Rock and Roll Never Forgets (The Rock and Roll Trilogy) Page 10

  They shared some wine and the conversation continued. Andy was very personable, comfortable, as he answered Norton’s questions, but always in the corner of his eye, he watched as Beth became more at ease with the situation.

  The beach was cool and breezy on that late afternoon, the sun casting off natural sepia light. Because of the time of the year, it wasn’t crowded, and there was just a bit of a nip in the air.

  The photographer liked this, “This will be great… windblown… not so posed,” he mumbled. “More natural…” His assistant set up equipment, and once again, Teena touched up hair and make-up.

  The beach at Oak Street is much like a city park, and the photographer scanned for locations to shoot. First he had Andy lean on a railing that looked out over the beach area. He wore jeans and a black t-shirt, his long brown hair blowing in the breeze. He was very comfortable in front of the camera. Norton watched Beth watching him, and was even more intrigued by her, slipping in little questions in their conversation that he didn’t feel broke the agreement he’d made not to single her out.

  There were several of them together at the railing. They then walked down to the beach area. Beth was wearing faded jeans and a black sweater. Walking ahead of them as Andy and Norton talked; they heard the photographer tell Beth, “Turn around.”

  Suddenly, he was at her side with his hand on her behind. He ran his hand slowly over the curve of her bottom as Beth stood speechless.

  “Andy, the curve of this…it’s fine! I have to get a shot of that.” He told him, and then looked at Beth for approval.

  She was too shocked to acknowledge him, and heard Andy reply, “I think that would be great,” he laughed out loud. “It is fine!”

  “Beth, walk ahead. When I say ‘stop’, pivot on your left foot about half a turn. Look back over your shoulder, quick. Don’t smile, just turn, quick, and look back at me when I say so,” he told her.

  She did as he said, and when she looked back Andy and Norton laughed as the photographer snapped off pictures from different angles. Then Beth started to laugh and he took even more. Before he finished he had her lying on the sand to take a few shots. She was a damp, gritty mess, but she had fun.

  After the photo shoot was complete they walked to The Drake. Andy and Norton went to wait in the lounge while Beth quickly went to shower the sand off. The rest of the Traveler gang joined them and they all walked to a little café on the beach. They shared a wonderful meal and conversation as Norton talked with all of them for comments for the article. The plan was for the article to run in the December issue.

  The first show was Wednesday evening. During the day as the guys rehearsed and did sound checks, Dina and Beth spent the day sight-seeing and shopping. Roddy called ahead to the legendary Pump Room and reserved the famous ‘Booth One’ for them. They shared a bottle of wine and dined on Lobster Bisque and The Pump Room Salad, just two friends relaxing, and giggling like schoolgirls when they saw several celebrities there.

  When the show began that evening, Norton joined the girls and Roddy. Beth and Dina sat on stools to the left of the stage. It was Andy’s birthday, and halfway through the set Nigel began playing the birthday tune and everyone started singing.

  There was a new song that Andy wrote for Beth, “In Your Eyes”. Norton saw emotions all over her face when she heard the piano start. Whenever he sang it on stage he looked to find her. She knew when it started to make her way to where he could spot her. Roddy came and stood with her, as did Dina. Norton stood back and watched.

  Andy started to hum the first part of the song as he walked toward Beth. With his hand extended, he motioned for her to join him. Reluctantly, she walked out. A light shined on her as Andy reached for her hand. One of the crew brought a stool and she sat while Andy belted out that song, holding her hand in his as he did.

  In your eyes I see my life

  In your eyes I feel love

  In your eyes I know heaven,

  It’s what makes this life worth livin’

  The lighting was just right; light from the fans’ lighters could be seen throughout the crowd from their lighters. They liked the song. It was obvious, Beth loved the song.

