THIRTY
CHAPTER
“Are you sitting down?” Grant said, his voice on the speakerphone breathy and high-pitched.
Phoebe shouted from the background, “Sit the hell down. Or you’ll fall down, break your throat, and then Sony motherfucking Music won’t want to sign you!”
“That’s how you tell her?” Grant said. “Seriously, Phoebe?”
I sank onto my couch. “I’m sitting,” I said. I swallowed over my heart pounding in my throat. “Are you for real? Sony Music?”
“Their office just called,” Grant said. “They want a meeting. It’s the video, Kacey—closing in on one million views.
And sales are still going strong. We’ve been fielding calls from mid-line labels all week, including the one who has Rapid Confession.
But I held out. I knew it was only a matter of time until we reeled in a big one. ”
“The biggest fucker in the sea,” Phoebe yelled. “The Moby Goddamn Dick of labels.”
“Oh my God,” I said, blowing air out my cheeks. “And they want a meeting? When? Where? ”
“A week from Monday. Here. Downtown. Dude, they’re sending people to us. I already said yes. If you have plans, break them.”
I laughed, overwhelmed. “No plans next Monday.”
“Good,” Grant said. “Now get dressed.”
“It’s six o’clock at night,” Phoebe said. “You think she’s walking around naked?”
“I meant, get dressed up to go out, stupid,” Grant retorted. “To celebrate.”
“I can’t go out tonight,” I said.
“Why?”
I have to call Teddy. News this big wouldn’t feel real until I told him.
“You guys go out and celebrate for me, okay? And hey, listen?”
“Yes, my queen?”
“None of this would be happening if it weren’t for you. I’m not going to forget it.”
“Thanks, Kacey,” Grant said. “This is so—”
“Do you know what this means?” Phoebe shrieked. “Oh my God, we are going to be fucking rich.”
“You did not just say that. We are about making art , not money.”
“That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard in my life…”
I busted out laughing and hung up on them, then laughed again as I wondered how long it would take them to notice.
On Wednesdays, Theo had class until ten o’clock his time, midnight mine.
Six flipping hours to kill. I could call the Olsens back and go out anyway.
No, I’d be too distracted. I’d been distracted for three days, turning over and over again what happened with Theo.
Our dance. Our kiss. Three days of radio silence, no calls, no texts, and my feelings were nowhere near sorted out.
Except I miss him. And I want to make him laugh again. And make him happy.
I heated up some leftover ravioli Yvonne made for me and ate it on the couch while watching Dirty Dancing. Which was an idiotic choice. Just watching the dancers grind together in the opening montage brought Theo’s and my dance roaring back.
At midnight, I turned off all the lights, climbed into bed, and called him.
“Hey, Kacey,” he said.
I leaned back against the pillows with a sigh. I loved his deep voice, and how it settled into my head, sank down to my chest, made me feel warm all over.
“Hi. I wanted to talk about your graduation on Saturday.”
A pause. “Are you still coming?”
“Of course I am. But I can only stay until Sunday. Because…”
“Because?”
“Take a guess.”
“Tell me or I’ll kill you.”
“I have meeting with the execs from Sony Music on Monday.”
“Are you kidding me?”
“They want to sign me. Can you believe that?”
“Hell yeah,” he said, his voice growing louder. “Damn, Kace, this is incredible.”
“Turns out Grant was right. The video was kind of big.”
“Kind of? Last I checked, it kind of had close to a million views.”
“You’ve been checking?”
“Well.” A beat of silence. “About a hundred of those views might be mine.”
My skin flushed pink as I envisioned him watching the video over and over.
I think you’re so fucking beautiful…
“Teddy, after the graduation ceremony…I think we should talk.”
“Okay,” he said slowly.
“I’ve wanted to these last couple of days,” I said. “Almost started to, but I know you had a lot of work to finish up. And I think it’s better if we talk in person.”
“Whatever you want, Kace.”
“Do you want to talk about what happened?”
“No. I want to kiss you again.”
A current of heat swept through me and I curled up in my pillows like a burned leaf. “Teddy.”
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t say that. But I already fucked up our friendship, so I might as well put it out there.”
“You didn’t fuck anything up, stop. I don’t know what’s happening, either. One minute I’m torn apart by guilt. Next minute I’m angry about being guilty. And in between all that, I want you to kiss me again too.”
“God, Kacey,” he said. “What is happening?”
“It’s commiseration, right? No one gets it but us. No one understands what we went through. We’re drawn to each other for comfort. Right?”
“I guess so,” he said.
“Well, isn’t it? Because you and me…together… is crazy.” I exhaled. “Right?”
“Is it?”
I swallowed, a heavy swamp of emotion welling in my chest at those words; a deep warmth that spread out from my heart and a million times more potent than any lust I felt for him. My heart began to pound, for fear or anticipation or…
“We need to talk then,” I said, firming my voice. “In person. At your graduation. And no kissing.”
“My parents are giving a dinner at their house after the ceremony. We can talk afterward.”
“Okay, I’ll see you Saturday morning.”
“See you then. ‘Night, Kace.”
“Goodnight, Teddy.”
I ended the call, and lay flat on my back, a sigh gusting out of me. My eyes found the universe orb again. It absorbed the wan light of my bedside lamp, turned the yellow to brilliant blue-white. Stars winking like diamonds in the depths of space. Or dark eyes lit with a smile.