Page 47 of The Roadie
Kira sat on the couch in her sister’s apartment, still high from her weekend with Brett and his brother. Their time together gave her so much hope for the future. “California was incredible! I loved spending time with Brett and his brother and seeing what his life is like. We’re exactly the same! He’s close with his brother, like me and you,” she told Audra. “His best friends are famous musicians. And music is everything to him.” She didn’t bring up the loss of Brett’s parents, because she didn’t want to share bittersweet details. Eventually she’d tell Audra about the grief that Brett and Grant were still dealing with, because, even though it had been so many years ago, both she and Audra still felt the loss of their mother, as well.
Audra jumped across the couch into the seat next to Kira. “I’m so happy that you had a great time. I knew you would. When are you going back?”
She wished there were definite plans for the following weekend, but Brett couldn’t commit because he didn’t have his work schedule yet. “He’s going to call me on Wednesday after he confirms what days he has to work. There was some talk about Bulletproof doing a show next week.”
Jimmy, who had been watching TV, turned down the sound. “Immortal Angel and Bulletproof are shooting a music video. I got a call from Marissa Torres this morning. A production team put together a script, and we’re scheduled to begin shooting next week.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Audra scolded her husband.
“Sorry, sweets.” He gave her his killer smile, and the girl practically melted into the couch cushion. “Didn’t get a chance.”
Jimmy was hard to resist when he turned on the charm, Kira had to admit. She still didn’t know if that meant Brett was coming with them, though. He mentioned a show, not filming a video. “Is the whole band coming? Did they mention a show while they were here?”
“I don’t have the deets,” Jimmy replied. “All I know is that Brandon Bullet and Derek MacAlister are shooting a video with us on the collaboration ofSex & Greed. I can’t believe it took so long.” He flashed his dimples. “You know those cats like to use their own equipment, so I guess that means your guy’s coming out here too. I hope I didn’t spoil a surprise.”
Kira’s pulse quickened at the news. “When? What day?” She realized that she needed to check her schedule because she had meetings and a short trip to Oklahoma in a few days. If she had to, she would shift things around, because that’s what you do when you’re in a long-distance relationship. You make time for one another.
“Tuesday. Marissa said to expect filming to take two or three days.” Jimmy clunked his boots on the coffee table, crossed his ankles and spread his arms across the back of the couch. “How’s this long-distance thing going between you and Brett?”
She was about to tell him that everything was going wonderfully and that they were making time to be with one another, but when she opened her mouth, nothing came out.
“What’s wrong?” Audra asked, when Kira didn’t respond.
“Are you supposed to have to make time for one another?” she asked, forehead suddenly wrinkled. “Isn’t it supposed to be easier than this? I thought love was something that just happened and that everything fell into place by chance. I thought destiny was supposed to be on your side.”
Jimmy was the one who answered. “The way I heard it, you guys had a random hook up and then reconnected at the recording studio in Chicago. Sounds like fate to me.”
Heat burned Kira’s cheeks, and she wanted to sink into the couch and disappear. “Audra! I can’t believe you told him that.”
Her sister shrugged. “Sorry.”
“It’s cool, man,” Jimmy said. “Don’t sweat the heavy stuff, Kira, because there’s plenty of it. Relationships take work, especially when two people have busy careers. It’s all about give and take. Love ain’t easy, but it’s worth it. Look at me and Audra. Your dad was dead set against us being together. My kid showed up while we were still dealing with that. We weren’t together that long when all that shit went down. We had more than a few hurtles to overcome, but we did it.” He grinned at Audra. “And she still loves me.”
Audra put her hand to her chest and pretended to swoon while she batted her eyelashes at Jimmy.
“Look at Angel, Tommy and Jessi,” Jimmy continued, after sending a few kisses in his wife’s direction. “Three-way love ain’t easy. They struggled.” He looked down and shook his head, as if reliving a memory. “Jessi had it the hardest. But look at them now. They got a family and nothing but love for one another.”
Although Kira and Audra both saw the threesome blossom, neither knew the intimate details. It was before Audra and Jimmy got together, and they weren’t privy to the band’s private lives. They were friends, but still in the super-fan category.
Kira thought about Alyssa and Damien, who were a prime example of soulmates. The two were inseparable from the beginning. Never had Kira seen two people more devoted to one another or better suited for each other. But even they had problems in the beginning. Damien had struggled with addiction, and that can kill a relationship very quickly. But Alyssa stuck by him, and he straightened out. For her. That’s how strong love is.
Kira took a moment to absorb everything, and she wondered if the love she and Brett shared was as strong as the relationships around her, or if that was something that grew over time.
“The way I see it,” Jimmy offered his opinion. “Your job always came first. Look how many hours a week you work. You never make time for yourself. This trip to California was the first vacation you’ve taken in years.”
She started to protest, but he cut her off.
“Don’t say that you took a month off to tour with us, because you worked.” He waggled his finger at her. “You were on the phone all the time. And you went to see bands. That’s work. Lighten the load. You don’t have to work so hard. Take it easy. Put yourself first, for once. This guy makes you happy. Man, we all see it. Don’t let your career get in the way.”
Kira sat back on the couch and took it all in. Maybe hearing a guy’s perspective, and not her sister’s biased opinion, made her view things differently. Maybe she never made time for a relationship because there was no one worth making time for. Maybe Jimmy was right. “Thanks, Jimmy. You made some valid points.”
Deep in thought, she headed for the balcony, stepped through the sliders and peered at the street below. People walked with a purpose, eager to get to their destinations. Maybe the hustle and bustle of the New York City life was so ingrained in her that she forgot to step back and take a breather. She didn’t need to work 60 hours a week. She didn’t need to be the one to constantly discover the next big rock sensation. She could easily delegate someone else to fly off to another city in order to check out some of the up-and-coming bands on the music scene.
She pulled her phone from her pocket, tapped on Brett’s number, and brought the phone to her ear.
He answered on the first ring. “Hey. I was going to call you tonight. Are you still working?”
“My six o’clock meeting got canceled, so I decided to head home early.”
