Page 39 of Enjoying the Band in Lockdown

Our kiss was the kiss of lovers. Not of fuck-buddies. Whatever we were, it wasn’t as much as Xavier, but more than Xav would be comfortable with.

By the time I got downstairs, freshly showered and wearing one of Xavier’s bulky sweaters over my yoga pants, the pool table was set up and waiting for me. Trent had the music blaring and drinks poured. Jax had rustled up munchies, my favorite corn chips were drowning in melted cheese with bowls of salsa and sour cream for the guys, and separate bowls for me. For an asshole, Jax had seen how little I’d eaten before going upstairs and this was his way of being less Jax.

Xavier, my man, greeted me with a hug as big as his sweater and soft kisses to my neck.

I could die right here and now, and die happy.

“Are you okay?” he asked quietly while the others started picking teams for yet another pool competition.

“Yeah.”

“Would you tell me if you weren’t?”

“Yeah.”

“Sydney, tell me what you want?” His arms enveloped me in a warmth I didn’t think I’d ever deserve.

“You, just you.”

“Gotcha.”

After all the fights, jealousy and head games, it was the perfect night. The song choices were random, with one band leading to another to another until Jax joked about messing with the YouTube algorithm. No one stole my nachos or dipped salsa in my sour cream.

And my phone stayed blissfully silent. No texts for over twelve hours. A new record.

By the time Xavier and I got bundled out of the pool tournament, I wanted to bathe in the crazy family we’d become. Unwilling to face going upstairs alone, I stretched out along one of the sofas in the next room, flicking through television stations until coming across old Tarantino movies. I’d always loved the violence and unpredictability of characters. If I tried hard enough, I could forget ever watching the movie, pretending to experience it for the first time.

“I love this,” Xavier said, joining me. My legs soon found a new home across his lap. My head on the armrest. We could have been any couple.

At some point during the third movie, we’d fallen asleep. Someone must have felt sorry for us and found an old blanket during the night, because when I awoke to Xavier’s soft snores, the early morning light started shining through the side windows.

“Morning,” Xavier muttered, untangling his limbs from mine to stretch.

“Morning.”

“Did you enjoy last night?”

“I enjoyed playing pool with the guys and just having fun for once.”

“Good answer.” He rewarded me with a billion-watt smile and kiss. “How about we go for a walk. On the beach not to the cave,” he added.

“I think we can do better than the beach,” I said, thinking quickly. We needed some alone time. I needed some alone time with Xav. “Let’s see if the café in the next street is open yet. We can get coffee and take away breakfast.”

“You can drag me away anywhere you want, as long as you feed me!” Xavier rewarded me with one of his world-famous body hugs. “But if you don’t kick me off this couch, at least one of us is going to go hangry!”

The last two nights could have torn us apart, but we’d never been closer. I’d never felt more like a normal couple. With no tourists in a tourist town, we got the benefit of beautiful beaches without the crowds. Chatting to locals who were prepared to welcome us like honorary locals.

We went crazy. Buying fish and chips for a late breakfast and accidentally buying out the shop’s stock of chocolate bars. “My girl has a craving that I need to satisfy!” Xavier winked at the owner. We’d been his only customers in three days.

“This is the life,” Xavier mused as we settled onto the sand. Away from any prying eyes and protected from the sea breeze by a wall of sand dunes.

“Thank you for inviting me.”

“Wow, where did that come from?”

“I’m talking about breakfast!” I flicked a chip at him. “There’s something decadent about paying for coffee instead of making it.”

“I know, it’s like if we make one at home, we have to offer for the others.”

“One coffee turns into six and sometimes I’d rather go without.”

“Any time you want to sneak away for a coffee date—”

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