PUNKS Ch. 23: Conspirators

April 1995

Joe awakened in one of those 'where am I' states staring at a strange room before consciousness reminded him he was in Jenna's bed. He looked to his right. Half the bed was empty. She was already up and about. He looked at the clock.

"Holy fuck."

It was 11:32 AM. He threw the covers off just as Jenna walked into the bedroom fully dressed, with hair and makeup done, ready for a day with her new lover.

"Good morning," she said and held out a cup of coffee. "I heard you stirring."

Joe sat up and took the mug. "Good morning, baby." He looked down at his morning wood. "We need to do something about that."

"Yeah, you can handle that manually. We fucked twice last night, only ten hours ago. My pussy is taking a break..."

"What about..."

"and so is my mouth." She sat on the edge of the bed. "We have a lunch date with a friend."

"Who?"

"It's a surprise."

"Someone, I know?"

"You could say that."

"And they'll be okay with us, doing this?"

"You mean doing each other? Yes. Totally cool with it." Jenna spanked his leg. "Get up, in the shower. We gotta get going."

Joe watched her leave the room thinking he could get used to being with this woman. Jenna was cool. She was clear-headed and logical, and he found that sexy. Hours ago, they had a great conversation in bed, among other things. Being with Jen was all that he imagined it would be.

An hour later they were standing in front of The Starlight Lounge. Joe looked at Jenna, "I don't think I've ever been here this early."

"I certainly haven't," She said as Joe held the door open for her.

As they walked in Joe scanned the room wondering why so many people were in a hook-up joint at one in the afternoon. He had already figured out that Tamara De La Croix was waiting for them. Who else would they be meeting at this place? There were maybe two dozen day drinkers in the bar area, then he saw Tammy in the back holding a booth for them. Jenna walked ahead and reached out for a hug.

Tamara embraced Jenna in front of the booth she was sharing with her old friend, Tom Collins.

"Hey beautiful," she said to Jenna, then moved on to Joe with a big smile. "Hi gorgeous, are you happy to see me?" She hugged him, her lips close to his ear. "You look delicious."

"It's nice to see you again," Joe said as Jenna slid into the booth.

Tamara waved him in ahead of her then slid in beside him. Joe was sandwiched between the women who did not give him much room.

Tamara looked at Jenna, "Does this mean you finally did it?"

Jenna smiled, "Yes, we did, last night, and I'm feeling it today."

"I bet you are," she reached under the table and ran her fingers over Joe's mound. "He has a lot to handle."

"Yes, he does."

Tamara smiled at Joe, "This young lady was so wrapped up in her selfless scheme to get you and your ex back together, she forgot to think of herself. I told her she may as well have fun while you're working on her plan." She smiled, "So, you can thank me for last night."

"Thank you."

"She told me all about you and Tina," Tamara put her lips near his ear. "and her special talents you enjoy so much." She patted his leg, "Jenna told me everything."

The waitress came over to take drink orders. They got the usual. Then Tamara went straight to teasing Joe. Her hand slid over his thigh and between his legs. He glanced at Jenna with wide eyes, looked down at the table, and made a WTF face. Was she seeing this?

"So, Jenna told me your life story, including that you're a big rock star who's fucked a hundred women all over the world, and how sad you are over losing your girl."

Joe looked at Jenna, "Is she somehow part of your master plan?"

Jenna shrugged. "Tammy and I brainstormed and worked out some new angles."

"Based on what Jenna tells me," Tamara said, "it sounds like she has a well-conceived plan. I just added a twist and made a few suggestions. If this Tina is as stubborn and strong-willed as Jen says, you're gonna have to be hard on her. You might have to be an asshole at times."

Jenna put her hand on Joe's forearm. "Tina has been getting her way for so long she's not accustomed to being told she can't have something. Her dad spoiled her. She's been the teacher's pet. T is always the best at what she does, and she's been rewarded for it. She never loses."

Joe nodded, "That's kinda true. She's so used to success I don't think she's capable of accepting failure. T will just keep fighting."

Their cocktails arrived. The threesome waited for the waitress to serve them before resuming their conversation. The cute girl smiled at Joe sandwiched between two women.

"So, you said you tweaked some things. What did you two decide for me?" Joe asked.

Jenna sipped her drink. "You know the plan, Joe. This is just a little pep talk to share our thoughts."

"And sleeping with me was one of the changes you agreed to."

