I was a little surprised to hear that. Gurgol was in all the magazines, they were very popular. I’d assumed they were doing great. “What’s your goal?” I said.
“To make music with my friends and have incredible experiences alongside them. To see the world, which we’ve done and are still doing. To have a different kind of life than everyone I knew growing up. That kind of thing. An interesting life. Something amazing to look back on. I chose a different path than most people I know. And I’m proud of it, even if it isn’t buying me a house.” She laughed.
“What’s it like being on the tour bus?” Fern said. I tried not to scowl. She sounded like a fan, and here I was, trying to be an equal.
“Work,” Marie-Lise repeated. “All of it is work. Definitely. I love the guys. And that’s the other thing I should tell you. You’re going to run into a lot of assholes who will hate you because you’re a woman in metal. Make sure that whoever you are in the band with supports you and believes in you. Make sure they’ll have your back, no matter what happens. And have theirs.”
I felt like we were being watched and flicked my eyes to the sidewalk. To my surprise, I saw Kate and Jennifer, Paul’s stage dancers or girlfriends or whatever the hell they were, walking past the coffee shop. Their eyes were riveted to our table, obviously noticing us having our friendly coffee with Marie-Lise. I tried to suppress my grin and turned my attention back to her as the girls passed, wanting to solidify the impression they were getting of us being friends. “Do you ever get lonely?”
“Sure,” Marie-Lise said. “All of us do. Even though you’re constantly surrounded by people, I feel alone a lot of the time.”
“And that’s why you’ll get off the tour bus in the morning and come have a coffee by yourself,” I said.
She laughed. “Exactly. Being alone for a while makes me feel less alone when I go back.”
“That makes sense.”
Marie-Lise stood up. “It was great meeting both of you, but I should really get back to the bus.”
“Thanks for talking to us,” I said, and we shook hands.
After Marie-Lise shook Fern’s hand, she reached forward and touched a strand of Fern’s hair, gazing at it. “You should try using Pegasus,” she said. “That’s what I use when I bleach my hair. It’s kind of expensive, but it really works to get it nice and pale. You don’t end up with that sort of brassy yellow.”
“Thanks,” Fern said.
“Bye, girls,” she said and made her way down the sidewalk.
We sat at the table and watched her walk back towards the club. “That was amazing,” Fern said. “I really can’t believe we met her, and she was so nice to us.”
“Paul’s stupid girlfriends saw us here with her too,” I said. “They walked by. They’ll totally think we’re friends with Marie-Lise. Fucking awesome.”
“You know, it was weird. I was completely nervous with her. I felt stupid.”
“Nah. It was fine,” I said. “I liked what she had to say. I fucking can’t wait to see the show tonight.”
We sat thoughtfully for a few moments, and then Fern said, “Do you have a goal with the band?”
I thought for a second. “I’m sure I do, I just have to think about it for a while,” I said. “What about you?”
“Well, I guess part of it has to do with being able to play the guitar well,” she said, furrowing her brow. “I mean, I really love it, and I love how far I’ve come with it. I want to see how good I can get with it.”
“And be able to show that off to people,” I said, smiling.