Page 22 of Bassist With Benefits
Brandon greeted each member of the hotel staff with either a handshake or a wave and offered an amicable smile. Once the food order was transferred to the dining table, Brandon signed autographs and corralled the rest of the band to join him. Cam volunteered to take a group photo with the band and the hotel staff. He could have only taken one photo and told them to send it to each other, but he happily shuffled through a dozen phones, asked people to move to the left or right so they could be seen clearly in the photo, and clicked away.
It was a minor inconvenience, since Jeremy was starving, and Derek was practically drooling over the beautifully prepared table covered in a cornucopia of expertly prepared foods. But the star struck smiles and bright eyes of the staff were well worth it.
Finally, the hotel staff left and everyone sat down to lunch, or whatever this meal was called.
“Well, enjoy your breakfast and/or dinner,” Felix said, eyeing the array of food spread across the table. “Twin Media will be here in a few minutes to get a brief clip of how famously you all get along, so feel free to go overboard with your foolishness.”
Jeremy paused with his fork halfway to his mouth, unhappy about the media invading the small amount of private time they had on tour. “They’re gonna film us eat?”
“Didn’t you read the day’s itinerary?” Felix asked.
“No. I just got up a little while ago.”
“I text it to you every night and leave a copy on the kitchen counter or in the tour bus. Don’t act like this is your first tour, Jeremy.”
“I can remind you,” Cam offered. “I keep track of everything so I can work around the band’s schedule. You have an interview at a radio station today at three.”
A rare smile spread across Felix’s face. “Thank you, Cam. I think I like having you on tour with us.”
“Me, too.” Jeremy nodded, remembering the homemade pancakes and fresh pot of coffee on the bus. “Sit down and eat, Felix.” The band’s manager was standing around watching them stuff their faces, and the table was covered with extra food. The guy was always such a bundle of nerves and stressed to the max. If he would just relax a little, maybe he wouldn’t look like he was ready to pop all the time.
“Thank you, but I already ate. I’m here to make sure all of you eat a healthy meal.” Felix looked down at Derek’s open-face roast beef sandwich with gravy-soaked fries and at Brandon’s double-decker burger. “Well, maybe healthy was the wrong word.”
A few seconds later, Twin Media’s camera crew arrived. Two cameras, no journalist. Jeremy wasn’t sure if that was better or worse. At least with a journalist, someone spearheaded an interview and guided the conversation. With only cameras staring at them while they ate, it made them self-conscious and everyone was quiet.
“Just act natural,” Felix said. “Forget the cameras are here. And don’t stare at it and smile, Brandon.”
Jeremy searched for something to say. “Who ordered the steak?” It was sitting untouched in the middle of the table.
Brandon wiped his mouth with a napkin and stood up. “I did.”
Cam almost choked on his coffee. “You’re eating a two-patty burgerandsteak?”
“No.” Brandon started cutting the steak into small pieces. “I’m eating a burger. Brandy’s eating the steak.”
Jeremy laughed. “This dog’s got the life. She travels around the country and eats steak for breakfast.” He looked over at Cam’s plate. It was some kind of grain and leafy greens. “What are you eating, Cam?”
Brandon rolled his eyes. “You don’t want to know. I haven’t even looked at it, but I can tell you it’s something with kale.”
“No, smartass.” Cam pressed his lips together sharply and threw a sheepish glance at the camera, obviously worried that he said “ass”. “It’s quinoa and arugula.”
Brandon closed his eyes for a moment and shook his head. “I don’t even want to know what those things are.” He placed the plate on the floor for one very happy dog and looked at Cam’s meal when he sat back at the table. “You should eat a burger once in a while.”
Cam challenged Brandon with a raised eyebrow. “You should eat some grains and vegetables.”
Loudby Motionless in White came on the sound system, which was one of Derek’s current favorites. He jumped from his chair, grabbed the pepper mill to use as a microphone, and sang along with the lyrics at the top of his lungs. Alan started drumming on the table with a pair of spoons and stomping on the floor kicking an imaginary bass drum. Music had an infectious energy, and once his bandmates started grooving to the song, it seeped into Jeremy’s soul. He leaned back on the legs of his chair and pretended to pluck his bass guitar, mouthing the lyrics, but only half as loud as Derek who was wailing almost as loud as Brandon sang on stage.
Derek circled the table, bobbing and weaving and rocking his long hair all over the place. He pulled Brandon to his feet, and they both screamed into the pepper mill, harmonizing surprisingly well. By the time the chorus rolled around even Cam joined in to shout the lyric, “YOU GOTTA BE LOUD! YOU GOTTA BE RUDE!” Each time the chorus replayed, they shouted the line louder and more aggressively.
Jeremy pounded his fist on the table to accentuate the rebellious tone of the song. He wrapped his arm around Alan’s neck in a playful headlock and rocked his friend in the chair. Alan retaliated with make-believe punches to Jeremy’s face.
Derek ran up to the camera, the pepper mill still at his lips, and screamed, “YOU GOTTA BE LOUD! YOU GOTTA BE RUDE! SAY FUCK IT!” into the lens. That was the last line of the song, and after that the camera crew promptly left the suite.
Felix had an amused smirk on his lips and folded his arms across his chest. “Very nice. Either that was exactly what they were looking for, or you scared the shit out of them.”
“It was either that or start a food fight,” Derek said, tossing the pepper mill in the air and catching it.
“In that case, I and the hotel cleaning service thank you for the impromptu sing-along. I’ll be back at two to take you to the radio station.” Felix waved over his shoulder. “Enjoy the rest of your lunch.”
