That Saturday morning a familiar face rolled in. She wore moderately long blond hair well-rounded face and body accentuated by a tight western shirt; custom boots flaming red tight jeans. She was just a bit on the short side. I was Tara Glasgow. Donna read her and almost died of a heart attack as she walked to the counter calling, "Hey Tom I heard you were out here. This is a nice place you got." She strutted in looking like she owned the place. She stretched her arms out for the chest to chest hug I slid to her side hugging gently her shoulder. I responded with a simple thank you. She then asked, "Have you seen the Eagles Hell Freezes Over concert?" I replied that I had missed it and she asked if I wanted to see it. I figured it would be a slow day so why not. She went to her Mercedes wagon and emerged with a TV VCR combination and she promptly plugged it in.

All 3 of us were watching and I could feel Donna's becoming familiar stare on both Tara and I like radar acquiring a weapons lock. I shot a glance towards Tara and she felt it. I was interested to hear the acoustic version of Hotel California. I quickly found myself having a strong distaste for it. The song came of like Spanish guitar work more style then substance. The song was musically impressive yet it lacked the stench of death and brutal honesty that made the electric version so great. There is something about a Gibson SG and Telecaster one with its growl and moans the other with short sharp screams that could haunt a listener and remind the listener of the true nature of the story being presented to them. A quick glance at Donna indicated that we both knew that the soul of the song had removed. We both had lived that song. Tara remained clueless to it. Donna and I having seen that death first hand could not help but notice the lack of darkness. I started putting pieces together. Tara saw the disappointment on my face. She made the comment, "You did not like it?" I responded, "It broke my cheese meter." I felt Donna's stare slacken on me along with a faint grin appear on her face. Tara though was now on the warpath. She made the comment, "That song was great what do you mean cheese?!" I replied, "That song is about going through the motions having long ago forgotten they're meaning. That song is about the death of hippie movement in the seventies. When it came out it was dark not some fancy Spanish guitar playing yuppie art garbage." Tara was more upset, "I can't believe that I just heard that! You mean there is something wrong with wealth?" Donna cut her off: "You don't understand do you?" Tara was now in fight mode and she would not give up. I at this point saw something in her that began to disgust me. She fired back, "What is there to understand I like that song better guitar playing then the original the solo seemed tacked on." I replied, "I'll give you that but the cheap tacked on solo at the end of the original fit the song simple yes factory made darn close to it but it enhanced the song." Tara fired off more calmly: "What do you mean?" I started out, "Donna and I spent too much time in a place that I later dubbed 'Hotel Unicorn' I even took the structure and the plot of the song to prove a point to Rob Riney about it as I wrote about New Braunfels. 'Hotel Unicorn' was not complimentary about New Braunfels High School it was written in disgust. First verse geographic clue. Second verse introduction and warped twist. Third verse exposition Fourth verse more exposition and response to darkness explored in the previous three verses. I'll give you in a heart beat the newer version has fancier guitar playing but I think the song lost its soul." I was trying to throw Tara a bone and get her off the warpath. Tara backed off at that moment.

We continued watching. There were some great new songs some great old ones. I could not help but grin at "Get Over It." The song was a catharsis. Donna and I both could have been called victims yet we stopped considered selves that. Their had been heartache in both of our lives yet truth revealed changed us. The song had my feelings to Geno in it. He wanted to be a victim and by being a victim he cut himself off from grace. I also have a raging distaste for personal injury layers and that song blasted them. The song with the line: "Call some place paradise kiss it goodbye" struck a chord. That song showed the inherit darkness within the western story that the cafe had become just another an extension of. Push a frontier seeking freedom and you bring everything you were running from with you and glory that a place one had would soon be paved over with strip malls, developments and super highways. Tara read my face as I saw the song performed and listened to it. She asked me, "Why this song?"

I replied gently with more wisdom than I had when she stepped into the cafe, "You wouldn't understand." During the time she had ordered a couple of cappuccinos and made the comment, "As good as the Kharma." I smiled and thanked her for compliment. The concert video ended.

As I took the stuff to her car she smiled and made the comment, "Don't be a stranger in Denton any more we miss you Tom." I replied, "I'll try to visit within a couple months and that I would be up for Easter." I hugged her and she sped off Northward in her Mercedes. There was a chill in the air and I quickly went back into the café. Donna made the comment: "I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it." I shook my head and responded, "My sophomore year in Denton was wild." Donna asked what had happened and I told her the story how we had met and how she hung around the Tams freaks and I. Donna was blunt and said; "She looks like the greatest poser rebel to me." I replied, "You are right and looking back on it she has caused some serious damage. Damn!" Donna quickly asked, "What?" I replied, "Kathrine she influenced Kathrine she influenced Kathrine in the wrong direction. That Tara could be so manipulative and cruel." Donna said, "I read that as she strode right in here like a queen approaching her loyal subject you." I laughed a bit and replied, "Denton was a turbulent place weird things happened there." Donna replied, "You and someone with the personality of Rachael Dougherty and Susan Butts that is the last thing I could have ever imagined yet I saw it." I simply quietly said, "Yeah right now I have hard time believing it happened I got more questions about Tara and her role within the DBC youth group then I have answers. How we became close is beyond me but shoot my life has been interesting!" Donna looked warmly into my eyes and said simply, "Answered questions are wisdom and asking questions shows that you are no fool." I told her thanks. I walked to the door realizing I was feeling too warmly to Donna. My hormones were kicking and I was ready to turn tail and run against a common temptation.