  When he finished singing, Beth stepped down from the stool and Andy brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. The cheers from the crowd were like thunder. One of the crew grabbed the stool as she started to walk off the stage. Suddenly, Mark hit a drumbeat with every step she took. She stopped, turned to look at him, questioningly. He paused, and the audience laughed. She began again. He did too. She took smaller steps, and Nathan began playing lighter notes on the keyboard. Now Beth was laughing. Andy started to move toward her so she stopped and waited for whatever came next. Suddenly, Stretch and Nigel began playing some loud notes that Beth hadn’t heard before and Andy started singing about “that girl’s fine behind.”

  That girl’s fine behind

  It’s got me

  Sssssstutterin’

  As she’s movin’ again

  A sway, a strut

  But, but, but…

  I love her butt…

  Beth laughed and quickly exited the stage. The crowd was on their feet clapping and whistling. The guys quickly wrote a new song using the words the photographer said to Andy, and this was how they decided to debut it. Roddy met her with a hug as she exited the stage. They shared a laugh with Dina, who knew all about it. Traveler was hot everywhere they went.

  ~ ~ ~

  From Chicago it was frantic, harried, but the road beckoned, and four more weeks brought them to Cedar Rapids, Minneapolis, St. Paul, Bismarck, and into Canada. It was so crazy that at times a crew member would write the name of the city on a piece of cardboard and raise it for Andy to thank the city they were in.

  They were making their way east in Canada for shows in Toronto, Quebec, and Montreal for two weeks. After Canada they would have a few days to rest up and then head to Europe after the holidays. During this time Roddy was working to get everything in place for that leg of the tour.

  Their pace left them all exhausted, and in much need of the scheduled down time. The drain was starting to take a toll on all of them; there was tension, some bitchy, petty squabbles, all because they were just tired. Beth decided with Christmas around the corner and with everyone on edge, she’d go home until the break. This would be her first time traveling with them out of the country, and there was much to do. Andy would head to Florida to celebrate Christmas and have a few down days and they would leave from there.

  She’d been home, busy preparing, packing and planning for the very exciting time ahead. As always, when they were apart, the routine of their nightly phone conversations continued. Only Andy seemed tense and preoccupied, grouchy, and moody. Beth played it off as the fatigue of months on the road. He was tired, ready, and in need of the break. Traveler hadn’t been on the road for this long since she’d known him. Getting away for a few days would be good for them both. Her brother Ethan and his wife Angie were about to have a baby, and she was happy to be home for the big event.

  On Friday morning the phone rang. It was Roddy.

  “Hey,” he said. “You OK?” It sounded funny to her when he asked.

  “Yeah! Why wouldn’t I be?” she laughed, but the long silence on the other end said something was wrong. “Roddy?”

  “I’m sorry Beth…”

  “Sorry? Sorry for what?” she asked, more than puzzled. “Roddy?”

  “Beth…” he said, followed by a long pause. “I don’t want to tell you this.”

  “Roddy! What? What is it?” Panic surfaced, her mind raced trying to imagine what was going on.

  “Andy left for Europe early this morning,” he said.

  “He left? I don't understand, he’s supposed to come here. What happened?”

  “I don’t know all the details, Beth. I only heard that he left with someone else. Another woman…” he said with pain in his voice.

  She heard his soft whisper of a voice, but those words; “ano
ther woman” rang in her head like a big bell.

  “Beth?”

  “Who?” she whispered in disbelief.

  “I don’t know. I just heard it myself. I arrived here late last night to have the guys asking me what was going on. You know I’d been in Houston, to take care of some stuff before we leave, I just got back. I haven’t been able to reach him. The guys don’t know much either. They said he just left, they asked around but no one knows. I don’t know yet, Beth.” He was mumbling.

  The sentences ran together in her brain. She was struggling to breathe.

  “I left a few things behind that I figured would get into Andy’s bag when he came here. Can you please gather them up and get them to me if they are still there?” she said with a calm that scared her. “There can’t be much.”

