Rock and Roll Angel Pt. 02

"You're just temporary, cat so don't get comfortable, off the chair," Kieth said to the creature. The cat didn't move and Kieth tossed it a morsel of cooked meat. Of the two, it was clear who was in charge.

"That's right, don't let that cat feel at home," Joy said.

"That smells heavenly," Jenna said to Kieth.

"Grilled teriyaki beef," Kieth said. "Ashley's favorite."

"We went Hawaii local on the spread," Joy said. She led them to a table decked with a variety of sushi, sweet Korean ribs, an assortment of pickled things, steamed rice and other goodies.

"Ashley and I are from Hawaii," Joy said. "I'll go find Ash and Sarah."

"They're making out in the upstairs shower," Dorthy the keyboardist said. The shapely blond woman, dressed in cutoffs and a Rolling Stones t-shirt stepped through the sliding glass doors carrying a cake. "Chocolate cheese cake from Dick's," she said as she put the cake down. She went to the cat and picked it up. "Hello Temp, how is our little freeloader. You want some lovin'?" Jenna could hear the cat purring up a storm from where she stood.

"You two are such softies," Joy said.

"It's going to the pond tomorrow," Keith said. "And you would think that once Ashley and Sarah got engaged they would lose interest and stop showering together."

Dorothy put the cat down and dope slapped her husband.

Unfazed by his wife's abuse, Kieth handed Lisa and Jenna each a crispy hot skewer of meat.

"This is fantastic," Jenna said as she chewed a bite.

"Maui recipe according to Ashley," Kieth said. "Don't be shy, dig in."

Jenna and Lisa usually hit the local burger joints after a show but the break down at the theater took longer than they had expected. Near the end, Kieth had given them the invitation to the party. Neither woman had had had anything to eat since four and it was now after midnight. Fortified with full plates and Coronas, Lisa and Jenna sat on deckchairs to eat. Temporary the cat sat near Jenna stared at her with unblinking eyes that appeared weirdly purple in the poolside lights.

"Looks like you have a new boyfriend," Lisa said.

Shrill screams came from inside the house.

"Looks like Joy let Ash and Sarah know that the guests are here," Kieth said.

"Is Ethan here?" Jenna asked. She did her best to sound casual but he was the main reason she had accepted the invitation. At the end of the show, Ethan had quickly exited the stage brushing pass Jenna. She had expected him to smell sweaty after his vigorous performance but weirdly, he Hadn't. What she did smell was improbable and perplexing, pine trees and clove cigarette, smells that Jenna found sexual due to a wild make up session with Kieth Haverdink at Lake Oliver back in the day. She went out of her way not to look at Kieth of his new wife.

"Yeah, he's in his room," Kieth said.

"He lives here?" Lisa asked.

"Sort of, he's kind of a stray like Temporary," Keith said.

"Bullshit. He lives here," Dorthy said sitting next to Jenna and Lisa with a full plate and a beer. Kieth, finished with the grilling, went to fill a plate of his own to join them.

"This is our place," Kieth said. "Two years ago, Ethan's parents put the place up for sale, Dorthy and I liked the price so we brought it. Ethan's folks moved to Hawaii."

"He came with the house?" Lisa asked.

"Ethan had moved out long before the sale," Dorthy said. "He lived across town for years at the Mountain pine Apartments."

"That place is a dump," Lisa said.

"I agree," Dorothy said. "Kieth and I told him to dump his shitty old rental and move in with us."

"Thought it would do him some good," Kieth said. "He's been having a rough time lately ... going through a thing ... you know, a phase."

Dorthy nudged her husband and gave him a look. Apparently he was running off at the mouth. He cleared his throat and said, "I need a beer," and slipped off to got one from the cooler near the grill.

"Those wings looked amazing from up in the booth," Lisa said.

"Even up close they were amazing," Jenna said. "What are they made of?"

"Sorry, that's a company secret," Dorthy said.

"As cool as they are," Lisa said, "and I get the name of the band and but why the wings?"

"Yeah," Jenna said. "You guys are a great band with a great sound. That original song rocked. You don't need gimmicky costumes."

"I agree," Sarah Logan said suddenly among them, Ashley and Joy were with her too. Sarah wore jeans and an orange, white and brown football jersey with the number ten up front and the name Kosar on the back. Ashley wore snug white slacks and a clinging pink shirt. Ashley had one of those slim yet improbably curvy figures. Jenna thought her quite attractive. If Ashley decided to become a model, the chick would get work easy.

"Ethan is a founding member," Ashley said. "He does as he pleases. If he wants wings so be it." Ashley went to the food table and started filling a plate.

"Is this part of his phase thing?" Lisa asked.

