Indigo Blues (27 page)

She rubs her eyes. "I wouldn't miss your big day."

"That's funny, because I would."

"Glad you still have your sense of humor." She
attempts to sit up but flops back down.

"Got to keep some dignity." I laugh.

"Not me. My head's pounding. Did I make a total ass
out of myself last night?"

"Well-"

"I remember the shots and a bunch of obnoxious girls,
but the rest is pretty foggy."

"That's about right." I stand up and peer at myself in
the long mirror. Hopefully the sweater will give me a little
color. I don't want to appear all washed-out on screen.

"Wait a minute-was Adam at the party?"

I nod.

"Oh, my God. I got that smashed?"

"Yup. You were mush," I confirm.

"Explains why I feel like shit now. So give me the deets.
This is crazy."

"Wouldn't you rather read about it in The National
Enquirer?"

"No way!" Cat covers her mouth.

"Kidding. I think. He was with that model bitch, but
he ditched her to help me take you home." I probably look
like a jumbo eraser compared to Pencil Girl.

"Damn, I am a slut." Cat shakes her head. "That's really
nice of him. Sorry if I embarrassed you."

"No, you were my ticket out of the party vortex. Once
those asses found out who I was, they were swarming
around me like heroin addicts jonesing for a quick fix."

"Sorry I wasn't there for you." Cat stumbles out of the
bed and hugs me.

"It's okay." I hug her back. "Adam actually bailed us
both out."

"How ironic." She laughs.

"It's been one wild weekend and it's not over yet." I pull
open Jane's makeup drawer and fish for the same stuff that I
used last night. She has the best lip gloss. For some reason, I feel more sophisticated using Sephora products than my
mostly hand-me-downs from Collection de Mom.

After I've glammed and spritzed, Cat goes back to sleep
and I head to the kitchen to see if Jane has anything I can
snag for breakfast. She's already at the counter, humming
"The Lion Sleeps Tonight." I could've used that song last
night-it's so soothing. Hakuna Matata.!

"Morning, Indigo. I bought some fresh bagels downstairs, and I'm brewing a pot of coffee. Figured you could
use some.

Ah, there is a God. I could get used to living here. Well,
except for the cramped quarters.

"Thanks, Jane. You're the best."

"Don't mention it. So are you ready for your big day?"

I take a deep breath. "Actually, I think I am. I'm definitely ready to face the music and move on."

ue the Sabian Lime intro song: "Taste the bitter, taste
the sweet. It's The Sabian Lime Show squeezing the entertainment out of the news and delivering it to you raw."

The camera focuses on Sabian, who's wearing a crisp
white shirt and dark blue jeans. He's wired on half a pot of
coffee and a large capful of Scope, and ready to pounce on
his next guests. The set could double as a backdrop for an
antibacterial soap commercial-everything is lemony fresh
and sparkling clean, including the faux walls and the huge
yellow throw rug.

Three, two, one ...

"Good evening, Sweet Tarts, this is Sabian Lime with
the real juice! I'm sitting here with Adam Spade from Blank Stare and the girl behind the song, Indigo Jackson.
Welcome." He crosses his legs and flashes a huge dontyou
want to know what I know smile. "We'll start with you,
Adam. Did you ever think your song `Indigo Blues' would
be such a major hit?"

Adam straightens himself up on the lime-colored couch
and faces the camera. The only thing that separates him
from Indigo Jackson is an oversized throw pillow shaped
like a lime. "No, I didn't really think about it. Things happened so fast."

"Dude, you have to give me more than that," Sabian
says. "Did your boys back you up when you introduced
the song to them?"

"At first they were really surprised. I didn't plan on
being lead vocals on it, but after I delivered the song, everyone gave me the thumbs-up. We all put a lot of sweat into
making it happen."

"What I think the public really wants to know is the
story behind the song." Sabian leans in close for a more dramatic effect. His long torso makes him appear taller than he
really is.

"It's based on my relationship with Indigo, or at least,
that's where I got the idea from," Adam replies.

"Sounds like you were obsessed with her." Sabian winks
at him.

Adam tugs at the collar of his shirt. "Somewhat. Guess
I mostly wanted another chance."

"Don't blame ya." Sabian turns his focus to Indigo.
"How does that make you feel?"

"I was definitely stunned."

"As in pissed off?" Sabian clicks his shiny leather shoes
together.

"Ah, no." Indigo shakes her head. "Well, maybe a little. I was like, is that song really about me? Is there another
Indigo Jackson living in Massachusetts?"

"So you weren't devastated?" Sabian asks.

