Rum and Coke

Brian sat his tired body down and folded his legs underneath of him after the Phoenix show. He pulled out his pack of cigarettes. Ellie turned off her speakers and joined him on the floor.

“So, what story are you going to tell me tonight?”

“I was just going to start where I left off. Is that alright with you?”

“Perfect.”

“Alright, but before I do that, cna I ask you a question?"

"Sure, go for it."

"Now, you don't have to answer me if you don't want to, but I noticed last night how you got stiff when Ryan mentioned his parents."

"Yea, what about it?"

"What happened? Is his life at home ok?"

Ellie sighed and stared into her half empty water bottle. "Let's just say that Ryan's parents are no longer in the picture. He mostly lives at one of my houses. And, if he's not there, then he's at his aunt's house. That's all I can really tell you. So, what happened with my mom next?"

Brian let this new information sink in before continuing. "Right, so after Danni got kicked out of Zacky’s house, she disappeared. Occasionally, Jimmy would report hanging out with her, or spotting her at a club in L.A., but I didn’t see her for another year, year and a half. When I did see her again, it was at a topless bar in one of the worst parts in L.A.-”

“Wait. What were you doing at a topless bar?”

“Michelle and I had gotten into it that day and we broke up. I went into L.A. to blow off some steam.”

“Oh. That makes sense…I guess. Sorry, continue.”

“Anyways, I tossed back a few shots before making it over to her table. Some creep was making her uncomfortable, so I invited her into my lap…I won’t go into much detail, but the creep left and I..um…”

“-felt her up…” Ellie prodded.

Brian gulped. “Yea…that.” Fuck, this is awkward. “Anyways, she slapped me and got a bouncer to escort me out of the bar. I didn’t see her for another three months-”

“What did you do during that time?” Ellie asked, scooting closer to her father.

Brian smiled at the gesture. “What every guy does- eat, sleep, and fuck around before their girlfriend takes them back.”

Ellie nodded her head and motioned for him to continue.

“Then I saw her at House of Wolves- it’s a really dingy-”

“I’ve been there before. You don’t have to describe it.”

“You’ve been there?” He asked, utterly flabbergasted.

She shrugged. “Yea, it’s how I kinda found out about you…”

“Oh.” He replied, stunned.

“But, please, go on.”

“Sure. So, Mich and I broke up…again and I went back into L.A.- this time the House of Wolves. I didn’t recognize her and she didn’t recognize me. So, I turned my flirt on. She shot me down. I turned it up more, she shot me down again. I knew that she was testing me and just begging me to try and charm her. I saw it as a challenge, and I left that night, swearing to myself that I would get her. So, every night that week, I went to the bar, and tried to charm her some more. I figured that if I did that enough, eventually she would cave…but, she didn’t, as you can imagine, but I was determined.

“Finally, I got her alone one night. She had to leave early for a reason I’ll tell you later. Anyways, I followed her out of the bar and down the street. I waited for her outside what I assumed was her apartment and followed her some more. She confronted me about it and I told her that she didn’t have to do what she was about to do. You see, along with being a topless dancer and a bartender, she was also a Lady in Red, so to speak,” Brian rambled. This was getting too awkward for him.

Ellie nodded. “I know, she told me.”

Brian furrowed his eyebrows as he stared at her. “Yea…So, she asked me if I had $500 or something like that. I said no. She chewed me out and disappeared. The next week, we started dating.”

“How did you ask her? To date you, I mean.”

“I didn’t really. I kind of didn’t give her a choice-”

“No one makes my mom do anything that she doesn’t want to.”

“Ah, but there are exceptions. Let’s just say, I made her an offer she couldn’t refuse.”

Ellie raised her eyebrow at him. “So, you’re basically telling me that you pulled a Pretty Woman?

“Yea, I guess so.”

“What year was this in again?”

“Around 2001.”

“You guys just started. How the hell did you manage to pull that off?”

“Honestly, I don’t even know. Now enough about me. It’s your turn to spill.”

“Spill what?”

“You’re a dancer?”

“I was,” she answered, obviously confused. “what does that have to do with anything?”

Brian shrugged. “I was just wondering. What kind of dancing did you do?”

Ellie tilted her head back and laughed. “Every kind imaginable. If it has it’s own discipline, I’ve tried it at least once.”

“Um…”

“I mainly did new ballet, jazz, hip-hop, and ballroom.” She said with a smile.

“Oh, so why did you quit?”

Groaning, she scooted away from him and stood up. She walked over to stage right and looked up at the lights. She looked lost in thought, obviously recalling a memory.

After a long few minutes of silence, Brian spoke up again. “Ellie?”

She shook her head, ridding her mind of the memory and turned to face him. “It wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy it- I did…but…” she trailed off.

“But you liked singing more.” He finished for her.

She nodded and looked back at the lights on the makeshift beams. “Yea, I was the best dancer in the company- some would argue the state. I had the potential to go anywhere dancing would take me. I was her star, her crowned jewel…I think that’s what tore her up the most. The fact that I was so good…”

“And when did you fall in love with singing?”

Ellie smiled, remembering the day all too well. “I was two. It was the first production my mom did for a broad way show. I can’t remember what show is was exactly. But I remember the feeling it gave me. It was…indescribable. I knew, from that moment on, that all I wanted to do was become a world-renowned singer/actress. I wanted my voice to be heard. I wanted to change things in the world with it.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Ellie saw him nod his head. “And when was it that you told your mother this?”

“When I was sixteen, but I’ve felt like that since I was at least twelve. I could tell that she was devastated, but she never let it show.”

He nodded again and gently pulled her into a hug. “I’m sure she’s gotten over it by now. She must be so proud of you.”

Ellie bit back her tears. “She is.”

“Good. Come on, let’s head back to the busses. You need sleep. We have to get up early in the morning.”

“Why?”

“Radio interview. Shoot me now.” He smiled.

Ellie groaned. “Fun, I guess.”

“Now that’s the spirit!” He grinned grabbing her hand and pulling her out of the venue.