After dinner we said goodnight, Joe and I got on a cab and headed to Bonds.

He takes his cigs out his pocket, as usual offers me one and like always, I decline.
He sighs while lighting it, as if relieved, "Been wanting one all evening, I felt I kept making a fool of myself."
"I wanted to escape through the bathroom window, If you want to know the truth." I admit, our eyes meet and we share a laugh. He takes another long drag them exhaling says "I liked them though, we should do this more often."

Dressing Rooms, always overfilled with energy and excitement, people going in and out. Topper putting on pants, Mick and Paul by a mirror with eyes fixed on themselves, making sure their hair is just right (It always is) and Joe asking me to help him put on his "strum guard." While we do the idiot suddenly realizes he's left his telecaster at the hotel.
He tells Kosmo, begs him for the car.
"Are you mad?! Just borrow a guitar from one of the guys in the opening act."
"Come on, Candy will drive."
Taken aback I protest, "why me?!"
"You've got a license" says Joe.
"Yeah, expired too."
"The show is in an hour, it's packed Joe" Kosmo says handing me the keys, focused on Joe.
"Don't fret it! We'll make it!" He replies.

Getting into the car,
"You should've asked someone else, I hate driving under pressure."
"Oh pressure, Oh pressure's gonna drop on you" he sings playfully.
"Put on the seatbelt and shut up."

I Waited in The Car while giggling at Joe who ran into the hotel, seconds later somebody I recognized walked out. I lowered the passenger window and yelled out "Catherine!"
She was startled but seeing me she smiled and walked towards the car.
"Hey! You feeling better?"
"Yeah, thank you. You just finished your shift?"
"Yeah, headed home, you?"
"I'm waiting for Joe."
"Are you guys going to a gig?"
"Precisely."
"Cool! Well, have fun" she says. She starts to walk away as I remember my promise so I honk. Once again she's startled but turns around. Just then Joe runs out of the building, guitar in hand, and hops into the car. He's out of breath, "lets go."
"Hold up," directed to Catherine who still stood there I ask,
"Do you wanna come?"
"Uh Seriously?!"
"Yeah! Come on."
She jumps into the car without a second thought, we drive off while I introduce them.
I must've slipped more than a couple traffic laws but at least we arrived in time.

Catherine follows me to the dressing room where I give Kosmo his keys back. Meanwhile the Clash head to the side of the stage.

"We were running late or else I would've introduced you to the others" I apologize, "but surely after the show."

"Don't worry! This itself is amazing!" She says elated looking around, her excitement reminds me of my younger self.
"It's just like I imagined, the clothes and cigarette butts, the noise, guitar picks, the static, even the smell."
"The smell?" I ask.
"Yeah, you know, sometimes people have a scent that you'll remember them by. Well I always imagined The Clash would smell like cigarettes and tea."
"and sweat and Heineken" I added, she laughed.

Her words circled my mind, she was right, after Joe and I split whenever my nose caught the smell of brandy my heart would skip a beat thinking he was around; drunk.
It had stuck in my mind from a cold night when coming home from an Angelfucks gig I found him on the couch nearly drowned on a pint of brandy. I shook him to consciousness and in his state he told me all about the things he hid, things that kept him up at night, things he never cried over and now had to. He kept repeating "I don't like the memories." Whenever I think about it, it brings me to tears...but not now, Candy, not in public.

"Come on, we'll miss the first song." I lead her to the greatness of The Clash live. As we observed them it felt surreal, like rereading your favorite book to find why you loved it the first time plus more reasons.
I guess I'd forgotten how thrillingly magnificent they were, nothing, no one, could top them.
The Only Band That Matters.