Nese
Isleep in my own bed for the first time in nearly a year. The full size feels smaller, especially compared with the king-size beds the hotel rooms offer. I’m surrounded by my own things—photos, magazines, inspirational quotes—yet I’m discombobulated.
He sips his drink. “Hey.”
“Hey.” The alarm goes off on the coffee maker so I retrieve my brew, add milk and extra sugar, and retake my seat.
“How’s it going?”
“I’ve been having a blast. It’s been amazing seeing the world.”
“I bet. How is Untamed Coaster? Are they stuck up assholes, or what? I’ve watched some videos and they all look like jerks to me. Especially their guitar player. He always stays in the background as if he’s too good for the rest of them.”
My body stiffens. “Are you kidding? They’re all really nice! Bennett can sing the phone book and it would sound like a multi-platinum song. The guitarist, Coop, is—” I stop myself and choose my words. “Introverted. Not stuck up at all.”
Another roommate enters the kitchen. “Oh, good. Coffee.” Alexis pours a mug for herself and slips in across from me. “What are we talking about?”
Before I can respond, Noah says, “Nese was just extolling the virtues of the band. I was telling her the public version of them and how they’re portrayed online are two very different things.”
Alexis sips her coffee. “I don’t know. I like their new sound. I mean, before their original keyboardist OD’ed, they were good, but now, they’re amazing. Have you heard their song that won the Oscar?”
Noah shrugs. “I’m not saying their music isn’t good. I was saying that the band members themselves seem full of it.”
“Oh.” She adds another splash of creamer and stirs her coffee. “Yeah, I can see that. But their lead singer is HOT. All caps.”
The need to defend my friends forces me to speak up. “All of the members of Untamed Coaster are really cool guys. They even listen to me when I suggest things for them to wear.”
Alexis blinks. “Did you dress them for the Oscars?”
I smile. “Sure did. I thought they looked amazing in Versace. The people at the designer house were fantastic. Such attention to detail.”
“What car repair shop has careful attention to detail?” My fourth roommate, Owen, enters the fray. “My beater of a car needs new shocks. Good, coffee.”
Noah tracks Owen’s progress. “Nese here was telling us all about how dressing Untamed Coaster is amazing.” He’s actually not being malicious. Honest.
“Oh.” Owen takes the final seat at the dinette. “I thought you guys were talking about the new car repair shop on Claymont.”
“No,” Alexis supplies. “I’ve walked by them a few times, though. They seem to be busy.”
I stir my coffee for want of something to do. Their conversation continues about their jobs, then moves on to a new club down the road.
“We should celebrate Nese’s return there,” Alexis states. “Although, I did hear they charge twenty bucks to enter, so perhaps we should go to the bar next door.”
I stay silent. It’s hard to believe I used to participate in these types of conversations as if the whole world depended on our decisions. If nothing else, touring with UC has opened my eyes to a different reality. The fact my roommates think the band members are assholes doesn’t sit well with me.
When there’s a break in their conversation centering around which store to buy the cheapest canned vegetables this week—the one on Hill and not on Main—I say, “The members of UC aren’t assholes.
They’re chill. The lead singer Bennett recently got married to a wonderful physical therapist, and their drummer’s with this fantastic woman, Hayden.
They’re my friends. The rest of the band, the guitarist, bassist, and keyboardist, are just as nice.
In fact, I was with Coop—who plays guitar—these past three weeks because his luggage was stolen and their manager asked me to help him out. ”
Three faces stare at me, open-mouthed. “Wow,” Alexis says. “Even rockstars get their suitcases taken?”
If this is what she got from my word vomit, I’m not going to correct her. I’m also not about to say the band was flying private when it happened. “Poor guy hadn’t bought any clothes for like a decade. Taking him shopping was jaw dropping for him.”
“I bet.” Owen chuckles. “Was he still in parachute pants?”
I roll my eyes. “Not quite that bad, but he wanted to order things over the internet and be done with it.” I repeat what I told Hayden and Jenna at lunch.
I should’ve expected Noah’s response. “There’s nothing wrong with the internet.” He holds out his necklace. “Got this from a deal site last week. It’s pretty cool, isn’t it?” Owen fawns over his new chain.
Alexis says, “But these guys are rolling in dough. They should buy whatever they want, especially if they’re looking to catch some starlet’s eye. I heard the new keyboardist—”
“Tris,” I supply.
“Right, Tris. He always looks super trendy. When he was on the red carpet at the Oscars, I saw more than one actress giving him the come-hither look. He was hotter than hot.”
