“It doesn’t stress you out that you’ll be apart for so long?” I asked her when she broke for dinner. We’d ordered in and were hanging out in the lounge eating.
“A little,” she said. “But honestly, this is my first tour in years and it was time. I had a contractual obligation to my record label, and if I’m honest, I owe my fans more music. I have a wonderful fan base and I don’t want to lose it. I’ve built breaks into my schedule so I can fly out to see Tyler as often as possible. Since I’m the headliner, I can adjust my schedule more easily than Ty can.”
“I’m trying to breathe through these first days apart,” I murmured. “It’s been hard.”
“The first time will probably be the worst. After that, you’ll adjust and find your rhythm.”
“My friend Kiki seems to be struggling more than I am but she’s not really talking about it. We’ve talked, but she’s quieter than usual. I don’t know if there’s something going on with Noah she doesn’t want to tell me about, or what, but it’s weird. We usually tell each other everything.”
“I’m sure it’s hard for her,” Ariel said. “She’s torn between her loyalty to her lover and her loyalty to you. You’re probably critical of everything Noah does and she may not want to hear it.”
“Ugh.” I made a face. “I try not to be, but it’s so hard. I’ve watched him spiral since he was seventeen, and while that’s only six years, it’s a huge part of my life. Especially since I watched my mom drink herself silly for as long as I can remember.”
“Don’t confuse the two,” she suggested. “Separate them in your mind, so you worry about them separately. Otherwise, you’ll fill your heart with resentment and he’ll feel it. That’s the last thing he needs.”
“And Kiki is protecting him, of course,” I mused. “I don’t mean to be judgmental. You think I’m judgmental?”
Ariel chuckled. “Not in my experience, but from what you’ve told me about Noah, it sounds warranted. But you can’t put Kiki in the position of having to choose.”
“I’d never do that!” I protested.
“But she probably doesn’t know that. And remember, you’re here with a first-class ticket to visit Bash in another week, while she’s saving up to see Noah in six weeks.”
“I wish she’d let me help,” I murmured.
“The way you let Bash pay for things?” Ariel’s eyes twinkled.
I flushed because she was right, of course. I wouldn’t let him pay for my rent at the old apartment and he had to be sneaky to put gas in my car, so it made sense that Kiki would be uncomfortable with me paying for things like that too.
“I get it,” I said finally. “I don’t like it, but I get it.”
“You know what they say—you have to work hard for the important things in life, and what could be more important than the person you want to spend the rest of your life with?”
“Did you know right away?” I asked quietly. “With Tyler?”
“The first time we saw each other, I was standing on the side of the stage and he was getting ready to play. Our eyes met and everything stopped. I know that sounds like bullshit from a movie or romance novel, but it absolutely happened. After the show, we made eye contact three or four more times and then he left the backstage area. Even though I hadn’t said more than ten words to the guy, I followed him into the bathroom and we had sex.” Her cheeks turned pink as she grinned. “And I’ve never been more grateful for impulsive sex in my life.”
“It was similar with Declan, I guess, because even though he was covered in coffee, I’d collapsed on top of him and the minute our eyes met, everything stopped.”
“You’re one of those people who overthinks things,” she said. “And that’s a shame in this case, because falling in love is one of the most wonderful things ever. Enjoy it. Bash is one of the best people I know. He’s a good guy, and you guys make such a great couple.”
“Thanks. He really is wonderful. I’m just insecure. I can’t help it, but I’m trying to be better. Seeing him next week will be perfect timing and maybe I can show him how much I love him. I’ve never been to a rock concert. I mean, I’ve seen country artists, and I saw Celine Dion a few years ago, but not actual rock and roll.”
“They’re so good,” Ariel gushed. “You’re going to fall in love with him all over again when you see him up there. All of them are extremely talented, and Bash is an amazing drummer. I’m not a huge hard rock fan either, but you can’t help but love seeing them live.”
“I’m psyched about that part of it. And seeing him in general, of course. I don’t know if four days is enough.”
“It’ll never be enough, but you appreciate the time you have together that much more. Lindsay and Stu have been doing it for about a year now, and it’s hard, but they make it work. He’s hoping to propose around the holidays—that’s a huge secret, so don’t you dare tell her—but I know they’re stressed about money. He lives with us, and she lives in her boss’s guesthouse, but he survives on his past royalties and her salary isn’t that high as a first-year attorney.”
“So they need this new album to hit.”
Ariel nodded. “They do. I’m hoping by having Tyler singing and playing on one song on my album will help. If people like the duet, maybe they’ll buy their album as well. Our genres don’t really cross over, but I think people listen to more than one type of music. You can listen to Luke Bryan and Metallica.”
I laughed. “Absolutely.”
“Anyway, I’ll probably be here until ten or eleven. I want to finish this album sooner rather than later, so I can go be with Ty for a bit.”
“Then you’ll go on tour?”
She nodded. “And when my tour is over, we’re going to start trying for a baby.”
I grinned. “That’s sounds awesome. Will you stop working once you have kids?”
“I don’t know yet. For a while, yes, but ultimately, we’d like to alternate, so if Ty’s on tour, I’m not. While the kids are little, we can go on the road with him so he doesn’t miss everything. Then he’ll take a break and maybe they’ll go on tour with me. We haven’t worked it out yet, but that’s the general plan.”
“I wonder if we’ll be able to come up with a plan.”
“As a chef, you could go on tour and feed everyone. Catering is a huge expense and it would be a way for you to be with him, make money, and a tax write-off for them. Win-win.”
“I never even thought of that.”
She winked. “Stick with me, kid. I’m full of good ideas.”
“You’re full of something, all right!” I teased.
She just laughed.
26
Bash
* * *
As a touring musician, our days usually consisted of travel and downtime. We’d go from one city to the next, check into a hotel, eat, sleep, and then relax for the first part of the following day until it was time for sound check. That was usually around five, and we wouldn’t play until close to eight, so we hung out at the venue, ate, and waited. Sometimes we played soccer in the halls or out in a back parking lot. Other times, we separated and went to different areas to get online, talk to family, or take care of anything that needed taking care of. Occasionally we had back-to-back shows in different towns that required a short day of travel and immediately going to the venue, but we didn’t do that as much anymore.