Painted Black Read Online Free PDF Page B

got to know Brian Jones, the more he confused he became. Which one was the real Brian? Was it the sullen, depressed Brian brooding over minutia or was it the happy, charming Brian, the one considered the most recognizable of the Rolling Stones and voted sexiest rock star of the year?
    Brian instantly became petulant.
    â€œI’ve been working with Keith behind Mick’s back, you know.”
    Marianne smiled sweetly.
    â€œMick knows Keith has been hanging here. It’s no big secret. He’s all for it.”
    Brian pouted.
    â€œI was hoping we could jam, maybe kick around some musical ideas. I was a fool. Those two don’t want me in the band anymore. I can feel it.”
    Marianne shook her head. She was like an angel. Brian looked into her eyes.
    â€œDon’t talk that way, Brian. We all love you. It wouldn’t be the Rolling Stones without you, everybody knows that.”
    Brian’s face twitched.
    â€œReally? They could go on without me for another fifty years for all we know.”
    Marianne laughed.
    â€œFifty years? That’s ridiculous.”
    â€œIs it? Keith told me they want to go psychedelic on the next album. I heard some of the songs. If the Stones start doing that crap, they won’t last another year. Can you imagine the Rolling Stones going psychedelic? It’s a bloody joke.”
    Brian sat back down at the table and began to eat his steak, chewing it slowly and deliberately. His sullen mood hovered over the room like a dark cloud. No one spoke for a few moments until Marianne suddenly turned to Bobby, Clovis, and Erlene. Erlene quickly introduced herself. The tension broke. Erlene waved at her.
    â€œWhy don’t you sit over here with us, hon? We don’t bite.”
    Marianne joined them. Normal conversation resumed around the table. Brian ate in brooding silence.
    Anita offered a toast. Her German accent colored the words that were already slightly slurred from the wine.
    â€œTo Brian Jones and the Stones!”
    As they raised their glasses, Bobby hoisted his untouched wineglass. Anita stood like an apparition. The light behind her made her dress look translucent. Her thin fashion model body was perfectly silhouetted. She wore no underwear of any kind. Brian looked up from his plate and snorted.
    â€œSit down, bitch! How dare you say that?”
    Anita reacted as if she’d been slapped.
    â€œI’ll say whatever I want!”
    â€œThis is my house!”
    â€œFuck your house!”
    Brian raised his hand and rose out of his chair in a threatening manner as if he were about hit Anita. Anita slowly sat down. She took a big swallow of wine and looked around for her cigarettes. She found one, lit it with great finality, and blew the smoke in Brian’s face.
    Brian sounded like he was on the verge of tears. His voice trembled slightly as he spoke.
    â€œIt’s not enough that Mick and Keith stood me up for dinner … they’ve taken everything from me. The band is my life, and now they’ve taken that away from me. … The Rolling Stones have always been my band . I started it. I can’t go on like this anymore.”
    Bobby, Clovis, and Erlene had been watching the drama unfold with Marianne from their side of the big table. Erlene leaned over to Marianne and whispered in her Baltimore accent.
    â€œPretty lively dinner conversation, hon, but my steak is tougher ’n shoe leather.”
    Marianne giggled.
    â€œAll English steaks are tough to chew and even harder to swallow. Only the French can cook steak properly.”
    â€œI can bar-be-cue the hell out of a T-bone,” Erlene opined.
    â€œThe English like to boil their meat until it’s tasteless, just like they leach the color out of life.”
    â€œHey!” Brian shouted. “Shut up!”
    Erlene and Marianne looked up, surprised. Clovis looked at Bobby and shook his head.
    â€œLet it go. It’s the wine talkin’,” he said in a stage