“How’s that working out by the way? Teaching math? What is she learning now, algebra?” Arizona says under her breath as we make our way further into the house. A second later, a thunderous round of barking ensues thanks to the two dogs upstairs who only just noticed we have company. Senior hearing is getting more apparent all the time. Senior barking isn’t a thing though, so we get to hear their eager greeting all through ourlittle house until they physically reach Arizona and make the switch to sniffing and slobbering.
I wait until the greetings subside to answer her questions about math. “Found an online program so I don’t have to teach it.” I’ve loved homeschooling my kid every step of the way. Until Algebra. I’m a writer. I make my living with a hippy-dippy lifestyle blog. Words are my thing. Numbers, not so much.
“Handy.”
“It is,” I agree, gesturing for her to pick her spot on the sofa while I plop down into the oversized chair in the corner, semi-across from her. “Same program offers all the sciences as well.” My other educational nemesis. Give me social studies. Language arts. All the histories. I’m totally there for it. But this big bang theory nerd stuff, regrettably, not my area. “But back to more important matters.”
“Knox Marley?”
“Knox Marley.” I grin just saying his damn name. “What’s the plan?”
“Well,” Arizona starts, like she’s about to share a secret mission with me, “They open the doors at seven. Opening act takes the stage at eight, but the real show won’t start until nine.”
“Do we not care for the opening act?” In all my disappointment over missing my chance to buy tickets, I never thought to look who it was.
“Oh, no, we do.” She nods, eyes flashing wide with excitement. “We really do. Which is why we’re going to be there at six. To meet my cousin’s boss Tara, who scored her the tickets because her boyfriend is a manager at The House of Rock and has agreed to sneak us in during soundcheck, before they open the doors to everyone else.”
“Shut. Up.”
Her eyes grow wider. I don’t think she’s blinked since she started talking about this. “I know!”
“This is insane,” I mumble, as my reality merges with longstanding fantasy. I’m not the sort to fangirl over anyone. Food, that’ll make me fangirl. A really great vegan pizza. An out of this world chocolate cake. I’m there for it, but rock stars, or celebrities of any sort, don’t tend to do it for me that way. Maybe because I met plenty of them in my bartending days pre-Sloan, and at the end of the day, they’re just fucking people. Some of them not even nice ones.
But Knox Marley is different. His words and his voice were with me during some of the hardest times of my life. In my heart, he feels like a familiar friend to me, even when my brain is busy screaming ‘he’s a stranger, you delusional dumbass!’. “I can’t believe I’m going to hear Knox Marley live. You know he still does all his own soundchecks?”
Arizona nods. “I do know that.” She smirks. “I also know Trip Three does theirs as well. And that’s the opening act starting the show.” She wiggles her brows suggestively. “I think we both know I’m drinking tonight.”
“Plan on making a move, huh?” That’s the only reason she’d be referring to making use of liquid courage while doing her sexy brow dance.
“You know it.” She stretches out into the cushions. “I’ve decided my bad luck with men ends tonight. All the bad blind dates of the last two years will be totally worth it if I take home one of the Trip Three boys.”
“Home is a seven-hour drive away,” I point out what may become a hiccup down the road.
“I know.” She flashes a Cheshire cat smile. “After seven hours in the car with me, I figure I’ll have him hooked for good.”
“Or you’ll have killed him,and yourself, given your skills behind the wheel. And the fact that you’re planning to use alcohol to summon the nerve to talk to him.”
She shrugs. “Either way, we’ll be together.”
Then she laughs. We both do.
“I’ve missed you.”
“Same.”
We sit quietly for a moment, the adrenaline of her big news finally wearing off.
“Thank you,” I tell her when I know the moment is serious enough for it to stick. “I know you’re really doing all of this for me and not to have your soul eternally entangled with a member of Trip Three.”
She smirks. “That wouldn’t be a bad bonus though.”
I’m sure it wouldn’t. Any more than it would hurt my feelings to wind up entangled with Knox Marley.
Not that it would ever happen.
Right?
CHAPTER TWO
