Page 118 of Tempting the Player
Paris comes back soon after to let us know how great the show was and thank us about a dozen times. After that, the five of us start to pack up all the band equipment. Mackenzie and I focus on bringing all the cases and storage to the front while the guys disassemble the instruments.
“Has anyone seen the case for the cymbals?” Ted asks as he searches the stage.
“Oh, I think I saw it in the tent. I’ll grab it.” I carefully pick my way around the stage and then down to the tent just to the right. I find the case and take it back to the stage. Eric and Lennon are already taking stuff to their cars.
“What’s left?” I ask.
“I think this is it,” Mackenzie says as she watches Ted place the cymbals in the case.
“Cool. I’m gonna grab my stuff and get out of here. Are you guys going to the party at The White House tonight?”
“Not me.” She shakes her head. “I have to get up early tomorrow for a community service day with my sorority. Speaking of, I should go.” She kisses Ted and then comes over to hug me again. “I hope this means you’ll perform with us more often.”
“Yeah, maybe.” I squeeze her back.
She leaves and I go get my stuff from behind the stage. I hope Eric is coming back because I want to say goodbye and thank him for believing in me and constantly trying to get me back out there. Ultimately it was Hendrick who gave me the confidence, but Eric has always had my back. I grab another water from the giant gift basket and pull out my phone to text him and make sure he hasn’t left.
I’m greeted with so many notifications. Calls and texts from friends and family. My heart squeezes in my chest. I uncap the water and chug it while I scroll through a few of them.
The girls sent a video of them taken during the concert. Their backs are to the stage so you can see me, and they sing along.
And Brogan sent me two texts. One is a high five emoji and the other is a photo of Hendrick watching me sing to him.
There are so many more, but I close out of them so I can text Eric. Then I hear him out front. I take a step and stagger a little. My legs suddenly feel like I’m walking in quicksand. That’s weird.
The next step takes me to the ground. I wince at the impact on my elbow. What the hell? My thoughts are jumbled. I open my mouth to call out for the guys, but then forget why I was going to yell for them. My head feels funny and my arms and legs are too heavy to move.
Footsteps vibrating against the floor and coming closer get my attention, and I look up.
Ted squats down, looking me over. “Jane?”
“I...” I start to speak but my tongue gets in the way. I reach for the water bottle. Maybe if I could just get another drink. He kicks it out of my way and his gaze goes from confused to angry. “Dammit, Jane. You always fuck everything up.”
41
HENDRICK
Knox waitswith me in the security tent. He was a big help today with setup and being another body to get shit done.
“Thank you,” I say as I take a seat next to him.
He has his phone out and is watching a video clip of a race. Not once since I’ve been back has he mentioned it, but I think he still misses competing.
“You still keep up with any of your old racing friends?” I ask him.
“Not really.” He closes the video, and we sit silently for a few minutes before I decide I should tell him about my upcoming trip to L.A.
After I give him the details, his expression is far less excited than I expected for a guy that’s been pushing me out the door for months. The only thing he says is, “Does Jane know yet?”
“Yeah. She knows.”
“I’m sure you two will figure it out, and in the meantime there’s always FaceTime sex.”
“It’s only for a few days. I’ll be back Wednesday night.” Though FaceTime sex sounds kind of fun. The thought makes me smile because it’s such a Jane thought. Always up for whatever. I love that about her.
He sits forward. “Why?”
“That was the quickest turnaround I could make work. I’ll fly out Sunday and then tryouts—”
