Reid peeked at the screen and grinned before setting the notebook beside the phone. “Sheet music for ‘Ring of Fire.’ I knew it sounded familiar.” He looked between the paper and the screen, his brows pulling together in confusion. “Wait. These aren’t the same.”
“Exactly. You can find sheet music of any song for any instrument. But it’s usually a carbon copy of the original. I like to take that music and add another layer. A violin cover.” Chloe shrugged again and put away her phone and notebook. “I enjoy composing and writing, but it can be really frustrating too. Enhancing music that’s already written is a nice way of letting off steam without the stress.”
“I’ve never really thought about covers that way.”
“Of course you haven’t,” Chloe said, interrupting Reid’s train of thought. “You’ll be writing songs when the rest of us are drawing social security checks. I bet you have a lifetime of hits in that head of yours.”
Reid averted his gaze so Chloe wouldn’t see the doubt in his eyes. “If you only knew,” he mumbled before his lips parted as he realized something. “The intro to ‘Aftermath,’ the one you fixed, that’s what you did. You used your enhancing voodoo on my intro.”
Chloe didn’t miss a beat. “I don’t need voodoo. I have Jedi powers, remember?”
Reid’s head fell back, his loud laughter drawing the others’ attention.
“Clearly, we’re missing all the fun,” Drew commented.
“Yeah, what are you two up to?” Greer asked with a grin.
Reid smirked and shrugged his shoulders. “Sorry, guys. No can do. Top secret.” When Greer opened his mouth to argue, Reid’s phone rang. He looked at the display and stood. “Gotta take this. Sorry.”
“Is that Jess? Isn’t it like four a.m. in Memphis? I’d counted on time differences being on our side! How can we harass you without interruption if she’s up all hours?” Drew laughed.
Reid’s smile faltered and something akin to guilt caused his muscles to tense when Drew mentioned Jess. He glanced at Chloe, but she wasn’t looking at him. She was laughing right along with everyone else. Like she already knew about Jess. Maybe she did. The feeling of guilt increased. Reid wasn’t sure if it was due to someone else telling Chloe about Jess, or the fact that he hadn’t once mentioned his girlfriend in Chloe’s presence. It had to be because he hadn’t talked about Jess more, not because he hadn’t told Chloe.
Letting out a little laugh, he straightened his shoulders and looked at Drew. “Jess is a veterinarian; her hours are all over the place. I wouldn’t rely too much on the time differences working in your favor.” Before Drew had a chance to respond, Reid walked into the tiny bedroom at the back of the bus and answered his phone.
Reid didn’t rejoin the group until the bus was just outside the city limits of Belfast. He cast a fleeting look in Chloe’s direction before falling into the seat next to Tom. Chloe wasn’t surprised, and if she was honest, she was a little relieved. She’d seen his reaction when Drew mentioned Jess, and while she’d quickly averted her gaze, she caught him turn in her direction.
While their second show in Dublin two days ago had gone exactly like the first, the day that had followed was a different story. It was a free day, and after a short rehearsal, the group decided to do a bit of sight-seeing. Reid spent a lot of time texting, and from the smile on his face, Chloe could only assume it was Jess. She wasn’t bothered in a jealous sense, but she hated that, for whatever reason, he still hadn’t mentioned his girlfriend. Chloe felt like an outsider. It was an unwelcome feeling. When he excused himself from dinner to make a call, it became obvious Chloe would have to find a way to bring it up without sounding like a jealous twat. Thanks to Drew, however, it was no longer an issue.
For the remainder of the trip, Chloe thought about the number of times Reid alluded to having trouble with his music. At first, she thought he might have been fishing for compliments, but now she wasn’t so sure. She considered asking Tom for news about Reid’s next album, but if there really was trouble, she didn’t want to put him on the spot, and definitely not with so many people around.
“So what are you going to wear to torture everyone tonight?” Inky asked, having returned from her nap.
Chloe’s skin heated and an embarrassed smile spread across her face. “I’m not torturing anyone,” she scoffed.
“Bullshit,” Greer coughed into his hand, causing everyone to laugh.
“Stop, I do not.” The attention made Chloe uncomfortable, even though she knew that wasn’t anyone’s intention. She didn’t want people to notice her because of her outfit, although she was smart enough to know she wouldn’t receive half the applause she got had she worn the equivalent of a potato sack.
“As a man,” Greer said, his voice even, solemn, “I can attest that you do, in fact, torture every guy who sees you on stage. And for the really unfortunate bastards, the ones trapped in close quarters with you for extended periods of time . . . their suffering never ends.”