They needed to find a studio to record their next album: Sequestered. The plan was to spend about four months working on it; that should give them plenty of time to work on material they had begun writing while on the road. California was a hotbed of band activity at the moment - their usual studio was booked for several months. Most of the others nearby were, too, or out of the budget the record company had allotted them. It was beginning to look like they would have to go out of state to work. Don seemed to think this was actually a great idea, that a change of scenery would do them good. The rest of the band thought this was ironic of him to say: they had just spent six months on the road!
How lucky they were to have both Devin and record producer Howie Solomon on their team. Together, they had come up with a wonderful idea for the band. They would rent a house and live near the recording studio. This would eliminate the need for the band to live out of a hotel, or fly back and forth. There were four choices, the best of which was Royal Records. Howie had heard of the studio from Didi, the lead singer of Elysia. Because it was close to where that band lived, they had used Royal Records for their last two albums and were quite pleased. As exacting as Didi was, Howie knew it would serve their purpose well. They would also rent for the summer a massive old Victorian-style home that allowed enough room for the guys to have their wives visit. Don and Sam opted for Maria and Nicole to live with them. None of the guys minded, since they got along with the wives well. Maria also had family in the area, so she and Nicole could visit them, and there were several larger cities nearby to keep them busy while the guys worked.
There was one advantage that sold Voz on the idea immediately: Royal Records was only an hour's drive from where Raina lived. Located in the charming resort town of Majestic Lake, Royal Records was small enough to be affordable for the rising band, gave them a degree of privacy, plenty of activity for when they needed to get away, yet provided the latest in sound engineering. Perfect. The contract was drawn, signed, and sealed. Once that was completed, Voz called Raina to tell her the news.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
Howie was a slave-driver. The first three weeks was non-stop work. Even Don and Sam seldom saw their wives during that time. Endless writing and playing kept them busy. They saw nothing of the town, all they knew they learned from the Maria and Nicole, who were assigned the task of going into town for the basic living supplies. The two told them of the lovely beach the summer tourists flocked to, where a family-owned business rented boats for use on the lake. A horse ranch not only offered lessons, but day-long trail rides on the weekends. There were local bars, drive-in eateries, movie theatres, a golf course and tennis courts that offered lessons. Their last week in town was the same week of the local fair. There would be plenty for the women to do, and enough to keep the guys busy, if they ever got out of the studio.
Finally, they would get a break. Brill demanded that Howie give them the next weekend off. Summer and Lisa were flying out for a visit, and the guys needed time away from the studio. They wanted a weekend to themselves. Howie finally relented. Brill told Voz to call Raina. They would all go horseback riding and have a huge barbecue. Voz went to call her, and Brill asked Nicole to call the Sugar Legacy Ranch and arrange for the group to take a trail ride.
It would be an enjoyable way for Raina to get to know the band. The casual setting would ease the pressure of being dropped into the midst of the tight-knit group. She drove to Majestic Lake and easily found the house with the directions Voz had given her. The house was on a lonely country road about four miles from the town. It was old, but in great shape and well-suited for their needs. Raina had put together a large batch of her famous pasta salad for the barbecue later. She stored it the fridge with the other dishes the women had made. Introductions were made, and the group piled into cars to make the trek to Sugar Legacy. Voz and Raina were lucky enough to be able to drive over alone in her car, so they had the chance to get reacquainted and catch up on what had been going on in their lives since they had last seen each other. He told her about how well the tour was received after the video for "Someone's Afraid" was released. She let him know how much that experience had helped her at We Sell; they had easily landed the contract for the state's top brewery shortly after.
The group of ten were saddled up and paired with ranch hand Bill Johnson for their ride. He told them that the horses were familiar with the trail they would ride today, so there wasn't really much they needed to do to control them. He ran through some basic commands anyway and they were off. The route was scenic, taking the group off the ranch, through the nearby woods, over several bends of a creek that ran through the land, to the halfway mark called Lookout Point. This stop would give the horses a rest, and allow them to view most of the town and part of the lake from one of the highest hilltops in the county. The horses were tethered to trees, and each couple broke off on their own to take a few moments alone.
