True, but by the time they completed the sale, gutted the building, and renovated it, the tour would be over and done with. And then what? The way Matt figured, it would be a year to eighteen months before they’d be ready to open. This could be the perfect side-venture to keep themselves occupied with between album cycles.
It sure beats putting model cars together.
“So?” Leaning back in his chair, Matt shrugged and laced his fingers behind his head. “It’s not like we have to do it all ourselves.”
“You don’t. C’mon, Brendan, look at all the people right here in this room. I mean, you have done this before, yeah?” Chloe sounded giddy. “I think it’s brilliant.”
“Itisquite a project,” Brendan agreed. “And with Venery’s name behind it, success is all but guaranteed. Bands will flock to you for a chance to play there. UMG will love that.”
“Why would they care?” Sloan asked.
Matt wondered, too.
Swallowing his whiskey, Brendan winked. “Positive publicity for you, and a chance to discover new talent for them.”
Win-win.
“Shall I make the call, then?” Dillon asked, picking up his phone.
Everyone looked at Taylor.
He looked at Chloe while Ireland clambered from Jesse’s lap into his, and he nodded.
“Do it.”
Gina woke up on the couch to a dark house and the TV asking her if she was still watching.Obviously not. She couldn’t even remember turning it on, and clicked it off. Her six-day stretch at the hospital had been a doozy, and there was no full moon to blame it on.
God, I hate night shift.
This was the day off that didn’t count—the one she spent in a coma. Matt picked her up from work, and they had breakfast together before he tucked her into bed. Gina loved how he took care of her. The little things he did, like having a cup of coffee from Stan’s waiting for her in the car or warming a towel for her when she was in the shower.
Out of habit, she got up the first time just as the sun was setting. That had to have been around four. Matt had her coffee ready and made sure she was fed before he had to meet with Brendan. The boys put in an offer for Mickey’s Place, and it was accepted. Understandably, there were many details to iron out; hence, the meeting.
Gina tried to stay awake until he got back home. Truly, she did. She washed her hair and straightened it. Threw in a load of laundry. Cleaned out the old leftovers from the fridge. Anythingto keep herself occupied. But somehow she ended up on the damn cloud sofa, and once that happened?
Lights out.
She stretched out her limbs and trudged upstairs to brush her teeth and splash cold water on her face. Dark circles. Winter’s dry skin. Tired eyes.Ugh. Matt should come home to someone who at least resembled a human instead of a sleep-deprived zombie, so she dabbed on some tinted moisturizer and glossed her lips too.
She made yet another cup of coffee. Most likely, she’d be up all night now, which wasn’t always a bad thing, especially with Matt beside her. But he kept regular hours, while it took her a day or two to switch back into her normal circadian rhythm.
Hunched over the island, she traced the blue and copper veining in the stone while sipping on the aromatic brew. Sensing a presence behind her, she turned around to see Sloan leaning against the wall.
“Hey there, Trouble.”
“Matt’s not here.”
“I know,” he said, strolling toward her. “I’m here to see you.”
“Me, why?”
“Make me a cup of coffee. Actually, never mind.” He got a bottle of whiskey out of the liquor cabinet. “This calls for something stronger. We need to have a little chat.”
The hell?
“About what?”
“You.” Taking the bottle and a glass in one hand, Sloan took a seat on the middle cushion of the too-comfortable cloud couch. “C’mon, sit down.”
