Chapter 14
Mike was woken by Pete sitting beside him on the bed the next morning. “Morning, Pete. What’s the time, babe?”
“Morning, Michael. It’s about quarter to eight. I’m gonna be leaving for work soon, but I’ve brought you breakfast in bed. I even cooked you some bacon and sausages! Here you go.” He let Mike prop himself up against the pillows and headboard then passed him a tray. Mike took a gulp of the coffee first.
“Thanks, Pete. This looks good, but you didn’t have to, and aren’t you having anything?”
“I had some toast. Is there anything else you need? You don’t need to be up for a while, so finish this up and try to get some more sleep—you could do with the rest. Isn’t Micky coming in early to help with the clean-up in the club?”
“I’ll believe it when I see it. Christine’s due in first. I don’t want her to come in and feel she needs to see to everything, so I won’t stay in bed too long, but I really appreciate this gesture.”
Pete leaned over and kissed Mike after he’d finished a mouthful of egg. “Bye. I’ll see you some time this afternoon. I’ve got a lesson with Susan, and James and the other kids in his band are coming round too, for a bit of a practice before the club opens…you don’t mind, do you?”
“Of course not. I’ll take some time off this evening and cook us dinner. Let’s try to at least have some time together on our own.” Mike pulled Pete in for another kiss. “Bye and see you later.”
“Don’t forget Davy’s due back today. He might call you after the plane’s landed, before he gets his luggage—someone needs to pick him up.”
“All right. I think I might get Micky to do that, make himself useful. Go—you don’t wanna be late for work, do you? Love you.”
“Me too. Love you more. Bye again, Michael.” Pete waved and left Mike on his own.
Not much later, Mike was woken again by someone looming over him. “Micky, what on earth… Why are you in bed with me? What time is it?” He reached over to pick up his watch. “Eleven! I’ve slept in late. You been downstairs, clearing up, I hope?” he asked Micky.
“Yes, sir. I came in with Christine, and she helped me a little. She’s setting up the bar now. I tidied up the office too—you’d left glasses and beer bottles in there,” Micky smugly answered him.
“All right. I guess I better get up. Oh, you heard Davy’s gonna be back today?”
“No, not until you just told me” You want me to pick him up from the airport? I guess you and Pete will be too busy and I don’t mind.”
“That would be good. Thanks, Mick. Now let me get ready. I’ll get a shower first, so would you start up the coffee machine, please?”
“No problem. Hey, it’s nice and warm in this bed—no wonder you slept in. That’s not like you at all. Guess you’re tired… Is it because of overwork, or whatever you and Pete get up to in here?”
“Hey, it’s the hours! I’m not used to it. And no, me and Pete aren’t spending enough time together to get up to much.”
“Spare me the details, please, Mike! You’re grouchy—I’ll go sort out your coffee.” Micky dived out from under the covers. “Come out of the bathroom in a better mood!”
When Micky had left, Mike got up and used the en suite. The shower was so much better than the one back in the pad. Big enough for two. Now I just need to make sure me and Pete get the time to use it together. That’d be good, he thought.
When he went to the kitchen, Micky was at the table, having a bowl of cereal. “There’s your coffee. You want anything to eat? Early lunch, maybe? The ice box is pretty full with leftovers from last night.”
“S’okay, I’ll get something later. I had breakfast in bed that Pete made me.” Mike sat and picked up the cup.
“Mike, I don’t need to know exactly what you two get up to in the bedroom.” Micky laughed.
“I’m not giving out any details to you! You jealous or something?”
“No, I’m not. I’m happy enough in that department, thank you. It’s been good having Gemma staying over at the pad. I’m gonna miss her, when you’re all back—she fulfils all my needs for me.”
“I bet filling your stomach is the main one. Least you ain’t gotta feed yourself.” Mike laughed.
“You know me too well, but I guess she won’t wanna stay over when Davy’s back tonight. Unless we could…”
Mike could imagine the cogs turning in Micky’s head. “Before you ask, you are not using our bed. I locked the bedroom door before we left, and I’ve got the key, and no trying to pick the lock.”
