nervous. Do you know how rare it is to connect with anyone?”
I did. But how could he know that we had a connection? We were practically strangers. I nodded anyway.
“I don’t want to screw this up before it’s even anything.”
It occurred to me that this wasn’t about him. This was about me. I lay my head against his chest. “Hey. I like you.”
He wrapped his arms around my back. “I like you, too.”
The front door opened, and Jo peeked out. “Layla? There you are. I’ve been trying to call you.”
I pulled back from Shane and gave him a serious eye fuck, wishing it could be more. He lifted my hand and planted a kiss on my knuckle. Somehow that small gesture nearly killed me. I was going to literally die because I couldn’t have this man tonight.
“Goodnight, Layla.”
“Night, Shane.”
He turned to go but spun back. “Can I call you?”
“Yes!” I bounded up the steps and into the house, and Jo crossed her arms like she wanted to hear the whole story.
Talking Disaster Blog
ON REVIEWS AND REVIEWERS
—Pumpkin39
Yesterday, on the forum, several fans organized an attack against a review of Walking Disaster’s latest album. Those of you who know me won’t be surprised that I asked you to resist the urge to defend the band against the unnecessarily harsh words of the reviewer Gabriel Sanchez. (Yes, I share your outrage, even if I didn’t share your solution).
You’ll be happy to know that I have since had a change of heart. While I don’t normally condone pissing off reviewers who may simply continue to pan future albums out of animosity toward the fans, in this one case, I concede that you all were right.
And in that light, I’m unlocking that review thread. I won’t be participating in this particular crusade, but if you feel like unloading your disgruntlement on Mr. Sanchez’s article, feel free to strategize and high five in the forum.
Chapter Nine
Jo closed the door behind me. She’d already changed into her pajamas, and her hair was up in a ponytail.
“Well?”
“I’m sorry. I turned my phone to airplane mode back at Eden’s, and I guess I forgot.”
She waved me off. “No need to apologize. I worried a bit since Eden said you’d left over an hour ago. I thought maybe you’d decided to spend the night elsewhere.” She gave me that look again, like she expected a tell-all account.
“Nah. We just decided to walk and—”
“You walked?” She shook her head. “That explains a lot then.” She headed toward the kitchen. “You want something to drink?”
What I wanted was to flip my phone back on and find out if I’d missed anything important, but I chided myself. Live in the moment. “Sure.”
In the kitchen, Micah sat at the island writing in a notebook on a page covered in black ink, most of it scratched out. He glanced up. “Hey, Layla.”
The thrill of having him recognize me hadn’t worn off.
“Hey, Micah.” I scooted up and tried to read his handwriting. “What are you working on? A song?”
He set the pen down. “Would you rather hear unreleased songs or covers?”
“Uh.”
Jo laid a hand on his shoulder. “You want to give her some more context, babe?” She reached in the refrigerator and said to me, “Juice or water?”
I thought back to Eden’s fridge full of soda and beer, and the difference reminded me of how Jo had left earlier. I wanted to ask her how she felt now, but I didn’t want to pry either. “Water’s fine.”
Micah leaned on his elbows, pen twirling in his fingers. “We’ve got a festival coming up, and I’m still working out the setlist. We only have a few days left to rehearse before we hit the road, and I can’t decide between a few songs.”
I craned my neck. “What do you have so far?”
“We’ve already got a couple of our new songs on here, so it makes sense to do a cover. I’m just not sure if we should waste the slot on someone else’s music.”
He showed me the notebook, and I understood how it must feel to be an archaeologist handling an artifact from an ancient civilization. I would have died to get my hands on this setlist after a show. But to be a part of the process? To potentially shape the resulting list? This went beyond expected fan experience. I’d found my way to the inside somehow.
“Layla?”
“Sorry. I was just thinking about other shows I’ve been to. The thing is, if I’m really