Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 73930 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 370(@200wpm)___ 296(@250wpm)___ 246(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73930 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 370(@200wpm)___ 296(@250wpm)___ 246(@300wpm)
“You don’t have to work tonight?” I ask after several minutes of silence.
“Night off,” Duke says. Though he’s not unkind, the way he talks, answering with just a couple of words, makes me feel like he’s irritated and doesn’t want to be here, but then I remember that he spoke similarly when I first met him at the club.
“I appreciate you being here,” I tell him. “I’m sure you probably had better plans for your night off.”
“Nope. No plans,” he says, and I realize what’s different about him. He flirted with me when I was at the club, but he’s all business now, and I suppose that’s for the best.
I watch the scenery go by and notice how nice the truck smells; some manly mixture of leather, coffee, and spice fills my senses as I lean back in the comfortable seat and try to relax for the first time since I got out of bed this morning.
I’m not comfortable with Garrett buying a guitar for me. I appreciate his generosity, and of course I’ll pay him back, but I wouldn’t let him do it if I wasn’t worried that canceling at Rusty’s would put a black mark on my record with them, and potentially with other venues in the area. The last thing I’d want is to be labeled flaky and unreliable before I’ve even had a chance to perform.
It might take a while, but I will pay Garrett back. Hopefully, the crowd at Rusty’s will love me, and they’ll want to have me perform on a regular basis. I try to focus on these optimistic thoughts and ignore the complete turmoil that Lindsey’s actions have created.
Garrett’s invited me to stay with him, even though he only has a studio apartment. It’s a temporary solution that I’m grateful for, but I’ll need to find a new place to live, and quickly. I don’t want to impose on him, and I don’t want to complicate things at work, especially when he’s about to be promoted.
The three men in the backseat are mostly quiet during the ride, with just some brief exchanges between Trevor and Adrian, until Adrian asks Garrett, “Did you think we were the ones who ruined the guitar? Is that why you wanted us on FaceTime, to see our reactions when you called?”
I didn’t know Garrett had called them — I just assumed text messages had been exchanged — so I turn to glance at Garrett, who looks vaguely guilty.
“How could you think that?” Trevor asks, no doubt seeing the same emotion on his old classmate’s face.
“I didn’t actually think that,” Garrett says firmly, “but you were there in the morning. I had to ask.”
I feel guilty myself, since I had the same moment of doubt, but I’ve only just met the men.
“All I was concerned about is figuring things out for Autumn, and making things right,” Garrett says.
“I get that,” Adrian says. “It’s been years since we’ve seen each other, after all.”
Duke must have been listening to the conversation too, because he asks me, “Your roommate’s never done anything like this before?”
“No. I wouldn’t still be living there if she had. She hasn’t been very pleasant lately, though. I would have never expected this, but it must have been her.”
“We’ll get you out of there,” Duke says, his voice a blend of tenderness and determination.
Luck is shining down on me at the music store. As soon as we walk in, a gorgeous guitar catches my eye, and it happens to be on sale. I try out several models, but the first one turns out to be the best.
I feel incredibly awkward when it comes time to pay, and I wish I didn’t need anyone’s assistance, even as I’m extremely grateful that Garrett is offering to help. Just as he’s pulling out his credit card, Duke steps forward. “I’ll get it.”
“I’ve got it,” Garrett says.
“Nah, put it away,” he says, nodding at Garrett’s wallet and pulling cash from his own. “One of the benefits of age is having a bigger savings account.”
“And Duke would know,” Trevor says. “He’s practically a fossil.”
The guard, who I assume is somewhere in his mid-thirties, scowls at Trevor before turning back to the cashier.
“I should be able to pay you back within the month,” I tell Duke when he hands me the receipt.
“Don’t worry about it,” is his gruff response.
My nerves and my anger both build as we get closer to home, where I expect I’ll see Lindsey, but I remind myself that I’ll be going into the house with a small army at my side. It turns out that she still isn’t home; she must be avoiding the scene of the crime.
Kelly, however, is home, and is sitting on the couch watching TV when we come in. Her eyes go wide at the sight of all of the men filing into the house behind me. The guys had asked the music store owner if he had any empty boxes, and they also made a quick stop to pick up a box of extra-large trash bags. They’re holding these items, along with a tool box, as I make quick introductions to the two men she hasn’t already met.