Chapter 12
The next day rolls in, and Ray hangs up the phone after having a good conversation with the band’s manager.
Starting Monday next week, Ray and Dennis are going to go back into the studio to mix their new album, and once that’s done, they’ll ship the tapes to the record company to make masters.
Each time they do this it gets easier, now that they have multiple singles and this new one will be their second LP.
This time around they took quite a large break before working on anything, but Ray feels like it was needed.
It’d be too draining to constantly tour, record, tour, record, with no downtime in-between.
They’ll be touring again anyway after the album releases, so it’ll be fine.
Ray’s a little hungry, but not enough for a whole meal, so he rummages through one of the cupboards for a can of Pringles.
Nicky then comes into the kitchen too, opening up the avocado-green fridge and pulling out some sort of leftovers container.
He’s been staying with the Brooms for a few weeks now.
Is he straight-up moving in with us? If he is, why has no one told me about it?
Ray figures, instead of wondering about it, he might as well ask him.
“Hey, Nicky,” Ray says after Nicky grabs a fork from a drawer. “I know we don’t talk much, but, um… I was wondering how long you were planning on staying here? Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind your company.” He lets out a nervous laugh. “But you were living in Ohio before, weren’t you?”
“Yeah, that’s where I’m from.” Nicky nods. “I had some other buddies I was staying with there, but one of them had… uh… a bit of a run-in with the law. I didn’t want to get involved, so I phoned Gene and he said I could stay with you guys, which I appreciated.”
“Oh, okay.” I was wondering if it had to do with something like that. “Are you still in contact with them? Your old buddies?”
“Yeah, I’ve called them a few times, and things are fine now. But I’ve been liking it a lot better here; my old friends weren’t musicians, so they didn’t get me as much as you guys.”
“That makes sense.” Ray opens the Pringles can and sets the lid on the counter. He pops a chip into his mouth.
“I wasn’t sure if I was gonna go back to stay with them for a while, though, since Gene’s gonna be visiting California for a few weeks. I was gonna ask you guys if you didn’t mind me staying here, but Gene’s the one who invited me over, and if he’s away, I didn’t want to be a burden—”
“Wait. Wait, wait, wait,” Ray says, his voice muffled by the chip in his mouth. He swallows it down forcefully. “What do you mean ‘Gene’s gonna be visiting California’?”
“Oh, he didn’t tell you?” Nicky raises his brows, hidden by his brown bangs.
“No. He didn’t say anything about that.”
“Well, huh. That’s weird. But yeah, since Toshiko is going back to California, he’s gonna go there with her and stay for a bit.”
“And Gene told you this.” Ray puts the lid back on the Pringles canister, setting it on the counter. All of a sudden he’s not hungry anymore.
“Yeah, he told me earlier today.”
“I need to talk to him.” Ray frowns, heat rising in his chest. “He’s still in his room, right?”
“I think so—”
Ray doesn’t wait for Nicky to say more. He rushes out of the kitchen, bumping Nicky’s shoulder along the way.
He paces through the living room, ignoring the rest of the band members sitting around, and he takes the stairs to the upper level two at a time.
Carol had just started a bath, so Ray knows she’ll probably be in there for a while.
He makes his way to the end of the hall, and he raps his knuckles on Gene’s door—knock, knock, knock.
“Come in,” Gene says on the other side.
Ray opens the door, not surprised to find Gene and Toshiko sitting on the floor, a pipe in Gene’s hand.
Gene looks gorgeous with his black hair all tousled, shirt unbuttoned and showing his sexy, hairy chest—which makes Ray’s rage boil even more.
He’s like this with Toshiko instead of me.
And Gene’s going to travel to California to be with her. What the fucking hell.
“Hey, Gene, can I, um, talk to you in private?” Ray tries to ask as politely as he can.
Gene’s eyes widen as he looks at Ray. “Oh, uh… sure.” He licks his lips, then turns his head toward the lady next to him. “Toshiko, could you… go downstairs for a moment? I… I need to discuss something with Ray.”
With how Gene says it, it’s obvious that Gene knows what that something is without even saying it out loud. Yeah, you better fucking know.
“Ah, alright,” Toshiko says, standing up. “Daijoubu?”
“Y-yeah! We’re all good.” Gene gives a shaky laugh, standing up as well and setting his pipe down on the top of his dresser. It pisses Ray off that he can’t understand the word Toshiko said. Jealousy fuels a fire within.
“Okay. I’ll be downstairs.” She gives Gene a smile. Ray walks further into the room to give her space to leave, and he shuts the door behind himself once she’s out.
Ray and Gene stand a few feet apart from each other, staying silent until Toshiko’s footsteps can no longer be heard.
