"Greatest Hits" - Chapter 5

Chapter 5
         
         The quiet months of the desert winter passed all too quickly and before long enough the days slowly began their unstoppable ascent towards the cruel, infernal beat-down that would be summer.  But for a handful of fleeting weeks the citizens of Phoenix, Arizona would be able to enjoy the fresh mildness of springtime and let tomorrow take care of tomorrow when it arrived.  Yet none of this annual dread of the looming dog days phased Gabriel and Amy in the least.  They were the perfect couple.  He loved working at B.W.’s shop, playing his harmonica and Amy’s guitar in his spare time and generally feeling alive again.  Confessing to Amy about his past had exorcised a lot of demons.  His “coming clean” was a pivotal turning point for his guilt-ridden psyche and he felt like a massive steel girder had been lifted from his shoulders.  Amy’s life improved, as well.  She got promoted to office manager at the firm she worked at, mainly because her attitude and demeanor had become so upbeat and invigorating.
         Free-spirited jam sessions that B.W. had organized after the first of the year and started to host at the Atomic Dandelion every Sunday afternoon had grown to become quite a happening in the local community.  Musicians and music lovers in the area showed up regularly to play and to listen.  When the weather was accommodating they’d move the party outdoors to the nearby park.  Gabriel was always right in the middle of the festivities, singing and playing with whoever showed up.  Amy was always there, too.  She gave him love, support and constant inspiration.  In return he gave her confidence, strength and his undying devotion.
         
         One afternoon in the middle of April a stranger carrying a guitar case strolled into the store.
         “Do you by any chance sell guitar strings?” he asked Gabriel.
         “Well, we sell almost anything you could possibly need.  But guitar strings?  Nope,” Gabriel said.  “However, a friend of mine who plays guitar left a set of Ernie Balls here last week and I’m sure he wouldn’t mind if I let you borrow them.”
         “I have no problem paying for the set, man.”
         “Well, the deal is that the friend I speak of is none other than yours truly and I refuse to take your money, sir.  All kidding aside, I know what a difference new strings can make so I must insist.”
        Gabriel reached into his guitar case lying on the floor behind the counter and grabbed a package.  He tossed them to the stranger.  “Here you go.  I’ve got more at home.  Don’t worry about it.”
        “Come on, man.  Take a few bucks for them at least.”
        “Not a dime”
        “Okay.  You drive a hard bargain,” the stranger said with a smile.  “Do you mind if I string it up here?  I’ve got an audition at the People’s Pub in an hour and I’d like for them to be stretched out by then.”
        “I don’t mind at all.  But you’ll have to sing a song for me and my slave driver boss over there.  That’ll be enough payment for the strings.”
        B.W. growled from across the room.
        “Sure.  I need to warm up, anyway,” the stranger said.
        The young man took a seat and went to work on his instrument.  Gabriel sat down across from him.
        “What’s your name?” Gabriel asked.
        “Joshua Kelly.  Call me Josh.”
         They shook hands.
         “I’m Gabriel Brewer and the owner of this fine establishment standing over there is B.W. Hayes.”
         B.W. grinned and nodded in their direction while pricing a new batch of used eight-track tapes.
         “Glad to meet both of you,” Josh said.
         They traded small talk Josh as put the new strings on his Martin acoustic while Gabriel sized up the new kid in town.  He was about average height, skinny as a rail with thick black hair that hung over his collar in the back and he had wary brown eyes with an experienced awareness dwelling in them that demanded respect.  He was wearing worn jeans and a red and green flannel shirt.  His shoes looked like they’d racked up a thousand miles since they were new.
         Josh tuned up the guitar and began to play and sing Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright.”  His voice was smooth and honest and he sang from his heart.  He also played his instrument with skill and authority.  Gabriel and B.W. were taken aback.  This guy had something that a lot of others didn’t.  He possessed that indefinable attribute that made you recognize in an instant that you were in the presence of a real artist who took his craft seriously.  A few customers who were browsing through the used record racks stopped and gave him their undivided attention.  After the first tune ended B.W. clapped enthusiastically and asked for more.  Josh obliged.
         Gabriel grabbed his trusty harmonica.  “Do you mind if I play along?” he asked.
         “I’d love it,” Josh said.
