by DeSalvo, Kim
Chapter 21
With each leg of the journey Tia found herself more enamored with Europe, and much more enamored with Dylan. Every city had its own flavor of cultures, food, drink, art and architecture, and she drank it in like a thirsty sponge. They spent a good deal of time together, but Dylan had his work, too, and his schedule varied greatly from day to day. Naturally, Tia attended all the shows, and it never got old watching Dylan and the rest of the boys do what they did best. Occasionally, she’d attend a taping of an interview or TV show, but Tia was determined not to get in Dylan’s way or to be constantly underfoot, and she had no problem wandering the streets of places like Vienna, Geneva and Munich, on her own. With her tourist maps in her bag and her camera at the ready, she quickly mastered the art of public transportation, and enjoyed exploring the cities at a casual pace.
She wanted to remember every minute of this summer, and had brought several journals that were filling up more quickly than she’d imagined. Many afternoons she sat in parks or at sidewalk cafes and wrote about her experiences, the places she’d visited, and her ever-growing feelings for Dylan. She loved watching the people that strolled through the cities; the tourists and locals from each place she visited gave every destination its own character. Sitting alone, she sketched the scenes on empty pages and sent emails and pictures to her friends, creating vivid descriptions of each place. The shops were incredible as well, and she enjoyed picking up unique little souvenirs for everyone back home.
Every day brought her and Dylan closer together—they discovered many things they had in common and others that were uniquely their own. They both loved architecture, and enjoyed touring the many cathedrals and castles that stood sentinel over the cities they visited. Neither was into the club scene—both preferred quiet strolls and occasional shows to the crowds and pulsing beats of the European nightlife. They shared a similar sense of adventure and a love of the outdoors as well, and spent time hiking in the Alps while in Vienna, soaking up the early summer sunshine and enjoying a picnic lunch of wine, bread and cheese in one of the most beautiful settings in the world.
The boys had planned the tour so that they’d have some free time in each of the cities they visited, and whenever Dylan had a free day, he and Tia made it a point to see the highlights of each place. In Geneva they strolled arm in arm through the cobbled streets of Old Town past the tall grey stone houses and past the Rue Fontaine to visit the Temple de la Madeleine, a beautiful gothic church at the center of the square. In the afternoon, they hiked on Mont Saleve, through the woods and up to the expansive meadows filled with summer colors. In Stockholm they took a breathtaking hot air balloon ride over the city and the tiny islands that created the amazing archipelago, soaking in the sights while sipping champagne and nibbling on caviar-laden crackers. They both fell in love with the casual atmosphere of Munich, and spun through the city on Segways, excited to find a Segway tour after having loved the one they’d taken in Chicago. Later in the day, they visited the English Gardens, sharing a maas at the world-famous Chinese Pagoda. They sipped fresh German beer from huge steins at street side cafes and watched the crowds strolling through Marienplatz, the large public square.
They were growing closer all the time, and enjoyed each other’s company and their similar sarcastic humor. Each of them took hundreds of pictures, and Dylan added some sketches and notes of his own to her journals. She knew that they’d be treasures to her forever, and loved the quirky drawings and comments he made that she’d read over and over while they were apart in the fall.
She’d grown to love the rest of the band, as well. Tia became a regular fixture back stage, and they’d gotten to know each other pretty quickly. She even talked Bo and Ty into having lunch with her once in a while when Dylan was busy doing solo interviews or guest appearances.
Often, when all the boys were busy, Jessa joined her for little adventures, and they became fast friends. They reveled in discovering the local flavors of tiny street cafes and bakeries, always bringing something back for the boys to enjoy. It was at the sidewalk café at Hotel Adlon, overlooking the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, the fifth stop and three weeks into her visit, that Jessa blurted the question. They’d been pouring over maps and coffee, nibbling warm strudel, and planning out their afternoon, when she said softly, “You’re in love with him, aren’t you?”
The question took Tia by surprise, and she stopped mid-sip. “Excuse me?” she stammered, obviously flustered.
