Page 60 of Timeless: Encore

“Ready, my brother?” Ty is so genuinely excited, it infuses me with energy. He’s dressed in his trademark ripped blue jeans. White tee. Black leather jacket.

Taped-up green Doc Martens.“My dude!” I point to his boots. “Are those…”

Ty just smiles. God, I love this man. He doesn’t need to say a word. Wearing the boots that made him a star tell me all I need to know. He’s all in. The final piece of the puzzle fits. LTZ isback.

Jace is up onstage setting up his drums when we go back inside. He’s between drum techs and very specific about his setup. Ty shouts up to him, “Well, humping our own gear feels like déjà vu. Other than that, this Mission is a hell of a lot nicer.”

Jace flips him off. Unbothered, Ty stops to chat with his foundation students. I met them earlier. Lake Lyon is a twenty-year-old guitar whiz. I’m excited to hear Candy Crushed, an all-girl glam-metal band. Rounding things out is Velocity 7, two sisters and two brothers who, apparently, harmonize like nobody’s business. Who knows, maybe one of them will be the next LTZ?

My guitar tech, Pokey, motions for me to come over to my stacks, so I jog ahead to approve his setup. Just like old times.

Connor steps out from the wings. “Hey, my brothers. Feels feckin’ good to be back up on stage, not gonna lie.”

“My brothers. I’m so fucking excited. I’m ready to go.” Ty finally strolls toward us. Pumps his fist in the air. He’s in front-man mode and I’m all for it.

Tingles run up and down my spine. This is it. We’re doing this. My leg bounces. I’m so keyed up, I might explode.

Ever the task master, Jace keeps us in line. “While the gear’s getting set up, let’s have a quick meeting. We’re all together, and it’s time we finalize some stuff with the band.”

I lead the band and crew to the green room where we’ve set up some hospitality. I’m fucking proud of the space. It’s high tech. Clean. Hospitality area. Shower. Plenty of space to spread out. Amenities touring bands need.

We pull our chairs into a circle. Jace continues his organizational ways. “Isis Management. Discuss.”

This.This. We’ve danced around it for weeks, and now we’re makingplans. I didn’t even have to initiate the conversation. It’s all I can do not to kiss my band mates on the lips. I’m going full blown moony, and I don’t give a shit. I deserve to be this happy.

“I’m on board, they’ve been feckin’ great for my wee brothers’ band.” Connor clasps his hands together.

I look at each of the guys in succession. Try to hide my enthusiasm with business talk. “So, finally Katherine is out?”

“She’s pressuring us to do all the things that burned us out over the years. We’re not kids starting out anymore. It feels like the time to make a change.” Ty bops his head up and down like he’s thinking on the spot. Stops. Sets his jaw the way he does when he makes a final decision for himself. “After all, we’re all family men, or soon-to-be family men now.”

Jace jumps in. “Yeah, but I still want to play. And tour. Are we all up for that?”

Yes. Yes. Yes.

Connor cocks his head. Crosses his arms over his chest. “Aye. I’m on board ononecondition.“ He looks at me, specifically. “We each need our own bus. If we can agree on that, I’m cool because I plan on having my family with me if we’re gone for longer than a couple of days. That’s my non-negotiable. You don’t want to be woken up by my evil twins. Trust me.”

Ty’s face lights up. “Yeah, and we’ll have our tiny little guy.”

“Ty and I have written some songs. I know we’ve all been working in smaller groups, but it’s time to get into the studio and work it all out.” I gesture to Ty. “Last fall at your house, when you showed us the new gear, Jace joked that we should record at your house. Honestly, I think it’s a cool idea. It would be the least disruptive to our families in the short term.”

We chat about logistics and make plans to take a trip to LA next week on dates that coincide with a festival at the Hollywood Bowl. Some artists we’ve toured with over the years are playing, which makes it likely we’ll be able to jump on stage and perform a couple of songs. While we’re down there, the four of us will meet with Isis Management to finalize our decision.

I wave to Carter, who wandered in while we were in the middle of band business. He leans against the back wall while we get ready to run through the set list. Ty sits cross-legged, writing out said set list, looking like his heart is about to burst from joy. He pulls out an envelope. Looks at it. Puts it back in his jacket.

Jace kneels down next to him. Nudges his shoulder. “What’s got you so happy?”

“Life, man,” I overhear Ty say. “It’s fucking awesome.”

“Yeah, sure is. Hey, you forgot to includeButterfly, we should play that tonight.“ Jace points to the playlist.

Ty scribbles it down on the pad. “Yeah. We should. Good?”

“Yep.” Jace returns to his kit.

These little exchanges warm my heart. We all know one other so well. Each of us has our own special friendship with the other. Our common bond is so present. Why did I spend the entire year scared that LTZ might never get back together?

I decide to go check on Fee. Maybe give her a kiss. My hand is even on the door handle when I decide not to interrupt her. My job tonight is to play the show on time and get the guys over to the restaurant. I’ve tried to take care of her all day. Tonight’s her night.

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