AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I don’t stop to think. I merely give the answer that feels right. “Yep. I’m coming. Let me grab a flight, then I’ll shoot you details.”
Tenn whoops a shout of victory. “This is going to be great. The band is back together again!”
“You know that joke doesn’t make much sense given I have an actual band, and we’re not together right now.”
“Pish-posh! You know what I mean. Stop being a butthead.”
“Not being a butthead. Merely stating facts, Tenn.”
He hums under his breath, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. “Well, since you’re coming here, I’ll get off the phone to try to get some work done. Austen or I will pick you up from the airport, since we’re sharing a place right now.”
I pause in unzipping my suitcase. “You’re living together again? I thought he’d moved out.”
“He did. But then there were issues with his landlord and some annoying guys in his new place. Even after talking to them, they wouldn’t let up their loud parties and drunken shenanigans. I told him to come stay with me. Thankfully, we’d just paid off his lease. Would have sucked to have two of them.”
Copper fills my taste buds as I bite down hard to resist the urge to pay for it. Not because I don’t think it’s a good idea, but more because Tenn hates me offering him money. He much prefers to earn it in his own way.
Austen is the same.
And I’m back to thoughts of my off-limits best friend’s younger brother.
The same man I’m apparently about to be staying with.
“No need to pick me up. I’ll grab a hotel,” I tell my friend as my movements pick back up. The sooner I get packed, the sooner I can be on a plane and away from my own personal hell of real-life bachelor setups.
“Like hell you’re getting a hotel. This place has enough room.”
“Um, no it doesn’t. Didn’t you tell me it was a two bedroom?”
He groans. “Well, yeah, it is. But we can work around that. There’s a couch, which I’ll sleep on if need be. Or we can get an air mattress. I mean, if I weren’t so irresistible, then we could bunk together. I just know it would be so hard for you to keep to yourself while naked beside me.”
I make a gagging noise over the line.
“Shut up! You’re not irresistible in the slightest. And also, why are we naked? We could sleep clothed.” Not that I want to sleep with him at all.
“You might sleep with clothes on. I much prefer to free ball it. Helps with the cramps.”
“The — you know what? Don’t tell me. I’d rather you not explain. Either way, this works out well since I want to review the information for the tour with you in person. I know there’s still tons of time, but I have ideas.”
“Oh, cool. Because I’m basically at a standstill until you produce another album. Everything I’ve built so far is generic. Thank goodness you have so many trolls on the Internet. It gives me actual work to do so I don’t feel like a mooch.”
This time, I roll my eyes. “You’re not mooching off me. I love that you handle my socials and get shit done. Best decision ever to bring you in on this. Your attention to detail is better than anyone else's.”
“Factual information detected!” He makes a buzzing noise, then laughs at his silly humor. “Now stop wasting time. The sooner you get here, the sooner the album gets made and we can get you on the road.”
“Alright, alright. Let’s do it.”
I end the call, then immediately pull up flight information. If I can’t escape my creative block here, then maybe Boston will do it. Being with my best friend will at least put me in better spirits.
All I have to do is resist the pull to Austen.
That shouldn’t be too hard.
Chapter 2
Austen
If one more person tries to interrupt me to ask about —