Voz and Raina walked for a bit down the face of the hill to watch the sailboats on the lake. It was a hot, summer day, with a warm wind to propel the snow white sails that made the boats cut through the sparkling water. They stood together in companionable silence, holding hands and enjoying the beauty of the scene. Raina's hair blew around her face and Voz reached over to tuck it behind her ear. She turned to him and smiled.
"I love the way the sun shines on your hair. It's good to have you here. Howie has been murder on us these past few weeks, we really needed the break."
"So how is the recording going?"
"Well, we're doing a lot of the writing right now, just messing around on jams. Brill's really got some brilliant jams down, and Don and I are working around some of those. Sam's not thrilled with the drum kit he's got here, but he's working on it."
"And Maria and Nicole? What do they do?"
"They have been spending time on the beach and taking tennis lessons. Did you see how tan they are?"
"Yeah, they look great."
"No, you look great." They were kissing when Brill interrupted them.
"Hey, hey, hey!! What do you think this is? Makeout Mountain? We're ready to go, so break it up, lovebirds, and let's hit the trail." Raina blushed at Brill's cheeky comment as she followed Voz up the hill.
There were a couple more stops to view the countryside, but the day passed quickly. Voz and Raina rode side by side for a while with each of the band members, just talking and enjoying each other's company. Brill's new girlfriend Summer was the hardest to talk to for any length of time. She was an up-and-coming model, slightly narcissistic, and spoke mainly of the latest fashion trends. It was hard to know what Brill saw in her, besides her looks.
Nicole was well-suited to Sam. Both were quiet, easy-going people. Nicole was currently enrolled in culinary classes, soon to be a master chef. They had been married for five years, and were thinking of starting a family soon.
Lisa was wild and crazy like Roger. The two were hoping to have some time together, after the album was finished, to travel. Their plan was to go to Hawaii to do some hang-gliding, and hike some of the volcanic trails.
Maria and Don were by far Raina's favorites. Maria was very family- oriented, and many of her clan lived in nearby Chicago. She invited Raina to travel with her and Nicole when they went down to visit them and see the city. Raina accepted. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Voz and Don smiling as they made plans. The guys were pleased that Raina and Maria were getting along so well. Don and Voz were as close as brothers. Having the two women become good friends would make it easy for them to get together often to do things as a foursome.
Howie and Devin had taken the day off to go into the city to see a baseball game and do some gambling. The gang had the house to themselves. The guys took off to the backyard to fire up the grill and talk cars, and the women gathered in the kitchen to prepare the food. Nicole whipped up a marinade for the steaks, Summer cut up fruit for dessert, while the rest chopped veggies for the salad. To try to bring Summer into the group, talk began about makeup and the latest swimwear. It wasn't long before the talk turned to the men they could see in the backyard through the kitchen windows....
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
The picnic table was laden with grilled steaks, corn-on-the-cob, potato salad, and many other dishes of ordinary picnic fare. Both a volley ball net and a croquet set fit nicely in the more-than- spacious back yard. After a rousing game of volleyball, the army - at least it seemed to be that many - ate voraciously.
It had been a wonderful afternoon. Everyone slowed a bit after dinner. It had been a hot summer day; the big meal made them a bit sluggish. They gathered in the living room that lent relief via central air. Voz and Sam had gone into the basement to record a track for a base line for a song they had begun earlier, so they wouldn't lose the idea.
The group had not been talking long when Summer and Brill entered, Brill toting along his contribution of more beer. At that moment, Raina realized that he had been gone since shortly after they first sat down to eat dinner. Apparently, he and Summer had gone into town for more drinks. Hopefully, Summer had been driving, because Brill looked a bit tipsy.
