"C'mon, Mimi," Roger said, taking Mimi's hand as they reached CBGB's,
"You'll do FINE. We're on your side. And if it doesn't work out- who
cares?" he tried to assure her.
"Alright," Mimi said, uncertainly.
They entered the dimly-lit bar, where Chad and the others were waiting.
"Well, it took you long enough, Roger. You're half an hour late," exclaimed Chad, as he looked up from tuning his bass.
"Sorry, Chad. I practically had to drag Mimi down here."
"Why? Is she nervous? Did you have to bribe her?" he laughed in spite of himself, but stopped when he saw the pissed look on Mimi's face. "Sorry. How you doing, Mimi?"
"Super," Mimi replied.
"Well hey, you can't have that attitude onstage. The people are gonna be wondering where Candace is. It shouldn't be a problem, though. Sex it up a little bit, okay?"
"Chad," Roger warned . . .
"I'm just kidding Roger, lighten up, will you? Anyway Mimi, you know the guys? This is Matt," he pointed to a young looking guy with bleached spiky hair, who nodded his head in acknowledgement.
"That's Andy, behind the drums." A hand adorned by a single drumstick waved over the cymbals.
"And that's Stu, on the keyboard. Well, everyone know each other? Guys, Mimi, Mimi, Guys. Okay, let's get started."
He turned to talk to Matt, and Roger stepped in beside Mimi.
"Sorry about that. He can be an ass when he's under stress," Roger apologized.
"It's fine, I'm used to it." Mimi forced a smile. "Besides, how bad could this turn out?"
"Alright, here're the lyrics for the song Candace was going to sing," Chad said, thrusting a sheet of paper at Roger and Mimi. Roger looked over Mimi's shoulder, reading the words.
"Karmine wrote this?" he asked, surprised.
"Yup" said Chad, proudly. "The woman impresses me more every day."
Roger rolled his eyes.
"Okay, we'll do the song one time with just the music. Mimi, you're gonna sing with us the second time."
"Right."
Roger picked up his fender in one hand, and climbed up onstage beside Matt.
"Right. One, two . . . one two three," Andy counted, and the Well Hungarians started to play.
Mimi listened, and watched. It sounded okay, so far. Matt was practically on top of his guitar, and Roger and Chad strummed away furiously. Stu, who seemed to be very quiet, just kept at the keys, barely glancing up to acknowledge anyone.
Mimi couldn't see Andy, but by the bangs and crashes she could hear from behind the Drum Set, she detected that he must have been really going at it.
The song was about four minutes long, and seemed to end as fast as it had started.
"So, what'd you think?" Chad asked Mimi, swinging his bass to the other shoulder.
"I like the sound of it," Mimi admitted.
"Great. So, you wanna try singing now?"
Mimi looked to Roger. He nodded, encouragingly.
"Alright," she said, and Chad helped her climb onstage.
Matt stepped forward to lower the mike, which was about two times taller than Mimi.
"Thanks," she said, blushing.
"No problem," he replied coolly, stepping back.
"You got the words?" Chad asked.
Mimi waved them in his face.
"Okay, we're set. Andy, start off."
The music started up again. Chad nodded his head toward Mimi, and she started to sing, quietly.
"LOU-DER," Chad shouted over the music.
She sang a little louder, but Stu's drums seemed to drown her voice out.
"STOP,' Chad said, obviously annoyed.
"Is there a problem?" he asked Mimi.
"You guys are drowning her out," Roger spoke up. "Andy, keep it down a bit, okay? And Matt, is there anyway to lower that thing? You're going to blow people out of their seats."
"That's the IDEA," Matt insisted.
"Just do it, Matt," Chad said. He sighed. He turned to Roger. You sure this is gonna work?"
"It will," he said, simply.
"You sure she can sing?"
Mimi was tired, and her ears were ringing from all the noise. She crouched down beside the mike, waiting impatiently.
"She CAN sing. I've heard her. Just keep the band down more."
"Okay," Chad sighed, "But I hope you're not just giving her props because she's your girlfriend."
Mimi lifted her head up, annoyed. She'd show him, she thought to herself, standing to her feet.
"Well, boys, are we going to stand here making love to our instruments, or are we going to play something?" she asked, adjusting the mike so it was just her height.
Chad looked impressed by her new attitude. "From the top, guys." He nodded towards Andy, and once again, they began to play.
