Chapter 8-Danny Says
I think I ran every red light on my way to my house. Every bad scenario from Desi being hurt in an accident to my mom setting the house on fire flashed through my mind. A memory of my mother laying in a hospital bed, pale faced and crying, ran through my mind as well and made me sick to my stomach. I pressed on the gas pedal harder.
When I reached my driveway, I jumped out of my idling car and ran to my front door. Sitting on the door step with her elbows propped on her knees and a bored expression was my sister and next to her was my mother fumbling with her purse.
“What happened? Are you ok?” My voice came out frantic as I inspected my sister for any signs of injury.
“Mom locked us out of the house.” Her tone matched her face.
“What?”
“She left the house keys on the counter.”
I dropped on my knees and exhaled deeply. My heart rate began to slow down as I tried to wrap my head around how this was even possible. “So you’re ok?” I needed to be reassured. Desi nodded.
“I could have sworn I grabbed them on my way out. My mom was still digging in her purse looking for something we all knew wasn’t there. I pulled my keys out with saying a word and unlocked the door.
“Desi,” I said as soon as we got in “go upstairs. I’ll be there in a minute.”
She looked at my mom and then back at me and went upstairs without any argument. Once she was out of earshot, I went off.
“911? Really?!” I yelled. “Who texts 911 when they leave their keys at home? You left no explanation and I nearly had an aneurism worrying about what might have happened!”
“Well. I had to make sure you would make it home quickly.”
“I would have left immediately if you told me the truth, especially knowing that Desi was with you.”
“You’re too pretty to worry so much Layla.” She lit up a joint and happily puffed away. Everything I said went in one ear and out the other. It was like talking to a brick wall.
“Do you ever think about anyone but yourself?” She stayed quiet. “I thought so. The next time I see a 911 text, you better be dying.” I turned and stormed off.
“I was dying!” She called out as I slammed my bedroom door.
I checked on Desi as soon as I calmed down. It was no surprise that her earbuds were tucked securely in her ear. She loved getting lost in the music.
“What are you listening to now?”
“The Ramones.”
“You’re a weird kid…with great taste in music.” I sat on the edge of her bed and collapsed.
“I didn’t know she texted you that.” She said after a few minutes of silence.
I shrugged. “I freaked out when I saw it. I was worried something happened to you.”
“You were worried about mom too.” She stated. “That means you still care about her.”
“I wish I didn’t.” I admitted. “But I can’t help it.”
She nodded in understanding. “Whats going to happen to me when you go to college?”
“Hey,” I sat up and scooted next to her, “you don’t have to worry about that. Where I go, you go.” She seemed reassured by that answer. “Now hand me a bud so I can listen with you.” Desi obliged.
We sat there for hours, listening to various artists until Desi fell asleep. I was on the verge of passing out myself when my phone buzzed.
“Ruby?”
“The one and only. Come out with me tonight!” I checked the clock to see it was 10pm.
“It’s too late.”
“I don’t want to hear it grandma. Theres a new band playing tonight and I want to see them.”
“Go by yourself.”
“I need a wing-woman.”
“Ruby…”
“Do this just one time and I will never ask you to have fun again. After tonight, You can spend the rest of your life on your rocker, knitting and petting your cats or whatever you 90 year olds do.”
I rolled my eyes but after the stress of the night, a cold drink sounded like a really appealing idea. Not to mention the thought of Ruby leaving me alone was enough to convince me.
“I would need help getting ready.”
“Shit. Are you saying yes?”
“I guess I am. Hello…?”
“Sorry I had to check my hearing. Does this mean I finally win?”
“Shut up before I change my mind.”
“Say no more. I’ll be there in 10 minutes!” She hung up and I laid there regretting my decision.
***
Ruby kept her promise and arrived in exactly 10 minutes. Everyone was sound a sleep when she arrived but that didn’t stop her from being loud and terrorizing my room.
“You have nothing in this closet but sundresses and floral skirts. Do you own anything black?”
“Can you keep it down please? Desi is sleeping in the other room.
“Sorry.” She apologized in a normal volume.”
“And theres nothing wrong with my clothes.” I snatched a dress from her hands and hugged it to my chest.
“Sure if you’re going to a tea party. We’re going to Tavern, you cant show up like a doll. You have to be tough.”
I knew she was right. I’d seen the people that go to Tavern. They were the tattoo having, leather wearing, pierced-faced type. I would stick out like a sore thumb in my normal attire.
