"Bradley Denton - We Love Lydia Love" - читать интересную книгу автора (Denton Bradley)

studioтАЩs padded steel door swings shut behind her with a solid click.

Now youтАЩve done it. When this doesnтАЩt work out, itтАЩll be our fault. She likes it
when itтАЩs our fault.

I thought you said,it was good advice.

But good advice isnтАЩt enough. Nothing is. Not for Lydia Love.

Apparently not for you either, Christopher.

You are Christopher.


WEтАЩRE AT a blues club on Guadalupe Street in Austin on a Wednesday night, and
itтАЩs jam-packed even though thereтАЩs been no advertising. Word spreads fast. IтАЩm in
the backstage lounge with Lydia, and itтАЩs jam-packed back here too. The cigarette
smoke is thick. WeтАЩre sitting on the old vinyl couch under the Muddy Waters
poster, and IтАЩm trying not to be afraid of being crushed by the mob. CCA has sent a
dozen beefy dudes to provide security, and I can tell that theyтАЩre itching for
someone to try something.

But Lydia, dressed in faded jeans and a black T-shirt, doesnтАЩt seem to be
aware that anyone else is in the room. SheтАЩs picking away on a pale green Telecaster,
eyes focused on the frets. The guitar isnтАЩt plugged in, so in all of this cacophony she
canтАЩt possibly hear what sheтАЩs playing. But she plays anyway. She hears it in her
head.

A spot between my eyes gets hot, as if a laser-beam gunsight has focused on
me, and I look across the room and see Danny Daniels in the doorway. HeтАЩs giving
me a glare like the Wicked Witch gave Dorothy. When he jerks his head backward, I
know itтАЩs a signal to me to get over there.

HeтАЩs got our career in his pocket. Better see what he wants.

Why? You scared of him? Up yours.

ThatтАЩs no way to talk to yourself.

I lean close to Lydia and yell that IтАЩm going to the john. She nods but doesnтАЩt
look up. Her music matters to her again, SO few CCA and their shrinks.

I squeeze through the throng to Daniels, and he yanks me toward the fire exit.
My new black-and-white cowboy hat gets knocked askew.

Out in the alley behind the club, I pull away and straighten my hat. тАЬYou grab
some guys like that,тАЭ I say, тАЬand youтАЩd get your ass kicked.тАЭ

DanielsтАЩ face is pale in the white glow of the mercury lamp on the back wall.
тАЬYou havenтАЩt been doing your job,тАЭ he says.