“Would you rather I’d waited until morning to tell you?” Al was sympathetic but there was a hint of laughter in his voice, as if he’d once again heard loud and clear the word “Fuck.”
“No, because I needed an incentive to go out and get drunk tonight and you provided it.”
“That’s my boy,” his agent said complacently. “Just don’t do it in front of any cameras, if you can help it.”
J. T. gave a short, humorless laugh.
“Iamsorry, J. T.”
“Yeah, don’t be. We both know how it is.”
“And you never know,” his agent said.
“You never know,” J. T. said.
The Hollywood motto. You never know.
They signed off.
He sat motionless on the edge of the bed for a moment. He took a long breath. His lungs burned strangely. No matter how hard you tried, hope took up residence almost like a pumping organ and when it was gone you sure noticed.
When it was gone was when you truly knew the measure of how badly you wanted something.
He’dbadlywanted this part.
“FUCK,” he said, with great, resonant sincerity.
Either Kevin or Cherisse thumped the wall.
J. T. thumped it back twice, harder. “Take it as a suggestion!” he yelled. Even though they’d probably miss the irony.
There was no return thump.
There might, however, be a return noisy revenge hump.
He had to get out of this room.
He looked up at the wall. A cherub was gazing at him with limpid sympathy.
J. T.almostappreciated it in that moment.
His eyes flew around the room like a prisoner in a cell looking for an escape. And his eyes lit upon the little bright pink flyer featuring Hellcat Canyon’s Calendar of Events.
Tonight was Open Mic Night at the Misty Cat.
He plucked it off the desk and stared at it.
And then something occurred to him.
There was a silver lining here, and she had green eyes and a sweet body and a sharp wit on her.
He’d never gotten more than three no’s in a row in his entire life.
That could only mean one thing: he sure as hell wasn’t going to get another one tonight.
The tables at the Misty Cat were about a quarter full when he arrived a little before seven in the evening. Plenty of parking on the street. Not a really hopping night, apparently. Possibly because it was a weeknight. Possibly it never was.
A few tables were occupied by guys who were already loud thanks to beer.
