3 Steps Chapter 2
A/N Still going with Juliette's glorious put-down from pilot about her mother playing Rayna Jaymes records while Juliette in her belly, though Wikipedia (which is of course never wrong) has Juliette born in 1988 and Rayna's first LP 1990. So I am probably giving Rayna a few more years than she would have admitted to in her biog. Thanks to everyone who has stopped by to read.
Step 1
Rolling home, with just 2 nights to go. Tonight's performance and then a pretty much direct drive along Highway 40 to Nashville. Deacon disentangled his body from the bus bunk and made himself as presentable as he could at 8.30am . On discovering Rayna's incredibly immaculate master bedroom was empty, he passed by the sleeping drummer and bass player, the latter snoring heavily and stepped off the still ticking tour-bus, parked up in the lot of a diner. At a booth just by the door he found Rayna, coffee, pancakes and bacon. This was good, but he also found Bucky and his inevitable itinerary. Deacon massaged the cramp out of his legs, half listening to the earnest man.
"So we got Radio at 10:30 – Davy Freeman of W-O-L-D, a record store signing at lunchtime, sound check at 5pm and showtime at 8."
"Yes Sir" replied Rayna and saluted. "You know I am going seriously miss the buzz of doing all this next week, and having someone organise my life for me."
"Enjoy the downtime." Bucky said, "West coast starts next month, and Watty is hoping to sort us out 'you know who' for the fall."
"Well it will seem strange sleeping in my own bed for the first time in a month" Rayna continued. There was a splutter of coffee onto the Formica table. "Awe com'on Deac, you know what I mean."
Deacon stared at a small lake of maple syrup, whishing desperately that Rayna would be sharing his bed.
"It's 10:32 and 78 degrees on this blue sky Friday morning. You're tuned to W-O-L-D and the morning show with me Davy Freeman, today we have a special guest with us, the country singer Rayna Jaymes who is playing in town tonight. Rayna welcome"
"Hi Davy, it's so nice to be with y'all."
Deacon sat at back of the beige studio, watching Rayna turn on the charm, to the guy with the mullet and motor-mouth
"Your album 'Cowgirls Love Too Hard' went silver last week while you were out on the road"
"I know, we are all so excited about that, and really proud that the hard work put into making the record has paid off with something people want to go out and buy. It means a lot"
"This is the first time you have headlined a tour, how's that working out?"
"It's wonderful Davy, I get to expand my setlist, try out some new songs I've been writing and of course showcase new talent as my opening act."
"Do you find touring and being away from home hard Rayna?"
Deacon knew that home meant a house share with 2 other girls and not the expensive and privileged upbringing of the Wyatt family homestead, but Rayna seemed to sidestep the question with natural ease.
"Of course touring is tough, but it's wonderful to get out there, meet with my fans and see the pleasure on their faces from stage every night."
"It's a long tour isn't it?"
"Yes, we have a bit of a break coming up then some dates out West including a couple of festivals in California. After that I want to take my music to the Mid West and wind up in New York City."
From behind the control room glass Bucky's genial face froze. Both Rayna and Deacon could see his worried look over Davy's shoulder as the DJ jumped in.
"So the rumour is true, you are going to be touring supporting George Strait?"
Rayna gave a laugh, "Well Davy, I'd love to be able to give y'all an exclusive here and now, but a whole bunch of people have to talk with a whole other bunch of people before anyone tells me where we are playing next. Little ol' me is always the last to know."
Davy grinned, "Alright! We'll be right back with Rayna Jaymes after these messages."
"Tell us about how it started for you Rayna?"
"I guess singing has always been what I wanted to do. When my Daddy was at work my Mamma would sing the classics around the house, Patsy, The Carters…" Deacon zoned out in the airless box of a studio, just another box between one stage and the next one. Jumping through the publicity hoops was something he was very happy to leave to Ray. On tour if he wasn't playing or writing it was all dead time to Deacon. Chasms that had to be filled with something. It was Davy's next question that bought him back to the here and now.
"Will you play something for us now? Then take a few calls from our listeners?"
"Of course, I've brought my guitarist Deacon along and we have something we'd love to play"
"You don't play guitar yourself Rayna?"
"Oh Davy, if you heard me play I swear you would never buy another Rayna James record in your life!"
"OK, well here with Deacon Claybourne is Miss Rayna James
Deacon was strumming chords on his acoustic as Rayna got up to join him at the centre microphone.
"This is one written by Deacon, called 'A Life That's Good'"
Deacon was proud of the song, it had gone down really well every night, some of the lyrics were a perhaps a little too Apple Pie, but it was right for Rayna's market and they both knew it. The duo drew closer together at the single mic for the chorus and their eyes locked. Deacon's mind asked himself the same question it did every night of the tour, could A Life That's Good, be a life with Rayna Jaymes?
"Just gone 11AM and this is Davey Freeman on W-O-L-D, with me is Rayna Jaymes and we have a question for you from Cathy on line 1"
"Hi Rayna, I wanted to know what's it like being the only girl on the tour bus?"
"Oh Gosh, well the guys are very sweet to me and I've got my own little girl space at the back of the bus with all my make-up and nail polish."
"So all that testosterone at close quarters," said Davy, "doesn't tempt you?"
Rayna pushed the question away, "We're far too busy for anything like that young man. But I am looking forward to seeing my girlfriends, and catching up on all the gossip. You know I've not seen the season finale of Moonlighting yet, can you believe it?"
Step 2
The staff room of Sam Goodies had been given over to Rayna and her small entourage as a pre signing relaxation zone. Deacon entered carrying sandwiches.
"Food," he managed sullenly.
Rayna turned in her chair to face him. "Suppose you tell me just what the hell is eating you, you've hardly said a word since we left the radio station?"