“I’m not trying to be nosey,” she added quickly. “But it’s pretty obvious from where I’m sitting. I can see the way you look at him. And the way he looks at you.”
Tia exhaled sharply. She’d known Dylan only a little over a month, but the question had been nagging at the back of her mind for some time now. She tried not to think about it, about what it could mean to be in love with someone like him. It was an incredible feeling, but one that scared the crap out of her at the same time. Now that it was on the table, though, she couldn’t deny it. “Oh God, it’s true,” she breathed, and Jessa grinned. “But I don’t know, Jessa, what am I supposed to do about it? Things are so great between us, but I don’t know what he’s feeling, exactly, and anyway, what kind of future do we have? He’s going to go away to film a movie on the other side of the planet, and I’m going to go back to my fifth grade classroom. He’s going to go to a Hollywood premier as the star of the red carpet, and I’m going to be doing report cards and hosting parent conferences. Hardly a match made in heaven—our lives are so different.” She’d gone over these words in her head a thousand times, and it actually felt good to finally voice them aloud.
“So what?” Jessa said matter-of-factly. “Love is love, and if it’s meant to be, it’ll work itself out.” She lowered her voice to a conspiratory whisper. “I’m rooting for you, you know.”
Tia leaned over and hugged her. “I’m glad to have you on my side,” she giggled. “I’m already beside myself worrying about him spending months alone with that horrible Penelope Valentine. She wants to sink her teeth into him, and they’re going to be really involved with each other while they’re in New Zealand…”
“Never gonna happen,” Jessa answered. “Trust me, he sees right through her. He can’t stand her type of person—she doesn’t stand a chance with him. Besides, I’ll be there too, and I’ll be sure to mention you at least…oh, twenty times a day or so. But even if I didn’t, it’s not like he could forget you. Like I said, I see the way he looks at you, and he talks about you constantly. He’s really done a lot behind the scenes to make sure you have a good time on this tour and that you always have something to do. It’s working out for me, that’s for sure—part of my job while I’m here is making sure you enjoy yourself, which is guaranteeing that I’ll have some fun too. He’s worried that you’ll get bored and want to go home.”
“You’re kidding, right?” she mused. “I can’t believe he’d even think that! I’m loving every minute here, whether it’s with you, by myself, or with him.” She smiled at the sideways smirk Jessa threw her way. “OK, I fully admit that the times with him are the best, but I haven’t been bored for a minute—how could I be, when I’m surrounded by all this?” She motioned to the beautiful public square, sipped her coffee, and sighed. “Oh Jessa, I’m completely out of my mind over him, and it scares me to death. I’ve only known him a little over a month, but now it’s hard to imagine my life without him. But I have no choice in the matter—he’s going to be gone for a long time. I’m trying not to get too attached, but I’m afraid it’s already too late.”
Jessa reached over and patted her hand. “The feeling is mutual, I’m sure of it.”
“You know,” Tia confessed, “when I first met you, I was so jealous that you got to spend so much time with him, and got to travel with him…I have to say, I wondered if there was something between the two of you. I’m so glad I got to know you. I like knowing that he has you to look after him.”
Jessa laughed. “Oh, there’s a lot between
us, I assure you,” she confided. “In some ways, I know more about him than I want to.” A smirk touched her lips. “But none of it’s beyond a professional relationship, and it never was.”
“I know that,” Tia added quickly, “I do. He loves you too, you know.”
She smiled. “Yeah, I do know. He’s a great guy, and you’re a great couple. I like you so much better than all the other girls he’s dated. Believe me when I say he never cared about any of them the way he cares for you. Take it from someone who knows him.”
Tia looked her in the eye. “You won’t tell him, though, right? If he doesn’t feel the same way…”
She interrupted. “Of course not!” she said, surprised that she’d even suggest it. “But I really think you should.”
Tia thought for a minute before answering. “I’m sure I will eventually, but not yet. I just now admitted it to myself, and no matter how comfortable we are with each other, we’ve still only known each other a short time. If I told him and he wasn’t feeling the same way, it would be awkward and I couldn’t stand that. Things are perfect right now, and I don’t want to do anything that could mess that up.”
