Page 27 of The Only Thing That's Real
What I really need to do is relax. We haven’t even ordered our drinks yet. We’ll get
Ryan talking. I’ll make sure of it.
Chapter Fourteen
Ryan
Ilove this group of people. I know it’s only been a few weeks, but it feels like I’ve known them my whole life. In a way I have, even if I didn’t know them personally.
We’ve consumed plenty of drinks along with our miso soup, edamame, sushi, and wagyu beef. Most of the band is pretty tipsy. Their wives are getting annoyed, and I believe I saw Trevor signal the server to stop offering refills.
“Remember what I was telling you the other day at soundcheck?” Kristen says, leaning closer to me.
“Uh, about what?”
“Knox, not partying with the guys.”
Of course I do. I remember every word she’s said about him.
“Yep.”
“Tonight is a prime example. The guys are on their way to plastered and Knox is sipping his second beer. Hasn’t had a sip of sake. He’s usually the one leading the charge. This version of him is nice, but most definitely not the norm. He’s become a shell of his former self; it’s as if something ripped a part of his soul away. If it didn’t come with his new melancholy and general bad mood, this healthier version of him would be great.”
It’s none of my business and not part of the series I’m writing, but I’m dying to know what’s brought on this change in his life. I want to know about his childhood. His relationships. What are his favorite foods? What does he do with his free time? Does he prefer New York or Los Angeles? What music doeshelisten to?
I don’t realize I’m staring at the man occupying all the space in my brain until he tilts his head at me. It’s then I wake from my stupor because not only am I staring at him, but he’s staring back. His face doesn’t express the usual disdain it does when he looks at me, but he isn’t smiling either. I don’t blush and I don’t look away. Neither does he.
Emotion flashes across his features, so quickly I might have imagined it. He shoots to his feet and leaves the room.
Shit.
That was incredibly inappropriate. It wasn’t flirting per se, but it certainly wasn’tnotflirting and I clearly misread his reaction.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
Panicked, I gulp down a sip of my water and am about to say something to Kristen when he re-enters, carrying a cake topped with lit candles.
The room goes quiet. Looks of confusion cover the facesaround the table. He places the cake in the shape of a Siamese cat in front of Jay.
“The tour will be over when your birthday comes in October and we may not all be together, so I thought we could celebrate now.”
Before the group can react, he breaks into happy birthday, and we all join in. Drowning out his beautiful voice that I would love to hear a cappella in a small room like this.
Leaning into Kristen, I whisper, “Wow.”
“Right? The man may act like a raging asshole half the time, but he’s really a gentle giant. He loves hard, and he loves birthdays. I’m not sure if it is how close he is to his family or something else, but he never misses a birthday.”
I want to ask more questions about Knox’s softer side, but I tuck those thoughts away for another day.
“What’s up with the cat cake?”
Kristen lowers her wine glass. “Oh, Jay and Jennifer have two Siamese cats back home. Jay is obsessed with them. They have their own social media pages and everything. “
“Unexpected, but cute.”
We’re quiet for a moment before Kristen leans in like she’s about to share some sort of secret conspiracy.
“Did you know that all the McKinnon kids are born in August? Every other August for eight years Sharon McKinnon popped a kid out.”