Ashley head snapped around and she gave Dorthy and Kieth a stern look. Dorthy pointed a finger at Kieth.

Jenna leaned in and whispered to Lisa, "Stop being rude."

Sarah grabbed a plate and said, "Our lead guitar has wings. That's fucking weird. Let her ask all the questions she wants."

"Ashley and Ethan are cousins," Joy said. "She's kinda protective of him no matter HOW crazy he gets." Joy reached for a plate."

"Put down the plate Joy," Ashley said sounding mad.

Joy raised an eyebrow as she put her plate down.

"We need to talk," Ashley said in a cool tone. She took Joy's arm and walked her away from the food table.

An awkward chill descended. Jenna and Lisa gave each other guilty looks sensing that their questions about Ethan was responsible for the tension.

Ashley put a hand on Joy's shoulder, gave her a crossed look then violently shoved her into the pool. "That's for freaking me out in the shower twerp!" Ashley said.

"You asshole!" Joy yelled when she surfaced.

Ashley went to the food table to filled a plate for herself.

Kieth fetched Joy a towel from a stack of them near the sliding door chortling all the while. He tossed it to her when she pulled herself out of the pool.

"Payback's a bitch," Joy said as she dried herself.

"You think the other one's coming?" Ashley asked Sarah ignoring Joy's threat.

"Let's not wait," Sarah said. She looked at Jenna and then Lisa. "We wanna offer you two summer job."

"Ashley hinted at that when she invited us but we have jobs we like," Lisa said.

"Yeah," Jenna said, "we're doing summer repertory at the junior college."

"We do it every year," Lisa said.

"What's the pay?" Sarah asked as she bit into some sushi, "five hundred a week?"

"Less," Lisa said.

"It's not about the money," Jenna said. "We do it for the experience."

"And the parties," Lisa added. "Nobody parties like theater people."

"We'll pay you each five thousand a month for June, July and August," Sarah said flatly.

Jenna and Lisa stared at Sarah slacked jawed.

"We need good roadies," Sarah said.

"Yeah," Ashley said. "Skinny twerp Joy here just ain't cutting it."

Joy gave Ashley the finger as she worked on filling a plate of food.

"The technical director at the collage says you two are the best," Sarah said. "and so does Kieth and Dorothy."

"I'm flattered," Jenna said. "But for half the money you can get some REAL roadies with REAL experience."

"We want discretion," Ashley said. "I think the two of you will fit in our little family nicely."

"When do we start?" Lisa asked. Jenna gave Lisa a look. Lisa looked back and said, "So you DON'T want fifteen thousand dollars?"

"What do we know about being rock and roll roadies?" Jenna asked Lisa.

"If it's technical, I got it," Lisa said. "Sound and lighting is in my blood."

"I hear that you are the most organized stage manager around," Ashley said.

"But we agreed to work for Mr. Decker," Jenna said. "I don't wanna let him down."

"All expenses are covered," Sarah said. "Food, hotels, booze, illicit drugs, man whores if that's your preference."

"We rockers party harder than you theater folk," Kieth said.

"And since we're mostly hot chicks," Dorothy said, "we get some decent looking male groupies."

"Come on Jenna," Lisa said. "sounds like fun."

After pondering for a few seconds, Jenna said, "Guess Mr. Decker can get along without us this summer."

Dorthy raised her beer. "Welcome aboard!"

"What were you saying about discretion before?" Jenna asked since discretion and Lisa hardly ever intersected.

Before anyone could answer Jenna's question, the door bell rang.

"That must be the other chick," Ashley said as she got up and left the pool deck to answer the front door.

"This is great sushi," Lisa said.

"Not bad for a shitty little town in Ohio," Joy said. Being shoved in the pool hadn't dampen her sense of humor as she sipped a beer on a deckchair, her wet hair hung limp to her shoulders. Lisa's eyes kept flickering up and down the wet Asian girl's length. Lisa had confessed at being Bi-curious at the beginning of the semester. Jenna only half believed she meant it. She stabbed Lisa in the ribs to stop her from ogling the wet girl.

"What?" Lisa asked irritated at the stab.

"We just got the job. Hold back on your craziness for a little while."

"Yes, Reverend Mother," Lisa said with a crooked smile.

"This is Katrina House, everybody," Ashley said back on the pool deck with a nervous brunet in tow.

"It's that chick from Jesus Weeps," Lisa said as her expression darkened. After the battle of the bands, Lisa had had a heated verbal back and forth with the leader of Jesus Weeps about their anti gay and lesbian stance. It ended with the band leader saying he would pray for Lisa. Lisa said she would pray for him too specifically for his dick to rot and fall off.

"My friends call me Kat," Katrina said shyly. She had unusually large eyes. Those big eyes locked on Jenna. "You are that nice negro girl from the theater," she said.