Noah interjects, “I thought Bennett did it for you?”
“Yeah, well, they all do. Besides, Nese said the lead singer is married so I should set my sights on someone who’s available.” She turns to me. “Think you can hook a girl up?”
“I don’t know. We’re leaving in a week for Australia, then we’re going to be touring the United States again. If we play Atlanta, I could introduce you.”
“Oh my God. Could you get us all tickets? And backstage passes? Then we could decide if they’re really all jerks, or you pegged them wrong.” Alexis looks at Noah.
“Yeah, well, if I met them, I could make a first-hand decision.”
“I’m not sure how it works. Getting tickets, I mean. Let me ask Luke, their manager.” Perhaps if they meet the band, they’d realize they’re down-to-earth?
Owen burps, causing Noah to fist bump him.
Then, again…
Alexis brings me out of my head. “That would be great!” She checks the clock. “Damn, I have to get going to work. I got the early shift this week at the diner. My vote is we take Nese out to the bar for a welcome back drink. See you guys later.” She leaves the kitchen.
Next, Noah stands. “I better take off too. The boss man doesn’t like it when I stroll in much past nine. A drink later sounds good.”
After he’s gone, Owen looks at me. “I have a couple of hours before my shift starts. Want to play a game before I have to leave? Still have our checkers board in there.” He points to the living room. “I believe I beat your ass the last time we played.”
Always up to avenge a loss, I say, “You’re on. That time was a fluke. You set up while I get a second cup of coffee. I have to be alert for this game!”
I enter the living room, where a checkers game is on the coffee table. I refuse to make comparisons between it and the chess set at Coop’s. This is my real life.
“Got you all set for black,” he offers. “You go first.”
“Ever the gentleman,” I tease. Of course, my mind immediately connects Coop’s favorite color to the one assigned to me. My finger taps the black piece. “Let’s change things up this time. How about you be black?” Before he can reply, I switch the board so I’m now playing with red.
His eyebrow lifts, but he doesn’t question me, simply makes his first move. “Of all the places you’ve been so far, which city did you like the best?”
I move a red piece. “That’s a hard question. If I had to choose one, I’d say Milan. Every single person we passed was on trend. The clothes there were fabulous.”
“Ever the stylist.”
“I can’t help it. But Barcelona had some great shopping too. As did France.”
“I’ve never wanted to go anywhere other than Georgia. I love it here. Sometimes I drive to the coast and watch the waves, thinking how lucky I am to live in this state. I don’t need any special clothes to walk on the beach or run into town.”
“True. But you did appreciate it when I helped you pick out a nice outfit for your job interview.”
“Well, I did. And I still wear it to work sometimes. It’s not my life the way fashion clearly is yours.”
Since there’s no arguing the point, I ask, “What have you been up to lately, besides work, of course?”
“Oh, the usual. Been binging shows on Netflix. Finally got caught up on all the Marvel movies.”
I laugh. “I’ve seen every Marvel movie there is about ten times. The guys have them playing ad nauseam.”
“Add what?”
I’m taken aback that Owen hasn’t heard this term before. Coop would’ve countered it with something like “It’s not ad nauseam, it’s ‘comforting nostalgia.’ I prefer to think of it as a warm blanket for my brain.” I raise my pierced eyebrow at my mental guitarist.
To Owen, however, I reply, “It means they keep watching the same movies on repeat.”
“Oh. Well, nothing wrong with that. They’re classics.”
I sip my coffee and focus on the game. When I win, I do a little jig—not because I’m all that elated, but because it’s expected.
Owen yanks on the end of my pixie cut. “I’ll get you next time.” He takes a couple of steps, then wraps me in one of his bear hugs. “It’s great to have you back.”
I return his hug, but it feels a bit off. Maybe because he’s not even five-foot-nine? Or somewhat pudgy around the middle? “Go slay them at work today!”
With a jaunty wave, he says he’ll meet up with us at the bar tonight and leaves me all alone in the apartment.
One I worked so hard to earn. The four of us were able to turn a legal two-bedroom into a place where everyone had their own room. Living here felt like proof I’d made it. Now that I’ve sampled what’s out there in the world, though, somehow this apartment seems… small.
I shake my head. UC must’ve gotten to me.
Traveling on tour with them isn’t real life.
It’s an alternative reality—a bubble—where people wait on you and you’re never in one spot longer than a few nights.
Residing in hotels is not normal. I live here.
I glance around at the yellowing “white” walls and threadbare sofa.
At least I can call this place mine. Well, with three other people.