I'm Not Who I Used to Be Ch. 02

And while it's not a usual occurrence, due to court procedure, the judge allowed me to stand and tell him that I'd already forgiven him for what he'd done; and in turn, I asked him to forgive me for taking his brother's life, even though it was in self-defense, which he did so smiling. We all left the courthouse in a better mood that afternoon in hopes that maybe a human life had been saved that day...

~~~~~~

THE NEXT DAY

The time had come that Odyssey had to go back on the road for the next seven months to complete the tour for our debut album...and yes, Sarah went with us. I had personally asked Ahmet if it was alright, and of course he was more than happy to fulfill my request, telling me that we were still newlyweds and that we needed that time together.

Mark, Lee, and Kevin were in full agreement with him and treated Sarah just like she was one of us. Another reason they acted the way they did was because of the history involved in mine and her relationship. And also because they'd been there to witness it firsthand, they felt like Sarah was more or less family, which, now that she and I were married, she truly was.

Of course while she would never admit to it, Kevin openly confessed that Sarah taught him many things throughout our travels. He said that she was instrumental in teaching him how not to listen to his dick all the time, encouraging him to act more like the gentleman she claimed he was...

~~~~~~

Our music had done nothing but climb the charts since the very first release of the very first song; the one I wrote for Sarah called, "If You Could Love Me Like I Love You." It was picked up as a soundtrack cut for a Blockbuster Film, which came out later that year, and even though we were all doing well financially, the money came rolling in after that, especially for me being the writer.

We received a call from Hugh Hefner himself inviting us to the Playboy Mansion for a rather large celebration that was being held in our honor, and needless to say; we were all very excited about it. Hell, even Sarah was tickled because of the fact that she had been invited to tag along with us. Of course, when I spoke to him over the phone, I politely let Mr. Hefner know that I wouldn't be able to attend unless my wife was allowed to join us.

"That's not a problem at all, Mike," he told me, "I've seen her in many of the press pictures taken of you guys. She's a very beautiful woman and she'll be a very welcome addition to the celebration."

"Thank you, Mister Hefner," I graciously smiled, "I'll be sure to convey your compliments to my wife whom I know will be very pleased at what you said."

"You're more than welcome, Mike, but it's easy to tell the truth," he warmly replied, "And please call me either Hugh, or just plain old Hef, okay?"

"Not a problem, Hugh," I grinned, happily accepting his invitation, "I look very forward to meeting you in person."

"As do I you," he kindly replied, "We'll see you all in a couple of days then..."

~~~~~~

"Holy shit," Kevin grinned, when I told the guys about the invitation from Hugh Hefner, "This is going to be great...I've got to get a new tux."

"Nonsense," I chuckled, "If you wear a tux you're liable to be mistaken for one of the waiters and/or serving staff."

"But I want to look good," he objected, "I can't wear plain old blue jeans to an event like this. I'll come off as some kind of hayseed."

"You're way too handsome so; I highly doubt that," Sarah gently told him, "Remember what I told you about being yourself?"

"Of course I remember, Sarah," he replied, "But there are going to be a bunch of really hot women there and I don't to look like some kind of plain old stupid dirt farmer."

"You could never be mistaken for a dirt farmer," Sarah plainly yet kindly told him, "You're the bass guitar player for one of the hottest Rock and Roll bands in the country; and I know for a fact that those same beautiful women that you just mentioned will all be clamoring for the opportunity just to stand near you and talk to you."

"I don't know about that," he uneasily replied, "How do you know that, Sarah?"

"Think about it, Kevin," she replied, winking at me, "I'm a girl, too; so, don't think I can't see what girls see in you."

All of a sudden a look of understanding appeared on his face and in doing so, he smiled very widely and pulled Sarah into his arms for a familial hug, telling her, "You're the best, Sarah, and now I finally see why Mike fell in love with you and married you. Thanks, Sis..."

~~~~~~

THE PLAYBOY MANSION

When the limousine pulled up in front of the Playboy Mansion's front door imagine our surprise when we discovered that none other than Hugh Hefner himself was there to personally greet us and escort us into the celebration that was already in full swing.

