Rock and Roll Never Forgets (The Rock and Roll Trilogy) (14 page)

~ ~ ~

In early March, on a Monday afternoon, the phone rang. She was home alone and heard Roddy’s voice on the answering machine. She picked up the receiver.

“Roddy,” she said, and felt a lump in her throat.

“Hello my friend,” he said sweetly. “How’s my girl?”

“I’m doing good,” she lied.

They chatted for a few minutes and finally, he said, “Beth, I’ll be in town, tomorrow. I’d like to see you. It’s been way too long.”

March 8, 1982 ~
I couldn
’
t help but wonder why he
’
d be in
town, but I happily said ‘yes,
’
later admitting to myself how much I
’
d missed him. Even though we talked regularly, it really had been too long. He asked to come before, but I avoided seeing him. I was afraid it would remind me of the hurt Andy left me with. Talking to him on the phone was different. I realized that I wanted to see him. But I needed to see him even more.

“
I can make reservations somewhere for dinner and pick you up,” he told her, with a smile in his voice.

“
No!
”
she replied sharply.
“
I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sound short. I don
’
t want to go out. I
’
ll fix something here, really, I’ll be happy to do that.”

“Or I could pick something up, or have something delivered,” he offered.

“No, just come, please, just come. I love to cook and I haven’t in a while. Please just come,” she said again.

“
OK then, I’ll see you tomorrow evening, say five?”

“That
’
s great. Roddy, I am really looking forward to the company.”

That night she was happy for the first time in a long time. She let her guard down, wondering why Roddy was really coming. It was late, the phone rang and she picked it up without thinking. She hadn’t done that in months, she screened all her calls.

“
Hey,” he said and her heart stopped beating. It was Andy
.

I hadn’t had to deal with the sound of his voice in my ear in a long time. I didn
’
t know it would shake me so, stir emotions, hurt like it did.

“
Yes?” she replied.

“
I
’
m really glad you finally picked up, can we talk?” His voice sounded heavy, sad, but she couldn’t let that affect her
.

“
I don
’
t guess there
’
s anything to say.” There was a lo
ng pause, “You made a choice. I’
m learning to live with it,” her voice was a whisper. Her heart was breaking all over again. There was pain that hadn
’
t been there for a while. It had been almost three months since he left with Claire.

Andy realized at that moment that the words ‘
silent
’ and ‘
listen
’ were just different combinations of the same letters. He
had
to make her
listen
.

“
Beth, let me talk, please,” he pleaded and waited. Knowing that she was about to hang up, he yelled,
“
Don
’
t hang up! Please! Hear me out, I
’
ve tried to talk to you for weeks!” he was shouting.

There was a huge lump in her throat.
“
I don
’
t know if I care what you have to say anymore.” Breathing became a laboring task.

There was a pause,
“Beth,” he said, finally, “I’m pregnant, it’
s your baby.” Another pause and she began to laugh. He succeeded. He had her attention
.

“
Talk,” she said wiping tears from her eyes. She poured a glass of wine as he talked. First, he told her about the tour. It was winding down and he told her how relieved everyone was for a bit of a respite.

He sounded happy sharing the success the band was experiencing, with her. She knew no details. She hadn
’
t turned on the television, or radio, picked up a newspaper or magazine in months. The topic of Andy and
Traveler
never came up when she spoke with anyone in her inner circle. It was like it was forbidden. They were protecting her. He excitedly told her about the reviews and sales of the album
.

They fell back into that normal routine as she listened to him. Twenty minutes passed, and she realized how very much she missed him, missed
them
. She started to cry, and crying turned into sobbing.

“I miss you Bethy,” he told her. That pet name that she hadn
’
t heard in so long, it just made it easier for the tears to flow.

“
I miss you too,” she said,
“
what happened to us?”

“
Not us
, m
e, Bethy. I don’
t know.” He was quiet a minute.
“
I am so terribly sorry. I know I hurt you. I
’
ve made a horrible mess of a lot of things these past few months.” He paused,
“
Roddy quit yesterday.”

“
He what?” she asked, clearly shocked.

“
He quit, right in the middle of a meeting with the record execs. He got up from the table, gathered his things and said he was leaving.” He continued, “I sat there with my mouth hanging open. Then I exploded, yelling at him. He turned and said that he didn
’
t know me anymore, didn
’
t like the person I’d become and he was just tired. He walked out. Things had become strained recently. I guess he’d had enough of me.” He sounded sad, not angry.

Quiet time passed, Beth was processing what he’d just said. She took a sip of the wine.
“
Hmm, he called earlier, said he wanted to see me. He checks in on me. I guess he wants to tell me about it. I
’
m having dinner with him tomorrow.” 

