Catching Feelings

18

We are jarred from a deep sleep several hours later by both of our cell phones ringing together on opposite end tables. I reach my hand out to grab mine without bothering to lift my head from the pillow. Bobbi drags her head sleepily off of my chest and grabs for her own.
"Scooter..." she groans "What the hell? Its..." she peers at the glowing alarm clock "4:27 in the damn morning."
"Kenny..." I inform her before answering, to groggy to wonder why they are both calling at this hour.
He jumps into things before I can even say hello. "You in your room?"
"Uh yeah Ken...I'm in my room because it's 4 o'clock in the morning. What do you need?" I'm annoyed, I can't stand waking up, especially when I don't even have to yet.
"Scooter's on his way over..." He warns.
"Why?"
He hesitates and I know whatever he's about to say will be a lie. "I don't know...but I'd say you've got ten minutes tops to get ready for him. Better do it."
I end the call with a quick "Thanks." What the hell is this about? If Scoots coming when it's so early in the morning it might as well still be night, it can't be good.
"What did Scooter say?" I ask, already standing up to grab my jeans off the floor.
"He had already hung up...should I call him back? What's the deal?"
"No idea. But Kenny says he's on his way..." I grab her hand and tug it gently "Come on baby...get up. Throw your clothes on and call him back...tell him we're both in your room. We don't have time to deal with any of this..." I sweep my hand around after pulling on my shirt, indicating the blunt and the smell I'm sure still lingers.
She nods and rushes to get dressed, calling him as we stride quickly down the hall to her room.
When we enter I grab the extra blanket that is folded at the foot of her bed and a pillow, tossing them on the little couch as if I've been sleeping there and then tug the comforter back and toss the sheets around a bit, so it looks as though we've been in her room all along. And not a second too soon either, because just as I sit down on the couch so that I can properly worry about what the emergency might be, he's knocking on the door.
She opens it for him and he hurries passed her without even a glance as a greeting. He looks anxious and pissed, and I can tell he hasn't been awake much longer then we have, which means he came right away. Not good.
He dives right in "First...this little situation here," he points at me then at her then at me again "Can't deal with it now, but she's part of the crew Justin...it's a bad idea...I don't know the specifics, but I know enough to know it's a bad idea."
We both remain silent and wait for him to get into the real reason he's here.
"We have a serious situation here...you've got a girl claiming you two slept together backstage after a show..." He pauses and waits for my reaction.
I lick my lips nervously and glance quickly at her and then back to him. What am I gonna say? It's happened more than a few times.
"Now here's where it gets messy. She had a baby...she says it yours. You're going to have to take a paternity test at some point if this goes anywhere, so I need you to be one hundred percent honest with me right now. Do you understand, because that's the only way we're going to be able to get a handle on this."
I nod and he pulls the folder that has been tucked under his arm out and yanking a piece of paper from it. When he thrusts it in my face I see that a picture has been printed on it.
"Recognize her?"
I scrutinize her face...completely unfamiliar and definitely nothing even close to my type. "No, I've never seen her before."
"Don't lie!" He snaps, shaking it around to say I need to take a closer look.
"I'm not fucking lying Scooter!" I snap right back "I've never seen her before...do you see her? Come the fuck on."
He relaxes a little but is still wound up tightly "You're sure? Maybe you forgot...is that a possibility?"
"No..." I shake my head vigilantly "No way...never seen her before. What the fuck? I can't believe this! Are people actually buying this shit? What's she saying?" I'm suddenly furious.
He starts to answer but the sharp ring of his cell interrupts him. He holds up a finger "Just a minute." And then answers "Yeah?" he listens intently for a moment and then nods as if the voice on the other end can see him "I'm with him right now, he seems pretty positive that he's never even met her."
I tune out his frantic conversation and catch Bobbi's eye, she has remained silently standing off to the side of the room throughout the entire exchange. She holds my gaze for just a second or two and then glances away just as Scooter hangs up.
"Listen...I have to go. And you need to come with me...meet me in the lobby in ten minutes, not a second longer or I'm coming up after you." He orders while rushing from the room, Adding another "Ten minutes!" over his shoulder as he steps into the hall.