Page 13 of The Fire Walker
Dee
Since Zoe had movedout of our hotel room to stay with Will, I was alone with myself, and that wasn’t a goodthing.
By the time she stopped by the next morning, I was bouncing off the walls, flipping channels on the telly and scribbling in my notebook, anything to keep my mind off theinevitable.
Letting her in, I scanned the hallway behind her. “What, no loverboy?”
She rolled her eyes. “No, I let him sleep in after his crappy flight. He’ll be at the gig later. Are youready?”
“As I’ll everbe.”
She gave me a look, which was all she ever seemed to dolately.
“What?” I grumbled. “You know me. I’m a loose cannon without anaudience.”
“Okay,” she said with an air of whatever and flung my denim jacket at me. “We’re on the clock. Let’s getgoing.”
We had a photo shoot to endure this morning before going to sound check later on. Galaxy had wrangled us a last-minute page in the upcoming issue ofRolling Stone,and it had to be done today or not at all. Massive exposure but one of my least favorite things to do. You would think for someone with a vain streak like mine I’d be all over it like a rash, but I was hotter for a stage and an audience, not a single photographer. Numbers was where it wasat.
Zoe and I rode the elevator down to the hotel foyer in silence, which was strange for us. We usually had so much to talk about, and most of it was usuallycrap.
“What’s with the lack of decibels, Dee Dee?” she asked, signaling her brain waves were in tune withmine.
I shrugged, my usual upbeat nature gone out thewindow.
“How was the club lastnight?”
“Terrible,” Imuttered.
“And?”
“Andwhat?”
“Did you talk toher?”
“Talk to who?” I asked, knowing full well who she was referringto.
“Jessie.”
My jaw tensed. She had to go and say her name, didn’tshe?
“Whathappened?”
“Yeah, I talked to her,” I said. “Georgie tried it on, and Jessie came to saveme.”
“Bloody Georgie.” Zoe laughed. “That woman ismerciless.”
“And almost ten years older thanme.”
“Don’t you wanna be her boy toy?” She made a kissy face, and I laughed at her lame joke, circling an arm around her neck and pulling her into myside.
“In her dreams.” At least I was in someone’sdreams.
“What about yourdreams?”
“Shit, Zoe.” I cursed as the elevator door slid open with ading.
As we walked out into the foyer where Chris, Simone, and Frank were waiting for us, she pulled away and thumped me on thearm.