More time passed, and th
en she heard the temper in Andy
’
s voice as he exploded.
“
I guess he wants to
see
you!”

The eruption brought Beth back to reality, with a big loud bang! The feelings she’d been holding back began to bubble to the surface. Suddenly, she remembered what she seemed to have forgotten as they
’
d been talking
.

“
Stop it!” she shouted. “Just stop!”

“
You know he
’
s in love with you!” he shouted back at her.

“
I know no such thing, and what do you care anyway!” she yelled and slammed the phone down.

It rang again and she let it go to the machine.
“
It
’
s me, pick up.” 

She did, and told him, once again;
“
Go to hell,” and hung up.

~ ~ ~

Over the months since Andy left Beth, Roddy’s priorities changed. His relationship with Andy changed as well. It became increasingly strained. The respect and friendship that they shared in the past had changed, because Andy had changed. Roddy didn
’
t like it. He made up his mind that he would be there for Beth no matter what she needed, because he loved her.

So, Roddy was making changes, making plans. He had been there for whatever Andy needed for years. He had traveled far more mile
s
than he wanted. As Andy’s career progressed, as the band grew, Roddy knew he needed to tend to his own needs. He wanted a life of his own
.

On Wednesday evening, Roddy arrived around five with two bottles of wine; one red, and one white.

“Hello my friend! I am so happy to see you!” She hugged him tightly and took both bottles, “These will work fine, red with the meal and the white with dessert,” and they shared a laugh.

“It’s nice to hear that laugh,” Roddy said.

She wondered all day whether to tell him that she had spoken with Andy, and what he told her, or wait to see what he had to say. She decided to wait. Roddy opened the wine and Beth got the glasses, while he sat down at the table.

“
Want to sit in the living room, it’d be more comfortable?” she suggested, and he picked up the bottle and the glasses and they moved to the living room
.

“
You look great Beth,” he said as he poured. ‘
Too thin,’
he thought.

“
Thank you, I’m finally starting to feel like myself again,” she told him.

“I’m here because I wanted to tell you that I quit working with Andy.” He cut right to the chase.

“
Quit,” she repeated, sipping the wine.

“
Yeah, somehow along the way, recently, I decided that it didn
’
t feel right working with him anymore. I think it
’
s been a long time coming. I just don't know where his head has been lately. I’m finally at a place in my life where I am really just ready to move on. I’m ready for a change. New adventures, you know. Opportunities are available.”

“
I see,” she said.
“
I have wondered the same about Andy myself these past few months.” She waited a moment and added; “He called last night.” 

“You spoke with him?” his surprise was clear and she nodded.
“
So you already knew?” 

“
Yeah.”  

“
Well, I wanted you to he
ar it from me. At least it wasn’
t from
ET
or something. Seems it
’
s all over the news, everyone
’
s talking about it already. Word travels fas
t, but you know that,” he said
sadly, as he sipped his wine.

“
I haven
’
t had the TV on in months.”  

“
The reports are that we had this blow up, that I stormed out, and quit. Just quit. It wasn
’
t like that at all. I
’
ve thought about it, and thought about it. I just realized that I
’
d had enough, and told him I was moving on. It was as simple as that, no fight, no argument, no disagreement from me. Andy yelled. I didn’t.” 

Beth asked,
“
What will you do?”

“
I had an offer from the record label, and I decided to take it. It
’
s a very positive move for me, no more private management. I
’
ll still be involved with the guys, just not Andy solely. Less travel, fewer hours… I need a personal life, ya know?” 

She was curious, now, where this conversation was going
.

“
Beth there’s something else I want to tell you, something I’ve wanted to share for a while. I’ve been waiting for the right time,” he rambled
.
“You’re so special to me.”

He leaned toward her as if he wanted to assure that she heard what he was about to say, it was something important. Andy
’
s words repeated in her head
,
“
He
’
s in love with you
…”

“Hold that thought,” she said rising from the sofa. “Let’s move to the dining room and talk there,
our dinner should be ready
,” she suggested. Beth served the meal she had prepared and Roddy poured some more wine
.

“
I
’
ve wanted to tell you this for a very long time,” he continued once they sat down for the meal. “I feel such a bond with you,” he said so sweetly
.

“
What is it?”

“
I told you that I needed a personal life.”

She braced herself, again hearing Andy
’
s words. “Yes?”

“
I
’
ve met someone.” He paused, and a sense of relief washed over her.

“
He’s a really great guy, his name is Vince.”

“
Oh my!” She tried to swallow the wine
.