"Welcome," Hugh smiled, "I'm happy that you could all attend this humble celebration that's being held in your, Odyssey's, honor," making it a point to shake all of our hands, with the exception of Sarah, whom he very chivalrously raised the back of her hand to his lips and kissed it.

"Please forgive me if I speak out of turn, Ms. Taylor," Hugh sincerely told her, "But you're indeed one of the most beautiful women I've ever had the honor of meeting."

"Thank you, Mister Hefner," Sarah cordially smiled, "Coming from a man of your stature and profession, that's a very fair compliment, and my name is Sarah."

"I wasn't trying to compliment you Sarah," he smiled, "I was simply telling you the truth as I see it."

Then he looked at all of us and pleasantly informed us, "I've reserved room in the mansion for each of you so; I want you to feel free to help yourselves to anything you'd like," and then almost as if it were on cue, two extremely beautiful women, one brunette and one blonde, appeared beside Hugh with smiles on their faces.

"This is Miss Laura Hanover," Hugh informed Kevin, introducing him to the very pretty brunette, "She will be your personal assistant for the evening. If there's anything you want or need, just ask her and she'll take care of it for you."

"Hi, Kevin it's so nice to finally meet you," Laura softly smiled, taking his hand, "I just started taking bass guitar lessons six months ago, and I asked Hef if I could escort you to the party this evening. I hope that's alright with you."

"Hello, Laura," Kevin elatedly replied, doing a great job at hiding his excitement, "It's nice to meet you, too. Is there anywhere a guy like me could get a drink around here?"

"Come with me, handsome," she cutely giggled, taking his hand, "I know just the place," and then the two of them disappeared down the hall, laughing hand-in-hand.

Hugh introduced the pretty blonde to Lee with a smile on his face as he said, "Lee Karey, please allow me to introduce you to Miss Kelly Billingsley. She recently received her Doctorate's Degree in Music from Oxford, and like you, she, too, is a percussionist, and I think that the two of you will get along famously."

"Wow, a PhD in music, huh?" Lee appreciatively grinned "That's very impressive...It's nice to meet you Miss Billingsley."

"Please, call me Kelly," she softly replied, in her beautifully thick British accent, as she took him by the hand, "It's nice to meet you as well, Lee. May I call you Lee?"

"Of course," he kindly replied "That is my name after all. Would it be alright if I picked your brain? I've never met someone with a PhD in music, well, except for my college professors that is," and then the two of them disappeared in the opposite direction as Kevin and Laura.

~~~~~~

Chapter Three

Because of the fact that Mark was not only a member of my family, but also because he was my best friend and I knew him so well; I wasn't surprised in the least when I saw him in the company of two beautiful women, one on each arm and both of whom I recognized as being "Playboy Playmates".

"And now for the two of you," Hugh knowingly grinned, "There is someone here that has been beside their self to meet you, Mike. I think you will enjoy meeting them as well. If you don't mind, would the two of you please follow me?"

The person whom Hugh told us was dying to meet me was none other than the keyboardist/bassist for the rock group "The Doors"; a man by the name of "Ray Manzarek".

To say that I was thrilled was one of the greatest understatements ever made. I was beside myself with being able to meet one of three keyboard players in the world who'd more or less been like mentors to me while growing up and listening to their music on the radio as a boy.

"It's nice to meet you, Mike," Ray openly smiled, shaking my hand, "I think you're one of the finest keyboard players I've ever heard, not to mention a great songwriter, too."

"Wow, thank you, Mister Manzarek," I warmly replied "I can't begin to tell what that means to me hearing it come from someone like you."

"Please, call me Ray," he graciously smiled, patting my shoulder, "And don't let anyone tell you otherwise, Mike, you're a damn fine musician yourself."

"Thanks, Ray," I grinned, "But I had you, Rick Wakeman, and Keith Emerson as influences while I was growing up."

"Holy cow," Hugh laughed, "That young man just paid you one hell of a compliment, Ray."

"He's right, Mike," Ray smiled, "Although I'm not worthy of it, thank you just the same."

"Horse manure," I chuckled, patting Ray on the back, "I simply call them like I see them..."

