Page 31 of Touch in the Dark

I pocket the business card along with my phone. We gather our stuff and get it all loaded up then climb into the back of the car. Reggie is staying with me, so we head straight back to the brownstone. Reggie heads off to her room and I take the elevator and leave my bags and equipment in the living room, making my way to the kitchen. I need coffee. I’m meeting Jenna and Brooke tonight, so I need the caffeine to keep me going. Once I’ve made it, I walk to the window and look out at the street. It’s so different to what I’m used to back home in L.A. But it’s nice, I like it.

I take a quick shower before we go out. When my phone beeps with a text, I pull it out of my jacket pocket. The business card drops to the ground. I bend over and pick it up, biting my lip. Should I call him? Reggie is right, he is nice, and seemed interested in me too… I should call. Even if he does head to Florida rather than staying with the movie, we could go out, have some fun. He obviously wants me to call.

I flip the card over and look at his name. Joel Pederson. I frown, tapping the card against my other hand. Pederson? Why does that sound familiar?

“Shit,” my mouth drops open.

No wonder he kept saying the things he did, and he didn’t get into any shit when he made out like it was him disturbing the set. He said he had in ‘in’ with the director.

The director is called Zach Pederson.

Chapter Eight

“I’m sorry, did I hear you correctly?” I sit up on the weight bench, after slotting the bar back on the rack. Archer is standing in the doorway with his coat on. “Did you say you’re going to Florida? Now?”

He grins. “I did. I’m treating the whole family. The kids have never been to Disneyland so figured while they’re still young enough, it’d be good to take them. Plus, I get to actually spend some time with the little rugrats.”

“Aren’t they thirteen and ten or something?”

“The older two are, the rest of them are under five.”

“Disneyland huh,” I laugh.

“I’m guessing our demographic isn’t gonna be hanging around there so I should be good.”

“Are you forgetting the kids at Disneyland have parents? Are you taking some security with you?”

He rolls his eyes. “DiMarco. Bianca won’t let me go without someone being there.”

“Shit, Adam will lose his mind if B sends someone with them.”

Archer laughs. It’s been three weeks since we convinced the label to give us time off. It’s taken us a while to get used to this new normal, to wind down, not having anything we need to go to. Janie has taken the opportunity to go back to L.A. and visit her family. I’ll still need her for certain things so she’s still going to get paid, just nothing that she needs to be in the city for.

Adam managed to convince Jenna to take a week off work. They’re heading to Hawaii. They’re not going to a densely populated tourist attraction though, so Adam will not be allowing Stone to tag along with them. Jenna showed us all photos of the resort last night, they have a private villa on a secluded beach. I think Stone would be scandalised if he were hanging around anywhere near where those two are gonna be. They leave in a couple of days.

Archer is heading out now apparently. He’s wasted no time planning things for this break, despite initially not knowing what to do with himself. The two of us are going on a short road trip after the holidays. No idea where yet, but he wants to hire a van that we can sleep in, so we don’t need to worry about finding places to stay off the beaten track. Sounds like a blast to me, the point of it is getting back to nature, taking a step away from the luxury and riches we’re used to.

Otherwise, I don’t have any real plans, but the guys are certainly using their time, making it clear the break really is needed.

I swing my leg over the bench and get up, sweeping up the bottle of water I’d left on the floor. “Rather you than me, man. But have fun.”

“I intend to. Will you be alright?”

“I think I’m good, thanks honey.”

He laughs. I tell him to have a good time, he nods, taps the doorframe then heads out. I finish half my bottle of water in one go. I’ve been working out for about an hour. For the last couple of weeks, I’ve worked out, spent time with my grandma, and read and not much more in between. It’s weird how it has taken this change of plans to make me see just how much my life revolves around the band.

I’ve never looked at it this way before and as much as I hate to admit it, my identity has become Nick Chambers, bassist for BreakNeck. I have good friends outside of the band but they’re mostly all paired off too.

My grandma is my only family. Over the years, especially when I was younger, I thought about who my dad is. Mom never told me a lot about him. They never even lived together. She said they were too young when they had me. Every now and then I brought it up with Doris, but she always brushed away the questions, clearly no love lost between her and my father.

It has occasionally entered my mind to look for him, but I never followed through on it. Sitting here, alone in the sterile gym, staring out of the window, I begin to wonder if that is something missing from my life. Not that I need to know who he is. I might be single minded as far as the band is concerned, but I’m pretty sure I don’t need to know who fathered me to understand who I am. A small part of me always wonders if he knows who I’ve become, and he wishes he knew me. But that way of thinking in the past only ever brought depression chasing close behind.

I sigh and get up, heading to the bathroom for a quick shower. I’m adept at making myself look like an average guy on the street so I dress down, grab a hat and scarf because it’s absolutely fucking freezing here right now, pop in my earbuds, then head out.

I wave to Christopher, the doorman, but move across the lobby quickly enough that he doesn’t ask if he can get me a car, which is how I usually roll. I have no real plan on where I’m going but it’s getting close to Christmas. Jordan hasn’t told the rest of us what he’s planning with Sandy, but if he is expecting me there, then he’ll need to invite Doris too. I’m sure he won’t forget her.

I dip in and out of some quirky shops in the East Village, keeping my cap pulled low, not making eye contact for too long as I grab some gifts for my friends.

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