The Prince of Punk Rock (40 page)

Ella was right.
 
The label she worked for didn’t give her the
proper credit she deserved.
 
They were
always telling her to edit, edit, edit.
 
They said her garments were too avant-garde and weren’t marketable.
 
She knew she belonged at a trendier house
with edgy designs, but without her degree she was outshined by her competitors.

Maggie stared up at the display
board behind the merch stand.
 
“Are those
guitar straps?”

Jessi had two guitar straps hung on
display, both riveted with studs.
 
One
said “Immortal Angel”, and the other said “Your band name here”.
 
She took one down and handed it to
Maggie.
 
“I make these.
 
They’re a big hit with local bands.
 
I’m really behind on orders.”

Maggie turned it over and saw
Jessi’s name branded into the leather. “What’s this?”

“My name. It was Angel’s idea.
 
He said every designer puts their name on
their merchandise.”
 
It was a proud
moment for her.
 
She felt like a real
designer.

“He’s very smart.”

“Yes, he is.
 
And wait until you hear him sing and see him
perform. He’s incredibly talented.”

The show was scheduled to start
soon, so she closed up shop and brought Maggie and Ella to the front of the
stage.

“Is it always this crowded?” Maggie
asked.

“Yeah.
 
The band has a big following.”

“And all these people know you by
name?”

“Yeah.
 
Pretty much. I see them at all the shows.”

The purr of Tommy’s Les Paul ripped
through the room announcing the band’s entrance onto the stage, and the crowd
screamed in unison.
 
Ella and Maggie
jumped at the unexpected uproar that surrounded them.
 
As soon as Angel started to sing, Jessi’s
sisters were mesmerized.
 
Any amount of
glowing praise she boasted about Angel couldn’t be conveyed by words alone, and
they were unprepared for his stage presence. Angel had a charisma that reached
into the audience and grabbed hold of you.
 
It sucked you in and wouldn’t let you out until the music was over.
 
Maggie and Ella were helpless victims.

Angel saw Jessi and smiled at her
through the lyrics.
 
He recognized her
sisters, even though he hadn’t met them yet, and strutted to the front of the
stage.
 
He knelt down and he made direct
eye contact with Maggie and Ella as he sang.
 
He leaned over and stretched his hand out. They both reached for it, but
Maggie grabbed it first.
 
Angel held onto
her hand, leaned closer, and delivered the heart-thumping lyrics directly to
Maggie.
 
When he let go of her hand and
sauntered back to the center of the stage to belt out the last half of the song
in a pristine growl, Maggie grabbed her chest.

“Oh my God, Jessi!
 
My heart is about to explode out of my
body!
 
That was such a rush!”

“Does he always perform like that?”
Ella asked. “It seemed effortless.”

“That was just Angel having
fun.
 
I don’t think he’s aware of the
effect he has on people when he sings and performs.
 
When he really lays it on, half this room is
practically on their knees and the other half is jumping up to the ceiling.”

It was Tommy’s turn at the front of
the stage, only he didn’t play for Ella and Maggie.
 
He played for Jessi.
 
He always did, and it made her feel like a
queen.
 
He sat back on his knees, nodded
at her and they shared a smile.
  
The
spotlight was on the two of them as he rattled off the intricate guitar solo,
and she felt every pair of eyes gravitate toward her.
 
Gooseflesh rose on her arms and the pitter
patter of her heart made her feel like a teenager.
 
She needed to cover her lips with her
fingertips in order to suppress the jubilant emotions that bubbled up inside
her.
 
Every
time he played for her, it felt like the first time.
 
The thrill of being serenaded by the man you
adored was a dream in itself, but it was her everyday life because of
Tommy.
 
When the guitar solo was over, he
mouthed the words “I love you” clear enough for the world to see, then he
leaned into the audience and gave her a tender kiss.

The high-pitched screams of fan
girls rang through the room.
 
Ella threw
her arms around Jessi and bellowed with excited laughter.
 
“That was amazing!
 
Did you see the way everyone was looking at
you?”

“I was only looking at Tommy.”

Maggie was stunned by the guitar
solo. “I’ve heard Tommy play before, but nothing like that.
 
I knew he was talented, but that was beyond
anything I ever expected.
 
The band, Angel,
this whole place.
 
I didn’t expect it to
be such a rush of energy. I feel like I just paid top dollar to see an
internationally acclaimed rock band perform.
 
Look at how many people are here.
 
