Chapter Seventeen
Turn: a multi note ornament, above and below the main note; it may also be inverted
Charlie
“Hey, Gabby! How’s life on tour?” I don’t usually answer my phone while I’m practicing, but when I saw Gabby’s name on the screen, I picked up right away. I haven’t talked to her or Jonathan since I got to Marycliff. Lauren’s given me updates since she talks to Gabby at least once a week. Jonathan and I have never talked on the phone much, unless we’re scheduling something. And I’m really only friends with Gabby by extension.
“Amazing. Exhausting. Exhilarating. But you probably know that already.”
“Mmm.” Exhausting is definitely true. I guess I thought it was amazing at first, but at this point I’m burnt out on all of it. Have been for a long time. Hence the break and blanket refusal to perform for the foreseeable future.
I close the keyboard cover of my piano and lean my elbow on it, settling in to catch up with Gabby. I’ll get back to practicing when we’re off the phone. “So you’re having fun? How’s being engaged? I wouldn’t know anything about what that’s like.”
“It’s wonderful.” She lets out a dreamy sigh, then switches into business mode. “Actually, that’s what I called to talk to you about.”
“Oh?”
“We’ve picked a date for the wedding, and we’re sending out invitations soon. It’s going to be in California the week after finals. I’m inviting some of my friends from school, and Lauren’s going to be my maid of honor. I’m sending you an invitation, too, but I know that might be challenging because there’ll be industry people there and there might be school people there. Lauren’s told me that she’s the only one who knows everything, so I don’t want to out you. Jonathan and I really want you to be there, but we don’t want to mess anything up for you. Going to school and taking time off are super important for you, and we’d never want to jeopardize that. So if you can’t come, we understand, but I wanted to give you a head’s up so you have time to think about it.”
She pauses, and I take a breath to reply, but she launches into another volley of words before I can say anything. “Or, you know, I can let you know if anyone from there even RSVPs. Lauren will definitely be there, but since she already knows, that’s not a problem. Really, I’m only inviting a handful of people who I think would like to come. But since it’s all the way in California and none of them are from anywhere near here, it’d cut into their Christmas break plans with their families, so it might not even be a problem.”
Another pause. This time I wait to see if she’s actually done. Or if she’ll keep going. I cover my mouth with my hand to suppress my laughter when she starts talking again.
“But then, maybe you don’t want to see anyone and tip off people to your new look. That might jeopardize your anonymity. Which is why I didn’t plan on asking you to be a bridesmaid. Your cover would be blown for sure. We’re keeping all the plans under wraps to hopefully keep the paparazzi from spoiling the day, but you know how they are. It’s a possibility unless we want to fly everyone to a remote island in Alaska or something. Which we don’t, by the way. It’ll be cool enough in California in December for my tastes. I think I’d freeze to death in Alaska. Surviving two winters in Spokane was bad enough. Anyway, I’m seriously rambling now. Are you going to say anything?”
I let loose the laugh that’s been threatening to break free. A rueful chuckle from Gabby reaches my ears as I struggle to regain control so I can actually talk to her. “Sorry. Sorry.” I wave my free hand in front of my face. “I was going to say something, but then you kept going. And going. So I figured I’d let you talk yourself out. It’s easier to wait sometimes.”
“Ha ha. Thanks. Anyway. I’m sending you an invite. You can just send back the RSVP if you decide on a definite answer. But if you want to know about who else is coming, let me know, and I’ll tell you.”
I suck in a breath, considering that. I’m not even really sure what to think right now. “Are you inviting my parents or manager?”
“Not that I know of. There are a lot of names on Jonathan’s list that I don’t recognize. Hang on. Their last name is Baxter, right?”
“Right.”
There’s a pause, and I hear buttons clicking in the background. “No. You’re the only Baxter on the list. Since your parents aren’t invited, I’m going to go out on a limb and assume your manager isn’t. I don’t know why Jonathan would invite them anyway. He’s not their biggest fan.”
