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CHAPTER 22
Holden
“Look what the cat dragged in!” Dylan said.
That night, we were setting up for our second show in Oregon when I turned to find our manager, Daisy, walking toward the stage.
She held her arms in the air. “Surprise!”
Each of the guys walked over and greeted her. Daisy was really cool. She’d been our manager for almost two years now. Right before we’d signed with her, she and I had a little thing together. It only lasted for two months, since she lived out in California and was looking for a husband-type, and I was on the east coast and looking for a good time. But we’d parted as friends, and our past had never been an issue since we’d started working together. She was also engaged now.
“What’s up, Daze?” I kissed her cheek. “Looking good, as always.”
She smiled. “And you’re looking the part of a rock star, as always. Good to see you, Holden.”
“What brings you to Portland?” Dylan asked. “I know you don’t go this far north for nothing.”
“You’re right, I don’t. It’s too freaking cold up here. But I made an exception to watch my favorite clients play and to give you some good news.” She clapped her hands. “I have a record label coming to see you when you get down to San Francisco in a few days. And not a small one—a major one with a shitload of Grammy-winning artists: Interlude.”
“Holy shit,” Dylan said. “Interlude is huge!”
“I sent them your newest demo, and one of the scouts really loved a few of your songs, enough to come hear you in person.”
Dylan lifted Daisy off the ground and spun her around. The rest of the guys and I settled for high fives.
After we caught up for a little while, it was almost time for us to go on. Daisy took a seat at a table off to the side of the stage, and the guys started warming up. I walked over to her.
“Hey, Daze? Can you do me a favor and keep my phone?”
She smiled. “You want me to field calls from groupies and arrange for them to come by your room at different times?”
“Nah. I’m waiting for a call from someone. If you could just let me know if it rings. You don’t have to answer it. But if the call comes in, we’ll take a quick set break so I can call back.”
“Sure, of course.”
I pulled out my phone and handed it to her. “Thanks.”
She tilted her head. “You okay, Holden?”
I shrugged. “I’ve been better.”
“You want to talk about it?”
“Maybe later. We gotta get started.”
“Okay.”
I pointed to my phone. “Lala. That’s the name of the person I’m waiting for a call from. If you can just give me a signal if she pops up.”
“You got it, Holden.”
Over the next ninety minutes of our set, I must’ve looked over at Daisy a hundred times to see if Lala had called. But she never did. After we were done playing, the guys headed to Daisy’s table for drinks. I didn’t much feel like partying, but the mood among the rest of the band was celebratory, and I didn’t want to be a downer. So I joined in. After two rounds, the guys were all talking to different women at various places around the bar, and it was just me and Daisy. She’d had a few drinks already, which was unlike her.
“How about a shot of tequila?” she asked when the waitress came to check on us.
I’d been nursing my second beer for the better part of an hour. Before I had the opportunity to decline, she turned back to the waitress. “Two shots of Don Julio, please. And I’ll take another tequila sour.”
I lifted a brow when the waitress left. “You’re celebrating pretty hard tonight. Does that mean you’re feeling good about the producer who’s coming to see us?”
She let out a big sigh. “I broke things off with Rob last night.”
“Your fiancé? Why? I thought he was such a great guy.”
“He is. He’s the greatest guy. That’s why it sucked to have to dump him.”
“What was the problem?”
“We just had no chemistry. I’ve tried a bunch of things to get some sparks going, but it just wasn’t there.” She shook her head. “I’m too young to be in a dull marriage. I like sex too much.”
I finished off my beer. “That sucks. You can force a lot of things, but chemistry isn’t one of them.”
The waitress brought over our shots and Daisy’s drink. “You want another beer?” she asked.
“No, thank you.”
Daisy held up her shot, so I raised mine. “To good sex, like we used to have.”
I clinked but didn’t add anything, not wanting to give her the wrong impression.
“So who’s this Lala you were waiting for a call from?”
“A woman I’m seeing.”
“And you’re waiting on her, not the other way around? That doesn’t sound like the Holden Catalano I know.”
