AllFreeNovel
Share Us
T W O
- Finn -
I was mid crunch when I heard my brother’s voice on TV, and I lifted my eyes to the screen in time to see Max take his seat across from the female host of the show.
“Great to see you, Max,” she said, her warm smile reaching her eyes.
My brother relaxed into his chair, the ripped knees of his jeans striking me as a little too perfect, as if he bought them that way. He looked good otherwise, though. Healthy. And he gave off the impression that he enjoyed when people noticed.
“So, your new album,” she said, pulling it out of nowhere.
I cringed at the cover, which was a close shot of his face half covered by shadow, his blue eyes looking straight at the viewer and popping against the black background.
I resumed my workout.
“When does it come out?” the freshly powdered hostess asked.
“Next month.”
I scoffed. If he had any confidence in it, he should’ve released it before Christmas. Dumbass. I wondered if he was still with the same useless agent or if he’d swapped again. The latter might explain the mixed messaging, since he was in a cowboy hat on the front of his last record. I felt bad seeing him so lost musically, but based on his continued success, I was obviously alone in that opinion.
“And your tour starts the month after?”
He nodded and draped a hand over the back of his cushioned chair, showcasing a collection of leather bracelets he was too old to pull off. “That’s right. We’re kicking things off here in L.A. and we’ll finish up in New York next summer.”
“Sounds like you’re looking forward to it.”
“Of course,” he said. “Studio time is great and everything, but there’s nothing better than connecting with the fans.”
“Bullshit,” I mumbled. Truth was that touring was the only way musicians could make money these days thanks to music streaming sites.
“You just added a few extra dates as well,” Blondie said, glancing at the card in her lap. “Three more in Florida and two more in Vegas.”
“And Chicago,” he said, looking at the camera. “I’m playing Chicago in April. The fifteenth through the seventeenth at the Allstate Arena.”
Otis lifted his head to bark at the screen before laying his scruffy chin back down on the cushions.
“He’s not coming to see you,” I said. “The guy gives you one piece of jerky six years ago and your loyalty’s still confused?”
Otis whimpered like I’d rained on his parade.
I ignored him and crawled to the front of my workout mat to do one last set of pushups. Not that I’d ever be caught dead in a shirt as tight as the one Max was wearing.
“You’re going to hate me for asking this,” the hostess said tentatively.
“I could never hate you, Sarah.”
“Suck up,” I said, lowering my chest to the floor before straightening my arms again.
“Inquiring minds are dying to know if your brother will be joining you on any of your tour dates.”
I dropped a knee and looked up at the screen, ignoring the sweat that poured from my temples.
Max’s brows drew close. “You didn’t strike me as the type to throw fuel on rumors.”
“What can I say?” she asked with a shrug. “The idea of a reunion is just too delicious.”
“I think the word you’re looking for is ‘ridiculous,’” he said. “It’s a long time since my brother and I shared a stage.”
