Page 91 of The Fire Walker
I knocked her shoulder withmine.
“Any updates from thedoctors?”
“She’s getting a checkup now, but they said she’ll probably be good to come home the day aftertomorrow.”
“That’s great.” Zoebeamed.
“She said she wants to come with me,” Iblurted.
“Move toMelbourne?”
“Yeah.”
“Dee, that’s amazing, but why do you sound so down aboutit?”
“Galaxy offered her a permanentjob.”
Zoe pushed off the wall and slapped me on the arm. “So it workedthen?”
Like I told Jessie before, Zoe and I had words with Georgie and the label about her predicament. We told them about the accident and why she’d quit in the first place. Apparently, they had huge plans in the works for The Devil’s Tattoo, and making us happy made them happy. It wasn’t a matter of our say so, getting Jessie her job back. It was more the fact that they’d already gone through two interns in just over a week. It turned out Georgie really was that good at staffturnover.
“Full-time, awesome pay rate with bonuses and holidays. Healthcare, dental, and all of that shit they dohere.”
“But she wants to move to Melbourne withyou?”
“Yep.”
“Maybe it’s not as important to her anymore. You know, after the last couple ofdays.”
“I’ll respect her decision, Zo, whatever she wants to do. I’m stoked she wants to come with me. I just don’t want her to keep sacrificing what she wants for me. She did it once already, and I can’t ask her to do itagain.”
“Maybe love is what she wanted all along. Just likeyou.”
“Fuck, you’re annoying.” I sighed, pulling her in for a hug. She was right in a way, but we still had time to work it allout.
“One hundredpercent.”
“Any word on the album?” I asked. I’d been out of the loop ever since I left LA and felt a little bad aboutit.
“Looks like the album is getting a Januaryrelease.”
“That faraway?”
“Yeah, but the label agreed to let ‘Red Heart’ be the first single, and that’ll probably be out beforeChristmas.”
“Yes,” I exclaimed, fist-bumping Zoe. “What about atour?”
“Simone said they’re looking at dates in February and March for a US tour, but there’ll probably be a few festival dates in OZfirst.”
“Big Day Out?”That festival was the first one I’d ever been to back home. Eighteen, sunburnt, and squashed in mosh pits all day and night. I’d been dying to play that circuit eversince.
“Yep.” Zoe smiled. She knew all about it because she’d been there with me on my shoulders. “We’ve had an offer for Falls Festival, as well. Not headlining but almost upthere.”
“It’s all coming up Millhouse, huh?” I said, leaning back against the wall. The Devil’s Tattoo had cracked the big time, and I was in love with the most amazing woman in the whole entire world. If the world ended right now, I would be happy. Well, maybe that could wait a littlewhile.
“Roses and sunshine and puppy dogs and unicorns.” Zoe laughed. “The whirlwindcontinues.”
Looking back down the hall, I noticed the doctor who had talked to me the day they’d brought Jessie in leaving herroom.