“Spoilsport! We’d keep the room tidy, and you’ve got the double bed… Please, Mike?” Micky got down on his knees to plead with Mike.
“No way! It ain’t happening. Ask Davy to sleep on the couch or in the hammock. And there’s also the spare bedroom or have you filled it up with more junk? I don’t know why you have or where you get so much crap from.”
“Sorry, but it’s not junk or crap—I need those things for my inventions and the spare room’s much warmer than working in the garage! At least the Monkeemobile will fit in there now,” Micky stated.
“So you’ve moved everything outta there? I guess that’s a good thing, I suppose…better if we need to work on the car. I’ve been hearing an odd noise. We can take a look at it in a few days.”
“No problem, Mike, and the pad’s tidy at least. Gemma cleans up as she goes along. It’s good having a chick about the place, but she’s a bit shy in the bedroom when any of you are there, if you know what I mean… She thinks you’ll hear everything. The walls are thin, as you know from experience.”
“Ask Davy to stop over at a chick’s then. I’m sure theres a girl somewhere who’s been missing him. He’s probably already got a date lined up, knowing him.” Mike laughed, shaking his head.
“You wanna bet on that? Because I reckon he has—he’s probably chatting up the air stewardesses as we speak! He’ll have them eating out of his hands, as he says often enough.”
“Well, he’s gonna have to deal with that guy Alan, and Mary—God knows what happened there. I dread to think. You can drop some hints to him on the drive back from the airport.”
Christine appeared at the kitchen door a few minutes later. “Mike, there’s someone here who wants to see you. He looks quite a serious guy, and it doesn’t seem like he’s in a good mood either. Best not to keep him waiting too long. I got him a coffee and he’s sitting in a booth.”
“Okay, Christine. Thanks—can you let him know I’ll be with him in a few minutes? You can come with me, Mick, give me some backup.” Mike got up and Micky followed him down into the club.
“Good morning, Michael Nesmith, temporary manager. This is my assistant, Micky Dolenz.” They approached the guy in the booth. “How can we assist you?”
The man stood and shook Mike’s hand. “Hello. I’m Edward Ryan, from the City Hall I deal with permits and licenses, heres my id. We’ve had complaints about patrons of this club drinking outside, food being served and also groups of underage minors on the premises. Can you confirm if any of this is true?”
“We had an incident the other night and the club was temporary evacuated, and yes, I think people took their drinks out with them. Everyone was back inside within ten minutes. And yes, we served food. It was snacks, not full meals, just burgers, fries, and hot dogs,” Mike replied to him.
“All right.” The guy took some paperwork out of his briefcase and briefly read some of it. “So the other matter is the underage minors that have been seen entering and leaving the establishment. Can you explain that to me?”
Micky spoke up first this time. “Well, we had a teen night in the back room. The bar was locked up and only soft drinks were served. The kids played and listened to music and had fun, and everything was over and finished by the time the main area opened for the night. We had no trouble and everyone was well behaved.”
“So did these teenagers have permission from their parents, and do you have a license permitting these events?” The man stared straight at both of them.
“Some of the kids were given lifts here by their parents, so they must have been aware, and sorry, sir, but I wasn’t aware that we needed a license. Could you let me know how we could apply for one, before we plan any more evenings?” Micky took over the conversation, which Mike was glad about.
“You’ll need to go to City Hall of course, but these complaints that we’ve received might not make things go in your favor… I’ve got a form with me that you can fill in and submit to us. I’m not sure how long things like this will take as we have quite a backlog of paperwork to deal with.”
“Thank you. I’ll bring this in as soon as possible.” Micky took the form from him.
“Can I ask who made a complaint against the club?” Mike decided to ask.
“I’m afraid I’m unable to divulge that information to you, but there has been more than one, and as I said, these may go against any license application.” The man put everything away in his briefcase. “I need to go now—I have someone else to see, so thank you for your time, and goodbye.”
When the guy was out of the door, Mike got Micky to follow him into the office. “You got any idea about who made these complaints? Ronnie sure ain’t gonna be happy about this.”
