Page 72 of Together in Harmony
“Because then she wins,” Harmony’s voice echoes in my head. “Don’t let her make you run and hide.”
“You got this,” Asa hisses in my ear as we sit. “Just don’t lose your temper. Remember everything we agreed on.”
All very well for Asa to say. He isn’t in the line of fire.
Sitting down, I make myself try and look relaxed. A girl comes over to powder any shine away. She is wearing a low cut top, and pressing her enormous tits towards my face.
Normally I would take the bait, but not these days. These days the only body I want to ogle belongs to Harmony.
“One minute people,” says a producer.
Danny comes over and takes his seat opposite us. The smile he gives me is bland, but behind his eyes is mischief.
Fuuuckk.
“Good luck,” he says to me, just as the theme music starts. Then another producer waves his hand, and we are off.
“Welcome back. Tonight my guests need no introduction. They have been described as the hottest band of the twenty-first century, and credited for bringing rock back into popularity. Winners of eleven Grammy awards, and recipients of honorary doctorates from the LA School of Music, they are, of course, Hugo, Asa and Lennox, otherwise known as Mercury Rising.”
A light flashes and the studio audience go wild. A light flashes again and they instantly shut up. Talk show audiences are very well trained.
“Let’s get straight to it,” says Danny. “Rolling Stone Magazine said your last album sounded like a group of rich, white boys playing at being edgy. How do you respond to that?”
“We are white, and we are rich. But Asa and I are only rich because of the years of hard work we have put in. I will admit that Hugo was born with a silver spoon though,” Lennox laughs. I grin at him, showing the audience I'm OK with the teasing.
“As for the ‘playing at being edgy’ part,” adds Asa. “What does that even mean? We are not trying to be anything other than musicians and decent people. The only thing we ‘play at being’ is competent on the basketball court.”
“Speak for yourself,” interrupts Lennox.
Asa laughs, “and as for this quote being in the Rolling Stone? A magazine run by fifty-year olds in skinny jeans and dyed hair? That’s a bit rich don’t you think?”
Danny McDare laughs. Score one for Mercury Rising.
The next couple of questions are easy. I talk about our last European tour. Asa speaks about the new ‘Asa Bass’.
Then I can feel an atmosphere shift. Danny angles his body more to face me. From the corner of my eye, I see the studio cameras narrowing focus. Here it comes.
“At the beginning of our chat, Asa said the three of you were not trying to be anything other than ‘musicians and decent people’.”
A photo of Brookes appears on the screen in front of me, and, I imagine, to the watching world.
“Brookes, the renowned contemporary artist, recently held an exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art. She called it ‘An Ode to Narcissism’.”
A succession of photos are now showing on the screen. They show various aspects of the exhibit that fucking Brookes did when she exposed my life to the world.
“Did you see her exhibition?” asks Danny.
Here we go.
“I did not,” I pause for a moment. “Why see a copy when I live the real thing?”
The audience laugh.
“For those of you not in the know, the exhibit featured sounds, photos and tales from Brookes’ one-year relationship with Hugo here.”
A murmur in the audience, and a couple of boos.
I keep my face still. Don’t let anyone see my emotions. That is important.
