He gave her a kiss as I brought Nikola close.
Chris spoke over the microphone as the rest of the band waved to the crowd. Everyone turned toward the stage. “So as you know, we’re going on tour and this will be our last night at Club Envy.” Cheers erupted. “We’ve got a hell of a show planned, but first I wanted to thank Adam Ryker and Brandt Mattox for all the support they’ve shown the Thrillhammers. And, of course, we appreciate our fans, you guys have helped make our dreams into reality. We couldn’t have done it without you.” More cheers. “So let’s get this party started!”
The Thrillhammers began playing one of my favorites, “Highway 369”, and the crowd pushed forward. Nikola leaned into me as I absorbed it for the last time. Everyone moved and cheered, and I hoped this moment would be burned into my head forever as the band sang.
I’d been sitting in that barn since Nineteen fifty-three
Growing iron oxide like an acorn grows a tree
Never tasted blacktop, red dirt dust is all I breathed
Peering from the darkness you’d be surprised,
Just what I’ve seen
Well the man who held my title
From the Cadillac company
When they stole his right-of-way, he refused the D.O.T.
Vowed he’d never utilize that god-forsaken ground
The sacred wheels of progress
Might shut my motor down
Seems like just yesterday
I was rolling off the line
Now the dust hides the rust
And the paint that used to shine
Looking out through headlights
Frozen here in time
While I watch the world fly by on Highway 369
I was born in thirty-nine
A few years before the war
Dusty road to town amends,
Then right back to the store
Heard him cuss, raise a fuss
When they started laying tar
Once they’d paved that highway,
He parked me in the barn
He died in eighty-two alone
And nobody found a will
Guess they could look some more,
But they’d be looking still
Came before the auctioneer,
He brought that hammer down
Imagine that ten gallon hat said,
“Son you’re Texas bound”
Hauled me out I-40, on a flatbed in a tarp
Pulled me off, shined me up
And got me lookin’ sharp
They dug a hole, and bless my soul
My nose went in the sand
Sheltered from the world I lived,
But now I see firsthand
Seems like just yesterday
I was rolling off the line
Now the dust hides the rust
And the paint that used to shine
Looking out through headlights
Frozen here in time
While I watch the world fly by on Highway 369
The song ended and the Thrillhammers kept playing. They rocked the house, and I loved every second of it as I held the girl of my dreams, my wife, in my arms. This was our night. This was Club Envy’s night.
THE SUN BAKED my skin as I laid on a chaise longue in the Caribbean. It had been a month since our last night at Club Envy. My eyes were closed as I listened to the soft ocean waves. We were waiting for Ainsley and Adam, along with their family, to arrive this evening for their wedding two days from now. My hair was thrown on top of my head. It had been a crazy few months, and now it was time to relax. With Brandt’s obligation to the club over and my decision to reduce my hours for the summer, we’d come down to Nassau in the Bahamas early to enjoy sometime to ourselves.
We
were staying at an adults-only resort. The resort was fairly empty, which made us feel like we were on an island all to ourselves. Yesterday, I’d firmed everything up with Ainsley’s wedding coordinator. This way, when she and Adam arrived, there wasn’t anything for them to do other than enjoy themselves and get married. Only Adam’s parents, Ainsley’s mother, and Nora were coming down to join us. Adam’s brother wasn’t invited, due to their history. His sister, Jessica, was in Asia on a six-month internship. She’d offered to come, but Adam said he would send videos and pictures. The internship was a big deal, and he didn’t want her to miss out on anything. I think it was good that she’d left. Jessica had always tried to fix problems with the family. Hopefully now she’d be able to find her own way in life.
The day after the wedding, everyone was heading home to give Ainsley and Adam privacy. The newlyweds were going to stay down here for an additional week.
Right before we had left the States, I’d received a phone call from our lawyer who assisted in the prosecution of Lance. During the night, Lance had hung himself in his cell. He’d attacked a female officer the day before, thinking it was me. The next morning, he was dead. No note. No explanation. We’d never know what truly happened to make him snap. It was a double-edged sword, thinking about someone’s life ending, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t sleep better knowing Lance wouldn’t ever come after me again.
Cold drops landed on my stomach, making it draw in. A smile graced my lips. Brandt had gone to the room to get sunscreen. “Hey there! I was beginning to wonder if you were lost.”
“I’ve been watching my beautiful wife for a bit.”
I loved the sound of his sex-riddled voice. It did things to me, even though we’d barely come up for air while we had been here.
Each couple could reserve a private space at the resort on the beach. Because we were staying in one of the suites, we’d automatically reserved one for the week. The structure was similar to a cabana—the back and two sidewalls were solid material that had a few slits in them to allow air circulation. The front wall had a curtain that could be drawn with your choice of sheer or solid material. The top was open.