After they’d eaten, they set off to see which bands were slated for that day. Performances had already begun, it being late on Thursday, so they spent some time listening to the lineup, mostly newer bands they weren’t familiar with. Mixing with the crowd was fun, and they both ended up signing a few autographs and taking selfies with fans. The atmosphere was pretty chill, which Dmitri enjoyed, and he loved watching Andre talk to young drummers who were inspired by his work. Not surprisingly, there weren’t any up-and-coming cellists for Dmitri to encourage, but he didn’t begrudge Andre receiving much-deserved praise.
While Andre was talking to his fans, Dmitri idly watched the excited people flowing around them, noting that both band buses and loads of fans were continuing to arrive. Rocktoberfest had only just begun, so he wasn’t surprised at the barely organized chaos that swirled around them. It wasn’t surprising that the most popular groups like Queen Anne’s Revenge opted for bodyguards, since there was no telling what really gung-ho fans might decide to do if given the opportunity.
As he smiled at the sight of a young man walking by with an F-Holes t-shirt on, he caught sight of someone standing near the gate leading to the area leading to the back of the main stage. The guy was big, not bad looking, but somehow menacing. He seemed to be staring at Dmitri and Andre, but it was hard to tell with the sunglasses he had on. His jaw was set, and forsome reason, he gave Dmitri the creeps. Of course, it was stupid; he was probably just a bodyguard or maybe even undercover security for the event, since he wasn’t wearing the color lanyard that marked him as one of the official staff. After a minute or two, the guy left, and Dmitri shrugged it off as unimportant.
A short time later, Andre looked at his phone, then put his lips close to Dmitri’s ear. “Hey, I need to go call Miguel.”
Dmitri repressed a shiver as Andre’s warm breath ghosted over his ear, forgetting all about the guy he’d seen. “Sure, I understand.”
Andre hesitated for a moment. “Um, do you want to come with me?”
Surprised, Dmitri pulled back enough to stare up at Andre. “Are you sure?”
Andre nodded. “Yeah, I am. I was thinking that I can’t keep my life split in two this way, and if he’s going to meet my bandmates, I’d like him to get to know you first.”
Touched, Dmitri smiled, feeling a lump in his throat. It was a sign of Andre’s growing trust, he felt, and it felt like an honor Andre was bestowing on him. Besides, if Miguel were half the charmer Andre was, Dmitri would love him on sight.
“Thanks, I’d like that.”
It took them some time to get far enough away that the music wouldn’t interfere. The sun had set, twilight still lingering in the west, but the day had cooled considerably to where it was actually hinting at being a crisp evening. They had to go through a checkpoint where they were given a lecture about desert safety, issued a tracker, bottles of water, and a small first aid kit before being allowed out of the perimeter.
“This probably would have been easier if we’d been able to do it on the bus,” Andre admitted. They had a sound-dampened room at the rear beyond the bunks that was made for membersto practice without interruption. “But I’m not quite ready for everyone else to know.”
“Of course,” Dmitri replied, giving Andre’s arm a squeeze. “Baby steps. You’ll get there when you’re ready.”
Andre’s smile flashed bright in the low light. “Thanks.”
He pulled out his phone and placed the call, while Dmitri stood off to the side, in case Andre changed his mind and didn’t want to introduce them after all.
“Daddy!”
He heard the excitement in the very young voice, and in the reflected light from the phone screen, it was easy to make out the love in Andre’s expression. It made Dmitri yearn, for the brief moment he allowed it, to see that same look directed at him.
“Hello,mijo,” Andre replied. “How was your day?”
Miguel proceeded to tell Andre all about his day at school, the small joys and problems that seemed to mark a young child’s life. Dmitri had several nieces and nephews, but they were approaching adulthood now, since he was the baby of the family. He’d not paid much attention as a teen to the things that were important to them.
“And I get to Philip’s birthday party on Saturday!”
“That’s wonderful, I bet you’ll have the best time,” Andre replied to his son’s excited pronouncement. “Did you get him a present? Duplos?”
“Legos!” Miguel scoffed. “Duplos are for babies, Daddy!”
Dmitri slapped a hand over his mouth to stifle a chuckle at the disdain in Miguel’s voice. It was so much like Andre when Dmitri had once asked if Zildjians were his preferred cymbal, and was airily informed that Sabians were far superior for the F-Hole’s sound.
“Well, that should be fun,” Andre agreed, wincing slightly, and Dmitri could imagine that Andre had stepped on a stray brick or two in his time. He remembered his own parentscomplaining about both Legos and Light Bright pegs being hazards to household navigation when he was younger.
Then Miguel was describing his Halloween costume to Andre, and Dmitri could see the way Andre’s expression became wistful, since they would still be on the road when the holiday came. Fortunately, however, it didn’t seem that Miguel said anything that really made Andre feel guilty, and that was good. Maybe this Derek guy really was trying to mitigate the wedge Sibila had been trying to drive between father and son.
When there was a pause in Miguel’s stream of chatter, Andre interjected. “Hey, mijo, I have a little surprise for you. Would you like to meet Daddy’s best friend?”
“You have friends?” The question seemed to surprise Miguel, which in turn made Andre frown. What kind of life did the child imagine his father led when he was away?
“Of course I do,” Andre replied easily, though Dmitri caught his wince. “I’m not in a band all by myself, silly. We’re just pretty busy, and I’m a little selfish about sharing you.”
“Oh!” Miguel seemed to accept the excuse. “Is he nice?”
“Very nice, mijo. You’ll like him.” With that, Andre beckoned Dmitri to come closer, then held up the screen so Miguel could see them both. “Miguel, this is Dmitri. He’s my best friend.”
