Page 23 of Your Rhythm
Ace nearly walks off stage after the fifth time Nico calls for us to restart, but Cole steps up and tells him not to be a fucking drama queen.
“This is bullshit,” Ace retorts. “We sound like shit.”
I drum my sticks against my leg, trying not to explode with all the accusations I want to throw at him. These days, Ace is like a pit of embers just waiting for a chance to flare up, and now is not the time to fan the flames.
“Then let’s just get through the next half hour and try not to sound like shit anymore,” I state through gritted teeth.
The asshole is in sore need of a reality check, but I put off giving him one. Just like I always do.
We manage to get ourselves on track enough that I don’t think people will be walking out during our first song, but by then we’re all ready to jump down each other’s throats. I feel bad for the college employee who shows up to take us to our interview. Truth be told, she’s pretty cute and seems so nervous to be meeting us she can barely get a full sentence out. She’ll probably be telling all her friends what assholes Sherbrooke Station turned out to be.
She leads us to a tiny room that looks like it’s usually someone’s office. There’s a few plastic chairs arranged in a circle and Kay’s sitting on one of them, wearing tight black pants and a jean jacket. She lifts her head up from looking at her phone and adjusts her glasses as we come in.
Her eyes immediately flick to mine before scanning over the rest of the group.
“Hey,” she greets us.
I didn’t think she’d have the same effect on me with all the worries about the show on my mind. None of us were really in the mood for an interview after the disaster on stage, but having her here in front of me, after she’s been hanging around in the back of my head for the past few days, seems to wipe everything else away.
There’s something calculated in her stare as she rests one elbow on the back of her chair and flashes that half smile I haven’t been able to forget. She takes the sight of us in like a poker player getting ready to call someone’s bluff.
“I’m Kay.”
JP doesn’t waste any time striding forwards to shake her hand.
“Oh, we know that.” He gives me a painfully obvious side-eye and I remind myself to kick him later. “Bon soir, Madame.My name is Jean-Paul, but you can call me JP.”
He sweeps his trapper hat, which he’s been wearing all day, in front him before replacing it back on his head.
“Everyone calls him JP,” Cole clarifies. “It’s not a special privilege.”
“Nice to meet you, JP.” He lets go of her hand and she gestures for us to sit in the rest of the chairs. “You’re Cole, right? And you’re Ace?”
“Yeah, and you’ve already met Matt. We heard all about that.”
I’m starting to regret ever bringing her up with the guys. Subtlety is not their strong point.
Kay just moves the interview along. “I know you’ve got to be on stage soon, so let’s get right into things. You’re all okay with me recording?”
She pulls out some kind of microphone from her bag and hooks it up to her phone, setting both down on one of the extra chairs and moving it into the middle of the circle. We all nod and she starts with her questions.
“How are you feeling about the show tonight? It’s a pretty big venue.”
“Pretty big venue to fuck up at,” Cole grumbles.
Kay turns to focus on him. “Do you think you’re ready for something like this?”
“Yeah, Cole,” Ace taunts, “do you think we’re ready for this?”
“We would be, if you hadn—”
“Guys,” I warn. “Not now.”
An awkward silence descends until JP steps in to fill it.
“We opened for another band here once.” He shrugs his shoulders. “Feels pretty crazy to be coming back to headline.”
“You’ve been doing that a lot lately— headlining. What do you think has led to your recent jump in success?”
