A Summer to Remember(68)
Though this was technically not a concert but considered a warm-up gig, it was still amazing. Technically, the tour didn’t kick off until they played the MGM Grand Garden Arena the following month but both bands were amazing. There were only about five hundred people in attendance but both bands played like they were in front of an audience of twenty thousand or more.
Paul wrapped an arm around my waist and I clung to him because I wanted him to desperately know all was forgiven. I had been such a bitch but I loved him and innately knew he was the man for me. We should spend the rest of our lives together and no one ever promised smooth sailing from a relationship but I knew what ever was thrown at us, it was up to me to handle it with maturity, respect and care. I kissed his lips softly and he responded though he left out any tongue due to our current location.
The magic of the show could not be described, especially since we were in such a small venue. Both bands gave it their all and I would have definitely considered this gig a success. I adored the show and after it was over, I personally thanked Talia for inviting us.
I had to look for her which left Paul chatting with Brandon and Jude while Autumn and Savannah gossiped in the corner with the Press Manager for the band, a young woman named Sasha who had graduated the same year we did although she attended one of the Ivy League schools. She was gorgeous beyond belief and if the rumors were true, she was also involved with Grant who happened to be the drummer for Scarlet Fever.
Eventually, I found my friend outside on the balcony with Kris. They talked quietly as he smoked a cigarette and his eyes never managed to leave her face. I felt bad about eavesdropping so I cleared my throat rather loudly and both Talia and Kris looked in my direction.
He put his cigarette out in a crystal ashtray and said, “We’ll finish this up later.”
I waited until he walked back in the party before I approached my best friend. “What was that about?”
Talia looked away and shook her shoulders apathetically. “Nothing really, just band gossip if you need to know. Seth and Kris almost came to blows this morning at rehearsal and it can get a bit overwhelming sometimes because I don’t know what to think.”
I grabbed her arm and she faced me full on with gorgeous pale green eyes. “What do you mean? About what? I thought this is what you wanted and Seth was the man of your dreams?”
“He is but…I think he’s on something. The mood swings, the outbursts…he doesn’t eat much and I seriously believe he could be a coke head. No one will tell me anything—both Niko and Linx blew me off but I want to get to the bottom of this. He can survive a six month tour with Scarlet Fever but if Kaz finds out then it won’t end well,” she explained in a calm voice.
“Who do you think is supplying him?”
“Who else? It would have to be Jaden. He’s the only one I know who had a major drug problem before he ‘cleaned up’ but I don’t buy that for a second. He shows his girlfriend what she wants to see because she told him she would leave if he didn’t clean up.”
I folded my arms against my breasts because I could see the situation Talia was in and why she confided so much in Kris. However, their precarious situation and easy going friendship was a disaster waiting to happen. Kris wasn’t just unavailable, he was engaged to Damira Horvat-Gillian, the ex-wife of Kaz Gillian, and the mother of his only child, Xander. Kris seemed to parade around as if he were a single guy and it was perfectly okay to have a good female friend who was as gorgeous as Talia.
“You know I can’t advise you what to do because it is your life, Tal. I just don’t think you should continue anything with Seth until he is able to get clean if he really is on drugs. You can still be in the band and not be in a relationship with him, can’t you?”
She rolled her eyes dramatically. “Technically, yes, but it won’t make for a very comfortable tour and to be honest, I don’t think I want to know. It sounds stupid but…if we could just hold out until the tour is over…if he has a substance abuse problem, he can be sent to Promises and everything will be very hush-hush.”
“So, are you willing to risk his life for this tour?”
“If he’s a goddamn cokehead, it’s kind of hard to OD, Jerrica. It’s not like he’s into heroin or anything.”
I leaned closer to her until our faces were inches apart. “How do you know? You just told me all this would be better handled after the tour ends but you are an expert on what kind of drugs he’s using. He could get busted, or the tour buses could be raided by the police. Believe me, the record company is going to despise that outcome a lot more than if they knew he had an issue now.”