Page 1 of Driving Beats

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COOP

Ineed to summon all the Zen in the world after my luggage went missing… together with that photo.

On my dresser, the brochure “Advanced Meditation Retreat by Masters Ten” promises respite. Four separate week-long courses, the first of which starts tomorrow. I pick up a pair of old shorts that should be alright for the retreat. I try them on, but they cut off my breathing. Damn. Too many burgers on tour.

Why am I the only one in the band who didn’t get their suitcases? Río wouldn’t miss his—given he’s shacked up with Hayden, our drummer probably isn’t wearing any clothes anyway. Same for our lead singer Bennett, who’s “hanging with” his wife Jenna. Tris is such a clotheshorse that our new keyboardist would view losing his luggage as an opportunity, while our bassist undoubtedly has articles of clothing stashed in three full closets at his house. Plus the neighbor’s.

Me? Empty hangers mock me. The ratty items I have here aren’t fit for public consumption.

Our manager’s solution? Luke sicced UC’s very young stylist on me to “help” replace my wardrobe. A vision of the spunky stylist makes me cringe. I tried to tell him I can order clothes online, but he insisted on involving Nese.

My phone pings with an incoming text and I drop the shorts on the nearby chair. It better not be her.

Damn.

Nese:

Luke says you need my help. I’m on it.

Don’t bother. I’ll order stuff off the web.

Nese:

Are you kidding? Why on earth would you do something as dreadful as that? I’m still in Los Angeles, so you’re not out of my way. No problem at all! I’ll get you more exciting things to wear than those boring jeans and solid shirts you always wear! Why don’t we meet up tomorrow first thing?

My hand goes to my right earring. Tomorrow’s the first day of the first week of the meditation retreat. I encircle the hoop for a full minute before responding.

Don’t go out of your way.

Nese:

I love clothes, silly! Even if I’ll be buying menswear fashions, it’ll still be exciting! How about we meet at M. Marcel at ten o’clock? Too early? Let’s make it eleven. I’ll bring the lattes!

My shoulders lower. Might as well man up. There are three more weeks of the retreat available.

Fine.

NESE:

Good call! We’ll get you all outfitted better than before. Oh, and we’ll have to pick up a couple of suitcases, as yours are lost somewhere between Ireland and here, right? That sucks. But I’ll make you happy yours went missing! TTYL!

Isuck in air. How can someone be so excited to shop for clothes? Suitcases, too?

And while I may be many things, “silly” is not one of them.

I dial Luke. “You have got to be kidding me. I don’t need a stylist to buy me stuff to wear. This is ridiculous.”

He retorts. “Your luggage never made it to your house. We have a stylist on staff. Since UC’s on a thirty-day break before the tour picks up in Australia, it’s perfect. She’ll get you a whole new wardrobe that might even make Tris jealous. Problem solved.”

Keeping my shoes off, I put my only pair of jeans back on, and pad to my favorite room, what Río dubbed my “Reflection Room.” It’s exactly how I envisioned it—minimalist and serene. The plants are placed at exact angles, each with pillar candles in between.

“This will be a one-day thing, right?” Because I’m missing the start of this week’s meditation retreat, I can substitute by checking in at my favorite bookstores. I could even take a yoga class in Darren’s honor, to work out the kinks I’ve picked up during the tour. Maybe.

“I wouldn’t bet on it,” Luke replies, knowing the band’s penchant for betting on every little detail. Big ones too. Río’s sobriety comes to mind. “You know how Nese is. When I told her what happened, she was determined to go shopping with you in person because she said it was ‘personal’ and not ‘for the stage’.”

“That’s what worries me.” I rub my fingers on the leaves of a fern. Having caretakers water my plants and keep my house tidy when I’m out on tour has its benefits. “What exactly did you tell her?”