Guitar Love - Resonance of Hearts Part 4

14 Christmas Carols

         The final break in the tour was the last two weeks of the year, so everyone could spend  Christmas with family and friends.  Most of the guys returned home to San Mateo, others went to  be with their families wherever they lived.  Regardless of where they spent the holiday everyone returned home for New Years, which was traditionally celebrated at Daffy's house.

         December temperatures in San Mateo were a dependable 55-60 degrees and the guys, in typical guy fashion, enjoyed their Christmas dinner on the grill.  Sara was in the kitchen marinating chicken  when the doorbell rang.  Wiping her hands on a towel she answered to find her father with a big  bouquet of red baby roses with green-and-white carnations. 

         "Hello, sweetheart" he wrapped her in a warm hug.  "The florist thought I was crazy to  give an expectant mother red roses, but I thought I remembered from years ago that you don't like pink.  This seemed more suitable for the holiday season anyway.  Merry Christmas, angel."

         Sara buried her nose in the beautiful bouquet.  "Come on in, Brian.  And Merry Christmas to you, too."  In their phone conversations over the past month they had succeeded in forging a tentative friendship, and Brian had encouraged his daughter to call him by name as he felt he had yet to earn the sobriquet of father.

         She led him into the kitchen, taking down a pretty glass fishbowl that was the only thing big enough to hold the flowers.  "The boys are downstairs yet - they had a Finnish sauna installed a couple weeks ago and they're testing it out en force.  Only Jerry's away visiting family at the moment as his sister just had her first baby, but he'll show up in a day or two.  Once they pry themselves out of the sweatbox and fight over the showers they can warm up the grills so we can enjoy our first barbeque Christmas dinner.  I'm told it's an experience to remember" she laughed and rolled her eyes.  "I've got salads and other stuff in the refrigerator just in case and Mama Marcela always contributes more food than the entire block could eat. 

         "Once dinner is over the entertainment starts.  The music room upstairs has a large balcony over the porch and the guys are going to drag part of their equipment outside to play a short set for the neighborhood.  Most of the neighbors apparently come to watch.  It should be quite a show."

         From downstairs a loud commotion broke out, moving from the far side of the  basement and thundering up the stairs.  A near-stampede of semi-toweled men appeared, jostling one another for the lead as they rounded the turn and continued up the stairs toward the bedrooms.  Ollie split off from the crowd, heading for the ground floor bathroom shower.  Daffy let the others go on ahead and strolled into the kitchen to kiss Sara and shake hands with Brian.

         He snagged two cold bottles out of the fridge and opened them.  "Has Sara told you the news yet?"  He handed Brian the other beer.

         The older man shook his head.  "I just arrived.  What's the scoop?"

         "I told Daff that I'd marry him.  Now he wants to get it done in between tours before I  can change my mind.  As if," she brushed his wiry cheek affectionately.

         Brian shook his hand.  "Congratulations, you've got yourself an exceptional woman.  I  expect you to take very good care of her."

         "That I will, thanks."  Daff finished off his beer just as Jay came down the stairs in ripped jeans, fluffing a towel over his dripping head.  "I'll go catch a quick shower, then we'll fire up the grills."  He headed up the stairs, elbowing Jay in the ribs as he passed in a teasing manner.

         Jay padded barefoot into the kitchen to greet their guest.  "Brian, nice to see you again.  Hope you like your Christmas dinner with barbeque sauce" he grinned.  Spotting Sara he scooped her up onto the edge of the counter so he could properly kiss and snuggle her senseless.

         Her father raised an eyebrow at the display.  "Sara was just telling me about wedding plans?"

         Jay offered him an unrepennant grin.  "Yeah, I told her she might as well give in and marry him - they're going to have a baby, after all.  It's gonna be a real rock party.  We're inviting all our musical friends and aquaintances and an Elvis impersonator is going to perform the ceremony.  It'll be a blast." 

         Sara punched him in the arm.  "You turkey, let me tell him the rest.  Why don't you round up Ollie and the others and go light some charcoal or something."  She gave him a push towards the back door.  Turning back to her father she shook her head.  "The whole thing was my idea, don't let them fool you.  I wanted to get them all dressed up in linen and leather instead of tuxedos, and this is what I came up with."  She lay a hand on his shoulder.  "Getting married isn't going to change our relationships any, but it will make Daff and the Castillos happy, which is important to me.  This is the way we are, and that makes me happy.  I hope you can understand."

