Chapter 23

Saturday came faster than Alex would have hoped for. The prospect of having the Z-Boyz come into the bar while she was working was kind of like looking forward to having the Vikings invade. Stacy had talked her into coming to his skate exhibition before going to work, being it was in Malibu, close to the bar. Even the ride up was starting off badly.

"I got shotgun, this is official Zephyr business, you can sit with your boyfriend later," Bob Biniak told Alex as they went towards Stacy's car.

"I guess you're right, especially as you already slid your ass into the front seat," Alex shrugged heading toward the back seat.

"Don't worry; it'll give us the chance to get to know each other better." Jay said jumping into the opposite side of the back seat, pulling Alex backwards by her hips toward him. "Yeah, much better."

Peggy slid in behind Alex, effectively squeezing her into Jay's waiting lap.

"Yuchh, far too much togetherness!" Alex squirmed trying to free her self from Jay's grasp. Her gyrations landed her in Peggy's lap.

"Alex, I didn't think you played for that team!" Jay feigned surprise.

Peggy was laughing hysterically pushing Alex back towards the middle of the seat, "Girl, you're new, it's your turn to have to sit next to Jayboy, I've earned my safe seat."

"Kinda like earning your way into the Cove?" Alex asked.

"You got it; me and the Cove can give you a great ride, if you earn it!" Jay quipped.

"I changed my mind, I want into the back seat, it sounds like you're having more fun," Biniak threw in his two cents.

"You have to be my buffer, Alex," Peggy said, "No more sitting next to Jayboy for me."

"Ok, Ok, I'm Switzerland," Alex spread her hands glaring at Jay, "neutral, nobody touches me."

"That sounds good; Jay- no returning my girlfriend with fingerprints all over her!" Stacy wagged his finger at Jay. "Now don't make me come back there kids!"

All this and we haven't even started driving yet, thought Alex.

At the Exhibition

Alex noticed a real change in the way the Z-Boyz were perceived as soon as they got to the exhibition. At Del Mar, the crowd had looked at the team warily, not sure what they were going to see, and frankly not expecting too much from this pack of wild men. (And woman, sorry Peggy) Now when they got out of the cars an excited murmur ran through the crowd; "Z-Boyz, Zephyr Team, they're here, it's them." Alex knew that kind of reception; she had heard it before arriving at gigs with famous bands. The Z-Boyz were becoming rock stars! Tony in particular took to this greeting, his smile went up a few watts and he strutted in like a king amongst his subjects, Blanca struggling behind him, trying to look cool and keep a tight leash on her man. Jay popped out of the car door like a jack in the box and was immediately off into the crowd. The rest of the team got together from their different cars and looked for prime real estate to claim as their turf.

"Wow, you guys have gotten really famous since the last time I was at one of these skate things," Alex said as Stacy slipped his hand into hers and fell in behind the team.

"Kinda weird, huh?" Stacy said blushing and hiding behind his hair.

"No, completely deserved," Alex smiled up at him and squeezed his hand.

"Rah-rah, that's my cheerleader," Stacy laughed at her.

"I think I could have some competition for the position," Alex noted, nodding in the direction of several groups of girls giggling and pointing at the Z-Boyz as they went through the crowd.

"Nah, I'm not taking any applications for that position, consider it filled." Stacy leaned in and gave her a quick kiss, almost knocking her straw cowboy hat off. "Sorry about leaving you to fight off Jay on the way up here," tilting the hat back down on her head.

"Pfft, he just likes to talk the talk," Alex dismissed, "But maybe I should help Blanca fight off some of Tony's admirers, she looks like she's got her hands full."

"Forget it, that girl is on a mission impossible," Stacy said watching Tony turn on the charm with a bunch of fawning girls as Blanca stood and glowered like a storm cloud. "Duh, duh da, do do do do" Stacy hummed the unmistakable theme music from the TV show. "TA is totally into the whole star/groupie trip, ready to catch any chick that throws herself at him," Stacy continued in a faintly disapproving tone.

"I guess you gotta give some of these girls the benefit of the doubt, I mean fame really attracts a lot of people, they want to be close to it; or sometimes they're really big fans of what you do and they want to talk to you about it, see if you feel the same connection to the music, ah, sport that they do," Alex said her obviously thought out opinion.

Stacy looked down at her dubiously, "Yeah and Tony just wants to fuck em."

"Well then, better him than you!" Alex said brightly. "You probably have to go warm up, and I want a word with Skip about how those urethane wheels are selling."

"Cool, I'll see you in a few," Stacy headed off happily toward the knot of skaters warming up. He hadn't gotten more than five feet before two girls jumped into his path. Alex just smiled to her self as she heard them say "Oh you're Stacy Peralta aren't you? We just love watching you skate. Could we watch you warm up?"

"Um, sure, I mean it is an exhibition after all," Stacy looked somewhat uncomfortable and glanced back at Alex.

Alex winked and said, "Connection to the sport, maybe? Not going Blanca on you." She blew him a kiss and waved him on.

Stacy knew when he was being teased and replied with his own wink; "Maybe TA has the right idea".

The girls responded frostily to this exchange and followed after Stacy saying "So she's a friend of yours?"

Stacy walked towards the practice area saying just loud enough for Alex to hear: "Oh, she's this sorta strange urethane wheel salesman."

Alex had enough time to watch part of the exhibition before she had to get a cab to work, and as always the Z-Boyz blew everyone away. Peggy repeated their plans to go see The Song Remains the Same and then come over to the Jolly Roger. "So you might want to be extra nice to your boss or maybe tell him you're being stalked by a crazed gang of skaters who you really have nothing to do with," she said with a shrug and her ever present giggle.

"Lord have mercy" Alex replied.

"Amen, sister, see you later."

Later that evening at the Jolly Roger

Alex found her self more nervous than she had been in a long time. She decided to take Peggy's advice, well kind of anyway, and mention to her boss, Mick, that the team would be coming in. How exactly to present it though, she wondered? "So Mick, some guys from down where I live might stop by tonight, they're great skaters, they did an exhibition today in Malibu."

"You know my son dragged me over to that skate show today, quite enjoyed it, I did" Mick opined unexpectedly.

"Really? I didn't see you there."

"Caught the tail end of these amazing blokes, Zephyr-Boyz they're called, I think, really ripped it up, as the locals say, very rock and roll, I wager." Mick drawled in his South London accent.

"The very boys I was talking about!" Alex answered happily, thinking the Lord does have mercy -that brief prayer had been answered.

"Mates of yours then, are they?"

"Yeah they are, but ah, sometimes they can get a little carried away with themselves. You're right they are very rock and roll," She tried to express caution without knocking them.

"A bit raucous, rough around the edges eh?" Mick sized up her reaction.

"Precisely!" Alex agreed, feeling she had done her best to prepare her boss for the Z-Boyz.

"Well then, we best hope Her Majesty the Queen doesn't choose tonight to honour us with her presence!" Mick cackled slapping the bar. "No seriously, Alex, you and I have both seen enough rock and roll bad behaviour to know how to handle it. You just be your usual charming self and set them up right; if I'm right about their rep and the vibe at the skate park, then they're good for business at the bar, draw a crowd you know. And if they're too over the top, well, that's why I employ the large gents at the door!"

"Gotcha boss!" Alex agreed with more enthusiasm than she had felt all week.