Strike that, Tom found Preach and Lyla a house a lot like that first one we had out there that Tommy rented, except smaller, more secluded, whole fuckin’ place was surrounded by green, even the front, and it didn’t have a view, but it had a pool.

[Chuckles]

So not like that first house at all, except it had a pool. But it felt like it since we were all there so often.

We all had our own pads by then, but it felt like we were always with Lyla and Preach at their crib.

Maybe because that’s the only place we could get good, home-cooked food and we all liked our food.

[Bursts out laughing, then quiets]

But mostly, we liked bein’ around Lyla and Preach.

She got a job in the school system, which was a disaster from the start.

First, she’s famous and living with a famous guy and you cannot be the first one of those and have a job in the Los Angeles Public School System.

Second, being a teacher was her mother’s dream, not Lyla’s, and she didn’t take to it.

It could be the first had to do with the second.

After a while, she moved from the public-school system to a private school, but it didn’t get much better on either front.

In the end, it was just clear, although Lyla loves kids, that wasn’t her calling.

This was probably the worst thing that could have happened.

Lyla trying to make a go of teaching, giving up on it and then she’s cast adrift.

She felt like a failure.

She felt like she was letting her mother down, her grandparents.

She was lost and the man who could make her feel found was in Singapore or Berlin or Vancouver or wherever the fuck.

Yeah.

That was not good.

We were all burning out, man.

Preacher was the only man taken in the band, but he’s from Louisiana. Even if his woman is half a world away, he can party and do it where it doesn’t end with his dick getting sucked.

And the man could party hard.

But it wasn’t just booze and weed and blow and a good time after every gig.

It was a pill to wake up and a pill to get some sleep and a pill to knock you out on the plane and a couple of lines before you go onstage, which would turn into someone getting a solo so the rest of us could walk off because we needed to do a couple more.

Lyla doesn’t know any of this shit is happening.

Preacher doesn’t understand all that’s going on with her seein’ as she’s putting on a brave face when Preacher phones home.

And Preach isn’t exactly hiding, but he isn’t being forthcoming.