somewhere in their employee handbook), our waitress finally arrived, and at a time when the conversation was just starting to get awkward.
“Can I take your orders?” she asked, hand on her hip, that Midwest twang so syrupy it made my teeth hurt.
We all placed our food orders, Jace ordering for both Robert and Thomas, and then went back to a light and airy conversation after she left. Right about the time our food came, Thomas returned to the table.
“Couldn’t get through to him?” Jace asked as Thomas took his seat.
“Nah, he’s good now,” Thomas said. “He said he’d be back after a few drinks.”
Only, he never did.
***
Jace was all silent and broody the whole way home; I hated to admit it, but it was kind of making me nervous. We’d all had such a great time that night, up until Robert’s little temper tantrum, and I hadn’t wanted it to end. But now I feared he was going to take me back to the dorms, tell me goodnight, and our weekend together would be over.
Except that wasn’t what actually happened.
Rather than turn on campus, Jace drove right past it. Suddenly confused, and maybe even a little nervous as to what he might have in store for me next, I stared out the window and watched the tall brick buildings come and go.
“Where are we going?” I asked, turning to look at him.
“My place,” he answered, still not looking at me.
I chewed at the inside of my lip, contemplating how much I was comfortable with that idea, given his recent mood. I decided I wasn’t okay with it at all; not so much because of myself, but because he seemed like he needed a little space right then.
“Jace,” I said, scooting in my seat to sit next to him. “I’ve had an amazing time this weekend... but maybe you should just take some time, you know, after the whole Denny’s thing.”
“Andrea, I may be a little quiet, and I may have a lot on my mind, but this is just the sort of thing—“ He paused and cleared his throat. “This is life with a band. Members have disagreements. We fight. Sometimes, you can’t work it out, and the band breaks up. But most of the time, you remember that you’re friends and family first. Robert will come around.”
I wasn’t so convinced, not after the way he’d practically attacked me and then stormed out of the restaurant. But then again, Jace knew him a lot better than I did. I decided that, instead of pushing the issue, I’d go for another approach, maybe something that would put him in a better mood before I prodded any further. “How long have you and Robert known each other again?” I asked.
That brought a smile to those sexy lips. “He was the first member. We met freshman year of high school. He was the new kid. Divorced parents, going through a crap ton of the stuff I’d been through just a few years before that.”
Jace’s expression went sad for a moment, but he shook his head and cleared his throat. “Anyway,” he continued, shooting me a quick glance. “We just kind of clicked. When he told me he played drums, well, it just made sense for us to practice together. Then we turned it into a band. The rest is history, I guess.”
“So that’s, what? Six years?”
“And counting.”
“Why do you think he has such an issue with Seattle?” I asked. “Is it just going, or is it going right now?”
Jace slid his eyes in my direction, as if trying to decide whether he should share his band drama with me, before shrugging and turning his eyes back to the road. “Honestly? I think it’s a little bit of both. He’s all about signing with a big record label. The rest of us, we’re not in line with that vision. We don’t want to be global.”
“But even if that was your goal, to be global, Seattle would be the place to do it,” I pointed out. I knew all too well that Seattle was America’s music hub.
“Yes, you’re right,” Jace said, nodding. “But Robert doesn’t seem to agree. He thinks we’d have a better chance in New
“Can I take your orders?” she asked, hand on her hip, that Midwest twang so syrupy it made my teeth hurt.
We all placed our food orders, Jace ordering for both Robert and Thomas, and then went back to a light and airy conversation after she left. Right about the time our food came, Thomas returned to the table.
“Couldn’t get through to him?” Jace asked as Thomas took his seat.
“Nah, he’s good now,” Thomas said. “He said he’d be back after a few drinks.”
Only, he never did.
***
Jace was all silent and broody the whole way home; I hated to admit it, but it was kind of making me nervous. We’d all had such a great time that night, up until Robert’s little temper tantrum, and I hadn’t wanted it to end. But now I feared he was going to take me back to the dorms, tell me goodnight, and our weekend together would be over.
Except that wasn’t what actually happened.
Rather than turn on campus, Jace drove right past it. Suddenly confused, and maybe even a little nervous as to what he might have in store for me next, I stared out the window and watched the tall brick buildings come and go.
“Where are we going?” I asked, turning to look at him.
“My place,” he answered, still not looking at me.
I chewed at the inside of my lip, contemplating how much I was comfortable with that idea, given his recent mood. I decided I wasn’t okay with it at all; not so much because of myself, but because he seemed like he needed a little space right then.
“Jace,” I said, scooting in my seat to sit next to him. “I’ve had an amazing time this weekend... but maybe you should just take some time, you know, after the whole Denny’s thing.”
“Andrea, I may be a little quiet, and I may have a lot on my mind, but this is just the sort of thing—“ He paused and cleared his throat. “This is life with a band. Members have disagreements. We fight. Sometimes, you can’t work it out, and the band breaks up. But most of the time, you remember that you’re friends and family first. Robert will come around.”
I wasn’t so convinced, not after the way he’d practically attacked me and then stormed out of the restaurant. But then again, Jace knew him a lot better than I did. I decided that, instead of pushing the issue, I’d go for another approach, maybe something that would put him in a better mood before I prodded any further. “How long have you and Robert known each other again?” I asked.
That brought a smile to those sexy lips. “He was the first member. We met freshman year of high school. He was the new kid. Divorced parents, going through a crap ton of the stuff I’d been through just a few years before that.”
Jace’s expression went sad for a moment, but he shook his head and cleared his throat. “Anyway,” he continued, shooting me a quick glance. “We just kind of clicked. When he told me he played drums, well, it just made sense for us to practice together. Then we turned it into a band. The rest is history, I guess.”
“So that’s, what? Six years?”
“And counting.”
“Why do you think he has such an issue with Seattle?” I asked. “Is it just going, or is it going right now?”
Jace slid his eyes in my direction, as if trying to decide whether he should share his band drama with me, before shrugging and turning his eyes back to the road. “Honestly? I think it’s a little bit of both. He’s all about signing with a big record label. The rest of us, we’re not in line with that vision. We don’t want to be global.”
“But even if that was your goal, to be global, Seattle would be the place to do it,” I pointed out. I knew all too well that Seattle was America’s music hub.
“Yes, you’re right,” Jace said, nodding. “But Robert doesn’t seem to agree. He thinks we’d have a better chance in New
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