Free Star Maker by J.M. Nevins

“You guys were great up
there, but you need a new sound man. The guy up there doesn’t know shit about
running the boards.”
    Jimmy’s
dark brown eyes widened. She had caught him off guard. “Huh?”
    She
chuckled at his expression. She was used to this. When she played out with
bands and managed them in Philadelphia and Chicago, the sound and acoustics
were something her trained ear always picked up on. She had a gift for it, no
matter the band or the venue. It was second nature to her. She continued.
“Your sound guy? He needs to bring up the bass level. It was totally
unbalanced, and it messed with the entire rhythm section during your set.”
    Sully
raised his eyebrows and laughed as he smiled. He looked at Jimmy and slapped
him on the back. “Y’know man, she’s right. That’s what I was trying to tell you
but you wouldn’t listen to me.” He poked him in the shoulder with his finger
and returned his attention to Kit. “Can I buy you a drink?”
    Before
she could answer, Jimmy interjected and looked at her, desperate to connect.
“No, I’ll get it for you. Kit, what can I get ya?”
    She
giggled at their newfound rivalry. “I’ll have a scotch on the rocks, Jimmy.
Thank you.”
    He
ordered the drink and Sully pulled him close, giving him a stern look. “Jim,
buddy, what are you doing? Why are you messing with me? This is the chick I
like. I’ve had my eye on her for a while.”
    Jimmy
gave him an irritated look and brushed him off like a gnat. “Whatever. She’s
getting this drink from me. If she wants to talk to me, then that’s what she
wants.”
    His
steel blue eyes glowed angrily as he spoke in a hushed tone through clenched
teeth into Jimmy’s ear, quietly enough to be inaudible to Kit. “The only
reason she’s talking to you is because you interrupted my conversation with
her.”
    The
bartender pushed the drink toward Jimmy. “It’s on the house, Jim.”
    He
nodded. “Thanks, man.” He focused his attention back to Sully and they continued
to bicker in hushed tones.
    Kit
tapped Jimmy on the shoulder. He handed her the drink. She smiled. “Thanks
for the drink, Jimmy. See ya.” She walked away. The last thing she wanted to
do was cause dissent among the ranks. She opted to steal away and let them
mend their fences.
    Sully
looked at Jimmy. His eyes widened. “See? See what you did? She doesn’t want
any part of this shit. We probably look like stupid, amateur teenagers to her.
Great. That’s just fucking great.” He shook his head.
    Jimmy
shrugged. “Whatever.”
    He
faced him, staring him down. “Let’s set aside the fact that we both like her,
ok, man? The bottom line is that she was right on the money when she was
talking about our set tonight and that alone needs to be discussed. Maybe with
her help we can get tight enough to book a paying gig in this town.”
    Jimmy
listlessly focused his attention back to his cocktail. “Yeah, ok. I guess.”
    Sully
abandoned Jimmy instantly and muscled his way through the crowd until he found
her. He yelled over the band. “Kit!”
    She
turned around and grinned. “Yeah, Sully?”
    He
smiled, secretly relieved she even chose to acknowledge him after how they had
been acting. “We’re having a party at Remo’s place later. Why don’t you stop
by?”
    She
shrugged her shoulders. “Sure. Gimme directions. I’ll bring some friends with
me.”
    Sully
gave her directions to the party. He invited her to come back to the bar and
talk with the band. She ended up chatting with them again and providing
valuable suggestions.
    By the
time the band was leaving the Whisky, they begged her to attend their party and
their rehearsals so she could give another honest critique. She agreed without
hesitation, entertained by their openness to her suggestions—a rarity so
far in this town.
    She had
waited until the Whisky closed down in hopes of running into Alexa. Seemed she
didn’t make it down to the club after all. She opted to go Sully’s