Chapter 6

Randy

The sweat is dripping down my back as we duck under the stage and inside the tunnel that leads back into the main hallway. Martin, one of our roadies, hands us towels, so we can mop our hair and faces up. We tend to go extravagant with our light show, and it was no easy task getting that past ‘Swivel’s crew, but we took a cut on the stage room in exchange for access to the extra lighting cables that are usually reserved for the headlining band. We like to go big or go home. It’s been a problem forever for us. Smaller venue owners see the list in our ryder and turn us away. In the beginning, we had to keep it simple, but as we grew into our own, we invested in tons of lighting.

The lights make the stage feel like it’s about a hundred degrees, and it probably is, but it’s so worth it. It adds so much pizzazz to our performance, and the audience looks forward to it. It’s our M.O. and we stick to it. Nonetheless, we’re sweaty like we just hopped out of the shower when we’re finished even a short set like this one. And the first thing I do is down the beer that Martin hands to me.

“You’ve got a shitload of meet & greets, guys. Let’s take two here and get on it.” Bobby instructs.

“Alright, alright.” I whine, downing the rest of my beer. “Keep your pants on, man.”

Gordon is mirroring me. All I can see is his throat as his head is tipped almost all the way back.

“Where’d the chicks go?” I ask Bobby.

“I assume that you mean Darrell and Kristina?” he asks condescendingly, throwing me off. I nod as a ‘v’ forms between my brows. “Mark brought them into the green room.”

I let the tension go. “Hey, let them watch ‘Swivel’, man. They don’t want to sit around back there and wait for us.”

“Fine. Get your asses in gear while I go tell him.” Bobby says in warning. He can be a real fucking Nazi if he’s stressed.

“What’s his fucking problem?” Wade says, mopping his long hair. He looks like a drowned rat. His leather pants have left a sweat ring around his waist that’s visible from where I’m standing.

“I don’t know. Maybe he needs to get laid.” I say, drinking the last of my beer.

“That I didn’t need to know.” Corey says, sipping his beer. He’s not much of a drinker. In fact, I think that sometimes he just drinks to please us, which is totally unnecessary.

Wade finishes mopping himself off and proceeds to clean the sweat ring from behind his waistline while chugging his beer. The guy could juggle, brush his teeth, and play poker at the same time, he’s so nimble. When he’s finished, he lets out a huge belch, crushes the empty can between his fingers, and punches himself in the chest. “Alright, let’s do this shit.”

“You’re all class.” I laugh, watching him. He’s such a clown.

“We have to wait for Bobby, man.”

We see Mark approach. His lips are thin and there is heaviness to his step. “Let’s go.” Is all he says. What the fuck?

“Where the fuck did Bobby go?” I ask, getting irritated. Why is everyone so fucking tense?

“He’s busy. What, am I not good enough for you?” he asks with a sideways glance.

“No, it’s just…never mind.” I mutter. “Is it all chicks we’re seeing for the meet & greet?”

“Would you be disappointed if it wasn’t?” he asks, only joking a little.

“No, I just…wanted to know.”

He opens the door to the main hallway. “Relax, man. Emily’s not here.”

“That’s not why I’m asking. And I said to forget it.”

He raises his hands in the air in mock defeat. There is a lineup of chicks waiting. Probably twenty or thirty of them. They’re eying Wade like he’s a T-bone steak. A couple of them flutter their lashes at me, and I notice that one or two are giving goo-goo eyes to Corey. “Hey, remember, if you want to bang Kristina later, don’t let her catch you with one of these chicks.” I tease Corey.

“Fuckoff.” He snuffles. “At least I bang them when the opportunity arises.”

“They don’t give medals out for that, man.” I joke.

“And they don’t give medals out for celibacy, either, dude.”

I scoff, playing along. “I get laid enough.”

“Sure.” He says, not buying it. “Then why are you flirting with Darrell?”

“I’m not flirting.” I lie, guffawing.

His voice is flat. “Sure.”

“Fuckoff.”