         One song led to another and thirty minutes later they were still going strong.  Suddenly Josh looked down at his watch, jumped up and began to hurriedly pack his guitar in its case.  The store was now almost filled with customers who had clapped politely after each tune.
         “Hey, man.  You’re a hit!” Gabriel exclaimed, slapping Josh on the back.
         “I’ll be a screwed hit if I’m late for my audition, though.  Say, Gabriel, why don’t you grab your axe and harmonicas and come along so you can provide me with some backup?  You play and sing pretty well and it would make my sound a lot fuller.”
         Before Gabriel could answer B.W. spoke up.  “No problem, Josh.  You can have him for as long as you need.  I can handle things here by myself for a while.  In fact, I have half a mind to close up for an hour and come over to the pub to offer some immoral support.  Go on, Gabe.  Break a leg or whatever it is they say for good luck.”
         Gabriel looked at Josh and shrugged.  “I sure have one brutal S.O.B. for a boss, don’t I?” he said.
         “Thanks, B.W.  Let’s get going, Gabriel,” he said.
         “Call me Gabe,” he replied.

         Tom Markese, the owner of the pub, was glancing at the clock behind the bar when Josh and Gabe came rushing through the front door ten minutes late.  Tom was not happy.
         “Look y’all, promptness is mandatory around here and…”
         He stopped his spiel in mid-sentence when he noticed about a dozen people streaming in through the door behind them.  They’d followed them down the sidewalk like ducklings from the Atomic Dandelion.  Tom saw dollar signs.
         “Um, never mind.  Just get up there on stage and start playing.  I’ll let you know when I’ve heard enough,” Tom said, hurriedly wiping off the bar.  He was more than willing to open up to the public a little early.
         
         Forty five minutes and many purchased drinks later Tom asked for the last song.  He knew he’d found the perfect solution to his entertainment problem.  Their voices blended like they’d been singing together for a decade.
         After thanking their gracious supporters who’d cheered after every tune, Gabriel and Josh stepped away from the stage and took seats at the bar.  Tom served up two cold bottles of beer in front of them.
         “Here.  On the house,” he said.
         Josh nodded in appreciation.  Gabriel was pleasantly surprised.
         “All right, Tom!  Thanks a bunch.”
         Tom smiled.  “You earned it.  Look, I’ll get right to the point.  You’re good.  A little rough around the edges, but good.  And different.  Different is what I need in here.”
         Gabriel took a big swig of beer and grinned at Josh.
         “No kidding, man.  You were great!  I think you got the gig.  I’d hire you for sure!”
         Tom gave Gabriel a quick, slightly confused look, then looked at Josh for clarification.  Josh shifted his eyes back and forth from Gabriel to Tom, trying to think fast.
         “Um,” was all he could mutter.  He turned to Gabriel.  “Thanks.”
         Josh looked back at Tom just as Gabriel slapped him vigorously on the back.  Josh flinched ever so slightly, trying hard to hide his discomfort with the sticky situation.
         “No, it is I who needs to thank you, my man.  I had a blast up there,” Gabriel said.
         Josh didn’t know what to do or say.  He definitely didn’t want to blow his great opportunity to land a paying gig.  He glanced down at his beer in total embarrassment.  He finally sighed and looked up into Tom’s quizzical visage.
         “Okay.  Truth time.”  Josh waved his finger between him and Gabriel.  “We’re not together.  I just asked Gabe to sit in for the audition.”
         Gabriel swallowed another gulp of Budweiser, looked at Tom and gave him a goofy smirk.  For a second Tom stared at Gabriel with a worried look.
         “Is that right?  No joke?”
         “No joke, man.  We met for the first time less than two hours ago,” Gabriel said.
         Tom studied them both for a few seconds in silence, then shrugged.
         “Whatever.  I guess when or where you two met doesn’t matter much to me.  Bottom line is that I like what I heard and I think you could bring in some business.  You’ve got the job.  But only as a duo.”
         Now it was Gabriel’s turn to be befuddled.  He sat back on his stool.
         “Wait.  Hold on.  Josh is the musician here, I just did this for kicks.  I’ve got a job already,” he said.
         “I pay four hundred a week for five nights of work.  Split it however you see fit,” Tom announced.
         Gabriel froze in shock.  “Did you say four hundred dollars?”  He pointed over at the empty stage.  “To do that?” he almost yelled in his amazement.
