Chapter 2:

Davy had spent the past hour and a half walking around the entertainment district looking at bulletin boards and going into businesses to see what gigs were available. He found a combination of auditions to play at restaurants and band contests. He was absentmindedly looking at one of the fliers he had picked up when he bumped into a table and staggered backward.

"Oh my, are you alright?"

Davy regained his footing and began to look up from the ground. "Oh I'm okay. It's my fault, I wasn't paying atten…"

As Davy looked up he locked eyes with what he believed to be the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. She had large brown eyes and long, dark brown hair. She was smiling sweetly back at him. He could barely focus on what she was saying with the stars in his eyes and his heart racing.

"Pardon me, what did you say Miss…"

"Goodwin. My name is April Goodwin. I was saying that you are the first person I have gotten to stop at my table all day," she said with a laugh.

"Pleased to meet you April. My name is Davy Jones. I apologize for disrupting your work. What are you doing with this table here?"

"Well I was trying to drum up business to save my family's theater. The Goodwin Theater has been in my family for four generations. My great-grandfather began this theater to start the entertainment district here. And now we have not had successful shows and/or appearances in years. We have been unable to pay our property taxes in quite some time, and the bank is threatening to foreclose the theater. I was looking to do a benefit show of sorts and have set up this table not only to sell tickets, but also see if I can get acts to appear as a donation. So far though nobody has even stopped and looked my way. That is until you came along." She gave him a wide smile.

Davy blushed a little. "I'm sorry to hear that. When is this benefit supposed to take place?"

"In about a month and a half on the twelfth, but if I can't obtain any interest I won't be having anything except a bank foreclosure."

She looked so forlorn and Davy was a sucker for the 'damsel in distress' situation. Especially for someone so attractive. The wheels in his head started turning.

"April, I want to do something to help you. And I know just what that is."


"I don't know what in the world you two were thinking," Mike stated as he watched Peter clean up the wrestling ring with his hand resting on his forehead as if he had a headache. "Peter you know better than to encourage Micky's schemes."

"Mike you know I'm impressionable or else I wouldn't have signed a lifetime contract at Renaldo's Dance Au Go Go."

Mike shook his head and looked over to see Micky feverishly running around picking up random items. "Now Micky what are you doing? You're supposed to be cleaning up the wrestling fiasco too."

"Mike there is no time for cleaning up failed plans when there are other brilliant ideas on the horizon. You have to strike while the iron is hot."

"That sounds painful," Peter said.

"We are going to start an animal shelter. I can see it now, on a sign out front the 'I'm Gonna Buy Me a Dog Shelter,'" Micky said waving his hands around as if making an imaginary sign. "Big Peter, help me gather supplies like bowls and anything to make cages for the animals."

Peter began to set down the mattress he was lugging back to the bedroom. "Peter you better get back to work on that wrestling ring deconstruction. Don't humor Micky," said Mike. "Micky does a fine enough job doing that himself."

Right then the door opened and Davy came inside. He leaned against the door with a dreamy look on his face. "Hey Davy how did the gig search go," asked Mike. "Davy?...Davy?..." Mike waved his hand in front of Davy's face, "Oh no, I should have known this would happen."

"He's in love," Peter, Mike, and Micky said monotonously in unison.

Davy snapped out of his lovesick trance. "Hey fellas you'll never guess what happened to me today," he said dreamily.

"You fell in love," they answered again in unison.

"How did you know that?"

"Well for starters, you haven't gotten away from the front door and are still holding onto the door knob," Mike answered.

"And you have that love struck look on your face," Peter continued.

"Yes, but this time is different. I have never felt this way before."

"You tell that you've never been this way before," sang Micky, "You tell me things I know that I've heard somewhere."

"Knock it off Micky! I'm serious this time. April is amazing. She is smart…"

"…and beautiful and we have a date this weekend," Micky finished for him.

"No that's just the thing guys. I didn't ask her out on a date. I want to take my time with her get to know her first. She really could be the one."

"Sure," they all answered seemingly completely unconvinced.

"Please tell me you looked for gigs as well," Mike said changing the subject.

"As a matter of fact I did. I found a few auditions and contests. And I did us one better, I got us a gig as the main performer at the Goodwin Theater," Davy said with a satisfactory grin.

"The Goodwin Theater? Isn't that place closed? I haven't seen anyone around there or any shows advertised in I don't know how long," Peter inquired.

"See that's the thing. April's family owns the Goodwin Theater. They have had difficulty securing business and the bank is going to foreclose on the property. She is trying to create a benefit show to raise money to keep the theater in her family. I happened to mention The Monkees to her and she wanted us to be the main performance closing the benefit!"

"That's amazing Davy! How much does it pay?" Micky asked.

"Well about that…" he said staring at the floor rather than Mike's face, "since they don't have much money it would be a donation, meaning free."

"What?!" Mike shouted.

"Isn't that dumb? It makes my wrestling thing sound a bit more sane, right Mike?"

"Not even close, Mick," Mike said shaking his head. "There no way we can take that job, man. We need paying gigs so we can keep ourselves in the lap of luxury. You told her we would think about it, right?" Mike asked hopefully.

"Um, no. I told her we would be delighted to help," he gave Mike a weak smile.

"Davy, now that was a dumber idea than one of Micky's ideas."

"I knew it!" Micky exclaimed.

"We need the money, we can't give up paying gigs for this one just because you have a thing for this chick," Mike said.

"I know guys, I'm sorry. I guess I got caught up in her eyes." Davy shook his head in an attempt to shake the image of April out of his mind. "Listen, she's coming over tomorrow afternoon to talk about the benefit and hear us play. If after that meeting you're not willing to perform at the benefit, we will bow out. At least hear her out first. What do you say?"

"Okay," Mike said, "But I'm still skeptical about this whole thing."

"If you're feeling skeptical, you should see a doctor," Peter said.

Davy gave Peter a strange look and then looked back to Mike. "Thanks fellas. That's all I ask." He began to survey the room. "Now I have a question… What is Micky doing now?"