He’d only been gone a few seconds when Jeff said, “Is it bad that I want to play the video again?”
“Oh, I love that guy,” a voice said from behind him.
Jeff turned to see a woman he didn’t recognize. From her summer-professional clothing, she was a politician, not a performer. “Yeah,” he said dryly. “Me too.”
“That’s his boyfriend,” Trix put in.
“Yeah, I know.” The woman gestured to the empty chair next to where Joe had been sitting. “Do you mind?”
Somewhat bemused, Jeff said, “Go for it.”
“Thanks.” She sat and offered her hand. “Annemarie Jacoby.”
The name rang a bell, but Jeff couldn’t put his finger on where he’d heard it. In the news somewhere, doubtlessly. “Jeff. And this is Trix and Max.” He sighed, possibly a little sunstroked, and gestured at the phone. “And I guess you know Carter.”
“Canada’s dreamiest park ranger.”
Joe came back with their drinks and took the seat next to Annemarie. They introduced themselves, and then the conversation returned to Carter, as Jeff explained his actual job and how hard he worked and the whole debacle with the data sharing.
About five minutes in, Joe surreptitiously pulled Jeff’s beer back and pushed another bottle of water toward him.
“Ugh, I’m rambling?” he guessed.
“Just a little.” Joe grinned. “Have some more water. Maybe a Gatorade.”
“Maybe a nap,” Trix added.
“Maybe dinner,” said Max. “Clementines or no, I’m starving. Anyone else?”
Joe’s stomach growled as if on cue. “Okay, yes,” he agreed. “Except I think Jeff needs to be inside in some air conditioning stat. Room service?”
They gathered up their things and said their goodbyes to Annemarie, but before they got far, Dina intercepted them. “Oh. Leaving already?”
Jeff wavered on his feet. He should’ve known they wouldn’t get off scot-free. “Yeah.”
Her mouth pinched. “I was hoping to talk to you about the album progress. I haven’t been able to get hold of any of you for weeks—”
Maybe because we are not a goddamned juke box, Jeff thought.
“—I need an update, please.”
“Don’t worry,” Trix assured her. “We’re gonna get right on that as soon as we get back from this gig, all right? But Jeff’s going to pass out if we don’t feed him.”
“That—” Jeff wanted to defend himself, but he wanted to avoid talking to Dina more. “—is probably true.”
“We’ll text you,” Max said cheerfully. “Enjoy the rest of the concert.”
THEY PACKEDtheir stuff into Jeff’s truck for the drive back to Willow Sound, and it felt like the early days of the band, driving to gigs in a beat-up van that broke down every other month. Except a lot more comfortable. The cooled seats were a particularly welcome improvement.
“So, tell me about this house,” Joe said, leaning back in the front seat. “Like are we going to have to do an exorcism?”
“I don’t think it’sthatold,” Jeff said. Though probably if it only had fifty-amp service installed, it was pretty old.
Trix had her feet up on the console. “Do you have a hot tub?”
He rolled his eyes. “No. But there’s a soaker tub in the master bathroom.”
“Acceptable.”
