London Harmony: Doghouse (13 page)

Then there was Fran, who was standing proprietorially close to another young woman who seemed to be cataloging me.  She was looking at everything about me but my face.  It felt like she was memorizing me.  Then I almost burst out in nervous chuckles when June Harris-West... J8 saluted me with her drink bottle.  She had her arm around none other than Scratch.  And let me tell you, she was gorgeous, I had no clue why she hid away under that hoodie when she was in public, or wanted people to think she was a man.  She looked an awful lot like Fran.

The evil woman had a shit eating grin as she pulled something out of her pocket and waved it in the air.  My passport!  This whole entire thing was starting to feel like some sort of setup... but to what end? Amy laid her head on my shoulder and suddenly it didn't matter anymore, I laid my head on top of hers and just basked in the feeling.  I could feel the bass strings of my heart thrumming.

Amy dragged me around to introduce me to the people I recognized and some of the others who I didn't.  It was almost surreal,  I found out this was Tabby Cat's home.  I had heard all the rumors of her living on a floating slum before being discovered by London Harmony.  I blinked and turned to Paya Doshi, and thought of the Flotilla Project.  Pieces started clicking together... no way.

All these superstars of the London music scene were all gathered here.  They all acted like close friends... no, scratch that, more like a weird, extended family.  I even got a hug from that cute goth woman I had seen leave London Harmony, Zilrita was her name, and I swear she had six or seven arms constricting me when she hugged me.  Amy said it was Zil's patented squid hug.

My escort saved the four most relevant to my situation for last.  She brought me up to an over smiley blonde.  “Liza, I'd like you to meet Francine Brighton, one of my best friends and sister to Vanessa... Scratch, and J8.”

I blinked she was J8's sister?  And Scratch's?  I really HAD been played!

Fran's smile was half smirk as she offered a hand and asked in a very American accent, “So you're our Amarissa's cowgirl?  Sorry I haven't met with you yet, but she seemed so taken with you that I kept my distance.”

Amy was blushing a brilliant red now.

Then she added, “Not to mention Vannie would have killed me since she was teaching you a lesson for trying to steal from her wife.”

It was my turn to blush.  I never really felt much shame for my creative financing, but I didn't want Amy to think less than me.  Fran laid a hand on my arm and she had a look on her face that was more kindred spirit than judgment.

“Hey, a lot of us have been in that same situation.  It is where you go from here that matters.”

I looked around, in this setting with so many stars and high power business people, it was hard to believe that any of them had been in similar situations.  I saw the feral glint in Fran's eye that never seems to leave someone who has seen hard times.  I knew Tabitha Romanov's story before she became Tabby Cat.

I glanced over to where the Purple Horseshoes were congregated, having a great time.  I was also aware of their drummer, Kacy Green's story.  A runaway who made it on her own.  Hmm.  Maybe Fran was right.  It was just hard to believe that so many here had humble beginnings.

Then Fran brightened. “Liza, this is my girlfriend, sweetheart, companion, confidante, and boo, Natasha Reed.”  She had such a loving look for the other young lady.

Natasha grinned and made a sour face.  “Boo?  Really Thesaurus Girl?  Boo?”

Fran flicked her nose and they shared a crinkle nosed look with each other.

Then Natasha turned to me.  It was a little disconcerting.  She didn't meet my eyes.  Instead, she seemed to catalog everything about me like she did earlier from afar.  Then finally she met my eyes, it was a little odd because she went straight to them, not drifting across my face first like most people do.  I had an inkling I knew why as she offered her hand.  “Pleased to meet you, Liza.  You had our bullheaded friend in quite a funk for a while.”

There was something a little dangerous the way she said it.  I suppressed the urge to gulp, then smiled broadly.  Another friend worthy of Amy.  I nodded, “The pleasure is mine.”

Fran slipped a cell from her pocket and peeked at the screen then she looked at Amy.  “You better finish the introductions.  Sun sets in just a couple minutes.”

