Dirty Roomie

by Alycia Taylor

  “For me?” I asked.

  She beamed at me. “Oh yeah. I managed to get you backstage as soon as Silas is finished playing.”

  “What? You did? How on earth did you do that?”

  She chuckled. “I spoke to someone who spoke to someone else. Honestly, I was very lucky it all worked out. I didn’t want to say anything in case it didn’t. But, thankfully, it all came together. Okay, so here’s the plan. His last song is the one that we all heard on the radio. As soon as you hear that song, you can make your way backstage. You need to ask to speak to Mr. Burkes. He knows that you are coming. He’ll let you in. Then you can surprise him.”

  I almost burst into tears I was so happy. “Paisley. I can’t believe you would do this for me. This is incredible. Thank you. I’m so excited.”

  “Absolutely. You know I would do anything for you. I know how hard these past few months have been. Come on, don’t get emotional on me. If you cry, then I’m going to cry, and I did my eye makeup so nicely before we left.”

  I laughed. “You’re right. I don’t want him to see me looking a mess after such a long time. Thank you,” I said to her and gave her a hug.

  “Come on, you two. We need to get in so we can get a good viewpoint.”

  “You really are crushing hard on Silas,” Paisley said as she took his hand.

  “What can I say; he’s a good-looking lad.”

  I laughed. “Oh yeah. And he’s even better up close. I promise you’ll get to meet him.”

  “Did I mention how wonderful I think you are?” Ruben said and grinned at me.

  “That’s a far cry from how you were the first time you met me,” I teased.

  He groaned. “Are you going to hold that against me for the rest of my life?”

  “Yes. I think I am,” I said. I noticed that Paisley was smiling, and I knew that it was because he had just mentioned that he wanted to stick around forever. I wouldn’t be surprised if she called me tomorrow to say that they had slept together. Tonight was going to be a good night for everyone it seemed.

  We made our way inside and managed to find a fairly decent spot near the front. We’d gotten really good tickets so that we could get close, and I hadn’t at all cared for the price. I would’ve paid even more for it if I had to. I heard someone nearby talking about the main band, and I chuckled as I realized that I had no idea who was even playing.

  “Uh, who is the main band tonight?” I said to Paisley, and I saw someone give me a strange look.

  She chuckled. “You seriously don’t know?”

  “Nope,” I said.

  “The Flaming Arches.”

  “What? They’re huge!” I exclaimed. The Flaming Arches had been around for the past few years, and every year they seemed to grow a bigger audience. It didn’t hurt that the band consisted of four men that looked more like they should be models than singers. They were good looking and had voices of angels. It was hard not to like them, and usually, I would’ve given anything to have seen them live.

  “So, are you hanging around to watch them?”

  I laughed. “Definitely not.”

  Again, the woman next to me looked at me as if I was going completely insane. I was standing near the front at a Flaming Arches concert, and I wasn’t at all interested in seeing them.

  Standing in the crowd, I couldn’t believe that I was actually about to watch Silas perform. It seemed unreal. Not so long ago we were hanging out at the house, talking about whether or not our dreams would ever come true. He’d seemed so unsure about his future, and he’d come so close to saying yes to a full-time job as a construction worker. Things could’ve gone so differently. And while I hated being away from him, and hated the idea of other girls flirting with him, I couldn’t not be happy for him. Standing here, waiting for him to come up on stage, made me realize just how happy I really was for him. He deserved this.

  Suddenly, I heard his name, and I watched in excitement as he walked up onto the stage. My heart skipped a beat as I saw his familiar gait, and watched as she smiled out into the audience. I knew that he probably couldn’t distinguish one face from the next when he was up on stage. We probably all just looked like a blur of faces to him. But I smiled up at him regardless and whispered that I was rooting for him.