Trouble followed close at Brill's heels. It became more obvious as he talked that he'd already had a few by his attitude and smart remarks, most of which were directed at Raina. Where had this hostility come from? They hadn't talked much when they were riding that afternoon, she had talked mostly to Summer. She had no clue what she had done to upset or offend him. The others seemed to be a bit uncomfortable, but no one was really sure what to say to him. Raina had been told that Brill could be abrasive, but she never expected that he'd have anything to direct at her; she barely knew him! But he didn't back off, didn't slow down, the insults just kept coming. When he finally got to the remark about advertisers being sleazy, she could take it no more. It took all her strength to hold back the tears as she made her way to the kitchen and away from Brill's voice. Not that jokes about blondes, lawyers or advertising execs bothered her. No way. She thought a lot of them were funny. But Brill wasn't trying to be a bit funny. Oh no. He had some personal vendetta against her. And damn if she had a clue as to why.
She stood at the sink, beer bottle trembling in hand. Voices came from behind her. She just made out, ". . . I better be the one to talk to her Maria . . . " before the footsteps came up behind her.
"Raina . . . "
She drew a shaky breath to hold back the tears and to keep her voice from cracking. "Don, I'm going now. It's been a lot of fun. Thank everyone for me, and please tell Voz good-bye for me. But I can't stay where I'm not wanted."
"But you are wanted. Everyone thinks you're great, and . . ."
She butted in. "Well, then, what has gotten into Brill? I guess he's decided he doesn't like me too much. Don't ask me why, 'cuz I sure as hell don't know. I barely know him, barely even talked to him today."
Don stunned her by smiling grimly. "No attention. Hmmm, I think that may be exactly it."
"What?"
"Please sit."
"No, tell me what this is about."
Don looked down at his feet, kicking at the cabinet. He looked at Raina, then quickly back down. Softly, he said, "I'm sorry, we really should have warned you before you came out here. I guess Voz was hoping it wouldn't be an issue, with Brill being involved with Summer and all. I think that Brill is jealous of Voz. And he happens to be taking it out on you."
Raina almost dropped the drink she was holding. "Bullshit," she said. "Oh brother, I need to sit." She took a chair from the kitchen table, dropping into it. "Don you've got to be kidding. Ask anyone here, there's no way I'm Brill's type. I even wonder if I am Voz's type. And Voz told me he and Brill were getting along."
"They are. Well, they were." Don pulled a chair up to Raina, so they were sitting knee to knee. "Brill is just one of those guys who has had great luck all his life. He was practically born with a guitar in his hand. They say the most brilliant people are the most difficult to get along with. In this case, I guess he would be genius." Don sighed. "We are very much a band, we do a lot of things together. We know a lot of each other's business. We were all there when Brill's marriage broke up. Charlene is very bitter. I can hardly blame her, after seven years of marriage, to find out your husband is cheating. As much as Voz was uncomfortable around the fans, Brill loved the attention. He got carried away. I'm not excusing him, just trying to tell you what happened. We were there for him, just the same way we were for Voz when Rachel....." he trailed off. "I hate to say it, but Brill was the least helpful when that breakup happened. He was always pushing Voz to forget Rachel, even before he was ready for that. Brill kept trying to get Voz to leave the bus after shows, hang out with him and the groupies. It was almost like he was trying to rub it in his face, like they were in some sort of competition. They are in two different leagues, there's just no way to compare or compete, but that's the feeling the rest of us got from it. Ultimately, it ruined Brill's marriage. It's been a knock-down, drag-out fight for him and Charlene since. Then he hooks up with Summer." Don got up to get them both another beer. "I'm sure Summer is a nice person, but Brill really should resolve his other relationship first. Just my opinion. Anyhow, I think that's what's going on. Brill's got the pressure of this album on him, like the rest of us. But he's also dealing with lawyers, Charlene, Summer. The anniversary of his little brother's death is coming up soon, so that must factor in here somewhere. Ryan worshipped his big brother, wanted to be just like him. It tore Brill up when Ryan passed away." Don looked at her. "I think now that Voz is coming out of his shell with you, Brill feels he's loosing the competition. I think he might be jealous that Voz hooked up with a great girl like you."
Raina shook her head. "Don, that's just crazy."
"You'd be surprised what the male ego is like. Maria had actually brought it up to me first. She's noticed that Brill has been treating Voz just a bit differently lately. With the way he acted out tonight, I gotta say I agree with her."
