Page 77 of Dirty Like Brody
“What do you wanttoknow?”
“Everything,” she said, that sparkle in her eyes. “I want to knoweverything.”
So I filled her in, the best I could, on the highs and lows of six-and-a-half years working, traveling and living with a bunch of talented, egotistical, moody, unpredictable and definitely somewhat insane rock stars. Mostly, the many highs. The biggest parties, the most epic concerts, the amazing placeswe’dbeen.
I also told her about all the messes that Maggie, Jude and I had mopped up over the years. Which, in the early days, meant tantrums and trashed hotel rooms (Zane), random disappearances minutes before concerts were scheduled to start (Dylan), trails of broken hearts and death threats from discarded women (Zane and Jesse), ridiculous pranks and practical jokes that ended in nights spent in jail or the hospital (Zane and Dylan), and blow-out fights ending in either tears and a whole lot of broken shit, or laughter (Elle and just abouteveryone).
Nowadays, the dramas surrounding the band were a little less… full-throttle. Everyone was on the brink of their thirties; Dylan and I were already there, Jesse, Zane and Jude were next, and Elle would soon follow. Ten years working together as a band, longer for Jesse, Zane, Jude and I, and everyone was mellowing out. Thinking about what was next. For the band; for themselves. The days of partying all night long, sleeping all day, banging an endless line of willing groupies and drinking everything alcoholic in sight had lost at least some of itsappeal.
I’d seen the way everyone in the band—not just Elle—looked at Jesse with Katie. Katie had changed him, in a good way; Jesse had always been a happy guy, but something had happened thislastyear.
“She’s brought out the best in him,” I said. “Without even trying, she showed him there was more to life than the one he’d been living, epic asitwas.”
“Yeah. Iseethat.”
“I think the guys are jealous, actually.” I meant Zane and Dylan, but I was jealous of what Jesse and Katie had too. For sureIwas.
I kept talking, and Jessa kept listening. She begged for more details when the stories got good. Smacked me on the arm when they got too crazy to believe. Best of all she laughed, that soft, bubbly little giggle, and even better, that big, throaty laugh like she just might choke—the one she’d laughed when wewerekids.
Jesus, I’d missed thatlaugh.
When it was her turn to talk, to share what life had been like for her these past six-and-a-half years, she held back. I knew she did. But I took what shegaveme.
Mostly she told me about her travels, some of the most incredible photo shoots she’d done, the places she’d been. And I was glad to hear she’d been happy. At least, she’d definitely had some good times over the years. Maybe I was eighty percent happy and twenty percent jealous… but really, I never wanted her to beunhappy.
I just wished she’d been happywithme.
“Turks and Caicos,” she mused. “That was the most fun ever. They have the bluest water, and it’s just sobeautiful.”
“Near the Bahamas, right? I’veneverbeen.”
“You should go,” she said, but I left thatalone.
If Jessa was there in a bikini, not a problem. I’d book my flight thisminute.
“Night swimming there is pretty epic… it’s a little warmer than it was up at the wedding.” She grinned at me. “I don’t think I’ve ever been that cold. When I jumped in the water, I thought my heart was going to stop. If Zane didn’t put his arms around me, I think it might’ve. You were smart not to come in. But then again… you always were the smart one.” Her smile faded, replaced by something else… a certain wistfulness. Admiration, maybe. It was the way she often looked at me when we were reallyyoung.
Like I could do nowrong.
“The amount of alcohol you drank,” I said, “you’re lucky you didn’t get hypothermia.” That much was true; jumping in that frigid water, drunk, in the dark, was a fairly risky move, and I didn’t like her taking those kinds ofrisks.
“Lucky me, then, that I had you to make meafire.”
“I see you got this one started just finewithoutme.”
“Actually,” she confessed, “Jesse did it.” She bit her plump bottom lip. “Brody… I was drunk that night, but I don’t want you to think… That wasn’t all bullshit just to get you back to my room. I hope you know that. I mean, I knew you were there with Amanda. Even if Iwantedto—”
“Uh…hi.”
We looked up to find Maggie standingoverus.
She looked carefully from Jessa to me and back. “Am I interrupting anything?” Clearly, she knewshewas.
Great fucking timing,Maggs.
“I brought you some bevvies,” she added quickly. She was double-fisting a couple of drinks in round brandy snifters, something that looked and smelled of coffee, with whipped cream on top. “Mexican coffee,” she said. “Kind of. Dylan brought a shit-ton of tequila and Katie was feeling nostalgic for her barista days, so we improvised. It’s got Kahlúa, dark chocolate liqueur, cinnamon and espresso. And, you know, I thought you guys might be a littlechilly.”
Which meant she knew we were out here. Which meant she’d snooped in my room and saw us out thewindow.
