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“And Sergio,” the sound of her voice saying my name caught my attention, “your e-reader is stocked and ready to go with the latest smut recommended by the internet.”
“Thanks,” I replied, trying to keep the confusion and shock from my voice. Everyone at the table was staring at me. “What? You know I like to read to unwind.” It wasn’t why they were staring, but I didn’t want to acknowledge it.
Elle moved the conversation along. I pretended to be really interested in something on my phone, but I could see the looks of concern being shot my way.
Fifty-Five
Cee
It was my first official day back as the assistant for the whole band. I had been doing some work for Connor for a few weeks, but everyone was handling me with kid gloves.
I felt like they were waiting for me to crumble to pieces.
Joining the kick-off call virtually with Mish was more intimidating than I expected it to be. Last time I was with this group of people, I was not in a good place. My plan was to gloss right over that like it never happened. It felt like a solid plan when it came to most people.
Everyone except Serge. Sergio was going to be far more difficult. I didn’t have a clear memory of everything that happened, but I remembered enough to feel shitty about it. I treated him horribly and then cut him off.
Not my finest moment.
I listened as Elle’s voice came through the phone. “Everyone, let’s get started. We have a lot to cover, and I know Connor wants to talk to the band about some potential changes to the set list. First, do we have the damn shirt?”
“Yes,” I heard Mish confirm on my behalf. “And a plan to keep track of it.”
“What’s the plan?” Elle asked.
“His assistant can explain it.”
Well, apparently that’s my cue. “Basically, we had a GPS tag attached to it. That damn thing is not getting away on my watch,” I explained. And I would be damned if that shirt found its way off this tour. I hated that fucking shirt. There was no way Kyle tracked this one shirt so closely. We were all missing something here, and I was determined to figure it out.
“Excellent,” Elle responded. “And you have all the information you need for the tour, right?”
“Yes,” I sighed, knowing my sister was questioning my ability to handle this situation. I couldn’t really blame her, but it still annoyed me. We had talked at length about it and agreed that I would be fine. “And I’ll be with you all in a week, so if there’s stuff you need from home, just let me know.”
That part was the one I was slightly concerned about. Not because I was worried I’d lose the plot again. I had a steady flow of pharmaceuticals running through my bloodstream and an army of therapists to call if I needed them. It was because seeing Sergio in person had me scared shitless. He had no reason to forgive me, and I really wanted my friend back. I missed him.
I continued, “Just like we’ve done in the past, you’ll be getting voicemails from me in the morning. Please listen to these before you do anything. Any alarms that need to be set, I will take care of from here. I’m like a fucking magician, and I will keep you on task.” I hope. “All of your wish-list items for the bus should arrive with the buses tomorrow.”
I took a deep breath and threw the last gem in.
“And Sergio, your e-reader is stocked and ready to go with the latest smut recommended by the internet.”
“Thanks,” he replied. The sound of his voice hit me in the chest. “What? You know I like to read to unwind,” he continued in his own defense.
Elle moved the conversation along, which was perfect because my heart was racing a million miles a minute. The one-word response to me wasn’t enough for me to determine his feelings about me being back.
That didn’t stop me from obsessing over it for the next hour.
The first week of the tour went well. I managed the chaos that could be handled remotely, and Connor’s stupid shirt hadn’t disappeared. It slightly bummed me out, because I wanted to see how well the GPS would work out, but less drama was probably for the best.
After a tearful goodbye with Wyatt, I left him with Mason and Candi and boarded a flight to Arizona to meet up with the band. The closer I got to them, the more my stomach churned.
My rideshare dropped me at the venue. A quick look at my watch confirmed I arrived during soundcheck, as scheduled.
“Are you here?” Mish asked excitedly, picking up my call.
“Yes. Where are you?”
“Everyone is on stage fighting about lighting. I went back to the bus. Hold tight, I’ll come grab you.”
