black
coffee. Zazz grimaced. He couldn’t take it black, even first thing. “V was born
addicted too. She never knew her parents, but she says that the Hamids are all
the parents she ever wanted. You have one better than her. You have a father,
biological or not.”
Zazz hurled his pencil to the floor, then the mug followed.
It shattered, the remnants rolling across the floor before coming to a gradual
stop. “Fuck, what kind of father do you think a kid deserves? Not Jimmy Asaro,
that’s for sure.”
“But he kept you, he never abandoned you.”
Why did Chick keep harping on about that? Didn’t he get it?
Indolence rather than fondness kept Jimmy from dumping Zazz at the nearest
children’s home. The times that Jimmy had come through for him had been few and
far between, the scales heavily in favor of the times he’d let him down.
“Okay,” said Chick. “Do it for her.”
“What?” He turned a stunned expression on to his manager.
“Who?” He wanted Chick to say it.
He waited until Chick took a deep draught of his coffee.
“Laura. It means a lot to her. She doesn’t want any magic reconciliation, she
wants you to visit him is all. The old man wants to see you. It’ll hurt him if
you come to his hometown and you avoid him. But it’ll hurt her too.”
“Did she tell you all that?” A thought crossed his mind.
“Did you fucking set me up?”
Chick shook his head. “You can add paranoia to your list of
personality disorders. Laura cares about the people she works for.” He frowned.
“She takes her job seriously, and she wants to talk to you about his care. She
told you she wants him to go into a home?”
That sounded too much like the person from the emails. Zazz
shifted uncomfortably. “Best place for him.” He wouldn’t let the old man drag
him back into his milieu. Too much heartbreak, too much disaster and despair.
If he could get Jimmy in a home, all he’d have to do was pay the bills. With
other people looking after him, he might finally get shut of the old man.
Ignoring the twist of emotion that thought gave his insides, Zazz decided that
was what he wanted. “She can decide the place without my involvement. I’ll foot
the bill.” He stared at Chick, opening his eyes a little wider, fully aware of
the effect the bright-blue stare had on people. On most people. “Just how much
of a heart-to-heart did you have with her before the car arrived?”
Chick shrugged. “Long enough for her to get a grip and walk
out with her head up. You treated her badly, Zazz.” Zazz shrugged. “Oh don’t
give me the bad-boy rock star shit. You got scared, kid.”
“Kid?” Chick might be six or seven years older than Zazz,
but that didn’t give him the right to call him kid, especially in that tone of
voice. “Fuck off, Chick.”
“I don’t fuck off that easy. You hurt her. You don’t usually
treat your women like that. Sort your shit out, you fucker. Go see your father,
apologize to Laura and sort it out. This chip on your shoulder’s turning into a
fucking forest.”
Bastard. “I don’t like being used. She knew who I was. She
targeted me.”
“She didn’t. You know she didn’t. You reacted to her
stronger than I’ve ever seen you with anyone. You brought her back here. You
usually fuck them in your dressing room, unless you want a marathon session.”
“How do you know I didn’t want that?”
Chick laughed. “You pick the experienced ones for that, the
ones who understand the score. She didn’t. That was obvious to anyone. You
walked out of the room talking to her, smiling. Holding her hand, for fuck’s
sake. Don’t leave it like you have between you. You’re not like that, Zazz. Go
and make up with her. Make her feel better. Make yourself feel better.”
“You bastard.” Finally, Chick had stuck his needle where it
hurt and hit the truth. He was right. Zazz was being a prick. “Okay. Get me the
address. Now fuck off so I can throw up in peace.”
He wasn’t
coffee. Zazz grimaced. He couldn’t take it black, even first thing. “V was born
addicted too. She never knew her parents, but she says that the Hamids are all
the parents she ever wanted. You have one better than her. You have a father,
biological or not.”
Zazz hurled his pencil to the floor, then the mug followed.
It shattered, the remnants rolling across the floor before coming to a gradual
stop. “Fuck, what kind of father do you think a kid deserves? Not Jimmy Asaro,
that’s for sure.”
“But he kept you, he never abandoned you.”
Why did Chick keep harping on about that? Didn’t he get it?
Indolence rather than fondness kept Jimmy from dumping Zazz at the nearest
children’s home. The times that Jimmy had come through for him had been few and
far between, the scales heavily in favor of the times he’d let him down.
“Okay,” said Chick. “Do it for her.”
“What?” He turned a stunned expression on to his manager.
“Who?” He wanted Chick to say it.
He waited until Chick took a deep draught of his coffee.
“Laura. It means a lot to her. She doesn’t want any magic reconciliation, she
wants you to visit him is all. The old man wants to see you. It’ll hurt him if
you come to his hometown and you avoid him. But it’ll hurt her too.”
“Did she tell you all that?” A thought crossed his mind.
“Did you fucking set me up?”
Chick shook his head. “You can add paranoia to your list of
personality disorders. Laura cares about the people she works for.” He frowned.
“She takes her job seriously, and she wants to talk to you about his care. She
told you she wants him to go into a home?”
That sounded too much like the person from the emails. Zazz
shifted uncomfortably. “Best place for him.” He wouldn’t let the old man drag
him back into his milieu. Too much heartbreak, too much disaster and despair.
If he could get Jimmy in a home, all he’d have to do was pay the bills. With
other people looking after him, he might finally get shut of the old man.
Ignoring the twist of emotion that thought gave his insides, Zazz decided that
was what he wanted. “She can decide the place without my involvement. I’ll foot
the bill.” He stared at Chick, opening his eyes a little wider, fully aware of
the effect the bright-blue stare had on people. On most people. “Just how much
of a heart-to-heart did you have with her before the car arrived?”
Chick shrugged. “Long enough for her to get a grip and walk
out with her head up. You treated her badly, Zazz.” Zazz shrugged. “Oh don’t
give me the bad-boy rock star shit. You got scared, kid.”
“Kid?” Chick might be six or seven years older than Zazz,
but that didn’t give him the right to call him kid, especially in that tone of
voice. “Fuck off, Chick.”
“I don’t fuck off that easy. You hurt her. You don’t usually
treat your women like that. Sort your shit out, you fucker. Go see your father,
apologize to Laura and sort it out. This chip on your shoulder’s turning into a
fucking forest.”
Bastard. “I don’t like being used. She knew who I was. She
targeted me.”
“She didn’t. You know she didn’t. You reacted to her
stronger than I’ve ever seen you with anyone. You brought her back here. You
usually fuck them in your dressing room, unless you want a marathon session.”
“How do you know I didn’t want that?”
Chick laughed. “You pick the experienced ones for that, the
ones who understand the score. She didn’t. That was obvious to anyone. You
walked out of the room talking to her, smiling. Holding her hand, for fuck’s
sake. Don’t leave it like you have between you. You’re not like that, Zazz. Go
and make up with her. Make her feel better. Make yourself feel better.”
“You bastard.” Finally, Chick had stuck his needle where it
hurt and hit the truth. He was right. Zazz was being a prick. “Okay. Get me the
address. Now fuck off so I can throw up in peace.”
He wasn’t
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