Page 12 of Home Town

“Because fine is a non-word. Seriously, it says nothing. Gives no description at all.” Josie hit to make the purchase, happy to see the items would arrive the next day before turning her complete attention back to the debate with Bailey.

“You want descriptive?” Bailey asked. “Here you go. Busy. Stressed. Pressured. Overwhelmed, overloaded, swamped… Oh, and burnt out and possibly getting sick.”

Come to think of it, her friend’s voice did sound a bit scratchy. Josie closed the app and frowned. Bailey had her full attention now. “What’s happening?”

“The label wants all the new songs for the album not just written but recorded two months ahead of the original schedule.”

“Why?”

“Because they can?” Bailey suggested.

“Because your manager is letting them. Tell Xander to put his foot down. Do I have to call him and set him straight? I’ll do it,” Josie threatened.

If Quinn were there he’d do the same. Bailey was too much of a pushover sometimes. And her workaholic manager Xander had no problem taking advantage of that fact to push her too far.

“It’s not Xander—at least not just Xander. It’s me too. There’s a… time sensitive opportunity.”

“Another concert tour?” Josie guessed.

“Yes. International this time.”

“Wow.”

“Exactly. So how can I say no?”

“Well first of all you definitely can say no and you should if this is all too much for you. But if you want to do it and you can get it done in time without killing yourself, then yeah, you should do it.”

Bailey was quiet for a moment, then said, “You’re right.”

Josie sniffed. “Am I? Can you record yourself saying I’m right and then play it for Quinn every time he’s being a dick to me?”

“No,” Bailey said firmly. “You know I don’t get in between you two. There lies madness.”

“So poetic.” Josie rolled her eyes.

“No, just smart,” Bailey corrected. “So how are you doing there?”

Motion caught Josie’s eye and she leapt just in time to stop Jelly from falling into the fish tank as he joined his sister on fish watch.

Scooping the kittens up one at a time and putting them on the floor, she said, “I’m rethinking my desire to own a pet. These two kittens are devils.”

“Quinn will be happy to hear that.” Bailey laughed.

The pet versus no pet debate had been ongoing since they’d all moved in together.

“Or maybe I’ll bring these two little ones home with me as a gift for my darling brother.” Josie smiled at her own ingenuity, liking that idea. Torturing Quinn was one of her favorite pastimes.

“Again, I’m not getting involved. But I’m glad you have company there, even if they are devil kittens. You’re so worried about me being alone here but you’re alone there too with your parents gone on their road trip.”

“Alone is just the way I like it,” Josie said. “No one to fight me for control over the remote. No one to argue with about what kind of take-out we should get for dinner.”

No having to hear her best friend and her brother in bed—or in the shower—doing it…

“And if I need for anything, there are always the neighbors. You remember how small this town is,” Josie continued.

She wandered to the window to glance out at one of those neighbors’ houses now--and stopped dead.

Eyes widening, she breathed out, “What the hell?”

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