  Ruben squealed beside me, and I laughed at his enthusiasm. Then, there was a hush over the audience as Silas began to sing. I thought he was a good singer from the first time I had heard him at the pub, and I didn’t think that he needed to improve. But he had improved. In such a short space of time, his voice had taken on a different tone. All the rough edges had been smoothed out, and there was a confidence that wasn’t there before. But other than that, he was still the same Silas. My Silas. I smiled as the audience around me cheered for him. They might not be here to see him, but they were loving him all the same. I was sure that it wasn’t going to take until he was the headline act.

  “He’s amazing,” Paisley said.

  “He is,” I swooned. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. How had I been away from him for so long? He was even better looking than I remembered.

  His set was just over an hour long. Every time he started a new song, I wondered if it was going to be the one from the radio. When it eventually came, I stood in shock, frozen on the spot.

  “Go on,” Paisley said. “You better go.”

  “Aren’t you coming with?” I said.

  She shook her head. “Are you crazy? No, this is your moment! You’ve got this, Riley. Go and enjoy it. We’ll stay and watch the band. Either come find me here or send me a message and let me know what’s going on. We can meet at the car later or something.”

  “Okay,” I said and took a deep breath. “Thank you,” I hugged her and then I hugged Ruben and rushed off.

  It was only when I got there that I realized I had no idea what this Mr. Burkes even looked like. Thankfully, when I asked the bouncer, he knew exactly who I was talking about. Mr. Burkes came out moments later, a big burly man that immediately turned friendly looking when he smiled.

  “You must be the lovely Riley,” he said as he stuck out his hand for me to shake.

  He had a firm grip, and I shook it eagerly. “Thanks for letting me in,” I said. “I really appreciate it.”

  “No problem at all. I was told not to say anything to Mr. Aarons,” he said, and I tried not to chuckle at hearing someone refer to Silas in that way. It seemed so formal.

  “Thank you. So, where do I go?”

  “You just need to head straight ahead and take the first door to your right. They’re coming off stage any minute, so you’ll be able to get him as he comes out.”

  “Got it. Thank you,” I said and walked in.

  There were quite a few people inside, and I was glad that nobody seemed to wonder who I was or why I was there. A group of people were blocking the doorway, so I stood for a while as I waited for them to move. I heard a lot of commotion going on and realized that Silas and the other band members had arrived. My heart was beating so loud I wondered if everyone around me could hear it too. I walked through the corridor and heard Silas talking to someone. It was so good to hear his voice again. It wasn’t the same hearing it through the phone. I took another deep breath and then opened the door.

  I wasn’t sure what to expect, or who else was going to be standing on the other side, but I wasn’t at all prepared for what was about to happen next. I opened the door and saw Silas standing there. He hadn’t noticed me yet, and I was just about to say something when I saw a woman walk right up to him and kiss him. I immediately turned around, too embarrassed by what I had seen and too hurt to see any more. I rushed back down the hall to a very surprised looking Mr. Burkes.

  “What’s going on?” he asked. “Didn’t you find it?”

  “Sorry,” I mumbled. “I . . . I have to . . . I forgot something,” I said.

  He opened the door for me, and I quickly rushed out before he could say anything else. I ran to the car, let myself in, and burst into t
ears. I immediately sent a message to Paisley telling her that I was in the car and that she didn’t have to rush. But she must’ve known that something was up with me because she was there only fifteen minutes later. Her and Ruben climbed into the car and looked at me in surprise.

  “He kissed someone. I walked in to surprise him, and he was kissing another woman,” I said before they even asked me what was going on.

  “What the hell? Are you serious? Did he see you?”

  I shook my head. “No. I ran out before he could. I’m so embarrassed. I’ve been such a fool. Waiting for him all this time. Oh, you guys, I’m so sorry . . . you shouldn’t have come back for me. Why don’t you go and watch the band? I’ll call a cab or something.”

  “No way! We’re staying with you. Come on, let’s go. You’re not going to be alone tonight.”

