Chapter 4 #2
“I hope you have a nice time with your family,” Dmitri said casually after they’d turned off the main drag and onto the quieter, more residential streets. “I’m sure they miss you while you’re on tour.”
When he looked at Andre’s face in the illumination of the streetlights, his expression seemed pensive. “They do, yeah, and I miss them,” Andre admitted. Then he shrugged. “It can’t be helped, which I have explained as best I can. It’s the price of the job, right?”
Dmitri frowned, slightly confused at the words. “Well, yeah, it is, but surely they can understand, right? And it’s not like you can’t call. I mean, aren’t they excited to have you in a band that’s doing so well?”
Strangely, Andre hesitated. “Look, it’s… complicated. And some of my relatives are… young. Young enough not to really understand why I have to be away so much.”
That was the first time Andre had ever mentioned anything revealing about his family, and questions almost burned on Dmitri’s tongue, begging to be asked. But he bit them back. “Oh, I see,” he replied, keeping his tone neutral, but hoping that Andre would volunteer more information.
For a moment, they continued in silence before Andre sighed and stopped, turning to look at Dmitri. “Look,” he said, his tone urgent. Then he stopped suddenly, freezing in place as he looked over Dmitri’s shoulder at something.
For a moment, Dmitri was confused, since he thought Andre had been on the verge of confiding in him. Then he realized where Andre’s attention was focused and turned to look over his shoulder.
“What is it?” he asked, not seeing anything immediately related to them.
There was an apartment building across the street, but though Dmitri saw people inside going about their lives, no one seemed to be paying attention to them as far as he could tell.
Otherwise, there was no one on the street.
As they stood there, a car turned off Santa Monica and headed in their direction, driving past without slowing down.
“Nothing, it’s nothing,” Andre said, swiping a hand across his brow. “Sorry, I thought I saw someone watching us, but I think it was just the shadows.”
Alarmed, Dmitri peered closer among the parked cars across the street, but he didn’t see anyone at all. “It must have been,” he agreed. Dismissing the incident, he smiled encouragingly. “You were saying?”
“What?” Andre still seemed distracted. “Oh, nothing important. I don’t remember what it was now.”
Disappointment was like a weight in his stomach. He was certain Andre had been about to admit something important, something personal, but the moment had been snatched away, and unfortunately, Dmitri had to let it go.
“Oh, okay,” he said softly. “Shall we go on and get you home?”
“You know, actually, I left my headphones at the studio, and I need them while I’m gone. Why don’t I walk you there, then I’ll catch an Uber back home, since it’s getting pretty late.”
“An Uber, are you serious?” Dmitri frowned. “Dude, I’ll drop you off if that’s what you want. You don’t have to pay for a ride back. It’s no problem.”
“Um, oh. Okay, thanks,” Andre said slowly. “I guess we should head back to the Boulevard.”
“Okay, sure.”
Andre was quiet as they walked back to the busier street, then on to the studio.
Perhaps it was his imagination, but Dmitri thought Andre was paying more attention to the reflections in dark windows as they passed businesses that were closed for the night.
He thought again of the letter incident from weeks before and wondered if they were related.
Then again, he might be grasping at straws in his disappointment over not learning more about Andre’s life. Perhaps Dmitri himself was getting a little too obsessed and needed to step back.
Andre ducked into the studio while Dmitri went to get his car. He pulled around to the front of the building just as Andre stepped out.
“I appreciate the lift,” Andre said, smiling more naturally now. Perhaps his odd mood had been nothing more than Andre being distracted by having forgotten something. “Hey, do you want me to bring you some chocolates from Montressor when I come back?”
The shop Andre mentioned had Dmitri’s favorite gourmet chocolates, though he seldom indulged because of the calories and the expense. “Sure, but only a small box,” Dmitri replied. “Those things are too damned addictive.”
“Got it.”
They were quiet for the few minutes longer it took to reach Andre’s apartment building. When Dmitri stopped in front, Andre turned to him. “Thanks for the lift,” he said. “So, I’ll see you in two weeks?”
“Two weeks.” It felt like a lifetime to Dmitri, but he summoned up a smile. “Have a safe drive. I guess I’ll see you at the airport.”
“Yeah.” For a moment, Andre hesitated again, then he unbuckled his seatbelt and opened the door. “You have a safe drive too.”
“Thanks.” There was so much more Dmitri wished he could say, but he couldn’t, so he limited himself to platitudes. “Text me when you get to San Diego, okay? That way I know you didn’t run off to avoid being cooped up on a bus with me for four months.”
“You’re little. You don’t take up much room,” Andre replied, flashing him a smile. He paused, then stood up, closing the car door. The window was open, so as he waved, Dmitri heard him speak. “Later!”
“Later,” Dmitri echoed, then put the car in gear. As he drove off, he looked back, seeing Andre still standing on the sidewalk, gazing after him.
Surely that meant something, didn’t it?
Shaking his head, he turned his attention to the road, forcing himself to focus on what was in front of him before he caused an accident.
He was going to drive himself crazy if he kept trying to read meaning into every word and gesture Andre made.
Maybe two weeks apart would give him some perspective, a chance to reset his perceptions and stop obsessing about every little thing related to Andre Lucena.
But somehow, he was certain that thoughts of Andre were going to occupy the next two weeks of his life, just as assuredly as they’d occupied the last four years.