Amy nodded and pulled me to the last two people I hadn't had officially been introduced to, shooting a quick, cute wave back to the ladies we left behind.  We stopped in front of J8 and Scratch.  June had an amused look on her face.

The pipsqueak introduced us.  “June Harris-West, this is Eliza Montrose.  She's a huge yank pain in the arse, but she's mine.”

I blushed at her claim.

June chuckled and offered a hand.  For someone who looked so upper class in a casual outfit that cost probably as much as my entire wardrobe, she had a firm, confident shake.

I knew all the rumors and urban legends that circulated about all the impossible things she and her group of friends had perpetrated when they were younger were true.  What were they called?  June's Eight?  Oh, holy crap!  June's Eight... J8!  With the air of confidence she projected, I could easily believe all the stories now.

I don't know how she did it, but I could actually hear a smirk in her voice.  “It is so nice to officially bump into you.”

I couldn't help an embarrassed smile.

Then she said in a deadly serious tone,  “We need to sit and have a long and serious talk on a couple subjects.”

Scratch cleared her throat and murmured, “Thursday Night.”

June nodded and added, “After the movie.”  Then she released my hand.

I nodded nervously.

Then Amy turned to Scratch and bobbled her head in a silly manner.  Scratch smiled and shoved her shoulder then my girl said, “This... is Vanessa Brighton.  And as you figured out AKA Scratch.”

The other woman looked to June.  It was like she drew some sort of strength from her eyes then she looked at me.  She touched my offered arm oddly like she wasn't entirely sure I was there then she smiled and shook my hand.  She pulled me to her side and whispered,  “You stole from my wife.”

I whispered back,  “Sorry.”

She chuckled and released me.  Then she started to turn away, looping her arm in June's.

I blurted, “My passport?”

She turned back with an almost confused look on her face, brow crinkled, and said like it was obvious, “Thursday Night.”

Amy restrained me and whispered, “Movie first, then business.  It's tradition.”

I looked around, there was no television on the upper deck, were we going below to... my thought died in mid-sentence when I heard an old time projector fire up and a movie flickered to life on a huge screen stretched out between some posts over the marina's office.

The opening credits for the old black and white musical, My Favorite Brunette, started playing.  I glanced around and for the first time, realized that people were sitting on the decks of all the other boats, and there were about two dozen people in lawn chairs on the pier watching the screen.  It was sort of supermurgitroid.

The satisfied smile Amy gave me as she led me over to a wicker, outdoor loveseat and sat me down, was priceless.  She crinkled her nose at me and pulled one of the many blankets, stacked near each seating area, around us.  I sighed and sank into her warmth as we experienced a work of musical and visual art from a bygone era.

I felt I was a woman out of time in my flapper outfit, watching Bob Hope on the screen, with my sweetheart.  I never wanted the feeling to end.  By the end of the movie, I was laid back on the loveseat and Amy was curled into me with my arm wrapped around her.

We all clapped at the end of the show.  And when the credits were over, and the projector was turned off, lights started coming on around the railing and on the other boats, casting a warm glow across the upper deck of the houseboat.

I glanced around, I was starting to realize something about all of these superstars around me.  They were just people too. None of them seemed to act as you would expect from someone of their station.  They were all down to earth, and they all appeared to enjoy the movie and atmosphere just as much as I did.

People started spreading their goodnights around.  Amy looked panicked for a second, glancing frantically around.  Then she got a little smile and touched the lanyard around her neck and followed it to the glasses on her face.  Her smile turned into a toothy grin and she pushed her glasses further up her nose.

Before I could say anything her lips were on mine.  I was left in a happy daze as she said while she rubbed the lanyard between her fingers, “This is the best gift anyone has ever given me.  It's like the wandering cats are on a leash now.”

