I woke up the next morning and went for a walk around downtown Toronto. It was a beautiful city on the lake, and there was a nice crispness in the air that made my coffee taste extra good.
Back at the bus, Violet was standing outside smoking a cigarette. “Don’t judge me,” she said, wiggling the cigarette between her fingers. “I only do it when we’re on tour.”
“We all have our vices,” I said, joining her while I finished my coffee. “My dad used to smoke, which turned me off from it. My mom hated it and eventually made him quit.”
Violet took a drag and nodded. “Dana hates it too, which is why I only indulge when we’re on tour. Everyone else I’ve ever been with didn’t mind, though. Riot used to join me, but only… after certain activities.”
I frowned. “What do you mean? Are you saying you and Riot used to date?”
“We didn’t reallydate, if you know what I mean,” she said with a suggestive flare of her eyebrows. “Same with Milo and Cash. It was just physical with the four of us, you know?”
It felt like my brain was suddenly processing everything slowly. But I wasn’tthathungover. “You… wait. Are you saying…”
“Oh yeah, the four of us were a hot little polycule for a few months. Did we never mention that?”
She said it in a weird way, like she had been looking for an excuse to tell me. Like it wasn’treallya secret, but something they didn’t talk about.
“I’m sorry, I’m not really understanding. You and your three bandmates…”
“Oh yeah,” Violet said with a suggestive grin. “The four of us weretogether. Riot, Cash, and Milo used to share me.”
22
Roxie
I stared at Violet like she was speaking a foreign language. I understood every word she had said individually, but when put together they didn’t make any sense.
“You…”
“It’s not your traditional relationship, but then again, nothing about our lifestyle is traditional.” She paused to take another drag of her cigarette. “It’s not like we’re the first group to ever do that. Everyone in Fleetwood Mac were fucking.”
“No judgment here,” I quickly said. “I just wasn’t sure what you were implying. So you were…”
“I was straighter than a razor blade back then,” Violet chuckled. “Couldn’t get enough. Dana jokes that I front-loaded all the hetero sex in my life during that one tour with the three of them. I hope it’s not weird now that you know.”
“Why would it be weird?” I asked.
“Because you and Riot are…” She trailed off. “Sorry. I forgot you two were still trying to keep it a secret.”
A new fear cut through my body like a bolt of electricity. “Wait, what? I don’t know what you’re…”
Violet tossed down her cigarette and crushed it under a boot. “Oh, honey. Come on.”
My heart was racing. We’d been caught. We thought we were being sneaky, but apparently not enough.
“Sweetie, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.” Violet lunged forward and gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “Don’t be embarrassed.”
“How long have you known?”
“Since… Atlanta?” Violet furrowed her brow in concentration. “The night you disappeared after the show. When you both came back to the bus, you looked guiltier than a pair of kids that had shoplifted for the first time. That’s the moment we knew.”
“We?” I clarified. “As in…”
“What’re we talking about?” Milo and Cash came walking up behind us.
“Wewere talking about how you should play the drums shirtless every night.” Violet winked at me.
Milo threw his arm around my shoulder. “Oh yeah? You fine ladies were talking about little old me?”