They pack this place with this many people every month?”

Jessi nodded.
 
She was beaming with pride.

“Why don’t they have a record deal?”

“It’s not that easy to get the
attention of a record producer, but we keep trying.
 
We’re not giving up.”

“Are you two going to talk through
the whole show?”
 
Ella asked. “Look at
this band perform!”

Ella was right.
 
That’s why Jessi asked them here
tonight.
 
She wanted her sisters to
witness the show. They returned the attention back to the stage.

Tommy slid on his knees and landed
at Angel’s feet.
 
His fingers raced over
the neck of the guitar with ease. Angel grabbed a chunk of Tommy’s hair and pulled
his head back so Tommy was forced to look at him. He leaned in close, so the
only thing between them was the microphone.
 
Their eyes were locked on each other.
 
Nothing, not the stomping feet or unruly screams from the fans, nor the
loud pounding of Jimmy’s bass drum, could break the connection that bound them
together.

It didn’t take much explaining for
Jessi’s sisters to figure out what was going on between Tommy and Angel, and
why she asked them to come to the show tonight.
 
Their reaction was wide-eyed provocative laughter, mixed with a bit of
envy.

It was a wonderment how their
conservative, uptight parents raised three very uninhibited and outspoken
daughters.
 
And they all agreed that
telling their parents about Angel and Tommy and their polyamorous relationship,
was out of the question.

Chapter Thirty-Four

When Angel lingered at the kitchen
table and let Jessi clear the dishes without protest, it meant something was on
his mind.
 
The crease in his brow, the
pensive look in his eyes and the coffee cup held tightly in his hand, told
Tommy it was something important – and he knew exactly what it was.

Angel told his parents about their
relationship with a casual phone call.
 
It wasn’t exactly a surprise to them, so there was no drama.
 
Angel’s parents embraced Tommy and Jessi into
their family the moment they met.
 
But
Tommy still couldn’t find the courage to tell his own parents, and Angel, ever
patient and supportive, didn’t pressure him.

Angel felt his
stare and met his eye.
 
The wrinkle in
his brow softened and a small smile appeared on his lips. “Why are you staring
at me?”

“I know what’s
bothering you.”

“Oh really?”
 
Angel rested his chin on his hand.
 
“So what am I thinking about, my prince?”

Tommy couldn’t
suppress the smile that spread across his face.

“Now why are you
smiling at me?”

“Because I’m
planning to tell my parents about us.
 
I
want to tell my brother first, though.
 
I
invited him to the show tonight, so he could see first hand, like Jessi did
with her sisters.”

Angel’s smile
could have lit up the block.
 
“I’m so
happy, Tommy.
 
I didn’t want to push too
much on you at once.
 
I didn’t want you
to get overwhelmed, so I waited until you were ready.”

“Well, I’m
ready.”

Tommy didn’t look for Robert in the
audience at The Quadrangle.
 
He tried to
forget that Robert was watching the show.
  
But when Angel grabbed him on stage and placed a hard kiss on his mouth,
he felt a sense of relief because it meant that he wouldn’t have to hide behind
the lie that he’d been keeping from his family since he was an adolescent.

When the show was over, he went to
the room backstage and waited.
 
It took
almost 30 minutes before Robert showed up.

“I was beginning to think you
bailed on me tonight.” Tommy tried to sound relaxed and upbeat, even though his
heart was about to leap out of his chest.

Robert’s hands fidgeted inside the
pockets of his hooded sweatshirt. “Well, to tell you the truth, I almost left.”

His biggest fear was that he’d
loose the respect of his little brother. “Do you hate me now?”

“No.
 
But, I’m really uncomfortable.
 
I always looked up to you.”

“And now you don’t?
 
Because of what you saw on stage?”
 
He wasn’t self-conscious anymore.
 
He was defensive and forthright.

“I looked up to you because you’re
a rock star.
 
But I didn’t know you were
gay. You’re my brother.
 
I should know
something like that.
 
These people
know.
 
Why not your own brother?”

“I didn’t know how to tell
you.
 
This isn’t easy for me, you know.”

Robert held out his hands, palms
facing the ceiling. “I’m gay.
 
That’s
how.”

“You’re OK with it?”

“Well, it was a surprise.
 
More like a shock.
 
But now that it sunk in a little, I’m getting
used to it.
 
But what about Jessi?
 
Are you getting divorced?
 
I don’t want to lose my sister-in-law.”