“This was a bad idea.”
“Would you live a little, St. James? Obviously something is going on with you otherwise you wouldn’t have agreed to come out with me and if we were friends, I’d ask about it, but we’re not, so here.” She handed me a pile of clothes. “Put this on and lets get out of here.”
A long line awaited us when we got to Tavern. I could feel the vibration of the music as we stood with the crowd, waiting to be let in. I examined the fake ID that Ruby procured for me last minute. The woman in the photo was a few shades darker than me with black short hair and a round face. There was no way the bouncer was going to fall for this.
“Stop twitching.” Ruby scolded.
“This isn’t going to work.” I told her. “We should just go home.”
“Of course its going to work. Don’t you trust me?”
The look I gave her said it all. We finally got to the entrance and handed out ID’s over. His name tag read ‘Tiny’ but he was anything but tiny. In fact he was the exact opposite. He was was scary big with bulging muscles and a mean mugging face. He grabbed Ruby’s ID first and then handed it back with barely a glance. He then took mine and examined it longer, eyeing me at the same time. He looked me up and down from my combat boots to my bare legs in my denim cut offs and then to my exposed torso. I closed up my black and purple flannel to hide my bare flesh. I should have never agreed to wear the black crop top Ruby lent me. I wanted to come clean and reveal the truth. I knew he saw through the phoniness and I prepared myself for the rejection.
“Hey Tiny.” A skinny guy with a rimmed black hat slapped the bouncer on the back in a friendly way. “These two are with me.”
Tiny grunted and moved to the side to let us in. Ruby jumped in front of me and dragged me inside before I could confess my age while the guy in the hat followed closely behind.
The punk music was incredibly loud and the people in front of the stage were dancing out of control. It almost looked fun until I saw blood.
“I told you we would get in!” Ruby yelled over the noise.
“We would have been caught if it weren’t for him.” I pointed to the hat guy who was handed a beer by one of the waitresses.
“You’re right! Hey!” Ruby waved her hands to grab his attention. “Thanks for getting Layla in!”
“No problem! You looked lost! First time here?!” He leaned in and asked me.
“Yeah! This isn’t my usual scene!”
“I could tell!”
I should have know that crop tops, teased hair and heavy eye make up wasn’t going to hide the real me.
“I’m Danny!” he shook both of our hands. “My band is playing here tonight!”
“I’m Layla and this is Ruby!”
“Danny? From Danny Says?” Ruby asked seemingly star struck. “I heard you guys were good!”
“It sounds like people are under selling us.” He smirked. “Why don’t you two join us at our table upstairs? Its much quieter up there and you can tell me all about how good we are!”
Ruby squealed like a little school girl and locked arms with Danny while I wondered what I was getting myself in to.
The atmosphere upstairs was much calmer compared to downstairs. The music could be heard clearly but at a lower decibel. There were a couple of pool tables near the far corner of the room and regular tables in the center. There was a railing near the edge, almost like an oversized balcony and when I looked over it, I had a perfect view of the stage.
Danny brought us to a table nearest to the bar with several people sitting and drinking. Ruby took a seat next to Danny while I sat next to her. When I looked across the table, I locked eyes with the familiar, intense gaze of Jesse Hayden, then Immediately noticed the half naked chick sitting comfortably on his lap. I noticed the girl trying to get his attention back to her but he continued to look at me. His stare wasn’t a malicious one, it looked more like curiosity.
“Picked up some strays, bro?” A guy in a fitted white tank and mohawk asked Danny and winked at me. I gave him a dirty look hopefully letting him know that I wasn’t interested.
“They had some trouble getting in, although, Tiny would have let you in anyway. He never turns away hot girls.” Ruby sat up straighter which made her boobs stick out more. She was loving the attention. “Thats Travis.“ he pointed to the creeper with the mohawk. “He’s the drummer and mostly harmless. Thats Zack, our guitar player.” Zack, who had a shiny bald head, gave us a head nod. “Mac over there plays bass.” Mac was too busy making out with a girl to notice the new people that joined his table. “And this sexy beast is Jesse. He’s an out of towner and wishes he was in the band.” Jesse cursed at Danny and swatted his hand away.
“Everyone this is Ruby and… sorry I forgot your name.”
“Layla.” Jesse answered before I could. The nameless girl shot me a look of pure evil.
