Back in the Saddle

The Part With Joe

Lainey

At the end of the night, after the boys hardly got anything done, Annie, Terry, and Julia were chattering up a storm, Brad and Karen had had to leave for a thing for the band Brad had recently quit, Derek St. Holmes, and Steven, Tom, and Joey were still working out a rhythm for a song.

        I sat alone on the couch with my beer, a cigarette between my fingers.  I guess Joe noticed, because he came to join me.  "Whaddya think?" he asked me.

        "Of what?" I ask.

        "I dunno..." Joe replies.  "You looked lonely."

        "Not lonely.  Just alone," I say vaguely, which causes him to laugh.

        "You see," Joe says, "that's the concept of being lonely: you're alone."

     I narrow my eyes, running my finger around and around the lip of my beer bottle.  "Not necessarily," I argue.  "I've got Steven, I've got all of you here, I've got Janet–my best-friend–and I've got L– uhm, yeah.  I've got all of that.  Presently speaking, I was by myself on this couch surrounded by people, talking with each other.  So yes, I'm alone–hence, by myself–but not by any means lonely."

        "Who's L-l-l?" Joe asks.

        "Nobody," I say with a wave of my hand.

        "Are you you sure?" Joe says.

        "Yeah," I say, shaking my head quickly.

        "Alright."  He takes a long drink from his beer bottle.  "Lainey, is it?"

        "Yes," I nod.  "Joe, right?"  Though of course I know his name is Joe Perry.

        Joe smirks, kind of.  "Yeah."  He lights himself a cigarette, offering me one.  I accept, placing it between my lips.  He lights it for me.  "So what did you think of today?" he asks, blowing the smoke away from my face.

        I shrug.  "Sounded good," I reply.

        "Why thank you," he says.  "But what about the others?"

        I roll my eyes.  "That's who I was talking about," I say sarcastically.  "You, on the other hand..."

        He feigns hurt, but says, "Good to know... Seriously, though.  Could some of those songs be on an album?"

        "I dunno," I say truthfully.  "I'm gonna say yes, 'cause I'm a fan and I'd honestly listen to anything you guys have, but I'm not Columbia, so... I dunno."

        "Yeah," he sighs.  "You're much prettier than Columbia.  Nicer, too..." he adds with a frown.

        I find myself blushing.  A world famous guitarist just called me pretty... and nice.  Oh, and I'm sitting in his basement talking to him.  "Erm, thanks," I mumble.

        He chuckles again, muttering something about getting another beer.  Seconds later, he returns with two, one for me and one for him.  "So Lainey," he says, popping the caps, "you've toured with us for awhile, but I dunno you."  I find myself blushing again.  "That was your cue to tell me about yourself," he whispers dramatically.

//\\

Annie

Joe whispers something to Lainey, and she begins to laugh.  I roll my eyes, now more intent on watching those two than participating in conversation with Terry and Julia.  I feel kinda bad for Julia.  Joey's with this new girl, April.  Though she's not that new.  Joey's just too nice to break up with one of them.