I concede his point, trying to consider all the pros and cons of just telling the guys and Blake. I’m sure there will be some backlash, but it’s not as if they’d disown us or kick us from the band. It’s probably better if they find out from us telling them than getting walked in on one day, but I’m not ready. There’s a lot we need to work out before we can even think about next steps. It hasn’t even been twenty-four hours, for fuck’s sake.
“Come on,” Ari coaxes, tugging on my hand. “Let’s go somewhere we can't so easily be interrupted.”
TWENTY-FIVE
ARI
After the show, Jesse runs off stage like there’s an emergency. We don’t always do an encore, but for a larger crowd we usually do.
“Where’s the fire?” I ask.
Will snorts, “In his pants.”
I laugh, but then sure enough, by the time we make it backstage, there are some very obvious sounds coming from the dressing room.
“Are you fucking serious?” I whisper-shout through my laughter. “They couldn’t have gone somewhere less conspicuous? What if we needed to get in there?”
Behind the door, someone grunts loudly, then something crashes. Then there’s the unmistakable sound of skin slapping against skin, clear as day.
“Jesus, they’re really fucking going at it,” Naz says.
It’s so loud, there’s nothing that could hide what’s happening in there. I flag over Cory and Tad, but before I can even sayanything, a barely muffled,“Oh, Fuck! Luc!”is heard through the door.
Cory rolls his lips in and nods understandingly. He and Tad give each other a knowing look and turn around in sync, blocking the door. Tad pulls out his phone and starts playing some music. As long as no one gets as close as we are to this door, they should be good.
We head off to the backstage area to meet and greet with some VIPs, giggling about Jesse and his easy-access pants.
“How long do you think it’ll take?” I snicker.
“Hopefully not too long,” Naz says under his breath. “Because here comes Daddy Blake.”
The three of us break into a fit of laughter, practically wheezing when Blake scowls at us and asks where Jesse is.
“I think he’s, um?—”
“He needed a wardrobe check,” Will finishes for me. “There was a pants emergency.”
Blake looks exasperated and walks away muttering, “I told him not to wear those fucking pants.”
We’re still laughing when we enter the lounge to get ready for the backstage meet and greet. A couple minutes later, Jesse runs in, red-faced and sweaty, with the biggest, most insane-looking grin on his face, and we all start up again.
Will leans over to me, lowering his voice. “Is it really that good?”
“What?”
His face turns almost as red as Jesse’s. “Anal.”
I sputter and nearly choke, but then the doors open, and I have to pull myself together to face a line of excited fans.
A couple of hours later, Will, Naz, and I are approached by an entertainment reporter on our way to our car. Jesse and Luc are leaving through a different exit with Blake to make sure Luc isn’t seen.
The reporter asks if we’ve seen the most recent comments from the president and other politicians trying to discredit us for being “immoral”.
Will’s answer is perfect. “Apparently we’ve struck a nerve with a certain platform that has been outspoken and active in a vendetta against diversity in this country.”
“Why do you think that is?” the reporter asks.
“I think it’s because they’re afraid. They’re afraid because we’re encouraging people to stand up for their neighbors and fellow citizens in a country that was designated as the world’s melting pot. They know the changes they’re making with the legislation they’re pushing, and their agenda sliding our country back decades is not what the people want. They want to distract you from the truth, and we want you to pay attention. What do you think that says?”
