"It'll be over like that!" I said, snapping my fingers together.
"It's all cool," he said, and ignored the comments from the guys sitting behind us.
I always had a love for coasters, but I'd never ridden this one. The moment it shot forward, it began flipping us over and over six times in less than a minute. I couldn't hold it in any longer; I screamed to the top of my lungs. Just when I thought it was over, it started over again, only backward this time. Once it stopped, my hair was hanging over my eyes, as I tried to catch my breath. I glanced at Chance who was smirking at the guys and me, as we exited onto the wooden platform.
"Like that!" He said with a snap of his fingers. I could not hold back my smile as I stared at his perfect Mohawk, and shook my head.
"I told you, it has a mind of its own. Neither rain, sleet, snow, nor high winds can get the best of this masterpiece," he joked.
From there we found the arcade where the guys spent an outrageous amount of money and walked away with small toys that resembled those you find in a claw machine. They didn't seem to care though because it was still fun. I never thought about how much I took for granted; just being able get out and have fun without being recognized. I knew from the short time I was on the tour with them, they were always recognized when they went out, but I expected it. I guess I never really thought about being able to walk freely through an amusement park. After a while at the arcade, we left the in search of some greasy food.
"How about Barbeque," Levi hooked his thumb toward the Fireman's Brigade. Staring at the wooden building, I tried to decide what we should do.
As if Linc could read my mind he said, "It's okay Honesty. You don't have to worry about me wanting a drink. I'll be okay. I have my sober companion with me; and besides, I don't crave it like I do the drugs.” Looking into his eyes, I thought he was telling me the truth, at least I hoped he was.
"Promise me that if you become uncomfortable in there that you'll tell me," I said.
He wrapped his strong arm around my waist, pulled me close to his warm body, and placed a kiss on the top of my head. I practically melted into a puddle of goo right there on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant.
"Promise," he replied. Jinx ordered a rack of ribs, which hung off the side of his plate. Levi, Chance, and Linc ordered barbeque sandwiches and huge turkey legs, along with a plate of fries, and I ordered a salad. There was no alcohol at our table, and for that, I was thankful. The guys could be very considerate when they wanted to be. I just couldn't stand the thoughts of eating all that heavy food and then getting on another ride -- I would barf for sure. The remainder of our time at the park was spent on the water ride, where I got soaked from sitting in the front of the ride. It would have been okay, except for the fact that I had on white linen pants, which were see-through once they were wet; then the whole park knew that I wore thongs.
Once we got off the log ride, we decided on another rollercoaster. That's when Chance finally broke down and told us that he was afraid of heights, because of something that happened when he was a child. He didn't elaborate, and we didn't push him on the topic. We just let him wait at the ride’s exit.
The guys were stopped a few times on the way out of the park, thanks to Chance and his Mohawk, but the guys didn't seem to mind. They posed for pictures and signed autographs. The fans seemed happy with just a moment of their time. Then, we all climbed into the SUV and headed back toward the condo.
"Remind me to thank Court for suggesting that. I had a great time," I said, and the guys agreed.
"I don't remember the last time I went to an amusement park," Jinx said. The ride back to the condo was spent remembering our day and how good it felt to do something fun and with no added pressure by management.
Linc
It was late afternoon and the sky was growing dark. I could see lightening off in the distance, over the ocean. I sat outside in one of the patio chairs watching as the storm rolled in. I could practically smell the rain and feel the cool breeze coming off the water.
"Hey," Honesty said as she stepped out onto the hardwood deck. She had a glass of lemonade in each hand and sat one on the table beside my chair. "I thought you might like some,” she said as she lifted her glass of lemonade. "It's fresh. I squeezed the lemons myself," she said with a giggle.
I arched my brow in question. "What's so funny about lemonade?" I gave her a grin. Her beautiful, green eyes sparkle when she smiled.
"It’s not really that fresh. It actually came from a packet that I found in the pantry, but I mixed it with water, so that's got to count for something, right?" She asked, and there was that damn, adorable giggle again.
"Look at you, being all domestic and shit," I teased. "What else can you make? I need to know that we're not going to starve while the guys are gone." I told her.
She shook her head furiously and took a sip of her drink.
"I don't cook, but I've got every fast food place on speed dial, so you're safe," she replied.
My brow shot up to my hairline. Knowing the type of mother she had, I was surprised that she didn’t know how to cook. I was actually quite shocked.
"You're telling me that your mother never taught you how to cook?" I asked her. The smile slipped from her beautiful lips.
What did I say?
"Oh, she taught me. It just wasn't something that I enjoyed doing with her. It was never good enough for her. She always found something wrong with it, just like she did everything else. I think her favorite thing to say was, ‘If you can't do it right, just don't do it at all.’ I guess I couldn’t get past that, so I just choose not to put myself through the torture of worrying about whether someone would approve," she said, just as a bolt of lightning streaked through the sky, accompanied by a loud clap of thunder, making us both jump, and we both laughed.
"Would you cook with me sometime?" I tilted my head to the side and looked into her eyes. "I promise it would be nothing but a positive experience," I said.
"I'd love to," she agreed.
Once the guys were gone, I would plan a night of cooking together that I was sure she would never forget.
"Now let's get out those takeout menus and decide what's for dinner," she said as she stood and walked toward the door.
Once we had eaten all of the Chinese food we ordered, Court called Jinx to let him know that he was on his way over. He said there was something important that he needed to discuss with the band. I wasn’t sure what it could be that couldn't possibly wait until the next day once they had all gathered on the buses to leave, but he assured him that whatever it was couldn’t wait.
Honesty
"Turn that shit off," Court said as soon as he entered the den where the guys were sitting around playing X-box. He could be such an ass at times. Since the guys were paying him, he should have at least tried to be a little nicer, even if it were out of fear of being fired, but I honestly doubt that ever entered his mind. Chance turned off the TV and tossed his game controller onto the coffee table, along with the others.
"So, what couldn't wait until tomorrow?” Levi asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"We have a problem, guys. You all know that, Jay, from Glorious Bastards was supposed to fill in for Linc for the next six months, well there's been an accident and he broke his arm. There's no way he'll be able to perform for several months. His manager is telling me that he may even need surgery once the cast comes off, if it doesn't heal properly. Anyway, enough of that, I've been on the phone since midnight last night and all day today trying to find someone to fill in and the only option that we're left with is for Teagan to fill in after their set," he explained and flinched when the guys raised their voices in disapproval. "I kind of figured that would be the reaction, so I told them thanks, but no thanks. I don't like the position that this has put me in, but Linc, do you think you would be able to handle it, as long as Honesty is with you every step of the way?"