Tanner strokes his chin, and I glance at my phone resting on the chair a few feet away. It lights up just as I do, and I fight the urge to grab it, knowing it’s Olivia. We’ve been texting a lot since I stole her number. It wasn’t that hard, just had to hold the phone up to her face while she slept.
“It’s not a bad idea,” Tanner says, drawing my attention back. He jots something down on his clipboard. “It could work, buy us some time at the very least. We could splice it up and post it to Instagram, too.” He’s basically talking to himself at this point, so I go ahead and pick up my phone. “Katie knows afew videographers still building their portfolios. Maybe we can use one of them and get a good rate.”
Katie is Tanner’s longtime girlfriend. She’s trying to be a social media influencer, whatever the hell that is. They came together as a package deal all those years ago. She used to follow us around everywhere, like his shadow, every practice and show. We rarely see her now. She’s too busy influencing people, I guess. We’ve all been waiting for him to propose. I’m pretty sure he bought a ring like two years ago.
“Okay, it’s settled,” Tanner says, and I finally look at him, pretending I was listening. “Once I get a few quotes, I’ll let you guys know how much it’s going to cost, and we can go from there.”
Travis starts unplugging the amps, and I move to help him before packing my guitar in its case.
“Practice again tomorrow. Same time?” Liam asks.
Tanner nods, and they slip out the door.
“You gonna invite Liv to the show?” Travis asks as we make our way inside.
“Nah. She’s visiting her family.”
He grabs a bottle of water from his fridge and tosses me one.
I uncap the lid and take a swig. “What about you? You asking Ellie?”
He shrugs. “I don’t know, maybe.” I arch my brow, and he shoulders past me into the living room. “She’s a cool chick and she isn’t looking for anything serious.”
I flop on the couch across from him and prop my feet up on the table. “Sounds like your perfect match.”
He puffs out a laugh. “Right? Seriously, though, if I keep inviting her to places all the time, she might get different ideas. I don’t want it to get messy. Especially now.”
“What do you mean now?”
He gives me a look. I shoot him one back and he continues, “Now that you’re all hot for her best friend, which I knew from that first night, by the way. When you two go and fall in love, they’re going to want a joint wedding or some shit.” As he says it, his eyes grow wide, horrified by the idea.
I laugh, and he stares at me like I’m crazy.
“Chill, dude. No one’s getting married or falling in love,” I say.
“Bullshit. I’ve seen the way you look at that girl. It’s been like two seconds, and you’re already obsessed.”
“Am not.” I definitely am.
“You haven’t stopped checking your phone!” he says conveniently, right as I glance at my phone. “You never do that. Especially during practice.”
I ignore him, dropping my phone in my lap and picking up the remote lying on his coffee table.
“I’m just saying, be careful, man. When was the last time you even had sex?”
My head snaps around. “What the fuck? None of your business.”
He blinks several times. “Really?”
I rub a hand over my face. Christ, I forgot how exhausting it can be to be his best friend. There’s not a lot he doesn’t know about me. We’ve shared a lot over the years, girls included—not often or anything, just a few times when we were younger and dumber.
“Besides that half-cocked blow job you got in a hallway a couple weeks ago, you’ve practically been celibate.” He says the word like it physically pains him. “I want you to get laid again. Just don’t want you to get all heartbroken when that girl leaves you for her high-society boyfriend.”
I sigh, but my stomach twists, his words hitting a little closer to home than he knows. He means well, though, and I love him for that.
I turn the TV to the latest Animal Planet documentary to shut him up.
16
