by Marie Meyer
“I’ll call you before I board, and the second I land.” He promised. “I love you, Jillibean. I gotta go.”
“I love you, too, Griffin.”
He clicked his line off just as the announcer shouted “Mine Shaft!” over the PA system. I heard the crowd roar and then nothing. Silence. He was gone.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
The second Chandra opened her door, I unleashed all of my pent-up fury. I threw my messenger bag on her bed and screamed, pulling fistfuls of my purple hair. “Ugh! I fucking HATE her! She’s horrible!”
Chandra stood back, not accustomed to seeing me in freak-out mode. “Whoa, calm down. What happened?”
“Tina happened…again.” I paced.
“What happened now?” she asked, sitting on her bed.
“She had a fitting two weeks ago. I took her measurements and altered the shit out of my designs. They don’t even look like my original sketches anymore. Today, we had another fitting and none of the clothes fit right.”
“Have you talked to Vine?” Chandra asked.
“It’s too late now. The show’s only a month away.” I griped. “It’s my own damn fault. I should have talked to Vine and gotten a different model.” I finally tired of pacing and sat beside Chandra on her bed.
“I’m sure the show will be fine.” Chandra patted my back reassuringly. “Tina won’t do anything to put her reputation on the line in front of Vine. She’ll play nice when she’s being watched. I’m sure of it.”
I admired Chandra’s confidence. I just wished I had some of my own. I turned and looked at her. “I hope you’re right.”
“Hey, guess what?” Chandra said, getting up.
“What?” I shifted my bag to the floor and stretched out, making myself comfortable. Over the last few weeks, I had spent more time at Chandra’s than in my own room. Sarah worked on her project or was with Brandon most of the time. I barely saw her anymore. Chandra and I kept each other company during marathon work sessions. With the show only four weeks away, things were getting crazy…for everyone.
“My mom found a job!” Chandra announced.
I sprang to my feet and gave her a big hug. “Chandra, that’s awesome!”
“Yeah, it is. She’s working at a doctor’s office as a receptionist. She has benefits for the first time in her life. But do you know what she’s most excited about?” I could see tears welling up in her eyes.
I shook my head. “No, what?”
“She gets to sit.”
“Sit?” That seemed like an odd thing to be excited about.
“My mom’s been a waitress for twenty years. She’s worked on her feet for twenty, long years. My mom gets to sit down at her new job.” Chandra’s love for her mother was evident in the way she spoke of her.
I got up from the bed and gave her a hug. “I’m so happy for her,” I said.
Pulling away, Chandra smiled at me and said, “Thanks. She’s going to be okay now.” I could hear the relief in her voice. “Hey,” she squealed. “I almost forgot. I’ve got a surprise for you.”
“A surprise?” I asked, puzzled.
“Yeah. It’s actually why I asked you to meet here instead of the studio.” She pulled her computer out of its sleeve and set it on her desk.
“What is it?” I walked over to stand beside her.
She looked over her shoulder and smiled. “Griffin has a concert tonight, right?”
“Yeah,” I nodded.
“They tweeted a link to a live feed of the concert.”
I remembered reading that in one of the e-mails Griffin sent me. “I totally forgot they were doing that,” I said.
“If I can find the link, we’ll be able to watch the concert,” she said, scrolling through her Twitter feed. “Here it is.” She clicked on it, and a new tab opened in the web browser. Mine Shaft’s YouTube channel opened. The feed took a minute or two to load, taxing the dorm’s shitty Wi-Fi capabilities, but once enough of the feed buffered, a grainy image of Griffin, Thor, Adam, and Pauly filled the tiny box.
Chandra clicked on the full screen button and filtered the sound through an external speaker. The enlarged image was even grainier, making the four members of Mine Shaft completely indistinguishable from each other, but I didn’t care. Griffin was on a stage in Kansas City, Missouri, giving a concert to hundreds of people, and now I was a part of that concert, too. His voice came through Chandra’s speakers loud and clear.
“This is awesome,” I said, watching the screen. “Thanks, Chandra.” I looked at her and smiled.
