Free Syncopated Rhythm by Erik Schubach

“Issaquah if you would my good woman.”
    I started driving toward the garage entrance and I saw Kimi going through some of the trash in the back seat.  Gawd, can I die now?  She asked, “These storyboards back here... did you do these?  These are some awesome ideas for some well known videos.  These would have improved them greatly.”
    I blushed again and nodded.  Amber was reaching back and Kimi handed her some.  Then she agreed.  “Wow, you have a great eye Ky.  These play directly to the artist's strengths.”
    I reached over and grabbed the papers from her and stuffed them between the seats.  “Not good enough to have the producers use them.”  I paused.  “Maybe if I was one of the plastic Barbies they would notice me.”
    Kimi sounded mad at me for some reason.  “Bullshit.  Why would you want to be a fake Popsicle stick yes-girl?  You stand out Kylee!  This is good stuff, it's the producer's problem if they can see it.”
    I just wanted them to drop it.  I quickly slid the iPod toward Amber.  She looked at me then took pity and cued up some songs to save me.  I gotta tell you, there is nothing more surreal than having three rock legends singing in your car and having a great time.  Amber kept bumping my arm at the chorus' of the songs.  Soon Skylar was bumping the back of my seat at them too.
    I finally started singing with them to Untouched by the Veronicas.  They were all grinning as I mangled the notes.  But they seemed to be having a great time.  Oh good gawd, did Amber just lick her lips?   I had to look away, she was warming me up again.  I stared at the road and belted the next song out with them.  It was so frigging fun!  None of them made fun of my singing, I may have invented some new sour notes.  By the time I was taking us down the exit into Issaquah, we were laughing and having a great time.
    Amber put her hand on my shoulder and gushed, “You are too much fun Ky.”  She left her hand there for a second or two longer than absolutely necessary.  She keeps making physical contact with me... it is killing me!   Am I just imagining this stuff?  No way she could possibly be interested in me.  I could hear my pulse pounding in my ears.
    I followed Kimi's directions through the streets that with splotchy snow and ice.  We were just at the base of the snowline of the Cascade range.  We pulled into a long driveway through the trees.  The snow was deeper here since it was shaded by the trees and the driveway was packed snow.  I saw a huge mountain man looking guy on a four wheeler that had a blade on it, moving the snow off the parking lot that we emerged into.
    I gasped as I saw a beautiful log construction lodge that seemed to be growing out of the snow and the mountainside.  It had the forest and Cascade Mountains as a backdrop.  Valentine's Cascade Experience, the rustic sign by the entrance read.  Why did I know that name?  Wait, was this Bobby lady they were talking about Roberta Valentine?  She was like a flipping legend around here, what was the name she went by?  Oh, Silent Bob!  This was her lodge!?
    We parked in a “reserved” spot near the front of the huge packed parking lot.  A young blonde teenaged girl came running out to greet us.  She was beautiful!  Her twinkling eyes looked exactly like Skylar's and she had a curly lock of pink hair on her left side.  You couldn't stop yourself from smiling back at the positively infectious smile on her face.
    We disembarked from the car and the girl was instantly hugging Skylar.  “Hi mumsy.”  She said with an accent that matched her mother's.  Then she turned and hugged Kimi, “Hi mum.”
    The young girl turned her sparkling blues on Amber.  They squealed like a couple school girls and hugged.  “Amber!  Mum said she'd try to get you out here.”
    Amber grinned and looked the girl up and down almost like a parent would, and nodded.  “It is so good to come visiting.  I missed you at