phantom. Lily stiffened. She looked back at me, and I nodded toward Ash.
But it wasn’t Ash. It was Ash’s evil twin who oughta be locked in the attic eating fish heads.
Lily reached to touch her but pulled her hand back. “You’re wasted,” she said.
Ash started smiling, but she didn’t look up from the board. And it wasn’t a healthy smile. It was the kind of smile that shows up instead of angry words. She had part of the deck broken open, and a bunch of tools were scattered all over the booth. Bits and pieces and parts everywhere. I was amazed the music was still playing. She had a cigarette dangling from her lip and a screwdriver buried in the board somewhere. I don’t know how the hell she could see what she was twisting at in the dark.
“You’re filthy, Ash. What’s wrong with you?” Lily’s voice was cold.
Zayzl moved a little further up the stairs behind me.
Ash picked up her beer. She drained half of it and leaned in to change the song. She still hadn’t said a word. Lily grabbed her by the shoulder and tried to lock eyes, but it didn’t work, so she started talking fast. I couldn’t make out what she was saying because Ash had loaded up “Eat My Dust You Insensitive Fuck” and was sampling it over Tricky.
It actually sounded pretty good.
Zayzl started laughing.
Lily realized what she was hearing and her hands fluttered to her hips. “What are you on? Oh my god.” She held up one of Ash’s shaking hands to prove her point. “Look at you.”
Ash jerked away and told her to back off so low I almost missed it. I stepped into the booth and Zayzl grabbed my arm.
“Let Lily see the truth,” he said.
And that little snap did it. Ash heard him. She yanked her jack out of the board, with the headset still around her neck, and shoved him into the doorframe. When he only smiled, she shoved him again. Then she mumbled something in his ear, pushed her hand into the front pocket of his pants and took off down the stairs.
He moved toward the board without missing a beat, and Lily just stood there, staring after Ash with her mouth hanging open like she was the one who got shoved.
“Let her go,” I said.
She whirled on me. I thought I was about to get an earful, but she looked scared. Finally. And it was clear she had no clue what she’d done to Ash, leaving like she did. Which only made me wonder what else she didn’t know about Ash.
“Could one of you get the light, please?” Zayzl said.
I hit the switch a little hard.
“Easy, Trigger.”
“Shut up. You’re lucky you’ve got so many witnesses right now,” I said.
“Jesus, what did she do to this place?”
All three of us looked around the booth. Once the light was on, we could see it looked like the board exploded.
“Maybe something is broken,” I said. “I wouldn’t touch any of it. Here. Play this.” I flipped through one of the compilation books and pulled out an old faithful. “Just let it run through. Don’t try and be a hero tonight, please. My heart can’t take it.”
He nodded and looked a little relieved.
I put my arm around Lily and led her back to my bar. Then I sat her down and poured her a drink. She barely had her lips on the glass when her new fan club reappeared to whisk her off into the crowd.
My bar was hopping, lined with regulars by then. So I got caught up and cleaned up. Chatted with the girls about nonsense for a while to clear my head. An hour later I went back up to the booth to take Zayzl a drink and set up another compilation for him. It was selfish; I wanted him to stay up there and leave the music alone. He had a full tip jar for once. Nobody knew he wasn’t really doing anything.
When I got back down to my bar Ash was sitting in the shadows between the cooler and the register. I reached to pour her a drink, but she handed me one.
“Are you all right?”
“I don’t know,” she said. Her throat was full of gravel. Her eyes were stained.
“Is she still here?” I asked.
She
But it wasn’t Ash. It was Ash’s evil twin who oughta be locked in the attic eating fish heads.
Lily reached to touch her but pulled her hand back. “You’re wasted,” she said.
Ash started smiling, but she didn’t look up from the board. And it wasn’t a healthy smile. It was the kind of smile that shows up instead of angry words. She had part of the deck broken open, and a bunch of tools were scattered all over the booth. Bits and pieces and parts everywhere. I was amazed the music was still playing. She had a cigarette dangling from her lip and a screwdriver buried in the board somewhere. I don’t know how the hell she could see what she was twisting at in the dark.
“You’re filthy, Ash. What’s wrong with you?” Lily’s voice was cold.
Zayzl moved a little further up the stairs behind me.
Ash picked up her beer. She drained half of it and leaned in to change the song. She still hadn’t said a word. Lily grabbed her by the shoulder and tried to lock eyes, but it didn’t work, so she started talking fast. I couldn’t make out what she was saying because Ash had loaded up “Eat My Dust You Insensitive Fuck” and was sampling it over Tricky.
It actually sounded pretty good.
Zayzl started laughing.
Lily realized what she was hearing and her hands fluttered to her hips. “What are you on? Oh my god.” She held up one of Ash’s shaking hands to prove her point. “Look at you.”
Ash jerked away and told her to back off so low I almost missed it. I stepped into the booth and Zayzl grabbed my arm.
“Let Lily see the truth,” he said.
And that little snap did it. Ash heard him. She yanked her jack out of the board, with the headset still around her neck, and shoved him into the doorframe. When he only smiled, she shoved him again. Then she mumbled something in his ear, pushed her hand into the front pocket of his pants and took off down the stairs.
He moved toward the board without missing a beat, and Lily just stood there, staring after Ash with her mouth hanging open like she was the one who got shoved.
“Let her go,” I said.
She whirled on me. I thought I was about to get an earful, but she looked scared. Finally. And it was clear she had no clue what she’d done to Ash, leaving like she did. Which only made me wonder what else she didn’t know about Ash.
“Could one of you get the light, please?” Zayzl said.
I hit the switch a little hard.
“Easy, Trigger.”
“Shut up. You’re lucky you’ve got so many witnesses right now,” I said.
“Jesus, what did she do to this place?”
All three of us looked around the booth. Once the light was on, we could see it looked like the board exploded.
“Maybe something is broken,” I said. “I wouldn’t touch any of it. Here. Play this.” I flipped through one of the compilation books and pulled out an old faithful. “Just let it run through. Don’t try and be a hero tonight, please. My heart can’t take it.”
He nodded and looked a little relieved.
I put my arm around Lily and led her back to my bar. Then I sat her down and poured her a drink. She barely had her lips on the glass when her new fan club reappeared to whisk her off into the crowd.
My bar was hopping, lined with regulars by then. So I got caught up and cleaned up. Chatted with the girls about nonsense for a while to clear my head. An hour later I went back up to the booth to take Zayzl a drink and set up another compilation for him. It was selfish; I wanted him to stay up there and leave the music alone. He had a full tip jar for once. Nobody knew he wasn’t really doing anything.
When I got back down to my bar Ash was sitting in the shadows between the cooler and the register. I reached to pour her a drink, but she handed me one.
“Are you all right?”
“I don’t know,” she said. Her throat was full of gravel. Her eyes were stained.
“Is she still here?” I asked.
She
Similar Books
