Chapter 14 #2
“Trust me, you’ll understand soon.” Elijah wagged a finger like he was lecturing her.
Chicot rolled her eyes. She could only be so mad at him for interrupting her and Monty if this was really important.
She followed Elijah back, where a very confused and shirtless man was sitting up in the bed.
Chicot was 90% sure it was Ken, only because it was the most logical option.
Without any clothes, he just sort of looked like a man to her.
He furrowed his brow, waving at Chicot as Elijah stopped her in the kitchen.
“Hi?” Chicot started. Elijah grabbed both her shoulders, turning her to face him instead of Ken now. She felt like this was a repeat of when Elijah and Sunnie had been shaking her earlier that night. “Oh god, what is going on?”
“We got an audition at Pennsylvania!” Elijah said it like it was all one word, so quickly that Chicot almost didn’t fully process it at first. She shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut.
“What? How? I thought we didn’t get a callback?” Chicot asked. Elijah grinned, setting his hands on her shoulders again.
“Someone dropped out.” Elijah’s fingers pressed into Chicot’s skin, not hard enough to hurt, but enough to make her feel very awake. “They need to fill the spot, so they called us back.”
All at once, Chicot started to tremble, rising to her toes and hopping with Elijah as they both started to scream together.
It sent Duchess directly under the bed, her eyes the only thing visible in the black void underneath it.
They did this for a solid minute, and Ken just sighed once they finished, throwing the blanket off him to stand up, conceding to the fact that he wasn’t going to sleep any time soon.
“We got an audition!” Chicot threw her arms around Elijah, the two of them spinning in place slightly as Elijah hugged her back. He suddenly seemed far more sober, and Chicot wondered how much of that had been an act to get away with dragging her off.
“Congratulations.” Ken had an easy smile on his face, his eyes quickly moving from Chicot to Elijah and his expression growing soft.
“Sorry.” Elijah laughed as he tipped his head back. “I just can’t believe we did it.”
“Now we just have to get in,” Chicot added. “When is it? Do we send a video, or do we have to go there?”
“Uh.” Elijah paused, pulling his phone from his pocket to read the email. “They want us there in person, and it’s at the end of the month. On a Thursday so we won’t miss any faire days.”
“Okay.” Chicot nodded slowly. “Okay.”
“How are you getting from Wisconsin to Pennsylvania?” Ken asked.
Chicot’s muscles stiffened, and she felt Elijah’s do the same thing as Ken finished his question.
Their RV was at the very center of the dog park.
They couldn’t just move it, and even then because the audition was on a Thursday, they couldn’t risk breaking down on the almost thirteen-hour drive.
“We’ll have to fly,” Elijah resolved. “And rent a car.”
“How much is in our savings?” Chicot asked.
Elijah’s face traveled as far as they would need to for this audition. It started at thoughtful then rapidly went to unsure and landed on deflated.
“Not … enough for everything,” he said. Chicot took a deep breath, her chest numb as she slowly turned toward the phone fund jar. Ken stepped out of her way as she reached for it, holding it in both her hands.
“Oh, Chicot. I’m sorry,” Elijah said. Chicot shook her head.
“I care so much more about us getting to continue to do all of this”—Chicot gestured around the RV—“than having a phone.”
Elijah’s eyes fell on the jar, growing more vacant as he took it from Chicot. “Then we have to get this right.”
“We do.” Chicot pressed her lips together, meeting Elijah’s eyes. They nodded at each other, the RV getting quiet around them. Then Ken piped up.
“I can drive you and pick you up from the airport.” He held up a hand like he was trying to politely ask a question in class. Chicot chuckled, endeared because honestly, Ken was sweet. She liked him for Elijah. Elijah smiled, stepping over to cup Ken’s cheek as he kissed the other.
“Oh my god,” Chicot squealed. “I need to tell Monty. And Sunnie!”
She spun on her heels, Elijah laughing as she bolted out the door. Chicot paused, turning around entirely and going right back inside to look at Elijah.
“You okay?” Elijah stepped toward her.
“I’m not sure …” Chicot rubbed her cheek. “I shouldn’t tell Monty until we know for sure.”
She didn’t really know what Monty wanted from her. Whether she wanted to be Monty’s girlfriend or if this was just a fling during Albion. Chicot didn’t know what she wanted either. Her heart hammered in her chest, fingers numb as she tapped them against her lips.
Ken excused himself to the bed again. Which frankly, Chicot did not blame him for. She was surprised he had stayed after all the yelling. Then again, it was late and he probably couldn’t drive home if he’d been drinking.
“Why don’t you think you should tell her?” Elijah asked. “Are they going to Georgia or something next?”
Chicot shook her head. “No, no. They’re going to Pennsylvania. It’s just …”
She fidgeted with the hem of her crop top, pressing her lips together. Elijah just folded his arms, giving her the space to think.
“I really like her,” Chicot confessed. “And what if she … What if she only wants this to be a summer thing?”
Chicot rubbed her arm, trying to shake off the tingling feeling on her skin. She wasn’t sure she wanted to find out that Monty only wanted a summer fling right before an audition that could change the course of their careers. She chewed on her lip as Elijah tilted his head.
“You can always talk to her about this after.” Elijah’s voice was gentle. “If it’s too much stress right now.”
“That might be for the best.” Chicot sighed. “Oh, and don’t mention her and me to Elvis and Lyza just yet.”
Elijah took a deep breath. “Yeah, okay.”
His eyes slid toward Ken now curled up in a ball under the blankets. Chicot nodded slowly, biting her lip.
“I should tell Sunnie,” she said. “But I’m going to tell Monty after. And I should think about if I want to keep helping Monty, Lyza, and Elvis there in case they ask.”
“Oh, I didn’t even think about that.” Elijah took a deep breath, releasing it slowly. “Do you think you can handle another sixteen shows a weekend for another eight weeks?”
“I think so,” Chicot said. “But I don’t want you to think I’m neglecting our show.”
“I don’t,” Elijah shook his head, “I know you’re not. And if we go to Pennsylvania, Trevor and Adrian said I could play with their bard band for some extra money since they lost their lute player.”
Chicot nodded, offering Elijah her hand. He took it and squeezed.
“We’re in this together?” Elijah asked. Chicot nodded.
“Yeah, ‘til the end.”