         Brian wrapped her in a hug.  "Whatever makes you happy is what I want for you,  pumpkin.  I wish the three of you the best of luck in life."

         They ate outside under twinkling starlight with the sound of the pounding surf in the  background.  Once a three-way spat broke out over the last of the grilled mushrooms, but Brian surprised them into behaving with a well-aimed mantecado cake that exploded in crumbs as it smacked Mickey in the back of the head.  The food was good, with only a single rack of ribs getting a bit charred, the cava and sangria were plentiful and the good mood and laughter carried through the evening. 

         After dinner Sara, Ollie, Brian and the Castillos worked together to clear away the meal and the resulting dishes while the others trooped upstairs to wrangle the drumset and keyboards out onto the balcony and argue over guitars.  Ollie ended up having to referee the guitar selection - which got him out of trash patrol.  By the time they came to an agreement on the playlist the dishes were dried and there was a crowd of neighbors gathering in the street.  Sara and Marcela passed out cups of punch to the neighborhood children and mulled wine for the adults as the music played long into the night.


         Jerry arrived the next day just as the gang started tearing out tile and fixtures in the main bathroom at Ollie's house.  If all went well they would have the plumbing, walls and floor in before the new year's party, then continue the work when they returned home at the end of January.  They would be pressed for time this off-season as they had a recording session and Daff and Sara's wedding scheduled.  The off-season was also shorter than usual this time around since rescheduling of some of their performances had pushed a handful of dates forward instead of back to make room for the baby's due date around the end of June.

         Ollie had originally intended to just spruce up the bathroom when he bought the house, but an inspection of the subfloor had revealed a small but worrying patch of damp.  Since the floor needed replacing he had decided on a full remodel that would replace the old tub with a roomy built-in shower and to hang the sink and stool from the wall to make the space easier to  clean.  He had purchased or special ordered all the necessary supplies back in October when they were home last so they would have everything ready to go.  They had the room gutted by early afternoon and were  pleased to see that none of the floor joists needed replacing.  The plumber wouldn't be in until the  next morning, but they were able to re-frame and re-insulate the outside wall, replacing the original window with a pre-ordered glass block window for more privacy in the shower.

         The next morning the plumber, a local acquaintance of the boys, arrived early and made quick work of replacing and re-routing the pipes while they re-framed the lower part of the wall that would support the stool and sink.  The electrician, another local, arrived that afternoon to install the wiring.  By evening they had the walls prepped, vapor barriers in place and cement board installed throughout the room.  On the third and fourth days they worked hard to get the walls tiled - white marble accented with smaller diamonds of black marble.  The last day saw the floor tiles of black marble go in, Ollie and Daff squeezed in side by side while Jay mixed tile cement and carried cases of tile so they could work nonstop. 

         The rest of the crew spent any and all free time at the clubhouse test-driving some of the new songs, trying to find the best arrangements in preparation for recording once the tour was over.  Every song was always a unique project and they focused on the more problematic pieces first so that hopefully most of the big kinks would be worked out by the time they could all get together in earnest.

         Sara took advantage of the break to spend some time getting to know her father.  They went out exploring the neighborhood every day, often taking Marcela or Enrique as guides.  When Brian went off on his own in the afternoons she would peek in on the boys and take them sandwiches before going to visit with Marcela.  The older woman was more than happy to teach her the guys' favorite recipes and a great deal of other kitchen knowledge.  Every day Sara learned new dishes that the guys got to enjoy that evening.  Because of the bathroom remodel Ollie had temporarily moved into his spare room at Daffy's house, so he got to enjoy Sara's food trials on a daily basis.  As thanks he brought her a gift basket filled with herbs and spices - that Marcela had helped to pick out - and a potted Calamondin Orange plant in full fruit from the florist's down the street.


