Vic availed himself to the sea of girls, arms outstretched. He tolerated the hugs, the caresses, the tugs on his hair and shouts in his ear, to give everyone else passage unscathed. Avi watched from the safety of the tinted glass as his bandmate was sucked into the undertow, and the crowd undulated like a wave toward the bus once more.
And that’s what they do to the happily married one.
He touched the ring under his shirt like a talisman. The “it” that he couldn’t keep in his pants (pocket) in Vegas two months ago now hung safely on a chain, heavy and warm, next to his skin.
Buck checked his phone. “Security’s on its way. Three guys, five minutes out.”
Avi’s own phone bleated repeatedly from the back pocket of his jeans. It was either the rest of the band, heckling from the five-star paradise of minibars, mini-soaps, and oversized robes…or his Jew Crew back in New York. Five minutes was enough time to check.
Jonah
NO SLEEP TILL BROOKLYN!!!!!!!
Jonah had kicked off the chat in all caps, followed by a flurry of half-emoji, half-word replies from the girls. And Jay’s zero punctuation, all sarcasm one-liners.
Nora
3 sleeps till we’re on the boat!! (heart eyes boat jewish star dance lady)
Libby
Happy almost-Hanukkah - can’t wait to squeeze you all!! (hug hug hug dance lady)
Jay
Pier 83 dude can’t just steer the boat over to pick your ass up in bklyn
Talia
OMG Jonah can you stop at Shelsky’s for me? I have a list! (Food emojis, fish)
Jonah
IT’S A SONG, PEOPLE!!!! Beasties? (Avi help me out here)
Avi bit back a smile. For a moment, he wanted to just crawl into his phone and live amongst the back-and-forth banter that had defined their friendships since the moment they all boarded a plane for their gap year in Israel nine years ago.
Talia
Avi are you in OH yet? (Music note music note heart)
Jonah
HELLO CLEVELAND!!!
THAT’S ANOTHER MUSIC REFERENCE, BTW. (I know he’s not playing Cleveland this tour) IFKYK.
Norah
We miss your face, A! (hearthands kissy-face devil horns)
Jay
Check in when you can bro favor to ask
U2 Eli i know you lurk
Jonah
