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There was talk on the side that he might do the song with us when we played Rocktoberfest this year. That would be killer, and I’d enjoy seeing my friend again. Even if he was kind of a prick.
We walked to the front of the stage and lined up, taking a bow after Dip and Grind ended.
Show was over.
When we walked off the stage again, we weren’t going back. We high-fived each other in the hallway, and I bumped my hip into Miami. “Great show, man.”
“I couldn’t be happier. Hope the rest of the tour goes this well.”
“Fuck yeah!” Wolf hollered and wrapped his arms around my shoulders. “Damn, you’re sweaty, you shirtless beast.”
We all laughed, bursting into the locker room again like a flock of loons. I headed to my area and grabbed a towel to wipe down. I’d take a shower when I got back to the hotel, but I needed a shirt. After running the towel over my shoulders, neck, and under the back of my hair, I tossed it on the bench. Grabbing a fresh concert shirt with our new logo on it, I joined the others in the center of the massive room, where chairs were placed around a round table. There were a couple areas like this for us to hang out, and we’d be here a little while. Backstage pass holders would stream in shortly, expecting to chat us up. Back in the day, groupies would be included in this, male and female alike,ready to party, fuck, or both. But not now. Just fans. There was a difference.
I grabbed a beer out of the cooler, not caring who was responsible for delivering it. Coleman was always great about arranging refreshments and things we’d need. I vaguely recalled contracts were involved, but I didn’t care. I actually trusted Coleman. Fucking Coleman. I didn’t need the reminder. Hell, cold and wet was all I cared about as I popped the bottle open. I sat back in one of the caramel-colored leather chairs after taking a big swig. It was oversized, probably more suitable for football players, but super comfortable. “This is nice.”
Fans started coming in and shaking hands with us, getting things signed. I nodded and smiled. I enjoyed interacting with fans, but I was tired and had a long day ahead of me tomorrow. I perked up when Marcos and his friend showed up. Couldn’t remember his name. I nodded when he greeted me. “You like the show?”
Marcos gave a thumbs up. “Ya’ll rocked. Right, Zade.” Ah… Zade was the friend.
“You killed it, man. The part at the end where you talked to the audience. That was epic.” He was practically jumping up and down, and while I appreciated his excitement, his energy was wearing me down. I’d been up too long, and I did all the interactions and played the show. I needed a hot shower, a strong doobie, and a soft bed. Stat.
“Glad you liked it. It was fun.”
“Liked it? Fuck, I loved it, man. And how can I get a shirt like that? I only have the old one.”
“I like the old one.”
Zade’s eyes widened. “Want to trade?”
I didn’t really. I’d end up throwing it away, so I figured I could just get him a new one. “Nah…you keep it, but I’ll get you one. Hey, Kai, hey.”
When Kai saw me waving at him, he walked over. He glanced at Marcos and Zade. “What’s up, Zig?”
I pulled at the bottom of my shirt. “Hey, can we get one of these for my friend, Zade, here?”
“Sure, I can get one for both of them. What sizes?” He looked Zade up and down. “Large? It’ll be big, but if it shrinks up, it’ll still fit. That work?”
“Oh, yeah, sure.”
Marcos shook his head and blushed a little. “I don’t need one.”
“Nonsense. I’ll get you a medium.” Marcos was a smaller guy. Kai jogged off before anyone could change their minds.
A few minutes later, he came back with a couple of shirts in hand. “Here you go. And you. And…” He pulled a marker out of his back pocket and handed it to me. “In case you want to sign these?”
Marcos didn’t seem interested in any of it, though I’d always known him to be super laid back, so I wouldn’t expect him to be fan-boying all over me. We’d known each other a long time, after all. Zade, on the other hand, was a different story altogether. He jumped up and down and extended the shirt to me. “Yes, yes. Would you please?”
Kai had the foresight to design the logo in a way that gave us a nice white spot to sign them. Being an abstract logo on a black shirt would have been impossible otherwise. “Sure, man.” I uncapped the marker and signed on that spot, leaving room for the others if he wanted to collect them. “I’m sure these guys would be happy to add to that.”
Zade clutched the shirt to his chest. “No. Just you.” It seemed a little weird, but fans could be like that. I’d seen a few others who picked a favorite and ignored the rest of the band, so I let it go.
After chilling a little while, security started clearing out the fans. We didn’t want to linger too long. We had to remember what it was like to get through a long tour. It was never simplyperforming on stage with all the meet and greets, interviews, socializing, and partying. It took a lot out of us.
“I have an early interview tomorrow. You can catch it on 96 Rock tomorrow.” I gestured toward the door since Zade didn’t seem to want to leave.
“That’s cool, dude. Come on, Zade, let’s bounce.”
“Fine. Nice meeting you, Zig.” He turned abruptly and hugged me before practically running to the exit.