Tamara set her glass down. "Jenna told me that she's wanted to fuck you for fifteen years, and I asked her what the hell is stopping her? You're single, she's single, go ahead an fuck him already."

"That was our very first conversation," Jenna said, "then I told her about Tina and that fact she's my best friend."

"She's married," Tamara added, "She gets no vote. It was unanimous, Jenna and I decided she should get what she wants next time she sees you, and then we can get to work on this Tina chick."

"If you want this to work sooner, rather than later," Jen said, "you can't go three months between visits. You'll need to make more frequent trips here."

"How frequent?"

"As often as you can manage."

"How many flights can you afford?" Tamara asked.

"He's a millionaire," Jen said to Tamara, "he'll be fine."

"Money and a nice cock," Tamara smiled, "You're the man of my dreams." Her fingertips found his knobby head under his denim.

Jenna continued. "When you come out for these visits you must see Tina and then stick with the plan to reinforce in her head that you're moving on from her."

"That's gonna be hard." Joe said, "When she gets that look in her eyes that she wants me, I melt inside. I can't not..."

"That's where our girl comes in," Tamara added, "This might take months. You'll get what you need from Jenna. If she's taking care of you, that helps in two ways. You'll have a nice incentive to come here and you won't have any lonely time at your hotel."

"You'll be staying with me," Jenna smiled, "so that'll save you money every time out."

"Wow," Joe said loudly. "You girls have really thought this through."

"Being with me is part of the head game," Jenna said, "I plan on telling Tina that you and I are fucking. I don't care what she thinks about it. We're single. We can fuck. She's the married one."

"Once your lady realizes you're seeing Jenna and have no use for her," Tamara said, "she's gonna be in a bit of panic."

"I wouldn't assume that." Joe said, "She might be upset with Jenna, but I guarantee she'll assume I will eventually break down and fuck her."

"But you're not going to fuck her as long as she's married." Tamara said, "That's the deal. Jenna will take care of you when you're in town."

Joe looked at Tamara, "What are you getting out of this?"

Tamara shrugged, "I'm in it for the adventure. I'm a sucker for a love story. After Jenna told me your tale, and what she wants to do for you, I became emotionally invested." Her fingers continued to play under the table.

Joe glanced at Jenna. Was she okay with Tamara diddling down below? He found it odd that he felt uncomfortable. Last time he was at The Starlight he thought Tamara's hands were hot, and also hilarious, but now he wasn't digging her attention so much. Was it because he and Jenna had slept together?

Jenna took another sip. "I believe what you said is true. T might not make a big fuss about us and she'll assume you'll come back to her because you always have. That's why this could take a while, at least a few visits."

Tamara leaned in. "What if you're wrong? She is your boss. What happens if she uses that authority to forbid you from seeing Joe?"

Jenna looked at Joe, "What would you do?"

"I would make it clear that threatening you would be detrimental to our friendship because it would be. I won't have to pretend anything."

"Good," Jenna said, "I don't believe she'll see me as a threat. Tina will know I'm not trying to steal you. I'm just sleeping with you."

"Over time," Tamara said, "Tina will realize you're perfectly happy playing with Jen and being just friends with her."

Joe smiled. "That'll definitely trigger her jealousy and insecurities."

"As Tamara said, you may have to be an asshole at times. Tina will try to manipulate you. She'll judge you and play her best cards, like offering her pussy."

Tamara laughed, "This sucking your cock isn't cheating bullshit is hilarious. When Jenna told me that I dribbled my drink laughing. C'mon, of course it's cheating. I believe sucking cock is more intimate than fucking when you're with a man you love. Your girl just wants to suck your dick to keep you in her pocket. She absolutely knows she's cheating. It's forbidden and dangerous, and she's getting off on that."

Joe smiled. "Yeah, I'm getting off on that too."

"I'm sure you are," Tammy smirked.

Jenna steeled her eyes. "Not anymore."

Joe sat quietly pondering the plan, looking for a weakness, as Tamara's fingertips caressed his cock. It was definitely risky. Tina was an emotional woman, accustomed to having her way. There's no telling how she'd react. The waitress came by and took another drink order. When she left, Joe had a question for Jenna.

"What if she refuses to see me? She did cancel our lunch date. If I come out here and she won't see me, how does the plan work?"

Tamara leaned closer to Joe, "Would it be so terrible if you just came out and had fun with Jen?"

"No." He looked at Jenna. "It'll be great."

Jenna smiled. "It's the best part of the plan."

