A New Life

"Oh really," I playfully teased, "And how is that?"

"Hmmm, let's see," she demurely smiled, as she leaned partially back "Let me just say that I really like you a lot, and just leave it at that so I don't scare you away."

"Alright," I grinned, hugging her back to me, "I can live with it if you can."

Needless to say, Mandy stuck to me like glue for the remainder of the party and gave warning glances at any girl who even looked like they were going to come near me. I thought it was cute at the time, but little did I know what it would turn into? Oopps, I'm getting ahead of myself.

~~~~~~

The next morning, Mom and Dad informed me that they weren't going to be able to attend that night's performance because of something that came up with Dad's job. I understood and thanked them for being able to come to at least one of the shows, and right before they left, Mom looked at my sister and sternly said, "You may be a college woman now, but I don't to hear of you giving your brother any trouble. Do I make myself clear, young lady?"

"Relax, Mom," I grinned, "She knows that if she gives me any shit, I'll kick her little ass."

"That's nice, dear," Mom purred, kissing me on the cheek as she and Dad walked out the door of the suite.

~~~~~~

"How the hell do you do that?" Tara incredulously asked, "Ever since we were both little, you've always gotten away with murder around her."

"That's the difference between you and me, little sister," I arrogantly smiled, "I never got caught."

"Oh, you shit," she squealed, as she tried to tackle me, "MANDY, COME HELP ME TICKLE TRAVIS."

The next thing I knew, I was in the floor, wrestling and covered in a flurry of dark brown hair with female laughter and squeals all around me as they tried to tickle me.

~~~~~~

The show that night was even more spectacular then the night before. The reason for it was because tickets for the second show were made available to all the students who attended the U of H for a discounted price. So, it was safe to say that well over half of the student body was in attendance that night.

"Man, you people rock," Mia said into the microphone, as the crowd roared, "I love being in Houston, Texas," inciting the crowd into an even bigger frenzy of uproarious applause. Then after the crowd began to quiet, she winked at me, and said, "My keyboard player went to college right here at the U of H, and he's gonna entertain you all for a while...ladies and gentleman, it gives me great pleasure and honor to introduce to you, one of your own, Mister Travis Jameson."

I took the opportunity that night to play everything I'd ever written, and man, did it ever go over well with the crowd. Although I went five minutes over the allowed time slot, Mia still smiled when she came back on the stage. As she walked by me, she turned and said, "You keep playing like that and the labels are gonna be crawling all over you before you know it, sweetie."

~~~~~~

Mia must've known something that I didn't, because at the after party that night; I was approached by a man who was an A&R (Artists and Relations) representative of Warner Brothers Records, asking me if I might be interested in a four album recording contract.

"Make that five albums and you've got a deal," Mia said from behind me.

I turned around, and grinning at her widely, I asked, "What're you doing?"

"Giving you the guidance I never had," she laughed, smacking me on the butt, then turning back to the A&R rep, "We also want a guarantee of release on each album, too."

"Will that about do it?" the A&R rep asked me.

"Yeah, for now," I grinned, "If there's anything else, I'll put Mia in touch with you."

"We'll give you anything you want," he laughed, "Just as long as we don't have to deal with her."

~~~~~~

When I told Tara and Mandy the news of my deal with Warner Brothers Records, they were both ecstatic. The only thing that brought me down was the knowledge that it would be a while before Mandy and I had a chance to get to know one another better. She'd take care of that, as I was about to find out, that very night.

It was almost four o'clock in the morning by the time I got to bed. And I couldn't have been in bed for more than thirty minutes when I heard a soft knock at my door.

"Travis," Mandy softly said, "Are you awake?"

"Yeah," I replied, turning on my bedside lamp, "Come on in."

"Hi, handsome," she smiled, dressed in a white teddy, "I was wondering if you wanted any company."

"Maybe," I smiled, as I peeled back the covers for her, "It is kind of lonely in here."

"Good," she cooed, as she slipped into the bed beside me, "I think I've got something that will take your mind off of it for a while."

To say that we fucked with wild abandon would be a lie. Instead we chose a gentler path, and much to my liking, Mandy was on the pill which allowed me to cum inside of her, leaving not only her, but me fulfilled on every level.

