The Best You Ever Had

Panic! and Piper

"Pipes," Brendon said, trying to get my attention.

I had spaced out. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Where you at, doll?"

"Sorry. I was thinking about scripts again." Billy had said he was sending two over and I couldn't get my mind off them. "What were you saying?"

He smirked at me and pulled me across the cushions to rest against him on the couch. "I was just wondering what you want for dinner. No big deal. Oh, and my manager called. She has an idea she wants me to run past you and Billy."

I turned to look at him. "Oh?"

"We'll talk about it after dessert."

"Wait, we didn't even decide on dinner yet," I pointed out. But the next moment I was over his shoulder, somehow, and being carried upstairs. 

Oh. Dessert.

****

Fingers lightly trailed up and down my arm as we lay in the afterglow. I sighed in contentment, and resisted the urge to fall asleep in Brendon's arms. 

"So what's this idea?" I asked, stretching lazily.

"Huh? Oh!" Brendon pulled himself out of whatever post-sex world he'd been in. "Yeah. It's big, and we'd really have to discuss it."

I booped his nose. "So let's discuss. Come on."

"What would you say to a Panic! and Piper tour?"

"Like your band and my band on tour together?" I furrowed my brow. It wasn't a bad idea. But he was right; it was big.

"Exactly," he said, sounding excited. "I don't know when, because ideally you tour when you've got a new album or something but-"

"You don't have to explain that to me," I reminded him, chuckling. "But we have a single together. That's something. And maybe we could play a few new songs. I've been working on some with Jenny and the guys for a bit. We could pull something together…"

My mind was racing. Could it work? What would the band think of it? What would Panic! think of it? When would we do this?

"Yeah, I was thinking sort of the same thing. Maybe a new number or two. A performance of The Best You Ever Had together. I think it could work out." Brendon's voice held obvious excitement.

"Well, what would your band think of it?" I inquired.

He raised his eyebrows. "Dunno. They'd probably be down. What about yours?"

"Dunno. Mark is trying to plan a wedding with Amanda, but I honestly don't know how that's going. I don't want to complicate that for them. Jenny is always up for a tour. She doesn't like to sit still. Ronnie just goes with the flow. I could run it by them. Worst they could say is no."

"Better ask your manager what he thinks too," he reminded me.

"I'm sure he'll think it's a brilliant idea."

"And what do you think? Is it brilliant?"

I laughed and flung my arm over top of him, snuggling close. "It's brilliant."

****

"It's...an idea," said Mark, hesitantly.

Jenny and Ronnie sat silently, waiting to see what would happen next, I guessed.

"But you're worried about the wedding," I inferred.

"Well, we're trying to nail down a date."

"I get it," I told him, reaching over and rubbing his arms. He had huge arms. I digress. "It would take a few months to put together, and then we'd be gone for a couple months. I understand you being hesitant. It puts your timeline off significantly. I don't ask lightly."

"It would be good for our careers though," he said. "And we could put the money towards the wedding," he continued, thinking out loud and looking towards our other friends for their input. "What do you guys think?"

Ronnie shrugged. "I like it. But I'll do whatever you all decide. You know that."

Jenny nodded. "The timing will be hard on you and Amanda," she said to our thoughtful guitarist. "But I love a tour, man. You guys know this. I'm in, ninety percent."

I looked up at where she stood leaning against the wall. "Ninety?"

"Well yeah, I have a heart. The other ten percent hesitates because of the wedding."

I bobbed my head in understanding. "Talk to Amanda about it. See how she feels. Then we'll talk again, okay? There's no hurry."

"Except there is, right?" Mark asked. "We gotta move quick. Strike while the iron is hot on you and Brendon and the single."

"And maybe a new song or two from us?" I posed the question meekly.

Jenny let out an exasperated breath. "Just a little detail."

"We've got new stuff we're working on!" 

Ronnie spoke up as he seated himself behind his practice kit. "Look. Speaking of that, let's just work on new stuff for now. Let Mark and Amanda discuss. Either way we need new music. So I say that's our focus today."

"Okay," I agreed.

Jenny picked up her bass.

Mark went for his phone. "I'm gonna call Amanda. Maybe go home for a bit so we can talk. I trust you guys to get work done without me."

"I dunno, when the cat's away and all that," joked Jenny. 

Mark was our taskmaster, more often than not. His focus could be incredible. He smiled. "I'm not against this tour idea, okay, Pipes? I was just surprised. It makes business sense. I get it. We'll talk more." He dialed who I assumed was Amanda and walked out the door.

"Did I do the wrong thing?" I asked Ronnie and Jenny. They'd never lie to me. 

"No." Ronnie was immediate with his answer.

Jenny took a moment. "You were thinking about your career again. Our careers. That's always seemed to come first. And that's fine. And you were thinking about Brendon."

I started to interrupt, but she stopped me.

"No, you were. You want success for the both of you. You want the best things in life for him. And I dig that. That's how it should be. But Mark is at a milestone in his life. That should figure into this. Did it figure into this?"

"I mentioned it to Brendon right away when he made the suggestion in the first place. But I said I'd ask you guys. The worst you could say was no. He can still say no." 

"Then no, you didn't do the wrong thing. Now run that line by me again. The one I wrote the bassline for. About the bones and the sea? We have work to do."

I picked up a guitar and we got to work.