Ruby Rooms

She hadn't realised how much she had missed Minnesota until she was back there. She had missed the constant, cool, refreshing breeze. She had missed the way that her morning coffee took the edge off the cold. She had missed the way that she could walk into any bar and immediately be confronted by members of local bands whom she'd gone to college with.

Hell, she had even missed being cramped in her tiny cubicle at work.

She had had to tell Paul everything, of course. But after she'd sworn him to secrecy, he welcomed her back with open arms.

She threw herself back into work and it was if she had never been away. Sales of the magazine increased within the first month of having her back, so to celebrate, Paul suggested that they go out for drinks.

"Well I never thought I'd say this, but boy have I missed apple martini Monday's!" Adrienne exclaimed as they took their seats at the bar.

Paul eyed her three glasses and laughed. "I can tell you're making up for lost time!"

"You betcha!"

Even though the drinks' outing was Paul's suggestion, Adrienne couldn't help but notice that he seemed restless. She saw him keep glancing at his watch and then over to the bar and then over to the entrance.

"Am I keeping you from something?" Adrienne finally asked, annoyed.

"No. No. Sorry---I'm just expecting someone."

"Who?"

"Me."

A different voice sounded from behind her. She dropped her glass in shock when she turned and came face to face with a tall, blue eyed, blonde haired figure, whom she hadn't seen in over fifteen years.

"M--Mike? What---how---what are you doing here?"

"I invited him."

Adrienne turned back to look at Paul. "How do you know him?"

She watched as her boss reached into his jacket pocket and pull out a folded up flier. He handed it to her and when she opened it, her immediate reaction was to burst out laughing.

It was a black and white artist's impression of The Foxboro Hot Tubs. She saw Mike spitting beer into another band member's mouth, while their drummer (who she recognised as Tre) pretended to take him from behind. The Reverend, meanwhile, was the focal point of the picture and looked to be making out with a skull.

"What a train wreck," she muttered to herself. But her heart stopped dead when she noticed the date and location at the bottom of the flier. "You're playing here?" she gasped. "Tomorrow?! How could you do this to me Paul?!"

She threw the flier back at him and jumped out of her seat, only for both Mike and her boss to pull her back down again.

"I wasn't the one who arranged the gig," Paul began. "I just invited Mike here tonight because he got in contact with me asking how he could get a hold of you."

She looked up at Mike. "What do you want with me?!"

"I think you know."

"I've got nothing to say on the matter."

"Well I've got plenty."

She watched as Mike slammed a shoe box down on the bar in front of her.

"Could you give us five minutes please Paul?" Mike continued, one hand on top of the box.

Paul nodded silently and offered Mike his seat. Adrienne opened her mouth to begin talking but Mike held his hand up to cut her off.

"Please, please let me go first---"

Adrienne closed her mouth again and nodded for him to continue.

"Let me just start by saying how happy I am to see you again, Adie. Bill's not the only one who's missed you. Both Tre and I felt like we'd lost a best friend when you went away."

"So why did you---"

"Please---I haven't finished."

"Sorry."

"So with that out of the way, I can only imagine how fucked up you must feel right now. But you should know that you're not the only one who's hurting. And I'm gonna hold my hands up and apologise for my part in this mess because if it hadn't been for me, then I know that he would have told you the truth as soon he realised who you were."

"What's with the box?"

"Have you heard anything I've just said?"

"Of course I have. But like I said, I've got nothing to say."

"Well---that's why I brought along this," Mike pushed the box towards her, "to see if you change your tune."

At Mike's nod of encouragement, Adrienne opened the box. Shock snatched the breath out of her chest as she eyed the contents.

There must have been a hundred photographs of her and Billie Joe when they were younger. There were movie ticket stubs. Train tickets. Dried flowers. Adrienne laughed through her tears when her hand rested on a small, brown stuffed bear.

Billie had won it for her at her Graduation Carnival.

"Hey Fatso," she whispered at the toy as she gently stroked the fur on its stomach. "Where did you get all this?" She lifted her head to address Mike.

"It's his. He carries it 'round everywhere. Always has done. He loves you now just like he loved you then. He barely made it through the first time you left, I can't stand by and watch him go into the shit again."

"But I've got no idea who he is!"

"I think the whole of this," Mike gestured towards the shoebox, "proves that somewhere inside of him, he's the same Billie Joe he's always been. But the man you got to know in LA, that's The Reverend. And the fact that he hasn't fucked one single groupie since you've been back in his life proves to me that it's both men that love you."

"Does he know about you coming here?"

"No. He doesn't even know about me getting in contact with Paul. I didn't want him getting his hopes up of seeing you only to have them dashed if you declined to meet. Hell---he didn't even know we were playing in Minnesota till yesterday when our tour manager dropped it to him."

"So he's really abiding with everything I asked him to do before I left?"

"Yep. He hasn't tried to write. He hasn't tried to call. He just threw himself back into the band. But despite all of that---I know how much he's hurting inside. That's why I'm asking you, from the bottom of my heart, to come to the show tomorrow. See him. Speak with him."

Mike stood up from his seat and closed the lid on the box. He smiled as he gently rest one hand on Adrienne's shoulder.

"I mean it---it's good to see you. And if you do decide to come down here tomorrow, then you won't regret it."

And then he turned and left. It wasn't until she was all alone that she realised that she still had Fatso the bear, hugged tightly against her heart.