~~~~~~

Chapter Three

With Mia's help, we negotiated a deal that would put me in the studio as soon as my contract with her was completed, a deal that would guarantee the release of five albums over a period of six years. Thus began the road that led me to where I now stand, but keep reading and you'll understand how it all came to pass.

~~~~~~

Mandy and I saw each other whenever I was near. She would either fly, or I would have her flown to wherever we were playing. This continued on until my time with Mia was nearing its end, and on the last night I played with her; Mandy was right there to be with me after the show.

However, I should've known something was going on whenever she began using drugs. Its not that the rest of us weren't doing drugs, it was that Mandy seemed to be snorting enough coke to put down an army. Still though, I loved her; and in my own stupidity, I thought that I would be able to bring her out of it once I was home and had begun working on my first album.

~~~~~~

I leased a house near the studio out in Los Angeles, which was where I decided to call home while I worked on my music. Mandy was seemingly alright and off of the drugs by this time, and again, my dumb ass thought that all was well. We took trips together for not only performances that the label had set up for me, but to also get away for a while so as to be able to spend some time alone, just the two of us.

I had a performance one night in Monterrey California at a place called The Embassy Club. Mandy said that she wasn't feeling well and wanted to know if it would be alright if she stayed at the hotel room while I played. Of course I told her that I loved her, and that if she wanted to stay there and rest; then that was fine by me.

~~~~~~

When I got to the club, I found out that the opening act had cancelled their appearance and that I was supposed be on stage in a matter of minutes. Of course, I had no problem with that, and because of it; my performance ended a whole two hours early.

This was fine by me, as I wanted to get back to the hotel and Mandy. Imagine my surprise when I opened the door to find Mandy naked, on her hands and knees getting fucked in her pussy as well as her mouth by, which was an even bigger surprise, the two guys who handled the bookings at The Embassy Club.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON HERE?" I shouted, making both guys scramble around trying to get dressed as I kicked their asses out the door of my hotel room. After I closed the door, I saw something that I had initially failed to notice when I first walked in. It was the mirror that had been mounted on the wall of the bathroom and was now lying on the table, pilled high with cocaine.

"I'm going home," I said to her, and then I left, taking my suitcase with me.

~~~~~~

I got home early the next morning, at six am, after having driven all night to get there. Let me tell you, there's nothing worse than watching the sun rise after having had your heart ripped out by the roots only a few hours before.

Because the house that I leased was built during the supposed golden years of Hollywood, there was a deathly silence as I entered it that felt like the souls of the past, coming back from the dead to haunt me. I was definitely tired but for some reason, yeah right, sleep eluded me.

I made a pot of coffee, and when it was done, I sat on the back patio with a warm cup trying to figure out where I'd gone wrong with Mandy. Hell, I'd treated her like gold from the first night we spent together. I'd even helped her to get off the drugs so that we could explore our future together. Now, in one night, she had totally shattered that future, or so I thought at the time. Needless to say, I spent the rest of the weekend alone and miserable.

~~~~~~

The following Monday at the studio, I was a train wreck waiting to happen. In his infinite wisdom Chet Hawkins, my producer, sent me home, telling me, "I don't know what's wrong with you kid, but whatever it is, I want you to go home until you've got everything worked out. Besides, you're no good to me, or your fans, in the shape that you're currently in, okay?" God, what a great guy!"

~~~~~~

When I arrived back home, it was ten o'clock and I was surprised to find Mandy sitting on the front porch looking she'd been ridden hard and put to bed wet.

"You've got a lot of nerve, showing up here," I angrily spat, "What do you want?"

"I came to apologize to you," she began crying, "And to tell you that I still love you very much."

"Love?" I scoffed, "You don't know the meaning of the word. The only things you love are coke and cock.

"Please give me another chance, Travis, please," she begged, "I'll do anything you want me to, just don't walk away, please."

"You look like shit," I softly said, taking pity on her like the idiot I was back then, "Let's get you in the house and cleaned up and then we'll talk, okay."

