Coming here was a mistake. And now I can’t even leave. So I’m going to have to figure out exactly what I’m going to do with myself while the world is shut down. I don’t know what that is, but I know for sure it involves staying as far away from any of these people as this mammoth house will allow.
Nine
Lucky
Quarantine Day 3
“Why the fuck aretheycancelling?”I snap at Meyer, tossing his iPad onto the dining room table next to his Macbook. “That show isn’t even until the second week of April.” I wave my hand in a gesture at the large room. “This lockdown’s supposed to end in two weeks. That show’s like a month from now.”
Meyer shrugs like he’s totally fuckinguselessand not the competent manager I’ve had for ten years, who can solve any fucking problem. “They’re covering their asses. These people don’t want to be liable for hosting some kinda super-spreader event.” He stands up from the table and swipes the tablet to scroll through it. “None of these venues are gonna reopen until this thing is under control, and nobody knows if that’s gonna be in two weeks. This is outta my hands, Vin.”
Rage surges through my veins, and I grab the file containing all the contracts for all thenow cancelledshows and pitch it across the room like a frisbee. The documents scatter all over the place. “What the fuck are we gonna do about all the cash we’renotgonna be getting from that?”
He shrugs again, and the sight of it kinda makes me want to wring his fucking neck. “I don’t fuckin’ know, Vin. We haven’t exactly dealt with something like this before.”
I stomp across the dining room to the side bar and pour myself a drink. It’s ten AM. That’s pretty early to start drinking, even by my standards, but what the fuck elseam I supposed to do?
I march out of the dining room, crossing through the formal living area and heading toward the glass doors that lead to the courtyard. Meyer follows me, flapping his jaw the entire time.
“We need to pivot to another source of income and pour our resources into that,” he’s saying as I push through the doors and fish my cigarette case out of my pocket. “Let’s revamp the album we’re working on. Try to really engage your platforms and maybe get the fans involved. We could poll them or something. Y’know, like, ‘what are all your favorite songs? Vote now! Be part of a fan-centric collaboration and help us create the next Lucky album!’”
“That’s stillnevergoing to generate the same amount of cash that the shows do, Meyer.Fuck.” I rake my hand through my hair and then slip a cigarette between my lips, just as my eyes land onAva. She’s at one of the wrought iron patio tables in the corner with a whole friggin’ tech setup around her, like she’s turned my courtyard into her own private office. I haven’t seen her since the day shit hit the fan. I’m already pissed off about the cancelled shows, and seeing her all cozy in my courtyard just pisses me off that much more. “Most people don’t even buy the albums ‘cuz they can just stream ‘em, and the fuckin’ streaming services don’t pay out anywhere nearenough. Why am Ithe one explaining this shit to you?”
“I realize that.” He swipes the glass from me and takes a large sip before shoving it back into my hands. “This got to be survival mode realfuckin’ quick, and that’s our only option until we can get back on the road.”
I huff loudly, pacing around the courtyard, downing the drink and puffing on the cigarette. Meyer says nothing else, and I notice he’s captively watching Ava, which doesn’t improve my mood at all.
“Hey,” I bark at him, “what the fuck are you staring at her for?”
“Shh,” he hisses, eyes still trained on her, and I clench my jaw.
I don’t want anyone shushing me, and I sure as hell don’t want anyone else staringat Ava after Patrick already fucked her. I didn’t have any idea that timid little Ava had a naughty side. I had no idea she’s got a voyeuristic kink. I had no idea that she’s the type to hook up with a guy she’d only known for a few hours. If I’d known all of that, I wouldn’t have gone to pick up those two broads and would’ve just visited her room instead. And then I’d have been the one to fuck her first.
But since I wasn’t, nobody elseis going to.
Especially not fucking Meyer, for fuck’s sake.
Meyer’s still captively listening and watching as he approaches her. When he stops just behind her chair, it appears that he’s actually looking at her screen. I can see the screen from where I’m standing across the courtyard, and both it and all the stuff she’s saying to whoever’s in her earbuds might as well be friggin’ Greek. I don’t know why Meyer’s so interested in it.
Meyer taps the side of her shoulder, causing her to startle and whip her head around. She smashes a button on the laptop, then says in a quiet voice, “Can I help you?”
“Sorry,” he hastily says, also speaking in a hushed tone. “Would you mind talking to me about this when you’re finished?”
She cuts her eyes back and forth between his face and the screen in confusion for a second. “About this?”
“Yeah.” He points at the screen. “It’s a virtual event, right?”
Her eyes shift again. “Right.”
“Yeah, can I talk to you about how to—”
“Sure, just send a meeting invite to the email address you sent my flight information to,” she cuts him off, turning back to the screen.
Meyer takes a couple of steps back, pulling out his phone and tapping the screen.
Ava abruptly turns back around to level her gaze on him, and then speaks slightly louder. “Just you though.”
Meyer glances up from his phone. “Huh?”
