Read Online Middle Men by Jim Gavin - Free Book Online

you told me I looked nice.”
    I never thought she cared about that kind of thing. I loved that about her.
    â€œYou look nice.”
    â€œFuck you,” she said quietly, in a resigned voice.
    I pulled over and we talked. I told her I was worried she would like my friends more than me and that after tonight everything would become tangled and weird.
    â€œI like that it’s just you and me,” I said. “I like being alone with you.”
    She reminded me that her whole life, whether she was skating, in a band, or clearing trees after a storm, she was always part of a crew, always the only girl.
    â€œIt’s a platonic gangbang,” she said. “Then eventually I feel obligated to pick a body out of the pile. And then everyone hates me for it.”
    â€œDo you like being alone with me?”
    â€œI don’t mind it.”
    Nathan was outside the club, interrogating one of the club promoters. I got his attention and he pointed to the marquee.
    â€œThey didn’t put our name up,” he said, flicking his cigarette in the gutter like some doomed antihero in a French movie. He started walking back into the club.
    â€œNathan, this is Karen.”
    He gave her a brief nod. “Have you seen Mark? We’re setting up right now.”
    I ignored him and we walked inside the empty club. I saw Javier fiddling with his drum kit. I waved to him and he jumped off the stage to say hello.
    â€œKaren, I’m buying you a drink,” he said, taking her by the arm. “They gave us tickets for the bar, so it’s free.”
    Gilbert joined us, waving politely to Karen, and we watched people slowly trickle in.
    â€œI’m the oldest person here,” said Karen.
    â€œIt’s an all-ages show,” I said.
    â€œOur Aunt Felicia is coming tonight,” Javier told Karen.“She’s probably way older than you.” He looked around the room, stupefied by history. “The Byrds played here.”
    Nathan found us and announced that the Map wouldn’t go on until the crowd got bigger. “Where the fuck is Mark?”
    â€œCalm down,” said Javier.
    After a while the club promoter came over and told them they had to start right now. Two other opening acts were waiting to go on. Nathan bravely refused, and the promoter gave the old throat-slash signal to somebody we couldn’t see. Suddenly a bunch of tech guys rose up from the shadows like ninjas and began dismantling their gear. Javier ran over and begged them to stop, but it was too late. Nathan started screaming at the promoter and there was some pushing and shoving. Security removed Nathan from the premises. Karen and I helped them get their gear down from the stage. For a moment I paused and looked down at a few bright faces—curious and devoted kids who had come early to watch every band, even the ones they had never heard of.
    Nathan sat on the bumper of his station wagon, crying. The girl who had once disappeared into the photo booth was trying to console him.
    â€œI’m sorry, guys,” Nathan said.
    â€œMaybe you could help us load the stuff,” said Javier.
    Nathan looked around. “Where’s Mark?”
    The night turned out fine. We went to a couple bars. Aunt Felicia bought everybody a round. I cheered Nathan up by reminding him that Harry Nilsson and John Lennon once got thrown out of the Troubador. Javier went crazy when Karen told him the name of her old ska band. He actually owned one of their old seven-inches. Later we got food at Denny’s. Karen kept her hands folded in her lap and drank her Cokeby leaning her whole body toward the straw. After taking a sip, she shivered a little and rubbed her hands on her knees. She whispered in my ear that she missed nights like this, eating in a diner, with everyone telling stories and reaching for the wrong glass of water. Walking home, Karen put her arms around me. We played GoldenEye until five in the morning, at which