“You’re welcome. But we still have to work.” She pointed a finger in my direction.
“Party pooper.” I stuck out my bottom lip in protest.
“Yep.” She smiled and threw a folded, half-sewn skirt in my face as she turned up the music.
* * *
After my draping class let out, I stopped by the coffee shop to load up on the three C’s: coffee, chocolate, and carbs. Chandra and I had planned an all-nighter, and we were determined to finish our last pieces if it killed us.
I pulled open the door to the shop and my phone played Griffin’s signature ring tone—“About Time”. Griffin’s tour had ended two weeks ago and he was enjoying some well-deserved time off. I pulled my phone from my pocket, sliding my finger across the screen. “Hey, Griff,” I answered.
“Hey, Bean. What are you doing?” He was quiet. Something was on his mind…probably a new song.
“I’m heading into the coffee shop. Is everything okay?” I asked.
“Yeah. I’m working on a new song, and I got stuck.” After being on the road for over a month, Griffin’s usually smooth, deep voice was gruff and scratchy from overuse. No matter what his voice sounded like, it still sent chills down my spine and melted my insides.
“Does your new song have a title?” I asked.
“Uh-uh,” he answered. “How many days until you’re home?”
“Who says I’m counting?” I teased, walking over to a table so I would be out of the way.
“I know you’re counting.” Griffin paused for a moment before he spoke again. “I need to kiss you so fucking bad it hurts.” I could hear the pain in his voice.
I would give anything to feel his lips on mine, too. “Twenty-one days,” I sighed.
“Jesus,” he cursed. Or was that the beginning of a silent prayer? I couldn’t tell. “Be prepared, Bean,” he rasped. “I fully intend on holding you hostage when you get home.”
Desire pooled low in my abdomen. This was going to be the longest twenty-one days of my life. “How am I supposed to get any work done tonight? All I can think about is your hands on me.”
“Just my hands?” he groaned.
His tired voice rumbled deep in his throat. It sounded so fucking hot. “Oh, no,” I crooned. “I want every part of you.” Dear Lord, did I want him.
“Anytime, Bean,” he teased “I’m all yours.”
“Promise?” I asked.
“For-fucking-ever,” he growled.
* * *
After I hung up with Griffin, I had to take a minute to compose myself before I got up to order. I took a couple of deep breaths in, then out. I smoothed my hair back and stood up, shaking off the reaction Griffin’s words had elicited from my body.
I walked to the counter and was greeted by a perky barista. “Good evening. May I take your order?” she sang.
I took another breath, still feeling Griffin’s voice resonating in my ear. I exhaled and gave her my order. “I need five extra-large espressos—double shots in each, please. I will also take two brownies, two blueberry muffins, four chocolate chip cookies, and four sugar cookies. And these, too.” I laid four packages of M&M’s down on the counter. The barista stared at me like I’d just ordered a side of diabetes with my purchase. “It’s going to be a late night,” I added.
“Apparently so,” she remarked, ringing in my order. I handed over my card and she ran it through. “I’ll get your bakery items. Your drinks will be ready down
there.” She returned my card and busied herself, gathering my order.
“Thanks.” I stepped aside, giving the next customer room.
The barista loaded my drinks into a tray and packaged my food items into a bag. Balancing the large order, I was glad the coffee shop wasn’t that far from the studio.
“Are you going to make it?” she asked before I stepped out the door.
“I’m going to find out.” I smiled wearily. “Thanks for your help.” I pushed the door open with my hip, balancing everything precariously.
Chandra was waiting for me outside of the studio. She helped alleviate some of the load and took the coffees off my chest. Literally. “Thanks,” I said, drawing in a huge gulp of air. I hadn’t attempted to breathe the whole way over, fearing I’d upset something and spill it all over the ground, or me.
“You should have told me you were going. I would have met you there,” she scolded.
“Ah, it’s okay. I went on a whim. We’re not leaving until we’re done.” I needed to close this year out and get home.
“You got the three C’s?” She asked, peeking in the bag.
“And then some,” I added, shrugging my jacket off. “Let’s get to work.”
