Big Yellow Taxi

"We're producing Swan Song next year round January," Jimmy explained as Richard navigated through traffic in his search for the hotel. "We're putting the offices in Rockefeller Plaza in New York, so we'll be going over for a few parties some time."

"The States?" I cheered. "Can I please go! Daphne said there's so much there, especially for photography. Oh, please!?"

"Did I ever tell you about the first time I ever met-- or, really, saw-- Keith Moon?" Robert asked no one in particular, ignoring the groupie in his lap that I tried to avoid looking at. Robert had been the only one to bring a groupie and I was grateful. Nobody knew about Rob's encounter with Moonman, and even though Bon seemed thoroughly uninterested, Robert continued, "Back with the Band of Joy--"

"Oy, the Band-o de Joy-o," Bonzo growled, raising his bourbon bottle and pouring a bit on the carpeted floor symbolically.

"-- we were getting our first gig together outside the Speakeasy, in London you know, and some git in a posh Rolls Royce pulls up to the cross and some old lady was half across when he shouts, 'You'll have to move faster than that, madam!' She nearly had a heart attack! Turns out to be Keith. He had bollocks!"

Robert, the groupie and I were the only ones to laugh. Jimmy staring blankly out a window, his hand on my knee and his crimped hair frizzing; Jonesy playing something out in his head that was seeming to trouble him; and Bonzo entirely drunk and angry-- La Bete ("The Beast") as they had dubbed him. The groupie muttered something about Robert being "so funny! Ha ha ha!" and attractive. I rolled my eyes.

"I met Joni Mitchell," I busted out. Jimmy turned toward me so fast I was sure he had whiplash, and even Bonzo seemed to sober up. Everyone's attention was on me and I had a feeling I struck some nerve, good or bad, and I'd have to find out which carefully. "She's... nice."

"Beautiful legs on that one, there is!" Bonzo bursted out. "I'd love too--"

"Her voice is magnificent!" John Paul supplied. "Oh Lord, what I'd give to be equivalent."

"Don't it always seem to go," Robert began, serenading the car lovingly, "that you don't know what you've got til it's gone..."

"They paved paradise and put up a parking lot!" the rest of the limo sang along.

"Shoo, bop bop bop bop!" I concluded confidently.

"There you go," Robert grinned, clapping at me and chuckling.

"No, but I photographed her for Melody Maker in 1970. I've been living off that bread for 3 years; good for it, that was. Joni's a sweetheart, real beautiful, brilliant voice. Real outspoken-- she has my respect."

"She hasn't-- er, she didn't say anything about me, did she?" Jimmy asked, straight faced. "I'm sure she wouldn't--"

"Jimmy loves her, see," Bonzo announced, clapping Jim on the shoulder. "She turned him down in LA few months back. Sorry little thing's loved her since."

The limo pulled to the side of the road and the police escorts left. Before Bonzo could open the door, it swung open and G peered in. "Alright, Babies, tenth floor. Jimmy and... you [me], Suite 260. The curtains are closed and yer candles are in there. Robert and John, 262, Bonny and Cole in 265. STAY OFF the fourteenth floor. Bonzo, no color tellies out the window, no motorcycles in the pool, no bloody Beast nonsense between you and Cole, aye? Aye. They don' make me put down 10,000 for security like America does now, yah cunt. Come ed, then."

As we climbed out, Robert muttered to his groupie, "Lets go to the fourteenth floor!"

"Absolutely not," G snapped. "It's occupied, if you must know. Just stay off."



Jimmy's suite was beautifully ominous. Onyx black candles burnt passionately on every available shelf, giving room its only light as the curtains were drawn, leaving the room twice as dark as usual. There was a color tv on a stand in front of a couch and one King's bed. A dark energy filled the room and I found myself on edge.

I flopped on the bed and asked Jimmy if he was going to turn on the light. He laid down beside me, propped up on his elbows, and replied quietly, "No. You wouldn't want to do anything, would you?"

I turned to him, but resisted temptation, no matter how great the offer was. "Like talk?" I ebbed, and he knew my answer was a no.

"I have some-- I have some smack, do you want to do that? Or we could 'ride the snake.' Ricardo has some mescaline."

"I... don't do that, sorry." When Jimmy seemed uninterested, I added, "At least not today. I want to find out what's on the fourteenth floor. It's pretty noisy, even all the way down here."

"Come on," Jimmy urged, standing and placing his hands on my knees, "lets just stay in, you and me. Bon's going to do so much heroin that we'll find out whose up there eleven-de-seven-de times when he raps on our door the eleven-de-seventh time to remind us."

I laughed and listened to the racket four flats up. "Is that Jumping Jack Flash?" I asked, hearing the melody of some live music. "The Rolling Stones? No..."

Jimmy leaned forward and set his chin on my bellybutton. "Bianca can't know," he smirked. "Nor Charlotte." I nodded and he stood straight. "Come here."

I sat up and wrapped my arms around Jimmy's neck, chortling like an idiot. "If elephants have trunks," he murmured, "do little elephants have briefcases?" I laughed away from him and he brought my chin back with a hooked finger.

He kissed me again, only more intensely and paused. "I'm sorry about Syd and Ricardo."

"It's fine," I whispered, looking into his cool eyes. It surprisingly was fine, and I was actually excited thinking about the hysterics of it all.

"Merry Christmas," he grinned before pushing me down and climbing on top of me.