“Holy shit, man,” Joel said, his eyes shining. “That was the most amazing show I’ve ever seen.” His words rang with sincerity, and it did something to my heart to see all of our friends nod in agreement.
“We even exchanged blowjobs in your dressing room like rock stars,” Tristan said, grinning like a loon.
“Oh my God, I’ll have to sanitize everything,” Hendrix said with a groan.
“Already on it,” I said, reaching for my phone.
Hendrix laughed and mumbled “Agnes” under his breath.
I leaned over to whisper in his ear. “Keep calling me that and I’ll leave you in that cage for the rest of the night.”
He shook his head, and Ozzie, who was standing closer than I’d realized, laughed.
“I don’t even like punk rock. I’m a George Strait boy, through and through,” Walker said, hugging Hendrix. “But this was art, man.”
I felt like somehow, maybe with a little help from Mr. Paige, things had turned out exactly as they should.
Ozzie was, of course, thrilled for Hendrix. “Cousin. I’ve seen you play many times, but this? Tonight? Your best show, ever.”
The two of them had had long discussions about Ozzie’s relationship with Walker. Ozzie had carried a lot of guilt, falling for the man Hendrix had loved for so long. When he’d seen how happy Hendrix and I were, he was finally able to release it.
Speaking of releasing guilt, Hendrix’s parents joined us. They’d been with us at all three stops, and seeing their relationship continue to grow, both with each other and with Hendrix, was one of the most special things I’d ever been a part of.
“Son,” his father said, tears in his eyes, “you are a wonder. I have no idea where you got this talent from. Must be from your mom’s side of the family.” He kissed the top of her head.
“Oh, for sure,” Portia said, smiling up at her husband.
They’d snuck away to Vegas the weekend before we’d flown to Europe, surprising us on the plane with their matching wedding bands. I’d never seen Hendrix cry so hard.
Major nudged me, grinning. “Looks like you’re not the only one who can pull off a surprise,” he said, gesturing to the door.
My brother and sister walked into the room, followed by their spouses. My hand went to my head, and I gaped in shock as they hugged me en masse.
“Oh my God. What the hell?” That was the extent of my response.
“It was Major’s idea,” Evangeline explained, Truman at her side. “Mom and Dad are back at the hotel watching the kiddos.”
“Our parents left Texas?” I asked, incredulous.
Truman cracked up. “All we had to do was dangle time with the grandbabies in front of them, and they folded so quick. Also, Mom has decided that she wants to retire to Prague. Dad is not convinced.”
I laughed along with him. It was well-nigh impossible to get my parents to leave Seguin, let alone the country. “Wow. I can’t believe they’d support Hendrix like this.”
Truman thumped my forehead. “No, jackass. They’re here to supportyou. Also, I caught Mom humming the acoustic version of ‘Matchstick Man’ the other day, so clearly they’ve been taken over by aliens.”
Hendrix had written that song for Walker, calling him a matchstick man because the thought of being with him set Hen on fire. I’d always been a little jealous—okay, a lot jealous—about the fact that many of Hen’s early songs had been written under the influence of his unrequited feelings for Walker.
“That’s the beauty of songs,” Hen had explained one afternoon as I sat with him on the back porch of the cabin, watching himpick out a new tune. “Their meanings can change as we evolve. Sure, I wrote those songs with Walker in mind, but he’s not who I’m thinking about when I sing them now.”
“No?”
He’d stopped his strumming and looked me dead in the eye. “Not even close.”
That my mom was humming a tune my boyfriend had written for another man but now sang for me was proof positive that we were in the multiverse.
I chuckled to myself, watching our friends and families mingle. Hendrix stayed glued to my side, our easy affection drawing smiles from everyone.
We eventually moved our impromptu party to the hotel so that Hen could take a quick shower and change. I released him from his cage, taking time for a fast and dirty blowjob, which he enthusiastically returned. Then we made our way down to the lobby, which had been taken over by our friends.