"Okay," she squeaked, as I helped her up.

~~~~~~

"If you want to save our relationship," I said, "Then I want you checked into a rehabilitative hospital by this afternoon."

"I'll do it," she agreed, "I'll do anything you ask."

"I don't want you to do it because I'm telling you to," I warned her, "You have to do this because you want to."

~~~~~~

That's how things went for the next two months. I worked every day, and went to visit Mandy at the hospital every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday afternoons. And each time I spoke with her, Mandy begged for my forgiveness. I told her that I was more interested in her getting better and that we would talk about us after she was out of the hospital and back home.

And because I threw myself into my work to keep my mind off of my home life, I'd managed to finish two albums, the first of which had songs being played on the radio before it was even released. By doing this, the record label had pretty much guaranteed me that my first album would go platinum within a week of its release.

~~~~~~

Mandy was discharged from the hospital with a full bill of health and came home exactly one week before my first album was to be released. For the next few days, we took long walks down the beach and talked. I came to forgive her, and the night before my release party, Mandy and I made love until the sun rose the next morning.

~~~~~~

"Wake up, sleepyhead," she purred, rubbing her naked body against mine, "You've got a big day today."

"Oh, that's right," I said, smiling while scratching my head, "The album comes out in a few hours, doesn't it?"

"It sure does," Mandy smiled, "And I'm so very proud of you."

"Thank you; baby," I replied, hugging her tightly to me, "But not nearly as proud as I am of you."

~~~~~~

That day was one of the finest days of my musical career. Neither Chet, nor the record labels knew that my first album would go gold the day of its release and platinum the day after. It was a magical time back then and the music of that era suggested as much. The war in Vietnam had just ended and the American people were trying to gain back the peace and the love for one another we had each sorely missed. It was good, too, because not only had we lost that war, we lost our souls over there as well, and however difficult it had been for those brave souls that served in that hell hole; the time had come to start healing.

~~~~~~

For the next month the record label began the routine of preparing me for my first tour. Every evening after work, Mandy and I would take long walks down the beach, talking and enjoying one another. Our nights were filled with passion and love, and the week before I left to go on the road, I asked Mandy to marry me. Of course she accepted, and we planned our wedding so that it we could get married the week after my last show in Denver, nine and a half months from the day I was scheduled to leave.

~~~~~~

The first show that I played was at the Hollywood Bowl in L.A. The press turned out in droves, as flashbulbs were popping all around me, and reporters asking me questions from every direction. Mandy was able to attend that show with me, and I saw to it that someone was there to grant her every request throughout the show.

My band and I played to a packed house that night, and let me tell you now; there's no feeling in the world that can compare to hearing twenty-thousand people chanting your name after every song you play.

~~~~~~

From L.A. we went to Florida, playing every big venue in the state. I especially enjoyed it when we played to almost eight-thousand people one night at the Orange Bowl Stadium. Up to that point in my career, it had been the biggest venue we'd played, and once again, the press was all over us, asking me all kinds of questions.

I would call home every night, sometimes talking to Mandy for two or three hours at a time. God, I missed her, but I could tell by the sound of her voice that she was happy and content. My sister, Tara, even went out to California for a visit which they both enjoyed immensely; and needless to say; my whole family was overjoyed at the news of mine and Mandy's up and coming nuptials. Like I said before, it was a magical time back then, and the joy I felt within me showed in the music I wrote for the next album. Being able to write and record while I was on the road was a very therapeutic thing for me, as it enabled me to pour all of the emotions I was feeling into my music.

~~~~~~

The year was Nineteen Seventy-Six and my second album had been long finished and was just getting ready to be released. We'd just finished playing a show in Atlanta, Georgia one night when the phone in my hotel room rang. It was from my producer, Chet.

"Hello," I said, into the receiver.

"I've got some great news for you, kid," he replied, the smile on his face obvious in the tone of his voice, "Are you sitting down?"

"Yeah, I'm lying on my bed," I laughed, "Now, what's the good news?"

"You did it, Travis," he grinned, "You made the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine."

"Holy shit," I gasped, "You're kidding me, right?"

"I'm serious, kid," Chet smiled, "We're all very proud of here. You'll be meeting with Cameron Crowe and Annie Leibovitz in your hotel at three o'clock of the afternoon before you play the show at Madison Square Garden that night, but I'll be there that morning."

"Jesus, Chet," I replied, "I don't know what to say."

"Relax, Travis," he laughed, "That's why I'm going to be there with you for the whole interview."

