Chapter 3 #2
Zeke pointed vaguely toward the back of the house.
“As far away from the fairground as possible. Don’t want any humans runnin’ into her, do I?
” He looked over at me. “That reminds me. You’ll need to check out the fairground in the mornin’ so you can get familiar with it.
There’s a gate at the south end of the compound.
I gave you access to it on the lock app.
” Zeke’s property was set up with a phone app that allowed keyless entry to the driveway and my cabin.
He’d added me as soon as I’d arrived, muttering vague curses about technology the entire time.
He dumped the salad leavings into the smaller bowl and put the leftover casserole into the large one. Mabel must not be a vegetarian. He then rummaged around in the fridge and brought out a couple of potatoes and a cucumber, which he tossed in the large bowl as well.
“Alright, come on. Drake, you need to learn how to do this. Charles, you can come too.”
“I-I’m pretty tired. Um, Finn, is it okay if we go home?” Charles’s face was pale.
Finn nodded decisively. “Sure. You had a stressful day; I shouldn’t have made you come out here with me.”
Zeke made a production of packing up several maple butter bars for them to take home, then we all walked out to Finn’s car to see them off.
Before I could escape to my cabin, Zeke put his hand on my shoulder and steered me toward Dolores’ pen and the dark, creepy woods. “Time to feed Dolores and Mabel!”
Zeke:
Don’t forget to check out the fairgrounds this morning.
Zeke:
After that, can you call around and order twenty or so portable toilets? Last year the festival restrooms backed up and we didn’t have any portable ones on standby
Zeke:
Don’t forget about teaching Charles to play the guitar. Roy says the kid’s got talent!
I groaned and rolled over, pulling the covers over my head.
The bed was surprisingly comfortable. I liked the cabin itself, too.
It had one decent-sized bedroom plus a smaller one with a desk and a twin bed.
There was a full kitchen, and the living area featured a fold-out couch, two armchairs, and a fireplace.
But it was barely after 6:00 a.m. Even before he’d texted me, I’d heard Zeke outside banging around in Dolores’ pen. I’d swear that man only had one volume setting: loud.
Fuck it, I’d never get back to sleep now. I threw back the covers and hauled myself out of bed. It took me a few minutes to figure out the coffee maker, but I had enough in the pot for a cup by the time I got out of the shower.
I wasn’t ready for breakfast, so after I got dressed, I put on my beanie from last night, then I took my coffee and my phone and went to look at the fairgrounds per Zeke’s instructions.
There was a walking path that split into three directions just past my cabin.
That was too complicated this early in the morning, so I checked where the sun was and went in a southerly direction, walking across the grass until I ran into the wall around Zeke’s property.
I followed it until I ran into the gate.
The wall was high, but it wouldn’t keep out the most determined of music fans.
Poppy was headlining the festival, and she was supposed to stay in the cabin behind mine.
I put a note in my phone to warn her security detail about the potential for unauthorized entry.
The gate seemed sturdy, and it had an electronic deadbolt lock. But, again, it wasn’t stalker-proof.
I let myself through into the festival grounds, verifying that the gate shut and locked behind me. Then I panicked slightly until I tested the phone app to make sure I could get back in. Walking all the way around would be a fucking pain.
The festival grounds were huge, maybe three-quarters of a mile long.
I’d been expecting something a lot less.
.. permanent-looking. At the far end to the south was a large amphitheater, with smaller stages on each side about halfway down.
There was a large barn-like structure on the west side, and an open-air pavilion on the east. Signs indicated food courts and vendor booths down the center, with permanent walls and tent tops in place.
The whole thing was a big oval, with wide aisles on the east and west sides, and paths to cut over here and there.
Damn, Maplewood must make all its revenue from festival tourism.
Movement caught my eye, and I saw two guys jogging toward me along the east side aisle.
They weren’t running with purpose, like a security team would’ve been.
No, they were dressed for their morning run, like they jogged through here all the fucking time.
Damn it, the fairgrounds should’ve been fenced off and locked up.
I’d have to walk the perimeter and figure out where all the holes were.
That was going to suck.
My phone chimed with a text, and I idly kept my eye on the runners as I thumbed it open.
Steve:
Good morning! Gamora and Mantis wanted to say hi! [photo]
Awww. Steve’s husband Baz was face down in bed, and my and Dirk’s pet rabbits were sprawled across his back. Steve and Baz owned Gamora and Mantis’ mother and one of their siblings, so he was our go-to pet sitter whenever we left town.