“Alright, boys, take it easy. Let’s play nice for the ladies.” Mark says in earshot. The girls all smile as if a photographer just told them to do so. We take a couple of shots, and one chick actually grabs my ass, so I take a step away from her, and I pull Wade towards her, which seems to placate the horny female fan. Wade grins, and I’m guessing she’s giving him the same treatment, as we take another shot and then get pulled away to another group of fans. It goes on like this for about fifteen minutes, when we’re swept into the green room rather abruptly, by Bobby.

“Don’t we have an interview or anything?” I ask, because since our first single was released, the media has been swarming us after a performance. In fact, I’m surprised that we didn’t see them before the meet & greets.

“Not tonight, man.” Bobby says. Mark nods to Bobby as we’re led to the green room. I notice the edge in his voice.

“Yo, what the fuck is your deal tonight, man?”

Mark and Bobby exchange a look, and then Martin appears, winded and as white as a sheet. “Fucking cops got the place barricaded.” He says breathlessly.

My gaze darts to Mark’s. He rakes a hand through his hair and draws in a deep breath, while staring at the floor. “Thanks, asshole. Way to keep things under your hat like I asked.”

“Sorry, man. I thought you would have told them now that the cops are here.” Martin says.

“Dude, why are the fucking cops here?” Wade asks, reading my mind.

And just as Mark is about to answer, Swivel’s crew comes charging in. “What the fuck…why are you guys still here? Get the fuck out of here now!” Dean, the head of Swivel security, barks. A vein is popping out of the side of his neck.

I look at Mark. “What the fuck is this?”

Mark ignores me. “Look, we’re not leaving without our equipment, man. There’s half a million dollars worth of shit here.”

“We’ll ship it out to our next venue, man. Get the fuck out of here, before the cops come in and force us out, and then none of us gets any of our shit!” The vein is bulging now.

“Can someone please tell me what the fuck is going on?” I shout.

Once again, Mark ignores me, which pisses me off to no end.

“Look, if you’re so fucking worried about the goddamn cops, then why are your boys still out there on stage?” Mark approaches Dean, as if they’re about to fight.

“We promised our fans a show, man. And until the cops kick our boys off the stage, we’re not going anywhere.”

“Hey, hey, man.” Wade interjects, standing between Dean and Mark. “Someone bring us up to speed, man. What’s the deal?”

Gary, another one of Swivel’s security team, crosses his arms over his chest as if it makes him look tougher, and he speaks like his shit doesn’t stink. “Some asshole called in a bomb threat.” He’s chewing on a piece of gum, and somehow it makes him look even tougher. “It’s probably bogus, but the spooks around here don’t treat it that way. We’re trying to hold them off from fucking emptying the place, but they’re swarming the fucking building like some guy with a fucking machine gun is in here.”

I don’t know whether to laugh or to shit myself. How could this be happening on our first night on tour? Why would anyone do this? We’re brand new, and nobody, to my knowledge, has received any sort of threat. This must be about Swivel, not about us.

“They’re taking people to the exit doors in sections, starting from the back.” Bobby states, nodding. His dark nostrils are flared, and he’s got his arms crossed over his chest, too. I feel like it’s a game of Simon Says, and that I should do the same. “It’s only a matter of time before they kick Max and the guys off stage. I’m surprised that they haven’t done so already.”

Suddenly, we hear really bad feedback squeal through the microphone system, burning our eardrums, followed by loud screams. “Shit!” Dean shouts, while he, Gary, and Mark make a run for the doors leading to the stage.

“You boys don’t fucking move an inch!” Bobby says through gritted teeth, and then he tears off in the same direction.

“What the fuck is this!” I say, combing my fingers through the sides of my soaking wet hair, pulling the hair to my head tightly. “Why the fuck is this happening to us!”

“It’s not us, man, it’s got to be Swivel. We’ve not been around long enough to create this kind of shit.” Corey says.

Then something occurs to me. “Shit, the girls.”

“What girls…oh shit.” Wade says, recalling who I’m talking about. “What do we do?”

“We go fucking get them.” Corey says. “They’re right up front, man. Like a few steps from the door here.” He gestures with his hand.

