Jason had a smirk on his face and my mouth dropped open. “Did you just make a reference to The Sound of Music?”
“Yeah. You love that movie, right?”
My cheeks burned and I closed my eyes. “I used to. When I was a kid.”
“You used to watch that on repeat. I remember hearing those songs over and over when I was at your house.”
“Oh God.” I buried my face in my hands.
It was not only embarrassing but slightly soul destroying too. I didn’t want him to remember things I did as a child. I wanted him to forget he ever knew me then, and see me as someone different. An adult.
“Hey, that movie is the reason you and Ellie can sing in tune!” Jason laughed again. “That Doh-Re-Mi shit works!”
“I despise you right now.” I tried to glare at him but I dissolved into laughter as he poked his tongue out at me, crossing his eyes. For a rock God he could be such a dork sometimes.
“Come on, Luce. Let’s go find some German eats.”
Whatever had been bothering Jason earlier dissolved over lunch. We did find schnitzel and noodles, and he took great pleasure in singing that damn song with a look of glee on his face at every opportunity, until I kicked him hard under the table to make him stop. We couldn’t spend too much time out because Jason had to get back to the club for sound checks, but it seemed to be enough to chase away whatever had been bugging him earlier. I figured the thought of us having a night out had lightened him up a bit too. We hadn’t partied at all since we’d been away, but one of the German roadies had recommended a club, and assured us it wasn’t to be missed.
As it turned out, he was… well, not absolutely right. It was a club. Like any other club I’d ever been to, with bright lights, loud music and lots of people squished together.
“Why are we here?” Mack shouted over the music as we waited by the bar to get drinks. “This place is packed!”
“Yeah, but look at all the women! Fuck me, German women are hot!”
Oh, Joey. Always thinking about his penis.
“There are hot women in clubs all over the world. Why did Franz insist we come here? And where is he, anyway?”
I looked around for the short, muscly roadie who’d lured us to the club under false pretences, but I couldn’t see him. “Did he say he was definitely coming?”
“No. But since it was his idea and he was so enthusiastic, I assumed he’d be here.”
It made no odds to me either way. I just wanted to have a couple of drinks and enjoy not being stuffed into our tin can of a tour bus. Every extra hour out of there was a bonus to me.
As if he’d heard us talking, Franz popped out of the crowd, grinning. “Hey, you made it!”
“We did,” Drew said. “Can I get you a drink?”
“Oh, no. Thank you.” He waved a dismissive hand and turned to Jason. “Jason, there are some people who want to meet you. Will you come?”
Drew, Mack and Joey exchanged amused grins. This happened a lot. Although the other guys had their own fans, it was always Jason everyone wanted to meet.
“Sure. Just let me get a drink and I’ll be right there.”
Franz nodded and stepped back from the crowds swarming the bar.
It was another ten minutes before we managed to get drinks, and while Jason went to meet his new friends, the rest of us moved as far away from the crowds and the noise as possible. As we settled around a small circular table, we chatted about the things we wanted to do when we got to Prague. After one night in Vienna, we were headed to Prague for two days, and one of them was a day we had to ourselves. No gigs, no interviews. Just chill time. Ellie and I had Facetimed each other about the things we wanted to see because we were sure the guys would want to take advantage of the cheap beer and not care about sightseeing. It would be so much fun to visit the Charles Bridge and the Astronomical Clock. Okay, so I’d never heard of those places until we started researching but they looked stunning and I couldn’t wait to see them in real life.
While we were talking, I noticed Drew had zoned out, staring into nothingness.
Jesus. What is up with everyone today?
I poked him in the ribs and he jolted out of his trance. “What’s up with you? I thought you’d be grinning like an idiot about seeing Ellie tomorrow.”
His face paled even though he tried to force a smile. “I can’t wait to see her.”
“Really? You look like you’re expecting a visit from the Grim Reaper.”