Page 16 of The Fire Walker
Zoe’s face split into a grin as she laid eyes on Will and promptly jumped off the stage and jogged over to meet him. He was standing with Simone and Jessie, and realizing she’d finally shown up, my heart did this little somersault in my chest. I locked my gaze onto her. What I wouldn’t give to walk over there, slide my arms around her waist, and pull herin…
“Stop slobbering,mate.”
I looked around at Frank, who was giving me a knowing grin. “Shutup.”
“Seriously, you gotta calm down a little.” He clapped me on the shoulder. “Focus.” He had apoint.
“I don’t know how he didit.”
“Who?”
“Will.”
Frank tilted his head to the side. “Didwhat?”
“Dealt with being around Zo every day for weeks and not being able to haveher.”
“Man, the disease is spreading.” He laughed, holding his hands out in mock defense. “Three out of four members of The Devil’s Tattoo are pussy whipped. Get that shit away fromme.”
I rolled my eyes and shoved him playfully. “Better crack out the antibacterial wipes, dipshit.”
He shoved me back, laughing. “Hey, maybe it’s my turnnext.”
The sound guy, who’d introduced himself as Matt, came up behind us and said, “We’re ready for youguys.”
Nodding, I whistled at Zoe, waving her over. My vision crossed Jessie’s, and her expression fell, and I wasn’t sure what I should feel about that. I just…I just needed tofocus.
With the house lights up, it wasn’t the same as playing a show, but it calmed my nerves, anyway. We played through the first single we put out, ‘Walls,’ and then through ‘Red Heart.’ I was seriously hoping we’d have a good reception to that one because I wanted it to be the first American single. Not just because I wrote it but because it was everything the band wasabout.
Despite being in the one place I was most comfortable, I couldn’t look up the entire time knowing that Jessie was standing out in the middle of the empty room, listening to us. I just couldn’t do it. I found myself wondering if this was how Zoe had felt that day when we’d first played a sound check in front of The Stabs. I wanted to ask her about it, but I couldn’t talk to her about this. She was my best friend, but the thought of confiding in her was a little embarrassing. After all, I’d always been the strong one. I wasn’t willing to give that up soeasily.
When we came off, Jessie was standing at the side of the stage, and Georgie was back in the wings talking on her phone a mile a minute. I stopped in front of Jessie, guitar in hand, and said, “I missed you at the photo shoot today.” I clamped my mouth closed, realizing what I’d just said. Missed her as inmissmissed her. It was the truth, but that was way toofast.
She laughed at the look of horror on myface.
“That’s not exactly what I meant…” Ibegan.
“Don’t worry about it.” She waved her hand at me like she didn’t care. “Georgie sent me on some errands. I wasn’t really needed,anyway.”
“Oh.”
“How’d it go? With youknow?”
I knew she was referring to Georgie’s ‘hands on’ approach, and I grimaced. “What can Isay?”
“Yeah, she had a bitch to me about it already.” When she saw the frown on my face, she added, “Don’t worry. Nothing will come of it. She’ll move on prettyquickly.”
Actually, I was more worried about what Georgie said to her than anything else. Before I could figure out what to say, the sound tech tapped me on the shoulder. “Doors infive.”
That meant, get off the stage, so I walked forward and placed a hand on the small of Jessie’s back to direct her into the wings, and I was positive I felt her shudder. The thought made every single part of me hot…and more than a littlehard.
“You guys were great just then,” she said as if she was trying to draw my attentionelsewhere.
“Thanks,” I replied, letting my hand fallaway.
We stood outside the band room, both of us hunching awkwardly. Was it the same for her, or was she just trying to find a way to discourageme?
“If you don’t need anything, I had better go find Georgie,” she said, crossing her arms over her stomach. Definitely nervous but I couldn’t pinpoint thecause.
