That Blue Gibson

CH 47

The show seemed to drag on with each joke worse than the last and painfully awkward winners speeches. By the time Liz and Josie had finished their champagne, the intensely sought-after awards were about to begin. Josie whispered in Liz's ear and bounced a little in her seat.

"What's wrong?" Johnny asked, eyeing Liz's friend.

"Josie has to pee and I'm starving," she clenched her teeth and forced a smile as he laughed.

"Okay, hang on," he laughed and shook his head while the host finished a segment.

Liz lazily clapped as the host finished speaking and the theater was queued for a commercial break when Johnny suddenly pulled her to her feet. She followed him into the aisle, making sure Josie was behind them as he held her hand tightly the entire way up the carpeted ramp. Several people turned to stare at them and Liz noticed a cameraman swing around to get a shot of them just as the usher opened the door to the lobby.

"Whoa," Liz breathed, the bright lights of the lobby causing her to blink.

Johnny watched her a moment as she swayed on her heels. "What did you eat today?"

"I had a coffee at six and then like four Altoids when I was getting my hair done. Plus that champagne..."

"You have five minutes," Johnny warned as Liz shook her hand free from his.

"Yeah, okay," she whispered, rushing after Josie down a hallway.

Once inside the ladies room, Liz leaned against a plush settee and pulled her phone from her clutch. She sighed when her text notifications were empty, then realized she never wrote Dave back. She squinted at the phone's screen as she tapped out her text.

"Oh shit, Josie," she giggled and hit send. "I think I'm a little drunk."

Josie laughed loudly from a stall, "Girl, me too! Do you think they have food here?"

A few moments later, they were sneaking down a back hallway, trying to avoid running into Johnny who was waiting for them by the door to the ladies room. Josie held Liz's train as they slid along the wall and into the main lobby which was now mostly empty.

"That guy has pizza!" Josie cried and they both broke into a dead run after him.

*

"Two minutes," a stagehand warned.

"Maybe I shouldn't be so excited to play during the dead people video, but I totally am," Taylor laughed and bumped his shoulder into Dave's. They stood just off stage, gripping their acoustic guitars and waiting for their cue to sit on the black wooden stools at center stage.

"I'm warning you, T. Once everyone sees that you can handle a guitar, someone is going to try and poach you from me," Dave pointed in his best friend's face.

"Oh shit! Maybe Rush will change their minds and ask me to be their lead!"

Dave felt his phone buzz just as they were called onto the stage. He knew they had precious few seconds before the host introduced them and he pulled his phone out of his tux pocket just enough to read the notification bar. All he read was 'I miss you' before the lights went up and he shoved the phone back, trying not to smile as he turned to Taylor to begin the song.

*

Liz and Josie laughed and held giant slices of pizza as they walked back up the hallway to an annoyed Johnny.

"I got you some!" Liz called when he saw them, his face only slightly less pissed off now.

"I'm so glad you're taking tonight seriously," he muttered.