We pulled up and piled out to the sounds of Sins of Descent doing their sound check. Mac said ours would be last so we could keep our instruments set up on stage since we were opening the show.
Gary arrived and started walking us to our backstage area. I asked about the fans outside.
“Evie, did you see the giant billboards?”
I shook my head.
“I don’t know how you missed them. They were from your photo shoot. We’ve been advertising your band for this tour the past three weeks very seriously. Did you know your YouTube festival appearance views have gone up over one thousand percent already? People are going to start recognising you now. Speaking of which, we need to talk about your contract. Jettison is keen to have it signed and are getting the papers drafted as we speak.”
I stopped short and felt Mac smack into my back. Gary, not realising we were no longer behind him, kept on walking along.
“Mac, did you hear that?”
“Yes. God! We knew it was coming, but holy shit!”
In a moment of situational elation, I was still a daft idiot operating under a pile of emotional grief and Mac was still the bitter third party and festering ill will, we managed to come together in an excited hug.
“Evie!” Gary shouted from further down the way.
“Oh, Sandwich,” Mac muttered, gently brushing a rogue curl off my face and tucking it behind my ear just like Jared always did.
I gave Mac a bittersweet smile before I turned, rushing to catch up to Gary. He was waiting to introduce us to the sound engineer for our sound check.
Later that night, after the sound engineer gave us the “good to go” thumbs up, we caught up with Sins of Descent, which included several looks of the disgruntled variety aimed Matt’s way from Henry, Travis, and the like. Then we piled into our dressing room where the guys began getting ready, and I commenced faffing about in my robe, busily building myself into an epic state of panic. My excuse was that I was already emotionally crippled thus an easy trigger. The fact that Mac’s usual hardcore Ripley status was on the verge of desertion in her own brand of anxiety simply made me panic even more.
“Pull yourself together,” Mac wheeze-hissed.
Mac wasn’t being overly sensitive, it wasn't her style, but she knew me, and that entailed knowing any particular type of kindness right at that moment would only make my current state of mind worse.
I struggled to get a hold on my nerves. “I’m trying,”
I closed my eyes to speed along the calming process, but all I could visualise was a stadium filled with tens of thousands of screaming people. If that wasn’t bad enough, we were hitting Brisbane next, and it was sold out to over fifty thousand. Well it wasn’t bad bad; it was bloody brilliant, but right now I was living through tunnel vision and my only focus was the panic.
I was on my own with hair and makeup. Mac had shit to do. I finished dressing and was only ten minutes late when I arrived at the side entrance to the stage and found Mac. I couldn’t believe that I was here in this moment. I wanted to savour it but without Jared at my side, his quiet strength soothing me, his sexy eyes heating me, and his words making me laugh, it felt hollow.
Seeing tears sheen my eyes, Mac reached out and took my hand. “I’m sorry for being an asshead, Evie. I was so damn mad at you for being an idiot that I don’t think I’ve been able to see straight for two solid days.”
“It’s okay Macface, really.” My voice was soft and small. “I was the one that posed the question to Matt, so don’t bear him any ill will, okay? It’s just…Henry was right, which is scary considering he’s the retarded relationship bastard. I am scared of getting hurt, and with Jared's short temper, it freaked me out, especially considering Jessica. I mean, after what he went through with her, why would I expect him to trust me? I know he says he does, but sometimes his actions made me feel like he didn’t, you know?”
“Have you heard from him?”
Jared was not, from past experiences, a game player. This meant if he wanted to talk to me, he would have. I wouldn’t have wanted to talk to me either, so the fact that my phone still remained silent was both expected and devastating all at the same time. Despite all that, I still waited all day for him to call.
“No.” I let out a deep sigh.
Mac looked like she was having a light bulb moment. “Have you heard from anyone today?”
I stood in silence while it was Mac’s turn to give me a moment. She used the moment wisely to ogle the myriad of hot man flesh that shifted about all around us, moving equipment, speaking into those walkie talkie things. Not an ungrateful person, Mac was very appreciative of all the men surrounding us. I also noticed the men happened to be equal opportunists, and Mac should have been blinded by the searing looks being continually swept her way. Was I invisible? I offered a bright smile and a wink to the next man that walked passed us and watched his eyes widen. The man turned, walking backwards to watch me, and collided with Henry as he came up behind him.
“Dude!” Henry held up his hands politely as the man stumbled.
“Sorry,” he muttered and scurried away.
Mac narrowed her eyes at me. “What was that?”
I shrugged my shoulders innocently but then grinned. “Just seeing if old Evie still has the goods.”
Henry joined our huddle, catching my comment to Mac. “Jesus, Sandwich, if you had any more goods, that huddle over there would be thinking they'd found a new religion.” He indicated to three guys in the corner, all holding official clipboards and eyeing us. One smiled suggestively when I glanced their way.