“None! Really, I’m just in the dark as you, and probably just as mad as you are too,” Micky replied.
Christine was busy at the bar as another member of staff arrived. “Am I in early because we’ve got another event on? Something those guys have planned? I don’t wanna be stuck in the back bar again with a bunch of kids,” he said.
“No, Ben, nothing’s planned. I though you’d want some overtime. Sorry for asking for you—go home if you want. And would you like me to tell Ronnie how you feel about the job? I’m sure someone else would be willing to take your place.”
“No, it’s okay… It’s just that they don’t really seem to know what they’re doing. They should just stick to performing here. They could’ve left you in charge, because you’re well in with Ronnie. Best I don’t say too much…after all, you’re more or less related to one of their band, aren’t you? But I’m not the only person who feels like this.”
“Mike’s not doing too bad. He offered to help out here, and he’s putting the hours in. I couldn’t do that. I’ve got responsibilities at home. If you’re not gonna stop complaining, you know where the exit is. And you can tell the others that too, if they aren’t happy.”
“Okay, sorry. Forget I said anything. At least Ronnie will be back in charge soon and things should get back to normal.” Ben quickly disappeared into the stockroom.
Christine followed him. “Seeing as though you wanna hide away in here out of the way, you can tidy everything up, clear out the rubbish and empty boxes? That should keep you busy for a while.”
In the office, Mike and Micky went through the license form, filling it in the best they could. “Let’s just hope they approve it. I don’t want to give Ronnie any bad news, and you have really put some effort into these events, Micky.”
“I could take this into the City Hall tomorrow and try to see someone, try to win them over. The kids need somewhere to go to have fun, and it was a good evening. I’ll take Davy with me. He could maybe work his charm on the receptionist to get us in to talk to somebody! It’s worth a try.”
“Let’s hope so. His ability with chicks could work to our advantage for once.” Mike laughed.
Christine decided to call Annie to ask her opinion about something that was on her mind. Luckily, Annie was in and answered quickly. “Hey, sorry for bothering you. Theres just something I need to ask you.”
“No problem. I’m multitasking feeding Dylan and talking to you. He’s in a grumpy mood and I’m struggling to get him to eat this new food, so a distraction is good.”
“Good. It’s just we’ve just had someone here from the City Hall, about some complaints about what’s been going off here since Mike’s been in charge.”
“So I guess the guys aren’t too happy?” Annie asked her.
“I doubt it, but Ben who works behind the bar has been complaining to me a few times. I think he doesn’t approve of the temporary management, and he says other staff feel the same. Mike’s tougher on them than Ronnie—they can’t get away with being lazy.” Christine was keeping an eye on the storage room door, not wanting Ben to hear her.
“So you think one of the bar staff have put the complaints in, because they don’t like the changes? Don’t they realize they could cause problems for Ronnie? They could put their own jobs at risk.”
“Yeah, that’s what I think, but do I tell Mike and cause any more issues for him? They need to sort a license out—he and Micky are looking into that now in the office. I’m on my own behind the bar.”
“Do you want me to ask Peter to have a word with Mike about the bar staff? I don’t mind seeing what he thinks.”
“No, Annie, better not. I don’t want Mike angry that I’ve been talking about him behind his back this way. I might have a word with Jacob… He’s coming in in a few hours to go over rotas with me.”
“Yeah, it might be best if you approach Mike together. Good idea. Listen, I need to hang up—I think Dylan’s diaper needs changing. Who’s a little stinky boy? Those mashed-up potatoes and vegetables are causing this. Do you think I’m trying solid foods too early? I have to go. Bye—see you later this evening.”
“They seem to enjoy it. Summer seems to be loving bananas. I should be home about six-thirty. Bye.” Christine hung up the phone and got back to work, stacking glasses.
Pete was back around one and found Mike and Micky upstairs in the kitchen, starting to make some lunch. Mike looked at the clock “You’re early—everything okay?”
