The Rocker's Muse

I gave the peace sign and ran off stage.

“What the hell just happened?” someone called as I returned backstage.

Fuck if I know.

***

Later that night, I was safely back in my hotel room with no intention of leaving until morning. Then the tour manager sent me the most bizarre text.

Stephen: I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Tristan needs you to get him bed pads.

Emily: Bed pads?

Stephen: Yeah, like pee pads that go on the bed so people with incontinence don’t leak onto the mattress.

What the?

Emily: Why the heck does he need those?

Stephen: He told me not to ask.

Emily: Are you kidding?

Stephen: Afraid not.

“What the hell?” I said aloud.

Layla stopped pouring her glass of wine. “What?”

“You don’t want to know,” I said as I found my jacket.

That son of a bitch. Was this some kind of a joke? And if I was really mad about it, why did I have a goofy smile plastered on my face right now?

I practically ran out of the hotel and hopped in the rental car, headed to the nearest pharmacy. I blew in and out of there as fast as humanly possible, because who wants to be seen buying bed pads?

When I returned, I used the passcode to enter the elevator that led to Tristan’s penthouse suite.

When the doors opened, he was standing with a shit-eating grin on his face, his arms crossed like he’d been just waiting for me to appear.

“Urine pads, huh?” I threw the large plastic package at his head, prompting him to duck.

“How else was I gonna get you here?”

“You could’ve picked something a little less embarrassing.”

“What would be the fun in that? Plus, I figured I hadn’t quite embarrassed you enough tonight already.”

I stared at him incredulously.

Then his expression softened. “I’m so fucking sorry about earlier, Emily. I never imagined you’d have the damn hiccups when I put that mic in your face.”

“Why would you call me onstage anyway?”

“I’ve been calling members of the crew onstage every night. You know that. To thank them for their hard work. It’s a little tour ritual. Then, I ask a funny question for each person to answer. Tonight was your turn. It wasn’t meant to pick on you or anything.”

I placed my hands on my hips. “You could’ve given me some warning.”

“There’s no fun in that. The best part is seeing the surprise on people’s faces when I do it. I didn’t know you were going to swallow a frog right before I called you out. You can’t blame me for that.”