Rock Her(7)

He started down the busy sidewalk. A moment later a disheveled looking man approached and stopped in front of him. He was wearing a grey trench coat that was absolutely filthy. His beard was long and matted with dirt and old food. Kip stopped and smiled at the man, then started to step around him when he said nothing. The guy sidestepped and blocked his path again.

“What can I do for you, man?” Kip said, keeping his smile on his face.

“Just looking for an autograph, man,” the dirty guy said.

“Uh, yeah, sure thing man, I uh, I have nothing to write with, you have anything?” Kip said.

The man spread his arms and shrugged.

“Sorry, man. Catch me next time, okay?” Kip stepped around him again and walked on. He had the strange feeling of eyes on his back, and his military training sounded off. He turned around and saw the man staring at him. Kip spread his hands again and turned back around. Up ahead he saw the lobby for the Hilton and he stepped in. He made his way straight back to the bar, where he bellied up and ordered a Jack and Coke.

He scanned the bar and at the end caught a familiar sight. He had to do a double take since it was the last person he expected to see. Annie sat there, hovering over a drink. Her face was red and she did not look like she was having a good time.

Kip caught the bar maid’s attention and pointed to the seat beside Annie, and he made his way over.

“Missed you at the club,” he said as he sat down next to her. Annie flinched and saw it was Kip. She straightened and wiped her face with her hand.

“Kip, hi. Didn’t expect to see you here,” Annie said.

Well, that’s clear, he thought. “What’s the matter, Annie?”

Annie downed her drink and shifted in her seat. “Oh, you know. The meeting I had didn’t go as well as I hoped.”

“Sorry to hear it. Can I help?”

“Unlikely,” Annie said smiling. “But thanks for the offer.”

Kip flashed his million dollar smile at her. “Oh, I don’t know, Annie. I am pretty good at helping people. There’s a lot more to me than just rock star Kip, you know?”

“No, Kip, I don’t know. I spent five hours with you last night talking about your life and I still have no idea who you are.”

Kip looked down at the floor. “You’re right, Annie. I am not being very cooperative, am I? I’ll tell you what, you fill me in on what is happening with you right now and I will answer all of your questions.”

This is a huge fucking gamble, he thought. I really don’t want to fill her in on anything she asks. Why did I just say that? Kip was praying now that he said it that she would decline the offer.

“I met with my ex-husband tonight,” Annie suddenly confessed to him. “It didn’t go as well as I was hoping. I had sex with him but then shooed me out of the room.”

Shit, she really is all about getting the story.

“I am sorry. What a fucking dick,” Kip said solemnly. “And you were hoping for…?”

Annie looked at him like he was clueless. Then her eyes softened. “Fuck, I don’t know, Kip. I was hoping to make up, maybe. And now I don’t know why. He was an asshole tonight just like he’s always been.”

“You met him here, at the Hilton?”

Kip looked around the room. He had a sense about trouble, and his senses were telling him some was nearby. And he quickly spotted it.

“Annie, did you meet your husband here, at the Hilton?” He asked her.

“Yes, Why?”

“Oh, just cause I think I am about to meet him here, too.” Kip said matter of factly.

Just then she heard the familiar voice behind her. “Who in the fuck is this?”

Annie spun around and saw her husband standing there. He was short but well built. He spent a lot of time in the gym.

Kip stood up and put out his hand. “Hi, I am Kip Jones. So nice to meet you sir. Heard a lot about you.”

Annie’s ex scanned Kip for a moment. Kip knew this was going to end badly. The man was obviously drunk, and his eyes told Kip that he was looking to start a fight.

“Yeah, I’ll bet you have.” The man slurred.

Annie tried to get between them. This was clearly not the first time she had tried to keep her ex-husband from starting a fight.

“Stewart, this is Kip, Kip this is Stewart. Stewart, Kip is the rocker I was telling you about upstairs. I am going to write his biography.”

“Uh-huh. So you’re going to have to get to know him really well, huh? As well as you got to know that fuckwad democrat senator?”

Kip sat back down so as to not provoke him. Fuckwad democrat? Her ex seems to be the fuckwad.

“Stewart, we’ve been over all of this,” Annie said. “Yes, I need to get to know the person I am writing about.”