missed a day last week.” Not to mention, Adam had invited me to his rehearsal on Friday.
“Just think about it. Maybe it will work out.”
Micah climbed up the steps. “Are we just waiting on Rick? Oh, hey Layla. Did you decide to come with us?”
The image before me—three of the band members from Theater of the Absurd—standing in their tour bus suddenly struck me as surreal. This had never even been anything I’d ever fantasized about. Backstage, sure. Tour bus? Never. It was so crazy, the awe snuck up on me.
“Let me get a picture of you guys before I go. I can add it to my blog post. I bet fans eat up this kind of stuff.”
It might have been my imagination, but I could have sworn Noah rolled his eyes. Micah said, “Yeah, sure. We’re not going anywhere until Rick gets here anyway.”
Shane joined them as I got out my phone, praying the lighting would cooperate. “Say cheese!”
Not a single one of them said cheese. Noah brooded. Micah flashed his normal perfect smile. But Shane gave me bedroom eyes and sexy-times lips. I exhaled wishing we could be alone on that bus for a few minutes. I snapped a bunch of pictures in quick succession, planning to find the one that flattered Shane the most and use that one. I had no doubt that anyone who hadn’t noticed how hot he was wouldn’t miss it in those pictures.
“Got it! Thanks!” I tucked my phone away, then glanced around awkwardly. I had no further reason to be there. “I guess I’ll just—”
Shane took my hand and led me off the bus where he pressed me up against the side and kissed me like we were in private. I relaxed into him, wishing I could stay with him the rest of the day, then stay in his hotel the rest of the night. But it wasn’t meant to be.
Rick chose that moment to appear. “Come on. We’ve got to be in Albany by six if we want time to check sound.”
The bus started up with a raucous rumbling.
Shane placed a foot on the first step. “I’ll call you later.”
“Take care.”
He tipped an invisible hat. “And I’ll be watching for your blog post!”
The doors shut, and I backed away onto the sidewalk, waving at Shane through the windows as the bus pulled away, and the wild part of my life went with it.
I took a deep breath. It had only been a week, but it was going to be so weird to stay at his apartment with him gone.
Almost as if she read my mind, Jo came over and draped an arm over my shoulder. “You know you’re always welcome here.”
I shook my head. “I appreciate it, but it’s fine.”
Honestly, though, I felt keenly alone, like I’d lost a part of myself I hadn’t known existed until Shane exploded into my life and then just as quickly disappeared. I wanted to ask Jo how she managed the intense loneliness when Micah toured, but she’d think I was insane to have succumbed to a Shane addiction in the span of a week. How was she able to let Micah go time and time again and trust he’d return as in love with her as when he left?
The Rock Paper
In the Rehearsal Hall: Theater of the Absurd
By Layla Beckett
As a fan of a band, you feel lucky when a new album drops and you get to queue it up, close your eyes, and listen for the first time to brand new tunes.
You feel like you’ve won the lottery when you score tickets to see that band in concert and hear the songs you’ve been singing for months.
You hit the jackpot if you win a meet and greet and get to ask the band you love for an autograph and a picture.
Then, if all the stars align, you might get a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to combine all of these experiences into a private concert for one.
I don’t even know how to describe the day I just spent with a band I adore as they performed never-before-heard new songs, never recorded or even performed in concert.
Lucky doesn’t cover it.
I’ve been following Theater of the Absurd ever since they broke on the scene while touring with Walking Disaster. Once on my radar, I made it a point to buy all their albums, falling in love with their off-beat rock music. Whenever I had the chance to see them in concert, I jumped at it,