“How do we know it’s fucking safe to go out there, man.” I state, thinking that maybe some yahoo got past the metal detector and has pulled a gun out or something.

“Like twenty steps?” Corey says, as if I’m being stupid.

“Yeah, like twenty steps.” I say flatly. “What if some freak is right there? You don’t know what the fuck is going on out there.”

“I bet it’s just some hoax. Some asshole with a plastic gun.” Gordon says nonchalantly. “Hey,” he chuckles. “Maybe someone found Bobby’s fake pistol.”

“Yeah, you’re funny, asshole.” I snarl. “Have you got a wife that you’d like to go home to? Because I’d like to make it out of here alive so I can.”

“Ah, fuck you.”

“Hey, guys, let’s keep it together.” Wade says. “Look, I’ll stick my head out and just take a peek, okay?”

“You will over my dead body.” I say, raising my voice. “Bobby told us not to move.”

“Since when do you listen to him?” Corey says, poking me again.

“Fuckoff.” I bark. “Nobody’s going anywhere until we’re told to. Now, let’s keep our heads on.”

“Fuck you, man. I’m going to get the girls.” Corey insists.

“Are you that desperate for fucking tail, man?” I screech, taking a step in front of him. “Look, I’m serious, man. What if some guy is behind that door, ready to blow your head off?”

“You know, that’s half your problem. You’re too much of a pussy to be married to a hardass like Emily. God, grow some fucking balls. Don’t you think that if someone had a gun out there, that you’d hear a fucking gun shot?”

“He’s right, man.” Wade says. “You’re being a pussy. I bet you this is all just bullshit. Some teenage freak was pissed that he didn’t win the fucking contest on the radio and decided to crank call the cops with this shit. Twenty bucks says that’s all it is.”

My blood is boiling. I hate being called a pussy, and they seem to do it a lot. Fine, I have stronger morals than all of them put together, but that doesn’t mean that I’m a pussy. “Fine, if you think that that’s all it is, then you go get the girls. And I don’t know why you’re so fucking worried about them, anyway, if you think that this is such a fucking hoax.”

“Because we invited them here tonight, man. It’s our fault that this happened to them.”

“You’re out of your fucking mind.”

“And you’re just afraid to go out and get them because if Emily finds out that you did, she’ll be all over you like a fly on shit.” Corey says.

“Fuck you.” I say, feeling my chest heave. I storm towards the door and open it with the heel of my hand. The hallway is mostly empty, but the din is almost eerie. Instead of screams of enjoyment and euphoria, it’s screams of terror. It looks like a mob out here, and I can see why Bobby threatened us to stay put. It would be so easy for someone to come out and grab one of us, and I wish like hell that I’d put my shirt back on, because right now, I stand out like a sore thumb.

And I feel like an idiot, because people are forcing their way out, trampling one another. The stage is lit with stark white lighting, as though we’re all being interrogated. It’s almost too bright, and I have to shield my eyes from it. The people up front haven’t got a prayer of getting out of here for some time, as the people at the back of the auditorium are leaving in such a panic, that it appears as though it’s taking twice as long to accomplish half the task. I look for the girls, and I see Darrell and Kristina, also sticking out like sore thumbs, because they are among the only few calm people in the whole place. They are about five seats towards the end, and some guy on the very end is smoking a joint. It appears to be the smartest guy here, since most of that row are so calm, they don’t look like they give a damn.

“Darrell!” I shout. She looks in my direction immediately. I motion to her to come towards me. Just as she does, there is a gunshot heard from nearby. We all duck for cover. “Get over here!” I shout over the screams. Both girls are bent at the waist as they come towards me. The others are going in the opposite direction.

“Jesus, it’s like goddamn Pearl Harbor in here!” Kristina comments as we run for the door, with our bodies bent forwards.

“I know.” I say, as we open the door and get inside. “There was a fucking bomb threat.”

The guys are all at the door, wondering what the noise was. Wade’s got a shirt on, Gordon’s pacing, and Corey has this look on his face like someone just called him a cocksucker.