Mimi sang louder, this time.
Roger watched her from his side of the small stage, amazed. He'd NEVER known she could sing like that. Mimi seemed to be really getting into it, too. She tossed her head, and even winked seductively at the invisible audience.
When she finished, Stu actually walked over from the keyboard and clapped, loudly. Matt set down his guitar and also applauded, and Andy, whom Mimi hadn't even seen his face yet, stood up and clapped. Chad stood there, shocked.
"That was great, Babe," Roger whispered, pulling her towards him for a hug.
"You think so?" she said, giggling.
"Meems, it was AMAZING. How come you never sang for me before?" he asked, pretending to pout.
"Well, you know, I've gotta be in a certain mood," she said, smiling. Roger turned to Chad. "So, what'd you think?"
"She's good," Chad admitted. "She makes Candace sound like . . . like Cher." The others nodded in agreement.
"Alright, let's run through it two more times, and then call it quits, alright?"
Andy started on the drums again, and automatically, everyone began to play. Mimi watched Roger this time as she sang. He smiled and winked at her. She returned the gesture, and turned back to the non-existent audience, moving back and forth, and swaying to the rhythm. Roger lowered his head and struggled to keep up with the tempo, strumming until his fingers were numb.
***
Roger and Mimi leaned against the stage, waiting as the rest of the band packed up to leave for the day. Chad zipped up his base in its case, and hopped offstage so that he was standing beside Roger.
"She's good," Chad said, trying to come off as discreet.
"Don't tell me that," Roger said, laughing, "Tell HER."
"You are," Chad insisted, as Mimi blushed.
"Let's go home. All stars need their rest," Roger said, putting his arm around Mimi.
"Which means you need a nap too," she said, giggling.
"We could take one together," he said, waggling his eyebrows.
"Alright, let's go!" she pulled on her coat and tugged on Roger's hand, who eagerly followed her out.
***
As soon as Roger and Mimi got to the door to the apartment, the door swung open, revealing Maureen with a flushed, excited look on her face.
"Well, how did it go?" she demanded, pulling them both inside.
"I guess we'll have to take a rain check," Roger grumbled, as he closed the door behind them.
"It was good," Mimi admitted, giving Roger a sympathetic look.
"Close on Mimi: The Diva of Avenue B," Mark announced, zooming in on the three of them.
"Right. I'll give up my title- but just until after the gig," said Maureen, giving in. "So, how were the guys?"
"Was Chad a dick to you too?" Mark asked.
"I refuse to answer any questions without my agent's permission," joked Mimi, clinging to Roger's sleeve.
"They loved her!" Roger said, triumphantly.
"Golf claps!" called Collins cheerily, as he and Joanne entered the room.
"We'll have to bring a bouquet, Pookie," Maureen said, sliding her arm through Joanne's.
"Of course," she said, smiling.
"Ooh, Mimi, you're so lucky!" gushed Maureen. "I've always wanted to be up onstage!"
"You HAVE been up onstage," Joanne reminded her.
"Yeah, but that wasn't really a stage . . . and this will be in front of a bunch of people!"
"Yeah," Mimi said, turning to Roger, nervously. "How about that?"
"Meems, you're in front of hundreds of people you don't know when you're at the club. What's the difference doing a gig with us?"
"I'm just nervous," she grumbled. "Give me a break."
Roger kissed her on the cheek. "Sorry," he said. "Well, as much as I love Collins's toast, I'm hungry again. Let's all go to the life to celebrate our new-founded talent?"
"Lets!" Maureen agreed, pulling out her and Joanne's coats.
"Lunch's on me," Roger announced.
"You sure?" Mark asked, raising his eyebrow.
"Sure, I'm sure. Lead the way, Marky," Roger cried, using one of Maureen's many pet names.
Mark rolled his eyes, and nose-dived down the hall.
"So what are you singing, Meems?" Collins asked, as the rest of them walked down the hall.
"You'll see," Roger cut in, before Mimi could say anything. "Chad's girlfriend wrote it, so you wouldn't know it anyway."
"Well, we all like surprises," declared Maureen, as she and Joanne strutted down the hallway together.
"The gig's in two days. Excited?" Roger asked, smiling as he put his arm around Mimi.
She shrugged. "I don't know. I'm excited and nervous at the same time."
Roger nodded, understandingly.