         The guys' New Year's celebrations tended to be much more quiet and laid-back than most peoples' as they used the evening to relax and unwind before returning to their tours.  They started the evening preparing tapas trays, which they carried up to the music room balcony along with some of their instruments and comfortable chairs.  The view of the San Francisco Bay area was spectacular from their perch and there were numerous points around the Bay that put on extravegant fireworks shows.  It was a great night to hang out under the stars and play music just for fun for a change.  They avoided their own songs for the most part, playing whatever tune came to mind or tinkering with new melodies as inspiration hit.  Only when the first hint of dawning light kissed the sky did they finally give up and drag their weary selves to bed.  The bus would be rolling out for Houston in only a few hours.

         Brian showed up around noon after spending the night away from the house with Chrissie Summers in tow.  When Sara gave him a questioning look he gave her his roguish grin and commented that he was getting too old to be running around after the Tiffanys of the world.  He admitted that he had spent the past week looking for a place of his own in the neighborhood so he could live close to them and contemplate a possible early retirement.  Jay had suggested he look Chrissie up, and it turned out the same small apartment that Jay had rented for such a brief time was still free.  The guys had loaned him some spare furniture the day before to make him comfortable, but Chrissie had showed up later with a picnic basket of good food and three bottles of wine... and he had wakened in the morning to a warm and willing woman in his arms.  He assured Sara that over the next month he would be emptying his condo in Chicago and settling down in San Mateo where he would take his time looking for a suitable house nearby.  Until then the tiny apartment would be more than enough for his needs - especially if Chrissie kept him company.  The guys gave him permission to store his things at the clubhouse until he found more roomy accommodations.

         Then it was time for the bus to roll.  The gang said their goodbyes to Brian and the Castillos, who had come to see them off, and climbed aboard.  They had almost four weeks and twenty-two shows left before the tour ended and they were looking forward to the climax of their tour.  This time of year their bookings were focused on the big auditoriums and arenas and the vibes were high.  The road was calling again.

15 A News Fill

         The final show of the tour was in San Jose, so the group returned home the day before for a good night's sleep before the bus rolled from the clubhouse one last time.  Everyone returned to their own homes for the night with the exception of Ollie, who still didn't have a functioning bathroom.  He did, however, haul his belongings from the bus back home to make sure everything was as it should be before dropping in to visit the Castillos and pick up his mail.  Later in the evening he returned to the big house and spent some quality time curled up on the downstairs couch watching old movies, where he eventually fell asleep.

         Sara sat curled up in the middle of the huge master bed.  The small bump of her pregnancy was beginning to nudge her laptop as she searched the internet for nursery ideas and she rolled her shoulders to ease the ache.  Most of Jay's things were still in his old room, but he had promised to move everything out during the next week now that they were home.  She wanted to repaint the room a sunny shade of yellow but wasn't sure yet how to outfit the room.  Giving up the search she concluded that the best thing to do would be to take Mama Marcela and maybe Chrissie out shopping in a few days and see what they came back with.

         Daffy came out of the bathroom after his shower and set aside the laptop Sara handed him so he could take his favorite spot.  With his head in her lap he stretched out across the bed to watch the evening news.  Jay came in shortly and kissed Sara, her bump, and Daff's forehead as a joke before lying on his stomach on Sara's other side.  Daff stretched an arm leisurely over his head and tagged the other man on the back of the head before Sara could scold them for misbehaving.  The evening rituals thus having been seen to they could settle down to relax.

         One Night Stand was mentioned in the local news, as their final concert was usually quite a spectacular one and there would be plenty of press coverage at the event.  The news commentator briefly brought up Daff and Sara's wedding plans and Sara's pregnancy, but what caught their attention was the woman's comment about Sara's earlier relationship with Jay and her seemingly innocent speculation about who the baby's father might really be.  The news ended with those words.

         Jay buried his face in the blankets.  "Well that could have been left unsaid on national television" he groaned in a muffled voice.

         Daff looked up at the ceiling but took Sara's hand in support.  "It was local news, not national, but in an hour it might be viral across the internet."  He turned his head to kiss Sara's tummy.  "Don't worry, sweetheart.  We'll get through it together, whatever comes."

         "Why do they even care?" she pondered.

