Page 16 of On the Power Play

Delia scoffed. "These things? Like meeting a fake boyfriend is a regular occurrence?" The sound guy raised a hand, and she nodded, then began to pluck out a simple G-D-C-G chord progression on her guitar.

Mary planted her hands on her hips. "Don't pretend you aren't weird when it comes to guys."

Delia shook her head, then sang her next sentence to the melody of Mary Had a Little Lamb. "This is not a normal guy, normal guy, normal guy, this is not a normal guy, it's a business transaction."

"Now you just sound like a prostitute."

Delia grinned. "Or maybe he's the prostitute, prostitute, pros?—“

"That's going to end up on TikTok, you know that, right?"

Delia laughed, sending her mic into a feedback fit. "Sorry!" She waved to the booth and cleared her throat, then started in on the chorus of Shiny People. She was a professional. She could complete a soundcheck properly.

Mary stepped off to the side so she wouldn't be a distraction, and after one verse of Dame Tartine, the song her mother always hummed around their apartment, the sound guy gave another thumbs up. Mary swooped in to put her guitar on the stand while she took out her earpiece.

They worked with the stagehands to get the piano placed where she wanted it, then met with the venue owner, who effusively praised her and shared his immense gratitude that she liked the Jukebox enough to return within a calendar year. Delia did like the Jukebox. She was sure that was why Tony had booked it because it definitely wasn't up to his standard of playability.

The Jukebox didn't have a website and only sold tickets at the door. They opened two hours before the live music started for the night and sold greasy bar food and craft cocktails. The drinks were good, or so she'd been told, and the food even better, if you were in the mood for heartburn and middle-of-the-night gastrointestinal distress.

Delia remembered the good 'ol days when she'd play a show then step off the stage and join her friends at the bar for hours afterward, since they were the only people who showed up to see her play. She'd never complain about her increased popularity, but it was a little anticlimactic going back to the green room with her ears buzzing and eyes mildly blinded to sit with Mary and drink Chamomile tea. Who was she kidding though? She loved that post-show routine.

“Ear pieces, Dels.”

“Hmm?”

Mary spun her around and turned the switch to her receivers off. “What were you thinking about this time?”

“How I’m emotionally conflicted about what I do after shows.”

Mary laughed. “You didn’t take your medication?”

Delia shook her head as she set her guitar on the stand and walked into the wings. “I didn’t want to feel more anxious on the plane.”

“Understandable.”

They descended the stairs and flopped onto the couches. They still had two hours, and Delia was about to suggest they take a nap when the green room door burst open.

Tony waltzed in with Kels on his heels. "I know you were all wondering where we were . . ." He taunted them with a garment bag on a hanger.

Mary smirked. "Tony, we agreed that you were going to pick up Delia's outfit. Neither of us was wondering."

"But you didn't know I was also getting a surprise." Tony hung the bag on the clothing rack against the wall and unzipped the protective cover. Delia had brought her burgundy high-waisted, wide-leg trousers that, when she wore them with her leather platform boots, made her look leggy and well beyond her five-foot-seven height. She would've just worn them here instead of packing them separately, but they tended to get creases through the crotch when she sat for too long in them.

Tony pulled out a vintage-inspired, flowy blouse with a delicate floral print that coordinated perfectly. That wasn’t the surprise. Mary had found it on a local boutique’s website, but even though she’d seen it online, it was better in person. Delia stepped forward and fingered the gauzy fabric.

“Voila.” Tony pulled out a gorgeous tan suede jacket. "I couldn't leave this sitting in the window display. It was begging for you to wear it."

Delia’s eyes lit up. She took the jacket from him, and it practically melted in her hands. So smooth and supple, she wasn't sure if she should put it on or cuddle up with it. "It’s gorgeous. How much did this cost?"

Tony waved her off with a look that said, It doesn't matter for something that good, but it did matter to Delia. Any show expenses meant less take home, and she wanted to squeeze these shows for all they were worth.

Since she didn't want to crush Tony's kind gesture, she put on the jacket and smiled at herself in the mirror. It hit perfectly at her waist, and the sleeves looked like they'd been tailored to hit her wrists. It was stunning. "I’m a little disturbed at how well you know my size."

Tony laughed. “That was Kels. I don’t keep track of measurements.”

Delia gave them each a quick hug. “Thank you. I love it.”

"Hot,” Mary agreed.

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