Tarnished Armor

Cold and Lonely Road (Chapter Twenty Eight)

I got released from the hospital. Randy, of all people, arrived to take me back to his bus. I looked into his ice blue eyes.

"Why did you come?"

"Did you see anyone else here with you?"

"Where's Colby?"

"He's the last person you should be seeing."

"He's my husband."

"He hit you hard enough to cause you a concussion."

"It was an accident."

"Has he ever hit you before this?"

"NO!"

"Then, why did he now?"

"He did it because I got in his way. He wanted to beat the shit out of Tom for taking Esme in his car, drunk. I don't expect you to understand how I feel. I love my husband."

"Even after what he told Phil,"

"What did he tell Phil?"

I looked shocked. I didn't know if I dreamt this entire conversation under the medicinal fog of pain killers or it wasn't a dream and I was high as hell. Either way, I wanted to hear what Randy had to say.

"Phil told me your beloved husband paid him to take you on a date. To see if you would've rather been with Phil or be with him."

I knew I had to be high as fuck. I just had to be.

"How do you know this shit?"

"Men talk in locker rooms."

"You overheard this,"

"I hear a lot of things."

I stood shocked.

"I'm glad he's gone for a while. It gives me time to think."

"You need it."

I looked at Randy.

"Do we have time to get food before the show?"

"Yeah,"

I walked with him to the truck. We stopped at a Steak 'n Shake. I looked at him.

"What are you getting?"

"I got an idea."

He got up to the menu board.

"I'll take Royale Steakburger with a strawnana shake."

He looked at me.

"Whatcha getting?"

"A bacon cheese double steak burger and a peanut butter shake."

"That will be nineteen dollars and sixty seven cents. Please pull up to the second window."

He pulled up to the second window, pulling a twenty out of his back pocket.

"You don't carry a wallet do you?"

"Nope. Don't have one to start with, Sugar."

We pulled up to the window and I smiled thanking the clerk. We got to the Superdome and saw the fans. I stopped to sign autographs and take pictures. Axxess was next day but some of the fans wait for hours for us. I saw one young girl in particular.

"CHLOE!" she yelled.

I walked over to her.

"Hello."

"You pretty."

I noticed the child's mother smiling.

"Thank you for saying that. Who else are you looking to meet?"