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“If nobody has any further questions, we can move on to—”
I zone out. The logistics of this tour don’t matter to me. Getting paid for playing the music that I love isn’t completely worth the screaming people and lack of personal space, but the look on Tinsley’s face every time she watches me perform is. I do this for her, but she doesn’t know that. I’m unsure what she thinks is the reason behind why I agreed to sign my life away to this company or why I continue to put myself in uncomfortable positions if not for her.
One day, she’ll figure it out. She’s too smart not to. The question is whether she will approve or not. Most likely not.
My mind slips to the bus issue. There’s no way I’m allowing her to share a bus with the band. They’re loud, pushy sex addicts. The alcohol and drugs they’ll find on tour have no place in her living quarters. I’d kill the first one of them who stumbled onto the bus drunk or high. Does Garrison really want a death on his conscience?
“Noah.”
I blink, my eyes so dry they’re burning. Sparks is in front of me, thick folders in her hands. She rolls her eyes as I come back to the present.
“Meeting is done. Reggie is waiting for you at the studio,” she says.
I stand, stretching out my back before glancing around the room. It’s emptied out. Garrison is lingering in the doorway, checking his watch impatiently.
“Let’s go,” I mutter.
Sparks shuffles ahead of me, leading the way. I grow a bit more respect for her when she glares at Garrison as we walk past him. He huffs a disbelieving laugh, shutting the door behind us.
When he clears his throat, Sparks and I stop, waiting for whatever he wants to say.
“We’ll talk later, Noah. Everything needs to be finalized before you leave. I don’t do disorganization. Especially not on tour.”
The condescending tone of his voice grates on my nerves. “Fine,” I force out through gritted teeth.
“Okay,” he repeats. “Have a great rest of the day.”
I don’t reply before continuing down the hall. That’s Sparks’ job.
* * *
I never wanted a band.Obviously, I needed one, but that didn’t change the fact that having a group of people I did not know, orwantto know, be up in my business is annoying as fuck. Bringing more people into my life sounded like torture. A punishment. Over the past couple of months, it’s proven to be just that.
It started with Josh and his incompetence and childish behaviour. He was hardly my bass guitarist for two weeks before I ordered Sparks to replace him. She said no, and I haven’t been able to shake that annoying fucker since. He’s living in my house, for fuck’s sake.
Then there’s Justice on drums and Dagger on electric guitar. They’re easier to stand than Josh, but that’s not saying much. Justice is always late for rehearsal because he’s raising his daughter on his own, but he’s quiet. Dagger has an ego big enough to carry him to the solo career he’s been pining for. He won’t admit it to us, but he wants what I have. Good luck to him.
The moment I enter the studio, I find Dagger already in the sound booth, tuning his guitar. The way he pets the thing feels intimate. I most likely look the same when I have my guitar in my hands.
My fingers curl in my pockets as I’m reminded of the lack of said guitar. I don’t need it when we’re recording, according to Reggie.That’s why we have the band, he tells me every time I try to sneak it in. I don’t see why I can’t take Dagger’s place. I’m a better player than him, anyway.
The grey-haired man hunched over the soundboard wearing a tiger-striped fedora is Reggie himself. He’s never not been the first one to the studio on recording days.
“Why am I here, Reggie? Thought I was done with my part.”
My presence doesn’t surprise him. He glances at me over his shoulder and grins. “Can’t I just wanna see you?”
“You enjoy my company that much?” I deadpan.
His laugh is rough. If I didn’t know just how much the man laughed, I would have thought he never did. “It’s hard to find someone as cheerful as you, son.”
“I bet.”
He laughs again and pushes out the chair beside him with his foot. “Take a seat.”
“Tell me why I’m here first.”
“Always so damn serious. I just want to play something for you.”