"Did you just say NEGRO?" Lisa said.

"Back down, Lisa," Jenna said, although she was shocked at the word negro too.

Lisa got in the girls face. Kat backed up several steps, her big eyes wide with fear. "We are BLACK you backwater redneck hick!" Lisa said.

Ashley slip in between Kat and Lisa.

"Down a notch," Ashley said.

"I didn't mean to offend," Kat said softly. "I better go."

"Stay," Ashley said gently.

"Sit Lisa," Jenna insisted pulling at Lisa's arm. Lisa did but she wouldn't take her eyes off of Kat drilling the poor girl with open hostility.

"How old are you and where you from?" Sarah asked Kat as she vacated her chair to allow the girl to sit.

"I'm nineteen as of last week. I'm from Tennessee but my my family moved to Balenger, Wisconsin years ago. My father is a Christian minister and teaches at Balenger University."

"What does he teach?" Lisa asked. "Ethnic Studies? Racial diversity?"

"Computer technology," Kat said. "I'm sorry. In my tiny town in Tennessee, we always called black people negro."

"And the other 'N' word I'm sure," Lisa said.

Kat blushed and dropped her eyes.

"You know why we asked you here?" Sarah asked.

"Ashley, that nice Oriental girl—" Kat stopped mid sentence and looked up to see if she had racially stepped in it again. She had.

"Asian would be better," Joy said holding back a smile, clearly amused by the poor girls awkwardness.

Kat gave a weak smile and continued, "Ashley said you were looking for a backup singer for the summer."

"You said you would talk to your band leader," Ashley said. "Did you?"

"I would like the job," Kat said softly. She looked up with her huge eyes and said, "Are you really gonna pay me twenty thousand dollars to sing for you?"

"Usually, financial agreements are kept confidential," Ashley said.

"Sorry," Kat said, blushing some more.

"Is that more then Jesus Weeps is paying you?" Joy asked with half a smile.

"I don't get paid at all," Kat said seriously.

"Now that's truly a sin," Sarah said.

"I'm surprised that your band leader let you do this," Ashley said.

Kat dropped her eyes.

"You walked on them didn't you," Jenna said.

"I left a note," Kat said not meeting anyone's eyes.

"You hungry kid?" Dorthy asked.

Kat nodded

"I'll fix you up," Kieth said.

"Let's get the paper work out of the way," Sarah said.

Ashley handed out contracts for Jenna, Lisa and Kat to read and sign.

After that everyone relaxed to eat and drink. Kat ate like a truck driver putting away enough food for three. "Praise Jesus! This is really good," she said to Dorothy as she worked on a teriyaki chicken breast.

Dorothy pointed at her husband giving him full credit for the meal. Kieth nodded at the compliment and watched wide eyed as Kat moved on to the Korean ribs, then the sushi, then the smoked papio, a local favorite of Ashley's. The girl didn't let up and rushed head on into desert, where she ate several Japanese sweet bean filled mochi rice cakes and wolfed down a wedge of pineapple upside down cake.

"Not only didn't they pay her at Jesus Weeps," Sarah said, "apparently they didn't feed her either."

"I've always had a big appetite," Kat said, clearly embarrassed from the attention her eating was getting.

"Can you sing after eating like that?" Ashley asked.

Kat nodded as she made a show of sipping daintily at her glass of iced tea.

"Good," Ashley said. "I heard you do acapella warm up back stage. Give us some of that."

Kat put her ice tea down and stood up. All eyes were on her yet, for the first time, she showed no sign of nervousness. Apparently, singing in front of a crowd was the one thing in her life she did with confidence. With her eyes closed, Kat belted 'Redemption' by Skin. The song took Jenna by surprise for Skin was a great UK hard rock band but hardly know here in the States. She had expected the girl to do some gospel song or something like that.

"She can sing. I'll give her that," Lisa whispered to Jenna.

Jenna nodded. Kat's powerful voice created goose bumps up and down her spine. Amazingly, Jenna found herself near tears of emotion brought on by the shear power of the girl's voice. The song ended and Kat opened her eyes so huge and wide that she looked like a character from a Japanese animation feature.

Kat gasped then whispered, "My Lord Jesus." Clearly something had startled her. Everyone turned in the direction of the house to see what it was.

Standing at the open sliding doors to the pool deck stood Ethan Grant, bare chested, in gray cargo shorts and wearing his costume wings.

Chapter Five The Real Deal

"The guy's whacked," Lisa whispered to Jenna.

Jenna agree but MAN did he look good! The wings were a warm white, almost pink and a bit translucent. He had pleasing athletic muscle tone without being too angular. His pale creamy white skin seemed almost luminescent ... like his weird wings.