I docked my phone onto my portable speaker, grabbed an espresso from the tray, and cranked the music.
Chandra rolled two dress forms over to our work stations, and I grabbed two sewing machines. We pulled out the last of our pieces and got to work. Mine Shaft had become our music of choice. I was glad Chandra was a fan and my obsession didn’t bother her.
By the time I’d finished my second, extra-large cup of espresso, the sewing machine I used could be classified as a dangerous tool. I nicked my finger at least four different times swapping different gauge needles in and out of the needle bar. Each time my finger bled, I stared at the red bead. I waited for the rush of endorphins but for once, they never came.
“Hey workaholics, I brought dinner!” Sarah shouted from the doorway. In her hands she carried takeout from Baja’s.
“Sarah! I could kiss you!” I shouted. I pushed away from the machine and stood up, stretching my back.
“Seriously,” Chandra agreed. She stood up and stretched, too.
“Bring it on, girlies!” Sarah puckered her lips and made kissy noises.
“No offense, but I’m making out with this,” I said, reaching into the bag and pulling out a burrito.
“You two crack me up.” Chandra laughed and bit off a huge bite of her burrito.
“Ugh, this is so good,” I moaned.
“Mmm. So good,” Chandra agreed.
“Aren’t you eating, Sarah?” I asked, wiping away the string of cheese that hung from my chin.
“Brandon and I ate at Baja’s. I got you two carry-outs.” Sarah walked around the studio, camera in hand. Occasionally she’d snap a shot of some material spread out on a table or a partially draped dress form. The way she carried herself, she resembled a cat stalking its prey. Sarah’s claws were her camera, and her prey, the perfect shot.
“I don’t know if I actually ate that burrito or if I just inhaled it.” I wiped my mouth again and crumpled up the greasy burrito wrapper, tossing it in the garbage. “Thanks, Sarah. I needed that.”
“Sure thing.” Sarah looked over the top of her camera and smiled. “How much longer do you ladies plan on staying?”
“Until we’re finished,” Chandra and I answered in unison.
After we cleaned up our dinner mess, I cranked the music. Chandra went to her machine, I returned to mine, and Sarah documented our progress digitally. We were a rather reserved bunch, very different from a Friday night frat or house party.
As I fed the denim of my soon-to-be jeans through the sewing machine, I wondered if Griffin was making any progress on his new song.
“Oh, turn it up!” Chandra shouted.
I was just about to slide my chair over to the speaker but Sarah beat me. “This is my favorite Mine Shaft song!” Chandra said enthusiastically.
The heavy, upbeat tempo of Adam’s drumbeat pulled at my feet, and I couldn’t resist the urge to dance. “Buried” always had that effect on me. I stood up from the rolling chair and danced over to Chandra. I grabbed her hands and pulled her up, too. We met Sarah in the middle of the room and had our own impromptu party.
Each time Griffin strummed his bass, I’d throw my hip into Sarah or Chandra, flinging my hair around wildly. I was just about to toss my hip in the other direction, anticipating Griffin’s next chord, but it never came. The music stopped.
We froze.
My generic ringtone sounded through the studio. This was a ringtone I didn’t have assigned to anyone. “Who’d be calling at this hour?” I said. My eyes automatically went to the clock. It was 10:30 p.m.
I tiptoed toward the speaker where my phone was docked as if I expected it to bite. Every horror movie I’d ever seen began this way. Three college females, alone, having a good time…then bam: cue psycho killer.
I slowly reached for the phone, cringing as I pulled it from the dock. I pressed the answer button and held it to my ear. “Hello?” I whispered. Chandra and Sarah inched closer to each other, ready to run when I gave the signal.
“Oh,” I exhaled, relieved that it was only Ren.
I listened to her frantic voice at the other end of the line…then I fell.
Sarah and Chandra were at my side in a second, but all I could hear was Ren’s voice, “Did you hear me, Jillian?” she asked.
Her words hurt. I didn’t want to listen to anymore. “Uh-huh,” I croaked.
