She nodded, her expression solemn. “He did. He was right behind me, and my friend didn’t even tell me. The thing was, the band had been unhappy with their management for a while, so once I got over my urge to jump out the window, we talked the entire party. I’d been thinking about getting out of A&R, and the boys liked my style.”
“Youdomake phone calls like a fucking boss.”
She smirked. “That hasn’t changed.” Her mouth opened in a wide yawn. “When I agreed to questions, I was thinking they’d be yes or no. I wasn’t prepared for all these long-form answers.”
“How many more do I have?”
“Four.”
“I’ll make them easy. Are you still pissed I’m here?”
She chewed her lip, her eyes moving around my face. “No.”
“Do you believe me when I say I regret fucking it all up, still to this day?”
“Yes.”
“Do you forgive me?”
Without hesitation, she answered, “Yes.”
“Can we be friends, after this tour?”
Her eyes turned down, and she shook her head. “No. No, I don’t think so.”
Disappointment rolled deep through my gut. We’d made progress, but we weren’t there yet.
“Did you read the liner notes?”
Her eyes darted back up to mine. “You’ve asked your ten questions.” She stood, hauling her bag over her shoulder. “I’m tired. We have to get up early. The buses leave at eight. I’d suggest you go to bed too.”
I would, but my shoulders were weighed down by a thousand pound anvil. “I will. I’m just gonna stay here for a bit.”
She gave a curt nod, gripping her strap like her life depended on it. “I’m glad this happened, even though I’m not ready for more right now.”
She turned and walked away, and I watched her go.
“Me too, Stripes. I’m really fucking glad too.”