The Torture Tour

Chapter Three

Seven o'clock finds me sitting at a table with the guys after having eating at the best burger joint in this town. I know all the local spots because I lived here for a year.

Wait here I will go place our order. Hope everyone likes beer because that is all that is on the menu tonight. I walk to the bar where an old friend of mine is the bar tender. It's been a long time Patty.

Wren sweetheart get your sexy ass around here and give me some love Patrick says. Where the hell have you been?

Here and there you know I am not one to settle in one spot for too long. How's life been treatin you I say giving Patty a big hug? I need a pitcher at my table you know what I like keep it coming. I will pay the tab at the end of the night.

This party is on me. I will be over when my relief gets here. We have a lot of catching up to do. So are you robbing the cradle now?

No I let a friend talk me into helping him keep them in order. They are a band who loves finding trouble. They already had one pretty big scandal and their manager wants to head off anymore. They really like to party.

You can handle them I have full faith in you. We have a live band tonight. They will be setting up at eight. You are in for a big surprise.

Don't tell me this is going to be a reunion night.

Yep all your old buddies should be here tonight.

What time does Zoë come on?

She works ten until closing. How do you know her?

I used to date her fiancé at one time. We were better off friends we found that out really early in the relationship.

I never understood how you could stay friends with your exes.

I am a better friend than I am a girlfriend. I suck as a girlfriend. You can ask any of my exes and they would agree. Seeing that Patty is in no hurry to fix my pitcher I grab one and fill it up myself.

I see some things never change Patrick says sitting five mugs on the tray with the pitcher.

You know it I say with a big smile as I hefted the tray up like a pro carrying it back to our table in the back.

Hey they have darts Luke says. Is anyone up for a game?

My game is pool. I suck at darts I say sitting the tray down on the table before filling the glasses.

We can handle pool.

I haven't played in years, but I was the reining pool champ in the pub at one time.

How old are you exactly?

Well Ash I am twenty-four. I will be twenty-five in four months.

That is not much older than we are. Why do you treat us like kids most of the time?

Because that is what you act like most of the time Ash otherwise I wouldn't have this job.

We are young we are supposed to be wild and make mistakes. Everyone does at our age.

But not everyone is in the public eye and not everyone has teens and preteens looking up to them as roll models. What kind of example are you setting for them? Have you ever thought about that?

I have, but I am a big screw up Michael says.

You are not a screw up Michael you just have baggage to deal with like everyone else does. You need how to deal with it in a healthy way. Have you ever tried boxing or working a bag?