"Well, we'll see, won't we?" she grinned. "C'mon Davis, let's catch up!"
"Alright," Mimi said, uncertainly.
They entered the dimly-lit bar, where Chad and the others were waiting.
"Well, it took you long enough, Roger. You're half an hour late," exclaimed Chad, as he looked up from tuning his bass.
"Sorry, Chad. I practically had to drag Mimi down here."
"Why? Is she nervous? Did you have to bribe her?" he laughed in spite of himself, but stopped when he saw the pissed look on Mimi's face. "Sorry. How you doing, Mimi?"
"Super," Mimi replied.
"Well hey, you can't have that attitude onstage. The people are gonna be wondering where Candace is. It shouldn't be a problem, though. Sex it up a little bit, okay?"
"Chad," Roger warned . . .
"I'm just kidding Roger, lighten up, will you? Anyway Mimi, you know the guys? This is Matt," he pointed to a young looking guy with bleached spiky hair, who nodded his head in acknowledgement.
"That's Andy, behind the drums." A hand adorned by a single drumstick waved over the cymbals.
"And that's Stu, on the keyboard. Well, everyone know each other? Guys, Mimi, Mimi, Guys. Okay, let's get started."
He turned to talk to Matt, and Roger stepped in beside Mimi.
"Sorry about that. He can be an ass when he's under stress," Roger apologized.
"It's fine, I'm used to it." Mimi forced a smile. "Besides, how bad could this turn out?"
"Alright, here're the lyrics for the song Candace was going to sing," Chad said, thrusting a sheet of paper at Roger and Mimi. Roger looked over Mimi's shoulder, reading the words.
"Karmine wrote this?" he asked, surprised.
"Yup" said Chad, proudly. "The woman impresses me more every day."
Roger rolled his eyes.
"Okay, we'll do the song one time with just the music. Mimi, you're gonna sing with us the second time."
"Right."
Roger picked up his fender in one hand, and climbed up onstage beside Matt.
"Right. One, two . . . one two three," Andy counted, and the Well Hungarians started to play.
Mimi listened, and watched. It sounded okay, so far. Matt was practically on top of his guitar, and Roger and Chad strummed away furiously. Stu, who seemed to be very quiet, just kept at the keys, barely glancing up to acknowledge anyone.
Mimi couldn't see Andy, but by the bangs and crashes she could hear from behind the Drum Set, she detected that he must have been really going at it.
The song was about four minutes long, and seemed to end as fast as it had started.
"So, what'd you think?" Chad asked Mimi, swinging his bass to the other shoulder.
"I like the sound of it," Mimi admitted.
"Great. So, you wanna try singing now?"
Mimi looked to Roger. He nodded, encouragingly.
"Alright," she said, and Chad helped her climb onstage.
Matt stepped forward to lower the mike, which was about two times taller than Mimi.
"Thanks," she said, blushing.
"No problem," he replied coolly, stepping back.
"You got the words?" Chad asked.
Mimi waved them in his face.
"Okay, we're set. Andy, start off."
The music started up again. Chad nodded his head toward Mimi, and she started to sing, quietly.
"LOU-DER," Chad shouted over the music.
She sang a little louder, but Stu's drums seemed to drown her voice out.
"STOP,' Chad said, obviously annoyed.
"Is there a problem?" he asked Mimi.
"You guys are drowning her out," Roger spoke up. "Andy, keep it down a bit, okay? And Matt, is there anyway to lower that thing? You're going to blow people out of their seats."
"That's the IDEA," Matt insisted.
"Just do it, Matt," Chad said. He sighed. He turned to Roger. You sure this is gonna work?"
"It will," he said, simply.
"You sure she can sing?"
Mimi was tired, and her ears were ringing from all the noise. She crouched down beside the mike, waiting impatiently.
"She CAN sing. I've heard her. Just keep the band down more."
"Okay," Chad sighed, "But I hope you're not just giving her props because she's your girlfriend."
Mimi lifted her head up, annoyed. She'd show him, she thought to herself, standing to her feet.
"Well, boys, are we going to stand here making love to our instruments, or are we going to play something?" she asked, adjusting the mike so it was just her height.
Chad looked impressed by her new attitude. "From the top, guys." He nodded towards Andy, and once again, they began to play.
Mimi sang louder, this time.