  “Yeah, the idiot. And to think that I wanted to meet him so badly. You deserve better than this, Riley,” Ruben said. “Also, I’m driving. You climb into the back with Paisley! We’ll get some wine and make sure that we still have a good night. Okay?”

  On the way home, I heard my phone ringing. I fished it out of my bag and saw Silas’s name pop up. There was no way I was going to answer it. I showed the phone to Paisley, and she shook her head.

  “Don’t answer it,” she said.

  “I won’t.” I ignored the call, as well as the message that he sent me immediately afterward asking when we could meet up. How could he do this to me? Did he want to meet with me to tell me that he had met someone else? Or was he just going to pretend like it had never happened at all? Maybe that was who he was now. Perhaps he was not the Silas that I remembered.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Silas

  Riley still had not returned my call. I knew that she couldn’t make the concert, but I’d still expected her to at least message me back when she received my message. Hadn’t she been thinking of me? I figured she’d just had a bad night at work, or that maybe she’d left her phone at home. But the following day, I didn’t hear from her either. I sent her another message telling her that I was busy on Sunday but that I was doing everything in my power to get time off to come and see her. Sunday ended up being a whirlwind of interviews and meetings, and I didn’t get a moment to do anything else. It was hard to put on a front like that, but I didn’t want the world to suddenly start wondering why I was sad. I plastered on a smile and tried my best to act like the charming man that Garren wanted me to be. I owed it to him to be the best version of myself because it now wasn’t just me that I had to worry about. If I did well, it was good for his own reputation. I didn’t want him to think he had put his trust in the wrong guy. Later that night though, he pulled me aside.

  “Everything okay?” he asked me.

  “Everything is fine,” I lied. “Why do you ask?”

  “You don’t seem yourself. You’ve been awfully quiet. Look, something is going on, isn’t it?”

  I sighed. “There’s just someone I want to see while I’m here and I’m worried we’ll be so busy that I won’t get a chance.”

  “Silas, you should’ve said something. Well, we’ll be leaving soon, but you’ll be happy to know that we have no interviews set for tomorrow. Why don’t you take the day off and go and see whoever you want to see?”

  “Really?”

  “Of course. Sadly, it can’t be much longer than the day, though. We really do have to get going after that.”

  A day was better than nothing. “I’m fine with that. Thank you so much,” I said.

  I immediately sent Riley a message telling her that I would be there on Monday to see her. I’m taking you out! Maybe a bike ride and a picnic? The thought of her holding onto me with the wind in our face as we rode to the field again made me happier than ever. I enjoyed this new lifestyle, but none of it seemed worth it without her. I had sent the message pretty late, but again the following day, there was no reply from her. What was going on? Maybe she had lost her phone. I would buy her a new one if that was the case.

  Before going to see Riley on Monday, I decided to pop in and see my old boss. I wanted to spend the rest of the day with Riley, and I knew that if I went to see her first, I wouldn’t even bother with seeing anyone else. It was strange being back there, and as I made my way to the office, I couldn’t help but remember how my life was only a few months ago. This was the place where I had received that phone call from Garren and the day that my life had changed forever. I knocked on the door and when Gary looked up and saw that it was me his face broke into a huge smile.

  “Silas! This is a surprise. Come on in! Wow, it’s good to see you. I was hoping you would come and visit.”

  “You knew I was here?” I asked as I took a seat. The same seat I had sat on so many times before.

  “Of course! I came to see your concert the other night!”

  “You did?”

  “You didn’t even tell us that you were playing here.”

  “I know. I’m sorry. I didn’t want anyone to think I was bragging about it. How did you find out?”

  He laughed. “You haven’t changed, have you? That’s good to know. But do you really think I haven’t been following you? I tell everyone that I meet that the famous Silas Aarons used to work for me.”

  I chuckled. “I’m not exactly famous.”

  “You’re well on your way. And it happened very quickly. Didn’t it?”

  “So quick. My manager is very efficient. He gets the job done. I could never have done this without him.”