"Ethan," Ashley said sounding surprised, "you said we'd do this part at another time ... you know ... after we got to know the new girls?"

"I heard some bad ass singing," Ethan said. "I wanted to meet the singer."

"Ethan," Sarah said, "this is Kat, she did the singing. This is Jenna and Lisa the new tech staff."

Hello, Kat," Ethan said. "I love your voice." He looked at Jenna and Lisa. "Which of you did the lighting?"

"Me," Lisa said.

"It was like you were reading my mind back at the theater ... awesome job."

"Are your wings real?" Kat asked clearly dumbstruck.

"Of course they're not dumb ass," Lisa said.

"Guess it's time to talk about discretion," Ashley said.

"He's fucking nuts," Lisa whispered to Jenna. "Knew it."

Jenna nodded. Ethan was clearly a little kooky if he needed to ware the wings all the time but she could deal with that. As a theater major, crazy was the normal.

"Come here, Lisa," Ashley said.

The petite black girl stood up and stood next to Ashley. Ashley was five-five, Lisa an even five.

"Give us the full eagle," Ashley said to Ethan.

Miraculously, Ethan's wings lifted up high and then spread out to an impressive span of ten feet, maybe more. Light came through the wings exhibiting how thin they were. She could see the under wiring that formed the costume's support like delicate bones. The wings were a cross between bird and bat wings in Jenna's eyes.

"On my," Kat whispered.

It was an impressive display, Jenna thought. She looked around to see if anyone held a remote control to make the wings do their thing. She didn't see anything obvious.

"Touch," Ashley said to Lisa.

Lisa shrugged and touched Ethan's left wing. She frowned and burrowed both her hands between the wing and his back then she abruptly stepped back.

"They're fucking real!" she said.

"Stop messing around," Jenna said with a roll of her eyes. She step forward and touched exactly where Lisa had. She felt a smooth slightly furry tendon or something like that extending from his back to the wing. Jenna too stepped back quickly.

"Is this some kind of new surgical body art thing?" Lisa asked. "I saw it on an HBO special last year.

"No," Ethan said softly. His wings folded in, dropped and relaxed.

"Can't be that," Jenna said. "They move too good for something like that.

"Is he some kind of mutant freak?" Lisa asked.

"Lisa!" Jenna said annoyed at her friend's bluntness. "The dude is standing right there!"

"Ashley can best answer to that," Ethan said.

"Maybe," Ashley said. "But really, we don't know."

"We seen our share of doctors," Ethan said. "No one can give us a good answer.

"I knew you back in high school," Jenna said to Ethan. "You didn't have these then."

"Nope," Ethan said. "Resent development."

"So just like that?" Lisa said in a skeptical tone, "you grow a pair of fucking wings?"

"Over five years," Ethan said. "They're still coming in." His wings flexed minutely.

"May I ..." Kat asked shyly. Everyone looked at her and she blushed. "May I touch them?"

"Sure," Ethan said.

Kat reached up and brushed along the edge of one wing. She flattened her hand and brushed it along the inner side of one wing until she came to his back. Impulsively, Kat brushed her face against the wing and giggled. Both wings glowed mauve on the edges. "You smell nice," Kat said.

"Careful, Kat," Joy said.

"Does it hurt to be touched?" Kat asked pulling her face away but still stroking one wing with her hands.

"Not at all," Ethan said.

Clearly unable to control herself, Kat resumed brushing her face against one wing.

Ashley cleared her throat and said, "Touching his wing is stimulating for him."

"What do you mean?" Kat asked.

"It's like stroking his dick," Joy clarified.

"Oh ..." Kat said absently. Then she realized she was still rubbing her face against the wing and backed up quickly. Her face turned deep red. "I am so sorry," she said clearly distressed.

Jenna saw that Ethan's crotch area had tightened concealable. Kat took note of that too and blushed even redder.

"We have a lot to talk about," Ashley said.

"If you don't mind," Kieth said, "I've heard this part already and I have to catch a plain to Philly. Unlike the rest of you rock n rollers, I have a REAL job."

"I'm going with him," Dorthy said. She looked at Sarah and said sternly, "Don't you fucking wreck my house."

"Can't make any promises," Sarah said.

"The bags are in the hall," Dorthy said to her husband. "Don't forget your Kindle."

"Welcome aboard," Kieth said giving each of the new girls a warm handshake.

Dorthy did the same, then she gave Sarah, Ashley and Joy a stern look and repeated, "Don't you fucking wreck my house." On that ominous note, Kieth and Dorthy left.

"It's been a long day," Ethan said. "I'm gonna crash."

"Ash and I need to talk to you about something first," Sarah said to Ethan.