There was a brief smattering of applause. “Today is an easy day. I want everyone to relax and try to catch up on sleep; the rest of the week is going to be tough. Tonight and tomorrow we are at the arena. Everything is packed up Sunday night, and we go to Houston. The crew will be leaving with the stage, but the artists get to spend one last night in this fine hotel.” There was a wave of laughter at her sarcastic comment. “Enjoy it; we will be on the buses for the rest of the week. Monday night is Houston, Tuesday night is Shreveport, and so on from there. Any questions or problems?” She looked around the room. “Okay, have a good day, and we’ll be meeting again for breakfast tomorrow, as usual,” she concluded and returned to her seat.
Caroline took a sip of coffee, turned to Lizzy and Jane, and said in a quiet voice, “I’m serious what I said, girls, about taking it easy today. Starting Monday we are going to be sleeping on the buses and performing for eight days straight. I want you to do whatever you have to do to get your heads on straight today, because it’s going to be rough.”
“Thanks, Caro, we will,” Jane answered, touched by her concern.
“Would you like to see the city today, Jane?” Charles asked warmly. “Just you and me?”
Jane smiled delightedly at his suggestion.
Elizabeth had been idly looking in Darcy’s direction, and she noticed his brows come together at Charles’s offer. She knew Darcy didn’t like Charles spending time with Jane; after all, Jane was clearly just using him to get what she could from him. The taste in her mouth turned bitter, and she took a gulp of coffee to wash it away.
The next two days quickly passed into routine for Elizabeth: breakfast meetings, quiet afternoons, shows at night, followed by late-night swims, and bed. She ignored Darcy as much as possible, being formal and polite to him when she could not.
Monday morning found her getting up even earlier than usual (not a pretty sight) and dragging herself down to breakfast and the buses.
A trio of buses waited for them. The first was the domain of Slurry, the second was for Darcy’s top staff, and the third would be the on-the-road home of Long Borne Suffering. Richard casually informed her that three more buses carrying the crew had left the night before, with all the sets and equipment on trucks.
Elizabeth couldn’t repress her smile as she climbed up into the bus, her guitars in each hand. The bus was like a huge, elegantly appointed motor home: two sets of bunks on the right side, a dinette and kitchen area on the left, and couches in the back. Spontaneous laughter bubbled up out of the three women over the novelty of the experience.
“I’m glad you like it,” Alex observed as he climbed up the steps, “because you are going to be here for a while.”
“It’s great, Alex,” Elizabeth grinned as Charlotte loudly announced the discovery of a deluxe entertainment center in the back.
***
Tour life settled into a routine as well. The novelty of the bus wore off quickly, but the girls’ spirits were kept up by their nightly performances.
Each morning the tour had breakfast together, at a restaurant either on the road or in the city where they would perform that night. After breakfast, the two bands would often mingle. Charles was a frequent visitor to the LBS bus, and he and Jane would talk and entertain each other for hours. Charlotte and Elizabeth would sometimes visit the Slurry bus, usually to hang with Richard, or he would visit them. An easy camaraderie developed between the groups as they learned more about each other. They learned that Elizabeth was a complete bitch in the morning until she had her coffee; that Jane was as sweet as she appeared; that Charlotte was the least romantic woman on the planet; that Richard was easygoing and had a self-effacing joke about everything; and that Charles would do anything for a friend. Only Darcy remained apart.
When she wasn’t
Caroline took a sip of coffee, turned to Lizzy and Jane, and said in a quiet voice, “I’m serious what I said, girls, about taking it easy today. Starting Monday we are going to be sleeping on the buses and performing for eight days straight. I want you to do whatever you have to do to get your heads on straight today, because it’s going to be rough.”
“Thanks, Caro, we will,” Jane answered, touched by her concern.
“Would you like to see the city today, Jane?” Charles asked warmly. “Just you and me?”
Jane smiled delightedly at his suggestion.
Elizabeth had been idly looking in Darcy’s direction, and she noticed his brows come together at Charles’s offer. She knew Darcy didn’t like Charles spending time with Jane; after all, Jane was clearly just using him to get what she could from him. The taste in her mouth turned bitter, and she took a gulp of coffee to wash it away.
The next two days quickly passed into routine for Elizabeth: breakfast meetings, quiet afternoons, shows at night, followed by late-night swims, and bed. She ignored Darcy as much as possible, being formal and polite to him when she could not.
Monday morning found her getting up even earlier than usual (not a pretty sight) and dragging herself down to breakfast and the buses.
A trio of buses waited for them. The first was the domain of Slurry, the second was for Darcy’s top staff, and the third would be the on-the-road home of Long Borne Suffering. Richard casually informed her that three more buses carrying the crew had left the night before, with all the sets and equipment on trucks.
Elizabeth couldn’t repress her smile as she climbed up into the bus, her guitars in each hand. The bus was like a huge, elegantly appointed motor home: two sets of bunks on the right side, a dinette and kitchen area on the left, and couches in the back. Spontaneous laughter bubbled up out of the three women over the novelty of the experience.
“I’m glad you like it,” Alex observed as he climbed up the steps, “because you are going to be here for a while.”
“It’s great, Alex,” Elizabeth grinned as Charlotte loudly announced the discovery of a deluxe entertainment center in the back.
***
Tour life settled into a routine as well. The novelty of the bus wore off quickly, but the girls’ spirits were kept up by their nightly performances.
Each morning the tour had breakfast together, at a restaurant either on the road or in the city where they would perform that night. After breakfast, the two bands would often mingle. Charles was a frequent visitor to the LBS bus, and he and Jane would talk and entertain each other for hours. Charlotte and Elizabeth would sometimes visit the Slurry bus, usually to hang with Richard, or he would visit them. An easy camaraderie developed between the groups as they learned more about each other. They learned that Elizabeth was a complete bitch in the morning until she had her coffee; that Jane was as sweet as she appeared; that Charlotte was the least romantic woman on the planet; that Richard was easygoing and had a self-effacing joke about everything; and that Charles would do anything for a friend. Only Darcy remained apart.
When she wasn’t
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