"How do you manage it Ray?" he replied, answering her question with another. "How can you talk to those people every day like nothing is ever the tiniest bit wrong in the world, and make it sound that you are so happy to meet a 2 bit DJ from honksville you will never see again in your entire life?"
"I gotta play their game," she said, "For Bucky, for Watty and for me. And just maybe one of those stupid DJs will wind up on a networked TV talk show in years to come. Not everything can be three chords and the truth."
"And us Ray, is that a lie too?" Deacon knew he was pushing it, but the tension had been building up in him like a storm on an August night, he had to let it earth at some point.
"What do you mean?"
"That I'm currently sharing my life touring with the most talented, the deepest and the most beautiful woman I've ever known; and outside of the music you hardly look at me. Because like you said to that jerk with the ego, you're too busy for anything more."
Rayna put down her food, "Deacon, what we share is special, on stage and when we're deep into song writing, it's like nothing I've ever known before. But I don't want to risk any that with a stupid fling that may break us apart."
"Got it, now I understand. Well I'll be down in the store, being your security, or prop, or whatever it is you want be to be. I thought we were developing something real Ray, but it's all just Rhinestones and stardust to you."
He left the room pushing past the ascending road manger on the stairs.
"Problems Rayna?"
"Nothing I can't handle Buck. He'll be alright after a long shower and a cold beer." At this moment she felt she loved and hated Deacon equal measure, while another part of her mind stored away "Rhinestones and Stardust" as a killer song title.
There was a queue of about 30 people stretching away from the signing table to the left of the record shop counter. Rayner's smile clicked into place,"Hi y'all thank you so much for waiting."
Presently a youth of about 18 who had been third in the line approached the tall man standing to the side of table. This younger man was wore a denim jacket with a national guitar patch tacked to the back
"You're Deacon Claybourne."
"Who wants to know"
"I was at the show last night, it was amazing, so I skipped class and drove all night here, just to get my Rayna James album signed by the lady herself."
Deacon couldn't help but crack a lopsided grin. Only last night when talking with the boys on the bus the drummer bragged he's recently done a session with Roy Orbison, laying down a great track called 'I Drove All Night' The kid had no idea.
"That song you did with the Ovation, is that using different tuning?"
"Yeah open C, you noticed?"
"I'm learning guitar, nowhere near your league but it's good fun."
Meanwhile Rayna was working through the queue, a man in his mid 20s, in a shirt and tie was next, office worker on lunch break Rayna guessed.
"Hi, who shall I sign too?"
"Lawrence William Ford ma'am," he said, "but my friends just call me LW."
The woman picked up her black marker pen, 'To LW, love Rayna Jaymes.' "Thanks so much for coming out."
She glanced at her guitarist still talking to the teenaged boy, then onto the next face, "Hi Honey."
"I can't believe I'm actually meeting Rayna James, I'm a real big fan, just love your hair and clothes."
"So you seeing the show tonight?"
The boy looked at his cowboy boots. "Not got a ticket and I kind of used the last of my cash to get here."
Deacon made a decision, if he was being the big shot guitar player he could for once act like it. "Hey Bucky," he called. "Can you sort out a ticket for my friend here, came all the way from… From wherever the hell it was we were last night, to get his album signed."
At the Fedex office "Mr Ford" handed over a 12 inch square package marked Fragile.
"Next day service please"
The label read Mr Lamar Wyatt, C/O Wyatt Industries…"
Step 3
Sundcheck was fragmented. Rayner constantly complained about the level of bass in her monitor and Deacon broke a guitar string. While he was fixing it, the bass player and drummer locked into a groove that Deacon, with his instrument restored to 6 strings joined in with, jamming the old Johnny Cash song 'Ballad of a Teenage Queen' Rick the bassist stepping up to the mic to sing. Rayna stood at the side of the stage with Bucky, swinging her hips but feeling strangely excluded from the male trio. Was this how it would always be? Rayna Jaymes and her band, the faces of the boys could be chopped and changed because she was the attraction, the one folks paid money to see. Rayna shivered, the last few weeks had shown her that she could not conceive doing any of this without the support of Deacon Claybourne.
"Well I sure hope the show goes better than that did," Deacon said to Rayner's left ear.
"It will, we're just road weary. But if everything does all fall apart at least I can earn five bucks doing backing vocals for a covers band."
They stood in the sunlight by the stage door, Deacon lit up a Marlboro, knowing Rayna hated the smoke and smell but not caring.
"Home soon," he said.
"Back to cooking my own meals, going to the mall, and deciding what songs to lay down for the demo Edgehill are already asking about."
"And then, West coast."
"I know, more traveling, cheap motels and crap food on the move. Why do we do it Deac? Can't live with it, can't live without it."
"You know why Ray, you said it yourself on the radio. It's in the front row fans' eyes and the spotlight on stage. The music is in you, a part of you and I know you're not going to stop pushing until you've done everything you can to get it out there. You're a born performer Darlin'."
"Well right now I'm shattered, I'm going for a lie down on the bus."
After Rayner had gone Deacon went back into the deserted dressing room. He flicked through a copy of Rolling Stone but the articles weren't going in. There were2 choices and Deacon tried hard not to think about the miniatures of Jack and bottle of mouthwash in his washbag. He picked up the guitar. Soon his fingers found a familiar chord pattern, inspired by the boy in the record shop. Deacon sang softly.
"Pretty Woman – stop awhile."
Rayna too found she could not settle, sprawled on the bed she reached for her bag and her journal. With much crossing out she started to write:
The lights upon the stage are like
A blazing noon day sun
That moment in the chorus
When two turn into one
On a rainy early morning
The wipers move in time
Blades skate along the windshield
But never intertwine
You give me reason
You give me wings
I gave you rhinestones and stardust
And tell you we're friends