The last thing I saw was disappointment spreading across Riot’s beautiful face, and then I fled from the dressing room.
4
Roxie
“I can’t believe you told them I would do it,” I said to Meghan in the Uber on the way back to my place. We’d stayed for the first half of Rainknife’s set. Despite them being our favorite band, they were kind of a letdown after the amazing Cherry Midnight concert.
“I can’t believe you said no!” Meghan replied. “Are you crazy?”
“I’mnotcrazy. That’s why I said no! I can’t just upend my life at the drop of a hat, Meghan. I’m not a teenager making bad decisions. I’ll be thirty next year.”
“You’re a freelancer,” Meghan argued. “You can work from anywhere as long as you have your laptop. You’re one of the few people who actuallycandrop everything to tour with a band for the next three months.”
“I don’t want to be a groupie for a band I didn’t know about before tonight!”
“You wouldn’t be a groupie. You would be Riot’s muse.”
“What are you talking about?”
“After you ran away from the dressing room, he told me that you’re his muse. That he was inspired by the sight of you during the show and immediately wrote a new song.”
“That’s probably what all rock guys tell their groupies,” I replied dryly.
“You’re single!” Meghan insisted. “You’re still young! You don’t turn thirty until next year. What better way to say goodbye to your twenties than to do something crazy and fun?”
It was tempting. But only a little.
“I’ve been trying to add more stability to my life,” I told her. “I just joined a run group. We meet every Tuesday. And I was going to sign up for that yoga studio down the street.”
“You can do all of that after touring with Cherry Midnight for three months.”
“You act like it’s just that simple…” I decided to change the angle of my argument. “What would I tell my parents?”
“Whatever you want. Or don’t tell them at all. It’s not like you’re close with them.” Meghan showed me her phone screen. “Cherry Midnight’s tour ends December 18. You’ll be back in time for Christmas.”
“You just want me to say yes so you can live vicariously through me.”
“Yes!” she shouted, which made the Uber driver glance back at us. “Yes,” she repeated more quietly. “My life is so boring, Roxie. It’s been nothing but fertility drugs and ovulation calendars. And if we do get pregnant…”
“When, not if,” I interjected.
“Whenwe get pregnant, things will get even more boring. Give me something exciting to follow! You don’t even have to sleep with any of them. Just go on tour and see what happens.”
“My life isn’t your soap opera, Meghan.”
She groaned in frustration. “Riot and Roxie. Doesn’t that sound super cute?”
“So youdowant me to hook up with him! It’s not just about touring with them!”
“Of course I want you to hook up with him! Did youseeRiot? He looks like someone asked ChatGPT to create the personification of the phrasesex appeal.”
“I’m not saying yes, Meghan.”
She sighed and looked out her window. “You used to be fun.”
“Ouch.”
The car pulled up to my house, and we thanked the driver and got out. But I froze when I saw a shadow move by my front door.
