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Me: I think we’re headed to a place called Ice House.
Jordan: Hopefully we can catch up sometime soon.
I put my phone in my clutch without responding. Over the last couple of weeks, we had spoken a few times. He’d sent me a get-well cookie basket. It hadn’t gone unnoticed that Kurt didn’t touch it, and he had a weakness for sweets. In another life, this would have been a simple decision. Jordan checked all the boxes:
Ready fo
r a relationship.
Emotionally open.
Mature.
Stable.
Yet it wasn’t enough for me now. I wanted that deep soul connection where it was hard to tell where one person ended and the other began. As Jordan dropped hints, I’d played them off as if I were oblivious to them. Yes, I liked the attention, but the man whose voice shattered me was the one who occupied my thoughts. I would rather have whatever Kurt had to offer and feel complete than have all the boxes checked but still feel like something was missing. Little checks didn’t equal happiness.
The band finished their encore and the crowd went wild. Kurt came off stage toward me, sweaty. I fanned my nose. “Oh, you’re a little stinky.”
He shook his head, and I took a step back. “Yuck. Don’t stain my dress.”
“Maybe that’s the point,” he said wryly.
“What? You don’t like Louis?”
Yes, I might have been in a skintight dress with a very low back. He tilted his head. “George complained about it before he left.”
I pointed my finger to him. “No messing with my dresses. But the good news is I think I’ve gained a couple of pounds from eating cookies. At the rate I’m going, it’s not going to fit soon.”
“I’ll call Knoah and get you a special batch made.” His tone was light, but his face was serious.
I pushed his leather-clad shoulder. “Go shower. A night of dancing and drinking is calling my name.”
“Wait for me.”
“I will.”
Kurt used a door off to one side to avoid the crowds. While I waited, I made a few lists and checked off some items I’d handled earlier. Overall, things were on track, which was a good feeling.
Kurt came back, fresh from a shower. “You ready?”
I finished sending a text to Knoah asking how she was doing. “Yeah. I need to find Nina and Donnie first. I can catch up or take a cab if the band is ready to go.”
“No, we’ll wait for you.”
I really should have found them during the concert, but I’d gotten lost in Kurt’s voice. Nina needed to make a few wardrobe changes and Donnie had asked for a favor from me that I’d handled.
I pulled out the three sticky notes from my purse. As luck would have it, Nina walked by with an armful of customs. I stuck two of them to the clipboard resting on top. “Hey, Nina, I think we should add a few changes when we head up north where it’s cold. Maybe add a ripped flannel look. Edge mentioned he wanted suspenders. I’m not sure how to make that work, but I’m sure you can.”
Her eyes turned sad before she mustered up a bright smile and laughed a little too hard for it to be natural. “He’s been trying to get me to give him suspenders for two years. I might be able to make it work with the flannel.”
“He’ll love it. Are you going to meet us at Ice House tonight?” Another strange look passed over Nina’s face as if a bad memory had flooded her mind.
“Are we ready to partay? Let’s see what Flagstaff has to offer!” Edge announced as he walked in. His arms were in the air, showcasing his muscles in his button-up shirt with the sleeves ripped off and jeans—his signature look. For a second, a split second, he paused when he saw Nina.
Harlem broke the uncomfortable situation when he slapped Edge on the back. “Let’s go. Girls are waiting.”
Edge left with Harlem but paused to look back once. It was a sad, longing look at Nina, who would not make eye contact. Shifting on her feet, she responded, “You have fun. You look great. I’m not really the club type of girl. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
