smile. She could also bring a room down faster than anyone, but tonight was all about triumph and hope at the beginning of a tour.
The group knew that they had to eventually get some sleep since the next day would be one of the longest days of the trip. Those in the Nissan van would be leaving at 6:00 so they could arrive in Elko at about 1:30 or 2:00. Jake and Brandee would be following 2 hours later. Luckily, they weren't due on stage at the Western Folklife Center until 8:30, or they would have to leave even earlier. All of them preferred the later starting time because it allowed them to sleep in a bit the morning before. Of the five of them, only Diane was a little bit of a morning person, and she had learned to stay by herself until the others had shaken off the AM cobwebs.
So, shortly before midnight, the five members of Brandee knew that they needed to go their separate ways. They walked five across, arm in arm, along the wide and deserted Chico sidewalk on their way back to The Californian. When they arrived, they said their good nights and parted ways. Brandee removed the last vestiges of her stage makeup and, by the time she got into bed beside Jake, he was snoring softly. She smiled to herself and patted his shoulder before turning her back on him and settling into the bed. The sound of the cheers of the crowd at The Big Room was her final thought before sleep overtook her.
***
“She should be well rested,” Jake thought to himself about noon the next day. Brandee had been asleep for much of the drive. Jake had planned to wake her when they stopped at The Truck Inn, a breakfast place that he had heard about near Fernley, Nevada. When they got there and found out The Truck Inn was closed, Jake just drove on, letting Brandee sleep. She wasn't missing much.
The drive to Elko included 340 miles of the most God-forsaken terrain that Jake had ever seen. Sparsely traveled, the road invited Jake to push the underpowered Sprinter as hard as its little diesel engine could go. He didn't want Brandee to stress about not having enough time for her pre-show ritual. He felt that the least he could do for his little blonde headliner was to get her to the shows on time. Jake smiled to himself as he wondered whether that was a song that he had heard once. He would ask Brandee when she woke up.
Having been disappointed by the shuttered doors of The Truck Inn, Jake thought that they would find another place to stop within the next half hour. He hadn't counted on the desolation of western Nevada. That stretch of Interstate 80 is called the loneliest road in America. Well named, Jake thought. It was dry, brown and windblown even now that it was early spring. On and on, Jake drove. On and on, Brandee slept.
Finally, Jake pulled off to the side of the road and Brandee woke with a yawn and a stretch. She started to unbuckle her seat belt before she realized what was happening. Jake had stopped in the middle of nowhere and was relieving himself behind some scrub brush on the left side of the road.
“Hey!” she shouted, “What about me? A girl has to take a piss herself once in a while!”
Jake zipped up and came back to the Sprinter. “I know you do," he said, starting the engine. “I just couldn't wait. That mocha I had before I left Chico was working on my old guy bladder.”
Brandee laughed. “That's right. I sometimes forget what an old coot you are. How do you expect to stay up with a hot young thing like me?”
“Just watch me stay up with you. Hell, just watch me leave you behind, child bride," he said, putting his hand on her well-tanned, muscular thigh. He wished that they could stop for a romance break, but the schedule wouldn't allow it. The life of a roadie , he thought.
***
Early afternoon brought them to Elko. The Western Folklife Center was most known for its dance
The group knew that they had to eventually get some sleep since the next day would be one of the longest days of the trip. Those in the Nissan van would be leaving at 6:00 so they could arrive in Elko at about 1:30 or 2:00. Jake and Brandee would be following 2 hours later. Luckily, they weren't due on stage at the Western Folklife Center until 8:30, or they would have to leave even earlier. All of them preferred the later starting time because it allowed them to sleep in a bit the morning before. Of the five of them, only Diane was a little bit of a morning person, and she had learned to stay by herself until the others had shaken off the AM cobwebs.
So, shortly before midnight, the five members of Brandee knew that they needed to go their separate ways. They walked five across, arm in arm, along the wide and deserted Chico sidewalk on their way back to The Californian. When they arrived, they said their good nights and parted ways. Brandee removed the last vestiges of her stage makeup and, by the time she got into bed beside Jake, he was snoring softly. She smiled to herself and patted his shoulder before turning her back on him and settling into the bed. The sound of the cheers of the crowd at The Big Room was her final thought before sleep overtook her.
***
“She should be well rested,” Jake thought to himself about noon the next day. Brandee had been asleep for much of the drive. Jake had planned to wake her when they stopped at The Truck Inn, a breakfast place that he had heard about near Fernley, Nevada. When they got there and found out The Truck Inn was closed, Jake just drove on, letting Brandee sleep. She wasn't missing much.
The drive to Elko included 340 miles of the most God-forsaken terrain that Jake had ever seen. Sparsely traveled, the road invited Jake to push the underpowered Sprinter as hard as its little diesel engine could go. He didn't want Brandee to stress about not having enough time for her pre-show ritual. He felt that the least he could do for his little blonde headliner was to get her to the shows on time. Jake smiled to himself as he wondered whether that was a song that he had heard once. He would ask Brandee when she woke up.
Having been disappointed by the shuttered doors of The Truck Inn, Jake thought that they would find another place to stop within the next half hour. He hadn't counted on the desolation of western Nevada. That stretch of Interstate 80 is called the loneliest road in America. Well named, Jake thought. It was dry, brown and windblown even now that it was early spring. On and on, Jake drove. On and on, Brandee slept.
Finally, Jake pulled off to the side of the road and Brandee woke with a yawn and a stretch. She started to unbuckle her seat belt before she realized what was happening. Jake had stopped in the middle of nowhere and was relieving himself behind some scrub brush on the left side of the road.
“Hey!” she shouted, “What about me? A girl has to take a piss herself once in a while!”
Jake zipped up and came back to the Sprinter. “I know you do," he said, starting the engine. “I just couldn't wait. That mocha I had before I left Chico was working on my old guy bladder.”
Brandee laughed. “That's right. I sometimes forget what an old coot you are. How do you expect to stay up with a hot young thing like me?”
“Just watch me stay up with you. Hell, just watch me leave you behind, child bride," he said, putting his hand on her well-tanned, muscular thigh. He wished that they could stop for a romance break, but the schedule wouldn't allow it. The life of a roadie , he thought.
***
Early afternoon brought them to Elko. The Western Folklife Center was most known for its dance
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