CHAPTER 6
JETTE
The sun was already streaming through the curtains when Jette’s eyes fluttered open. She instinctively reached for her phone to find multiple unread texts from Emery last night.
EMERY
omg that girl is hopelessly into you
ugh you’re not even checking your phone are you?
whatever, you’re too busy flirting back
god you guys are cute. i’m sorry but like…
Jette leaned onto an elbow as her eyes gradually focused on the brightly lit screen.
She chuckled to herself and quickly opened the pictures he had sent her.
The first was a picture of Jette and Reese facing each other in their folding chairs.
Her head was tilted back as she laughed and Reese’s arm was still draped around her shoulders.
Reese was looking at her with a beaming smile, her cheeks flushed and her hair slightly messy.
The memories from last night were slowly filtering through the morning grogginess and she felt simultaneously happy and disappointed.
She took another long glance at the picture, committing it to memory before swiping.
The second picture was from later in the night.
Jette’s arm was braced on the bar behind Reese and the angle almost made it look like Jette’s hand was around her waist. Reese was intently looking down at her phone, the blue light illuminating her features.
Meanwhile Jette had turned to stare at Reese’s face.
Her expression was soft as her lips faintly turned up at the corners.
Jette remembered the moment and how she was so relieved that Reese was too entranced to notice her staring so brazenly.
Something about the picture made Jette feel at ease.
It was such a simple unsuspecting moment forever frozen in time.
The last picture made Jette’s insides tense.
It had to have been taken just moments after the second picture.
Jette had turned away to take the last sip of her drink with her eyes closed.
The faint blue light of Reese’s phone revealed Reese’s expression as she stared back at Jette.
The gentle and unrelenting look in Reese’s eyes lit a spark deep in Jette’s chest as she studied the picture.
She struggled to define the expression Reese wore.
It was innocent and damning all at once and the curious curve of her smile combined with the intense gaze almost made Jette feel guilty for seeing it.
Reflecting on the photos Emery sent, Jette briefly felt exposed.
There were so many points throughout the night where Jette seemed to forget that the bar was filled with tons of strangers.
Her own inner dialogue drowned out the loads of other conversations happening around them.
And yet Jette had felt that their chemistry was so subtle, so innocuous that it was imperceptible to everyone around them.
Emery had picked up on it early in the night, but he had known her for years, he could see right through her.
He knew her tells. But the pictures proved she was wrong.
The longing in Jette’s eyes was noticeable, and the brief glance from Reese confirmed the tension between them.
She felt her face flush as she remembered the intrusive thoughts that flooded her mind as they waited in line for the bathroom.
Her eyes closed as she leaned back into her pillows, drawing the blankets over her shoulder as she allowed herself a chance to revisit them.
She remembered the way Reese walked into the bathroom and envisioned following her inside.
Her hands itched at the memory of imagining gently grabbing Reese’s jaw and pulling her in for a kiss.
Their lips melded together, she wanted to press forward, pinning Reese to the back wall.
Feeling Reese’s hands tangled in her hair before scratching down her back, scrambling to pull her closer.
Her heart pounded as she daydreamed about Reese’s tongue sliding into her mouth.
Her breath hitched as her mind ran wild.
Imagining grazing her fingers along the waistband of Reese’s jeans and wondering what Reese would sound like against her mouth as she slid underneath the fabric.
Next to her, the phone buzzed twice, effectively jolting her from her vivid daydream. Her eyes shot open and she glanced at the screen to see another message from Emery.
EMERY
are you up yet?
Jette stretched her arms overhead and chuckled before replying.
JETTE
Just woke up
I’m making coffee now. Are you coming over?
EMERY
be there soon
Jette smoothed the covers on her bed and grabbed her phone before slowly making her way downstairs.
Flicking on the incandescent lights in the living room, Jette swiftly turned back toward the kitchen and began preparing her morning coffee.
She turned on the wireless speaker sitting on a long table in the makeshift hallway between the kitchen and living room.