~~~~~~

We had all kinds of fun that night, and much to our surprise, Ahmet met us there, having had our gear set up on the outside stage by the pool, where Hugh told us in no uncertain but friendly terms, that we were going to be the main event. Movie stars, high profile athletes, celebrities, and television personalities from all over the country were there that night to watch Odyssey perform.

Sarah sat with Ahmet, Ray, and Hugh at a special reserved table where Kelly and Laura joined them while we were performing. Mark's new female friends joined them as well, whose names I later found out were Bianca and Tiffany.

I was thrilled by the fact that even though we, the band, were surrounded by what were considered to be the most beautiful women in the world, my stunning wife still outshined them all as far as I was concerned. And along with the special semblance of pride I felt from being married to Sarah, God blessed me with knowing that I would always feel the way I did about her, and that she would always feel the same way about me...

~~~~~~

Although I had to practically drag him on stage, I got finally got Ray up to perform with us that night. He took my place behind the keys, while I stood up with a wireless microphone and wandered through the audience while I sang a medley of songs by "The Doors", playfully flirting with the female celebrities there as well as shaking hands with the male celebrities in the attendance, too. And once I made my way back upon the stage, we finished what we were playing, receiving a full five-minute standing ovation from everyone there.

Once Ray left the stage and made his way back to the table where he sat with Hugh, Sarah, Laura, Kelly, Bianca and Tiffany; I took my place behind my keyboards and spoke to the audience.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I've got a very special surprise for you tonight," I said to the audience, a knowing smile on my face when I looked at Sarah, "As I'm quite sure you read in the newspapers, I recently married the most beautiful woman in the world. She knows pretty much everything we do, except for this next song I only recently finished writing. The name of it is, "Without You There Is No Me". This is something that no one has heard yet; so, if you would humor us, we're going to perform it tonight for the first time anywhere."

Of course this particular composition was a sweet and tender love song, and although I'd only given taped copies of it to my bandmates, along with the lyric sheets and chord charts, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that we were going to be able to pull it off without a hitch.

I opened up with just my voice and piano for the first eight bars of the song; and then when the next verse began, the rest of Odyssey came in playing their parts of this particular song like they'd been playing it for years.

When I began to intro to the second chorus I looked down at our table to find my beautiful Sarah sitting there with a huge smile on her face, accompanied my large, happy tears, silently mouthing the words, "I love you," which wasn't missed by a single member of the audience. When we finished the song this time however, everyone again rose to their feet to render a round of applause that was definitely far louder and more gracious than any we'd heard thus far in our careers...

~~~~~~

After we'd finished playing and were coming off of the stage, Sarah was right there to throw her arms around my neck and hold me tightly against her, telling me how very much she loved me.

"Thank you baby," I tenderly replied, "I'm glad you liked the song I wrote for you."

"I didn't just like it, silly," she giggled, happily sniffling, "I loved it...almost as much as I love you..."

~~~~~~

Photographers from magazines like, Life, Time, and People as well as The Los Angeles Times had been allowed in long enough to take several photos of our performance, and then also long enough for short interviews by the journalists of the magazines and newspaper I just mentioned. I made certain that Ahmet, Hugh, Sarah as well as the rest of Odyssey was right next to me with not only every interview I was doing, but also with every celebrity I was being photographed with.

It was a magical time for all of us back then. The music that we wrote, played, and recorded that was being aired on the radio suggested as much, including the music of all the other well-known artists of that same time, too.

~~~~~~

The morning following our performance at the Playboy Mansion, the local television and radio stations were all excitedly talking about what an impression Odyssey had made on the Rock Music industry the night before. Requests for interviews came pouring in from not only nationally broadcasted television shows, but also from newspapers and magazines all across the country.

