Page 34

“Very lesbian,” says Toni.

“Sensual,” Luca says quietly.

Florence glances at her, taken off guard. “What?”

“They’re really sensual,” Luca repeats, a touch louder. She’s looking down at her hands, which are still fiddling with the empty paper cup. “It was the first thing I noticed when I listened to your music. It’s not just the lyrics—it’s the way you sing them too. I don’t know how to describe it.”

And that—that does something strange to Florence’s insides. “Sensual,” she echoes. Her thoughts race as she thinks back to last night’s show. The stage drowned in red lights. The dark, pulsing quality of their music. Her on her knees, singing about wanting to be consumed, a metaphor that somehow sounded more sexual up on the stage than it did in their practice basement. She doesn’t know what to make of the fact that it was Luca, out of all of them, who’d paid enough attention to sum it up so perfectly in one soft-spoken word.

“You’re right.” She can feel her own face lighting up. “That’s exactly what I was trying to do.”

Luca’s eyes flicker up to meet hers, wary, like she’s scared Florence is making a joke at her expense. Whatever she sees on Florence’s face makes her shoulders relax, her mouth curving into a smile that matches Florence’s own.

“How do we make those things our brand?” Toni asks. There’s a furrow between her brows as she taps her fingers against the steering wheel.

“I think we can start with colors,” Izzy says. Unlike moments ago, she seems perfectly alert as she leans forward in her seat. “I’m thinking reds, blacks, whites. Red lipstick and dark eye makeup. Lace and silk and satin. Flowy skirts and lacy white shirts with a few buttons undone. Nothing that shows more skin than we’re comfortable with, but still . . .”

“Sensual,” Florence finishes. Her heart rate picks up as she imagines it. She has always been a storyteller first—it’s ridiculous that, until now, she didn’t consider that their appearance on stage could be the scaffolding of the narrative they’re trying to tell. “I like it.”

They lapse into silence. Looking out the window, Florence goes through the things she packed and how she can combine pieces in a way that matches the new vision that’s appeared, sudden and clear, in her head.

They throw their empty cups away at the next rest stop. When they continue driving, Izzy puts on her headphones, and Luca is once again playing with her fidget cube. Florence watches her. It’s unexpectedly thrilling to see hands that she knows to be so competent occupied with something as silly as playing with a bunch of little buttons.

Luca notices her watching. Looking at Florence, she says, “Sorry. Am I being annoying?”

Everything she just thought feels like too much of an admission to say out loud, so Florence only shakes her head.

Luca is still for a few moments before she begins playing with it again. She really does have the most beautiful hands.

“Which one’s your favorite?” Florence asks.

Luca barely has to think before turning the cube to a side with a switch that makes a satisfying clicking noise. “This one.”

“Can I?”

“Sure.” Luca’s fingertips brush hers as she places the fidget cube in Florence’s palm.

She turns it this way and that, trying all the little buttons and textures. When she reaches the switch, she nods. “Oh, yeah,” she says. “This one for sure.”

From the corner of her eyes, she catches Luca’s face breaking into a smile.

Interview with Juno Wilde on the Morning Show with Tommy Brown, May 18, 2020

Tommy: I actually want to get a bit deeper into this. Your rise to fame was meteoric. You were only nineteen when you won that talent competition and released your first album. You’re twenty-eight now. Looking back, is there anything you wish could have been different?

Juno: Oh, God. A lot of things. I think—being in your early twenties is already such a confusing time. You’re an adult on paper, but really you feel like a frightened child—at least that was my experience. There were so many things I was struggling with, especially after my daughter was born. My relationship, my role as a mother, my body after pregnancy. Fame exacerbated all those things.

Tommy: It must have been rough to have everyone’s eyes on you while you’re still trying to find yourself.

Juno: Exactly. Now when I see artists that age, I wish I could just bundle them up in a little blanket. [Pause.] I don’t mean to make it all sound terrible. Being in your early twenties and being a musician can be incredibly exciting in a good way too.

Tommy: You have a lot more energy for touring, I imagine.

Juno: When you don’t have a baby, probably, yes. [Laughs.]

Tommy: Is there anything in particular that you wish was different for younger artists starting out in this industry?

Juno: Oh, so many things. Especially for young women, it feels like every move you make is scrutinized and picked apart. I wish there was more tolerance for mistakes. Most of us don’t come into this business because we want to be famous, but because we love the music. I wish people would see that the artists they love are just humans. You don’t know us. You don’t know what’s happening behind the scenes. A bit more kindness, I think, is what I hope for.