We had a table right next to the dance floor. People buzzed around us, Fantastic show, Love the album, Oh my god that song makes me so hot. Nice for the band: but right now was for us, so everyone was politely turned away while we drank and laughed and dissected the show.
I sat next to Con. Duncan was on his other side, still cranked on music: his eyes shone and his body wanted to touch. I watched the crowd watching us, and said to Con, “So, is this how you imagined it when you were a kid?”
Con made the huh face, and then grinned. “The first band fantasy I ever had was that Tico Torres would get run over by the tour bus and I would be Bon Jovi”s new drummer.”
So unexpected, and so perfect: Duncan and I nearly fell out of our chairs laughing. Con went on, “Seriously. I loved those guys, I still do. And I could totally see myself in the really tight faded jeans and the hair””
“Stop,” said Duncan, who was by now gasping for breath. A wonderful thing, to see him so abandoned to joy. He came out of his chair and straddled Con”s lap. “Please, mister rock star,” he said, “can I be your groupie tonight?”
“Get off,” Con laughed.
“Love to,” Duncan said, looking particularly wicked as he always did when he saw a chance to tweak Con, who was undoubtedly the straightest man on the planet.
“You”re a fucking pervert,” Con said with genuine love. “Get off me.” Duncan laughed and went back to his own chair.
“And what did you see yourself playing?” I said.
“Easy,” Con said, “”Bad Medicine.””
— from “Dangerous Space” by Kelley Eskridge
Now that’s what I’m talking about.
I think maybe I need a little of that potion…
Good one.
I was coming up to the dance scene in “Dangerous Space” and didn’t know what the song would be…. I thought it would have to be something 80’s-style slinky and sexy, INXS or suchlike.
And then, quite by accident, I heard “Bad Medicine” on my Pandora station, and I had to go to iTunes right then, buy the song, put it on CD, take it out to the living room, put it the player, turn it up and dance… It made me realize, well, it’s one thing to dance slowly for each other to INXS, but to do it to Bon Jovi — exciting to have to keep all that energy held tight, you know? And then there was no other song for Duncan and Mars.