“Jillian, you have to get here,” Ren commanded through heavy sobs.
“Okay,” I answered robotically.
Then the line went dead.
Griffin’s next bass chord picked up right where it had left off, followed by his booming voice. I stared at my phone, at the picture of Mine Shaft’s album cover displayed on the screen. I couldn’t stop the tears now…not with Griffin’s voice…in my hand.
Sarah grabbed the phone and stopped the music. “Jillian! What’s wrong?” she shouted, hovering over me.
“Jillian?” Chandra brushed my hair back.
Seconds ago, his voice had filled this whole studio. With one click of a button, he was silenced. I had to get to him. He needed me. “I have to go.” I sucked up my tears and pushed off the ground with determined strength.
“Jillian. What’s going on? Where do you have to go?” Chandra asked.
I turned around and looked at both of my friends. “Griffin was in an accident.” I forced the words out. “The roads were wet and he lost control of his bike.” The only thing that gave me any hope was the fact that he’d worn his helmet.
“He’s going to be okay, though, right?” Sarah’s voice shook, too.
“The paramedics were loading him into the ambulance while she was on the phone with me. That’s all she knew.” My heart was beating so hard, I feared it might stop.
“Oh, Jillian.” Chandra came closer, ready to hug me. I took a step back. If they hugged me, I’d fall apart for good.
I shook my head. “I’m sorry. I have to go. I need to get there.” I searched around frantically, not knowing what to take, or where to go. I felt lost.
“Go,” Chandra demanded. “I’ll clean up here. Sarah, you take her back to the dorm and help her pack.”
“Got it. Come on, Jillian.” Sarah grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the door.
Sarah and I ran back to Victor. The whole way, she formulated a plan to get me home to Griffin. “When we get back to the room, you pack whatever essentials you need. I’ll book your flight.”
Flight. I stopped dead in my tracks.
It hadn’t even dawned on me that the quickest way to Griffin was by plane. I couldn’t drive. That would take too long. I’d have to board an actual airplane.
Sarah turned around and saw that I wasn’t moving. She backpedaled and grabbed both of my shoulders, forcing me to look at her. “Jillian, I know what you�
��re thinking, but it’s the only way.”
I stared into her eyes. Since Ren’s call, a high-pitched buzz had droned in my ears like a swarm of hornets. But Sarah’s words muted the noise, and I could think clearly. Griffin needed me. “I know,” I whispered. I’d get on that plane for him. “Let’s go,” I said, steeling my resolve.
* * *
Within twenty minutes Sarah had booked my flight, and I had my carry-on filled. “I’ll drive. I texted Chandra; we’ll pick her up outside the studio and get you to the airport.” Sarah ticked off everything we needed to accomplish in order to get me home to the St. Louis area. “Ready?” she asked, pulling open the door.
I nodded, pulling my suitcase behind me. Quietly, Sarah and I took the staircase on our way down to the parking lot. Reaching the bottom, I pushed the crash bar on the heavy steel door and froze. “Wait!”
“What?” Sarah replied, startled.
“I forgot something.” I dropped my hands and the heavy door slammed shut. Frantically, I searched my pockets and turned to Sarah. “I don’t have my keys!”
“Here, take mine.” She pushed her dorm keys into my hand. “I’ll put your suitcase in the car.”
“Thanks.” I sighed, taking off back up the stairs.
Racing down the hall, I skidded to a halt at my door, slid the key into the lock, and threw the door open. I ran to my desk and pulled the two picture frames off the shelf, hugging them to my chest. “I’m ready now.”
Once I made it to the parking lot, Sarah had the car pulled up to the curb, ready for me to climb inside. “Thanks,” I croaked. My hands shook as I pulled the door closed. I was so scared.
“Jillian, he’s going to be okay.” I knew she was trying to be reassuring, but it wasn’t helping.
“But what if he’s not?” I turned and looked at her profile.
She glanced at me. “He will. You have to keep thinking that.”
I nodded, forcing myself not to think the worst. I held the picture frames tightly, the one of Griffin and me on top. My finger traced the word Promise over and over again.