         Josh gently grabbed Gabriel by the arm and motioned for him to follow him off to the side.  He held up a finger to Tom.  “Tom, will you excuse us for a minute?”
         Tom nodded.  They walked over and sat at a nearby table.
         “Here’s the deal, Gabe.  I knew Tom was expecting a duo all along.  The guy I worked with for the past few months in Colorado was supposed to come with me but he flaked out on me at the last moment.  Not having any other prospects, I took my chances and came anyway, hoping Tom might hire me as a solo.  When I heard you at the store I figured it wouldn’t hurt to have you come along to give me a better shot.  I know I should’ve leveled with you but there wasn’t time.  Look, I really need this gig.  I have no other options and I’m pretty much broke,” Josh said.
         Gabriel lit a cigarette.  “Man, this is too weird.  I don’t know the first thing about how to do something like this and I don’t know you from Adam.  No offense, Josh.”
         “None taken.  I get it.  But won’t you at least consider it?  I mean, I don’t know how much you pull in these days but that’s good money to me.”
         “Oh, it is good money, for sure.  But I’ve never really thought about playing harmonica and guitar and singing all night for a living.  It’s just a hobby to me.”
         Josh paused.  “Look.  I’ll tell Tom that we’ll give him an answer tomorrow.  That way we can talk this over and get to know each other a little better.  What do you say?”
         Gabriel looked at Josh, then over at the empty stage.
         “Shoot.  What’ve I got to lose?  Sure.  You can come over to my pad for dinner tonight and we’ll talk about this.”
         “Great,” Josh said.
         They got up and returned to the bar.  Tom walked over.
         “So, we got a deal or not?” he inquired.
         “We can let you know tomorrow,” Josh said.
         Tom sighed and frowned.  “Look.  Would four fifty a week help you decide?  That’s top dollar in here.”
         Gabriel’s eyebrows went straight up.  He was speechless.
         “Like I said, I’ll let you know in the morning.  I promise,” Josh said.
         “By noon.  I’ve got other performers lined up, you know,” Tom said.
         “I understand.  I’ll see you tomorrow,” Josh answered.
         Tom nodded and went back to tending his bar.  Gabriel and Josh finished their free beers in silence.

         Dinner that night was a success, of course.  Once again “Amy’s Surprise” was a big hit and Josh was duly impressed.  While they ate, Josh told Gabriel and Amy all about himself.  He was born in Virginia in 1950 to Frank and Martha Kelly.  His dad was a colonel in the Army, moving his family all over the continent.  When Josh was nine they moved to upstate New York where he graduated from high school.  He’d studied piano on and off while growing up but when he discovered The Beatles at age fourteen he zeroed in on the guitar.  Encouraged by his mom, he ended up studying music theory at the University of Connecticut for a year but dropped out to go on an extensive, nationwide club tour with a slick show band he’d joined up with.
        After that he’d gotten involved with two other rock & roll groups, one of which almost landed a record deal with Capitol, but he’d grown weary of the constant bickering that flamed up between the over-inflated egos of the band members.  Those petty conflicts of interest always burned vital bridges and inevitably ruined months of hard work.  He found being a solo act to be a much more peaceful way to go but the down side was that it was very limited in providing opportunities for him to grow as an artist.  One guy plunking away on an un-amplified guitar in the far corner of a busy restaurant or café doesn’t garner a lot of attention.  His friend who was supposed to come to Phoenix with him was the one who’d set up the audition in the first place so Josh confessed that he found it hard to be all that upset with him.  “That’s the biz,” he mused.  “One shouldn’t hold grudges.”
         Following dinner they moved to the living room where Amy put on the newest Loggins & Messina album.  Neither Gabriel nor Josh could do anything but vegetate on the couch.  Their stomachs felt as if they were about to burst open.  Amy sat down next to Gabriel and kissed him on the cheek.  Josh grinned.
         “You’re a lucky man, Gabe.  Amy’s a keeper,” he said.
“Tell me something I don’t know,” Gabriel said, giving her a wink.
         “Where you headed after Phoenix, Josh?” Amy asked.
         “Beats me.  I never look that far ahead.  I guess that’s the army brat in me talking.  I’m content to maintain a free and easy attitude when it comes to life and where it takes me,” he said.
         “Freedom’s what counts most,” she countered.
