enjoyed the initial write-up about me and our unique rock-and-soul sound.
The label had been impressed as well and paid her to follow us until the tour was over in a month.
Ethan, seated beside Monica, palmed her breast and sucked her neck.
“Cut it out, Ethan.”
Monica had been trying to hide their fling. Monica was well aware of my amorous bandmate’s hoe-ish tendencies. After she’d confirmed he was STD-free—she forced him to take a test—they went at it like rabbits.
It was damn uncomfortable. Trent, in particular, hated that his best bud was boo-ed up, but Davey and I also suspected he was upset I wasn’t giving him the time of day.
Trent and I wrote music together, played together, sang together, got high and drank together, argued together—all the things we had done when we were a couple—minus the sex.
Guitar in hand, I hummed a tune I’d been fiddling with all day. The words were being shy, so it seemed like I had to pluck them from the sky and scramble them around to make sense.
The alarm beeped and buzzed on the small side table.
“Dammit.” I reached over and cut off my alarm, then resumed my strumming.
A little over an hour later, I finally achieved the soothing buzz I usually got when I had a solid song in place. “Done!” I passed my notepad to Trent. “Check it out and pass the dutchie.” I sang the famous song.
I placed the guitar back in my case. Thankfully the bus pulled to a stop. We had a gig in Reno, and tonight we got to stay at a decent hotel.
Monica closed her laptop and rubbed her eyes. I took a puff of my blunt and sighed. “Want a hit?” I asked, knowing she would say no. She didn’t drink or smoke.
She shook her head, looked at her watch, and then froze. “Weren’t you supposed to call your husband and kids tonight?”
My heart sped up. “No, I don’t think so. I set the alarm this time, so I wouldn’t—”
“You mean the alarm you turned off?”
“Shit!” I checked my phone. I had two missed FaceTime calls from James. It was ten thirty p.m. on the East Coast—well past my kids’ bedtime, but I could probably catch James.
“Dammit! I am the worst mom and wife ever.” I scrambled for my phone.
“Why don’t you get settled into your room and give him a call?” Monica squeezed my hand. She knew how hard I struggled to be a mom yet maintain my rock-and-roll schedule. After we settled into our rooms, I rushed to dial James.
After a few rings, he picked up the phone.
“Hey, baby!” The nervous tremor in my voice couldn’t be contained. “You’re up.”
“I’m in bed,” he said, his voice cold and clipped.
“Oh, okay. Caught you at a bad time, huh?”
“If by bad time, you mean bedtime, then yes. It’s a bad time.”
I chewed my bottom lip. “Yeah, I’m sorry about that.”
“I’m starting to hate that damn word.”
“What word?”
“Sorry.”
“Sor—” I caught myself. “Apologies, baby.”
A heavy breath rattled through the receiver. “That doesn’t hold up, Nikki. Our child, your mini-me, waited an hour past bedtime because Mommy promised to call this time. She’s nervous as all hell about her talent show, and there’s a riff in the song she doesn’t have yet . . .” He sighed. He sounded tired, resigned. “Look, I’m out of my depth here. I’m just going to hire someone to help her with another song.”
“No, you don’t have to do that.”
“Yes, I do. You’re too busy reliving your youth to give a damn about your family.”
“That’s not true!” I paced the worn carpet of my hotel room.
“Have you been drinking?”
“What?” I stopped pacing. “Why do you ask me that every time we speak?”
“I dunno, Nik. Maybe because your words are slurred half the time.” His voice had turned putrid.
“No, I haven’t been drinking.” Much. I had two or three shots of whiskey. One to loosen myself up for songwriting, and the others after I came up with a fucking awesome pre-chorus and tweaked the hook.
“Knock, knock!” I heard a light rap from the door.
“Who the fuck is that?” James’s deep voice commanded.
Shit. I do not need this right now. “Not sure.” Total lie. It was Trent’s thirsty ass, trying to get into my panties for the umpteenth time. That man was gonna get his ass kicked one day, by me, not my husband.
“One sec!” I yelled at the door. After pressing the mute button on my cell, I rushed to the door and then cracked