recording. I stopped in the diner the other day and she reminded me to ask you when I saw you on campus.”
“Oh,” I said, nibbling my lip. “When do they start?”
“Next week,” Bailey said, dropping her eyes to the table. “They’ll get a couple weeks in the studio but who knows how long the sessions will take. Collin said that some days they could be there for twelve hours or more but other days they might only be there in the mornings.”
“That’s rough,” I said.
“It’s rough for Lucas and Irelyn especially,” Bailey said. “Lucas is going to have to take some time off of work. And this isn’t a sure thing. I mean, what if the record doesn’t sell?”
I didn’t answer – didn’t think Bailey really wanted one.
“Collin isn’t thrilled with missing work, either,” Bailey said, opening a packet of ranch dressing to dribble on her salad. “I mean, we’ll be okay – my dad pays me well for doing work at home. But Collin is getting all macho, thinking he should be making more money. You know what he’s like.”
“But, if the record does sell, he’ll be making a lot of money.”
“Yeah,” Bailey said. “That’s what I told him. But he’s still worried. They all are, but I think he’s worrying the most.”
Wiping my mouth with my napkin, I felt my heart aching for my friends. I set my napkin on the table beside my bowl and smiled. “I’ll show up tonight, probably. It is Halloween, after all.”
“Great,” Bailey said, shoving the salad away from her. “We’ll see you there.”
“Aren’t you going to eat?” I asked.
Bailey scrunched up her nose at the salad drenched in ranch. “Nah. I had a big breakfast and I’m really not that hungry. I should go – I need to talk to my math prof before class. See you tonight.”
I watched her leave, worrying etching my face.
***
After my abbreviated shift at Beans, I hurried upstairs to get ready for Rusty’s, keeping with my original decision to not dress up. I didn’t have time to throw a costume together, anyway. I showered, dried my hair, and then dressed in my usual skinny jeans, a white cami with a taupe sweater and brown, leather boots.
Grabbing my purse and keys, I hurried out the door.
Rusty’s was packed, just as I suspected it would be. I had to drive through the parking lot several times until someone finally left and I was able to grab that spot.
Taking several deep breaths, I entered, elbowing my way through the crowd toward the bar. Even though I hardly had a date with Evan, I still felt obligated to let him know that I would be sitting with my friends. And, if I was being totally honest with myself, I didn’t want Spencer to see me hanging out with Evan and think that I was dating him.
“Morgan, you made it,” Evan said when I managed to snag a cramped, empty space at the bar. He grinned as he shoved a glass under the tap, filling it with amber liquid. Before it could pour over the sides, he quickly switched it out for an empty one, sliding the full glass on the bar in front of a guy on my left. “I saved you a chair at the end, but you better hurry up and grab it. I put a sign on it but these animals are liable to toss it on the floor.”
“Thanks,” I said as he filled another glass with diet soda and scooted it at me. “Um, Bailey and Irelyn asked me to sit with them.”
“Oh,” he said, the smile slipping from his face. Lifting his head, he glanced in the direction of the stage where Bailey and Irelyn were sitting at their usual table. “That’s cool. Sit with your friends. I’ll pop over and see you when I get a second.”
I opened my mouth to explain, to wipe that weird expression off his face, but people were pushing in around me, shoving money at Evan as they shouted their orders. Sighing, I took my soda to the table near the stage.
Irelyn and Bailey hadn’t noticed that I’d arrived. They were too intent on their
“Oh,” I said, nibbling my lip. “When do they start?”
“Next week,” Bailey said, dropping her eyes to the table. “They’ll get a couple weeks in the studio but who knows how long the sessions will take. Collin said that some days they could be there for twelve hours or more but other days they might only be there in the mornings.”
“That’s rough,” I said.
“It’s rough for Lucas and Irelyn especially,” Bailey said. “Lucas is going to have to take some time off of work. And this isn’t a sure thing. I mean, what if the record doesn’t sell?”
I didn’t answer – didn’t think Bailey really wanted one.
“Collin isn’t thrilled with missing work, either,” Bailey said, opening a packet of ranch dressing to dribble on her salad. “I mean, we’ll be okay – my dad pays me well for doing work at home. But Collin is getting all macho, thinking he should be making more money. You know what he’s like.”
“But, if the record does sell, he’ll be making a lot of money.”
“Yeah,” Bailey said. “That’s what I told him. But he’s still worried. They all are, but I think he’s worrying the most.”
Wiping my mouth with my napkin, I felt my heart aching for my friends. I set my napkin on the table beside my bowl and smiled. “I’ll show up tonight, probably. It is Halloween, after all.”
“Great,” Bailey said, shoving the salad away from her. “We’ll see you there.”
“Aren’t you going to eat?” I asked.
Bailey scrunched up her nose at the salad drenched in ranch. “Nah. I had a big breakfast and I’m really not that hungry. I should go – I need to talk to my math prof before class. See you tonight.”
I watched her leave, worrying etching my face.
***
After my abbreviated shift at Beans, I hurried upstairs to get ready for Rusty’s, keeping with my original decision to not dress up. I didn’t have time to throw a costume together, anyway. I showered, dried my hair, and then dressed in my usual skinny jeans, a white cami with a taupe sweater and brown, leather boots.
Grabbing my purse and keys, I hurried out the door.
Rusty’s was packed, just as I suspected it would be. I had to drive through the parking lot several times until someone finally left and I was able to grab that spot.
Taking several deep breaths, I entered, elbowing my way through the crowd toward the bar. Even though I hardly had a date with Evan, I still felt obligated to let him know that I would be sitting with my friends. And, if I was being totally honest with myself, I didn’t want Spencer to see me hanging out with Evan and think that I was dating him.
“Morgan, you made it,” Evan said when I managed to snag a cramped, empty space at the bar. He grinned as he shoved a glass under the tap, filling it with amber liquid. Before it could pour over the sides, he quickly switched it out for an empty one, sliding the full glass on the bar in front of a guy on my left. “I saved you a chair at the end, but you better hurry up and grab it. I put a sign on it but these animals are liable to toss it on the floor.”
“Thanks,” I said as he filled another glass with diet soda and scooted it at me. “Um, Bailey and Irelyn asked me to sit with them.”
“Oh,” he said, the smile slipping from his face. Lifting his head, he glanced in the direction of the stage where Bailey and Irelyn were sitting at their usual table. “That’s cool. Sit with your friends. I’ll pop over and see you when I get a second.”
I opened my mouth to explain, to wipe that weird expression off his face, but people were pushing in around me, shoving money at Evan as they shouted their orders. Sighing, I took my soda to the table near the stage.
Irelyn and Bailey hadn’t noticed that I’d arrived. They were too intent on their
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