Page 57 of Waiting to Lose
HE’D JUST SUNG his last encore and stepped into his dressing room backstage. The concert went amazingly well. Sold out again. Jake grabbed a towel and wiped the sweat from his forehead. He glanced around the usually stocked room, but there wasn’t a water bottle to be seen.
Ang walked through the door and closed it behind her, handing Jake several pictures to sign. As he took the pen from her hand and removed the cap with his mouth, he mumbled, “Where in the hell is the water?”
Ang turned to examine the room from every angle. “I don’t know, Jake. I stocked it myself before the concert.”
“Could you please get me one?”
“Absolutely.” As Ang opened the door, Caleb pushed through. He too was sweating.
Jake immediately noticed the water bottle in his hand. “Please tell me that’s for me?” he asked as he scribbled his name quickly across photo after photo, handing them back to Ang.
Ang shrugged as she left to deliver the signatures. Caleb grinned and handed it to him, watching him inhale the entire bottle. Jake crumpled it up and turned to toss it in the trash.
“Um, here… Let me take that for you.” Caleb stretched out and took the bottle from Jake’s hands.
“Jeez, I think I can manage to throw my own garbage away.” Jake continued to wipe his face with the towel before changing into a dry shirt.
Caleb stared at him warily as he took the bottle and shoved it into his jacket pocket. “It’s just, you don’t look good. Something’s been off with you since lunch. Are you feeling okay?”
As soon as he said the words, Jake realized he actually didn’t feel very well. He felt a little lightheaded and dizzy. He stumbled back a few steps, and Caleb caught him before he fell.
“Let’s get you back to the hotel. You need to get some rest. You haven’t been sleeping well, have you?” Caleb asked.
Jake managed to shake his head no.
Caleb led Jake through the maze backstage and into the waiting limo. Greg stretched to grab his arm to help him climb inside, but Caleb stopped him. “It’s okay. I’ve got him. I’ll ride in back with and make sure he’s okay.”
Jake seemed to go in and out of consciousness the whole ride. He’d never felt so tired in all his life.
As Greg and Caleb led him to his room, Jake couldn’t help but feel like he was drunk. Things were blurry, sounds were fuzzy and he felt like he might vomit.
“I hope it’s not the flu,” he heard Caleb say. “I’ll stay with him for the night, Greg. You go and get some rest. I’ll call you if we need anything.”
Jake was grateful Caleb had things under control. He pulled back the covers and Jake fell into bed. “Get some rest, Jake. I’m sure things will be better in the morning.”
Jake quickly drifted off to sleep.
Hours, maybe minutes, passed before he briefly opened his eyes. It felt like there were weights pulling his eyelids down to his nose. He could barely keep them open. He could hear Caleb’s voice and someone else, possibly female. He felt his shirt being pulled from his body. For a moment, he thought he might be in the hospital. As much as he tried, he couldn’t keep his eyes open any longer. The last thing he remembered was feeling his pants being removed and a muffled voice saying his name.
The sun blazed through an open window and Jake attempted to lift his head. He couldn’t. It felt heavy and hurt like he’d been hit by a train. He lay there for a moment as his eyes tried to focus on the ceiling and the small dots of stucco that spread like ants. As his eyes were able to focus, Jake carefully lifted his torso off the bed, using his hands for balance. It took him a moment to realize where he was. Hotel room… Australia. Jake tried to remember what had happened the night before, but everything was a blur. He remembered singing and going backstage, talking to someone, and maybe some pictures. He vaguely remembered the flashes of a camera. And that was it. He lifted his hand to rub his eyes, and it took all the strength he could muster. As he shifted slightly on the bed, he realized he was completely naked. He couldn’t remember getting undressed.
The door from the hall opened and Caleb entered the room. “He lives!” he said with a smile.
He handed Jake a welcome cup of coffee, and Jake managed to bring it to his mouth and take a sip. “What the fuck happened to me?” he slurred.
“I think it might have been a twenty-four hour thing. You were pretty strange last night.”
“I was?” Jake asked. “How so?”
“After I got you back here, you laid down and fell asleep. I stayed with you to make sure you were okay. About an hour later, you jumped out of bed and started undressing yourself. You were really out of it. I tried to stop you, but you just kept going. You got really pissed and told me to leave. I didn’t want to go, but you were screaming about needing some privacy. As I turned to leave, you stopped me. You said you wanted my phone and couldn’t find yours. I left it with you and went back to my room for a bit. I must have dozed off. When I realized it had been over an hour, I rushed back to check on you and found you sound asleep in your bed.”
Jake listened and scratched his head. “I don’t remember any of it. Who did I call?”
“I have no idea…” Caleb said with a shrug as he lifted his phone from the nightstand.
“Probably Madi. I must have made an ass out of myself.” Jake glided his fingers through his hair and took another sip of coffee. He lifted it slightly as he said, “Thanks for this. Could you give me a moment alone?”
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Caleb asked.
“I’m okay.”
Caleb turned, and the door slammed heavily shut behind him.
Jake bent his legs over the side of the bed and dropped his head, trying to summon the energy to stand. He wobbled for a moment and balanced himself on the bed frame before he took a step forward. His jeans were folded on the chair in the corner. He stumbled over to them and pulled his phone from his pocket, searching for the time in Chicago. It was 10:00 a.m. in Melbourne, so 5:00 p.m. in Chicago, but the day before.
Jake pushed the button and made his way back to the bed as the phone rang. She didn’t answer and it went to voicemail. Jake decided to leave a message. “Hey, babe, it’s me. I had a weird night last night. After the concert I wasn’t feeling well and I crashed. I barely remember a thing. I hope I didn’t call you and blubber about how lonely I was without you. It seems like it might have been a twenty-four hour bug or something. I’m feeling better, but last night’s still a blur. I’m going to get some rest. Call me before you go to sleep tonight. I miss you and I need to hear your voice.”
Jake put the charger into his phone and placed it on his nightstand, crawling back under the covers and back to sleep.
***