As she began opening the long curtains to let the morning sun in, soft music began playing.
Absent-mindedly, she reached for her phone and selected a quiet indie mix that felt comfortingly similar to the one Reese played on the ride home last night.
Jette moved about the kitchen, tidying up the small counter as she went.
The coffee maker beeped twice, bringing her attention to the newly filled mug.
She positioned an empty mug in its place for Emery before rifling through the fridge for something to eat.
Resting her mug on the shelves, she grabbed a few handfuls of grapes and tossed them into a bowl before returning to the living room with her breakfast.
She settled into her favorite chair and folded her knees underneath her as she fidgeted with the dark knit blanket draped over her legs.
Once she had nestled in, she set her phone on her lap and began mindlessly scrolling for a few minutes before taking her first sip of coffee.
There was something so ritualistic and calming about the first cup of coffee each day.
The simple process of picking a mug, scooping the grounds, tamping them down, and filling the water reservoir was such an intentional yet relaxed way to begin each morning.
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes as she savored the first sip.
The morning slipped by slowly as Jette waited for Emery to arrive.
She was already on her second cup of coffee when her phone noisily buzzed on the coffee table in the living room.
She rolled her eyes and smiled to herself as she ran to answer but was surprised to see an unknown New York number flash across the screen instead.
She cleared her throat and answered confidently.
“Hi, is this Jette?” An unfamiliar voice asked.
“Yes, this is she.” As much as Jette hated answering calls from unknown numbers, she couldn’t bear to let them go to voicemail.
Between tattooing and drumming, she was used to keeping one foot firmly planted in both the art and music industry.
Both of those worlds moved too quickly for her to ignore any potential spontaneous opportunities.
She knew how frequently her phone would ring with potential offers for music gigs or tattoo convention appearances.
She constantly needed to be accessible, even now on a sleepy morning with coffee in hand.
“Hi Jette,” the voice on the phone sounded stiff, like someone only pretending to sound casual. “My name’s Natalie. I hope it’s okay that Jade Gutierrez gave me your phone number. Is now a good time?”
Jette smiled at the mention of her old friend and bandmate, Jade.
They’d been nearly inseparable while at college.
At least, they had been until Jade got a massive touring opportunity and dropped out to play bass around the world.
Jette still made a point to engage with her on social media, sending sporadic messages here and there to try keeping in touch.
And Jade never missed an opportunity to recommend Jette for any music gigs that popped up on her radar.
Jette could hear the smile in her own voice as she answered.
“Hi. Of course, Jade’s an old friend. What’s up? ”
“Well, I’m working with a newer artist and the team is looking for a female drummer.
I met Jade a few days ago at a New York show, and she gave me your info.
It sounds like you might be a good fit if you’re interested?
” Despite the exciting nature of the call, her voice sounded devoid of any emotion.
Jette’s interest piqued as she listened.
“I’d definitely be interested. Do you have dates or anything blocked out yet?
Or did you want to meet up in person to discuss?
” She took the phone away from her ear and put it on speakerphone before scrambling to find a notebook to frantically write down the details.
“So far it’s looking like an April/May run, about seven weeks…
” Natalie’s voice trailed off as she distractedly answered somebody in the background.
“I’m back in LA for the next few weeks, so could I just email you the songs and have you take a listen?
See if it’s something you’d be up for, and then if you’re game, we’ll have you send in a few audition videos.
The rest of the band is currently finishing up a small tour in the northwest, so there’s no formal in-person audition or anything like that. ”
Jette found herself smiling, but kept herself in check.
This was just another part of the temperamental nature of the business.
She knew you had to play the coy game that everyone else played.
And even though she knew most nonchalant deals like this fell through before the end of the day, she still felt hopeful.
She took a breath and tempered her excitement before coolly replying, “Sounds good. I’ll take a listen and see if it’s a good fit. Can I ask the name of the artist?”