I fluffed my hair a little. Not because I was interested, but a little bit of attention thrown my way when I felt about as wanted as pile of elephant poo on a hot summers day was a lift of the spirits. “Well, at the rate I’m going with Jared, it looks like plenty of the male population might just get their chance,” I mumbled unhappily.
“Stop going off on a tangent, Evie, and answer the question.” Mac smoothed her perfect waves. How they managed to look so perfect after her afternoon of busting balls, I didn't know.
“Tangents are good,” I offered. “They keep life interesting. What was the question?”
Mac rolled her eyes. “Never mind. I’ll be right back.”
I moved quickly out of her way as she shoved passed us. Mac was a woman on a mission as she charged away, muttering something into her headset. Many sets of male eyes stopped to watch her ass undulate its way out the door.
“What’s up with her?” Henry asked.
“What’s not up with her? What’s up with you?” I gave him a once over. “What’s up with that shirt?”
He looked down at his tight black Linkin Park t-shirt. “What about it?”
“Can it get any tighter? Can you breathe?”
Henry smirked. “I’m speaking to you, aren’t I?”
My gaze travelled further down to his skinny black jeans and returned the smirk. “Your jeans are even tighter. It’s a wonder you’re speaking and not squeaking.” I waved my hand over the ensemble. “Are you trying to communicate something with that outfit?”
Henry looked a little uncertain and ran a hand through his tousled white-blond locks. “Well, yeah. Why? What’s it communicating to you?”
“It’s saying, 'Hi. I’m Henry. I have pecs and a tight ass that won’t quit.'”
Henry paled. “Fucking Cooper.”
I laughed and leaped on him. He caught me as I wrapped my legs around his waist. “Kidding, Henrietta. Geez, you’re a soft touch tonight. You look hot. I’d do you. Maybe. Well, no way, but you know...”
He laughed, spun me once, knocking a random techie, and apologised.
“Gee thanks, Chook. I think.”
He set me back on my feet when Mac returned. “Hold out your hand,” she barked at me.
I eyed her with suspicion. “Why?”
She was in a huff about something and snatched my wrist with her long taloned fingers and yanked my arm up, slapping my phone into my palm. “That’s why.”
I shrugged. “Um, I don’t get it. How many words? Can I buy a vowel?”
After taking several deep breaths, she spoke. “You’re on in ten. Now turn your phone on, Sandwich, before I slap you.”
“Oh,” I muttered, feeling a couple of pieces short of a full puzzle. I switched my phone on. “I don’t think I switched it on after I turned it off last night.”
The moment my beloved little phone beeped back to life, it buzzed through a mass of messages which included a voicemail from Jared recorded only half an hour ago. Holding my breath, I went straight to the message and held the phone to my ear.
“Baby,” he spoke softly. Just hearing his voice directed at me, calling me his baby in that soft sexy rumble was enough to release the pent up flood, and I burst into tears. The salty wetness slid down in streaks, leaving a trail of destruction upon what was previously a perfectly made up face.
“Now?” Mac muttered. “You’ve kept yourself together for two days and now you choose to fall apart?”
“Shhhh, I’m trying to listen.”
“I got your message. We can talk about it when you get back, but if you thought I was letting you go that easily, then you thought wrong. I just wanted to tell you―” I frowned as he was cut off. Tell me what? He must have pulled the phone away, but I could still hear. “Fuck, are you sure?” Someone yelled and I pressed the phone tighter to my ear as though it would help me hear better, but I only made out muffled shouting and something that sounded like “Go, go, go!” A car roared to life and he came back on. “Shit. I’ve been trying to ring you all day,” he shouted into the phone as the roaring got louder and voices could be heard yelling.
I looked up in a panic as I listened, searching for Coby. He was standing near the edge of the stage, ten feet away, on his phone, pacing. Travis next him, on his phone too and looking on edge. Shit was going down.
“We’ve located Jimmy. I can’t talk now. I’ll have to call you back later.”
The message ended and I tossed my phone to Mac as I made a fast beeline for Coby and Travis, feeling myself hyperventilate at the thought of Jimmy shooting at Jared right this very moment.
“Now?” Mac yelled again after I filled her and Henry in on the brief message when they followed behind me. “You fall apart and this shit goes down tonight of all nights?”
It was now Mac’s turn to look like she was ready to toss her cookies. I watched in fascination as she sucked the panic deep inside until her outer layers appeared calm and unruffled. It was fascinating to watch, and I constantly wondered how she did it. The transformation complete, she grabbed me by the arm and muscled me all the way back to the dressing room where Jake, Cooper, and Frog were still in various states of undress.
She eyed the Rice Bubbles in disbelief, and I had a passing moment of reprieve with her wrath focused elsewhere. “You three lazy assheads aren’t ready?”
Jake paused in the act of pulling on his shirt as he copped an eyeful of my wrecked face. “Sandwich, honey, you okay?”