Brad
Present Day
“All right lads, we’re late, so listen up.” Dennis stands at the front of the bus, business mode fully on, giving us our daily orders. “We’re here for an interview with the college radio station. You’re going to play the two songs. And then a quick meet and greet after. Let’s get in and out without too much fuss. Sell the record. Flirt, do whatever it is you do.”
Jez gets up from his recliner, does a little twerk, and bows to the sound of applause from the rest of us.
Dennis clears his throat and Jez sinks back into his chair smirking, satisfied with his disruption. “Hailey’s got your packs, and she’s going to try to get you all back here by 9 a. m. tomorrow morning. Anyone not here by 9:05 a. m. can find his own sleeping arrangements for tomorrow night. Which, I realize, is not a threat to you man-whores.”
“Hey, I’m not a man-whore!” Sebastian argues.
“Sure you aren’t, sweetie,” his fiancee responds, patting him gently on the head.
“Fine, I’m a taken man-whore,” he pouts, before breaking into a blinding grin.
“There ya go,” Cadence giggles and they come together in a kiss that makes the rest of us groan.
The bus turns off the road and parks in the radio station parking lot and we file out, our crew already there, setting up our equipment inside. Hailey suddenly stops just as we reach the back entrance, causing Marius to bump up hard against her.
“Hey!” he complains and she just waves a hand in his face.
“Shush! Can someone grab Emily? I’ve gotta go make sure they’ve got the right audio setup.”
Everyone turns and looks at me.
“Wha?” I ask.
No one says anything and just continue to stare at me.
“Ugh, fine. No no…let me.” I roll my eyes as I walk back toward the girls’ tour bus.
“Okay, she might still be asleep, so you night need to knock a few times. See you guys inside in five minutes,” Hailey yells after me.
I knock on the door when I get there but there’s no answer. “Bu-, er, Emily? You up? We’ve arrived. We’re on air in ten minutes if you wanna come in and watch it live.”
There’s still no answer so I step inside. I can hear a rumbling in the back and make my way toward the bedroom quarters.
There’s a soft laugh and a murmur of a few words. God, that laugh. How could I have forgotten that laugh? Like she’s high on life and everything you say is the funniest thing she’s ever heard. I could bottle that laugh and sell it on street corners and make more money than I’d ever see with the band.
“I miss you too, baby. I wish you could be here, it’s amazing. You’d love it so much.”
Fuck.
She’s talking to a boyfriend, or a husband…or a lover.
I try not to, but my ears can’t help but strain to listen in on her conversation. There’s the sound of chatter from the other hand. Then she speaks again.
I can’t wait to hear all about it. I’ll call you tonight when everyone’s asleep. Anyway, I’ve gotta go. Love you, Ben. Bye.”
Fuck. Fuck. FUCK.
I didn’t even think that that’d be the reason she pulled away. Because of someone else, not just because of me. The prospect of our future falls dark. If it was because of me, at least I could maybe change her mind. If she belonged to someone else, maybe she’d never be open to giving me another chance.
“Ahem.” I clear my throat to alert her to my presence.
“Who’s there?!” she asks, her voice nervous.
“It’s, uh, it’s me. We’ve arrived.” I poke my head around the corner and into her room. Her face blares a fiery red and she shoves her hand deep into her purse. “Oh, um, okay, I’ll be right there.”
“Is, um, is everything okay?” I ask, not sure if I want to know.
“Oh yeah, sure, just a call from, um, from home.” She waves her hand, dismissing my questions.
“Someone must be missing you,” I say, the questions continuing to rise in my throat.
She gathers her things and doesn’t offer any more information. I have to leave before I say something neither of us is going to want to hear, so I make my way back down the bus, calling out to her, “I’ve gotta go meet the others. Just come inside when you’re ready.”
Once outside, winter chill slams against my face and I’m momentarily winded. I take a gasp of breath.
Except it’s not that cold.
The lack of air is from the twisting of my lungs from pure jealousy.
I kick the bus’s front tire before I go inside, my insecurity simmering like poison inside me.
***
“So, Brad. Can you tell us a little about the two songs we’re going to hear from you guys today?” asks Felicia, the radio talk show host, after a few minutes of small talk. We’re on a show based on discovering new talent, and it was one of the programs that supported us the most in our earlier years.
“Well, Felicia…why don’t you tell me what you want to hear and I’ll see if we can sort something out just for you?”
Her laugh fills the earphones and even out the corner of my eye I can see Dennis practically beaming, enjoying my rare display of extroversion.
“Now, now, Brad, don’t be monopolizing our hostess today,” Jez cuts in. “Why don’t you go back to being your usual grumpy self?”
“I can’t help it, Jeremy. Felicia here just brings out the talkative in me, I guess.” I grin at her, and she smiles back, her tongue running along the length of her bottom lip, flirting with me.
“Boys…there’s plenty of me, and your fans to go around, I’m sure. But back to your performance…?”
“How ’bout something a little sexy?” I suggest, my wink getting another sly smile from her.
“What did you have in mind?”
“Nothing I can say on air without being beeped.”
“Ah. You are bad,” she giggles, her chair spinning to face me.
“You have no idea,” I drawl, leaning back in my chair, my eyes locked on her.
Sebastian kicks me hard in the shin and I ignore him. They wanted a flirt, they’re going to get one.