“I understand,” she said. “You’ll know when the time is right—I just like you both so much, and I like what you do for each other. I really want you both to be happy.”
“I am so happy!” Tia exclaimed. “And I like you too, Jessa—you’re an awesome person, and I’m so glad to call you my friend.”
They finished their strudels and coffee and bought some snacks to take back to the boys, then strolled casually around the square, taking pictures of the historic gate, before heading back to the hotel. We really bonded, Tia thought happily, and she felt as if she had a new true friend, one who understood where she was coming from, and one she could trust with her true feelings about Dylan.
As much as she was coming to love Jessa, and enjoyed their time together, Dylan turned out to be right about her missing home. As the time for Lexi’s visit grew closer, Tia found herself looking incredibly forward to seeing her old friend again and sharing London with her. Just another week and a half, four more cities, and then she’d have a whole week with Lexi in London and then a few more days in Amsterdam.
The time difference and their schedules made it difficult to keep in close contact, but she and Lexi talked at least a couple times a week and emailed regularly. Dylan had booked them a room to share to have “girl time,” and Lexi had already planned a host of activities around the InHap shows to experience the magic that embodied London. With the boys they’d planned a couple of private tours with London Walks, including a Jack the Ripper tour and a haunted pub crawl, and she insisted they visit the Tower and Buckingham Palace. It was going to be a busy week, and Tia couldn’t wait.
When the day of Lexi’s visit finally arrived, Tia found herself full of nervous excitement over seeing her best friend. She waited at the luggage carousel holding Lexi’s name above her head. When she appeared, Tia shrieked and ran to hug her, and they spun and looked each other up and down and embraced again. “Europe agrees with you, Tia,” she observed, “you look amazing!”
“Oh, it’s so good to see you Lex!” Tia exclaimed, hugging her again.
Lexi looked around. “Where are my boys?” she grinned. “I expected Bo to show up, at least.”
“They’re over at Wembley,” Tia answered, “setting up for the show tonight. It’s kind of tense tonight, actually. Ty’s having throat troubles and might not be able to sing back-up. It’s the first of two sold out shows and the place is huge—they might be the biggest shows of the tour.”
The English audience had always been tremendous supporters of InHap. They’d embraced them as their own, perhaps because Dylan was a native Aussie who’d lived for a time in Northampton. The Wembley shows had sold out in less than an hour, and they were playing in two other cities as well during their stay in the UK. They had a heavy agenda, with a bigger than usual number of television appearances, interviews, radio shows, and even an audience at Buckingham Palace with the crown princes, who were longtime fans. Tonight’s show was a big deal, and having one of the band members not able to give 100% would really disappoint the fans. Tia knew that Ty had been drinking honey-lemon tea all day and had seen a doctor, and although he felt well enough to perform, his voice was gruff and crackly.
“Poor guy,” Lexi said. “I can’t even imagine having a job like that to do when you don’t feel well. It’s got to take a lot of energy to be up there on that stage.” She changed the subject. “We do have front row seats though, right?” Lexi pleaded.
“Of course,” Tia replied, struggling to pull one of Lexi’s enormous bags off the carousel. “Shit, what do you have in here, rocks?” she grunted.
“I think that’s my shoe bag,” Lexi smirked. “Hey…” she said when Tia glared at her from the corner of her eye. “Don’t give me that look. It’s not every day a girl gets an experience like this one, and I intend to look good doing it!”
Tia just laughed at her and tugged the bag off to the side. “I’ve got a taxi waiting out front. We’ll drop your bags at the hotel and head over to Wembley—the boys are planning dinner with us backstage.”
“I’m so glad you’re my friend, Tia,” Lexi crooned. “You get me into all the right parties!”
Tia draped her arm over Lexi’s shoulder and gave her a squeeze. “I missed you, Lex. It’s so good to see you.”
“Right back at you, girlfriend. I can’t even tell you how jealous everyone back home is that I’m here right now.”
“You didn’t tell anyone…about me and Dylan though, right?” she asked cautiously.
