“Or maybe you being there will make it twice as good.” He turned to Ryan. “Come on, man, tell your girlfriend not to be a killjoy.”
When I heard him say ‘girlfriend,’ it send a shiver of dread down my spine.
I guess it didn’t have the same effect on Ryan, because he smiled in spite of himself and looked down at me. “Don’t be a killjoy.”
I faltered. “I… I really don’t think…”
Suddenly another car drove into the lot – a black Lincoln town car with darkly tinted windows. A college-age kid in shorts and a baggy shirt stepped out and opened the back door, and Killian emerged in a cloud of pot smoke, a guitar strapped across his body.
“Thanks, mate,” Killian said. “I’ll call you when we’re finished.”
“Sure thing, Mr. Lee,” the kid said, and hopped back in the car.
“Look who’s a big shot with the chauffeur,” Derek shouted.
Killian looked over in surprise and burst into a huge grin. “Derek!”
They gave each other a big hug.
“You look good!” Killian said as he pulled back.
“You look and smell exactly the same,” Derek joked. “What’s with the driver?”
“The authorities don’t take too kindly to my smoking, so God forbid they catch me driving at the same time.”
“Smart,” Ryan nodded.
“Miles insisted,” Killian said.
“Even smarter.”
Killian beamed at me. “Hello, luv! Coming in to start us off right?”
“Uh… no, I don’t think so.”
Killian’s face fell. “Why not?”
“I don’t want to be a distraction.”
“You won’t be a distraction – you’ll bring us luck.”
“That’s what I said,” Derek chimed in. “She should totally hang out, right?”
“Of course!”
“Miles doesn’t like me,” I said. “And Riley – ”
“ – can bugger off. I’ll protect you, luv,” Killian said, and hooked his arm through mine, pulling me gently towards the door. As he did, I noticed that the fingers of his free hand were dancing across the guitar strings.
I hadn’t anticipated the kindly pothead doing Derek’s dirty work for him, however unknowingly.
“Fine,” I sighed, giving up the fight. “Whatever.”
82
The studio was small, with only a handful of recording spaces. Bigger had taken over the largest one, which also had a spacious control room.
We walked in and found Miles and Riley already inside. Miles was shouting at someone over his cell phone; Riley was sitting on a plush couch and drumming her sticks on a coffee table.
When she saw Derek, Riley beamed and stood up. “Holy shit, look who’s back from the dead. What up, asshole.”
Derek gave her a bear hug and swung her around. “What up, bitch.”
“Okay, okay, enough already, people’re gonna think I like you,” she laughed.
Derek put her down, and Riley peered at his face. “You don’t look nearly as shitty as you did on TMZ.”
Derek grinned. “
Thanks.
”
“I’ll fix that. After we finish today, first ten shots’re on me.”
“Riley, I’ve been sober 33 days now.”
“Yeah, I’ll fix that, too.”
“I’m already getting a contact high off of Killian. I’ll probably get drunk just breathing the whiskey fumes off of you.”
“Don’t turn into a pussy on me now,” she said, slugging him in the arm. “Actually, don’t turn into a
bigger
pussy on me now.”
“It’s called being sober, Riley.”