Raina looked at Don like he was nuts.
Maria came in. "Have you told her?"
"Yes, " he replied.
"All of it?"
"The condensed version, the major points."
Raina looked at her. "Do you think the same as he does?"
"Yes, I do. No question about it." She told them about the conversation she just tried to have with Brill. It hadn't been much of a conversation though. Brill was nearly plastered.
At this revelation, Raina's eyes opened wide. "Hey, if he's got a problem . . . he . . . I . . . can't solve his problems, I can't fix his life for him. I . . . "
Don cut her off abruptly. "Brill is not an alcoholic. He doesn't even have a problem. Tonight is the first I've seen him drink in years. And we're together a lot, remember?" Maria nodded in agreement, and added, "It's got to be everything adding up here that is pushing him over the edge."
Raina was still doubtful of the whole thing.
Lisa was keeping Summer busy. Roger was downstairs occupying Voz and Sam. The last thing that they needed was to have a fight between Brill and Voz. Don and Maria talked her into staying, into talking with Brill, giving him the chance to apologize. Roger would divert everyone else into playing some party game. Maria would take Brill aside to calm him down. Both Maria and Don felt all that was needed was some privacy, then Brill would apologize to Raina, and that would be the best way to handle it for everyone. Just smooth it all over. Maria came back shortly to tell Don that Raina was to meet Brill out back. He had loosened up a bit with her. He realized he needed to apologize. "A good sign," she said.
Don hugged Raina. He tried to convince her it would be all right. He had a feeling she was just what Voz needed. There was no way he would let Brill ruin this, or cause a problem in the band. Don led her out to the patio, past the laughter in the living room. Despite the preoccupation of the others, she felt they knew.
I hardly know these people, she thought. Why am I letting them talk me into this? Why are they influencing me? Even Donna couldn't convince me that Voz was interested in me, and I've known Donna all my life! Her next thought drowned out the others. She sat down hard on the picnic tale bench. And that thought was this: because you want him, Raina. Secretly, deep down, you think Voz is the sexiest man you've ever seen. Admit it before you lose out. Before you lose him. So if smoothing things over with Brill will help that, that is just what you will do.
Under different circumstances, the night would have been described as romantic. It had cooled off considerably from the afternoon, but was still slightly sultry. There was no breeze, and the night sky was ablaze with millions of twinkling stars. A plane's red lights blinked lazily to the north, as if it, too, was influenced by the mood of the night. Here and there a cricket chirped; somewhere in the night one dog barked to another, then all was still.
Raina was tense, taught as a guitar string tuned two octaves too high. She wandered to the farthest end of the patio and stretched out on a lawn chair. She watched the stars, sipping on an almost forgotten, warm beer. Her mind whirled endlessly.
"Beautiful night, isn't it?" Though she had expected him, Raina jumped at the sound of his voice. Damn! Raina had hoped to be ready for him, psyched up and ready for battle, if need be. But as she turned, she realized that his tone was different, calm, almost tentative. He was standing not far away, ever-so-slightly unsteady, about to sit in the nearest chair. His eyes were tired, his expression confused, almost shy. Shy?! Imagine Brill Nelson shy! Especially after how he had treated her. It must be something else.
He sat, hands clasped between his knees, looking at them in mock- fascination. Raina turned to face him, with absolutely no idea what to say to him.
Several minutes dragged by while he gathered his thoughts and courage - this was evident in his posture and mannerisms. When he finally looked at her, it was with guilt. "I've been an ass, so I've been told. I guess I hadn't realized it - the guys and Maria and Summer, even, had to inform me that my behavior has been less than friendly." Raina listened. "I know I have really no excuse, but if you'd listen, maybe you'll accept my apology."
"Of course. Go on."
"You could say I've had a rough year. The tour went well if you look at attendance and sales. But the tech end was a mess. Devin had a new right-hand man, and touring with a rookie is a pain in the ass. I took it upon myself to be the troubleshooter. Now that we're in the studio, I'm running around in circles. My wife, um . . . ah . . . well, I guess she's almost my ex-wife, but . . . um . . . we broke up not too long ago. We're still settling the terms of the divorce. It's just stress getting to me. In two weeks is the anniversary of my little brother's death two years ago." He sighed heavily. "Hey, I don't mean to be laying this all on you, but I thought. . . . Maybe . . . " He looked at her again.
