Chapter 7: HE CAN SAY WHAT HE LIKES
"It isn't like you to get involved in something like this, Rick," a small brunette with a huge pair of perky tits called out from the second row. The condescending tone in her challenge made it sound a if I never gave to charity but if this had been her inference she was dead wrong. I just didn't make the contributions I made a matter of public judgement, preferring to leave this to my accountants to square away.
"True. Usually, I make quiet donations to my chosen charities yearly if that's what you mean, but that doesn't mean I'm not conscious to the needs and wants of others that goes on in the world."
"I'm surprised he's sober for long enough to know what's going on," one weedy looking thin-haired reporter mumbled to his peer in the front row. Living the life I had, it wasn't the first time I'd heard a scathing judging comment about me, and I chose to ignore it.
"What was that you said?" Alfie asked, slapping his hands on the table in front of us, his raised angry voice making his wife beside him jump. The challenge in his tone wasn't one I'd heard often in my defense. Standing up he pointed to me and looked the guy in the eye. "This guy here - the one that's pulling all this together, has given more of his time and money to charity than you could ever imagine. The reason this event will make the millions it does is because it's this Rock God, Rick Fars who is pulling it all together. There are literally hundreds of bands offering sponsorship for the event hoping to be picked as one of the performers on the day. Do you know why? Because they get to share a stage with Cobham Street, the best band on the planet in my view," Alfie said with conviction. "What was your contribution to charity last year?" He probed, staring the guy down with laser focus. I bit back a grin when the reporter visibly shrank in his seat at Alfie's onslaught.
When the reporter had nothing to say, Alfie scoffed. "I thought so. Now apologize to my friend here then get your ass out the door. Sarcastic remarks are not welcome when we're trying to do something positive to help those in need."
Gibson glanced in my direction and raised his eyebrow, "Change isn't the only thing in the wind, I feel a bromance in the breeze," he muttered under his breath and chuckled.
"Ah, yes the winds of change can do funny things to a man," I joked, and we both bust out laughing. Paul shot me a dagger of a look and it only made me laugh harder. I was secretly pleased that Alfie had jumped to my defense in the way that he did; it demonstrated my loyalty wasn't only one way. We could say whatever we wanted about each other, but God help anyone else who fucked with us.
The atmosphere changed after Alfie made the smart-assed reporter eat crow and leave, and the rest of the press conference then continued as smoothly as a baby's talcumed ass. Even when a few had tried to catch us out on the details of the gig, we'd shown them how tight as a team we were.
As the questions continued, I got to utilize one of my favorite skills. I'd always been great at memorizing lines; a talent which had gotten me out of so much shit in the past when I'd been able to recite something I'd read at the last minute, that had made me look like I'd been paying attention all along. I surprised everyone when I recalled every name on the paper Gibson had shared without referring to it. It had even made the guys on my side of the table sit up and take notice.
"Oh. My. God. You'll have a riot on your hands for those tickets. This gig has got just about all the rock royalty in attendance. Careful the stage doesn't catch fire!" a reporter exclaimed.
"I hope not," Lily said as she cringed in memory of a harrowing incident that had happened to her in the past. Alfie squeezed her hand, but she smiled like the true rock chick she was, and the other reporters laughed with her.
"Flynn Docherty, Kane Essex, Noah Haxby and Gray Dennison's bands as well as all you guys? That's an incredible line up. How soon do the tickets go on sale?" someone enquired.
"Ah. Good question. The best one of the day so far," I responded and looked to the others for someone to jump in.
"Friday, 09:00 a.m.," Lily shot back covering my ass.
"Do we know how many there are for sale?"
"Ninety thousand I think... somewhere around that figure - right guys?" I asked the others, and they all nodded in agreement. "And before those greedy ticket touts think they're gonna have a field day with these - they can think again. We want every single penny to go to the people that need the money, so y'all will need photo ID with the named ticket for entry. If you can't make it and a ticket comes free, there is a site the PR company is setting up to exchange them."
Paul leaned forward and whispered in my ear, "Gotta wrap it up, Boss. We've got the radio station interview in fifty minutes." Nodding slowly, I stood, placed my hands on the table in front of me and leaned over toward the press.
"Alright, I think we're about done here, folks. If we sit here much longer, we'll never get this baby off the ground. Thanks everyone for coming out here this morning. Please spread the word. Our official pages should be up on social media and will have crowdfunding pages for shares, so help us get the word out there. Each artist taking part will also have their own GoFundMe page to make it even more interesting. I'm hoping fans will get behind their artists and make the band's money page grow."
Turning toward the door back to the lounge leading off the conference room we stepped off the small platform and left the journalists firing questions which went unanswered.
"Can you believe that fucker making that comment about you drinking?" Alfie asked, still pissed at the guy.
"Sure. Guys like him are jealous of dudes like us. I just smile and look at sad fuckers like him and think I could stop drinking tomorrow but you're always gonna look that bad."
Gibson chuckled and leaned forward offering me his hand. I shook his firmly, and he pulled it into his chest his other sliding around my shoulder. He leaned back to look me in the eyes and slapped my back.
"Love you, dude. That attitude is exactly why you're where you are, and his is why he was asked to leave. Did you see the dude's hair? I shudder to think what his pubes are like." He added as gave me a wide-eyed stare and laughed heartily at his own joke. His comment grossed Lily out and she shuddered.
"Gibson!" she admonished. Alfie almost drowned on the swig of water he was in the middle of taking from a small glass when he heard Gib's comment. He coughed and spluttered, slapping his chest with his hand, and both Gibson and Cody creased up with laughter.
"This gig is a prize; it's gonna be phenomenal," Alfie muttered as he grabbed Lily's waist and kissed her temple.
"If you don't choke yourself beforehand," she replied offering a rueful smile before slapping him in the middle of his chest. I cracked up laughing. As always, I could never pass up an opportunity to fuck with him about his woman.
"One can always hope he does, Lily. Should I keep the other side of my bed warm just in case, sweetheart?"
"Get that thought the fuck out of your head, Rick Fars. Anyone goes first it's Lily, 'cause I ain't leaving her behind to deal with a dirty fucker like you," he snapped like he was genuinely mad.
"Oh, I dunno, Alfie. She ended up with you. It appears to me she's got a thing for 'dirty fuckers' since you're her man," I threw back goading him further.
"Alright. Jesus, you two. Knock it off or I think I'm gonna need to whip mine out at this rate. Will you both cut the 'dueling dicks' routine. Lily, honey, if I weren't so deeply in love with Chloe, I'd take you off their hands because it sure as shit must get boring listening to these two."
Alfie cast a dark look at Gibson and he threw his hands up in front of him. "Easy, dude, I'm just fucking with you," Gibson said, through his laughter, then he winked at me, and chuckled loudly.