“Drake?”
I glanced up to see the joggers were getting close, and one of them was Finn.
Well, hell. I could’ve done without knowing how toned his legs were, and how his chest filled out that tight t-shirt.
The fanny pack was along for the run, but he probably didn’t have room for pockets in those compression tights.
I dragged my eyes over to his companion, who was shorter, with dark hair and a trim, muscular build.
“Hey.” I nodded as they slowed to a stop a few feet from me. “Hi,” I said to Finn’s friend—or whatever their relationship was. “I’m Drake.”
“Drake! Finn told me you helped Charles yesterday. I’m Alex.” He blatantly eyed me up and down.
Finn waved a hand in my direction. “Drake’s staying at Zeke’s.”
I cocked my head. “Zeke wanted me to check out the festival grounds. You mind telling me how you two got in here? Is it not locked up?”
They looked at each other and made identical grimaces.
Finn rubbed the back of his neck. “Uh, we’ve been running here a few days a week since back in high school.
There’s a gap in the fence if you know where to look.
” He held a hand up in a placating gesture.
“We never use it during the festivals. We always pay for tickets.” Alex nodded frantically.
I scowled. “How many people know about this gap in the fence?”
They glanced at each other again, both shrugging. “We’ve never told anyone.” Alex frowned. “You’re the first person we’ve ever seen in here. We avoid it during festival prep times, and of course during the festivals themselves.”
I resisted the urge to yell at them. “Poppy is coming here next week. Poppy . You know, the multi-platinum, sold-out arena superstar? Do you know how many fans will be trying to find a way in here?” I rubbed my forehead.
“I need you to show me this gap.” I held up a hand to their protests.
“I’ll talk to Zeke about letting you have access to the compound so you can park there and come through the gate to jog here in the mornings.
” I glared at each of them in turn. “But if you don’t show it to me right now, I’m still going to find it.
It’s getting blocked either way. You can help me and keep running here, or you can get shut out forever. ”
“Holy shit!” Alex stared at me wide-eyed. “That was so hot!”
Finn punched him softly in the shoulder. “Shut up.” He sighed. “We’ll show you.”
He started walking back the way they’d come, so I followed.
Alex fell in beside me. “You’re in town through the music festival? Any chance you’d be up for dinner or whatever while you’re here?” The innuendo in whatever was unmistakable.
I hesitated. I guessed this meant Alex and Finn weren’t together. And ordinarily I’d be all over Alex, with his soft hazel eyes and square jaw. Unfortunately I’d rather climb Finn like a tree.
Before I was forced to respond, Finn rounded on his friend. “Alex!”
He scowled. “What? I can’t ask him out?”
Finn sputtered, “Uh, I, uh....” He turned bright red.
Alex was apparently able to interpret this. “You didn’t call dibs. Plus, it’s up to Drake, right?” Alex maneuvered around me so he was on my right and Finn was on my left.
This was getting interesting, but I didn’t love how they weren’t including me in the conversation. But it didn’t matter because Finn killed every iota of attraction I’d been feeling toward him by sputtering, “He’s almost as young as Charles!” I slowed down and dropped back.
Alex looked outraged. “What the fuck? He is not!” He finally turned to address me. “How old are you, Drake? Twenty-seven, twenty-eight?”
I couldn’t decide whether to be flattered at how mature I’d come across or appalled at the toll all the stress was taking on my skin.
“I’ll be twenty-three in a couple of months.
” I overrode Alex’s gasp. “And, for the record, not that you consulted me, I’m not interested in dating, fucking, or otherwise spending time with either of y’all. ”
I wasn’t proud of my temper. It came from my dad after all.
But being the youngest of the Derrys meant Dirk and I had been minors for most of Melodious Moon’s run.
We hadn’t had any say in the band’s direction or contracts.
Of course my father had convinced my older siblings in the band to give him complete control even after they were adults.
At any rate, I was done having decisions made for me, not to mention being talked about as if I weren’t present.
Finn stopped walking. “Drake, I’m?—”
I held up a finger. “I promised Charles I’d play guitar with him, so once we’re done here, you’ll give me his phone number and I’ll arrange it with him directly.”
Behind me, Alex whispered, “So hot.”
I flipped him the bird. “Shut up, Alex. Now show me this gap.”