AllFreeNovel
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“On the spot there, buddy.”
The DJ laughed. “My favorite kind of interview.”
Ryan shrugged. “Lay it on me.”
A girl with a big smile came through the side door with a cart. A dozen black cases were stacked on two shelves. Ryan stood and smoothed his hand over the hardback cases with their shiny silver buckles. Memories of carts lined up in his old man’s warehouse filled his head. The excitement to see what was inside, what needed love, and ultimately, what would have to be given back always brought out a mixture of emotions.
He clicked open the long case and laughed when he saw a clarinet. He didn’t know how he could use it, but he put it aside. Next, he found a trombone and a French horn, then finally stashed bells and an alto saxophone in his pile.
“All those?”
Ryan grinned at the girl. “I can play everything on this cart.”
“Really?”
“If I had more time, I would’ve come to your band practice.”
The girl blushed. “That would have been awesome.”
“Next time.” Ryan turned back to the DJ. “Make sure you tag me if you put them on YouTube. I’ll share it with my peeps.”
“Excellent. We’re looking forward to tonight.”
Ryan did his usual end-of-interview spiel and did the call letters spot for them for the radio station. Ten minutes later, he was backstage pacing again.
A local band was onstage to warm up the crowd. Three thousand people had packed the medium-size room in the venue. It was intimate and dark. He could barely see past the third row.
No way to know if she was here or not. He had a terrible feeling she wasn’t. Even as the band was amping up, he was missing something.
Missing her.
West slapped him on the back. “Come on. You ready?”
“Yeah.” He rolled his shoulders. “Yeah, I’m dying to get out there.”
West frowned. “You sure?”
“Yeah.” He pushed down the unease and cracked his knuckles. “Did you see what they brought me to play?”
“I thought I saw a French horn.”
“You did.”
“You’re a crazy motherfucker.”
“Nah, that’s you, buddy.” Ryan glanced down at West’s Reading Rainbow shirt. “I’m just the eccentric one.”
“If that’s the word you wanna use for weird, you go on with your bad self.”
Ryan laughed and shook off the last of the doldrums. He followed West and Michael out to the main stage. Old chairs had been set up over carpets.
Ryan took the high-backed purple velour one before West could get to it. It looked like he was in an episode of Masterpiece Theater, for fuck’s sake. Ryan bounced once. “I feel like I need a pipe or something.”
A voice from the back yelled, “Water bongs are better.”
Ryan snorted. “I’m partying with you later, bud.”
The crowd whistled and laughed.
