Julie rolled at the behest of Bryce, and Cave said something about it, but it wasn't a fight that Mark wanted to rehash -- to say that the band hated Bryce and everything he stood for was an understatement, and the way he tried to cut Julie off from everyone he didn't approve of smacked of, to the guys at least, of a massive douchebag. Meanwhile, the Blue Nitrous guys finally got off stage and Shamekiss was due to come on. During that time, Mark and the others stayed steadily buzzed, or at least Mark did. The idea here was to have fun, chat girls up and pace the drinking, because they were going to probably marathon it tonight.
 
He didn't really think anything of Jules throwing him a hug on the way out except that he was briefly relieved in a sense that she was moving on if it meant taking Bryce with her. There was no buzzkill like a pissed off alpha male competitor that seemed intent on putting him down -- that vibe was too easy to pick up and it made everything awkward. In fact, he looked like he was ready to give her a bunch of shit on the way out, and Mark felt like a bit of a douchebag for not bothering to stand up to Bryce at all on that or to tell Julie to ditch the dude. Of course, the fight always seemed to be about him versus Bryce, and that's how Bryce set it up. Mark learned very early on to avoid saying bad things about Bryce, because it just made Jules uncomfortable and now silence was a habit. 
 
In any case, there was a show to enjoy now, so the rush to the bar happened, with Reckless Life staying well out of the way. When Martin Smythe, he of the faked and put on English accent seemed like he was coming for the bar, the band made a conscious decision to move to the floor, mostly because BRNO was quickly occupying a spot that was reserved for bands that had played already -- the VIP privilege didn't seem very palatable when it involved hanging around Martin Smythe and his band as they tried to razzle-dazzle the other VIP's up there, the suits and their girlfriends (rather than their wives) and other important people. Reckless Life just went out among the fans of people that followed them from show to show, mostly because Cave had a very acute sense how online marketing worked, even if he couldn't hold down a 'real' job (that a guy like Bryce would instantly disrespect anyway.)
 
The air was a bit humid and somewhat rank from all the smoke and beer and people thronging around as the Shamekiss set started, and it was a well-put together set, but it suffered from a lackluster sort of songwriting that plagued the band after their first album. They were trying to move beyond it, but suffered from the typical problem of reproducing the magic after the first great album. Only a few bands transcended this sort of slump, such as the Stones, Aerosmith, Guns N' Roses, Led Zep, Motley Crue, Alice in Chains and others. In some cases, the great albums came with less than great albums in between, transitions from the first sound to a new sound that grabbed attention.

It happened to some great and classic bands. Second record slump happened too easily, with the onset of life changes that took the muse away or the edge some bands had. Occasionally the evolution was popular, like the Stones with "Beggars Banquet" but that wasn't the rule. 

All the same, Shamekiss got in the groove when they started playing what made them famous in the first place. It seemed like it might be unpleasant to never get another hit, but they got one in the first place, which was better than most. They had lots of money and, if careful, would never really have to work, or work as hard, again.

Mark wasn't sure what happened at that point because they were nowhere near that stage, as far as he could tell, though they had good, newer, material that they'd been refining ever since a couple months ago, when Mark started taking notes on a day to day basis; phrases stuck in his head, events and other things. The songs weren't narrative like ballads, but wove concepts derived from the notes themselves: buried in the songs, like Easter eggs. Sometimes he'd get a piece or lyric down or an idea for a riff or best time, all jumbled in there.

In any case, as Shamekiss wound it down, they seemed to gather a respectable moving party of whoever-- Cave tended to attract an entourage with charisma and recognizability, but the others had friends in the crowd, ready to go where the night took them. Mark had invited Julie but, honestly, knew she wasn't going, not with Bryce there smothering the sunshine-- phrase put in the phone as a note.

"Mark? From Roosevelt?" That made him turn around; he girl was exquisite; dark of hair and eye, muscled legs starting where the knee high gogo boots started, wearing an off-the-shoulder top that showed definition in the arms. Her skin was not porcelain, but rather a richer tan tone. The name escaped him.

"It's me, Maria Liao!" Some ways back, he recalled, she and Julie were friends or frienemies, perhaps, but he couldn't remember the whole story.

"Wow, uh, it's good to see you! Long time, huh?" He hadn't, honestly kept up with anyone but Julie, Dalton and the California Conformity Patrol, but he didn't see the need to bring it up. Meanwhile, Dalton was watching; he clearly identified her faster and was mouthing the word "hot" to Mark.

"I saw Julie here and was wondering why she'd be here, but it makes sense now! You stuck with music and you're really good! I knew you looked familiar on stage! You guys sound like Aerosmith or GNR!"

She wasn't short, more like near the average female height, but she was light enough to get pressed in by the crowd, right against him, when he took his shot, "you like Aerosmith?" His kind of girl, "that's really awesome," he hollered over the noise, "and it's been a long time, so how about you come hang with us after the party." 

She was hot, but it was a Hail Mary pass; so he was surprised when said, "Rockin! Just let me ditch this guy that I was here with, he's so boring and it's awkward..."

--

The rabbit hole they chased took them to a bar and then a house in the hills in the process of being trashed by a huge party; Cave grabbed two girls and rolled out to the hot tub, Stace took something that had him fingerprinting the walls like cave art while stripped down to his underwear, and the others were partying hard. He and Maria found that things were getting too hot to handle, but not before the home owner plied him with a free sample of what some of the others were taking; very finely ground up white powder. 

A sampler, he'd said -- as he handed off the bag with a compliment on a great show.

It wasn't that much stuff, just enough for a small party of two people for a couple hours.

They called a cab, but by the time they were on their way to Mark's apartment, they were already kissing in the backseat; y the time they were in the apartment, they were pulling clothes off. In Mark's room, which had its own bathroom, they put on Aerosmith's 1976 "Rocks" album and did the coke, which was enough to get them going, just a tease, but perfect for the party. The music was fairly soft, the volume down at its normal volume in deference to Jules...and Bryce.

With the music and his own heartbeat in his ears and the hot woman in his arms, and the coke thundering through his veins, they forgot entirely about Jules or her boyfriend. 

There was a first time for everything, such as Mark bringing a girl back home instead of staying out all night.

The next morning, Maria was first to the coffee maker, wearing a T-shirt of Mark's. 

"Long time, Julie, hope we didn't keep you up last night," she said, with a satisfied smile.