         “Yep, freedom allows you to think or do what you feel like thinking or doing whenever you feel like thinking it or doing it.  That’s what I always say,” Gabriel added.
         “Um…  right,” Josh said.
         Amy rolled her eyes.  “Don’t pay attention to him, Josh.  He always thinks he’s so clever.”
         Just then the phone rang and Amy went to answer it.  After a few giggles she called Gabriel to the phone.
         “It’s that crazy dude you work for,” she said, handing him the receiver.
         “Hello.”
         “Hey there, Hollywood!  That was quite a show today.  I caught the last two songs and you guys sounded fantastic.  I have no idea how you did that but I was floored,” B.W. said.
         “I had very little to do with it, man.  It was Josh who knew all the words and how to perform.  All I did was follow along.”
         “Whatever you say, Gabe.  You took to it like a duck to water.  I just want you to know that if you decide you’d like to try playing music for a living I’m behind you one hundred per cent.  I talked to Tom after you left and he told me about offering you two a job.”
         “But what about the shop?  I owe you so much for what you did for me.”
         “Get real.  Working at the Atomic Dandelion ain’t rocket science.  I’ll find someone to fill in easily enough.  I can always pick up another forlorn hitchhiker, you know.”
         “I don’t know, man.  This came out of nowhere and I’m kinda freaked out over it.  I never thought I’d be good enough to play music professionally.”
         “At two twenty five a week it’s obvious that someone thinks you are.  It’s up to you, though.  I just wanted you to know that I’d be tickled to death if you gave this thing a go.  If it doesn’t work out you’ve always got a job waiting for you at the store.”
         “Thanks.  That means more than you can know, B.W.  I want to talk it over with Amy and then sleep on it.  I’ll let you know what I decide in the morning.”
         “Good enough.  I’ll see you then.  Tell Josh he’s got a bed to crash in over here.  Goodnight.”

         Gabriel and Amy dropped Josh off at B.W. and Michelle’s boarding house for wandering souls around ten and drove back to the apartment.  He and Amy were finally alone.  They laid side by side in bed, staring up at the ceiling.
         “I still don’t know what to make of it, baby.  All of this came straight out of left field.  Never saw it coming.  So start talking.  Let me know what you think.  And be honest.  No holding back,” he said.
         “All I want is for you to be happy.  If you want to play music or dig ditches or fly to the moon it’s okay with me.  I’m your biggest fan no matter what you do.  I’ll gladly choose to cop a positive attitude if you decide to do this thing.  It’s what I’d want from you if it was the other way around.  Why would I want to rain on your parade?  I love you, Gabe, and I know you’ll be good at anything you put your mind to doing and this is no different.  In fact, I can’t wait to hear you two play together.”
         “I must admit that playing with Josh sounds like a ton of fun and the money is almost twice what I’m making now.  We could finally afford to get that leather couch you like so much.  Maybe even get a bigger place.  But what about the hours?  I’ll be working five nights a week and you’ll be working the day shift like always.  We won’t see each other as much as we do now.”
         Amy propped herself up on one arm and looked him in the eye.  “Good grief, Gabe.  If our relationship and our love for each other can’t withstand a little change in our schedules then we weren’t going to last long, anyway.  I’m in this thing for the long haul, my dear.  I think we can survive.”
         He smiled up at her.  “You’re right.  I’m worrying about things that haven’t happened yet and probably won’t.  What you and I have is rock solid.”  He paused for a moment.  “I want to try it, then.  I promise that nothing, absolutely nothing will change because of it, baby.  We are forever.  But I’m really going to need your full support, your positive energy and your unwavering love if I’m going to do this right.  And I’m especially going to rely on your being honest with me.  If at any point there’s something about it that bugs you you’ve got to speak up and let me know.  Don’t be afraid that you’ll hurt my feelings or assume that I know what’s going on inside that pretty little head of yours.  You’re the most important person in my life, Amy.  I need you more than anything else and I’ll give it up in a heartbeat if it causes any problems to arise between us.  Nothing is worth that.”
         “And I need you, too.  You’re everything I’ve ever wanted in a man and you belong to me now.  I’m not worried about you getting conceited or cheating on me with some barroom floozy.  You’re better than that.  Just promise me this, though.  Don’t ever let music take you from me.  That’s the only fear I have about this.  I couldn’t live without you,” she said.