~~~~~~

"Holy shit, baby," Mandy giggled, at the news of my making the cover of Rolling Stone, "It looks like I'm gonna be married to a Rock Star."

"Come on, sweetheart," I said, "I'm very serious."

"I know you are," she sweetly replied, sniffling, "I'm serious, too, and I love you with all my heart."

"Are you crying?" I asked.

"No," she giggled, sniffling some more, "I think I'm trying to catch a head cold or something."

"Okay then," I stupidly replied, "Try to get some rest, and I'll call you as soon as we get to New York and get settled into our hotel."

"Okay, baby," she sniffled, "I love you."

"I love you, too, Mandy," I replied, hanging the phone up. I went to sleep that night with a strange feeling overcoming me, but like the dumb ass I was back then; I attributed it to being nervous about the up and coming interview with Rolling Stone Magazine. God, what an idiot I was back then, but then again, I was still quite a bit naïve about a lot of things in those days, too.

~~~~~~

We had a three day layover in Savannah, Georgia, where I would be laying down some tracks for one of Warner Brothers' new artists. Imagine my surprise when I walked into the studio to find none other than Mia, sitting in the chair talking to the studio engineer.

"What're you doing here, girl," I asked, while she was oblivious to my presence, "You need to find a real job ya know."

"Oh my God," she squealed, leaping from her chair and hugging me tightly around the neck, "What're YOU doing here? The last thing I heard was that you were on tour."

"I was in this part of the country so, the label sent me here to play for one of their new artists," I laughed, "Don't tell me it's you."

"Guilty," she giggled, "Damn, it's so good to see you, sweetie."

"It's good to see you, too," I said, "I've got some good news for you, you're gonna be very proud of me."

"Oh, my goodness," she excitedly smiled, "Tell me, what is it?"

"I made the cover of Rolling Stone," I proudly replied, "They're going to meet me in New York next week to do the interview and photo shoot."

"Oh, Travis," Mia cried, throwing her arms back around me, "I'm so proud of you, baby."

"I'm kinda nervous, to tell the truth," I chuckled, "I hope I don't fuck up, but Chet said that he'd be there to help me through it so, I guess it'll be alright....at least I hope so anyway."

"Travis, sweetie," she giggled, "I knew you were gonna be a star the very first time I heard you play."

"Really?" I asked, "I mean, there are other people who are...."

"NO," she firmly interrupted, "You have a very special gift, Travis. And not only do you play extremely well, but you have the ability to write songs that touch peoples hearts. That comes but once in a great while, sweetie, and I want to let you know how very proud of you that I am."

"Thanks Mia," I smiled, "That means a lot to me, especially coming from you."

"Don't let it go your head, Ace," she teased, smacking me on the butt, "You've still got some sessions to do here, which means you work for me......again."

It was a lot of fun to be working with Mia again, and it was something that I needed, just when I needed it. Mia told me that she thought my first album was a work of pure art, and that she couldn't wait to hear my next one.

When she asked me if I would autograph a copy of my first album, I smiled and said, "Bullshit, you're my competition now." It elicited a playful smack to the back of my head, accompanied by a kiss on the cheek.

Of course I signed her copy of my album, and thanked her for all that she'd done for me by making damn sure that whoever read the inscription knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Mia was one of my closest friends whom I loved dearly.

~~~~~~

The trip from Savannah to New York was a leisurely ride up I-95 that took a little less than four days. When we arrived at hotel, I was stunned to discover that we were gonna be staying at the Waldorf Astoria. "Damn," I said to the rest of the guys in the band, "It looks like truly have arrived," which elicited a bunch of laughter and light hearted teasing. I haven't talked about the guys in my band so; this presents the perfectly opportune time to do so.

David Helms, my guitar player, graduated from Julliard with a Master's Degree in classical guitar. This guy played his ass off, and still does, but I would be willing to put him up against any other guitar player, any where, any time. I know that sounds very cocky and arrogant of me, but I feel that he's really that good and can hold his own.