Page 58 of Rock On

“I don’t really—” I was saved by the announcement that the game was starting.

Mina and Harriett were funny, talking like they were old friends, and I was content to listen to them chatter in between rounds. They’d only met a week ago but were already fast friends and I wondered if I could make friends that quickly. I’d had a lot of friends before Tommy, but I’d let go of a lot of them after we got married and I’d slowly let most of the rest go after the divorce.

Tommy had never put demands on me, so I couldn’t blame it on him. Yes, he’d been busy writing and playing music, but it had been my choice to follow him. We’d been so deeply in love, it never occurred to me that it might not be healthy for us to be so co-dependent. Especially me, since he had a career and the band. Back then, all the guys in the band had been perpetually single, making me the sole band wife. I’d taken on the role of platonic wife to all of them, making sure they ate and didn’t get into too much trouble.

I’d been the one who made sure the girls who came backstage were of age, and despite Carter’s addiction, I’d done my best to get him safely to bed at night. It hadn’t always worked out, because no one could stop him when he was on a bender, but we’d all given it a shot. I’d also been the one to suggest rehab the first time. That hadn’t gone over well until Kingston found him in a puddle of his own puke one morning when he didn’t make it to the bus on time.

Those had been hard times, but we’d weathered them together, and then when both the fame and money started rolling in, we’d had good times.

“You’re not even paying attention,” Harriett said to me as she marked the B16 box on my card. “You okay?”

“Just thinking about the past.”

“Don’t do that.” She grimaced. “All it’ll do is rip open the wounds.”

“I’ve done that just by coming here.”

“B9!” The announcer called.

“Bingo!” Tommy stood up with his arms in the air.

I couldn’t help but laugh at his excitement.

The prizes were ridiculous.

A pair of socks.

A candy bar.

A box of tissues.

Gambling wasn’t allowed, so they framed it as providing us with necessities, and everyone had a good laugh every time they got up to choose their prize.

Tommy went to the prize table, picked up something I couldn’t see, and then headed in my direction.

“For you,” he said, presenting me with a package of Twizzlers.

He’d remembered they were my favorite.

This friendship thing was going to be so easy if he kept this up.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

“Any time.”

“Awww… look who has a crush!” Harriett teased.

I blushed, which made no sense, but I felt just like I had the night he’d asked me out for the first time. Had it really been thirteen years? It felt like a lifetime ago.

“You ladies want to come up to my room for a nightcap?” Harriett asked us as the evening came to an end. “I’ve got champagne and a charcuterie board coming.”

“I don’t think so,” Freya murmured. “I have some paperwork to catch up on. But thank you for inviting me.”

“I could have some bubbly,” Mina said, ignoring her.

I hesitated.

I didn’t have a drinking problem, so I was allowed to drink if I wanted to, but I’d been working on my health and alcohol seemed counterproductive.

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