“Really? Are you responsible for how shitty it is?”
I cackled. “No, I fought with them to get better software. It’s unusable. They had a platform for a bunch of musicians, so we were stuck with it. I did cheerlead and try to get people to move over. It would have been a bit of a relief to finally shut my site down. I mean, look at me. I’m gonna be thirty.”
Eden was still chortling. For the first time she reached out and shook my hand in greeting. “Well, it’s nice to meet you. You must be Pumpkin.” Then she waved at my hair. “Another mystery solved.”
“You know me?”
“Hell, yeah, I know you. You are an amazing site admin. How many times did I want to hug you for how you protect us from rampant fan speculation?”
I heaved a huge sigh of relief. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you any of this sooner. It’s just. It’s kind of embarrassing. Then Noah made such a big deal about being a super fan.”
“Why exactly is Shane mad?” Jo’s face was scrunched in genuine curiosity.
“I think he’s partly mad I didn’t tell him about it.”
They both nodded, and I thought for sure they’d tell me he was right. Eden said, “Well, I’d be a huge hypocrite to chastise you for holding back on him. I nearly wrecked my relationship with Adam for hiding things.”
“Same,” said Jo. “You guys are in a new relationship. It takes time to trust that.”
“Right. Still, I can’t blame him for feeling blindsided.” I picked at the hem of my shirt, uncomfortable with the rest. “But he also thinks I’m using him as a steppingstone to become friends with Adam.” I nodded to Eden. “And you. And the rest of the band.”
“Wow. That’s about the stupidest man logic I’ve heard yet.” Eden’s eyes were wide with disbelief.
Jo’s brows had permanently knit together. “Why wouldn’t you have just used me, if that were the case? I could have introduced you to any one of them. And I did actually.” She laughed. “I introduced you to Shane.”
The thought of using her horrified me. I hoped she didn’t think I had. “You know I didn’t . . . I wouldn’t . . .”
“I know that, silly. I’m the one who invited you here. I’m the one who dragged you to Eden’s barbecue. Shane’s the one who offered to walk you home. I assume he’s the one who insisted you go to his rehearsal and the festival, and Adam’s the one who invited you to his rehearsal.”
Eden added, “Not to mention I’ve seen you in action. You’re more like a manager at a daycare. You never fawn. You drop in and encourage others, mixing with them here and there. You know you could have used your own position to gain access, but you’ve never once even asked.”
“I have posted some appreciative comments about the band. I mean, before, when they were single.”
“See? Most people don’t even bother to make that distinction. Girls drooling over Adam is kind of baked into his existence. And mine.” She duck-lipped a look of resignation.
My entire body sagged in relief. “So, it’s not weird that I’m a dorky fan geek of your husband’s band?”
Eden shrugged. “If that’s weird, add me to the club. I’d have to question your judgment if you weren’t a huge fan of my super talented husband.”
Silence settled, but I still had a problem. I blew out a breath. “Shane doesn’t seem to share your point of view.”
Jo rubbed my forearm. “I’m sure he’s overreacting. He’ll realize that and come around.”
That wouldn’t solve the fact that he’d been a total asshole to me. “I’m not sure I want him to come around. He was so jealous and—’’ I stopped myself. Shane was their friend more than I was. It felt wrong to speak ill of him and possibly undermine his relationships, especially since he was more likely to stick around than I was. I had no connections here.
“And?” Eden cocked her head. “You can speak your mind. Those guys are bozos most of the time.”
“Well, I like him. I do.” I bit my lip, trying to think how to phrase this. “This jealousy seems so out of proportion for where we are in our relationship. He’s rushing everything, and I haven’t even unpacked my suitcases.”
Jo nodded. “Micah moved wicked fast, and I wasn’t really ready for that. We sorted it out, of course.” She patted my hand. “Go on.”