Brooklyn & Beale (11 page)

Chloe’s eyes stung and her chest felt heavy. Wistful and envious, she let Reid sweep her away with his words. As the rehearsal drew to a close, Chloe pulled in a deep breath and turned to Drew. A part of her wanted to forget her stupid idea, but the rest of her wouldn’t be deterred. After two hours of listening to the beauty of his soul, there was no way she wouldn’t at least try to help him find his words again.

“Okay, last song. Let’s do ‘Memphis.’”

Chloe smiled. “Memphis” was already in the rotation. One they’d played since the beginning. She doubted he’d be too upset about her interruption. Chloe turned her head toward Drew and nodded, before doing the same to Greer. He made the sign of the cross over his chest in dramatic fashion, causing Chloe to let out a choked laugh. She cleared her throat and diverted her gaze when Reid gave her a questioning look.

A few moments later, Drew began to play, but not the notes Reid expected. The melody was slow and easy as Greer joined in and Chloe played the guitar piece on her violin. While Drew and Greer kept their eyes down, their attention focused on the sheet music, Chloe kept her gaze locked on Reid. His reaction was slow, delayed. His head tilted and his shoulders bunched then relaxed as the song became clear. When he turned to face the group, his eyes went straight to Chloe.

“What are y’all doing?” he asked, his arms lifted from his sides with his palms facing outward.

“Just go with it,” she urged, cueing the guys to loop the intro again.

“Why are you playing this?” he asked instead, making no move to join in.

“I’m Yoda-ing you.” Her face split into a smile when his eyes widened in understanding and a grin turned up the corners of his mouth.

“You can’t be serious,” he chuckled, but he shifted his guitar into position and moved toward the mic. Instead of turning his back to the group as usual, he faced them.

“I never joke about training, Padawan.” Chloe winked and looked at Greer and Drew, who both wore perplexed expressions. She waved them off and smiled. “One more time from the top.”

The intro started again, and right on cue, Reid began to sing the opening lyrics of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Have You Ever Seen the Rain.” The atmosphere relaxed and the tension that had choked the air for the past couple of hours floated away with the melody. Reid’s voice softened and the words rolled off his tongue with a peaceful, easy feeling. Everything felt lighter.

Greer bobbed along with the beat as Drew tapped his foot, both seemingly lost in the beloved classic rock song. Chloe swayed from side to side, mirroring the happy contentedness of everyone else. Off to the side, Tom stepped onto the stage. Chloe noticed his surprise and how it quickly morphed into a look of relief. When the final note faded into silence, Tom pushed off the wall and walked toward the middle of the stage, clapping the entire time.

“I don’t know whose idea that was, but hot damn, that was amazing.”

Reid pulled his guitar strap over his head and looked in Chloe’s direction. “While it seems she didn’t act alone, I’m going to bet it was the one trying way too hard to appear innocent.”

“So, you’re not mad?” The desperate hope written all over her face made Drew laugh.

Reid looked between the two of them before shaking his head slowly. “No. I think I needed that. It’s the most relaxed I’ve felt all day. Hell, all week.”

Chloe threw her arms in the air and twirled before darting across the stage and almost knocking Reid off his feet as she threw her body against his in a massive hug. He let out an “oomph” and steadied her as she pulled away, her expression sheepish but no less happy.

“Sorry. You have no idea how happy I am that you’re not mad.”

“Oh?” Reid asked with a smirk as the others continued to chuckle. “And why is that?”

Chloe shot a look over her shoulder at Drew and Greer, her expression full of mock pity. “Sorry, guys. It looks like you’re stuck with your own laundry.”

“Why would you do their laundry?”

“I told them if playing that song pissed you off, I’d do their laundry by hand for two weeks.”

“Holy shit,” Tom laughed. “I don’t know if that was the ballsiest or dumbest wager I’ve ever heard.”

“I didn’t really think it through, to be honest,” Chloe admitted with a little laugh.

“Well, since I’m not pissed, just the opposite, in fact, what did you win?”