“A what?” Darrell says, flabbergasted. “Jesus Christ!”

Wade, overhearing, intervenes. “It’s probably bogus.” But I detect a waver in his voice. Is Wade actually scared now? He’s usually fearless.

“Well, that gunshot we just heard wasn’t bogus. That was for real.”

“No, I heard it, too. We all did.” Wade agrees.

“Let’s get the fuck out of here.” Corey says. “I’m not sticking around for this shit. I didn’t sign up for this.”

“We can’t just split. What about all our stuff?” Gordon says.

“Are you worried about your shit getting blown to smitherines? We can replace it. But if we’re blown up, that’s it.” I add.

“My car’s right out back.” Darrell says. “We can hop in and get the hell out of here.”

“Done.” Corey says, taking hold of Kris’s arm. Suddenly, all eyes are on me, as if asking for my permission.

Part of me wants to get as far away from here as possible, but the other part of me is scared that we’ll lose everything, including our equipment, our respect from Swivel, and I’ll get an ass-kicking from Emily for jumping ship and going into another chick’s car. She can be really territorial sometimes, and I don’t need to set her off, even if it’s for my own safety.

“Come on, asshole, we’re leaving with or without you, despite what you think your wife will think of this.” Gordon says, pissing me off.

“Fuck you, that’s not what I’m thinking.” I lie. “Screw it. Let’s go.” I say, gesturing for Darrell to lead the way out of here. “Do you remember how to get to your car?”

“Easy.” Darrell says. “I have a crazy memory. I can remember milliseconds of frames for videos that I edited on my first day.”

Within sixty seconds, we’re in Darrell’s teeny car, squished like fucking sardines, but we’re safe…kind of. We’re still not off the property.

“Do you know the sideroads here? To bypass the cops?” Wade asks, and I wonder if he knows, and if he does…how.

“Sure. Yeah. I’ll use the way that Bobby told me. It’s the way that all your equipment got here. The cargo exit.”

“You rock, man.” Corey says, high-fiving her.

“Do you want me to take you guys home?” Darrell asks.

“Just take us to Randy’s place. Our cars are all there.”

“Where were you heading after the show?” Kristina asks.

We tell her the next stop, which is a couple of hours from here. “The plan was to pack up tonight and head there tomorrow. After that, we’re out of the state, and on the tour bus.”

“What are you guys going to do about your equipment?” Kris asks.

“We’ll get it once the cops have done their investigation.” Wade waves.

“Provided it doesn’t get blown up in the meantime.” Gordon states.

“That’s not even funny.” I say, watching Darrell drive her car like it owes her money. Not one cop has stopped her, but I’m guessing that that’s because they’re all at the venue. No cop stopped us from the cargo exit, either, surprising me, and no other cruisers are anywhere to be found. The boys in blue are likely all directing people out of the auditorium.

“Hey, where’s your wife tonight?” Darrell blurts, catching me off guard.

“She’s shooting a movie in Hollywood.” I answer honestly.

“Yeah, and he’s going for a booty call with her tomorrow night after our performance.” Wade teases.

“Fuckoff. It’s not like that.”

“It is when it’s a surprise. Are you sure she’ll appreciate that?” Corey adds.

“She doesn’t know that you’re coming?” Darrell asks.

“No. She knows that we’ll be in Hollywood, but that’s all.”

“And you’re sure that she’s not going to surprise you and come see you?” Kris asks.

“No. She only comes to see me when she isn’t shooting.” I explain. “Her screen time is all over the place usually, and it doesn’t permit her to come to the shows, since a lot of the time she’s up shooting at like five o’clock in the morning.” I lick my lips. “Besides, this is the only time that she’s shot a movie in Hollywood. Shit, the last time, she was in fucking China.”

“Really? Which movie was that?” Darrell asks. I tell her and she frowns, impressed.

“Is this the first time that you’ve ever surprised her by meeting her while she’s shooting?” Darrell asks.

“Kind of, yeah. But tomorrow’s our anniversary.”

“And you didn’t make any special plans?” Darrell asks, confused.

“No, we agreed to celebrate it in a couple of weeks, when we both have a break in our schedules.”