Roger watched her from his side of the small stage, amazed. He'd NEVER known she could sing like that. Mimi seemed to be really getting into it, too. She tossed her head, and even winked seductively at the invisible audience.
When she finished, Stu actually walked over from the keyboard and clapped, loudly. Matt set down his guitar and also applauded, and Andy, whom Mimi hadn't even seen his face yet, stood up and clapped. Chad stood there, shocked.
"That was great, Babe," Roger whispered, pulling her towards him for a hug.
"You think so?" she said, giggling.
"Meems, it was AMAZING. How come you never sang for me before?" he asked, pretending to pout.
"Well, you know, I've gotta be in a certain mood," she said, smiling. Roger turned to Chad. "So, what'd you think?"
"She's good," Chad admitted. "She makes Candace sound like . . . like Cher." The others nodded in agreement.
"Alright, let's run through it two more times, and then call it quits, alright?"
Andy started on the drums again, and automatically, everyone began to play. Mimi watched Roger this time as she sang. He smiled and winked at her. She returned the gesture, and turned back to the non-existent audience, moving back and forth, and swaying to the rhythm. Roger lowered his head and struggled to keep up with the tempo, strumming until his fingers were numb.
***
Roger and Mimi leaned against the stage, waiting as the rest of the band packed up to leave for the day. Chad zipped up his base in its case, and hopped offstage so that he was standing beside Roger.
"She's good," Chad said, trying to come off as discreet.
"Don't tell me that," Roger said, laughing, "Tell HER."
"You are," Chad insisted, as Mimi blushed.
"Let's go home. All stars need their rest," Roger said, putting his arm around Mimi.
"Which means you need a nap too," she said, giggling.
"We could take one together," he said, waggling his eyebrows.
"Alright, let's go!" she pulled on her coat and tugged on Roger's hand, who eagerly followed her out.
***
As soon as Roger and Mimi got to the door to the apartment, the door swung open, revealing Maureen with a flushed, excited look on her face.
"Well, how did it go?" she demanded, pulling them both inside.
"I guess we'll have to take a rain check," Roger grumbled, as he closed the door behind them.
"It was good," Mimi admitted, giving Roger a sympathetic look.
"Close on Mimi: The Diva of Avenue B," Mark announced, zooming in on the three of them.
"Right. I'll give up my title- but just until after the gig," said Maureen, giving in. "So, how were the guys?"
"Was Chad a dick to you too?" Mark asked.
"I refuse to answer any questions without my agent's permission," joked Mimi, clinging to Roger's sleeve.
"They loved her!" Roger said, triumphantly.
"Golf claps!" called Collins cheerily, as he and Joanne entered the room.
"We'll have to bring a bouquet, Pookie," Maureen said, sliding her arm through Joanne's.
"Of course," she said, smiling.
"Ooh, Mimi, you're so lucky!" gushed Maureen. "I've always wanted to be up onstage!"
"You HAVE been up onstage," Joanne reminded her.
"Yeah, but that wasn't really a stage . . . and this will be in front of a bunch of people!"
"Yeah," Mimi said, turning to Roger, nervously. "How about that?"
"Meems, you're in front of hundreds of people you don't know when you're at the club. What's the difference doing a gig with us?"
"I'm just nervous," she grumbled. "Give me a break."
Roger kissed her on the cheek. "Sorry," he said. "Well, as much as I love Collins's toast, I'm hungry again. Let's all go to the life to celebrate our new-founded talent?"
"Lets!" Maureen agreed, pulling out her and Joanne's coats.
"Lunch's on me," Roger announced.
"You sure?" Mark asked, raising his eyebrow.
"Sure, I'm sure. Lead the way, Marky," Roger cried, using one of Maureen's many pet names.
Mark rolled his eyes, and nose-dived down the hall.
"So what are you singing, Meems?" Collins asked, as the rest of them walked down the hall.
"You'll see," Roger cut in, before Mimi could say anything. "Chad's girlfriend wrote it, so you wouldn't know it anyway."
"Well, we all like surprises," declared Maureen, as she and Joanne strutted down the hallway together.
"The gig's in two days. Excited?" Roger asked, smiling as he put his arm around Mimi.
She shrugged. "I don't know. I'm excited and nervous at the same time."
Roger nodded, understandingly.
"Well, we'll see, won't we?" she grinned. "C'mon Davis, let's catch up!"