Ahmet had a solid reputation in the music industry for being able to drum up free advertising and publicity from every solid and well-spoken publication in the country, yet he held them all at bay until the request from the one magazine in the world that would permanently cement our careers for us came in. The magazine in question was known not only all over the United States, but also all over the world...Rolling Stone Magazine.

~~~~~~

Because we were in Los Angeles at the time, Cameron Crowe and Annie Leibowitz caught a shuttle flight from their home office in San Francisco to do the interview and photo session right there at Atlantic Records office, which, at the time, was located on Sunset Strip.

Ahmet had forewarned us to give Cameron direct answers to whatever questions he asked us, and when we asked him why, he leaned back in his chair with a knowing grin on his face and told us, "You gotta watch out for these rock critics. They'll either make you or break you, depending on what you tell them. So, keep your answers short, sweet and to the point and whatever you do; don't give them any personal information unless you want the whole world to know about it."

"What about our family members?" I asked him "They're not going to interview them, are they?"

"I've already spoken to not only Mister Cameron Crowe, but I also told the editor, owner, and founder of the magazine, "Jann Wenner", in no uncertain terms, that your family members are strictly off-limits" Ahmet assured us, "Besides, I'm going to be present for every interview, so; you can all relax where that issue is concerned, okay guys?"

~~~~~~

The interviews went off without a hitch, and along with the photos taken by Annie Leibowitz, the article was a success. Jann Wenner called Ahmet three days afterward to tell him that we, Odyssey, had not made the cover of Rolling Stone, but that the magazine itself would be hitting the newsstands in less than forty-eight hours.

Once again, to say that we were all excited was another understatement of the century and the moment we got back to our house in Malibu, we were on the phone telling our families about the phone call we'd received earlier from Jann Wenner of Rolling Stone.

"You did it, sweetheart," Mom happily sniffled, on the other end of the line, "And your father is going to be so excited when I tell him tomorrow."

"Why tomorrow?" I asked her, and then I remembered the cattle drive that Dad and Uncle Jack went on every year at this time to take the live-stock to market, "Shit, he and Uncle Jack are taking the cattle to market...sorry, Mom. I forgot," which was followed by the sound of Mom's laughter.

"It's okay, Michael, I won't tell your father," she teased, playfully asking me, "Is my daughter-in-law around there anywhere?"

"Hang on a minute, she's right here," I chuckled, handing the phone to Sarah, "Mom wants to speak with her daughter-in-law..."

~~~~~~

"So, tell me, my love," I smiled, once Sarah took a seat next to me on the back deck facing the Pacific Ocean, "What did Mom have to say to you about us making the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine?"

"Are you kidding me? She's very proud of you, baby," Sarah sweetly smiled, moving into my lap as she placed her arms around my neck, "But not nearly as proud of you that I am...I love you, Michael."

As she spoke to me, I noted a hint of sadness in her voice, making me look into her eyes and ask her, "Is something bothering you my love?"

"Yes, and no," she quietly replied, "It's nothing major and I really don't want to trouble you with something so trivial, baby."

"Oh, please," I told her, "You need to know that if something's bothering you, then it's going to bother me, too...What is it, Sarah?"

"I know that this sounds completely silly," she began, "But I feel so useless around here. I want to contribute to Odyssey's success, and not be just another pretty face. Do you understand what I mean?"

"Of course I do," I warmly replied, realizing just what it was that Sarah was getting at, "And now that you mention it, I think that there might be a place for you in our organization."

"What organization?" she smiled, giggling as she teased me, "You guys are a just rock and roll band."

"You're right about that," I chuckled, quickly tickling her on her stomach and eliciting a delightful squeal, "I've got an idea I want to run past Ahmet first, but I'll let you know what he thinks about it; okay, my love?"

"And I really am your love," she lovingly smiled, as she tenderly kissed my lips, "Aren't I, Michael?"

"That you are, Sarah," I softly replied, "That you are..."

~~~~~~

THE NEXT MORNING

After Sarah and I finished making love that morning, which has become an almost daily ritual, we were sitting in the kitchen having coffee when Lee appeared in the kitchen after having come into the house through the back door.

"Mornin, Bro," I knowingly laughed, "Are you just now getting home?"

"What're you, my mother?" Lee boyishly giggled.

"Hell no," Mark playfully grinned, as he suddenly appeared in the kitchen wearing a pair of board shorts, with lipstick all over the front of his chest, accompanied by the sound of more than one female giggling, which emanated from behind his close bedroom door.

"Ooo, Mark," Sarah playfully giggled, "What have you been up to this morning?"

"This morning, and last night, too," he laughed, "Besides, who asked you, Miss Woman?"

"Uh, excuse the hell outta me," Sarah openly teased him, "But that's Missus Woman, thank you very much..."

~~~~~~

ONE P.M.