kissed me. “I’m gonna miss you.”
“I’m going to miss you, too.”
Tim was already waiting for us out front. Jason and Sheri stood by the black van, giving each other sweet soft kisses.
“She’s not going with you guys?”
Phil shook his head. “She didn’t want to run the risk of missin’ her appointment with her therapist tomorrow. And I think she didn’t think it was fair for Jason to bring his girlfriend while mine had to stay behind and be all responsible and shit.”
“Yeah.”
A warm hand reached up to cupped my cheek, and maple-syrup eyes looked deeply into mine. “Today was awesome.”
“Yeah, it was.”
“I love you.”
“I love you, too. Will you call me when you get there?”
“Yes.”
He kissed my lips and then my Third Eye.
“Phil?”
“Yeah, Baby Girl.”
“Have fun, okay?”
He smiled. “I’ll try.”
Heading for the van, his overnight bag slung over his shoulder, he patted Sheri on the back and jumped into the front seat, giving us a wave. Sheri came up and linked her arm through mine, and we waved back.
“You didn’t want to go?” I asked her.
She smiled at me. “Hell no. Now, I get you all to myself. You up for some sushi?”
“Woman, I am always up for some sushi.”
Despite the terrific company, a hollow ache in my chest prevailed. It was just so weird to me that it had come down to the fact that I really needed him to feel like myself. It truly felt as though I was missing half of me.
Phil called when Sheri and I had just returned to my place after a fantastic sushi dinner, which she’d insisted she pay for.
“Hey, babe,” I said by way of answering.
“Hey. We’re here. Gonna grab some grub and then head to the station. What are you up to?”
“Just got back from sushi with Sheri. We’re going to hang out and watch TV until you guys come on.”
“Cool. X called me. He and Flip are gonna drive up to hang with us—well, with Darren at least.”
“Why aren’t they doing the interview, too?”
“Too many voices with no faces. Jason and I are the two most well-known in the band, so…”
“Gotcha.”
“I miss you already.”
That made me smile like a goof. “I miss you, too.”
In the background, I heard Jason and another man’s voice crooning, “I miss you,” and making kissing noises.
Laughing, I told him, “Go, before they get real bad.”
“Want me to call you when we’re done?”
“Text me. If I’m awake, I’ll call back.”
“All right. Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
I hung up and busted Sheri grinning at me.
“What?” I huffed.
“Nothing.”
“Hey, if you want, you’re welcome to crash here. That way, you don’t have to be all alone in that massive house, and you can join me for yoga in the morning without having to go through the backyard.”
Pleasantly surprised, she replied, “Sure! That’d be great.”
Alys showed up, and we busted out Sir Speedy and watched some Food Network until it was time to turn on the radio.
“X was so happy he didn’t have to be there for the interview,” said Alys. “He gets nervous when he has to speak into a mic. How he can go on stage in front of thousands and thrash away on the bass but can’t make a squeak into a microphone is beyond me.”
“That’s because all he really can do into a mic is squeak,” replied Sheri.
“Fair enough,” said Alys.
Two minutes to ten, we muted the TV and turned up the volume on the stereo.
“DJ Raina Pallantine here with two of Louisiana’s finest metal boys for the Mad for Metal Hour—Phil Deveraux and Jason Jones of NOLA’s Junk! Tonight, we’re going to be playing their greatest hits, their own personal favorites, and finding out what it means to be a part of one of metal’s most cherished sound machines. Hey, guys!”
“Hello,” said Phil.
“Hi,” said Jason.
“So, you’re all back from five years of recording albums and world tours. How does it feel being home again?”
“Fantastic,” replied Phil’s sexy deep voice. “We’re just happy to be back with family and friends.”
“You tend to forget just how much you miss home when you’re gone for so long,” stated Jason.
“And X and Flipper are happy, too?” asked Raina.
“Yeah,” said Phil. “We’re all just takin’ a well-earned break. We got the House of Horrors comin’ up, and we’re lookin’ forward to that. It’s always great for us to be up on stage.”
“There’s talk of you guys working on some new sounds and new songs with a mellow feel. Why the change?”
“I don’t think it’s so much of a change as it’s