“Of course you know her. You’ve been holding out on me Hayden, keeping all the cute ones to yourself.” Jesse only shrugged and nameless went back to seeking attention by kissing on his neck. Apparently the kissing didn’t work because Jesse kept on drinking his beer while his eyes remained on me. Thankfully, Danny brought the conversation back to him.
“So Layla, what do you think of Tavern?”
“It’s loud.”
He laughed. “Thats part of the reason I like it. So how come I haven’t seen you around before?”
“I don’t know. Do you ever hang out at the yacht club?”
“Huh?”
“I work at Warren Yacht Club. I’m a waitress and Ruby is a caddie.”
“Nice. Maybe I should join the club.”
“They’d never let your ass in.” Travis interjected himself in to the conversation. “Come on. We’re up next.”
Danny downed the rest of his drink. “Enjoy the show, ladies.”
The four of the band members left leaving me alone with Ruby, Jesse, and some skank.
“Danny is so hot! I’m going to go down to the pit, want to join?” I flash backed to the blood I saw earlier and shook my head and ruby bolted downstairs. As soon as she left, I moved to the stools near the pool table. I was not in the mood to sit alone at a table and watch those two slobber all over each other.
It wasn’t even a minute later when a bottle of beer landed in front of me. I was ready to politely decline when I saw that it was Jesse who was offering the drink to me.
“You look like you needed this.”
I eyed him suspiciously. “Thanks. That obvious?”
“It was written all over your face.” He would know. He was staring at it enough tonight. Jesse grabbed a stool next to me and took a swig. I followed suit. The cold, frothy beverage was exactly what I needed and I found myself finishing it quickly. When he noticed how fast I drank the beer, he ordered two more, which I finished as well.
“You look different.” He stated.
“Bad different?”
“It doesn’t seem like you.”
“Well, you’re right there.” Jesse was reading me like a damn book. “So wheres the girl?” I asked out of curiosity.
“Who cares?” Evidently, not him.
Suddenly, the crowd downstairs erupted in cheers and applause. I peered over the rail to see the band take the stage. Danny took his place in front with a microphone and introduced themselves.
“Whats up Tavern?! I’m Danny, this is Danny Says and we want to see you dance!” the music kicked in and everyone started dancing.
“So how do you know Danny?” I asked Jesse. He looked over from watching the band. His face remained unchanged but his foot was tapping along to the rhythm.
“I caught his band back in Boston. Part of the reason we docked in Warren was because we knew he was from here.”
“Is he the owner of the Cadillac?”
“That would be him.” The first song ended and a slower one began. “Are you trying to hook up with him?”
I nearly spat my beer out at the question. “Excuse me?”
“He’s in to you. He wouldn’t have brought you around if he wasn’t.” Where was all of this coming from?
“Well, I’m not in to him.”
“Why not?”
“I prefer lead guitarists.” I joked and actually got a chuckle from him and for some unknown reason, it made my heart flutter. Jesse was seriously hot. His tattoos peeped underneath his shirt sleeve and his dark hair was almost blue in the light. I caught myself looking at his profile and admiring what I saw, which was now double of him. I wasn’t a big drinker and I hadn’t eaten so the beers were affecting me greatly.
“Do you want to play a game?” He gestured to the pool table.
“You don’t want to play me.”
“Afraid of losing?”
“I wouldn’t be the one losing.” I grabbed the pool cue and bent over right in front of him and sunk one of the balls in the corner pocket. The beer was making me brave, but more importantly, really warm. I took off my flannel knowing full well how much of my body was showing.
“Not bad.” He said although I had a feeling he wasn’t just complementing my pool skills. He took a cue and leaned in to make a perfect shot.
“You’re not so bad yourself Hayden.” He smiled and his whole face lit up. My heart fluttered again, this time stronger.
“How about we make a bet?”
I raised my eyebrow. “What did you have in mind?”
He circled the table, his arm brushed against mine when he passed and lit a cigarette.
“If I win, you come cruising in the Cadillac with me.”
“And if I win?”
“If you win, then the next round of drinks is on you.”
I didn’t analyze the meaning of this bet and what losing might mean or how good it felt when Jesse touched me. The alcohol flowing through me gave me a sense of false confidence and made me feel invincible. There was no way I was going to lose.
“You’re on.”
We shook hands. Half an hour later the band was done playing and I was going cruising with Jesse.