         Jay turned to pull her close.  "We're news, babe, that's all they ever care about.  If it doesn't make a splash they'll find something else to gossip about.  'Don't take them personally and learn to live with it' is what my dear old dad always said.  He used to play jazz and blues in New Orleans and he taught me guitars before he taught me to read and write.  The last time he made headlines was when he got knifed in a bar brawl off Bourbon Street.  I was about 18 or 19 and way up in Washington state at the time and couldn't make it home for the funeral, but the family sent me word and I lifted my way back - took me almost three weeks and cost me my place in the band I was playing with at the time.  I was walking down the highway outside of Dallas in the middle of a rainy night when I almost got run over by a rusty old tour bus with only one headlight.  That's how I met the guys." he jerked a thumb in Daffy's direction.

         Daff grinned.  "I remember that old bus - it was always breaking down and everything on board smelled and tasted of diesel fumes because the exhaust leaked.  Wonder we didn't die before the engine did, but it was the only home most of us had at the time.  As I recall, we gave you a ride into Orleans where we had a gig and we all wound up at some dive called the Alibi Lounge.  We ended up drunk as skunks on cheap swill and I found myself in a high-stakes game of stud with these dangerous-looking older guys who probably thought I was an easy mark.  One of them was a musician who originally came from California and at the end of the game I walked away from the table with seven thousand dollars cash and the deed to this house.  We got out of there fast after that, and spent the night sleeping on your family's lawn while somebody banged on the fuel pump so we could get the bus moving again.  Our bassist had just walked out so we took you with us when we left town.  Haven't been able to get rid of you since" he tagged Jay a glancing blow.  "We used most of the cash for a downpayment on a better bus and within a year we were all living in the dining room downstairs while we fixed up the rest of the place.  Man, times have changed since then."

         Sara gave him a slanted look.  "You told me you inherited this place."

         "I said I 'kinda' inherited it, which I did.  That old blues man didn't feel so bad about losing his house - which was nearly falling down at the time - when he found out it was going to a fellow musician.  His buddies didn't take too kindly though when I let slip after the deed was signed that my uncle was a card shark who taught me how to deal stud when I was knee-high.  That was why we had to leave in such a hurry" he grinned and shook his head.

         Ollie leaned in the open door.  "You guys see the news?" he asked.  "Mickey called to say it's already starting to spread.  There's gonna be a sea of cameras at the show tomorrow night."

         Jay nodded.  "Guess we don't have to spend so much money on advertising for a while"  he joked and made a sour face.

         Daff waved Ollie in to lounge on the massive bed.  "We were just telling Sara about old times, how we found Jay on the side of the road and I won this house in a game of cards the same night.  Seems to me we've been without drama for some years now, so I guess we're more than due for some."  He got up to fetch bottles of beer from the minifridge and sparkling water for Sara.

         Ollie nodded.  "I remember that night.  It was pouring down buckets of rain and we only had one headlight - we had to pull it out of the right lamp and screw it in on the left side so  we could see the center line to drive - and I nearly plowed over him before I caught the faint glint of light on the buckles of the guitar case on his back... about ten feet in front of the bumper.  Everything and everybody on the bus went flying when I stomped on the brakes and I almost went through the windshield before we stopped.  I looked outside and there he was, just standing stock still, dripping wet from the pouring rain and so close I could have reached out and smacked him in the back of the head.  Good thing the highway was deserted that night or we could have had a semi up our backside or something."

         Sara looked down at Jay, who had flopped back down on his side of the bed again.  "Why were you just standing there, you idiot?  You might have had the sense to get out of the way."

         Jay simply raised an eyebrow.  "I had just hitchhiked about 2,500 miles - half of which I walked - after finding out my dear old dad had been stabbed to death in a dive bar by a middle-aged card shark and I had been walking since morning in the pouring rain.  I was half-starved and half-drowned and hadn't slept in three days so I was probably walking in my sleep by then.  The next thing I knew there was a dim light on my left and a wheezing, belching, farting demon breathing brimstone and smoke down my neck.  It was a wonder I didn't need to change my shorts I was so scared.  And then the sadist went and laid on the horn, which sounded like the baying of the hounds of hell, and I think I fainted.  They had to pick me up off my knees and haul me into the bus in any case."  He gave Ollie a dirty look.  "And after the scaring he gave me he still had the balls to yell and curse at me half the drive to Orleans.  I had to buy him a drink just to shut him up."

