They’re still there in the morning when he wakes up and starts his day, and they’re still there when he drives down to NACA. When he sees Luke standing outside waiting for him, though, he manages to push them aside for a bit. He knows it’s only a temporary fix but, for now, it will have to do.
They share a brief hug and then go inside, and another day at NACA begins.
CHAPTER 9
LUKE—2015
Whatever Mikey might have said, Luke didn’t think he’d actually go through with his threat to pull out of the concert. He might act like he was above things like that, now, but the truth was Mikey would always be a ham for the spotlight. Furthermore, he’d always do what would make him look good. And, since he’d already been very public about his decision to go through with this–including saying as much onMorning Fun with Gina LaBun–it was very unlikely he’d damage his brand by pulling out now.
Even so, Luke did feel abitguilty about how harsh he’d been. He hadn’t said anything he didn’t mean, but he was starting to wonder whether he might have gone overboard in focusing on the things about Mikey he didn’t like.
Figures,he thought.
Luke finished up at Bob’s Lunch and prepared to go back to his cabin. Just as he stepped outside, however, his phone buzzed–he wasn’t really sure why he even bothered having a cell phone, since he didn’t get service out on Fish Creek–but when he looked he saw it was Katrina.
Along with Bryce, Katrina was his best friend. The three of them had met when, during one of his concerts in WestVirginia, she’d basically bullied her way into his dressing room to get an autograph for her mother, Bryce in tow. They’d pretty much been inseparable since then and, when he came back to Moundsville, they’d been two of the first people he connected with. They’d taken his coming out as gay without batting an eye, and to this day he didn’t know what he’d be without them.
Katrina, like Bryce, had a bad habit of trying to micro-manage his social life. Which, he was sure, was why she was calling now.
“Hello?” he answered.
“Lukey!” she said. “What are you doing tonight?”
Luke didn’t particularly like it when she used her favorite nickname for him, but he wasn’t in the mood to argue with her.
“I was plannin’ on going home and spending the rest of the night not talking to anyone,” he said bluntly. “Why?”
She sighed.
“Your encounter with Mikey was that bad, huh?”
“You might say,” he said. “I swear. I don’t know why I agreed to the stupid concert. It’s all going to be a waste of time. The two of us can’t agree on anything, and I just know we’re going to drive each other crazy, and neither of us is going to enjoy anything about this. I wish…”
His voice tapered off and Katrina, of course, dove right into the silence.
“We both know what it is you really want. But, since you’re clearly in such a mood, why don’t you come out with Bryce and me tonight. We’re going to meet at the Purple Unicorn for drinks. I think you deserve a night out, don’t you?”
In fact, Lukedidthink that, but he wasn’t usually the type of guy who liked to go to bars. It wasn’t for any sort of stupid reason–he wasn’t one of those “straight acting gays” who didn’t like to do anything even remotely resembling gay activities–but he’d never really been comfortable in clubs. If he did go for anight out, it was to a tavern, somewhere where the music wasn’t so loud he couldn’t hear himself, somewhere where he could just enjoy himself.
The Purple Unicorn was the exact opposite of a tavern.
“Come on,” Katrina said, putting just the faintest bit of whine into her voice. “I don’t know if you heard, but they renovated the upstairs of the club so it’s a much quieter space. I think you’ll like it. Come on. Bryce and I will pay for all your drinks, you can pour your heart out about Mikey, and we can strategize how we can get you out of this whole situation.”
The more she kept talking, the more appealing going to the Unicorn became. Luke wasn’t naive enough to think his friends would actually be able to get him out of the mess he’d found himself in, but it would definitely feel good to talk to two people who justgotit.
“Okay, fine,” he said. “What time are you meeting there?”
“We’ll be there at 9. Don’t be late!”
And before he could respond thatshewas the one who was almost always late, she’d hung up.
“Typical,” he thought.
Since he had several hours to kill, he decided to drive around town, just to enjoy things a bit. He put the truck windows down and let the fresh spring breeze wash over him, relishing the sound of the wind, the faint hum of afternoon traffic…all the sounds of a small city in West Virginia. It was amazing what just a little indulgence could do. It was a little surreal to be out in the real world again.
Maybe Bryce is right,he thought.Maybe I do need to stop being such a recluse all the time.
He spent the rest of the afternoon in his truck, eventually leaving town and going down back roads. He knew he shouldn’t waste the gas on such a frivolous activity, but he couldn’t think of anything better to do. The whole encounter with Mikey hadleft him feeling really out of sorts. He couldn’t settle his mind to one thing in particular, and driving helped him get his thoughts together.