Chloe’s expression softened. She lifted her bow and pointed at Reid, rolling her eyes in embarrassment as she did. “That,” she said, pointing at his smiling face. “Apparently, the possibility of improving your mood was worth washing Greer’s boxers. Again, I’m pretty sure I didn’t think that wager through as well as I should have.”

“Chloe,” Drew said, moving to her side and throwing his arm over her shoulder. “That was the most idiotic wager I’ve ever heard of in my life. Next time, start with food runs. Don’t pull out the big guns from the beginning.”

Chloe’s expression was solemn. “Got it.”

“Well,” Greer sighed. “Looks like I need to go turn my boxers inside out before the show.”

“Gross.” Chloe pretended to gag while the rest of the group groaned in disgust.

Tom clapped to get everyone’s attention. “Dinner will be set up in about an hour. Everyone go get cleaned up and we’ll meet back here. Sound good?”

Chloe nodded and waved good-bye as everyone scattered. She’d just rounded the side stage when Reid wrapped his fingers around her arm and pulled her to a stop. She turned to face him, immediately noticing his expression. His eyes were hesitant. He tapped the side of his leg with his free hand and chewed his bottom lip. He looked nervous, apprehensive. When he spoke, he confirmed Chloe’s suspicion.

“Can we talk?”

The small space off to the side of the stage was dimly lit and smelled of stale alcohol. Reid imagined to most it would be unpleasant, but he found the familiarity comforting. After a quick glance back at the stage, he shuffled his feet and motioned down the hall toward his dressing room.

“Do you mind if we go back there?” He wasn’t sure why he felt the need to speak with her in private. No one was around, and even if they were, the two of them chatting wouldn’t raise any eyebrows. Even still, he felt uneasy.

“Of course,” Chloe agreed, turning quickly, but not fast enough for Reid to miss her sudden look of concern. He was making her as uneasy as he felt, which wasn’t his intention.

“There’s a cooler full of Coke in my dressing room. I’m thirsty as hell.” Reid smiled when Chloe’s gait slowed and her shoulders dropped a little. His remark had its intended effect.

“Do you think there’s a Sprite in your cooler full of Coke?”

“I’m pretty sure there’s a little bit of everything. We should be able to find you something suitable.” He moved around her and pushed the door open, stepping to the side so she could walk inside. Once the door clicked shut, he moved to the cooler and pulled out an icy Coke and Sprite. “Looks like you’re in luck.”

“Awesome. Thanks.”

Reid followed Chloe to the sofa and sat on the opposite end. With their bodies facing each other, the pair sat in silence and sipped their sodas. Reid followed Chloe’s movements, watching the way her throat constricted as she swallowed. A feeling Reid knew all too well stirred in his abdomen. He quickly averted his eyes and cleared his throat. Twisting the tab of his can, he mentally scolded himself for the direction of his thoughts. This was why he didn’t want to talk to her in front of the others; he didn’t need anyone getting the wrong idea. The sound of crinkling paper distracted him from his thoughts. When he looked up, any lingering feelings of inner turmoil vanished.

“What the hell are you doing?”

Chloe’s face colored with surprise as she froze with a Starburst hovering over the mouth of her Sprite can. “Huh?”

Reid wore a bemused expression as he waved toward her hands. “Are you shoving Starbursts into your Sprite can?”

Chloe looked from the can to Reid. “Yes,” she answered, the word drawn out. “Is that weird?”

Reid took a moment to look at Chloe. He made a mental list of all her unique qualities. Like how she attended Juilliard, yet never hid her crazy hair, nose and lip piercings, or colorful tattoos. She joined the wrestling and roller derby teams, even though she had a gift to make the most beautiful music playing the violin. Hell, she quoted
Star Wars
better than any comic book nerd he’d ever met. Shoving Starbursts into the top of her Sprite can was just par for the course it seemed. The thought made Reid smile.

“No,” he chuckled. “Not even a little.” He shook his head and threw his arm along the top of the sofa. “I wanted to say thanks for what you did.” He laughed again and cocked his head. “I swear, it seems like all I’m ever doing with you is apologizing or thanking you for something.”