“No, no, don’t worry,” Lexi placated. “But it’s been so hard, you know, covering all the bases? I just told people that your new boyfriend was playing with InHap—which isn’t a lie—and that we had preferred seating and we’d get to hang with the band after the show. Ryan is beside himself, thinking that I’m going to cash in on my gimme.”
“I thought you told him you had a new gimme,” Tia said suspiciously.
“I did,” she answered, “but he doesn’t believe it. It was Dylan for so long, and without telling him the real reason I had to cross him off my list, he just wasn’t buying it. It’s cute, actually,” she giggled, “since I told him I was coming and that I’d get to meet Dylan, he’s suddenly all jealous and protective. I’ve never gotten so many flowers in my life, and,” she said, holding up her wrist where a diamond tennis bracelet sparkled, “he gave me this last night before I left—so I wouldn’t ‘forget how much he loved me,’ he said.”
“It’s gorgeous!” Tia gushed, relaxing her shoulders. She trusted Lexi completely, but felt better knowing that even Ryan didn’t know the truth. If she’d kept it from him, the secret was safe. “You can really play this to your advantage—for a while, anyway.”
“I know, right? I’ve got my eyes on some earrings, and I dropped a little hint before I left. I expect I’ll have them in my hand shortly after I get home.”
“You are shameless,” Tia laughed.
“I know. I’m a lawyer—it’s my job, and I’m pretty damned good at it. Manipulation is quickly becoming second nature,” she joked as she wrestled the last of her overstuffed bags from the carousel.
Lexi was positively giddy by the time she stepped into the hotel. Tia had arranged for the taxi to take the scenic route, and every time Lexi saw a structure she recognized, she let out a little squeal and got more excited. The Ritz itself had a worldwide reputation, but nothing can truly prepare a person for stepping into the doors and experiencing the marble elegance that welcomed one from the street, or the luxuriously appointed rooms that held no pretenses. “Damn, I feel like a princess!” she exclaimed.
“You’ll feel even more like one tomorrow,” Tia said. “We’re doing high tea downstairs at two, compliments of Bo. It’s a British tradition, and it’s supposed to be quite an experience.”
“Well, I guess I owe him one big kiss!” she excla
imed. “I just love that man—he’s so adorable!”
“Yeah, he’s a sweetie,” she replied fondly. She’d come to love the man too—he was funny and obnoxious on the outside, but was really a very insightful and intelligent person. Tia had grown to trust him a great deal with her feelings and fears.
“Dylan has arranged a day at the spa for us on Tuesday,” she added. Lexi’s eyes lit up immediately—a day at the spa had been at the top of her ‘to-do’ list, and Tia knew it. “But I’ll be the one to deliver that kiss. You can just say thank you and shake his hand.” She wagged her finger at her friend when she saw the look of mock surprise on her face.
“Aw, you can suck the fun out of a circus,” she smirked. “But I’ll be good, I promise.” Lexi took a quick shower—three hours in the airport and eight on the plane practically required it—while Tia unpacked one of her bags, hanging her things in the closet and smiling inwardly at the clothes Lexi’d brought on the trip. Everything she pulled out screamed ‘sexy and available,’ and there were incredibly few casual choices. When Lexi stepped out of the bathroom in a perfectly accessorized low cut fitted pant suit, Tia took one look at her and said, “No wonder Ryan’s worried. If he saw the clothes you packed for the trip, he’d think you were planning to get yourself a booth in the Red Light District. Did you even bring any jeans? You can’t go sightseeing in any of this stuff!” She held up a stiletto heel. “Do you realize how many of the sidewalks here are cobblestone?” she added. “You’ll break your neck if you try to walk around in these things.”
“The smaller bag is my casual stuff,” she smiled. “I told you I was going to look good on this trip.”
Tia shook her head in exaggerated disbelief and said, “You do look gorgeous, by the way.”
Lexi performed a little three-point catwalk turn and smiled back over her shoulder. “So, I’m ready—let’s head over to the stadium—I’ve never seen a sound check before! Who’s opening for them, by the way?”