Raina's heart jumped forward so abruptly, her breath caught. She suddenly felt so sorry for him, in spite of everything. It was the eyes. That was what got to her all the time, that look. It was hard to describe it, but it filled her with compassion, sadness, made her want to pull Brill to her in a hug, to tell him it would be all right. Brill had that look now. She told herself, get it together girl, just keep a cool head.
"Listen, I understand. I'm sorry about your brother. But yes, you owed me an apology for being so . . . so. . . . well . . . the way you were earlier to me. But you don't owe me an explanation. I accept your apology, so let's just drop it. If you like, I can do my best to stay out of your way. Just because I'm seeing Voz doesn't mean we have to hang out together, we don't even have to be friends, if that's the way you want it. But I won't put Voz in the middle of this. I'm sorry if I've upset you, Brill, because I didn't mean it, whatever it was. Now, we'll just forget this little episode ever happened. I don't want to upset Voz. Deal? Good." She stood to walk to the house, and ran into Voz.
"Upset Voz with what?"
Brill hadn't moved, except that his head hung lower. Raina froze.
"I thought it was odd that Roger and Sam were keeping me downstairs so long when they knew I wanted to spend time with you. Raina, what are you and Brill going to forget so I won't be upset?" He could see that his bandmate had been drinking, and evidently, too much. "Did Brill do something?"
This was one time when thinking quickly on her feet came in handy. "Brill and I had a little argument over some trivia from the game we were playing. It got a bit carried away, and Brill apologized. It's over and done, nothing for you to worry about. We were embarrassed that we fought, and didn't want to upset you."
"Funny, when I came upstairs to find you, everyone was playing Pictionary. There's no trivia in Pictionary."
"Now Voz......."
Brill stood up. "Look Voz, she's trying to save my ass. I was a jerk and needed to apologize. So I did. No big deal. Don't take it out on her. You don't need to be an ass, too."
Voz's eyes lit up. "All right, Brill, I've had just about enough..."
"Brill!! Phone for you!!" Summer came running out. She grabbed Brill by the arm just as he was about to continue the screaming match with Voz. She dragged him inside as Don and Roger came out. They told Voz that he really had nothing to worry about, everything was just fine. Roger asked them both to come in and join them in a game of poker.
Raina declined. She had several things to get done the next day before the work week. Voz walked her to her car. She turned to look at him. He put his hands on the roof of the car on either side of her, blocking her in. "Raina, please tell me. I know Brill is difficult, and there are some things I should have told you before we spent the day with everyone..."
She laid a hand on his cheek. "Don gave me a rundown, hon, so don't worry about it."
"But what happened?"
"Really, nothing. I understand a bit now. You're making it out to be more than it has to be."
"Brill seems to be on edge, who knows what he will do. Are you sure? Look me in the eyes and tell me this."
She looked him dead in the eye. "Voz, it was a little misunderstanding. He apologized, I accepted. We are fine now."
Satisfied, Voz wrapped her in his arms. "The last thing I want is for Brill to give you a hard time. I wanted this to be a good day for you."
She squeezed him tighter. "It was." She leaned back to look at him. "I had a wonderful time with you. With everyone."
"Will you come back next weekend?"
"Maybe next weekend, you can come visit me?"
The smile that spread across his face was brilliant. "I think I'd like that." They kissed before she got into her car. Voz leaned on the window. "You will drive back safely."
"Yes."
He leaned in the car for one more kiss, before he broke away from the car to let her go. The others had come out to the front porch to wave good-bye. As she turned the car down the drive, something caught her eye. In the dim corner of the house, barely backlit by the patio lights, Brill stood watching the car pull down the drive. As if he were a magnet, Raina's head turned against the curve of the car, to watch his figure slowly diminish before he disappeared when the car got to the road.