         Ollie scoffed.  "By the time we hauled your sorry ass on the bus I was shaking so bad I could barely drive.  Yelling at you was the only way to keep everyone from noticing how much the bus shook and weaved the rest of the trip."

         "We noticed" the guys answered in unison, then laughed.

         Ollie snorted into his beer.  "Well in any case, we had just lost our bassist Jesse back in Fort Worth so I was in a bad mood to begin with.  This was only a few months after we had to find a new guitarist to replace the last one and I was still training him" he smirked at Daffy, "as it were.  The kid was sixteen and living on the bus at the time.  Suddenly on one dark and stormy night I got ten years scared off my life, picked up a new bassist from the side of the road, almost ended up in a bar brawl and spent the night fighting off bloodsucking mosquitoes and amorous alligators in some bayou.

         "Maybe you're right - it's been some time since we really tore things up.  With the wedding party coming up and the new material taking a fresh direction from our older music maybe we need a good shake-up with the media to kick things off with a bang.  At least things shouldn't be boring this new year."  He gathered up the empty bottles.  "I'll take these down to the kitchen on my way to bed.  Good night, Little Sister" he said to Sara.  "Don't worry - the bad news monsters won't eat us for breakfast" he gave her a wink as he closed the door.

16 The End of Burning Dreams

         The entire area around the HP Pavilion was clogged with spectators and press for over a quarter mile in all directions.  The local authorities actually contacted the guys before they could head out and arranged to meet the bus en route.  They literally had to walk the bus through the crowd with a line of police escorts to make sure they got through safely without being swarmed or running anyone over by accident.  Once inside they set up quickly and ran through their sound checks carefully, making adjustments for the size of the venue.  They didn't give interviews before or after the last performance of any tour because it tended to throw off the  night's vibes and they wanted to savor the evening as long as it lasted.  When everything was ready they holed up in their allotted room backstage to wait for showtime.

         Jerry and Ari lounged in a corner playing cards.  Daff cozied up to his guitar nearby and offered occasional advice that livened up the play and caused a few arguments over the rules of the game.  Mickey poked at his iPad, trying to get it to work.  Ollie paced the floor, gathering energy for the performance.  Jay got trapped by Sara, who wanted an opinion on the growing list of baby names she was contemplating.  He managed to escape with just five minutes to showtime to attend his own pre-show rituals - pulling on his favorite leather pants and playing a little air guitar to wake up his fingers.  Then the knock came on the door and it was time to go.  The air crackled with electricity as they headed for the stage.

         They took their places on the darkened stage while the crowd stomped and clapped thunderously and called out their names.  An explosion of pyrotechnics ripped the darkness and the lights came up as they launched their first song to the roaring screams of the audience.  'Take You Anywhere' began the night, followed by 'Burning Dreams' and 'Give Me Strength'.  They slowed the pace a bit with 'Alive' and 'Rough Beauty'.  Ollie chatted the crowd a short while to give them a chance to catch their breaths before they seduced the audience with 'Snowhite Romance'.  Their fans were with them a hundred percent, crooning along to the ballads and roaring out the chorus of every rock song they played.  There were throngs of people dancing in the aisles and a few roses and even an unmentionable or two were thrown onto the stage.  Jay caught one of the rosebuds before it could smack him in the chest and tucked it into the head of his bass, causing the pretty fan who threw it to nearly swoon.

         In the middle of the show was a five-song acoustic medley of old favorites, which gave the guys a chance to breathe and added a bit of intimacy to the performance.  They sat in a row with their guitars next to Mickey and his piano and joked with the audience in a more relaxed atmosphere.  Daffy pretended to forget the notes at one point so Jerry swiped his guitar pick and tossed it into the crowd, only to conjure another one out of thin air so they could continue the song.

         Late into the show the anticipation in the audience grew - the guys always liked to debut one brand-new song at the end of their tours to give their fans a taste of what would be on their next album.  This night was no exception and the crowd fell in love with 'Night Lover' as soon as the first seductive notes slithered from Daffy's guitar.  His skilled hands shaped the erotic melody as they made love to the strings.  As if it had been choreographed a red silk thong fluttered through the air to hang from the Gibson's tuners.  He flashed the crowd a naughty grin as he played the last notes, then bowing low, let the silken swatch slip to the stage.

