Dreams Can Come True

14. Car ride

The sky outside was softly illuminated by the street lamps as I drove to the studio with Tom. However, my thoughts were elsewhere, and my furrowed gaze was fixed on the road ahead. I stared at the road, my hands gripping the steering wheel tightly, while Tom sat beside me with a cup of coffee that he occasionally brought to his lips.
"I really don't like that Elise is so excited about her own apartment," I sighed, tightening my grip on the wheel.
Tom looked at me and leaned back in his seat. He took a sip of his coffee and looked at me thoughtfully. "But she invited you to spend the night there, didn't she?" he asked.
"Hmm," I mumbled, keeping my eyes on the road. "I just thought she also wanted to be with me every night."
Tom set his coffee cup down and looked at me seriously. "Bill," Tom said in a soft tone, "sleeping apart occasionally can't hurt, can it? You don't want her to feel suffocated in the relationship, do you?"
A heavy sigh escaped my lips. "No," I replied, gripping the wheel tighter. I realized Tom had a point, but the thought of a night without Elise just hurt. We already had so little time together because of our busy schedules during the day.
"Try to let it go a bit," Tom interrupted my thoughts. "You have the rest of your lives to spend together."
I looked at him and nodded in agreement. "You're right, bro," I said, but my inner struggle wasn't entirely calmed.
Tom grinned at the backseat, where my carefully packed sports bag for the sleepover at Elise's was. "You planning to stay there for a whole week, huh?" he remarked, his eyes full of amusement. I glanced back myself briefly and had to admit I might have overdone it with the amount of clothes I'd brought for one night.
"Maybe I'll spill during dinner, and then I'll be glad I brought extra clothes," I defended myself with a playful smile. Tom burst into laughter. "I think you two just won't be wearing clothes tonight," he teased with a meaningful look. "Yeah, that could be," I agreed, laughing along.

The rehearsal room was filled with the familiar sounds of guitars and drums as Tom and I opened the door. Georg looked up from his bass guitar and greeted us with a mischievous grin. "Ah, there's the twins finally."
"Wow, Tom, you still look tired," Gustav remarked, casting a glance at Georg, who quickly started chuckling.
Tom, with a playful grin, nodded at Gustav. "Those lovebirds kept me up all night."
Laughter filled the space, and I couldn't help but playfully punch Tom. Stef, our producer, interrupted the laughter and focused on the rehearsal. "Enough about Bill's sex life, guys. Let's start rehearsing."
The rehearsal room filled with the characteristic sound of guitars and drums as we prepared to get to work. Despite the slight fatigue, I felt the excitement of creating music with the band. However, Georg seemed to be elsewhere with his thoughts.
"Stef," Georg asked hesitantly as I prepared myself at the microphone. "Could I stop a bit earlier today?"
Stef looked up, furrowing his eyebrows. "Why? Do you have an important appointment?"
Georg glanced briefly in my direction and smiled. "Yes, I have something planned for tonight."
Tom raised an eyebrow. "What? Are you finally admitting you have a social life outside the band?"
"Is Georg going on a date?" Gustav grinned mischievously.
I burst into laughter, and Georg rolled his eyes. "Yeah, okay, I'm going on a date. And no, I'm not going to tell you with whom."
Gustav looked up from his drum set. "Good for you, Georg." Tom looked disappointed. "And I was just about to invite you all to come over to our apartment. Bill's going to sleep at Elise's, and I don't want to be home alone."
I saw Gustav shaking his head. "Sorry, Tom. I have a family thing tonight."
Tom shook his head. "You're all a bunch of absent men." Stef intervened and brought the focus back to the rehearsal. "Let's start rehearsing so we can finish earlier today."

I stood in front of the old building where Elise was working with Bas. The sun was slowly setting, and the sky took on a warm orange hue. A young girl sat in front of the reception desk, staring intently at her computer screen. I coughed subtly to get her attention. "I'm looking for Elise," I answered, but before I could finish my sentence, I heard my name being called. It was Paul, the band's manager.
"Bill, there you are!" Paul greeted me. "You're here for Elise, right? Come with me."
I followed Paul through the corridors of the building, passing several sound studios and offices. Eventually, he pointed to a door at the end of the hallway. "She's in the studio with Bas," Paul explained.
I entered the studio and was immediately enveloped by the enchanting sounds of Elise's beautiful voice echoing throughout the room. Bas sat with his guitar behind her, both so focused that they didn't immediately notice my arrival. I leaned against the wall, completely absorbed in the melodies they were creating together. Elise's talent and passion for music were truly admirable.
The song came to an end, and Elise looked up, her eyes lighting up when she saw me standing there. A broad smile appeared on her face as she quickly took off her headphones and made her way towards me. I opened my arms, and she hugged me tightly, followed by a loving kiss. "I missed you," I whispered in her ear.
"I missed you too," she replied softly, her voice filled with genuine joy. She looked at me for a moment and then wrapped her arms around my neck for another kiss. "How was your day?"
"Good," I said with a smile. "But I'm glad it's over, and I wanted to see you."
Elise looked at me gratefully. "I'm almost done here. Bas and I are working on a few new songs. Do you want to stay and listen for a while?"
"Definitely," I nodded. "I always enjoy your music."
She took my hand and led me to a comfortable spot in the studio, where we enjoyed the harmonies that Elise and Bas created together.