“Nine.” He waved. “Bye. I’m gonna go play my game now.” He plopped down on one of the overstuffed chairs and buried his face in his iPad.
“Sorry about that,” Audra said, smiling at her son. “He’s so involved with electronics.”
“You should see him work the mixing console,” Jimmy said proudly. “That kid can layer sound and put a song together just as good as Mason.”
Out of the corner of her eye, Sindy spotted Alyssa and Damien Diamond walk into the room. “The cool couple” as they were dubbed by the media. They stood out immediately, not just because of Damien’s mile high blue Mohawk or Alyssa’s waist length black hair, or because they both had tattoos covering every inch of visible skin. These two demanded attention. Sindy couldn’t take her eyes off them, especially Alyssa. She was a gothic beauty with dark lips, heavily black-rimmed eyes, black attire and thigh-high boots.
Alyssa cackled at something, flipped her hair over her shoulder, and squeezed Damien’s face between her fingers. He pulled his chin out of her grasp and pursed his lips at her. At first, Sindy thought he was angry, then she saw the tiniest hint of a smile. It was subtle, but it was definitely there. He scolded her with his finger, and she let out another cackle. He responded by wrapping his arm around her lower back, tugging her close to him, and giving her a quick peck on her temple. She hung her arm over his shoulder and leaned into him, but her long hair got caught on the edge of his Mohawk, and the two of them grappled while they detangled themselves. Sindy could tell they were a fun couple, and she was anxious to finally meet the remaining member of Immortal Angel.
“Excuse us.” Tessa looped her arm through Sindy’s. “I want to introduce Sindy to Alyssa.”
“Oh, Alyssa is such a feisty thing!” Aunt Mary said with a light laugh. “Go. You’ll love her.”
“It was nice meeting you,” Sindy called over her shoulder to Aunt Mary while Tessa led her away. As they got closer, Alyssa spotted Sindy and brandished a beautiful smile.
“You’re Sindy,” Alyssa stated. “It’s great to finally meet you. Welcome to the insane asylum.”
“Thank you.” Sindy took in the bright red heart and angel wings across Alyssa’s chest and the colorful ink that covered both arms. “I love your tattoos.”
Alyssa tucked her hair behind one ear, exposing multiple piercings along the lobe and a bar through the cartilage at the top of her ear, and looked down at her arm. “Thanks. Most of it’s old. I should get new work.”
“And this is Damien Diamond,” Tessa said, as if he needed an introduction.
He jutted his chin at Sindy. “S’up?”
It was a good thing Sindy still had the mojito in her hand because she fidgeted like a junkie needing a fix. “It’s . . . I’m . . . it’s an honor to meet you.”
Alyssa chuckled. “An honor? We’re just regular people. Well, I’m regular.” She nudged Damien with her shoulder. “He’s a little irregular.”
Damien smirked at his wife. “Is that supposed to be a crack about my bowel movements?”
Alyssa put her hand to her forehead, closed her eyes and sighed, which made Damien display a mischievous grin. “I just like to fuck with her.”
They were chill and relaxed, which over-emphasized Sindy’s excitement. She knew she was smiling and staring at them like a psychopath.
“Attention everyone!” Jessi called as she entered the great room and placed a tray on the coffee table. “We have pork croquettes. I’ve been instructed by my husband, the chef, that if you don’t eat them within the next 30 seconds, you’ll miss the peak flavor.” She and Alyssa made eye contact, and they both burst out laughing.
Damien dove at the tray and stuffed three in his mouth, one after the other. He smiled while he chewed, obviously enjoying the appetizers, and plopped down in the chair. “He’s right. That was perfection.”
“Does Papi need help?” Tessa asked her mother.
“Papi always needs help. Come on.” Jessi put her arm around Tessa. “Let’s see what else he has for us to eat.”
“I’m coming, too.” Alyssa followed them. “I’m going to tell Angel no one ate his croquettes, and they’re all cold.”
“You’re so mean!” Tessa exclaimed.
“I can’t help it. He’s such a trip. Wait until you see his face when I tell him.”
With Tessa, Jessi and Alyssa out of the room, Sindy was stuck standing alone across from the chair where Damien Diamond sat. Forget star-struck, this was downright awkward. She didn’t want to be rude and just walk away, but she had no idea what to say to him. Damien didn’t have the easy, extroverted personality as the rest of the band and the others in the room. He had the hardened look of a punk rocker.
After a second or two, Sindy sat on the sofa adjacent to Damien. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched him. His leather jacket was covered in spikes and studs. His posture was relaxed and confident, sitting at an angle in the chair, defying its square shape. His shoulder and one arm leaned over the side and one booted ankle crossed over the knee of the opposite leg. He chewed on a fingernail and she noted the tattoos on the back of his hand and across his knuckles. Pure gore covered his neck and peaked out from the collar of his T-shirt. There was a mix of skulls and gargoyles and the tip of a bat’s wing. They were actually kinda cool.
He turned and looked at her, unexpectedly, and jutted his chin at her. “S’up?”
It’s the second time he uttered the word, and she didn’t know if it was an actual question or not. Was he asking her what’s up? Or was it just a cryptic greeting? She didn’t know how to answer, so she said, “Hey,” and immediately felt stupid.
The chain that attached his wallet to his belt loop clanked as he stood, crossed the room and sat next to her.
