Chapter 18
Their show in Boston is wonderful, as is every show on this tour.
It amazes Gene how many fans they have literally everywhere—so many faces jam-packed in the crowd, standing and huddled as close as they can get.
There’s enough space and security to keep them off the stage, though.
A completely different setting from how the Dusty Brooms had first started out.
To think, it was only a few years ago when they were playing in small clubs, stages so low that people could easily jump up and ambush them.
That’s basically what happened when Ray got together with Harriet.
But now, unfortunately for Gene, Ray is with Carol.
She never seems to ever leave his side. Gene guesses she probably stays there because she has nowhere else to be, which makes sense.
Her only friends (that Gene knows of) are the other band members.
Maybe she’s friendly with the other models she meets at her gigs, but there’s none she’s close with, especially since they likely all live far away from each other.
Gene thinks back to when he first met Carol, she’d expressed a sort of envy that he had such a close friendship with Ray.
It’s still true, only now that friendship has evolved into something deeper, more complicated.
And with that, Gene can sense Carol has been feeling even more envious, if what he heard her say to Ray yesterday is anything to go by.
But Gene can’t help himself. If he can be with Ray, he wants to seize the opportunity.
Which is why he’s hanging out with Ray now, despite Carol also being present.
They’re sitting in the greenroom after the show, backstage at the Boston Garden, relaxing before everyone decides to head back to the hotel.
He’d thought of asking Nicky for more of that stuff they smoked yesterday, but figures it’s probably best to space out any usage.
With the otherworldly high he’d gotten—whatever it was—it’s likely in his best interests to only have that stuff once in a while.
Don’t want to get desensitized to it right away.
Carol is sitting next to Ray on a couch, while Gene sits in a folding chair in front of them, although closer to Ray.
Gene takes a drag of his cigarette, not paying any mind to the rest of the room—focusing solely on his best friend.
Ray always looks so goddamn beautiful; tonight he’s wearing a flowy blouse, scarf hanging over his shoulders, and of course that sparkly blue eyeshadow accentuating his already very blue eyes. Gene could stare at him all day.
What keeps him going is how Ray seems to stare back at him the exact same way. The kind of look in his eyes that Gene knows well—admiration, affection. Gene almost misses what he says because he’s so caught up being mesmerized by his gaze.
“I’m sorry, what was that?” Gene chuckles, shaking his head a little.
“I said, I wonder if Maurice would want to visit Andy Warhol again at our stop in NYC,” Ray says with a forgiving smile.
“Oh, maybe. I guess that depends on if Warhol’s home.”
“That’s true. We should ask Dennis about that, since we have an extra free day in New York because of Carrie’s modeling gig.”
“Oh, yeah. Definitely.” Finally, a day where she won’t be attached to Ray’s hip.
“You guys are free to do whatever,” Carol says. “As you… normally do.”
Gene pouts, taking another drag of his cigarette. “You’ve been in New York a lot more than us for your modeling. So you’ve seen more of the city than us. Maybe if Warhol’s not home, we all could explore.”
“If you do, try not to get lost. It’s nothing like Detroit,” Carol says, eyeing Ray.
“We’ll be fine, babe,” Ray reassures. “Well, if you’ll excuse me, I need to run to the restroom real quick, if you don’t mind.”
“You going to bring Gene along with you?” She raises an eyebrow.
Gene wonders the same thing, if Ray is setting up some sort of ploy. But to his dismay, Ray shakes his head. It’s probably for the best anyway. Don’t want to raise more suspicions. “No, just gotta do my business. I’ll be back in a bit.”
“Alright, we’ll still be here,” Gene says, giving him a smile.
Ray smiles back, then stands up from the couch, weaving his way past the crowd to go find wherever the restroom is.
Which leaves Gene alone with Carol.
Well, not technically alone, but the rest of the Brooms and their crew are paying them no mind.
They’re all engrossed in their own conversations: Pat hanging out with Dennis, Santi chatting with Maurice (they’re seeming to become closer friends, which makes Gene happy), Nicky is standing with the members of the opening band, and Stefan has a chick by his side, as usual.
Ray will be back soon. But in the meantime, Gene needs to not make a fool of himself acting awkward around his best friend’s girlfriend.
“You know, I guess now that we have a moment… I wanted to ask you something, Gene,” Carol says, fidgeting with the hem of her knee-length skirt.
