Page 3 of Wish You Once More
“If it’s juicy gossip, can we wait until everyone’s here?” I gestured around the table at the vacant chairs. “That means you only have to say it once.”
Darla huffed, and rummaged around in her bag for her notebook and pen. “Okay,” she grumbled. “Where is everyone anyway?”
It was the last committee meeting before the Dart Sundowner. It would be the last chance for us to make sure everything was in place, that there were no last-minute dropouts, and that everyone knew exactly what they were supposed to be doing across the course of the two days. For a small team, we were a well-oiled machine, and we all knew our places.
This year, I’d won the job of looking after the main information point, where we also sold various pieces of merchandise. One of the more important roles, I was grateful to Darla for giving me the opportunity. In previous years, I’d been assigned the more menial stuff, like clearing up the area around the stage or collecting cups. She always said it was good to get the ‘youngsters of the town’ involved. At twenty-six, I wasn’t sure I still qualified to be in that group, but I’d take it.
Five minutes later, the eight members which made up the committee had settled down at the large table in the private dining room of The Castle Hotel. Darla, as chair, cleared her throat to start the meeting. “So, I mentioned there was some big news,” she began.
“It sounded more like gossip to me,” mumbled Bryan, who took on the technical side of things, and believed in factual stuff, not gossip or tittle tattle.
“Whatever.” Darla held up a hand. “You know how The JRs always play in the Sunday afternoon slot?”
My heart jumped into my mouth. Jonny Redmond’s band always gave me the feels, and not necessarily for the best reasons. Had something happened to them? They were a popular, almost timeless part of the festival, if they weren’t playing, then… I didn’t want to think about it.
“Their bassist has left.”
A collective gasp went around the room. If that were true, then we suddenly had a vacant slot in the programming, one that wouldn’t be easy to fill. Everyone started talking at once, asking what the alternatives were, how we were going to explain the gap, how difficult it would be to get a replacement at this late stage. I didn’t get involved, choosing instead to wind a strand of silver-blonde hair around my finger.
Darla slammed her palm on the table, causing us to jump. The volume immediately dropped. “But we have no reason to worry. They have a stand in who’s agreed to play so we aren’t left in the lurch.”
Murmurs bubbled up as speculation mounted as to who it was.
If it wasn’t someone who was a big deal, Darla wouldn’t be stringing it out the way she was.
If it was someone from one of the other local bands stepping in, there wouldn’t even have been a need to mention it.
Which meant there was only one person it could be.
And I wasn’t sure I was prepared to see him again.
“His brother, Mat, has agreed to come down for the weekend and support the festival. He’ll be playing with Jonny and the others.” Darla’s triumphant tone grated on my last nerve.
Even though I’d been pretty sure what was coming, hearing the words made my blood run cold.
Mat Redmond.
Bassist of Trash Gun.
Adored by many, but not by me.
Not when he’d taken my heart, trampled all over it, and then thrown it away.
I reached for my glass of wine, and took a huge slug, all the noise in the room fighting for attention in my head. I couldn’t let my emotions show, not now. Not when there were seven other people in the room who would question my reaction.
“Isn’t that great news?” Bryan nudged me in the ribs. “To have such a star in our midst, even if only for the weekend.”
I practically spat my wine out. Other people may have seen Mat as a star, but I couldn’t. Never again.
The rest of the meeting passed by in a blur. I took copious notes, trying to focus on anything that wasn’t Mat Redmond, but it was almost impossible. I couldn’t wait for the meeting to finish, so I could meet Callie and tell her what was going on. Surreptitiously, I slipped my phone from my pocket and messaged her to say she should have a bottle of wine waiting. She replied almost immediately, with a picture of aforementioned wine and two large glasses.
“Right, if you need anything before the weekend, please do let me know. Otherwise, I’ll see you all at half ten on Saturday. We need to be ready to start spot on midday.” Darla finally brought the meeting to a close. I shut my notebook with a snap.
“Got a handle on everything you need to do?” Bryan nodded to my notebook. “There’ll be lots of people wanting information.”
I plastered a saccharine sweet smile on my face. It wasn’t the first time he’d patronised me. “I’m sure I’ll manage, Bryan. And if not, I can always ask you, can’t I?”
He mumbled something under his breath, while I shoved everything into my bag.
