“So what’s keeping you from adopting him?”
Alice shrugged.“Mostly my landlord.It was hard enough to find a place to rent here, and the pet deposits and rent increases are no joke.It feels cruel to get a dog when I live two stories up without an outdoor area.Plus, I’m not home much between my job, the Monarchs, and volunteering here.”
“You could always get a cat, right?They’re pretty self-sufficient and don’t need outside access.”
“Eh, I’m more of a dog person.Cats kinda freak me out.The way they watch you like they know what you’re thinking.Kinda feels like there’s a demon hiding in their tiny, furry bodies.”She shuddered dramatically.
I cracked up.“Yeah, I can see that.We had a cat growing up—a Siamese.My mom named her Precious.God, she was an evil thing.Always watching you from under furniture.She loved to swipe at our feet when we’d walk by.And she’d pounce on us at night when we were sleeping.One minute you were onstage at Madison Square Garden and then next you were fighting for your life.Shit, I hated that cat.”
Alice’s giggles joined my soft laughter.
“But my mom loved her.God only knows why.”
We fell into a compatible silence as we watched DJ sniff around the space.
“You really dreamt about performing when you were little?You knew even then?”
I lifted a shoulder.“Well yeah.I started drumming at five.It’s the only thing I’ve consistently loved.Aside from my family and the guys.I couldn’t throw a football to save my life or swim for shit, but I loved to wail on the drums.”I turned to Alice.“What about you?When did you start playing?”
Alice shifted.“Uh, well, back in junior high you had to pick an elective and most of the instruments were out because they kinda expected you to get your own.But no one expects a student to buy a bass drum.”
“You were bass?How?Why?”I laughed.“Christ, I’d love to see that.It had to be as big as you!”
Her cheeks reddened and she shrugged.“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but there’s not much I won’t do to prove a point.”
“Oh, I noticed.”I laughed.“I think everyone on the road noticed at one point or another.Is that story about you and the hot sauce true?”
Alice raised her eyebrows but didn’t answer.
I laughed to myself.The way I heard it some old, grizzled roadie tried to stop her from puttingenfuegosauce on her burrito at lunch—said it was “too hot for a little girl.”In rebuttal, Alice had guzzled it straight from the bottle instead.Then called him “old man” the rest of the tour.
DJ came back and plopped a new toy at my feet.This time a tennis ball.I picked up the slobbery ball and chucked it across the yard, and he went bounding after it.“So how’s the band going?You guys getting any traction?”
Immediately, the humor left Alice’s eyes and she shrugged.“You know.It’s early days.”
My head went back like she’d slapped me.That didn’t sound like the ballsy Alice I knew.“Sounded like you guys had your shit figured out to me.I really liked that one song you’d played—‘Lost Boys,’ I think it was called.The audience loved it too.I don’t think I’d ever seen an audience click with a song that hard, that quick.You guys had them singing the chorus by the second verse.It was awesome.”
The redness deepened on her cheeks.“Thank you.”
“What’s got you all bashful and second guessing yourself?”
Alice shifted her shoulders.“I don’t really want to talk about it.”
“Right.Okay.Next topic…” I casted around in my mind but came up empty.What did we have in common?Music, hatred of cats, and… I didn’t know her well enough to come up with a third.“What’s your favorite place to eat in town?Somewhere that’s Vegas-y.”
Alice laughed lightly.“I think you’re overestimating how far my salary can go in Vegas.Do you have any idea how much rent is here?I hit up Taco Bell and maybe In-N-Out when I wanna splurge.”
“Eh, I guess we’ll have to change that.”
“I’m getting a raise?Yes!”
I laughed.“I meant that I guess I’ll have to take you somewhere Vegas-y.But I can talk to the guys and see what’s what.”
She pursed her lips.“Aren’t you going to be too busy with more Win-A-Date dates?”
I groaned.“I prefer to pretend like that’s not going to actually happen.Denial is the place to be.”
Alice laughed with me then she shook her head.“Can’t be that hard to have so many women vying for your attention.”
