“Yes. Thanks. Ella, this is Niles Armentrout. He runs things here.”
Niles whispers. “Don’t tell that to Dirk.”
“Ready?” Bria says to her. “Sorry, Liam, we’d invite you, but this is a girls’ only lunch.”
Crew comes up behind her and gives her a hug. “You bailing out so the rest of us have to do all the heavy lifting?”
She spins and kisses him. “I think you can handle it. See you later.”
“Bye,” Ella says over her shoulder.
“Maybe I’ll see you sometime?” I feel like a prick the second the words leave my mouth. I don’t know how to do this shit. Of course I want to see her. But everyone is standing here. And Dirk is inside. Also Ronni. We should never have agreed to rehearse here.
“Maybe,” she says before turning the corner.
Crew goes by, carrying two of Garrett’s cymbals. “Smooth.”
“Shut up.”
Brad walks up and looks inside the van to see what’s left. “Hey, Liam.”
“Nice of you to show up,” I say, heavy on the sarcasm.
“I didn’t realize we were moving ourselves,” he says. “You know, since we have Bruce and all. I was in town and wanted to check out the new space.”
“Bruce isn’t here. You should check your email once in a while.”
“Been a long week.” He picks up a box. “You’re lucky I’m here at all. We were supposed to have the whole week off to recover from the tour.”
Garrett appears. “Lucky? We’re lucky to have you here? Who died and made you king?”
“Fuck off,” Brad says.
Garrett and I share a look. Brad doesn’t usually curse.
“What’s wrong with you?” I ask. “You look like death warmed over. You okay, man?”
He looks guilty for snapping at us. “It’s nothing. Let’s just get this stuff inside.”
I hang back and sit in the open van. I stare up at the IRL sign. It’s a huge gold record emblazoned with the company name. Everything we’ve wanted is happening—I glance at Dirk and Ronni as they talk inside the main doors—but at what price?
I’m beginning to understand that getting what you want doesn’t come easily. Why should Ella be any different?
Chapter Thirty-six
Ella
A knock on the door wakes me. I fell asleep on the couch. My head is still fuzzy from the three margaritas I had at lunch. There’s another knock. The room is dark. How long did I sleep?
I turn on a lamp, stumble to the front door, and put my eye to the peephole. Nobody’s there. I open the door and look down the hallway. Liam is walking away. “Hey, I’m here.”
He spins around, a slow smile spreading across his face.
I motion inside. “Want to come in?”
“Sure.”
He walks in and spends a minute checking out the room. “I forgot you’ve never been inside my apartment,” I say.
He laughs. “Kind of strange, considering how well we know each other.”
I cock my head. “Do we? Know each other?”
“Can I sit?”
“It’s a free country.”
He sighs. “I should have called.”
“You said that earlier.”
He sits on the couch and rubs a hand across his jaw. “I don’t know how to do this, El. On the plane it was almost like you were saying goodbye. I don’t know what you want. I don’t know what I want either.”
I sit in the chair next to the couch. “I wasn’t saying goodbye. I was pointing out that things were going to change. We went from living in the same hotel room and eating all our meals together to returning home and going back to reality. But it doesn’t change how I feel. I told you before what I wanted.”
“So you still want to—”
“Run together? Yes.”
He blinks, clearly confused. “I, uh, yeah.”
“I’m kidding. Yes, Liam, I still want to.”
Relief washes over him, but I also sense a hint of fear.
“What did you mean when you said you don’t know how to do this?” Realization strikes. “Have you ever had a girlfriend?”
“Girlfriend?” He chokes on the word. “Who said anything about girlfriend?”
“Answer the question.”
He shakes his head. A chunk of hair falls over one eye, and he pushes it aside.
“You need a haircut.”
“Haven’t had time.”
“I could do it. I used to cut … well, I can cut hair. Want me to?”
He hesitates. Is he thinking I’ll have to touch him to cut his hair?
“Surely you don’t cut your own hair,” I say.
“No.”
“Then what’s the big deal if I do it?”
“Fine.”
I stand. “Pull one of the kitchen chairs under the light over there. I’ll get my stuff.”