Side Trip(23)

Dylan refolded the map and set it aside. “I want to take a side trip.”

“Now?”

“Now.”

She glanced at her phone. “Where? We have to get to Albuquerque.”

He opened his mouth and closed it. He wanted to surprise her. He also didn’t want to give her the chance to back out. After all, they’d only met yesterday and what he had in mind involved some risk. Fingers crossed he could pull it off.

“Do you trust me?” he asked.

She balked. “I barely know you.”

“Hey, aren’t we friends?”

“Not that close of friends.”

“But we’re getting there. Give me a chance. I have an idea.” He reached across the table. “May I borrow your phone?”

Joy’s mouth parted like she had something to say, but whatever it was, she kept it to herself. She gave him her phone. He gave her his credit card. “For lunch. My treat. I’ll be back shortly.” He stood.

“Where’re you going?” Panic slashed across her face.

He gently laid a hand on her shoulder. “Trust me.” He then went outside to make his calls.





CHAPTER 9





AFTER


Dylan

Normally, Dylan thrives off the energy of an immersive weekend-long festival with people looking ridiculous in their radical bohemian attire and sharing their fanatical love of music. It’s why Dylan loves to do what he does: discover new artists and revel in the familiar sounds of seasoned performers. He can spend hours watching how a crowd reacts to their favorite band, and he’s done so since the days he and Chase traveled with the Westfield Brothers. An audience enraptured, engulfed by the spell of lyrics and notes, made those long bus hauls between festivals and endless nights sleeping in narrow bunks totally worth it.

But the vibe is different tonight, and he can’t figure if it’s him or something else. The event? The venue? Too many days eating rich and fattening hotel food? He’s been making a point to run more miles and lift more poundage. But still, he can’t shake . . . something.

What is his deal?

It’s been several months since he last saw Joy. Dylan sits beside Chase at one of the pop-up bars at the Boomtown Fair in Winchester, England. Chase negotiates with a budding artist and her manager and Dylan’s mind drifts. He presses his mouth into a flat line and his knee bounces as he scrolls through his text messages. He feels on edge.

He’s been sleeping on comfortable beds with premium sheets as opposed to the four-inch foam mattresses of a tour bus bunk. They’ve discovered some incredible talent in the last few weeks. Their time spent here has been more than productive. But Dylan can’t think of anything he’d rather do than get on a plane and fly back to the States. He can’t shake the feeling that he’s supposed to be somewhere else. With someone else.

Skylar, the talented artist who reminds Dylan of a young Janis Joplin, has two other labels interested in signing her. She asks Chase a question. Her manager, Eion, asks another. They’re both leaning forward, their beers untouched, listening to Chase’s pitch. He and Dylan loved how she handled the crowd. Even better that she has enough songs written to carry an album.

Chase has them under his spell. Dylan presented his spiel earlier. He’s confident this is a done deal.

Distracted, he opens his Facebook app. A new habit. He knows it’s rude, fiddling with his phone in the middle of negotiations. But he excused his actions earlier when he remarked that he’s been waiting for an urgent text from another artist. True, but that text came twenty minutes ago.

He refreshes Joy’s profile. She’s posted a new photo since he last looked, a selfie in Central Park. Her fresh smile lights up his screen and he feels a momentary tightness in his chest. His thumb traces her mouth, her delicate, soft mouth. The photo’s caption reads: I can’t believe I live here!

Dylan can’t believe it seems like forever since they parted.

She doesn’t seem to be missing him.

Can he blame her? He told her he didn’t want her to think of him.

Chase nudges his elbow, jerking his attention back to the table and the future of the young singer-songwriter sitting across from him.

“What do you think about this?” his cousin begins, primed to put the details of their label’s offer on the table.

Dylan rests his phone on the table, facedown, and smiles at Skylar. “You’re going to find it hard to say no.”



Later, after Chase takes their rental car back to the inn where they’re staying for the weekend, Dylan trolls the festival, aimless. He takes it all in. The darkness of night and free-flowing alcohol, people dancing with strangers, letting it all go. Music oozing from the speakers. The burned oregano smell of weed and hands slyly exchanging small pouches of white powder if you knew where to look and who to ask. A hypnotic and addictive combination that both Jack and Uncle Cal succumbed to on more than one occasion.

Temptation is a clever bitch when on the road, luring unsuspecting souls into nights of bliss, only to slip out before dawn, leaving the door cracked. Just enough space for regret to slink into bed with you in the morning.

Chase was conceived because of nights like this. Dylan’s parents divorced because of nights like this.

He walked away from Joy because of nights like this.