nowhere close to what I had.
“Well, now that we know Eden is a kick-ass producer, this makes my little impromptu band meeting a hell of a lot easier,” Jasper announces, a sparkle to his wicked smile as he claps his hands together, rubbing them like an evil genius. “Eden, how do you feel about taking on the production of our next album?”
Her breath catches high in her chest, staring at him with wide, unblinking eyes. Her hands fall to her lap and she grips her knees, utterly astonished and completely speechless.
Jasper grins. “Don’t get too excited yet. There’s a catch.”
Six
HENRY
“What’s the catch?” Eden asks, finally finding her voice and completely ignoring the ridiculousness of producing our next album. An album we haven’t even started yet.
Jasper casually takes a sip of his drink while dropping his other arm along the top of the booth. “The catch is that I need this album done in the next two-and-a-half months. Three weeks of that will be while on vacation. Adalyn is starting kindergarten this fall. Once that happens, I plan to take a break from touring and producing albums and be with all of my girls. Kindergarten is going to be a huge transition for Adalyn.”
I fall back into the cushion of the seat, stupidly floored. I gulp down the rest of my drink, when what I really want to do is chuck it across the room to watch the glass shatter. What is Jasper up to? Offering something so monumental up in such a thoughtless, cavalier way?
I knew this was coming.
Not the Eden part, but the break part. That I knew was coming.
It’s something we as a band have discussed a lot over the last year. Adalyn with her autism has trouble with transitions. So much trouble with any alteration in her routine. She doesn’t like new experiences. She doesn’t like new people. She thrives on consistency and has been surrounded by Jasper and Viola practically non-stop. Us too, but it’s not the same.
Kindergarten is going to push her and it’s going to push Jasper and Viola.
Add to that Maia is pregnant, and Gus and Naomi are going to be starting fertility treatments—
“I finished writing this last album on our last tour and I need it to be done by September first. If Lyric were in LA, we could likely pull it together quickly even though the music isn’t done, just the lyrics. But not only is she not in LA, and can’t be so for recording any time soon, my lovely wife has informed me that she and Naomi have gotten their pretty heads together and planned a three-week vacation for all of us in Hawaii.”
“Hawaii,” Eden parrots. “And you said you want to record during this trip?”
“Yes. We won’t have a choice with the time constraint I’m imposing.”
She glances around at each one of us in turn, her gaze ghosting mine. “When are you leaving for Hawaii?” she questions as if giving this some serious consideration. And that just cannot happen. None of this. Her doing our album. Her vacationing with us. No. Absolutely not.
“Two weeks or so.”
I choke on my drink, the tequila hitting the back of my throat at the worst possible second, making me cough and gasp while the alcohol burns like a son of a bitch. “Two weeks? A fucking vacation, Jasper?” I grunt out, bolting forward with my elbows digging into my thighs as I stare my friend down.
Gus laughs, saluting me with his drink. “Dude, you were the one who mentioned a private island for all of us to vacation on.”
My hand finds the rough grains of my stubble. I was the one who suggested that. But that was seven or so months ago and mostly I was just musing about it. I didn’t think… it was meant to be in the future. Hypothetical. I really didn’t think…
“I know, but…” I can’t finish my thought. None of this is what I had in mind.
“My wife wants a special vacation before Adalyn starts kindergarten. Naomi wants a special vacation before she starts treatments. Maia wants a special vacation before she pops out a kid and walks down the aisle.”
And I’m the single guy out, the bass player, so I don’t really get a say.
That’s what they’re saying and not saying.
Truly, in fairness, I never cared before. I was always fine with saying yes. To going with the flow because I had no reason not to. Until now.
“And you want Eden to do this?” Keith blusters,