“Well, I’m not entirely sure what you mean by that, but I must say, it’s better than having you yell or be angry.”

“It takes a lot to make me mad. I’m pretty even-tempered. Usually,” he mumbled.

“Then Greer is quite talented at pushing your buttons.”

Reid ran a hand down his face and groaned. “That’s a story for another day. I asked to speak with you to say thanks for playing that song at the end of rehearsal. I have a lot of stuff going on, most of it self-inflicted.” He shifted on the couch and cracked his knuckles, before wiping the palms of his hands over the tops of his thighs. “I don’t know if that’s the right word. I’m just under a lot of stress of my own doing. Playing that song, well, that was the lightest I’ve felt since this tour started.”

Chloe fidgeted and took a sip of her drink. “I consider you a friend, and when my friends are upset or sad, I want to help. Sometimes my efforts are appreciated, sometimes they aren’t. The thing is, you’re an amazing musician. The idea of you not writing music is unacceptable. My methods might seem silly, but they’ve worked for me. I didn’t see the harm in seeing if they might work for you as well.”

“There’s no harm at all. Honestly, I don’t know what, if anything, can get me back in the headspace to write again. But anything that makes me forget about the bad stuff for even just a minute is a welcome relief.”

“I know I’ve said this before, but if you need to talk, I’m here.”

Reid nodded and stood from the couch. Much like Chloe had done earlier, he reached for her hand and pulled her to her feet. “Thanks. I might take you up on that one day.”

“If you don’t need anything else, I’m going to grab some food before I start getting ready.”

“Nope. You go ahead. I’ll catch up later.”

Reid watched Chloe step into the hallway. The moment the door closed behind her, his anxiety came rushing back. The feeling twisted his stomach and tightened his throat. His skin felt as though an army of ants was marching from his scalp to his toes. It was maddening. One foot in front of the other, he paced the length of the room. When his phone rang, the sensation intensified.

“Jess.”

“Hey, you. I wanted to check in before your show. See how things were going.”

Reid raked his hand through his hair. “Okay, I guess. They’d be better if you were here.”

Jess’s soft laughter floated through the phone. “I promise to try to get over there soon. We’ve been so busy at work. I delivered the most beautiful colt last night. It was amazing.”

Reid smiled at the awe in her voice. No matter how many times she witnessed a horse giving birth, she managed to sound like it was the very first time. Sometimes he believed she loved those horses more than him. “Send me a picture when you can.”

“I will.” There was a long pause, and when Jess spoke again, her voice was softer, melancholy. “I hate your being so far away. I can’t wait until you’re home for good.”

Reid sighed as apprehension settled on his shoulders. He wasn’t sure why her words left him so unsettled, but his fear of losing the person who gave him a reason to push through each day kept him from pursuing the subject. Without her, there was nothing to keep the demons at bay.

“Why don’t we focus on getting through the first leg of the tour? It makes our time apart seem less daunting.”

“You’re right.” Several moments of silence passed before Reid cleared his throat. Just as he was about to ask if something was wrong, Jess began to speak. “I was finally able to watch a few clips of your shows on YouTube. You were amazing. I see what that reporter meant about your onstage chemistry with Chloe. She’s very talented. And pretty.”

Reid knew better than to comment on Jess’s last remark. Even though he’d given Jess no reason to doubt his commitment, he wasn’t stupid enough to believe she wasn’t affected by the lifestyle he led when they were not together. He needed to tread lightly.

“I think you’d really like her. When you come here for a show, I’ll introduce you.” He sighed heavily and let out an amused chuckle. “Although, as long as Greer’s around, you might have a little trouble getting any real time to talk with her.”

“Oh?” Jess asked. The relief in her voice was obvious. Reid, on the other hand, felt anything but relieved. Whether it was from his misleading comment regarding Chloe and Greer’s relationship or the thought that a real relationship might develop would remain a mystery. Whatever the reasoning, Reid had no interest in continuing that particular conversation.

“You’ve met Greer. He’s nothing if not persistent.”

“True,” Jess laughed. “What about Chloe? Does she seem interested?”