I aborted a snort at just how cute she was being as we slid out from under the blanket and stood to say goodnight to everyone.  After a few minutes, it was just Tabby Cat, her lady, Teresa McClellan, June, and Vanessa.

We moved into a clump and Tabby grinned at us all.

“You ladies all have business to discuss.  My umm... manager here needs to take me below decks to umm... manage me.”  She gave a super cheesy grin and Teresa slapped her arm, but the white line of her pursed lips showed she was trying hard not to show her amusement.

Tabby made an exaggerated offer of her arm to the other woman who just slapped her arm away and shoved her toward the stairs.  Tabby laughed, and the women left us alone with June and Scratch.

June motioned toward a couple benches facing a low wicker table and we all sat.  Then she grinned and shook her head as she said with an incredulous tone in her voice, “Eliza Eloise Montrose...”

She knew my middle name?

“There are a lot of people out there looking for you.  I need to...”

Scratch interrupted her, “Thursday Night.”

June looked at her and said softly, “The movie is over.”

Vanessa just kept staring directly into her eyes and June sighed and exhaled.  She looked at us.  “Sorry, no business tonight.  Can I see you tomorrow at the London Harmony offices?  We have a lot to discuss.”

Vanessa grinned in triumph at the woman.

I had no clue what she needed to discuss unless she was going to reprimand me for my failed attempt to lift her wallet.  I just nodded dumbly.

She winked and said, “Great!  I'll see you then... just after lunch?”

I nodded again.

The two stood.  Oh, that was it?  I asked Vanessa quickly, “My passport.”

She paused and then took it out of her pocket and offered it to me.  When I tried to take it, she hung onto it firmly.

“If I give this back, do you promise to honor your word and come speak with June?  No skipping country?”

I nodded and said truthfully, “I have no intention of leaving London until I play at the Factory, the final venue I had promised myself I would play before I went back to the States.”

Amy stiffened a little and I squeezed her hand that she had somehow snaked into mine after we stood.  I wasn't so sure I wanted to go back now.  I didn't know what we were, or even if we were a we, but even if there was a chance, I would stay for her... if she asked me to.

June said softly, “Nessie.”

And Vanessa released my passport, which I quickly put into my purse.

They walked us out to the cars and Vanessa surprised us with quick hugs.  I turned to Amy's clown car when June said in a chastising voice, “Nessie.”

I looked back and Vanessa stuck her tongue out at June and told her, “Oh come on, you're no fun.”  Then she held out my passport toward me without taking her eyes from June.

What!?  I glanced down at my opened purse.  I chuckled as I plucked the passport from her fingers.  Then we watched them mount up and drive off before I placed it back into my purse.

I shook my head and chuckled.  Amy said absently in explanation as we stepped up to the clown car, “She and Fran used to live on the streets of New York before June basically saved them.”

That... I did not know.  I glanced over at the taillights of their car disappearing into the distance.  That actually explained a lot of things to me.

Then she seemed to have a mini panic attack, “Bloody hell.  I shouldn't have shared that without their permission.  Don't tell anyone.”

I shook my head.

Then I paused before opening the car door.  “Walk with me?”  She nodded shyly.  I stepped around and took her hand in mine.  She leaned over and laid her head on my shoulder as we started to walk.  I asked, “What are we?”

She looked up quickly then back down, snuggling tighter into my shoulder as she quietly asked, “What do you want us to be?”

I shrugged and stopped walking and caught her eyes.  They were laser focused on my left ear, I knew that meant she was looking directly into my eyes.  I said simply, “Together.”

She looked to be fighting off a tear and nodded.  She asked, “My cowgirl?”

I grinned and nodded. “You already claimed that earlier.”  Then I asked, “My annoyingly frustrating pipsqueak?”  She nodded with a huge toothy grin.  I said, “Good.”  Then I kissed her with everything that I was.  I wanted to share myself with her.  I still couldn't believe I had let myself get so attached to another person.  I was melting into her kiss.