Page 118 of Syncopation
Both of them wore worry in their own way. Dom stood. “Hey, man.” His voice was a mess.
God. Ray was a fool to think he was the only one affected by all this. He crossed the room and pulled his oldest friend into a hug. “Dude, I’m fine.”
“Obviously.” That came out broken. “But you weren’t. Yesterday, you weren’t.”
He pulled back and gripped Dom’s shoulders.“Yeah, but it’s today, and I’m here and fine. And I’ve just spent god knows how long talking to a lawyer to get all this shit figured out.”
Dom blinked. “You—found a lawyer?”
Ray flopped into the chair Dom had vacated, and filled his bandmates in on what he’d been up to, leaving out the whole meditating-while-naked part. They didn’t need to know that.
He’d tell Zav later.
“So,now what?” Dom chewed on his nail.
Ray shrugged. “We wait. Lawyer said she’d call back tomorrow.” His gaze drifted to Mish’s tablet. “I also kinda want to see how this is all being spun.”
She grunted. “What I want is dinner.”
That would probably be a good idea. “I’m guessing that heading down to the hotel restaurant or going out would be a very bad plan.”
Dom’s laugh was bitter.“Oh yeah. I went down just to see what was up, and the place is crawling with paparazzi. I hightailed it out of there, just in case someone did recognize me.”
“The label hired some security. I think mainly to appease the hotel, since this shit is hitting them, too. Though I bet their bar receipts will be good,” Mish said.
“Fuck their receipts. And the label.” Ray sighed. “Guess it’s roomservice, then.”
She pushed a menu over. “We were waiting for you.”
He had to laugh. Then he had to keep from crying. Everything was so out of hand, but they’d get through it. “You guys are the best.”
Dom fidgeted. “What about Zav?”
Oh. Ray’s heart flipped at the thought of Zavier. His voice. Filling him in on all that had happened. Hearing what was in Zavier’s head, because hewas damn well gonna pry that out. If nothing else, Zavier owed Raythat. “I’ll give him a call after dinner.”
“You’re not mad?” There was confusion in Dom’s voice.
He wasn’t. God, he missed Zavier so fucking much...but he was kind of glad for his absence, because it had proved something to Ray. He could be in control of himself and solve his own problems.
“He’s done so much for me.If he needs space to figure shit out, it’s the least I can give him.”
When you’re ready.
He was. All he needed was some food in his stomach.
