Road Rash Read Online Free PDF Page A

huge lawn, and waiters in fancy outfits moving around with trays of snacks.
    “I could get used to this,” I said, giving Kimber a wink. “What do you say we go graze?”
    So we mingled with the crowd, helping ourselves to these tasty little midget lobster things whenever a tray cruised by.
    “You know, these are really good,” I said after I’d had three or four, “but I want to check out the band.”
    She nodded toward an area behind me, across the yard.
    I turned to look and about dropped my plate. “Holy …!” There was a full-on elevated stage set up next to one of the buildings. But what was more impressive was what was on it. The only gear that I recognized as actually belonging to the Sock Monkeys was Kyle’s old bass amp. On Justin’s side of thestage was a full Marshall stack, fresh out of the crate—I could practically smell the new-amp scent from here. Our old PA—a used Carvin rig—was nowhere to be seen. Instead, there was a big, brand-new JBL sound system set up, with subs and mains, as well as a beefy stage monitor for everyone in the group. Everything was miked up—not just the vocals, but all the amps and drums, too.
    And the drumset … whoa. It was a seven-piece Drum Workshop kit, with like a dozen gleaming Zildjian cymbals on a forest of chrome stands. The whole outfit was worth at least ten grand, and it looked like it had walked right off the showroom floor. Hell, his snare drum alone was worth more than my whole set. I just stood there staring, trying not to drool.
    “So what are
you
looking at, mate?”
    I knew who it was before I turned around. “Well, I
was
admiring all the nice new toys up there,” I said as I turned, “but I got distracted because all of a sudden”—I sniffed the air—“wow, it smells remarkably like ass around here.”
    Kimber stifled a laugh.
    “Uh-huh. So says the pathetic loser who just can’t stay away,” Toby replied. “Well, good! It’ll give you a chance to see how a
professional
band plays.” Then he looked Kimber up and down and gave her his bullshit smile. “
You
, on the other hand, should stick around after the show.” He turned and walked away.
    “Wow,” Kimber said. “I guess I see what you mean.”
    “Yeah, and that’s him being nice.”
    “In that case, seems like you’re better off without them.”
    “Yeah, maybe …” But as I glanced up at the stage, it sure didn’t feel that way.
    She studied me for a moment, then tugged at my arm. “C’mon! There’s a waiter over there with a tray of those pink drinks with umbrellas. I want to try one.”
    I let her drag me along.
    I got us two of them and took a sip. “Whoa, pretty dang sweet.”
    She tried hers. “I like it.” She swished it around in her mouth like a wine taster sampling some rare, expensive vintage. “Hmm … Tastes like an afternoon on the beach. At Cabo San Lucas. Maybe on a Tuesday. After all the tourists have gone.”
    “So you’ve been to Cabo?”
    “Oh, no. But this is what it would taste like. I’m sure of it.”
    I had to laugh. “You’re weird.”
    “So they say,” she said with a grin.
    Suddenly we heard,
“Check, test, one, two … Check, testing, one, two, three …”
    I turned to Kimber. “Ever go bird-watching?” She shook her head. “That’s the mating call of the fat-headed dork-meister.”
    She laughed and started to reply, but lights flooded the stage and Toby’s voice came booming over the PA. “Hey, how’re we doing tonight?”
    There was a weak response from the crowd, and Toby spoke again, even louder. “I
said
, how’re we doing tonight? Are you feeling all right?”
    This time the crowd hooted and hollered a little more. “Good,” Toby said, “because we’re feeling pretty damn good, too. And we’re about to rock your world. But first I’d like to introduce the newest Sock Monkey … the guy who’s going tohelp us take it to the next level … drummer extraordinaire … Josh Dicenza. Give it up