“You started this. You wanted to come to this town and you wanted to get close to Alex so you could get your revenge on him, then one little setback and you want to retreat. Don’t be an idiot, Dee. The guy is clearing the path to your vengeance as though he wants you to bring it on.”
I had been fuming ever since the night we’d played. The absolute jerkiness of him pulling the plug on us, literally. Then wanting us to come back to play again. What was even going on in that man’s head? And what was going on in mine? My revenge plan was not exactly genius. I’d been relying on having a brainwave for part two of it after we’d played but so far, nothing seemed to make sense.
“So exactly how much did you sell us out for?”
“Four gigs, one a week starting next week. And he has the option to extend. He’s paying us a decent fee for playing, setting us up with a proper rehearsal space. And, best of all, he’s getting us an apartment. Rent free for the month or longer. A three-bedroom place.”
“I’m happy here,” I said.
“You’ve heard them, right? At night, in the walls.”
“A few cute little mice don’t worry me.”
“Mice? They aren’t mice, Dee. They aren’t cute and they aren’t little. They are big, fat, dirty —”
“Sweet Jesus. Don’t say the ‘r’ word.” I folded my legs and hugged them to my chest. For all my words, the thought of one of those r-critters coming out to nibble my toes freaked me out. I had to pretend they were just mice; cute, furry mice that wouldn’t harm anyone. That was the only way I could sleep at night and, to be honest, I didn’t think mice were that harmless either.
“It’s up to you, of course. I mean, it’s got to be all of us in it together but I’ve talked it over with Ferdie and either we take this offer or we pack up and go home. Both of us are almost out of savings and there’s little point us being here just sulking in our rooms. You were the one putting the ultimatum on me to play the club in the first place, now you’ve completely changed sides. Either we play or we leave.”
I didn’t want Pete and Ferdie to leave me. We were a band, together. If they went home, I’d just be a nothing, floating around this city. I did not want to go home. There was nothing there for me. I didn’t want to be here alone either. We didn’t have to play Alex’s bar. There were other rock clubs in this city. Heaps of them. We did not have to rely on Alex. Before I could formulate a better plan though, Pete gave me a lot of pure determination. He’d not budge on this.
I hated the way he’d gone behind my back to make arrangements with Alex. And now, giving me no option but to take Alex’s charity. That was the one thing I didn’t want.
“We could move out without accepting Alex’s offer,” I said. “Just get a place on our own. Somewhere better than this.”
“That’s impossible, and you know it. We have no money. We don’t have the kind of money you need for a security deposit and rent up front. Besides, you need steady jobs and all that.”
“We could get steady jobs.” I unfolded my legs, lowering them to the floor, but then I remembered the critters and put them back on the bed.
“That would take months. No one’s asking you to date the guy or even be nice to him. You just have to play at the club.”
“And live in the apartment.”
“The apartment is all ours. Alex won’t exactly be bunking with us. He said it’s an investment property he owns that’s empty at the moment. He wants to get some work done there, painting and the like, so he’s only letting us stay there until that’s done.”
“And Ferdie agrees with you?”
“Ferdie is 100% behind me.”
I put my head on my knees. I didn’t want to say Pete was right but he was. I could get close to Alex this way and could really get under his skin. But, screw it all, I’d keep a detailed record of our expenses other than the regular payment for playing, and I’d shove that money in his pie hole as soon as I could.
“You’ll agree, won’t you?”
I kept my head down.
“You don’t have to say I’m right,” Pete said. “You just have to say I’m not wrong.”
I slowly put my head up. “You aren’t totally wrong. There is wrongness in there but there’s some common sense too. I can change my plan to accommodate this, if that’s what it takes to make you and Ferdie happy.”
Pete smiled and I stood up. Just as I did so, the scratching noise in the wall cavity started again. I screamed and jumped.
“You can spend the night with the rats if you want to, but we’re out of here.” Pete dangled a key on his finger.
“I told you not to say the ‘r’ word!”
“What if it gnaws on your guitar.”
“Okay, okay, I’ll pack my stuff.”