Toto and the Boys I: Jackie

Chapter 17

Jackie led Dean as far away from the crowd as possible.

“Karen has been coming here for quite some time and she hasn’t recognized me,” Dean was saying behind her. She was still pulling him by the hand toward the exit of Art District.

“You were coming to our table, remember?” she said, shooting a quick glance back at him. “And if she found out I was there, she would invite herself at our table and your secret will no longer be a secret.”

A few more steps and she stopped, seeing the staircase that led to the second floor of another building. She decided to go up there, thinking outside was not a good idea.

She felt her phone vibrating in her pocket. She knew it was Karen. Jackie could already picture out the scene back there. Karen would be standing by their table, having recognized Dannie and George. And she would be asking after Jackie. Her two friends better be great liars.

Dean never said a word as they climbed up the stairs.

“What now?” he asked.

“Urgh!” Jackie cried in frustration, letting go of his hand.

“What?” he asked, concern and panic in his voice.

“My purse! I forgot my purse! What if she sees it?”

“I’m sure she won’t,” said Dean, looking down the balcony. Muffled music from the different bars and the laughter and voices of the people downstairs were the closest clue they had of what was happening out there.

“I have to call Dannie…” Jackie said, tapping on her phone.

Dean did not give a comment and just watched her impatiently wait for the call to connect, his forearms resting on the balcony.

“Hello! Dannie! Is Karen there?”

“What? I can’t hear you!” her friend shouted from the other line.

“Is Karen there! Karen!”

“Ah, yes, yes. They took the table next to ours. Where are you?” Dannie asked, the loud music in the background getting fainter. She must have walked out of the place.

“Somewhere. Did she ask where I was? I’m trying to hide Dean, you know.”

“Yes, she did. George said you’re at home. You left your purse.”

“Keep it. Please text me if Karen’s going.”

“I don’t think that will happen soon. What do I tell the rest of the band? They have been asking us what happened.”

Jackie covered her phone and looked at Dean. “What do they have to tell your band?”

He frowned and thought for a while. “Just tell them we had an emergency?”

She nodded. “Good idea.” She addressed Dannie, saying, “Tell them we had an emergency.”

“What kind?”

“Just make up any.”

“I can’t make up stories.”

Jackie rolled her eyes in frustration. “Then just say you don’t know.”

“Okay, copy. Are you coming back?”

Jackie looked at Dean. “That depends.”

When the call ended, she asked, “So, what happens now?”

Dean shrugged. “I’m not the one who dragged us up here. You tell me.”

Jackie circled on her feet. “I can’t think of anything right now.”