  85

  Rock and Roll Never Forgets

  Chapter Twelve

  Beth wanted nothing more than to crawl in bed, hide from everything and everyone, but her family was gathering that evening for dinner. She plodded through the day, making herself stay busy, dressed, put her best face forward, and went to them praying, hoping… There was a new baby in the family to celebrate, and she hoped it would be the distraction she needed to get through the evening.

  November 20, 1981 ~ Another woman… It rumbled through my head over and over. Who? How did this happen? What happened? My thoughts filled with questions, but no answers… my heart was heavy, full of hurt and pain like I’ve never felt before. Broken… I prayed prayers for the strength to function.

  This all took place just as a new entertainment broadcast was ramping up. Entertainment Tonight was a new television show to inform the curious public of just such celebrity news events. She could see that she would probably have to deal with whatever this was publicly.

  Kimmy came to Beth’s parents’ home later that evening, Beth called her as soon as Roddy shared the news. She gave Beth that casual hug that said, “I love you”, but didn’t let on that anything was wrong. Beth worked hard to keep her emotions in check. The TV wasn’t on so she thought, and prayed again, that maybe she could get through the day without having to talk about something she herself had just learned.

  When she was ready to leave, Kimmy hugged her and whispered in her ear. “I’ll meet you at the condo.”

  Beth arrived to find the message light on the answering machine flashing. She ignored it. She didn’t want to hear any of them. She sat at the kitchen table and focused on breathing.

  Breathe in, breathe out,’ I kept telling myself. It was suddenly like a normal function needed instruction on what to do to sustain life. Focusing on that allowed me to keep the other thoughts from being forefront… but they still lurked just below the surface… waiting…

  Kimmy arrived and let herself in. She had a bottle of wine that she opened and poured them both a glass, but said nothing. Beth sipped and let the alcohol course through her body. She was shivering with nerves and the wine seemed to bring warmth. She was a mess. Kimmy was the best kind of friend. She asked no questions. She went to the answering machine with a pen and paper and played the messages.

  “Dina, someone from Entertainment Tonight, a reporter from People, and a guy from the local TV station; I thought your number was unlisted. How do they get through? Your mom, Roddy, he will be here in the morning, two hang-ups… your brother Michael, and Mark,” she said when she returned to the table.

  “Please just unplug it,” Beth begged her.

  “No, I’ll be here for a while. I’ll answer it, return a call or two,” Kimmy said. She walked behind Beth, leaned over her, and put her arms around her neck. It was a comforting gesture and Beth reached up and patted her hands. No words, just the embrace of two good friends. They sat in silence for a long time.

  Michael called again and Kimmy talked to him. She told him to call the others and let them know Beth was OK. She then returned Dina’s call. The two of them talked for a really long time, Dina expressing her own shock and dismay. She told Kimmy that Nathan called her and he was very angry at Andy, they all were. But he was more worried about Beth.

  Lane called to check in, Kimmy explained what was happening and told him that she was staying there. Still, there was no conversation. Beth had nothing to say.

  Kimmy crawled in bed with Beth, and they shared talk and tears, just like they had done so many times through the years, but there wasn’t much sleep.

  Saturday morning, they were having coffee when there was a knock at the door. Kimmy rose to answer it, letting Roddy in. He sat a suitcase down, and Beth rose, without saying anything, to take it to unpack. It was only the things she’d left behind in Canada, just a small part of what she would still need to retrieve. Beth reached for the handle, Roddy reached for her hand. With a doe-eyed gaze she looked at him. She swallowed hard and tried to blink back the tears at the rims of her eyes, anxious to escape.

  November 21, 1981 ~ I will not cry… I won’t! I repeated the words over and over in my head. I can’t… if I start, they will never stop…

  “How did this happen? How could I be so blind?” she asked Roddy.

  He hugged her. “Not blind Beth, no one knew. I found a message he left me after we spoke yesterday, after he was already gone.” He paused as if searching for what to say next and then said, “I don’t know what to say Beth, I didn’t know.”