         Finally it was time for the last song to be played, and the fans were all on their feet for 'One Night Stand', their first hit and signature song.  Flames and explosions from the pyrotechnics accompanied the last screaming notes and the lights went out again, giving them a chance to gather at the front of the stage before the footlights came up.  They bowed to the audience among cheers and screams, then headed backstage.

         There wasn't always time after every show to meet with the fans and sign autographs, but on their final night the guys didn't go home until their fans did, signing autographs until their pens ran out of ink and posing for endless pictures.  They shook hands, gave hugs, dried a few tears and answered countless questions.  Many of the fans congratulated Daff on his upcoming nuptials and fatherhood, and asked about Sara and the baby.  He assured them that Sara was doing fine now that the morning sickness had abated and they had finally decided to find out at their next ultrasound visit whether they were going to have a boy or a girl.  The boys had checked on her when they came off the stage, but hadn't wanted her mobbed by the fans so she remained backstage with the crew until the crowds thinned a bit.  Once things calmed down she came out to sit with the guys and even posed for some pictures for the fans.  The concert had ended before midnight, but the sky was just beginning to lighten when the group waved to the last of their fans and climbed aboard the bus to go home.  One Night Stand's 'Burning Dreams' tour was officially  over.

17 Recording Blues

         "Damn it!" Daff swore loudly as his D string snapped and tagged his finger a stinging  blow.  He was already frustrated because the music wasn't flowing and now he had to stop and restring his guitar.

         The guys had been working in the studio for two days already and didn't have a thing to show for it but broken strings and frayed nerves.  They had been plagued by equipment problems from the very start, from blown fuses and recording equipment that wouldn't record to  a synthesizer that was stubbornly mute.  Jay had nearly put a foot through his amp on day one when a problem with the grounding gave him a very bad jolt.  Tempers were really beginning to flare as the setbacks piled up.

         Jerry leaned on his keyboards while Daff fought with the recalcitrant string.  "If you didn't have such a heavy hand your strings might last more than five minutes, you ape" he  complained.

         Ollie, who was passing the time with an acoustic guitar nearby, flicked his guitar pick at the keyboard player's head.  "Quit bitching, Jer.  Have you got that synthesizer talking yet or are we going to waste another day without it?  It would be nice to walk into the studio once in a while and have all the equipment work when we want it to.  For cripes sake, Jay's hair is still smoking from that love tap he got yesterday.  Just what do you do with that bass when no one's around?" he turned to look at the younger man.

         "What happens behind closed doors stays behind closed doors" he winked and stroked the neck of his favorite baby.  "She was just jealous because I've been flirting with a new Spector lately, but we've made up and she's putty in my hands again" he leered lecherously.

         The others laughed.  Daff finally got his guitar back in tune and they picked up the threads of their music with slightly lighter hearts.  By the end of the day there was still nothing of real note recorded but they had most of the kinks worked out and the vibes were high enough that they decided to continue practice back in the clubhouse's acoustic room.

         Even more than the music they were hoping to cop a free meal from Sara, who had been in the kitchen practicing again for most of the day.  The guys had gifted her with a 22" paella pan advertised to feed up to 12 people, and they intended to see how close to the mark the ad was.  Sara was turning into a real kitchen mavin under Mama Marcela's tutelage and they were enjoying the benefits.

         After the delicious meal, which had included a light salad and a decedant coffee flan dessert, the boys staggered out the back to the clubhouse to continue their practice session.  By unanimous agreement they decided to work on the two ballads chosen for the album, which allowed them to sit comfortably as they played and rested their full stomachs.  The vibes were brighter after the good food and Sara's infectious laughter and the music flowed like fine wine.

         Mickey hit on a bright idea and dragged Ollie back to Daff's downstairs storage rooms to help carry up their old recording equipment that they sometimes used when trying out new songs.  They hauled it up to the clubhouse and by some miracle Mickey got it connected to his quirky Ipad and running.  It wasn't quite top of the line anymore but with some help from the more modern technology and divine intervention it did a satisfactory job of recording the different tracks they wanted to lay down that evening.  They saved only the voice tracks for the actual studio recording but they were very happy with what they had.