“Who knows?” Reid shrugged, his agitation growing. “We haven’t hung out much other than rehearsals and shows. Although, that’s going to change over the next couple of weeks. We’re adding the rest of the new songs into the set list, and I’ll need to work with her more than I have.” The moment the words left his mouth, Reid realized he was making an excuse to spend time with Chloe.

“Hopefully Greer won’t give you too much trouble,” Jess joked, but the tone of her voice gave her away. She sounded uneasy. This wasn’t how their conversations were supposed to go. Things were supposed to be easy, better, reassuring. Reid needed to fix things before they hung up or he would be stressed the remainder of the night.

“Oh, I’m sure he will, but that’s nothing new. If I don’t want to kill him at least once a day, the entire world seems out of balance. I’ll give Chloe that— she’s kept him out of my face. At least that part of the tour has been tolerable.”

“Come on, it can’t all be bad.”

“It’s not. I have my good and bad days.”

“And what’s today?”

Reid smiled. “It started off pretty rough, but it’s slowly turned around.”

“I’m glad I could help,” Jess whispered.

“Me too. Listen, I need to get ready. I’ll talk to you soon, okay?”

“Break a leg.”

With a soft good-bye, Reid ended to call. He stared at the screen of his phone for a second before shoving it in his pocket and heading toward the door. He felt dishonest for not correcting Jess, because for the first time in as long as he could remember, she wasn’t the one who turned his day around. This time, it was all because of Chloe and CCR.

“Are you sure about this?” Chloe pressed the cold plastic of her water bottle to her forehead before downing half the contents.

Reid looked over his shoulder toward the darkened stage. The roar of the crowd was nearly deafening as they chanted and cheered for the band to come back out for one more song. “Hell yes. Tom’s already checked with the venue manager. Their insurance covers that song since they’re with PRO, so we’re good.”

“But I’m not finished. There were a few more layers I wanted to add. What we played earlier was just for fun, not performing!”

Reid couldn’t help but laugh at Chloe’s panicked expression. “What’s the matter? Do you think we’re going to screw up your rewrite?”

Chloe threw her arms in the air. “Of course not! Well, maybe,” she mumbled.

“I’m hurt by your lack of confidence,” Greer said as Drew nodded in agreement, wearing a mocking frown.

“I can’t believe you two are in on this.” Chloe threw her hands in the air. “I’m outnumbered.” She straightened her shoulders and gave the guys a defiant look. “If it sucks, you three only have yourselves to blame.”

A smile remained stretched across Reid’s face as Chloe turned and walked away in a huff. “You’d think this was her song the way she’s acting.”

Greer moved beside him and shrugged. “She may not have written the lyrics, but I’ll be damned if she didn’t make a hell of a lot of changes to the music. It looks like you’re not the only one who acts like a crazy person when it comes to protecting your music.” Greer’s face twisted with distaste. “I don’t know if I can handle you both. As it is, you’re barely tolerable on a good day.”

Reid punched Greer in the arm, grinning when he winced. “You’re damn lucky I’m protective. Otherwise, I would have kicked your ass out of the group a long time ago.”

Greer clapped Reid on the shoulder and smiled. “Face it, bro. You’d be lost without me.”

“Whatever makes you sleep better at night,” Reid deadpanned.

“Are you ladies going to stand here and chat all night, or do you plan on playing that encore?”

“Shit,” Reid laughed as he turned to Drew. “Y’all go out there. Tom already let the lighting guys know what to do with the intro. Otherwise, everything will be the same except the song.”

“I still can’t believe you want to do this without a real rehearsal,” Drew remarked.

Reid shrugged and pushed his hair out of his face. “It feels right. We’ll be fine.” Pausing, he looked between Drew and Greer. “That being said, I hope you two spent the last few hours looking over the sheet music like I instructed.”

Greer rolled his eyes. “Of course we did. Although keeping Chloe from figuring out what we were up to wasn’t all that easy. I had to threaten her with dirty boxers to make her leave the room.”

“He really did,” Drew added with a laugh. “You should have seen her face. She left muttering something about hazmat suits.”