"Okay," Joe thought of another thing, "You said I must stay with Jasmine until I get Tina back. What's her role in this?"

"Jasmine is the one Tina should be worried about," Jenna said. "I'm just your fuck buddy. I'll make sure she knows that. Even if you and Jasmine broke up, we wouldn't tell Tina."

"I like that," Joe nodded.

"There's one more thing." Tamara added, "If you brought Jasmine to New York to meet Tina, how do you think that would go over? Do you think Jas would show Tina that she's a genuine threat to take you off the market?"

"I could definitely arrange that," Joe said. "Jasmine is dying to come to New York. She's never been, and I promised her I would take her someday. She's a ball buster. She would relish the chance to rub her tits and ass in Tina's face."

"I'm not saying we're doing that, but if we must..." Jenna shrugged.

After the second round was done, Tamara had another engagement and said her goodbyes. Walking down 3rd Avenue after the meeting, with a day buzz, Jenna turned to Joe. "So, what do you think of Tamara?

"She's great. I was trying to figure out what her angle was. What does she get out of this? I'm not even sure what her role is, aside from putting ideas in your head."

"What do you mean?"

"You didn't seem to care that she was playing with me under the table. It made me wonder if..."

"If I was going to let her fuck you? Do you want to fuck her?"

"You might not believe me, but as long as I have you, I'm not interested in her."

"I believe you, but I still think you want to fuck her."

Joe stopped walking and pulled Jenna aside, "No. It's really weird. I don't want to fuck Tamara. I mean... she's hot and sexy, but she comes on too strong. I wasn't into her games like I was last time here."

"That is weird. Maybe it's because you don't find aggressive women so attractive," Jenna elbowed him, "You prefer sweet girls... like me."

"I don't know. You've been pretty bossy lately. Tammy's a bad influence on you."

"And you love it," Jenna said, "I won't be sharing you with her, or anyone."

They resumed walking. "Did it bother you that her hands were under the table on my cock?"

"No." Jenna laughed, "She's just playing. I've seen her do it before, with you and other men. It's unbelievable how bold she is. Tamara doesn't give a fuck what people see, or what they think."

"Okay," Joe said, "I need to go to The Chelsea and get my bags if I'm staying with you."

Jenna reached up and kissed him. "You're definitely sleeping in my bed."

After fetching Joe's bags, they returned to The Hawthorne Apartments and fucked, then took a late afternoon nap. Joe convinced Jen to go shopping that evening so they could stock up on groceries so they could stay home and cook, and fuck, and cook, and fuck... for the remainder of his stay.

-- The Beach Circuit --

Joe was content playing one night a week when he was home. The Eldorados rotated between their clubs in Venice, Santa Monica, and Redondo Beach. Joe wouldn't even consider playing east of the 405. They did a gig in Carlsbad and played a bar near UC Santa Barbara, but he had no interest in branching out. Guerrilla booked bands in more than a dozen clubs in cities from San Diego to Seattle, but Joe was happy on his local beach circuit.

Danny and Bobby were fantastic. Joe felt great about his new rhythm section. The Eldorados put on a lively show, every song was danceable, rockabilly, surf, and punk. Joe tagged Bobby with the name Smiley, for his perpetual grin. The kid's enthusiasm was contagious, as was his beat. Danny found his groove, using his big beautiful bass like a prop as much as an instrument. He embraced Joe's manta - aim the beat at their feet.

Chico was always the cool hombre wearing something with Mexican red, white, and green. He had his stage moves, but his main job was to be flashy with guitar, something Joe was not. Joe did Joe, rhythm guitar and master of ceremonies. He was a natural frontman.

On a Friday night at The Wilshire in Santa Monica, The Eldorados played to a full house with people hanging around outside. Two drunk girls danced on stage to surf rock. The crowd egged them on. The brunette was in a tube top. She smiled and flashed her titties toward the dance floor, scoring points that would crown her dance contest winner. Her prize was Joe's sweaty, pit stained, Pee Wee's Playhouse T-shirt. First, she had to wrestle it from him. Joe played the heel, fighting to keep the shirt as she yanked it over his head, pulling and stretching the cotton, until he let go. She stumbled back, prize in hand, victorious. The crowd loved it. Shirtless Joe then strapped on his Tele and jammed one more song before the set break.

As Joe was heading toward the bar, Jasmine intercepted him. "David is here?"

"David who?"

"Rodriguez. He wants to talk to you."

"Okay. Let me get a fresh shirt and a drink. I'll meet you on the patio."

