“Let me help you get undressed,” she says.
There’s nothing I want more at this moment than to forget Ivy, but I can’t do that to Amy. If I do this with her it would just make me more of an asshole than I’ve already been tonight.
“Amy, no,” I whisper, trying to sober up and stop her before she frees my half-hard cock.
She looks at me wide-eyed. “Why?”
“I just can’t right now. I’ve had too much to drink.”
“You look fine to me,” she says, staring at my erection.
“Not because of that.”
She stands up with a sad smile. “Oh. Right. I get it.”
“I think I should get back to the bus and see how the show went.”
“Xander, you can talk to me, you know. Tell me what’s going on.”
“Amy, really I’m just tired,” I lie.
“Okay. But at least let me drive you back. Jane rented a car and had me run errands earlier, so I still have the keys.”
I nod. “Sure. Thanks.”
She pulls out a shirt and a pair of shorts from her suitcase and slips them on, then pockets the car keys and we leave.
? ? ?
With a crash and a bang, I manage to pull the door to the bus open and climb the steps. I stand there in the entrance to the front lounge and brace myself against the doorframe. Amy slides under my arm. I think she thinks I need help walking, but really I’m just more tired than drunk.
“I’m home,” I announce. As the words come out, I can hear my speech. It’s slightly slurred. My eyes are glassy, I’m sure.
Garrett raises an eyebrow. “You’re drunk, man. What happened to you?”
I shrug and stand there silently as I look into Ivy’s eyes. She’s sitting at the table watching me. Her eyes fill with hurt as she studies the situation.
“Hi, Garrett,” Amy says.
“How are you? How’d you get stuck with him?”
Amy laughs. “I asked him to meet me for a drink.”
Narrowing her eyes on Amy, Ivy stands up.
“Hi, Ivy,” Amy says to her. “How’s the tour going?”
Ivy glares at her with a look I’ve never seen before. “It’s great,” she says benignly. “I was just going to bed,” she adds and hurries out of the room.
Garrett comes over and hoists me up, relieving Amy of my weight, which I seem to have bestowed upon her.
“What’s with her?” I ask Garrett.
“You. You’re an asshole.”
My lip curls. “Clue me the fuck in. Why am I an asshole?”
“We were worried about you. You’ve never missed a show. We’ve been calling you. Why didn’t you answer your phone?”
I pull my phone out of my pocket and squint at the screen. “Never heard it. It’s still on VIBRATE from rehearsal.” And laughing, I add, “I never felt it, either.”
He rolls his eyes at me.
“I didn’t know I needed to check in.”
“You don’t, man. Forget it. Come on, let me help you to your bed,” he says, moving toward the door. The air still smells like Ivy and I breathe it in.
I turn around. “Sorry about tonight,” I tell Amy.
“Don’t worry about it. You were actually a lot of fun and pretty entertaining.”
“Well, thank you for everything.” Meanwhile I’m wondering how the hell she thinks I was the least bit fun.
She places her hand over her smiling mouth like she’s putting on a show. “My pleasure,” she says, then adds, “I think I saw on your schedule that we’re both in Bristow, Virginia, next month. Call me and you can make it up to me then.”
“I will.” I’m starting to feel like the asshole Garrett just called me.
“’Bye, Garrett,” she says.
“Thanks for the delivery,” Garrett responds.
She climbs down the steps and disappears, waving to me as she goes.
“You’re a real knight in shining armor,” Garrett says mockingly, shaking his head.
I break loose from his grip. “I got this, man. I need a shower before I have to lie down and listen to the porn show going on.”
He laughs. “I’m guessing you were too drunk to get laid, then.”
“You could say that,” is all I say before hitting a cold shower for the second time today.
CHAPTER 9
I’m Alive
The black Escalade idles in downtown Manhattan. Rain pounds on the roof. Our show was rained out, so the band is heading to a Panic performance in New York’s Bowery Ballroom instead. We’re all ensconced in the chauffeured SUV outside the W, all except for Ivy. We’ve been waiting for her for at least twenty minutes. She got a phone call from Damon as we were walking out of the hotel and decided to take it in private. I try not to think about what that douchebag is talking to her about.
I’m in the front seat, turned around talking to Leif. We’re discussing the shredding abilities he demonstrated at last night’s show. Ivy sang a cover of “I Kissed a Girl” and out of nowhere Leif riffs during the chorus, making the song even more appealing to the audience.
“Hey, Xander, what’s with Panic’s underplay? I didn’t think they needed any promo assistance,” Nix calls to me.