Part two

It's only been a few days since Charles finished the bar so he doesn't have the official results yet. Those take a few months to get back to him. But unofficially he knows he passed and the feeling is good. Even running the menial errands for his office can't get him down.

While photocopying something in triplicate his mind wanders back to the Specter of Death he met the night before the exam. Not superstitious by nature Charles wonders for the hundredth time if Death didn't have something to do with his passing. Since that night he's kept an eye out for any mention of his band, but no one has ever heard of them. As skeptical as Charles is he can't help but wonder if Nathan was not really some sort of otherworldly sprit who showed up to wish him luck and then disappeared back to the underworld.

Charles is brought out of his musings by the office's mousey administrative assistant.

"Uh, there is a gorilla in the lobby and he says he's here to see you?" She is clearly uncomfortable from the unfamiliar situation. Charles doesn't blame her, how often does one meet a gorilla face to face in an office building?

A gorilla he ponders, leaving his photocopying on his desk. Now why would a gorilla be here to see me? Walking into the lobby he recognize him immediately.

"Nathan, what are you doing here?"

So Death hadn't gone back to the underworld after all. But how had he known where to find him?

"Oh thank god, it's the right you." Death looks relieved. "Do you know how many er, lawyer places in this city have clerks named Charles?"

Charles feels that there are a great many questions raised by that comment but the administrative assistant has had enough gossip for one day.

"I'm going on my break, I'll be back later," he tells her simultaneously ushering Death back into the elevator.

In side the elevator Charles gets his first good look at Death with out his make up. He looks almost handsome and far less wraith like. He may even have to stop thinking of him as Death like this.

"Did you really check every law office in the city looking for a Charles?"

"I couldn't remember your uh, last name."

"Offdensen."

"Oh."

Once in the lobby it occurs to Charles that he has no idea where they were going or why Nathan had gone to such great lengths to find him.

"I took your advice, about starting my own band and stuff." There was a pause as Nathan gathered his thoughts. "I think I found a drummer and I want you to come with me."

"Why me?"

"Because you're the band manager."

Charles did not remember agreeing to anything and he hadn't been drunk that night.

"How did I get to be manager?" Charles asked confused.

"Because you are."

Charles would have argued but well, it was never wise to argue with Death.

So that was how he found himself inside a faded rehab center talking to a balding glam rocker named Pickles. That simply can not be his real name. Nathan had just finished explaining the idea to him. Remarkably Pickles (No really who names a kid Pickles, Charles genuinely wanted to know) didn't seem to find the idea half as crazy as Charles did.(if he had any sense he would walk out right now a pretend this had all been a really weird dream)

"I dun know dood, death metal? It seems kinda brutal."

"Dude I know, it's totally brutal. That's the whole fucking point."

"From a monetary stand point, a death metal band could be a quite lucrative venture."

They both starred uncomprehendingly at him. You're not in law school anymore, Charlie.

"It could make you rich." That, he understood.

"Dood! Why didn' you say so!"

Nathan beamed directly at Charles, clearly pleased with his contribution. Charles started to feel his heart flutter and cursed. He though he killed off any feelings like that ages ago. It was counter productive to his continued wellbeing to fall for a man that could pass for death on steroids.

While Charles had been having his own internal rant, the other two had been busy planning.

"Dood I know this great guitar guy, he's got like the fastest fingers around."

"Dude that's fucking awesome, do you think he'll join us?"

"Yeah man, he's been kicked outa every other band in town."

"Wait, what?" Charles interrupted Nathan's cheering.

"Yeah, he keeps fucking other people's girlfriends 'n junk."

"That's fine, I don't have a girlfriend."

"Me nether." added Pickles.

"Me nether." echoed Charles.

Was it just his imagination or did Nathan give him a hopeful look after hearing that? No, wait, killing that part of himself dead. Dead dead dead dead.

That was better.

Pickles agreed to bring him over to Nathan's tomorrow around seven. They both took down the address and then Charles had to run. He'd long overstayed his lunch break.