“Ah.” She nods, as we hit a red light. The night is quiet. Nobody is on the streets save for the odd muscle car out for a speed on the highway. It’s not that late, but late enough that all the families and seniors are tucked away for the night. We reach my place in record time, and I invite everyone in to stay, just to figure things out. The second that I open the door, Carter starts barking, jumping up on me. I grab him before he jumps on anyone else, giving him serious pets on the back and head.

“Sorry, girls. You’re not afraid of dogs, are you?” I ask.

“No, not at all. We love animals.” Darrell says, approaching Carter. He sniffs her hand and walks right over to her, sitting on her foot.

“Carter, what are you doing?” I ask, and he looks at me like he’s doing the most natural thing in the world.

“Yeah, you probably shouldn’t let him sit on your feet. He’s got a bladder problem.” Wade says.

“He’s okay.” Darrell chuckles. “I’m sure he’ll let us know when he’s got to go.”

“He probably already pissed in Emily’s Ficus tree, anyway.” I wave, letting Carter enjoy at least one female who likes him. We’re not in the house two minutes when the phone rings.

It’s Bobby. “Why the fuck did you guys leave when I told you not to?” he practically shouts into the phone.

“Darrell drove us back to my place. We just got here.” I say levelly. “So, what happened? Did the cops find the bomb?”

“No, not yet, but they have managed to evacuate the area.”

“Did they find the dude with the gun?”

Bobby sighs. “It wasn’t a gun. Some asshole armed with cherry bombs decided to have a little fun.”

“You’re fucking kidding me.” I say in disbelief. “Where are you?”

“I’m at a phone booth. I’ve been stopping every time I see one to call, trying to find you guys.”

“Sorry, man. Darrell’s car was at arm’s length.”

“No, I get it, man. I’m just worried about our equipment.”

“We can go back once the investigation is over. It’ll be fine. I just feel bad for Swivel, man, they didn’t get to finish their set. I bet a lot of pissed off fans will be on their tail.”

“We’ll do another date there and make it up on the back end of the tour.”

“We?”

“Yeah, we’re opening for them, so we’ll be there, too.”

“And you know this for sure?”

“Yes, I spoke with their manager. They’re already posting it on the radio.”

“Was the place swarmed with news vans and stuff?”

“Not when I left, but who knows now. I’m just glad we all got out of there safely.”

“Yeah, that makes two of us. So, what’s the plan?”

“Stay put for now. We’ll go back and get all of our shit when the cops say so. But don’t sweat it, man. The roadies’ll have that all under control. You guys get some rest for tonight and pack your bags, because we’re on our way to Hollywood tomorrow, and then all over the place after that.”

“Gotcha, partner. I’ll see you in about twelve hours.”

“Sounds good.”

I hang up to him and fill the guys in on what’s going on.

“So, a little punk with a cherry bomb, huh?” Wade is impressed. “I told you that’s all it would be. Some hoax.”

“Well, that’s what the gunshot was, Bobby didn’t say whether or not they found any evidence of a bomb, or if that was a fake, too. We don’t know that yet.” I explain.

“You want to lay bets?” Wade asks.

“Na, forget it. I always lose.” I say.

“Pussy.” He teases. I never knew how much I hated being called that, but I do.

“Fuck you.” I say, then I change the subject. “I’m still hopped up on major adrenaline. Do you guys want to jam or something?”

“Shouldn’t you let your wife know that you’re alive?” Gordon suggests.

“Or at least check your answering machine to see if she’s called.” Corey adds, and I notice that he has his arm around Kris.

“Well, I’d hear it beeping, moron, so there’s no messages. She probably doesn’t even know about it.”

“You’re afraid to call her while the chicks are still here, aren’t you?” Corey teases.

“Would you fuck the hell off with all this shit, man? She’s working. I don’t need to bother her. She doesn’t bother me when I’m working. What the fuck.”

Darrell gets this look on her face like she was just accused of something. “We should get going.”

