Page 63 of Taste of Surrender
I was seconds away from leaning over and kissing him, but Jesse returned.
“We actually called an ambulance instead, and it’s on its way. Figured it’s better to be safe,” he stated.
Jasper rolled his eyes. “You guys worry too much.”
“Can’t help it.” I nudged him gently with my shoulder. “You’re kinda important to us.”
“Yeah, well, not sure a ride in an ambulance is necessary.”
“The paramedics will check you out, and make sure your medication is working, but you know you need to see a doctor too,” Olivia said.
“I know, but an ambulance?” he argued.
“This LA traffic is no joke,” I cut in. “It will get you to the hospital faster than Olivia can drive.”
“All right, fine, but I need to get the tri-tip and Savannah’s black bean burger off the grill before they burn.”
“I got it.” I stood and grabbed the tongs and the plate Jasper had sitting on the side. After I took the burger and meat off, I said, “There. The tri-tip needs to rest, right?”
“Yeah, thank you.” Jasper smiled up at me and I grinned back.
The paramedics arrived a few minutes later and quickly took over. After the EMTs checked him out, Jasper walked to the ambulance, then got on the stretcher inside. I knew he was goingto be okay, but seeing him going to the hospital still made me a little stressed.
Olivia stepped forward. “I’ll go with him. You guys need to get to sound check soon.”
I hesitated, my protective instincts battling with my responsibilities. Jesse clapped a hand on my shoulder. “She’s right. We have a show to get ready for.”
I nodded, giving Olivia a grateful smile. “Take care of him.”
“Of course,” she replied, climbing into the ambulance beside Jasper.
Jesse, Elliott, Savannah, and I watched as the ambulance drove away. The moment it turned the corner, Jesse spun to us. “We should get moving if we’re going to make it to sound check on time.”
I hadn’t even realized how much time had passed while the EMTs were here.
“Hold on,” Elliott said. “We’ve got a few minutes, and we need to eat something before we go.”
“Yeah, we don’t want to perform on an empty stomach,” Savannah stated. “Plus, we can’t let Jasper’s good cooking go to waste.”
Jesse nodded. “Good thinking.”
In no time, the food was laid out on the kitchen island inside, and we all grabbed plates, loading them up with the tri-tip, pasta salad, and rolls Jasper had made from scratch.
Silas still hadn’t arrived, and I briefly wondered if he’d show up at the concert at all. It wasn’t like him not to, but then again, on the road, our schedules were well managed and we could keep an eye on each other. Here in LA, we were all dispersed to our own homes, so it was easier to get distracted or maybe oversleep or something.
“Should one of us call Silas?” I asked.
“I can,” Elliott said and dug his phone out of his pocket. Less than a minute later he shook his head and said, “No answer.”
“What the fuck do we do if our drummer doesn’t show?” I asked, looking at Jesse.
“Let’s not worry yet. I’m sure he’ll meet us at the arena,” my friend replied.
“He better,” I grumbled and took a bite of the roll that melted in my mouth. Fuck, my man was top level with his cooking—way better than me. I could make scrambled eggs, and that was about it.
As soon as we were done, we all headed out. I kept my phone close, waiting for updates from Olivia, but my mind was already shifting gears. Sound check was crucial, and the adrenaline of performing was beginning to course through me.
We arrived at The Fonda Theatre in West Hollywood separately, and then quickly got to work. Silas showed up just as we were about to start.
