“That’s actually a good word for Dave,” Laura told her. “That’s exactly what he was. And it was Jake who was able to open my eyes to that realization.” She then told about the need for a soprano saxophone that was only available in Portland, about the flight there to acquire one, and about the heart-to-heart talk they had on the flight back to Coos Bay. And then she told about them sharing their first kiss in the hot tub later that night. She left out the part about how that first kiss had come about because she had accidentally gotten a feel of the erection he had sprung from having her in close proximity. She also left out the part about how they had gone upstairs and gotten naked together and fucked for the first time a little more than twenty minutes later.
“And that was when we fell in love,” Laura finished up. “During the recording of South Island Blur.”
“That’s a beautiful story,” Sarah said, beaming.
“And he proposed to me in that very same hot tub three years later while we were watching the sunset,” she said.
Chastity and Sarah both nearly melted when they heard this.
“And you said yes right away?” Chastity asked.
“Uh ... yes, of course,” Laura said, fudging the truth a bit. In actuality, a little bit of discussion had to be done first—discussion about lesbian bartenders and female groupies out on tour—but it had been that same night, so that could be construed as ‘right away’.
At this point, Sarah declared that she needed to get dinner started. Jake and Laura both offered to help but she enlisted the two girls instead. Joey got them all another round of canned Budweiser and they resumed their places.
“Who do you think will be going this year, Jake?” Joey asked.
“Going?” Jake asked. “Going where?”
“To the Super Bowl,” he said. “I think this just might be the year that Green Bay goes all the way. They’re my team, you know and I’m here to tell you, it’s been a challenge the last twenty years, but Favre has been on fire this season. And the defense! I’m sure I don’t have to tell you about their defense.”
“Uh ... well ... the fact of the matter is, Joey, that I don’t really follow football that much.”
He looked at him suspiciously. “You don’t follow football?” he asked. “What are you, a communist or something?”
“No, not a communist,” he said. “I used to like the Oakland Raiders back when I was a kid. They were the closest pro team to Heritage, where I grew up. But ever since I got into music and made it my life, I just haven’t had the inclination to follow sports. I’ve just been too busy.”
“Hmm,” Joey said. “You don’t watch any sports then?”
He shrugged. “Sometimes I watch the Olympics when they’re on,” he said.
“And you’re not a faggot?” he asked.
Laura chuckled. “I can assure you, Joey, he is most definitely not gay.”
“I see,” Joey said. “Well, what about hunting and fishing? You do that?”
Jake shook his head. “Never been hunting in my life,” he said. “I went out deep sea fishing with Matt Tisdale a few times back in the Intemp days—that was kind of fun—and my dad has recently gotten into stream and lake fishing and wants to teach me how to do it, but again, there’s that issue of not having much time. This is actually the first real vacation Laura and I have had in quite some time.” And I’m spending a good chunk of it here, in a tiny little house with a man who just accused me of being a communist faggot.
“Have you ever even shot a gun before?” Joey asked next.
“I never have,” Jake admitted. “My dad was an ACLU lawyer and my mom was a symphony musician. We didn’t have guns in the house.”
“Never fired a gun before,” he said in wonder. “You’re not one of those anti-gun nuts though, are you?”
“No, not really,” he said, doing a little truth-fudging again. In reality, he believed that letting everyone who wanted a gun have one had been a mistake back in the beginning, but there wasn’t much that could be done about it at this point—not with a couple hundred million of the things circulating around the country. He was pretty sure that Joey would not be sympathetic to that point of view, however, and he did not want to debate the issue upon first meeting the man.
“Maybe we’ll go hit the range while you’re here then,” Joey suggested. “I’ve got two AR-15s, an AK-47, and a .44 Magnum in addition to all my hunting rifles. You up for that?”
“Uh ... yeah, sure,” Jake said, actually finding the idea of firing guns appealing on some level. “I’d appreciate it.”
“We’ll do it then,” Joey promised. “And then, when we’re done, I’ll teach you how to clean them.”
“Sounds good,” Jake said.
After finishing their second beers, Jake, Laura, and Joey went out to the Jeep and carried in all of their luggage.
“I see you brought your guitar with you,” Joey said as he hefted the case.
“Yeah,” Jake said with a sigh. “I was hopeful about maybe working on some new material while we’re traveling, but ... well ... so far I haven’t even opened the case a single time.”
“If playing your guitar is your job,” Joey suggested, “then maybe you shouldn’t be bringing it with you. I don’t go looking to drive a garbage truck around when I’m down in the city or out in the woods.”
“That is a good point,” Jake had to admit.
The room they were to stay in was tiny, smaller than the smallest guest bedroom in any of their houses. There were two twin beds and a dresser. There were a few posters on one wall—Celia Valdez was one, New Kids on the Block was another—and some watercolor paintings of landscapes and animals on another. There was a single window that opened out to the back yard. A bunch of stuffed animals were piled at the foot of one of the beds.
“I’m sure it’s not quite what you’re used to,” Joey said, “but it’s a place to lay your head.”
“It’ll be fine,” Jake said, wondering if they would be able to push the beds together. They sure as hell were not going to both fit in one of them. He then pointed to the watercolors. “Who did that?”
“Gracie painted those,” Joey said proudly. “She’s always been real good with sketching and drawing and painting.”
“They’re very well done,” Jake said.
“They should be,” he said. “She spends about all of her free time working on them. She’s very shy, our Gracie, as I’m sure you noticed.”
“I did,” Jake said. Grace had, in fact, not said a single word in their presence since they arrived.
“This is how she expresses herself,” he said. “I guess there’s worse ways to find an outlet, huh?”
Jake agreed that this was very true.
Joey’s oldest child, Brian, arrived a few minutes later, his new wife and baby with him. Brian looked like a younger version of his father. He had brown hair, wore a mustache and a goatee, and was dressed in jeans and a pullover shirt. His wife, Julie, was a tiny little thing, even smaller than Laura. She had reddish-brown hair and a pretty face. She too wore jeans and a pullover shirt. In her arms was a baby boy dressed in a warm, cozy onesie. Everett was his name and he had a dusting of copper hair that was almost as bright as Laura’s.
“Oh my god!” Laura exclaimed when she saw Brian walk into the room. “Look at you! All grown up and married now. The last time I saw you, you weren’t even walking yet!”
“I don’t actually remember you,” Brian said apologetically. “I’ve heard about you all my life, especially these last few years.”
“I used to change your diapers,” Laura said with a giggle. “Come here, give me a hug.”
He gave her a hug and then introduced his wife and child. Laura immediately asked to hold the baby and Julie handed him over without hesitation. Only then did it occur to Laura to introduce her husband to the newcomers.
“Nice to meet you,” Jake said, shaking hands with Brian.