Oh, I’m bound to make a fool of myself, alright.
“Um, yeah. What were you thinking?” he asks as nonchalantly as he can.
“So, you’re Ray’s best friend, right?” He nods at her question. “So therefore, maybe you can help explain why he’s been acting strange lately.”
“What… exactly do you mean? ‘Acting strange’?” He tries to sound genuinely confused, despite knowing what this may be about…
“Well, you know. He’s been distant toward me. I was wondering if you knew anything about why that might be, since you know him so well. I mean, you were the one that went with him on that Fourth of July trip, just the two of you.”
There it is, that mention of the trip again. She’d brought that up to Ray yesterday, too. And she has every right to. If only she knew what really happened those few days…
“I-I guess so, but y’know, we didn’t really talk about you or girls or anything like that. When we hang out, it’s usually just about music or whatever else we’re busy with that day. I mean, with the band.”
Carol raises her brows, hidden behind her brown bangs.
“Music, huh? I suppose that makes sense. But I don’t know, it just feels weird to me.
I feel like there’s something he’s still hiding.
I can’t really prove it’s another woman—I haven’t seen anyone else around him.
But I know he cheated on his old girlfriend before me.
I was worried I got myself into this big ol’ mess with some rockstar because he seemed to like me a lot.
But you are really close to him. I figured maybe you’d have some insight.
Oh Gene, what am I supposed to do with him? ”
Gene shakes his head. “How the hell should I know? I don’t fuck him. I don’t know the first thing about actually being in a relationship with Ray like that.”
Carol’s eyes widen. “Well, now. Um… Okay. I was just asking.”
Truthfully, Gene just wants this conversation to be done and over with.
Blatant lying seemed to be the only thing that would get her to stop.
He can’t answer any of these questions. He can’t just fucking admit that the reason she’s having any of these relationship woes is because of Gene himself.
Why yes, I completely understand, you have all the reason to worry because it’s true—I am fucking him.
Your boyfriend is cheating on you, but it’s not with another woman.
It’s with me.
Gene feels bad for her. She really did get involved in this big mess, first sleeping with Gene and then Ray, no thought involved from any of them—just going with the flow and riding the waves.
That’s all they’ve been doing, and look how they’ve ended up.
Carol has been hanging onto Ray for nearly a whole year now.
Gene can feel in his heart that something isn’t right, that Ray shouldn’t still be with her, but it’s not Gene’s place to tell her that.
He’s already argued with Ray about it, and that went nowhere.
If Ray is still going to try to be with her, break up with her, whatever he decides, that should be Ray’s responsibility to deal with his own shit. Not Gene’s.
But didn’t I help get Carol involved in the first place?
“Sorry, I don’t mean to sound harsh.” Gene shrugs, taking a drag of a cigarette to help clear his thoughts. “I just don’t have any answers, really. I know you’re worried, but I don’t have any advice that would help. That’s all.”
Carol sighs, leaning back further into the couch. “Well, alright. Was worth a shot. Thanks anyway.”
Right on cue, Ray makes an appearance, weaving through the crowd and finding his way back to the couch.
Thank god, Gene thinks. He can’t stand another minute of this conversation with Carol.
Hopefully Ray didn’t overhear anything, but it’s unlikely given the ambient noise of all the chatter surrounding them.
Ray plops right back down in his old seat, next to his girlfriend.
Gene takes another huff of his cigarette.
“Did I miss anything while I was gone?” Ray asks in a playful manner, looking at Gene.
“You weren’t really gone long enough to miss much,” Gene chuckles. He makes eye contact with Carol briefly before gazing at Ray again.
“That’s good. Now, where were we?”
“I think we were talking about what we were gonna do in New York,” Gene says.
“Oh yeah, right.”
On the road to New York, Ray is sitting with Gene on the bus.
It’s still rather early in the day, but Carol wanted to catch up on some rest for her gig tomorrow, so she’s taking a nap in the back on one of the bunk beds, the curtain to the area drawn shut.
Ray is fine with that. It gives him some time alone with Gene.
Well, not really alone—the Brooms and their crew are still scattered all around the bus—but Ray doesn’t need to share his time with Gene with Carol.
Maybe that sounds bad, but I guess I haven’t been feeling up to spending time with her much at all lately.