see such camaraderie. I was feeling much less threatened than I did earlier today. I couldn’t let them down. I’d make it work somehow.
“Well, as long as you promise there will be no cutting the heads off chickens or sacrificing virgins, I guess I can make it.”
He smiled down at me and I just desperately wanted to reach out and touch his lip. I tucked my hands back into my pockets to be safe.
“Of course, Miss Charles. We’ll call those rituals our true last resort. Although I can’t guarantee there won’t be any reading of the tea leaves or tarot decks being shuffled. Is that going to be a problem?”
I shook my head seriously. But then I thought of something and tilted my head to the side. “You guys just do whatever it is you need to and let me know what you need from me. I do have one thing to tell you...I don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable, but I have a slight compulsion you should know about.”
His brows raised and he looked startled. “Really? What is it?”
Smothering a laugh, I said as serious as I could, “I need to draw, a lot. I always have a sketchbook with me, so I’ll probably do lots of drawings of you guys. Will that be ok? I will submit everything to you before I go, as per the contract.”
It was his turn to smirk. “That’s it? I thought it was going to be something much scarier, like organizing the sock drawers or lining up all our guitar picks by size and color. Don’t laugh, we had a roadie once who did that and it drove Marcus batshit crazy.”
“No, nothing that serious, no! I just, um, sometimes it makes people uncomfortable. That’s all. Nothing creepy.”
He shook his head.
“You do realize we are all musicians? Damaged musicians? We stop mid-sentence to write down lyrics or explain things in demented sound language. I think you’ll find us to be kindred spirits.”
I smiled and stood upright.
“Well, then. I guess I better go call Sherry.”
He smiled, looking relieved. He grabbed for my hand and put it between the two of his much larger ones, cradling it gently. “Thank you, Miss Charles. Really. This means a lot.” His voice cracked at that and I couldn’t help myself, I reached my other hand up and touched his mouth-wateringly exceptional bicep.
“It’s fine. It’ll be a good time. And please, call me Jay.”
He nodded. “Ok. Jaylene. It’s a beautiful name.”
My cheeks must have flushed at that. I stumbled back, nearly tripping on my feet. “Great. Ok. So I need to pack. Um. Anything in particular I need to bring?”
He shook his head. “Just whatever you need to work and whatever you need to be comfortable.”
Somehow I didn’t think comfy sweats and duckie slippers were what I would be comfortable in surrounded by these guys.
“Ok. I’ll just go call Sherry.” He stood there smiling at me, looking relieved, and anxious, and pleased. I think. I stepped back and he didn’t move. “Thanks for walking me back, Devon.”
He smiled and nodded. “We’ll see you Friday, around 10? That seems to be an empty time on the street over there. We’ll try to be up and presentable.” He looked worried.
I shook my head. “Don’t change anything for me. I’m there to see you guys in your element, right? Oh, wait. You guys should at least be dressed. That would be good. I don’t know what a bunch of guys do when they are staying together.”
He laughed at that, his smile growing relaxed again.
“You don't have brothers or anything?”
I shook my head. “Nope, just me. I’m an only. Guess I was enough of a nightmare, my parents didn’t dare to have more.”
He frowned and then narrowed his eyes at me. “Or they just realized they should quit while they were ahead.”
Oh. My. Did he just say that? He put his sunglasses back on and smiled his half smile again.
“Good afternoon, Jaylene.” He turned and stepped out the door.
I fell onto my stool. I must have been holding my breath because all of a sudden I felt
“Well, as long as you promise there will be no cutting the heads off chickens or sacrificing virgins, I guess I can make it.”
He smiled down at me and I just desperately wanted to reach out and touch his lip. I tucked my hands back into my pockets to be safe.
“Of course, Miss Charles. We’ll call those rituals our true last resort. Although I can’t guarantee there won’t be any reading of the tea leaves or tarot decks being shuffled. Is that going to be a problem?”
I shook my head seriously. But then I thought of something and tilted my head to the side. “You guys just do whatever it is you need to and let me know what you need from me. I do have one thing to tell you...I don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable, but I have a slight compulsion you should know about.”
His brows raised and he looked startled. “Really? What is it?”
Smothering a laugh, I said as serious as I could, “I need to draw, a lot. I always have a sketchbook with me, so I’ll probably do lots of drawings of you guys. Will that be ok? I will submit everything to you before I go, as per the contract.”
It was his turn to smirk. “That’s it? I thought it was going to be something much scarier, like organizing the sock drawers or lining up all our guitar picks by size and color. Don’t laugh, we had a roadie once who did that and it drove Marcus batshit crazy.”
“No, nothing that serious, no! I just, um, sometimes it makes people uncomfortable. That’s all. Nothing creepy.”
He shook his head.
“You do realize we are all musicians? Damaged musicians? We stop mid-sentence to write down lyrics or explain things in demented sound language. I think you’ll find us to be kindred spirits.”
I smiled and stood upright.
“Well, then. I guess I better go call Sherry.”
He smiled, looking relieved. He grabbed for my hand and put it between the two of his much larger ones, cradling it gently. “Thank you, Miss Charles. Really. This means a lot.” His voice cracked at that and I couldn’t help myself, I reached my other hand up and touched his mouth-wateringly exceptional bicep.
“It’s fine. It’ll be a good time. And please, call me Jay.”
He nodded. “Ok. Jaylene. It’s a beautiful name.”
My cheeks must have flushed at that. I stumbled back, nearly tripping on my feet. “Great. Ok. So I need to pack. Um. Anything in particular I need to bring?”
He shook his head. “Just whatever you need to work and whatever you need to be comfortable.”
Somehow I didn’t think comfy sweats and duckie slippers were what I would be comfortable in surrounded by these guys.
“Ok. I’ll just go call Sherry.” He stood there smiling at me, looking relieved, and anxious, and pleased. I think. I stepped back and he didn’t move. “Thanks for walking me back, Devon.”
He smiled and nodded. “We’ll see you Friday, around 10? That seems to be an empty time on the street over there. We’ll try to be up and presentable.” He looked worried.
I shook my head. “Don’t change anything for me. I’m there to see you guys in your element, right? Oh, wait. You guys should at least be dressed. That would be good. I don’t know what a bunch of guys do when they are staying together.”
He laughed at that, his smile growing relaxed again.
“You don't have brothers or anything?”
I shook my head. “Nope, just me. I’m an only. Guess I was enough of a nightmare, my parents didn’t dare to have more.”
He frowned and then narrowed his eyes at me. “Or they just realized they should quit while they were ahead.”
Oh. My. Did he just say that? He put his sunglasses back on and smiled his half smile again.
“Good afternoon, Jaylene.” He turned and stepped out the door.
I fell onto my stool. I must have been holding my breath because all of a sudden I felt
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