Whiskey for Elephants

4.

A half an hour into the drive, I got a call from the tech crew.
"Go for Durant." I say, half ass paying attention.
"We're out about sixty light bulbs. Stage lights, projector lights, auditorium lights. It's one thirty now, but we have to get the stage prepped for the openers at seven thirty so we've got about..." there was silence for a moment. "Six hours until showtime. We need you back here and at the store."
"How did this happen, by the way?" There was a flustered sigh. "I don't know, one of the newbs just walked back to take measurements and found a bunch of shards of bulbs." I groan.
"Alright, I'll head that way now." I did the most illegal u-turn and hung up with lights.
I take a deep breath and roll my neck. I played some lo-fi beats on my aux, unwrapped a piece of gum, and made my way back to the venue.

When I got there, the only thing that needed to be done were the lights and merch stands. I walk to Radkes dressing room and knocked before opening the door. When I did, I saw Chrissy and Willow talking with Radke about how the day went. There's TWO of the tickets.
When I opened the door, walked in, they stopped talking to look at me. Radke raised an eyebrow. Willow came over to give me a show sticker. I let her put it on my face, I nodded at Chrissy and set my stuff down. Save my clip board.
"We're down about sixty light bulbs, this was last minute, my stuff won't get stolen here. Sorry for interrupting!" I say, waving and shutting the door behind me. I power walk with the speed of light in my pencil skirt and puffy black shirt with boob pockets. I dropped my phone in one, attached my headset, tucked my clip board and pen beneath an arm and call for clearance through this door I'm at.
"Danika!" I hear. I hang up.
"Hearing ya loud and clear but I am on a mission here." I utter as he walks up. He lifted a hand to my cheek to take the sticker off, I dodged. "Half the battle of working for you is getting the kid to like me, you're not taking the sticker. Sorry."
"Oh, ha, sorry. Um. So, how'd the light thing happen?"
"No clue, I was on the way home when Tech called me and I turned around. 'Sponsibilities and all that. Get back to family time."
"Can we talk about how there was a girl in my room and you got super unprofessional?" He caught me vulnerable, when he knew I was more business focused than worried about my emotions.
"I was just," I thought of a response. "Shocked to find out that stuff is true. The rockstar-groupie stuff. First tour that I wasn't in the merch booth, after all." I confirm. His face hardens and he jerks his chin upward before saying, "Oh, yeah, right. Duh. Just didn't want your feelings to get hurt or anything. After this morning, I didn't want you thinking we were more than what we are."
"Of course not. We're business partners." He clapped his hands together and inhaled through his teeth, forcing a laugh.
"Friends even." I nod.
"Sure. I have to get back to work now. Later, Radke." I say, leaning on the door that I thought was locked. It wasn't. I fell through the door and Radke raced in after me.
"You okay?" He said, snickering before fighting himself.
"They told me it was locked, the dicks."
"Initiation." He said, laughing. "I'll let you get back to 'working' then." After he left, I made sure to lean against the wall. I couldn't tell what I thought at the room earlier, but it was more to do with me thinking he wasn't one of THOSE guys. I didn't ever think that about him, not even in my fangirl Days. As a publicist, this was a direct impact on my job. So before I left the hotel, of course, I did my job when I left the hotel and talked to security about searching suspicious individuals about pictures with this girl. Including the ones of myself. Security footage was also trimmed. Things like that remain unknown, usually.
Did I expect anything to occur when I walked into the stage room other than broken light bulbs? No. Did something else occur? Yes. There was a cake and ice cream. All of the staff, my higher ups, the whole nine stood in front of me. Except Radke, which is okay, I thought he'd maybe ruin it.
"What?" I said. "Is this some kind of welcoming party?"
"Welcome to your first tour." Ethan Lader piped from behind me. "I'm shooting the show tonight so-here I am!" He says.
"You've worked with my favorite band!"
"Which is FIR right? Blasphemous otherwise." He said, chuckling.
"Call me Judas, because it's A Day To Remember." Around us, people were handing out cake and ice cream and angry orchard. As I took my plate and bottle, I made my way to the card table with Lader and we talked about camera angles and how he got doing what he does. I kept in mind that I was drinking alcohol on the job, but so were the suits. The alcohol was soon replaced with coffee, people went back to work. My work was done. My problem, was that I had to sleep in my car tonight.
"Yo Durant." I turned to see the band waltzing up to me. "There was a girl in Ron's room?"
"Yeah, earlier. At the hotel. I did as much damage control as possible. All should be well. Is there a bad article? TMZ article?" I say, gradually panicking. They laugh.
"No, he just keeps talking about he thinks he hurt your feelings or made you feel weird."
"Nah, we talked. We're chill. Strictly business." I say, dismissing myself. I had to change, I had to be at the show tonight. I walk back to Radkes dressing room. Pausing at the knock this time.
"It's open." He bellows. I walk in, grab my bag, and grab the door to leave when I hear him behind me. "Can you wait a second? I know we talked and stuff earlier, but I just want to make sure. We're cool, right? Like, you won't quit?" He says, concerned. I let go of the doorknob and sigh.
"Honestly, I felt a bit weird. The sleeping in the same bed as me thing? Cool. That's what people with undeniable sexual tension do. Usually it's an exclusive feeling with me, sometimes I just forget that other people aren't me and CAN actually take their frustrations out elsewhere." I establish. "But having been reminded of that, I am also reminded that we WORK together. If something goes south with us, I signed a contract. I'll get sued for something the label will come up with. It was a good reminder." I observe him as he watches me speak. I keep my breathing even and my eyes bright, so he believes that I'm okay with this acknowledgement. My cheeks might be red, but that happens whenever I talk to someone I want to bang, about wanting to bang them. He nods.
"Okay. Yeah. Duh. I didn't even think about your job in this situation. I'm dumb for that. Yeesh. Okay. You have anywhere to sleep tonight?" I pretend to think.
"I'm sleeping in my car. I'm more concerned about where I can change." I say, reaching for the doorknob. "And what I can change into." I add. He thinks for a minute.
"I've got an old flannel and some escape the fate era tee shirts. Wanna try those?" He points. "You can use my bathroom."
"Sure man. I didn't pack to attend so this is a huge help."
"No prob." He pulls about six tee shirts and three flannels down and throws them on the hanger thing in the bathroom.
"I've got those leggings from earlier so I'm not worried too much about pants." I say. "I'll be back stage for the majority anyway."
"Right. Well. Try that stuff on, I'll help you decide. I'll see you when you get out." I walk in his bathroom and pull my button up out of my skirt. I undo the buttons and I grab the first shirt I see.