“No, no, stay. It’s okay.” I wave. “These guys love to bust my balls about my wife, man. They do it all the time. Just wait until one of them gets hitched and we’ll see how fast the tables turn. They don’t know a fucking thing about relationships beyond that which they have with their cars and their instruments, and I’m the only one who’s ever been in a relationship, so I get fucking razzed about it. It’s the way it is around here all the time and it has nothing to do with you.”

“As long as we’re not going to get you into trouble.” Darrell says tentatively.

“No, not at all.” I insist.

“Yeah, Yoko’s probably got video cameras all over the place, keeping tabs on this dipshit, and he’s as clean as a whistle, so he’s never gotten in shit by her…yet.” Wade says, and I punch him in the arm, semi-joking. That gets a laugh from the guys.

“Would you guys fucking cut it out?” I say as Wade punches me back.

He gives me a half warning, half playful look. “Do you want to do this now? You know how Emily gets pissed off when we wrestle.”

“Well, Emily’s not here.”

“Yeah, but, we have witnesses.”

“Go ahead.” Kris says. “I’ve still got a bit of a buzz happening. Blow some steam off. Show us what you’ve got.”

Wade looks up at her. “How’d you get buzzed?”

“Buddy in their row was sharing his vitamin M.” I say, interjecting, taking a cheap shot at Wade’s hair, tousling it.

“Oh, really?” Wade says, impressed. “And was little miss goodie-two-shoes indulging, too?” he says, addressing Darrell as though she isn’t here.

“No…well, not directly, at least.” She admits with a chuckle. “I did get a little second-hand buzz.”

Wade smacks me benignly on the cheek, and I try to dodge it, but miss, and suddenly, we’re scrapping it out on the floor, and Gordon and Corey join us. The girls are shouting words of encouragement, and I can’t believe how apt Darrell is at calling shots. She’s like a goddamn auctioneer. It’s funny but so cool, too. And we’re all making so much racket, that Carter is barking, wrestling with us. “I bet the dog kicks all your asses!” Darrell teases. “Remember, he’s got sharp teeth!”

“He doesn’t bite.” I laugh, as Carter barks at me, like I’m the cause of the problem here. The dog is baring his teeth, getting very upset, when Darrell calls him over to her.

“Here, Carter. Come here, boy.” She says sweetly, making kissing noises, and he goes to her, wagging his tail. I’m so distracted that I stop fighting. She walks him over to the door and goes outside with him. Wade punches me right in the stomach, knocking the wind out of me for a second, and I punch him back, equally as hard. Then we all give up, as we lay on the floor, breathless and exhausted.

Darrell comes back inside a few minutes later, with Carter. “It’s no wonder he was so upset, he must have peed a mile.” She says.

“I told you he’s got bladder problems.” Wade says.

“Shit, he must not have pissed in Emily’s tree then.” I say. “Good boy. Too bad mama’s not here to reward you.” I say, grabbing him and petting him. He comes to me and sits on my lap, as I’m still on the floor.

“He’s just beautiful, Randy. How old is he?” Darrell asks.

“He’s a rescue, so I’m not too sure. The vet says that he’s about three years old.”

“And did you train him?”

“No.” I shake my head. “He’s just really well-behaved.”

“Except for when he pisses in the Ficus.” Wade reminds.

“Well…there’s that.” I smile.

“What are you doing with him while you’re on tour?” Darrell asks, and he goes to her, sitting on her feet, waiting for her to pet him, and she does. She actually gets down on the floor, to his level, and hugs him.

“I’m hiring a dog-walker to come in and take care of him while Emily and I are gone.”

“Aw, have you found anyone yet? I would love to come and look after him.”

Wade makes a sizzling noise, hissing inwardly, like that’s going to be a huge problem. “Oh, that won’t go over well.”

Darrell’s face drops. “Oh. That’s true. I doubt Emily would appreciate another female in her house.”

Carter nuzzles up to her, and she hugs him. It’s like they’re instant best friends. “I don’t think Emily would mind that much. At least I can trust that you won’t raid my fridge or steal my equipment. I’ve never had to hire a dog-walker before.”