  “All the same, he could’ve never done it without you. So, how has it been? What’s it like going on tour and singing to massive crowds?”

  “It’s a little surreal, if I’m to be honest. I don’t think I had any idea that it would be like this. I guess you can’t really prepare for it. It’s great though. I’m actually singing and getting paid for it now. Who would’ve thought?”

  “Oh, I always knew you would. You were too good for this place. You deserved more than this. I’m sad for me, but I’m happy for you.”

  “Are you kidding me? This place was great. I was actually very happy here. I had a dream, sure, and I probably would’ve always wondered what it would’ve been like to sing for a living. But I was actually very happy here. And I enjoyed the work.”

  “That’s good to hear. Well, for what it’s worth, we sure do miss you. You were great at this job, and the boys loved having you here. You were one of the best workers I’ve ever had. But we’re all very happy for you and very proud that we all know you. We’ve never known someone famous before.”

  I laughed. I still thought of myself as just a regular person. The fact that strangers now knew my name was something I had not gotten used to yet. I wondered when it would start to feel normal. “It still so weird to think of myself like that.”

  “You know, it’s probably good that you don’t. It’s good to stay grounded. Don’t change, Silas. You’re a great kid and the last thing I want is to see you change.”

  I smiled at him. “Thank you. I definitely don’t plan on being anyone else but me. It’s so good to see you again, and so good to be back home. I know I haven’t been gone all that long, but it feels like I’ve been gone for years. So much has happened in such a short space of time.”

  “Are you here for long?”

  I sighed. “Sadly not. Million things to do and still a few more places to go. Then the agent is planning some overseas trips. It’s . . . overwhelming.”

  “Life as a star, huh? Well, don’t be a stranger. And next time you play nearby, let us know. We’ve been following you, but I would hate to miss out on a concert.”

  “I will. And thanks, Gary. I better get going, but it was so good to see you again.”

  I walked out feeling great. There was nothing quite like seeing someone important to you to make your heart feel whole again. But there was still something missing. It was time to see Riley. I thought of going to buy her a phone first, but I was too excited to see her and was sick o
f delaying it. Instead, I drove straight to her house. My house. Our house.

  I pulled up the driveway and smiled at the big house. I still remembered the day that I had first met Riley and how surprised I had been at her age. I had been even more surprised at how much the big old house suited her despite this, and how I had come to love it almost immediately. I got out the car and knocked on the door. When the door opened, it wasn’t Riley that answered, but Paisley. Her eyes narrowed when she saw me.

  “What are you doing here?” she said and I was completely taken aback by the anger in her voice. What the hell was going on?

  “Paisley, uh . . . what’s wrong? I came to see Riley. Why are you looking at me like that?”

  “Riley doesn’t want to see you.”

  “What? Why not? I don’t understand. I’ve been texting her, but she hasn’t returned any of my messages. I thought maybe she lost her phone or something.”

  “No, her phone is fine. She hasn’t been replying because she doesn’t want to talk to you. But she does want me to give you this,” Paisley said and handed back the check that I had sent for Riley.

  I stared at it in confusion. “But it’s for her. Please, I don’t want it back.”

  “And she doesn’t want your dirty money. Now, you need to get your shit out of this house so Riley can move on with her life. It’s no good her staying here with all your things still here.”

  “But . . . can I at least speak to her? I have no idea what’s going on.”

  She laughed. “Oh, don’t act all innocent with me. I need you get your stuff out of this house. Find someone to do it for you. She doesn’t want you in this house, and neither do I.”

  “But . . .”

  A door was slammed in my face, and I stood there shocked at the exchange. I kept expecting Paisley to open it up again and to tell me that she had only been joking, but she never came back. I knocked again, but there was no answer. I had no idea what to do. I got back in the car and tried to call Riley, but she didn’t reply. I drove off with a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. Had Riley met someone else? But even if she had, why would she be so angry with me? I couldn’t understand what I had done.