Page 67 of Love on Tour
“I don’t want to go.”
“I know you don’t.”
“But I probably will.”
“You most definitely will,” Julianna said.
“But I don’t want to,” Christine repeated.
“But. You. Will.”
“But I will.” Christine plunked her head down on the table.
“Look at the bright side. Matt will be there,” Julianna said, causing Christine’s head to snap back up.
“He has a girlfriend,” Christine said.
“Yes, but he hasn’t put a ring on it.”
“Which doesn’t make it right for me to make a play for him,” Christine said, slamming down her spoon.
“All right, all right. But, Christine, you’ve fallen hard for him. And you think he’s the one for you. At least give some thought to letting him know how you feel.”
“Argh. Enough. I can’t think about this right now. It’s making my head hurt. Change the subject.”
“If Austin’s still with Phoebe when you leave for Canada, her head will go into a tailspin.”
“And that scares me a bit.”
“It’s not her.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Christine. It’snother,” Julianna said.
They paid their bill, left the restaurant, and got into their cars.
“Canada. In winter. You’ve got to be kidding me,” Christine said, pounding her steering wheel before putting her car in drive and heading out.
Christine went home, thankful not to find any nasty notes on her door. She made a cup of tea and sat on her couch, staring out the deck doors. She wanted to sit on the deck, but being outside made her vulnerable. Anybody could see her. Looking at the outdoors would have to suffice for now. Even though she lived in an apartment complex, there was a tree line across the parking lot, and she enjoyed how pretty it was in the evenings. Fall in Nashville could go either way, weather-wise. It could be sunny and hovering in the seventies. Or, it could be ugly, near freezing, and rainy. So far this year, it had been warm.
Christine enjoyed a quiet Friday night, choosing to stay in, watch a movie, read a book, take a bath, and pamper herself. The hoopla of awards week was behind her and all of Nashville was slowing down, preparing for the winter break. When her phone rang at five o’clock in the morning, she dreaded what it meant. It was either her parents calling with horrible news or Austin calling with some dilemma. She bet on it being Austin. She looked at the caller ID and said, “Damn, wish I’d laid money on it.”
She picked up the phone. “Austin, it’s five in the morning.”
“I know, but I need help.”
“Are you drunk in some chick’s apartment?” she asked.
“I am not. I’m stuck in Cookeville, and the bus left without me.”
“I thought you were finished touring. It’s almost Thanksgiving. Who tours this close to the holidays?” she said, turning on the light and shaking off sleep.
“We had a radio show last night in Roanoke and the bus rolled out at some crazy hour of the morning. The driver stopped at an all-night Walmart, and it woke me up. I decided to go in and get some snacks.”
“And he left you? Didn’t you leave the paper towels on his seat?”
“I did. It’s not our regular driver. I guess nobody told him what the paper towels mean,” Austin said.