         “Don’t worry about that.  I’m not going anywhere.  If not for you I’d still be out there on the highway, who knows where, with my thumb out, hoping for a ride.  I’d still be lost.  Besides, after a few weeks Josh will no doubt get tired of covering my inexperienced ass and move on down the line.  I’ll probably be working back at B.W.’s shop before you know it.”
         Amy yawned and snuggled into his side.
         “Seven comes awfully early, lover,” she cooed.  “Why don’t we get some exercise?”
         “Is that a proposition, lady?”
         “Do I have to spell it out for you, cowboy?”

         The following week the new duo of “Josh and Gabe” made their debut and started playing at the People’s Pub every Tuesday through Saturday night.  They’d been able to work up and rehearse about two sets’ worth of tunes but the rest of the evening consisted of Josh performing songs from his sizeable repertoire and Gabriel ad-libbing as best he could.  Yet most in the audience didn’t notice.  Gabriel made up for his lack of experience by charming the gathering with his self-effacing banter.  Many of the folks who’d been coming to the Sunday afternoon jam sessions at B.W.’s shop and in the park became regular patrons of the club.  For the first time in over a year, Tom Markese’s daily ledger was in the black so he extended their stint indefinitely.
         In the beginning Josh and Gabe performed their own versions of old standards from the 60s by The Rolling Stones, Simon & Garfunkel, Buffalo Springfield, Bob Dylan and the like and, on occasion, tossed in a current radio hit from the Eagles or Jackson Browne.  As time passed, however, they began to inject some of their own material.  Gabriel had been writing poems and rhymes for years to pass lonely nights on the road while escaping his past and Josh had dozens of melodies and chord progressions that needed words to complete so their original tunes came together easily.  Gabriel had a knack for coming up with the perfect line that made them memorable.  Soon they were getting as many requests for their own stuff as they were for “Take It Easy.”
         A friend of B.W.’s owned a four-track studio and he let them record a batch of basic demos on spec.  The studio environment was a bird of a different color, though, and their efforts sounded amateurish at best.  They took some cassette copies of the tunes to the local disc jockeys in town but none of them deemed the songs suitable for playing on their radio programs.  Their live show, though, continued to improve and get more cohesive by the night.  In many ways they were a perfect combination of talents.  Josh was a consummate professional, precise and calculating.  Gabriel was unpredictable and spontaneous, always willing to take advantage of the moment at hand and guide the evening’s performance wherever the audience’s responses took it.  No two nights were the same.
         By the time the first cool breezes of fall began to stream across the desert terrain they were the talk of the town.  On the weekends people had to arrive by nine or they’d have to stand up in the back of the pub for most of the night.  Everyone who heard them could tell that there was something special about their sound.  Josh’s compositions were highly accessible to even the most unrefined of ears and Gabriel’s poignant lyrics were such that everyone could relate to them to one extent or another.  Their mutual respect was obvious to all and Gabriel’s on-stage personality was evolving into that of a master emcee who made everyone in the room feel like part of a big, happy family.
         Gabriel hadn’t changed because of his new career but, in some ways, Amy had.  They spent the nights that he had off together just like before but on those evenings when he played at the pub she often stayed home alone.  Nothing was going wrong in their relationship, it was as passionate as ever but she just couldn’t stay up late five nights a week and be able to stay sharp at work.  So most weekdays they only had about three hours to spend together and part of that time was spent over supper.  The usual routine was that she rose early while he was still asleep and then he left for work about the time she was getting ready for bed.  It took some getting used to and they had a few minor spats while they adjusted but they had no major blowups.
         When Gabriel got a raise in his salary he offered to support them both so they could be together more.  It seemed like a good idea at the time.  Amy quit her job and began to hang out at the pub every night but, after six weeks of feeling useless and more than a little bored, she changed her mind, begged to get rehired at the realty office and went back to doing what she knew best.  She loved Gabriel as much as ever but she just couldn’t live on the dark side of the clock.  She secretly wished that Josh had never come waltzing into the Atomic Dandelion that sunny April day and that their life could go back to being the way it’d been for the first year of their relationship.  But she knew that Gabriel was ecstatic about his new occupation and she did her level best to encourage him.  Besides, they had their whole lives still ahead to spend time together, she figured.