AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Laredo.
I read the text again and wonder how flirtatious her tone is with his text. I get the PG version. The safe for work, the kids can read over your shoulder version.
Regardless of her tone, Laredo's going to pivot the conversation into the R-rated realm. His replies will be relentless. Dripped in innuendos and probably an explicit GIF or two. She'll laugh it off as Laredo being Laredo and not realize he's chipping away until he's broken through.
It's not me she wants. It never is.
Adam: I'm the reliable one. You can count on me. Let me know the time and the place.
The three bubbles appear, and my heart skips a silly beat at the thought of her sitting by her phone, waiting for my response.
Ariel: Didn't want to assume but thank you. You're a lifesaver. I'll wait to hear from your twin, and I'll get you both the details.
It's not me she's waiting for. It's the bloodied, jobless version of me that's licking his wounds behind me.
It's always him.
Chapter Four
Ariel
"You have to come with," I plead into the phone to my good friend and former college roommate, Emily. Both Adam and Laredo accepted my offer immediately. Then I realized the flaw in my plan. There's no way I can manage the two of them by myself. Not if I want to maintain my sanity. "You've always told me you can work from anywhere. I'll fly you out and can even put you up in a separate suite." I press hard because I need her.
Emily is one of my oldest friends. She knew me just as our band was getting started. Before the album releases, the tours, and magazine articles. She's always treated me the same as she did when we were in college.
"On the beach?" she asks.
"Of course." I've walked Emily through my plan. I'll have the boys meet us in Seaside, Oregon this week. A few days before the festival starts. That will give us enough time to take off the training wheels and see if this crazy plan can survive in the real world.
I could have flown and met the boys in Indiana, but the last thing I wanted to do was give Laredo a home-field advantage. Likewise, I could have invited them here to Ohio, but I don't want them to cross paths with the rest of the band. Not just yet.
"Everyone loves the beach." I place another thumb on the scale, hoping to influence her decision. "It'll relax the boys and hopefully get them to agree to my plan. If I think the boys are even considering saying no for a second, I can whip out my bikini." I laugh at the image of showing that much skin in front of the boys. Laredo would lose his ever-loving mind.
"He's kind of cute," Emily whispers into the phone, and I know she must be scrolling social media posts of the boys from their days when they were a family band. Laredo is the wild child lead singer, just like me. Tattoos on his chest and arms, just like me. And even I must admit he's a looker. White, tall, sinewy build with wild, untamed hair. He has that whole bad boy of rock vibe which I carried for many years myself.
"Yeah. That's Laredo. He's the reason I need you to come to Oregon. He has five hands and no inhibitions."
Emily's schoolgirl giggle pulls me back to a memory of senior year in college when she met the boy who she would wind up dating for six months. Same laugh. I must warn her about Laredo's past. He's not the dating type. "Ha, I'm looking at the other one. Adam. He has that whole Clark Kent vibe going on."
My fingers are in motion before I realize what they're doing. Two taps and swipe, and I'm staring at a photo of Adam at a performance. It's a few years old, looks like an artist showcase at a catering hall in Indiana. But there's no mistaking the joy and adoration on his face. She's right. He's the clean cut, polo shirt wearing, picture day haircut wearing, clean-shaven cutie giving off that whole mild-mannered reporter from the Daily Planet vibe. He's cradling the bass guitar like it's a precious toddler, but his focus is on his sister who's singing lead. If this is the same picture Emily is looking at, I can understand her reaction.
The joy on his face isn't about what he's doing. It's the unbridled joy of watching someone you love to do something they are meant to do. It's a look every woman wishes to receive from the man in their life.
"Superman," I whisper, not realizing what I'm saying.
"He can save me anytime," Emily says. "I'm in. And just so you know, I'm packing my two-piece swimsuit. If things go well, you won't be the only one receiving a yes this week."
My chest tightens for an unknown reason, and I choose to ignore it and run with the victory. "Great—I'll send you the deets. But I have to make sure we stick to the plan. The boys can't know what I'm trying to do, not yet."
"Yes, my Jenga queen," she jokes about the silly stacking game we turned into a drinking game back in the dorms. Emily always accused me of building the most elaborate structures and then making the riskiest of moves. If what you're doing doesn't come with risk, what's the point?
"They believe they're coming out to work with you on a new sound. Get the creative juices flowing away from your usual process with the band. Did I get it right?" Emily huffs out the line as if she's reciting an answer in class.
"And…" I press. If she's coming to Seaside, she's going to be around the boys a lot. They're going to be curious and will ask her questions when I'm not around.
"You want to stay sharp with your back catalog, which is why you are having them practicing the band's songs. They're unaware the band is coming to the festival later in the week."
"A+," I shout and wish Emily was in front of me so I could hug her. Being a singer in a band full of guys is fun, but it comes at a cost. Without knowing it, I pick up their lack of social graces, the crass humor, the rough language, the rough edges. Emily is one of the few female friends I have who can tolerate me. These days, she lives in Cincinnati. With my crazy schedule, we don't get to spend much time together. "I owe you."