"I was more shocked. Couldn't believe this was my life.
I wasn't used to being in the LIMElight." Her deep blue
eyes widen, long lashes framing their beauty.

"Ha!" Sabian lets out a stifled laugh. "Is the song an
accurate portrayal of you?"

"No way." Indigo's voice rises a bit. "I wasn't trying to
make Adam feel bad. I'm not the bitchy type." She puts
her hand over her mouth. "Whoops, am I allowed to say
the B word?"

"Of course. This is not a show for the weak. We've had
our fair share of bitches." Sabian runs his tongue over his
teeth. "So, what really happened?"

Indigo's face flushes. "It's all about how you interpret a
situation. But I don't want to speak for Adam."

"I felt hurt." Adam takes over. "I took those feelings and
poured them into a song. Once I got going, I was supercharged."

"I'll say." Sabian chuckles.

Adam bows his head. "Things got a little blown out of
proportion."

"Is that so ... ?" Sabian's eyes roll from Indigo, to Adam, and back to Indigo. "Will you ever forgive her for breaking
your heart?"

"I already have." Adam throws Indigo a sly smile. She
smiles back.

Sabian's eyes grow wide. "Seriously?"

"Yes. I never expected the song would take off like it
did. I never stopped to think what it would be like to be in
Indigo's shoes-"

"But I'm sure you thought about what it'd be like to be
in her pants," Sabian interrupts.

Adam does not react. "I was mad at her, and just letting off steam."

"Yeah, but those were your feelings and I should've
respected that," Indigo says.

Adam's face lights up. "Really? And I totally crapped
all over your privacy."

"Like pouring salt into the wound." Sabian laughs.

Indigo's gaze doesn't move from Adam. "Can't argue
with that. But it made my boss at the Rock Candy happy.
It definitely increased sales."

"I miss that place." Adam smiles. "Do you guys still
make that big monster cookie?"

Sabian clears his throat. But before he can speak, Oliver,
his producer, whispers, "Let it roll. This is the real thing."

Sabian groans.

"Of course," Indigo says. "Remember the time when you
bit into one and all the green icing oozed out? You looked
like a three-year-old with snot running down your face."

"Thanks for letting the world know." Adam laughs.
"But seriously, folks, if you're ever in Caulder, Mass, check
out Rock Candy. They've got everything to satisfy your
sweet tooth."

Sabian shakes his leg. He can't hold his tongue any longer. "Speaking of sweet stuff, I've heard some buzz on your
new single `Sugar Rush.' If it's true, you won't need Indigo
anymore.

Indigo lets out a small gasp, but Adam says, "No, if it
wasn't for Indigo, I might not be sitting here with you today.
She helped me grow."

"And if it wasn't for Adam, I might not have realized
the things that are really important to me. Honesty, respect,
communication," Indigo gushes. "I should've communicated better with him from the very beginning."

Sabian pauses and strokes his clean-shaven face. "But
you must cringe every time you hear that song."

She swallows hard. "At first I stayed away from the radio,
avoided Adam, and pretty much didn't want anything to do
with the band. But the song's slowly growing on me."

Sabian laughs. "Like a fungus?"

"No, I wouldn't say that." Indigo twists the beaded
bracelet on her arm round and round.

"You'll forever be recognized for that song," Sabian
says.

She looks straight at him. "It's not so bad being Indigo
Blues."

Sabian sighs, but quickly straightens his posture. "Don't you think you should ask Adam to forgive you for breaking
his heart?"

"She doesn't have to," Adam interjects.

Indigo grabs Adam's hand. "No, Sabian's right." She
stares into the camera. "I am Indigo Jackson and I'm sorry
for breaking Adam Spade's heart."

"Really, you didn't have to say that," Adam whispers.

"I know." She smiles.

I'd like to thank the following people: Rosemary Stimola
for being a superstar agent; my wonderful editor Brian Farrey for helping Indigo and Adam come alive; and the rest
of the Flux team for all their expertise. My husband, Delle,
for being the best groupie a girl can have; my parents and
siblings for their continued love and support; Dan Batchelor, for sharing his knowledge of music and New York living; and Molly O'Neill, for asking to hear Adam's voice.

Thanks to my writing pals-Adrienne Sylver for reading anything I send her; Christina Gonzalez for her wordcount check-ins; and Gaby Triana, Linda Bernfeld, Marjetta
Geerling, Joyce Sweeney, and the Wednesday night critique
group for their comments; to online writing pals and bloggers for being a part of my community; and to the Starbucks
baristas on Old Cutler, for allowing me to write comfortably
from their store.