  “I only left last week. I just talked to him the night before.” She turned to walk back to the table, suddenly feeling weak. Kimmy took the suitcase to the bedroom to allow them to talk, alone.

  “He sounded stressed, tired, anxious maybe, but I certainly didn't suspect this,” her voice trailed to a faint whisper.

  They sat quietly for a while. Beth finished the coffee in her cup and went to the coffee pot for more. She was trembling. Roddy rose and took the pot; he poured them both a cup and then returned to the table. He sat across from her, reached over, took her hand, and held it for a long time.

  Finally he spoke and his words sucked the life out of Beth’s already tired body, “It’s Claire.” That was all he needed to say. He told her again that he didn’t know. She believed him. He was her friend too.

  He asked her, “What can I do? What do you need me to do Beth?”

  “Can you help get my things? It seems they are everywhere, Galveston, the chalet…” she was mumbling.

  “Is that what you really want?” he asked.

  Beth sat there just looking at him for the longest time. Of course that was what she wanted. What was he thinking? He sadly told her that he would.

  It was Claire that Andy left with. Claire Ferguson… Roddy told me that he knew it was nothing permanent, but I couldn’t get past ‘now’ to think about that. All I could think about was that he left me behind. Three years…

  Beth knew of her. She’d seen pictures of Claire in magazines when she was just a fan, when she was curious to know more about him. Andy talked about her briefly. She had been his girlfriend for a while, but that was before, way before.

  Claire was from Houston, too. She was a cover girl in the early ‘70s and still did a lot of modeling. They met when Traveler played at the Grand Opening of a local car dealership. She was one of the models there to help showcase the cars. She and Andy dated for several years and then she surprised everyone, left Andy and ran off to marry a photographer.

  But they were over. She and Andy were over. What happened that it started up again? When did it happen? Roddy explained that she was doing a modeling shoot in Montreal and ran into Andy in the hotel. But what after that…?

  ~ ~ ~

  The pace of their recent schedule had taken a toll on all of them, but Andy began to feel restless and anxious. He was in a relationship that was starting to mean way too much to him and he didn’t know how to handle that, or if he really wanted to.

  After a show in Montreal he needed an escape. The guys had all gone in for the evening. Beth was home for a few days, and Andy was alone. He went to the hotel bar for a glass of wine. He was si
tting there, thinking, pondering, wondering… He heard the bartender call “last call” and raised his glass for one more. He felt a light finger drag slowly across his back. He looked up. In the mirror behind the bar he saw Claire behind him. He turned around to speak. She was standing so close. She pulled him into her and kissed him. He responded, and knew that she was someone who could make it easy for him to stray.

  He loved Beth, but he believed that she wanted more than he was ready to give. And there was Claire, beautiful, sexy and making herself very available. His restlessness led him into her arms, into her bed and the next morning, led him away with her.

  He knew with Claire there would be no commitment. There would be no ties. There would be no long-term anything. He thought that was what he needed. As he boarded the plane with her he thought again of Beth. He knew it wasn’t right, but he knew Roddy would handle it. Roddy handled everything. And away they went.

  As soon as the plane landed in Paris Andy knew he’d made a mistake. Being with Claire was never good. It was sexual, that was the only thing that had ever been good in the two and a half years they were together before. He quickly realized that wasn’t what he wanted anymore. He knew it would be volatile, they would argue, and fight, they always had.

  A short time with her and he knew he’d made the biggest mistake of his life. He realized how important Beth was to him, how much he loved her, but the damage was already done, and he wasn’t sure how to fix it. It caused a strained relationship within the band. The European leg of the tour was tense. No one was happy with Andy, especially Roddy. They were all being a strong front for Beth, because they loved her. He tried to talk to Dina and she told him to “figure it out.” But he honestly didn’t know how.