“There he is! The rock star!” Robert’s best friend Manny said, throwing his arms up in the air.
“Not anymore,” Tommy clarified. “I’m just a regular guy now.”
“No way,” Manny said. “You’ll always be a rock star. You’re Tommy Blade. The icon.”
It was a title that Tommy was proud of, but humility made him deny it. “I’m just doing what comes naturally. Like my little brother. Music is as much a part of me as football is a part of Robert.”
Robert had to push through his friends in order to greet Tommy. The two bumped chests like they were still athletes in college. They went to different schools, and the age difference prevented it, but for a moment, Tommy wondered what it would have been like to play on the same college football team as his brother.
“You have no idea how happy I am that you made it.” Robert picked up two shot glasses from the table and held one out to Tommy. “To old times. Football. And rock and roll.”
Tommy wasn’t much of a drinker but took the shot because there was no way he wasn’t going to toast with his brother. The alcohol, which turned out to be straight vodka, left a trail of fire down Tommy’s throat. He coughed, and his eyes watered. “Vodka? Are you trying to kill me?”
“Wash it down with this.” Manny handed Tommy a bottle of beer.
The ice-cold beer felt wonderful and soothing. “Thanks.” Tommy patted his chest several times. “That did the trick. I thought my throat was going to start bleeding for a minute.”
The guys all laughed. Obviously, they hadn’t changed much from their college days. “So, what does everyone do for a living these days?” Tommy asked.
Manny ran a tech company. Two of the guys were teachers. Another was a bus driver. The rest also had random careers. Most of them were on the football team with Robert in college, but none made it to the big leagues. It seemed like too much of a coincidence that both Tommy and Robert had fulfilled their dreams at such a young age. Were they always destined for fame and glory? “Let me ask you a question,” Tommy said to his brother. “You got everything you ever wanted. You’re a big football star. You got girls throwing themselves at you left and right. You’re rich. You got your health. What else is there?”
“What are you trying to say? That I’m washed up already?” Robert laughed at the notion. “I’m still young. I got my whole life ahead of me.”
“I know. I didn’t mean it like that. I meant, you fulfilled everything you set out to do in life all ready. Right? What’s next?”
“I don’t know what’s next. I’m enjoying right now. Living in the moment. Tomorrow I could wake up and have a new set of dreams and goals. Just because I achieved one set of dreams and I’ve been enjoying them for a while doesn’t mean new things won’t attract my attention.”
Robert had a point, and Tommy decided that he was done overthinking his life. His new outlook was to live each day to the fullest and not hold back. If he wanted to do something, he was going to do it.”
Manny interrupted them with a shot glass in each hand. “Ready for another round?”
Tommy eyed the alcohol and then shrugged. “Sure. Why not?”
Angel sat in the center of the enormous bed and clicked on the TV. Tommy was still out, and Jessi was in her workroom, so he was by himself. He propped up the pillows and spread out like a king, reveling in the luxury of the organic cotton sheets and the extra space around him. He never sat in bed by himself before and stretched out as far as his arms and legs could reach.
The novelty of hogging the bed wore off after about fifteen minutes, and it began to feel lonely, so he picked up his phone and started to text Jessi to see if she was coming to bed soon. Right before he hit send, the bedroom door opened, and she walked into the suite.
“Look at you taking over the whole bed!” She let out a small laugh. “You look so comfortable.”
“I’m so happy you’re here. Join me.” He flipped down the corner of the comforter to invite her inside. “I missed you.”
“Aw. Aren’t you sweet?” She tilted her head and gave him a crooked smile, then crawled into bed next to him, jeans and all. Snuggling against his chest, she let out a contented breath and draped one arm across his waist. “I do this sometimes. Sit in the center of this big bed by myself and spread out. It’ssooorelaxing.”
“When?” He jerked his head at her in surprise.
“When I have five minutes.”
He grunted a laugh. “So, never?”
“It feels that way. But I actually got to squeeze in a nap last week. Don’t tell anyone.”
“Your secret’s safe with me.”
“What are we watching?”
“The Food Network. There’s a baking championship going on.”
“You should go on that show you always watch.”