I chuckle at her dry tone on the last bit. “Yeah, well, me either.”
She clears her throat, and I wonder if I’ve made her uncomfortable. We’ve talked about my strained relationship with my parents before when she was helping me plan my escape. But she grew up with the classic, all-American childhood, so I think it’s hard for her to get. Hell, I helped distract her so Jonathan could go see her parents to ask for their blessing when he was going to propose.
I’m not sure how I’d feel about a guy trying to do that with my parents. And it’d go over like a lead balloon with them anyway. I can hear it now. My mom would be frothing at the mouth about the lost opportunities to improve my status through dating around. Although, if she could see a way to spin the wedding for more publicity, she’d probably come around eventually.
Shaking my head to clear it of all that—because it’s not like any of that is even a remote possibility—I refocus on the conversation at hand. “Send me the invite, and I’ll think about it and let you know. You brought up several really good points. If Lauren’s the only Marycliff student there, then I can doll myself up in my typical Charlotte James look with no one the wiser. If there are other students there …” I let that thought hang, chewing on my thumbnail. “I don’t know. So, yeah, let me know if anyone else from here RSVPs, and I’ll make my decision then.”
“Okay. Sounds good. I’ll put you down as a definite maybe.”
I laugh.
“It would mean a lot to Jonathan if you could come,” she says softly after a beat of silence. “You’re one of his oldest friends, and you’ve helped us both in so many ways. It would mean a lot to me if you could come too.”
I blink away the prickle of tears and take in a deep breath. “Thanks. I’d really like to come. I’ll do my best to make it happen. But I still want to know who to expect so I can plan how best to handle it.”
“I totally get it.” I hear more tapping of keys, and when she speaks her voice is different again. A person could get whiplash just from one conversation with Gabby. “So how’s school? Is it as stress free as you thought it would be?”
“Ha. Not exactly. But it’s a different kind of stress, so it’s good.”
“Yeah. It is a lot different, that’s for sure. But you like it? Classes and everything?”
“I do. I’m learning a lot, and finally getting names for things I’ve known but didn’t learn formally.” We spend the next several minutes chatting about school. Gabby sounds wistful, like she misses being here. Or at least parts of it. I know that she wouldn’t trade being with Jonathan for being here, though. Not in a million years.
She fills me in on the last few months of their tour—the crazy schedule, the fan reactions to their engagement, the craziness of using a mobile studio on the road to record the singles with them playing together. And her overwhelming happiness bleeds through in her stories, even the complaints about the frustrations of tour life.
“I’d love to keep talking, but we have plans tonight. I’ll let you know once I start getting RSVPs from anyone else from the music department.”
“Okay. Thanks. I have a feeling I’ll hear about it here, too, if anyone plans on going. Your name comes up in gossip every so often.”
She gives a choked laugh. “Uh, I’m not sure how I feel about that.”
Shrugging, I try to reassure her. “Well, I’m sure it comes up more places than here. You’re engaged to a popstar and have a certain amount of fame in your own right. People talk about you. Might as well get used to it.”
“Yeah.” She sighs. “I know you’re right. But it’s weirder when the people gossiping about you are people you know.”
“Uh, isn’t that pretty normal? Like for anyone? They gossip about everyone else around here. I’m sure you were gossiped about while you were here. Gossip is a universal constant.”
Another rueful chuckle greets that statement. “True. Good point. But I do really need to go.”
“Me too. Gotta get back to practicing.”
“Yes. The never-ending duty of every music major.”
“And performing artist. Your rehearsals aren’t exactly nonexistent these days.”
“Yeah. It’s different though.”
“I know.”
She sighs. The simple release of air communicating a host of ideas—happiness, longing, anticipation of what’s to come. “Alright. I’m sure we’ll talk soon. Good luck with practicing. Have a good night.”
“You too.”