, but meeting you has been the highlight of my life ---- so far."

Josh set down his cup.  "I take it you were going to wait with the other groupies and try and get in that way?"

Rose blushed yet again.  "Yeah, I was, but you guys really don't do groupies, do you?"

The guys laughed at her choice of terminology.  When they had themselves under some sort of control, Josh answered, "Not the way you mean.  Jake, Sam, and Danny have steady girlfriends, and I, well sometimes I partake, but it's not often."

"Well," said Rose as she got up to leave, "its been a real pleasure.  Thank you, Jake, for saving my dignity and good luck on the tour."  Rose smiled at each of them and when she smiled at Josh he said, "How would you like to see the show?  For free?"

Rose looked at him.  She knew it was too good to be true.  But she had come to be a groupie, hadn't she?  Wasn't this what groupies did?

"Well, that would be excellent.  Um, what do I have to do?"

Josh looked at her oddly, then realization dawned.

"Oh, oh God no!  I just want you to be my plus-one.  This is well and truly a freebie."

"Well..."

"Look, if we make you uncomfortable and you'd rather not..."

Rose looked at Josh and only saw the sincerity in his dark brown eyes.  "No, forgive me, I'd love to see the show, it just stems from what's been happening since I was nine, and recently from my stepfather..."

Pat entered the room and said, "It's time, boys."

The guys got up, took their last swigs of coffee, and turned in the opposite direction from Pat.  "Back door," said Josh and as he walked Rose out and down a dark corridor he said, "No time now, but after the show, you owe me a story.  Deal?"

Rose nodded her head, realized Josh couldn't really see it, and said, "Deal."