My phone rings again almost immediately. It’s Felix.
“Oh, hey, buddy. I was just going to call you.”
“How’s my favourite rockstar?” he says, teasing.
“Good. Great! I just met with JC’s manager, and he’s organising a national tour for me and the guys!”
“That’s fantastic! Well done.”
“Thanks!”
“Where are you staying? I’ll come meet you, and we can have a celebratory drink before heading to Nicky’s.”
“I’m at the Shangri-La.”
“Wow. You really are moving up in the world. Okay, I’ll text you when I’m on my way.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
I head for the bathroom to take a shower, a huge smile on my face.
This is it. I’m on my way.
***
After bathing, I change into some fresh black jeans and a grey T-shirt. I dry off my hair and rub some product through it. It’s hard to make curly hair look good all the time. I wish I had the Sing to Me stylists on hand every day. Not that I enjoy being waited on, but on the days I don’t wash my hair, it looks messy and fuzzy, so I just tie it up.
I watch a bit of the in-house cable before heading downstairs to wait for Felix. After ordering some red wine, I sit near the window and contemplate how far I’ve come.
I had a fairly modest upbringing. I’m an only child, but I’m not close to my parents. They’ve always been heavy drinkers, but in the last few years, they seem to have taken a turn for the worse. I’m not even sure they remember they have a son most of the time. They live down near the New South Wales border, so it’s just over an hour in the car from my place. The last time I tried to see them, Dad was out at a pub, but Mum didn’t know which one. And Mum could barely string two sentences together. I tried for years to get them into AA to no avail.
Eventually, I had to give up—especially once I had children of my own. I couldn’t be dedicating large chunks of time to saving two people who didn’t want to be saved.
I now only call them on their birthdays. I can’t imagine they’d care if I told them about my tour news. I’d be surprised if they even knew I was on Sing to Me.
I met Rachel just out of high school, so she’s always known about Mum and Dad. She used to get frustrated with them on my behalf, constantly seeing how they were ruining their lives and ignoring their son. And while Rachel and I have been a bit on-again-off-again over the years, our relationship is a million times healthier than the one my parents have. I think because Rachel and I met so young, we needed a bit of space every now and then to grow as individuals before reuniting.
But now with the twins, we’ve made the commitment to stay together permanently. We’ve talked about getting married, but Rachel wants to wait until the girls are a bit older and can be left with friends or family while we go on our honeymoon.
“Lincoln!”
I look up and see Felix standing over me. I get up and embrace him. Felix is a good friend, but because he lives in Sydney, I don’t get to see him very often in person.
“Hey! It’s been too long.”
“I know. Let me just get a drink, and you can tell me all about how you’re conquering the world.”
I smile and watch as he talks to the bartender. Felix is a very attractive man. Tall, lean, square jaw, and perfect dirty blond hair. He’s also gay, much to the dismay of many women I’ve seen approach him over the years.
Today, he’s wearing distressed denim jeans and a dark blazer over a stripy T-shirt. I always feel inferior next to Felix. Not only does he have great taste in clothes, but he’s also a smart and confident guy. I have to work extra hard when I’m with him.
He returns from the bar and sits opposite me, sipping something clear from an old-fashioned glass. “So. Tell me what’s been happening with you since the last time we spoke. I need to know everything.”
I grin. Felix always knows how to make someone feel special. His company is exactly what I need tonight. And while it feels slightly disloyal to have the thought, I’m kind of glad I’m down here in Sydney so I don’t have to deal with Rachel’s disappointment.
Right now, it’s all about the celebration.
FIVE
Tash
Because I was up at 5am and I have another early-ish flight tomorrow, I decide I should go to bed soon. But I’m too wound up, and I pace restlessly around my room.
I use Skype to call Millicent at 8pm so I can see Daisy and say goodnight. I wave at her tiny face on the screen.
“Hey, sweetie. How are you?”
“Good. How was your meeting?”
“It went well. Thank you for asking! And do you know who I saw today?”
“Who?”
“Lincoln Page! I got him to write you a message!”
She squeals. “Really?”
“Yes!” I hold up the boarding pass so she can see. “I’ll give it to you tomorrow.”
“He’s really handsome, isn’t he, Mum?”
“That he is,” I sigh.
Millicent sticks her head in the frame. “Stop pining after someone you’re never going to see again.”
“Actually, I know for a fact he’s going to be at a club two blocks away in one hour.”
“Is he doing a show?”
“Oh, no. At least, I don’t think so. He’s meeting up with a friend.”
She narrows her eyes. “How do you know that? Did you steal his phone?”
“Of course not! He posted it on Instagram.”
“Well, that was silly of him.”
“I know.”
“Are you going to go?”
“You should go, Mum!” Daisy says, excited.
“No, I’m not going,” I say firmly. “It would be weird.”
“Oh, go on. Do it for Daisy,” Millicent teases. “Get a photo of him for her to go along with the autograph.”
“Hang on. Didn’t you just say I should stop pining for him?”
“I don’t even know what I’m saying anymore,” she says. “Ryder had a bad dream last night and insisted on sharing my bed, so I barely got any sleep. That kid is like an octopus on caffeine.”
I laugh. “You poor things.”
She tilts her head to the side. “You know, if you did go see Lincoln, you could ask him to post a picture of one of your bento boxes on his account. He has a lot of fans, doesn’t he?”
“About thirty thousand,” I confirm.
“And he asked about your business.”
“No. I couldn’t do that. That would be even weirder than just going to the bar to stare at him.”
“I don’t know. It could mean extra profits. And you’d be able to buy me that Audi for real.”
“I’ll think about it,” I say, shutting down the conversation. There’s no way I’m asking Lincoln Page to endorse my brand.
“Okay, well, we’ll see you tomorrow. Sweet dreams!”
“You, too. Goodnight, Daisy. And say goodnight to Ryder for me.”
“I will.”
I hang up, shaking my head. Millicent is crazy.
***
All right. Maybe I’m the crazy one.