Page 10 of Winter Glam in Amsterdam

"What the fuck?" I hiss at my brothers once my heart rate has calmed down again. They’ve been watching the most awkward moment of my life from a fair distance, and now I know why Reed was grinning when I shot my shot with the girl that caught my eye as soon as I stepped into this lobby. She looked exhausted and tired, yet I couldn’t take my eyes off her.

If I did, I might have realized who she is. "Why the fuck wouldn't you tell me that's Luca's sister?"

"Well, because we figured your face when you'd find out would be hilarious," Reed points out before he bursts into his next giggle fit. "And I was so right. So, what did she say?"

“Oh, she definitely shot him down,” Jackson adds. Surprisingly, he’d met us at the airport already and there has yet to break afight out between him and Adam. So far, I might actually believe that the two of them made up. Who would have thought?

"You must be desperate." Adam shoots Reed a warning glare, but I only shake my head at all of them.

They don’t need to know that, indeed, it's been a while. And now that I have free time instead of being busy at work, I’m fucking feeling it.

For the past year, I've thrown myself into work, and finding women, much less a relationship, was so far off my mind, I barely even thought about it.

Because one sunny summer day that I went into a stuffy voice studio, a wave of dread rushed over me and it just… stayed. There was something about the thick, soundproof walls and non-air-conditioned recording booths that made dread sink into my skin and breathing a challenge.

Once I got home, the first thing I did was see what else I could do. Something that would allow me more freedom, to spend days outside if I wished and wouldn’t confine me as much.

And audiobooks appeared on my computer screen like a revelation. Hell yes.

Voice acting movie characters comes with a strict schedule from the production company so they can keep their own schedule on track. You're in a studio with God knows how many peoplewho throw their opinion at you, all of them wanting different things, which leads to having to redo your takes what feels like a thousand times.

But being independent as an audiobook voice actor?

I prepare the books, record them, and send them off to an editor, who'll give me some pointers on what to do again. Does it also require several takes until I’m happy? Hell yes. But nobody gives a fuck if I do them at three in the morning instead of noon.

So I get to enjoy sunny days and still work a damned great job. This whole process has been so much better for my mental health, but it's come with a certain level of loneliness.

When I first started, I met my buddy Ian online. He showed me the ropes and honestly, I couldn’t have done it if not for him taking me under his wing and introducing me to his team. So far, he’s the only friend I’ve made in the industry, though. I’ve made acquaintances, sure, but when I want to rant or talk to anyone who’s not my family, he’s the one I call.

But it’s not like my friendships before. There’s no going drinking after a successful day at work or finishing a project, since he lives several states away. No spontaneous trips to a club to let loose. I don’t miss it too much, but sometimes… yeah, sometimes I do.

“Nope, I’m good,” I assure Reed. “Not desperate at all, but if I saw correctly on the plane, you were very interested in checking out the Red-Light District.”

He turns beet red and raises his middle finger at me. I caught him typing ‘Do brothels accept credit card’ into his phone and even though I’d only shot him an amused look, I intend to tease him about it a lot.

“No idea what you’re talking about.”

“Your search history tells differently.”

“Okay, okay,” Jackson says placatingly and steps between the two of us. “We’re entering the territory of ‘I don’t want to know.’”

“How about we check out our rooms?” Adam interjects. “Come on. Unpack your shit and we’ll meet back here for dinner.”

“Alright,” Reed and I grumble and follow our older brothers to the elevators. Not without some playful punches and kicking each others’ suitcases though.

"So, what exactly is even the plan?" I ask as we're sitting at one of the tables. God, it’s weird to sit here with all four of us, in real life instead of a screen. Almost feels like before Jackson went off to college, only our sister Zoey is missing to make this round complete. "Was your plan just to hang out, do some catching up and smoke together?"

"Why does there always have to be a plan?" Reed asks with a chuckle, shaking his head. “Were you expecting a whole-ass schedule?”

"Because some people in this round"—my pointed gaze goes to Jackson—"are not that great with surprises. So I figured one of you would've come up with at least some kind of itinerary."

Reed’s gaze also jumps to Jackson. As we grew up, he struggled with any kind of changes to his routine. Be it a surprise party for his birthday or one of us staying out longer—or even shorter—than anticipated, it would irritate him, even if he did his best to hide it.

Past Jackson would have hated this vacation since it got him away from his routine, but he doesn’t seem that bothered by it. Thank God, maybe he finally got some more therapy for that. Maybe that’s how he and Adam get along so well again.

"Well, it might surprise you, but we didn't," Jackson says, reaching for his glass, the corners of his mouth twitching into a smile at my shocked expression. “We’ll play it by ear.”

“Oh wow.” I reach for my glass and take a sip of water. “England seems to be working out great for you, man.”

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