Joe was surprised his former City of Angels drummer was around. He hadn't heard from him in the eighteen months since the band last played. As far as Joe knew, David was living with a girl in San Jose. On his way out to meet him and Jas outdoors, he grabbed Chico.

"David is here."

"Rodriquez?"

"Yeah. He wants to talk. He's outside."

Chico and Joe walked up to Jasmine and David standing with the cigarette smokers. Joe motioned for them to follow him, away from unwanted ears. Jasmine left the guys to talk.

"Good to see you, brother?" Joe reached out to embrace David.

Then it was Chico's turn. "What's up, bro."

"I've been back in town for a couple of months and heard you guys were playing again. I thought I'd come to check you out."

"Yeah, we got the itch to play late last year," Joe said, "so we resurrected this project."

"Your drummer is solid."

"He is, and he's a good kid. So what have you been up to?"

"Not a goddamn thing, and that's the problem. I'm idle and it's driving me fucking nuts."

"That's one reason I wanted to get out and play," Chico said, "just to get away from the damn house."

"And the wife and kids are so grateful," Joe smirked.

"Look," David stepped closer. "I know things ended poorly with you and PJ, but we have no quarrel, right?"

"Of course not," Joe put a hand on his shoulder. "We're cool."

"When I heard you guys were gigging it got me thinking. I'm wondering if you've thought about doing something with the angels again."

"Honestly. I haven't thought about it for one second."

That's not what David wanted to hear, so he had no reply. There was an uncomfortable moment. Joe was just being honest, but it landed harshly.

Chico saved him. "I have."

"You?" Joe turned, surprised. "You're the reason we stopped touring. Now you want more of that shit?"

"I don't know." Chico raised his hands. "It depends on what we do. I could handle short tours."

"And you never mentioned this because?"

"You and PJ," Chico answered. "I didn't think you'd be interested in going down that road."

Joe turned to David. "Have you spoken to PJ? Does he know you're reaching out to me?"

"He doesn't know I'm here talking to you, but I told him I was interested in getting back together."

"Is PJ on board?"

"Yes, he is. He's been in a dark place over how things ended with you guys. It's really messed him up and he wants to fix that."

"He knows where I am," Joe said. "He could call any time."

"Yeah, well, he didn't think you'd want to speak to him."

"The only way to find out is to ask."

"I'm asking for him," David said. "Have you been writing any music?"

"I'm always writing music, even when I'm not I have ideas percolating."

"Do you have songs for a new record?"

"Yeah. I have some stuff that could work, but PJ would have to come to the table with his material. That's always been our formula, I write, he writes, and then we collaborate on a few."

"I know he has some songs," David said. "He actually thought about starting a new band, but you know PJ, he talks a good game."

"Yeah," Joe chuckled, "I know all about PJ's talk."

"That's not what I meant."

There was another uncomfortable silence. Joe was not interested in playing with City of Angels. He was happy on the beach circuit, playing for friends, living a simple life, searching for new bands, and not being away from Venice for long stretches. He felt bad knowing how hard it was for David to show up and ask. He felt had to at least listen to his old mates.

"Why don't you and PJ figure out a good time to come down to the studio so we can talk, all four of us."

"Okay. I'll do that tomorrow and call you."

"That works."

"Thanks for seeing me, Joe. I appreciate it."

"It was never a question, brother." Joe shook David's hand. "I have to get back to work."

When Joe entered the club, Jasmine wanted to know what that talk was about. Joe glanced at Chico, then back to Jas. "He just wanted to catch up."

"Really? I thought it was something important."

"Nope. It's good to see him."

As they took the stage, Chico leaned into Joe. "Are you serious, bro? Are you gonna talk to PJ?"

"I'll talk, but I don't see myself doing the angels again. If you guys want it, I'll feel shitty not doing it, but I don't want to do it."

-- Rebound ---

The morning after The Wilshire gig, Joe went to the kitchen and poured Jasmine a coffee. She was just waking, still tangled in the sheets. He had been up for a while, and had Annie fill his carafe with fresh coffee. He handed Jas a cup.

"We should talk," she said.

"About what?"

"Something you hate talking about?"

"Fuck."

"Yes, that." Jasmine patted the bed beside her, "I have something to say, then we can fuck."

Joe climbed over her to his side of the bed. "You drive a hard bargain, sister."

Jasmine took a cautious sip of coffee. "Do you think we're in a rut?"

"Ummm, I don't know if rut is the word I'd use."