Page 107 of Steady Stroke
Lincoln lowered his voice. “Speaking of Benji, what’s going on with him and Joshua?”
Dominic sighed. “Same argument as always. Benji wants to close their relationship, be exclusive, but neither one of them wants to stop traveling so much. Joshua doesn’t want to give up his job to be a kept wife, waiting for his man to come home from his latest gig, and Benji won’t give up Fading Daze.”
“Shit.”
“Yeah.”
“Think they’ll work it out?”
“I hope so, man. They’ve been together a long time.”Dominic gave him an assessing look that made Lincoln squirm. “Then again, sometimes you can be with someone for only a little while and know you want them for always.”
I want Emmett.
“I don’t want to talk about that today,” Lincoln said. “Happy things only. Tell me about your last gig, or something. Funny stories.”
Trey eagerly launched into a tale of visiting a gay club during a stint in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, two weeks ago, where a good friend of the owners’ son was given a thoroughly embarrassing birthday celebration. The story included drag queens, ass-less chaps, and cowboy hats.
By the end of the story, all four of them were rolling with laughter. Even Benji had turned over to listen to their antics. Lincoln soaked in the fun and joy of his friends, glad to be around them again, while still keenly aware that something was missing.
Someonewas missing.
It seemed to take longer to get through the admissions gate and parked in the talent side of the lot than it had taken to drive there. Everyone in the van and the camper was given an ID badge that they’d need to pass from the general-admission side of the gate back to the talent side. All familiar things from last year.
Lincoln peeked out through one of the windows at the half-full lot. A sea of campers and tents and vehicles of all sorts. He remembered the mixed smells of asphalt, rubber, gasoline, cigarettes, charcoal, and pot from last year. Plus all the food vendors on the other side of the gate; everything from barbecue to Indian had been available in the booths.
Plus alcohol. After XYZ had performed last year, Lincoln had spent the rest of the weekend shifting between buzzed and full-on drunk.
The camper finally stopped moving as Andy pulled into their designated spot. Danielle was up and out of the camper before Lincoln could properly stretch and stand, much less decide if he was ready to face the summer heat. Benji rustled himself up and out with a grimace.
“Shouldn’t he stay in bed?” Lincoln asked.
“He’s an adult,” Dominic said. “I’m sure he’ll be back. Probably needs something from his luggage.”
Which was stored in the back of the van with their equipment. Duh.
“I’m going to help pitch the tent,” Trey said.
“Sounds sexy,” Dominic replied with an eyebrow waggle. “Need a hand?”
“From you? Always.”
The cutesy way they interacted made Lincoln want to hate them both, but he couldn’t. “Get away from me with your sugary sweetness,” he said. “You’re giving me a toothache.”
Trey laughed then followed Dominic outside.
Danielle reappeared in the camper doorway before Lincoln could decide what he wanted to do next. “Hey.”
“Hi.”
“So I found something of yours that you left behind,” she said. “Thought maybe you wanted it back.”
“Huh?” Lincoln hadn’t forgotten anything. He had his instrument, his phone and charger, clean clothes. Migraine meds.
She moved aside, and Emmett ascended the three steps into the camper’s interior. Lincoln stared at the apparition, waiting for it to disappear, because no way was Emmett really there.
“We figured after all the work he put in, he deserves to hear you perform live,” she said. “No one’s coming into the camper until one of you walks out, okay?”
“Thank you, Danielle,” Emmett said.