         Over the next day or so they were able to get the synth up and running again but the recording equipment not only stubbornly refused to record, it also objected to receiving the home recordings that they had made in their acoustic room.  The last of their waning patience gave out on day five when magic smoke escaped from one of the mixers and its life-lights went out forever.  They abandoned the studio and decided to finish recording at the clubhouse, which had been acoustically treated when they bought it for practice sessions.  A few key pieces of rush-ordered recording equipment arrived while they were still setting up their instruments.  When everything was in order they ran through all the songs on the album list one time to test out the setup and found it worked well.

         They found a rhythm over the next couple weeks that carried them through the instrument track recordings for the entire album.  The clubhouse wasn't set up for quality vocal recording, but they started looking at their available space with a new eye to building a full-blown recording studio sometime in the future.  The album was still missing some unique instrument tracks that would be recorded elsewhere, like the saxophone accompaniment to "Night Lover" they had decided to add and string arrangements for the songs that needed them.  They returned to the studio in early March when they got word that the recording equipment had been upgraded to lay down the voice tracks and a few guitar pieces they decided to tweak.  Once they were satisfied with the new tracks they sent everything out to be mixed and mastered.  It was likely that a piece or two would need to be re-recorded before all was said and done, but for now their work was done and they were finally able to relax and enjoy their down time.

18 Wedding Sonata

         Sara wrung her hands nervously in front of the full-length mirror while Chrissie and Marcela finished lacing up the back of her corset.  It was a special-made maternity corset that the dress designer had made - not to hide Sara's six-month pregnancy - but to support her belly and back during the wedding party.  The black leather-and-lace support went over the bodice of her white off-the-shoulder 'pirate' dress with leather shoulder straps that would help hold up her growing tummy.  The gauzy handkerchief lace dress itself weighed next to nothing, fluttering in almost non-existant layers to mid-calf in the front, dropping to the ankle in the back.

         "Are you sure this is a good idea?" she asked nervously.  It was far from the first time the older women had heard this question from the young bride.

         Chrissie rested a calming hand on Sara's shoulder.  "This isn't going to squeeze the little duckling one bit, honey.  It's just going to help hold him up without giving you an aching back so you and your boys can dance the night away.  You just take a deep breath and relax, everything is going to be fine.  You look absolutely beautiful, by the way, and I snuck a peek at your young men just a minute ago - you were right on the money with their outfits.  They look positively sinful.  Too bad you couldn't get them all to agree on the leather pants though - they would have given the Chipendales a run for their money" she said with a girlish titter.  Her eyes strayed to the corner of the room where Sara's father stood tall and handsome waiting for them to finish.

         Brian stepped forward at her look to bow over his daughter's hand.  "You are simply breathtaking, my dear.  Don't worry about your young men, I'll go and see that they're dressed and ready on time.  Personally, I think they're being silly about the clothes.  These leather pants are surprisingly comfortable" he looked down at his snug black pants admiringly.  "At first I agreed to wear them because the others put up such a fuss and I enjoy giving them a hard time, but these actually fit better than some of my tailored suit pants."  He turned in a circle so they could see just how well they fit - the side-laced pants were snug from top to bottom.  Low boots and a black suede vest added to the masculine look and kept the linen pirate shirt and teal silk sash from looking out of place.  He had even had the wit to grow a short van-dyke beard for the occasion.

         "You're looking dangerously handsome" Sara smiled at him.  "Keep an eye on this one, Chrissie.  He's a known rogue and needs to be kept on a short leash else he'll be plundering someone else's booty."  She shook her finger scoldingly at her father.  "You behave now.  I like her."

         Enrique came in at that moment.  "Brian, will you come lend a hand mi hermano? Mis hijos are being unruly, and one or two are refusing to get dressed in their wedding clothes.  They are being more than a handful today and we need to get them ready quickly before they escape altogether."  He and Brian hurried down the hall to the mens' dressing room.

         Inside they found total chaos.  Ollie had stubbornly refused to wear the suede pants Sara had picked out for him and the others had ganged up and were attempting to wrestle him forcibly from his trousers when the older men came in.  Brian grinned and would have happily joined in on the pantsing, but Enrique yelled them into submission.  There was a great deal of grumbling and threatening involved in the subsequent moments, but within a surprisingly short time everyone was suitably  dressed for the wedding party.  Daff and Jay had been ready for some time already - they had helped Sara pick out the outfits - and helped the others with the unfamiliar clothing.  When they were done even the begrudging Ollie had to agree that they looked damned good.  Before anyone could have second thoughts or escape the older men herded the unruly gang out to gather the women and head for the stage area.