“So,” Ray starts. “You’re going on a trip to California.”
“Y-yeah, I am.” Gene rubs his elbows. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you yet.”
“You fucking told Nicky before you told me.” That burning fire rises within Ray. “I thought I was your best friend. And you leave me in the dark about this?”
“I was going to tell you. I just hadn’t gotten around to it yet.” Gene frowns. “I didn’t think it mattered who I told first, since I was going to let you know regardless.”
“Alright. Whatever. But still, California? You’re traveling all the way out there? When we have our new album release coming up? What’s gotten into you?”
“It’s not like I’m leaving for good. Hell, it’s not like I’m leaving the band! I’ll only be gone for a few weeks. I should be back in time for the release.”
Ray huffs out a harsh breath, shaking his head. “A few weeks, huh? So you can be with her?”
“Yeah. So I can be with Toshiko.” Gene rubs a finger under his nose. “I guess I should tell you. But it’s official—she’s my girlfriend now.”
The fire within erupts like a volcano. Ray forms fists at his sides, nails digging into his palms, and he takes a step closer to Gene. “Really? Fucking really?”
“Yeah, really!” Gene steps closer to Ray, too, their faces now only a foot apart from each other. Gene’s hazel pupils shake, glossy, furious, yet still so beautiful. “You have no right to be jealous of that. You have a fucking girlfriend too, y’know.”
“Fucking hell.” Ray closes his eyes briefly. He needs even just a blink to calm himself. He should’ve seen this coming from a mile away. “You’re right. You’re right. Goddammit.”
“Of course I’m right. Sheesh, Ray. You said it yourself—you’re with your own girlfriend for the same reason. Because she’s a woman.”
Ray can’t argue with that. He exhales another pained breath, then he opens his eyes again, making contact with Gene’s. “When are you leaving? You’re at least staying here for my birthday, right? You can’t leave me on my birthday.”
The anger in Gene’s eyes softens, and Ray can see his shoulders relax, even if just a little. “Of course. I wouldn’t miss it for the world. I’m not leaving until Saturday morning. I wouldn’t be caught dead missing your birthday.”
Those words hit Ray in a way he can’t describe.
It pushes a pressure behind his eyes, which are now feeling wet—soaking the fire and nearly extinguishing it.
Seeing Gene, his closest friend, looking at him so tenderly…
Despite the heat of their argument, it stirs up a strange emotion. He’ll still be here for my birthday.
An unrelenting force overtakes Ray. He can’t help himself—he needs to be closer. So he reaches out, grabbing the back of Gene’s neck—
And he pulls Gene in for a kiss.
The touch of his lips ignites a different sort of fire—one of deep-seated passion.
Gene must feel it too, as he reaches around Ray, pulling him even closer, bodies flush together, Gene’s hands clawing into Ray’s back, dangerously about to tear through the fabric of his shirt.
Oh, this is everything Ray needs. He’s been dying to kiss Gene again, and he opens his mouth, tasting the flavor of weed on Gene’s tongue.
But Ray doesn’t mind. It just makes it so uniquely Gene.
That, combined with the feel of the fine stubble on Gene’s chin—it sends a flurry of heat all throughout Ray’s body.
They break apart for a moment, panting out warm breaths, gazing into each other’s eyes.
Gene is so fucking handsome. Ray is compelled to kiss him again.
So he does, once more, tugging at Gene’s long hair.
And Gene kisses him back, forcefully, aggressively.
That heat moves lower, further down Ray’s abdomen.
It excites him, feeling Gene’s arousal also rubbing against him, but a sudden fear strikes Ray’s chest.
Carol is just in the bathroom. She could come out at any moment. What if she heard us?
Ray pulls away again, still close enough that their foreheads touch, moving his hands to Gene’s shoulders. Gene’s grip loosens as well, still holding onto Ray’s waist.
“I’m going to miss you while you’re gone,” Ray admits.
“I’ll miss you too, Ray.”
“If you’re gone for a few weeks… I don’t think we’ve ever been apart for that long since we first moved in together.”
“No, I don’t think so. But I’ll be back. It’s only temporary.”
“Alright. I guess I’ll just have to deal with it.”
“I’ll make sure to call. Check in, see how the album’s doing.”
Ray steps away as even more fear clogs his throat, worried about Carol overhearing.
He reluctantly lets go of Gene’s shoulders, and Gene pulls himself off Ray.
The melancholy look in Gene’s eyes forces that pressure behind his own again.
But no, he can’t cry. Not when he might encounter his girlfriend in the hallway.
“Carol’s probably close to being done with her bath. I should go.”