Erin - Living the Dream (23)

Erin – Living the Dream

I know we got it good, but they got it made
And the grass is getting greener each day
I know things are looking up, but soon they'll take us down
Before anybody's knowing our name, they got

All the right friends in all the right places
So yeah, we're going down, they got
All the right moves and all the right faces
So yeah, we're going down

Everybody knows, everybody knows where were going
Yeah, we're going down, they said
Everybody knows, everybody knows where were going
Yeah, we're going down

                                                                      OneRepublic (All the Right Moves)

Before he knew it, two months had gone by and Erin and Violet had settled into routine of sorts.  He had purchased a used Jeep the week that they arrived so that he wouldn’t have to rely on anyone else for transportation.  Then a couple of weeks later, he moved out of Morgan’s guest room and into a two-bedroom apartment with three other guys who all had their foot in the music business in one way or another.  He took a job as a valet at a local restaurant; the manager was ecstatic that he could drive a manual without grinding the gear shift.  

Violet was still camped out at Morgan’s, but he’d had a feeling that the ‘one-month’ accommodations rule was mainly for him.  It didn’t bother him, though; two Mitchell women were more than he could handle at once anyway.  They had studio time twice a week, and other days he went over to Morgan’s to work with Violet.  Today, they were in the studio, butting heads about the tone of a song. 

“This is still pretty surreal to me.”  Erin mused aloud.  “I still want to pinch myself every day we come to work here.  How about you, Vi?  Will we ever get used to this?”

She scowled at him. 

“Violet.  Sorry.”

“I hope I never get to a point where this feels normal.”

Erin continued.  “Every day when I wake up, for a moment, it’s just me, Erin from Hicksville, USA.  Everything is normal; then I remember where I am.  I just can’t wrap my brain around it.”

Violet nodded in agreement.  “I know.  If I think about it too much, the spell will be broken and I’ll be sitting in the woods wearing my tattered dress with a couple of mice and a broken pumpkin beside me.”  She got up from the piano and went over to the water cooler to pour herself a glass.  “Part of me hopes we never get used to it.”

Erin looked shocked.  “Why not?  This is phenomenal!  Now I know what living is really like!”  He starts tinkering on the piano, plunking out a melody.

Violet stood at the piano, facing him.  “I think it’s important to remember where we came from – who we were before we came to this place.”

“Like I could ever forget?”  Erin looked up at her and stopped playing.

“Well you realize that we only have each other out here, right?”  She leaned on the lid with her elbow and rested her chin on her hand.

Erin rolled his eyes and gave her a mock salute.  “Sure, I know that.  You’re my partner, my teammate.  I got it loud and clear.”

Violet rose up and slammed her glass down on top of the piano, causing water to splatter across the lid and drip down onto the floor. “Christ almighty, Erin!  Can you be serious for even one moment?”

He looked up at her, startled by her outburst.  He put his hands in the air as if he was being held up at gunpoint.  “Okay!  Okay!  Okay!  You have my attention!”

“I’m trying to be serious here, Erin.”  She went over to the wall and yanked on a ream of paper towels to clean up the water.  She came back to the piano and started mopping up the mess.

“I know we have to look out for each other.  Aren’t we doing that already?”  He raised his eyebrows and waited for her to respond.

Violet softened a bit.  “We have to do it for always, and not just until we make it big, whatever that means.  We can’t let this change us too much.  I don’t want to become someone I don’t recognize when I look in the mirror.  Am I making any sense here?”

Erin shook his head.  “Yes, and I agree.  So how do we do that?”

Violet bit her lip and pondered that for a moment.  “I honestly don’t know.  We just have to figure it out.  I’m not going to spit in your hand and shake on it, if that’s what you mean.”

He made a face.  “Eww!  Me neither!  Now who’s not being serious?  Come over here and sit down for a minute, will ya?”  She sat down on his left. 

He turned towards her and took her right hand in his, and placed both of them over his heart.  He stared and her and recited, “I, Erin Taylor do solemnly swear on my honor as a southern gentleman that I will take care of you, Violet Mitchell, and look out for your best interests in this insane world that we call the music industry.  Cross my heart and hope to die a long horrible death if I fail in my sworn duty.” 

He made an ‘x’ with his other hand over their hands.  He grinned at her.  “Now you swear.”

Violet laughed.  “You’re crazy, do you know that?” 

“I’ve been accused of that once or twice.  You really know how to cut a guy to the quick, don’t you?  I’m bearing my soul and swearing on my honor, and you’re laughing at me!  Now, it’s your turn.”

She covered her mouth and tried in vain to suppress her laughter.  She tried to regain her composure.  “You’re right.  I’m sorry.  Give me your hand.”

She placed his right hand over her heart with her left and held it there.  “I, Violet Lorene Mitchell do solemnly swear to look out for you, Joseph Erin Taylor, in this crazy world called the music business.  Cross my heart and hope to die a quick and painless death if I fail to uphold my sworn duty.” 

“Quick and painless, huh?”  He raised his eyebrows.

“You know I don’t like blood or needles.  Quick and painless is all I can offer.  Take it or leave it.”  A slow grin spread across her face.  “Plus, now you can’t say you never got to cop a feel.” 

He pulled his hand away like he’d touched a hot stove.  “You’re evil!”

She doubled over laughing.  “That look on your face is priceless!  Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!”  She continued chuckling and had difficulty regaining her composure.

Erin scowled at her.  “Are you quite finished?”

Violet nodded, biting her lower lip.  “I guess we should try to get this song finished before our coach turns into a pumpkin.”

“You’re such a slave driver.  No rest for the wicked, huh?”  He turned back to the piano.

“Speak for yourself.” 

“Well Darlin’ I would, but you do most of the talking around here.”  Violet flicked him on his arm in response.  He flicked her back.  She flicked him again.

Erin held up his hands in surrender.  “Okay, I’m going to wave the white flag before I end up with a bruise.”

“Good choice.  Now let’s get back to work.  I want to get this hashed out before we leave today.  Don’t you have fancy cars to park this evening anyway?”

“Yes ma’am.  I’m slowly crossing cars off of my list.  By the time I get that first big paycheck, I will have a pretty good idea of what car I want in my driveway first.”

Violet rolled her eyes.  “Whatever keeps you motivated, I guess.  Although your rationale is not entirely faulty.”

“I’m shocked you approve.  Who are you and what did you do with Violet?”  He laughed.

“If I flick you again, will that jog your memory?”

He jumped up from the bench.  “That will not be necessary.  I need a smoke break.  I’ll be right back.”  He started for the door.

“This is news to me.  Since when do you smoke?” 

He turned to face her.  “Since we got here.  And you can keep your condescending, judgmental comments to yourself.  I’m a big boy, and I will do what I want.”  He turned around and headed for the door.

“Well you’ve got part of that right,” Violet retorted.  He didn’t turn around, and he slammed the door behind him.  He wasn’t going to give her the chance to lecture him.  She was constantly getting under his skin lately, and he just didn’t want to listen to it anymore.