         The Fox Theater in Oakland was a beautiful venue with eastern/oriental architecture and room for nearly 3,000 people.  There weren't quite that number at the party, but it was quite a lively crowd.  Daff and Sara had officially been married in a civil ceremony the day before, but an Elvis impersonator was already waiting on the stage to perform the ceremony in front of their family, friends and fellow music people.  Ollie stepped out first as the familiar front man to welcome the gathered guests, and the other men filed onto the stage to take their places.  Once everyone was ready Jerry played the wedding march and Brian escorted his daughter onstage and handed her to the waiting groom.  Elvis being Elvis, the wedding ceremony was part humor and  part theater, but eventually they got past the "I do's" and Daff was able to fend off the  impersonator with Jay's help and kiss his bride himself as the crowd cheered wildly.

         Later in the evening Nickelback were briefly onstage, and "Far Away" was echoing through the theater.  Jay had stolen Sara away from Donald Fagen and the pair were slowdancing in a secluded corner of the room.  Daff was deep in conversation with Mick Mars, Ritchie Blackmore and Joe Lynn Turner about their favorite guitars and setups nearby.  When the song ended Jay gave Sara a lingering kiss before handing her over to Ari for the next dance.  He joined the other guitarists, not noticing that their kiss had drawn a few peoples' attention. 

         There were only a handful of people from the press present at the party, but those lucky few were quick to catch on to anything newsworthy at such an event.  Jerry spotted some of the sharks circling around the back of the theater where Daff and Jay were talking shop with other guitarists.  He could see that while both men were enjoying the conversation their eyes kept following Sara on the dance floor.  Ari had been successfully fending off other dance partners for most of the past ten minutes to give their little sister a chance to breathe without having to hide in a broom closet.  She was still unused to being the center of attention and the guys were taking it in turns to chaperone her throughout the evening so she didn't feel so overwhelmed.  Jerry had intended to take over for a bit but seeing how the media were paying attention to Jay and Sara's interactions he decided that a diversion was perhaps called for instead.

         Looking around he spotted Mickey on the other side of the stage and signaled the piano man to join him.  The live entertainment had taken a brief pause and with a nod toward possible trouble Jerry challenged his bud to a musical duel onstage.  Mickey picked up the idea and they launched into a lively melody of piano and keyboard hits to draw the crowds toward the stage and away from Sara and the boys.  Ollie caught on soon and snagged an acoustic guitar to join in the entertainment.

         Brian finally claimed his daughter, freeing Ari to whistle up the last two members of their group and hustle onto the stage.  Daff gave a brief speech to thank the gathered guests for attending and then they launched into a forty-minute set of mostly new material.  This earned them a frown from their manager, who disapproved of their performing new songs before the album was ready for release, but was well received by the large crowd gathered before the stage.

         After the set Daff went down to where Sara and her father were waiting with the wedding photographer and some of the press for a photo oportunity and the others scattered into the throng to spread more joyful mayhem.

         Towards the end of the evening Jay had managed to get Sara off her feet for a moment and was plying her with bits of churros pasteries dipped in melted chocolate.  A passing guest distracted her for a moment and she ended up with chocolate smeared on her lips, making her laugh gaily.  She turned up her mouth playfully and Jay kissed the smudge from her lips, sweeping his tongue across the seam of her mouth to catch the last of the sweet taste.  Flashbulbs exploded around them, photographers eager to capture a juicy photo story.

         Daffy stepped around the news hounds as if they weren't there.  He and Jay clasped hands in a brotherly manner before he sat down on Sara's other side and took her hand.  More cameras flashed enthusiastically while Jay dipped another pastery in chocolate and offered it to his bud, intentionally smearing a bit of chocolate on his scruff at the last moment.  Sara laughed gleefully and leaned in to kiss his face clean.  Jay shrugged unapologetically at the one stoney eye he could see around Sara's tumbling curls and waved lightheartedly at the cameras.