“I think we’re all set, boss. The client is here and ready to do her sound checks. Clark and Watts are in the green room with herfriends.”
“Keep an eye on Jesse. I have a feeling?—”
“I know. Me, too. The guy is a jackass. I think he may be their hookup.”
“Yeah, I think so too. Otherwise, I don’t think they’d keep him around. He’s unstable.”
“I got that vibe too, Sam,” agrees Gill.
I walk through the UC, double-checking everyone’s setup and designated posts. “Showtime in two hours,” I say into our comm system. “We’ve got one hourtotalfor short dinner breaks, three at a time, same order as last time. Fifteen minutes max. Give me your twenty when you’re back, and the next three can go.”
I get a series of ten-fours, and they’re off. Most only take ten minutes to grab a hot dog from concessions. A few take the fifteen. Everyone is back in place in sixty minutes. Staggering their dinners ensures that I’ve got people where they need to be at all times. “It’s showtime, people. Everyone be vigilant.”
I want everyone to be at the top of their game, everything watched. I do not want a Las Vegas or Manchester incident here. Sick assholes are everywhere. Not on our watch.
I meet Gill in our makeshift communication center. “I’m grabbing something to eat. What do you want?”
“Two hot dogs, nachos with extra jalapenos, two sodas, and one of those malt cup things.”
“Hungry?” I chuckle.
“Yeah. Starving. But I won’t be able to leave this spot for the next three or four hours. Feed me, dude.”
“I’m on it. Back in a few.” I head to the concession area and order his food along with a hot dog for me.
“Yo, get me a big pickle, too,” Gill says in my ear. I’ve donned my special spy glasses, so he sees what I see. Apparently, he’s seen the huge jug of pickles sitting on the counter.
“You’re going to be sick after eating all of that shit.”
“Nah, I won’t. My stomach’s like a steel drum.”
I chuckle, and the smile stays on my face as I consider the truth of his words. The guy has steel insides and he can eat his weight in junk food. Walking our food back to the comm center, I think about MacKenzie. I’m excited that she may come tonight. It’s scary how much I’ve missed her this past week. Before I met her, my life was gray and drab—even if I hadn’t realized howdrab it was. Now it’s colorful, exciting, and vivid. It’s better.So much better.
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
WORST NIGHT EVER
Mercifully,Theresa lets me leave work forty minutes early. I think she’s still angry with me. I get why, but I know I made a mistake, and she needs to let me handle it. Bobby overreacted. I would have canceled my lunch with Sam and gone with Bobby if he hadn’t gone completely crazy on me. “Ugh,” I groan as I step onto the city bus that takes me south. “Worst day ever.” Okay, not the worst day ever, but I don’t want to think aboutthatday.
The bus is exceptionally slow today, but I get home early enough that it’s still light outside. I make a cup of hot tea and eat a plain bologna sandwich to tide me over. I jump in the shower to scrub off the day—hopefully my mood will get scrubbed clean, too. I dry off and slip on my one and only thong. I generally hate thongs, but this isn’t bad. I pull on a pair of skinny jeans that Lauren talked me into buying and search for a top. “What does one wear to a concert?” I say aloud.
I decide on layers. It’s cold outside, but I bet it gets hot with so many people packed into a place like that. I grab an old T-shirt that I used to wear when I was in college. It’s white with a big yellow smiley face on the front. Next, I slide on an oversized sweater. It’s bright green with a hood and a front center pocket. The sweater is lightweight and baby soft. It’s one of my favorites.If I get too warm, I can take the sweater off and tie it around my waist.
I choose a pair of earrings I made in college and pair them with a necklace I made in the same period. Unlike the light, almost-lacy stuff I’m making now, my older pieces were chunkier and bolder. The necklace goes well with my sweater, and maybe Shyanne will get a glimpse. I need to learn to make a habit of promoting myself and my work whenever possible. Meeting a big-time celebrity is a huge start. I slip on some low-heeled bootie shoes that Lauren also urged me to buy. I look in the mirror and smile. “There. I’m comfortable and fashionable.”
I dry my hair and throw it up in a messy bun and take my time with my makeup, something I almost never do, but I want to look nice. I check the clock—I’ve got a few minutes before I need to leave. I slide my ID and debit card into my back pocket—I’m going to stop for cash at an ATM on the way to the UC. I drop some lip gloss in one pocket of my jeans and my keys in the other. I slip my new phone into my other back pocket, and I’m ready to go. Grabbing my coat, I head out just after seven. I may be a few minutes late for the start of the seven-thirty show, but since I have a pass waiting, I’m not worried.
It’s dark outside. I don’t really like walking alone in the dark in my neighborhood, but I’ve gotten used to it. It’s only a few blocks’ walk and then the area starts to improve; I pick up my pace to get there faster. As I power-walk, I review my day. I think about Sam, Bobby, and Pops’s medals. “I can’t believe Sam found those for me.” I didn’t ask him where he found them. We didn’t talk about them at all, actually. I’ll ask him to tell me about it after the concert.
I’m focused on my thoughts and walking the familiar route without a lot of thought about it. I make a last-minute decision to walk through Touhy-Herbert Park; that way should cut off at least ten minutes from my route. I’m colder than I thought I’dbe and I’m already late. Walking through the park will get me there sooner. The park path is somewhat well lit, so it should be fine. Two lights illuminate the playground, and a few lights are scattered in parking areas and sidewalks. There are a couple of areas that are pretty dark, but I’ll jog through those.
I’m unexpectedly nervous, so I decide to put in one of my earbuds in so I can listen to Shyanne. It’ll get me primed for the concert, but I’m also hoping music will help me be less apprehensive about the park. I pull the earbuds from the inside pocket of my coat and plug them into my phone. I downloaded all my music on it so now I don’t even need an iPod. I slide one earbud in and hit play. Shyanne’s voice and the upbeat tempo work to speed up my pace. I have a terrible voice, so I hum along to her biggest hit. Even humming, I still sound like a wounded wolverine but I love to sing to my music. I turn a corner on the dark path and feel a slicing pain on my left side, right above my hip.
“What the…?”
I feel a second jolt of pain on my thigh, causing my leg to buckle. Losing my balance, I look up to see a handsome face—but he’s pale as a ghost. My mind is not functioning at its best, and I think,He’s a handsome ghost. I see something shiny flash in my periphery. Innately I feel it as a threat, so I raise my arm to try to fend it off. I feel a third jolt of pain in my arm and hand.
“Why?” My voice sounds like it is coming from far away. Why would someone want to hurt me?