“Don’t you think you left it until the last minute there, buddy?” Corey teases.

“To be honest with you, it completely left my mind. I was hoping Bobby or one of the guys from the recording studio could pop in and look after him. Plus, Emily’s coming home on the weekends, so it would only be during the week.”

“Well, I’d love to do it, if you think that Emily would be okay with it.” Darrell states. “I love dogs. I’ve always wanted one, but little miss ‘dogs are messy’ here won’t let me get one.” Darrell says, giving her sister a sideways glance.

“And now you don’t need one.” Kris points out facetiously.

“Okay.” I nod. “I’ll just let Emily know when I see her tomorrow.” I smile at the two of them. She adores him, and from the look of it, he adores her. It’s so nice to see. “Thanks.”

“It’s my pleasure.” She says to Carter, not to me. He wags his tail. “But I will warn you that I might kidnap him or sleep over, so the poor little guy isn’t alone all night. I’d just feel awful.” She looks up at her sister, who suddenly has an uneasy look on her face, like she’s got diarrhea or something. “Fine.” She seethes. “You say you like dogs…but you’re a filthy liar.”

Kristina raises her hands in defeat. “I’m sorry, but they’re dirty and smelly, and he already said that he’s got a bladder problem.”

“He does.” I confirm.

“Aw, poor baby.” Darrell frowns, hugging Carter. It’s so sweet I can’t take my eyes off the two of them.

“Hey, do you girls want to come to the show tomorrow night? I promise there won’t be any bomb threats there.” Wade offers. “It’s the least we can do seeing as tonight was a bust, and now you’re looking after my brother’s dog.”

“Hey, yeah, come to the show.” I say, nodding. “I’ll hook you up with the best seats in the house again.”

Darrell and Kristina exchange looks, and then nod. “Sure, we’d love to.” Darrell says. “And believe me, tonight was no bust.” She shakes her head. “You guys were phenomenal. Seriously.”

“Thanks.” I say modestly. “So, you’ll come?”

“For sure. We’ll be there.” Darrell nods again. Then she looks at Carter. “Oh, boy, we should get going home, and let your daddy and his friends get some sleep. Tomorrow’s a big day for them.”

“You don’t have to leave.” I say, trying to catch myself, but failing. I don’t want her to leave. She’s so sweet, and Carter adores her, and…I don’t know…something in the air changes when she’s here.

“No, you guys need to get some sleep.” Darrell says.

“And I’ve got a house to show in the morning, too.” Kristina adds. “Open house.”

“Oh, okay.” I say. “Well, give me your number, so Bobby can give you directions and get you on the list.”

“Sure.” She says, eying a pad and paper hanging by the phone on the wall. She jots down her number. “We both live there, so either one of us can take the message.”

“Okay. Hey, sorry about tonight. I didn’t mean for you to get the shit scared out of you.”

“It was an amazing night.” she says honestly, searching my eyes. “Really, I can’t thank you enough.”

I pinch my lips into a warm smile. That’s all I can manage, because I’m afraid to say anything else. Plus, I can feel the guys’ gazes burning into the back of my neck. “Okay, I’ll call you.”

Darrell and Kristina both wave. Carter starts barking. Darrell walks over and gives him another pet. “I’ll see you tomorrow, too, little man.”

“Oh, shit, a key.” I say, going to the basket above my fridge, grabbing our spare key. “Here. You’ll need this. It’s for the front door.”

“Oh, thanks.” She smiles. Then they both wave again, and Kristina gives Corey a flirtatious little smile and wink. When they leave, I wait for it. Wade is the first one to whistle loudly, in a reverse tapering crescendo, as if pretending that something is about to explode.

“What the fuck?” I say to him.

“Bye bye balls.” He waves teasingly at me. “Emily is going to fucking lose it.”

“Yeah, can I be there when you tell her?” Corey says.

“Fuck you all.” I say, turning around, trying to ignore them, as I watch the girls get into the car. “She’s going to watch my dog. Emily will be fine with it.”

I can hear Wade approach me from behind. He pats my shoulder.

…”Yeah, but are you going to be fine with it.”