I blink, not sure where he’s going with this.
Well, maybe I do know where he’s going with this. If the state Nikolai and I were in this morning is any indication.
“I’m not her dad, but if you see her drinking, can you please let me know? She just doesn’t need any shit going down right now. I’m hoping this tour is gonna be a good thing for her.”
I start to open my mouth, but he adds, “I don’t think she’s going to, but just in case. Someone else should be watching too as I might be more distracted than I usually would be with Naomi around.”
“Is there something more I should know?”
“That’s her business, but I just wanted someone else to be looking out for her when I’m not around. She still likes going out, but she…” he trails off. “Look, I know you still like having your nights out, but you’re probably the best one of the four to ask.”
My curiosity is piqued, but I don’t press for more details.
I mull over the fact that out of the four of us, Boone’s telling this to me. The more I think about it, the more it makes sense, even if I’m not exactly a role model.
Hayden hasn’t stepped foot in a club since the incident, or even gone out to any gathering of sorts. If Scarlett is going out, he’s not going to be there with her.
Nikolai is barely responsible for himself, often relying on myself or Reid to keep track of his wallet and phone.
And Reid doesn’t give a shit about anybody but himself. He’s not going to watch out for someone he doesn’t even know.
So, I understand how Boone came to the conclusion by talking to me about this.
“I’m not asking you to babysit her or anything; she’d have my balls if I did.” He laughs. “But it’s more for my own peace of mind to have someone else watching her back a bit.” His eyes shine with genuine concern as he watches her wrap up her third song.
She hands over her mic pack back to the stagehands, which means we’ll be up soon for sound check.
I hold my right hand out in front of me, offering it to Boone for a handshake. He’s a good guy. That’s hard to come by in this industry and judging from the fact that he even took the time to have this conversation shows some level of love for Scarlett.
I’m curious what their story is and how they met.
Have they fucked?
I immediately push that question out of my head, not sure why that was the first thought that came to mind with what their history might be.
Yes, you do.
Okay, maybe I do. My interest is piqued by her and I’m wondering if there may be any sort of territoriality out of Boone, even if he is happily with Naomi. He’s obviously protective of Scarlett.
But I’m not going to go there.
I walk back to Hayden, who’s still standing back by the booth, now joined by Nikolai and Reid.
“Look who finally decided to show up,” I greet Reid, clapping him on the back in a half hug when I reach him. I may have twenty or so pounds on him, but Reid is easily the tallest out of us, standing at 6’4”. If he wasn’t a musician, he easily could’ve played college basketball between his height and natural athletic ability.
He returns the hug, a bit stiffly, but still a win in my book. As he pulls back, a ghost of a smile touches the corners of his eyes. Even if he won’t admit it, I think the bastard’s looking forward to being back on tour too.
“All right, boys.” Nikolai claps his hands, rubbing them together as he looks at each of us. “Who’s ready for this shit?”
3
SCAR
Fucking cheap-ass suitcase. I knew the three-piece luggage set deal online was too good to be true, but my procrastination got the best of me and I was running out of time to get my stuff packed.
And to be fair, I didn’t even know I was going on tour until about three weeks ago, so it’s not like it’s entirely my fault that I wasn’t well prepared in advance.
I try sitting on top of the largest suitcase, tugging on the zipper with as much strength as I can manage, but it doesn’t budge.