Free She-Rox: A Rock & Roll Novel by Kelly McGettigan

gift for, well, I don’t know if I can call her my girlfriend yet. You got something that isn’t too . . . amorous?”
    “We get everything in here from cheating husband to death of a pet.”
    Touching the salesman’s sleeve, T.J. declared, “You see this guy right here?”
    “Yes,” he answered in a humble tone.
    “He plans on being the maddest of all scientists, but Genius here has a problem. He really likes my best friend, who is going to music school in L.A. This girl, my best friend, she’s a mad-hatter musician, when translated means these two are running in different circles and going to be apart from each other for a while. So, he’s in desperate need of getting her a Christmas gift that says, ‘Please wait for me to finish school and don’t leave me for a fabulous rock god whose got better hair than Fabio.’ You got anything that says that?”
    “I believe we do. This is Tiffany’s after all. Right this way.”
    He took them over to another counter and pulled out a velvet tray of silver dog tags. Some were lined with diamonds, others plain. He uttered, “I have found that getting something like this accomplishes just enough. It’s not a proposal of marriage, but more a gesture of devotion, shall we say. Not too much, not too little, just right. We’ve had great luck with them and something like this, I believe, would appeal to a musician. They work like a charm, no pun intended.”
    As T.J. and Kai looked over the shiny silver tags, the salesman leaned closer to Kai, and said, “But, if you really like this girl . . . get something engraved on the back and I swear to you she won’t go anywhere.” Seeing Kai’s eyes light up, the man handed over a pen, directing, “Just put down on this card what you want it to say, and it’ll be a done deal.”
    Kai thought for a while, wrote his message, turned the card back over and hoped he got it right. The salesman said, “Very good, sir.”

     
    Christmas Morning, 2006
     
    As she lay in bed, Eddie spied an envelope on her dresser. Inside was a sheet of her aunt’s personal stationary with the name ‘Ian Clarke—EMI’—and a phone number.
    She raced down the stairs and accosted Gia. “What is this?”
    “Ah, yes,” Gia said, setting down her plate. “Now, you are to call this gentleman at EMI’s Los Angeles office. He will be expecting your call the first of the year. I told him that you have a very strong background in classical music and are attending this ‘M.I.,’ and can he use someone like you in his catalog department. Apparently, Los Angeles doesn’t have many kids that can tell the difference between a concerti and a stringed quartet, but I assured him that not only can you tell the difference, but you can also sub-catalog by key, composer, opus, instrument or recording artist.”
    Hugging Gia, she whispered, “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

    Eddie hit the buzzer at the Hildebrandt’s from gate. As she walked up the long driveway, she saw Kai walking down to meet her. He had a scarf wrapped around his neck. He was smiling.
    “Merry Christmas,” he cooed, kissing her lips.
    His arms and body warmed her against the winter fog “We’re getting there.”
    “You look ravishing,” he said.
    They walked to the house holding hands. Inside, Mrs. Hildebrandt, seeing Kai’s hands wrapped up with Eddie’s, offered a stilted Merry Christmas.
    “Merry Christmas,” Eddie said.
    Inga asked, “Kai, vould you like to offer your girl some strudel?”
    T.J. saw the two, their arms around each other. “Breakfast?” she asked.
    “That would be awesome.” Eddie and Kai each took seats at the kitchen counter.
    “Then we have to go upstairs,” T.J. ordered.
    “What for?”
    “Your gift . ”
    “Hey, I thought we decided that gifts weren’t in the cards this year?” Eddie said.
    “I didn’t buy anything,” she countered, “I made it at school.” She picked up her plate. “Come on, let’s go.”
    Kai followed them to