“The last lesson of the day got cancelled. Mrs Young had to leave for a funeral, so they said I wasn’t needed, so I’m here. Susan will be here for her lesson soon. I called to tell her we could start an hour early—she’s nervous because she’s got the exam tomorrow. I’m at the school eight until twelve then gonna drive to her house and we’ll go straight to the examiner’s office.”
“All right. I’ll make you some lunch…a cheese sandwich okay?” Mike asked Pete.
“Thanks. I should have about forty minutes before she gets here. I said the kids from the school’s band can come around later too. They wanna practise. You don’t mind, do you?” Pete asked Mike.
Mike continued filling a plate with food. He got a tray and picked up some fruit. “No problem. Come on, let’s take this into the living room.” He followed Pete and they both sat down.
“Have you had a call from Davy yet? His plane should be landing sometime soon.” Pete leaned across Mike and grabbed a sandwich
“No, nothing yet, and least our lives will soon be back to normal—we’ll be back in the pad and here playing our usual gigs. Which reminds me. I think we need to have a few rehearsals, maybe change the set list a little, play some of our newer material—”
They were interrupted by the phone and Micky picked it up. “Hello… Hey Davy! How are you? Groovy, that’s good…okay so you’re gonna go wait for your baggage…Yeah, I’ll set out now and I should be there soon.”
Mike threw the Monkeemobile keys to him. “Drive carefully, and no telling him about that chick and her husband—we can leave him to deal with that problem if and when the guy turns up. See you soon.”
“No problem I hope there’s not too much traffic, but it’s not too late,” Micky said as he left.
A few minutes later, there was a knock and Susan entered the living room. “Hi, I passed Micky, is it? on my way in, and he said to come upstairs. Are you ready for my lesson, Peter?” She smiled at him.
“I’ll clear up after lunch and head back down to the office, leave you to it,” Mike said as he went for the door to go to the kitchen.
By the time Pete and Susan had finished, Micky was just arriving back on his own. He went to join the others who were having a drink while Susan was waiting for her father to come to take her home. “Where is he?” Mike asked, looking around.
“Back at the pad. He said he was tired after the flight—jetlag and he didn’t get much sleep on the flight, but he got the number of two stewardesses! That guy can pull a chick anywhere. Wish I had his luck.”
“Micky, you’ve got a girlfriend! At least you’re not skirt-chasing like he is all the time. Oh, did you ask him about tomorrow, going to City Hall with you?” Mike asked.
“He’s up for it, hoping the mayor’s assistant is a cute young bird. His words, not mine. I just hope it works and that Ronnie agrees to more teen evenings here.”
Susan stared at Micky, looking disappointed. “I though those were gonna be a regular event! I told most of my girlfriends about the last one, and they’re planning on coming. I hope you’ll be having another soon.”
Mike spoke up to answer her question. “We didn’t realize that we’d need a license, and we had a visit from City Hall this morning, so we filled in the application and now just need to see if they grant us one. That’s why Micky and Davy are going tomorrow, to see if they can talk someone around, maybe even see the mayor.”
“Okay. I really hope you get it. Oh, Daddy—everyone, this is my father. This is Pete, my piano teacher and his friends and bandmates… Wait a minute… Daddy, aren’t you playing golf later with Uncle Frank?” she asked her dad.
“Yes, princess, I’m due at the club after taking you home. Got my golf bag ready in the car.”
“Daddy, could you have a word with him? The guys here need a favor. They’re starting up a club for teenagers like me, music, and of course only soft drinks. All the kids want to come! But they need to get a license.” She was giving her father a big smiling innocent look.
“I guess I could try and help. Anything for my princess, and if it keeps the kids off the streets…”
“Thank you! Sorry, guys, I didn’t say—Uncle Frank, he’s my godfather and also the mayor, and Daddy’s best friend from college.” She looked at Pete then looked back at her father.
He nodded at his daughter. “I’ll talk to him while we’re playing later. It shouldn’t be too hard—he’ll do anything for Susan, but there’s a favor I need to ask of you before I do this.”
He looked at all the Monkees, his gaze stopping on Pete, who stared back, worried about what the man was going to ask.