Page 27 of For One Night Only

Me:Why are you reading all that garbage, anyways? You know half of it is completely made-up. Have you even practiced your audition piece today?

Carrie:RUDE

Me:Go practice.

Carrie:…fine.

I worry I’m going to get a call from my mom next, but she doesn’t reach out. Fortunately. She didn’t really react much when I texted her to tell her about the reunion—but I guess she’s distracted by this new boyfriend of hers. Apparently he has a boat, so she’s out of cell service.

Same old story.

If I could wish for anything in the world, I’d wish my mom was more responsible. It’s a good thing my baby sister has such a good head on her shoulders, because she’s certainly not getting the structure she needs from Mom.

Maybe it’d be best if I looked for a job in Seattle for her senior year, but that wouldn’t be smart for my teaching career. Carrie has only one year left of high school, and then she’ll be headed to college—probably the East Coast, since she still has her heart set on a music conservatory.

I’d still be proud of her if she didn’t want to go to college, but it’s cool to see her taking such an interest in music. With all her classical prowess, she’s definitely more driven than I ever was. Not like her brother, who tried to run away when a few fans wanted to see him perform after years of nothing.

I really need to refill my medication. I pull up the portal for my health insurance and start researching pharmacies near our hotel, then click through to order. Repeating last night is not an option.

“No more karaoke,” I promise to myself. I just need to be better prepared for our next appearance. And apparently, Valerie and I have a reunion story to get straight.

By the time we get to the hotel Sunday afternoon, I’m exhausted. They’ve got us all on the same floor, which is to be expected, but what I don’t expect is that there’s an adjoining door between my room and Valerie’s.

Neither of us asked for it, and we don’t discuss the implications.

The silence of that closed door feels unnecessarily loud. There’s something intimate about being able to get to each other without heading into the hallway, but we don’t have to use the door. No, we can just act like it’s not there.

More pretending.

Full of restless energy, I wander around, checking out all of the accommodations. There’s definitely enough in the room to distract from that door. It’s a nice, trendy hotel, all Art Deco chic with vibrant colors and modern fixtures. There’s both a shower and a separate bathtub, and all of the soaps are small samples from Kiehl’s. They’ve left complimentary bottled water and chocolate truffles on the desk, and there’s an elaborate room service menu…the kind without prices. For a moment, I freeze, worrying about the bill. But then I remember Label Records is paying, and my shoulders relax.

Since I usually have a Holiday Inn Express budget, I forgot how nice it is to stay in a fancy hotel. Before I change to head down for rehearsal, I sink into the king-sized memory foam mattress, deliciously stretching out my limbs. Jane’s house was super nice, but I had to sleep on a twin bed, and even with my limited height, my legs cramped up in the middle of the night.

As I’m tugging on a fresh shirt, my phone rings. Maybe my mom is finally calling.

Without looking at the screen, I answer it.

“Hey, Caleb, it’s Gina Choi from Label Records. Is this a good time?”

My stomach tightens. I haven’t spoken to the VP in a long time, but she always made me nervous. “Gina, hello.”

“Look, I know it’s a Sunday, but we just wanted to reach out. We’re all so excited you’re returning to the Glitter Bats.”

“It’s just for one night,” I say.

“Right, right. Just one concert. Still, I wanted to float something by you. Technically, you all signed a contract for ten years.Since you’re obligated to give us any new music you produce until that expiration date, and we know how prolific you all are together, it might be a lot cleaner if you all just come in to record a few tracks now. A comeback EP. Valerie has already said she’s up for it.”

I groan. Would Valerie really hide this from me after the conversation we had with Wade on Friday, or is Gina just trying to trick me? The start of a panic spiral tugs at the back of my mind. I don’t know this version of Valerie well enough to know how far she’d go without checking with the rest of us, but I think it’s possible she’d make some moves. This is a shitty way to find out. Implying a romance is one thing—I’m not happy about it, but I’ll do it—but I didnotsign up for more music.

I’m giving more than I bargained for already.

I want to snap at Gina, but I stop myself. There’s one easy way to stop this line of questioning. “You’ll need to run all professional inquiries through my manager.”

“Oh? I heard you no longer had representation.”

There’s no way she heard that, because Label has been working closely with Wade on this reunion. “Nope, I’m still represented by Ortega Management.”

“Well, this is just a friendly chat, no need to involve them yet.”

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