Page 35 of Pierce Me

Manuela: Well, you did.

Eden: You didn’t, Fee. You guys are hilarious. But anyway, that’s another thing. If I take the job, I won’t even be able to go to the shows. Apparently that’s a massive trigger for my panic attacks.

Manuela: That sucks.

Eden: Yeah, it does. But I kind of wish it didn’t steal my future as well, you know?

Faith: It’s up to you that it doesn’t.

seven

Spencer gets it.

I talk to him about my block and the urge to use again and he just listens. Then he simply says:

“Fight it.”

“Yeah,” I reply, nodding. I am fighting. To within an inch of my life.

“Work helps,” he adds. “Creative work.”

“It does?”

“Yeah, but you have to be in the right mindset for it. You have to get out of your head first. The boat will help. I know how it feels to be drowning in your own life.”

I’m silent for a second. This was way too heavy—and too real.

“I’ll tell my manager to send you the money for the yacht—” I start saying.

“No money,” Spence cuts me off. “Just the one condition.”

“Yeah, you said.”

“Greece.”

“Come again?”

“Greece,” Wes repeats on the phone. For the third time.

He’s reached his destination, but he’s not getting out of the car, waiting to finish his conversation with me without interruption, but suddenly, I wish we would get interrupted. I’m not liking where this is going.

“Greece what, man? You want me to meet you there?”

“Nope.” That twinkle again. It’s scarier than a clown’s smile right now. “Well, yeah, but more than that. I want you to make it a stop on your tour. Or two, that’s up to you. You haven’t finalized the cities yet, have you?”

“Pretty much. We have every single city planned for months now. Years, actually. You know that most tour stops are already sold out.”

“I figured. But plans can change. As I said, you can make it two stops if you like, or just one.”

“Oh well, thank you for leaving that little detail up to me.”

He bursts out laughing.

“Come on,” he says. “It’s Greece! Do you know how many people dream of visiting it? And for a good reason. The islands are gorgeous, the beaches are out of this world.” His eyes get a dreamy look. “You’ll see.”

“You’re asking me to have a show in Greece forsunsets?”

I sigh. I know his girlfriend is Greek, but I didn’t know he was touched in the head. Or else she has him whipped, which I find hard to believe about a guy like Spence.

---