“I’ve been right here,” Eric says. His tone is playful, but his eyes are sober.
“But you know we can’t get caught, especially you. You have more at stake than I do.” He nods solemnly, and I look away from him. “When we get to the next hotel, I am going straight to bed.”
“Oh, really?” He teases.
“Yep, and you’ll meet me there.” I look back, and his smile makes my abdomen flutter.
“Yes ma’am.”
The door to the bus opens, so I hurriedly shut the window. “I’m just saying, five-star reviews mean that it’s the absolute best, beyond expectations,” Ash says.
Lilli vehemently disagrees. “Five stars means nothing went wrong, that my very low expectations were met.”
“Do I want to know what you two are talking about?”
“Delivery food drivers.”
“Oh, then I agree with Lilli,” I say.
“What a shock,” Ash teases.
“If you were talking about movies or something, then I’d agree with you, Ash.”
“So art, which is subjective, has a harsher rating scale?” Lilli says.
“I guess when it comes to art, you can’t really rate it. Any rating is indicative of a personal response and not the art itself or it’s technique.”
“Interesting take,” Lilli says. “Almost like if someone gave you a bad review of your art, you should shake it off since art is subjective. One bad review doesn’t discount all the positive ones.” She’s giving me a pointed look. Ash raises his eyebrows,not quite sure what turn the conversation took but realizing the train left him behind.
“Drop it,” I tell Lilli as the door opens.
“Ready to get back on the road,” Eric says as he joins us.
“Alright. Hey, where’d those come from?” Ash nods at the red vines in Eric’s back pocket.
“Oh, uh, I ran in and got some,” Eric says. Am I the only one who sees the blood tinge his face pink beneath his natural tan?
“For sure. Let’s get going. Buckle up, ladies.”
Eric gives me a small wink.
“What are you smiling about?” Lilli leans forward. “Are you thinking about singing with me this weekend?”
“What? No.”
“Oh, okay. You should, though. I mean, obviously you should, but think about it, at least.”
22 – Eric – Now
These bunk beds could be more comfortable. It makes sense why, on tour, Jennifer Lux opts for hotels instead. I’ve been awake, unable to fall asleep, when Connie gets out of her bunk. I feel like I’ve been tossing and turning for hours. Ash is asleep in the bunk above me, and Lilli is snoring with her feet by mine, Connie’s feet were by my head. Now, she moves so slowly and quietly that if I were asleep, I’d have no way of knowing she’d moved.
She leaves the bedroom and closes the door softly behind her. I consider staying put. Would it be creepy to follow her? I’m listening, trying to hear what she’s doing. Was that the front door? Where could she be going?
I roll out of my bunk, not quite as gracefully as Connie, but still quiet. I slip through the door, worried about where she could possibly be going in the middle of the night. I stop when I find her sitting cross legged on the couch, the cabinet above her open and a package of Oreos beside her. She turned on one of the lights above the couch, and she has her journal in her lap, like she was getting ready to write. Her head snaps up when she sees me: she’s in the middle of taking a bite of her Oreo.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you,” she whispers.
“You didn’t. I was already up.”
