Page 59 of Punk Rock Reflection
The view of Central Park bathed Ron Abelman’s office with beauty. It had been a long time since Tommy visited Falcon Records’ headquarters, but sitting with his bandmates across from the record mogul made it seem like just yesterday that Immortal Angel signed their first contract. Only, this time, Kira and Audra sat alongside their father at the large conference table.
Mr. Abelman pulled his reading glasses from his face and folded them in his hands. He was as imposing today as he had been on the first day they’d met. “It’s a pleasure to have you in my office today,” he began. “To be honest, I wasn’t sure if this day would materialize or not, and my ulcer can testify to the worry it caused me. Mr. Blade—Tommy—you know how to play hardball.”
Tommy wasn’t sure what Mr. Abelman meant, so he didn’t respond.
“Kira,” Mr. Abelman continued. “I’ll leave the honors to you.”
Kira wore a proud smile as she pushed a Manila folder across the table toward Angel. “As the head of A&R for Falcon Records, I’m pleased to offer Immortal Angel this renewal contract. It’s everything we agreed upon for the next five years.”
Kira, once a young Immortal Angel superfan who sat front and center at every show with her sister, projected the trademark Abelman no-nonsense professionalism. And now Tommy felt old again. But it only made his smile widen, because with age came wisdom and experience, and he had a lot more to learn in this lifetime.
“Thank you,” Angel replied. “I think I speak for everyone when I say that this contract is very generous.”
Tommy had to hold back a chuckle. Apparently, his threat to walk away from the business generated a huge increase for Falcon Records’ biggest moneymaker. Their contract overflowed with perks and bonuses, with longer breaks between tours and six months off at the two-and-a-half-year mark.
Angel was the first to sign. Then he passed the contract to Jimmy, who wore a dazzling smile that illuminated the room as he added his name. Then Damien added his signature and pushed the contract in front of Tommy. Everyone waited as Tommy poised with his pen above the paper. Once his name was on that last line, the contract with Falcon Records would be final. He looked at each of his bandmates. The trials they endured while Tommy questioned his future could have torn them apart and left lingering resentment, but it didn’t. It strengthened their bond. He nodded his head once, then signed his name.
Sighs of relief and happy smiles were all around the table. A champagne cork popped, and a white-gloved waiter handed out glasses with the bubbly and a flute filled with Perrier for Damien.
“I want to say something,” Tommy stood up, holding his glass in front of him. “I know I put you guys through hell these last few months and had corporate walking on eggshells. I upset the fans in a way I never thought possible, and that’s what I regret the most. So, I want to make it up to them. I want to put on a free concert.”
Audra sat a little taller, and her eyes brightened at the idea. “A charitable concert is wonderful from a PR standpoint. I’ll get in touch with Marissa—”
“I saidfree, not for charity,” Tommy clarified.
Mr. Abelman cleared his throat. “Freeis not a word in my vocabulary, Mr. Blade. A charitable concert is a tax deduction and fulfills a philanthropic obligation for the company.Freecosts me money with no return on my investment.”
Tommy shook his head. “I don’t want the fans to pay one cent for a seat. This is all on me. I read every single note and letter that they sent me, and I know how devastated they were. I need to make it up to the fans. I’ll pay for production and whatever else there is.” He raised his glass higher. “To the return of Immortal Angel!”
Tommy peeked out the side curtain, careful not to let the crowd see him. Camera crews were lined up at the edge of the stage and in front of the pit. They were here not only to record the last segment of the documentary, but the entire concert was being filmed for pay-per-view and going to be made into a DVD.
The familiar chant of“Immooortal! Aaangel!”rang through Madison Square Garden so loudly that it could probably be heard all the way to Queens and up to the Bronx. Then something happened that Tommy had never witnessed before. The fans’ warrior cries switched from summoning the band on stage to calling Tommy’s name.
“Tommy!”
“Tommy!”
“Tommy!”
“Your fans are beckoning,” Angel said, in Tommy’s ear.
Tommy turned around ready to tell Angel that he never heard anything like this before but was stunned into silence by Angel’s opening outfit.
Covered in huge Swarovski crystals and bright gems, the thigh-high leather boots Angel wore were the showstopper. Above it, he wore lurex black pants that shown like glass and highlighted the center attraction like the star on top of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. Angel’s bare chest was encased in a leather harness accented with silver studs. His muscular pecs, clearly visible and on display, seemed more pronounced and extra sexy. Over it, Angel wore a leather motorcycle jacket covered in rhinestones and spikes that rivaled the flashy boots. A line of fringe, covered in Swarovski crystals, hung down the length of each sleeve and reached the floor. Forget the stage lights. Angel could light up Times Square. The outfit was worthy of Immortal Angel’s return to the stage, and Angel never looked more fabulous.
Tommy raised his brows as his eyes washed over his husband. “You really dressed for the occasion tonight.”
“Our wife outdid herself with this creation.”
Jessi, who was checking every last detail of Angel’s outfit, presented her cheek which Angel promptly kissed.
“It’s perfect,” Tommy said. “The fans are going to go nuts.”
Damien clapped a hand on Tommy and Angel’s shoulders and said, “I hope you’re prepared to give them hell out there tonight, because I sure as fuck am.”
Jimmy slapped his sticks together impatiently, and his epic smile never seemed wider. “I’ve never been so pumped. My heart’s beating like a bass drum. I can’t wait to get out there and play. I’m probably going to break a stick the first time I hit my drums. Tonight’s show is going to surpass any show we’ve ever played before. It’s going to blow everyone away. Including us.”
That’s exactly what Tommy wanted to hear, and it made his heart beat faster with anticipation.
