Work Text:
It was a gloomy March morning in a hotel restaurant not too different from any other… polished wooden tables, tasteful carpeting, large windows that looked out on city streets and gray skies. A scattering of patrons lingered over breakfast or cups of coffee - or, in one case, a lined notebook.
At a table near the windows, Emma spread jam on her toast while Izzy moved her plate aside and wrote another tour diary entry. After a few minutes, she sighed and put her pen down.
“Done. Just wanted to write a couple of lines.”
“Ooh, can I read it?” Emma asked.
“Of course. Just don’t get jam on it.” Izzy teased, and turned her attention back to her own breakfast.
- - - - - -
New York City, 19 March 1992
Late morning on the 19th. Left right after packing up in NJ last night, short trip. Got here and collapsed. Good to be back in NY again. Feels a little weird to be back in my home city, but not actually going home.
- - - - - -
Emma handed the notebook back and reached for her coffee cup. “Yeah, it really does feel weird,” she said. “I keep wondering if we would have enough time to pop home and pick up a few things, but I suppose not.” She waved to the waitress. “More coffee, please? Thanks.”
Izzy took a bite of eggs. “Yeah, we’d probably be there way longer than we realized, digging through boxes of clothes.”
“Yeah. And if we got into a long, random conversation with Erik, like you know we would, Janice would have to come and yank us out of there.”
“And you know Erik wouldn’t appreciate us unpacking all that stuff.” Izzy giggled. “He’d help her get rid of us.”
Emma nodded. “He absolutely would. I nearly drove him nuts when I was trying to decide what to pack and what to put in storage. It was a good thing he was there to advise, or it would have taken me a lot longer.”
“Heh, ‘advise’ - so, basically I suppose he was telling you that you probably wouldn’t need to take all that stuff,” Izzy said.
“Pretty much,” Emma replied, and they both laughed.
“Seriously though,” Izzy continued, “it was really great of him to sublet the place. One less thing to have to worry about.”
“He’s a pretty cool brother.” Emma smiled. “He’s coming to the show tomorrow night, by the way. He just got back to me this morning.”
“Oh, great! I haven’t seen him in ages. Is he bringing anyone?”
Emma shrugged. “He wasn’t sure yet. I told him I’d have a pair of tickets held for him anyway, just in case.”
“Hey, you’re a step ahead of me. I’ve got to get an answer tonight for which of the theater gang is definitely coming.”
“Sounds good,” Emma replied. “What’s the plan? I’d love to see everybody, but I’m supposed to be calling Erik back about meeting for dinner.”
“Bring him along! We’re all getting together at that diner everybody always goes to, you know the one, a few blocks from the theater? With the red chairs and the rainbow mural?”
“Oh, yeah! Great place. Okay then, I’ll let him know. I keep telling him about your productions, he’ll be cool with that. Should be fun.”
Izzy drained her own coffee cup and reached for a napkin. “So, in the meantime, wanna do some shopping? Wander around the neighborhood and see what kind of trouble we can get into?”
Emma grinned. “Love to! Let me just go call Erik first.”
- - - - - -
A short time later, the two had escaped the confines of the hotel, eager to explore the surrounding section of New York. The gray sky made the lights and colors of the shop windows seem brighter and more intense. The sidewalk was crowded with a steady stream of people walking quickly on their way to work or shopping or sightseeing, occasional conversations or arguments fading in and then out as they passed by. Bits of music came from here and there, farther down the block, then were drowned out by car horns. The girls set off down the street, looking around, taking it all in.
“I missed this,” Emma said.
Izzy nodded. “Yeah… it’s chaos, but it’s beautiful chaos.”
“It really is! I mean, the tour is chaos too, but… it’s different. It’s not home.”
“Yeah. It’s starting to feel familiar, but it’s not the same,” Izzy agreed. “I love it, it’s exciting, but so much changes all the time. It feels odd to be sleeping in a different room every night.”
Suddenly she stopped in front of a store whose window displayed a large variety of ‘I 🖤 New York’ souvenirs. Ignoring the mugs, hats and assorted trinkets, she pointed excitedly at a toddler-size t-shirt. “Look at this! We should get one… we can put it on Chuck and take a picture!”
“If they have it in black, we can put a U2 logo on the back and it’ll be like a little tour shirt,” Emma added.
The two entered the shop, and a short time later Izzy had purchased the shirt (which had indeed been available in black) plus a tiny model taxicab keychain. Emma grinned as Izzy stuffed the bag into her backpack.
“That’s the New York picture sorted out,” Izzy said. “Chuck is gonna look adorable.”
“Perfect!” Emma agreed. “Although I’ve never really figured you for the novelty souvenir keychain type.”
“Gonna put it on the zipper pull on my backpack,” Izzy explained. “A little reminder of home wherever I go.”
“Can’t argue with that.”
“Ooh, speaking of reminders of home…” Izzy paused by a newspaper stand, and a copy of the Times and a couple of magazines joined the other items in her backpack. “New stuff to read on the bus,” she explained.
“So. Where to now?” Emma asked as they walked on.
Izzy frowned, considering. “Isn’t there supposed to be a really good thrift store around here somewhere? I remember some of the costume crew from work went there once, looking for things for a production. They said it was worth a trip.”
“You know… yeah, pretty sure I know the one you mean. ‘Nifty’s,’ or something? I think I was there once, about a year ago… couple of blocks from here, I think.”
As they crossed the street, a cab driver leaned out of his window to yell at a group of pedestrians who were (apparently, according to him) moving too slowly. One of the group yelled back at him and made a rude gesture.
Emma smiled. “New York. Gotta love it.”
“Can’t deny it has character,” Izzy agreed. “I haven’t been to this place myself… are we getting close?”
Emma looked around, scanning the storefronts. “I think so… yeah, there, down the street, other side of the block.”
“Great. And hey, there’s a bakery next door, we can grab a snack afterwards.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
- - - - - -
Later that afternoon when the two returned to the hotel, they congratulated each other on a fine afternoon’s shopping.
“We’ve got to go back to that place when the tour is over,” Izzy said, nodding at her ‘Get Thrifty at Nifty’s’ bag.
“Seriously! I think they had more good quality vintage stuff than some of the places we usually go to. That velvet coat you got was a pretty amazing find.”
“I know! Now I’ve just got to find an occasion to wear it. Nice neighborhood, nice stuff, I guess. I’m pretty sure the only reason it was cheap was because it isn’t real velvet. Not gonna complain though.”
“I bet Adam will like it,” Emma said with a grin. “Are you seeing him later?”
“Don’t know, haven’t heard from him yet,” Izzy shrugged. “Aren’t they supposed to be filming a video somewhere tonight?”
Emma frowned. “I think so... don’t know where, but I heard there’s supposed to be some sort of crazy party.”
“What, as part of the video? Or just because?”
“No idea… maybe both?” Emma’s eyes brightened. “You know what, I heard it from Rob - we should go ask him.”
“Ooh, yeah,” Izzy agreed. “If anybody knows, it’ll be Rob and Jeff.” She pulled a paper sack out of her Nifty’s bag. “And we can share the chocolate croissants.”
A short time later, they were knocking on a hotel room door. Rob opened it and greeted them with pleased surprise. He called back to Jeff, who was sprawled on the couch. “Hey, it’s two thirds of the wardrobe department.” Then to the girls, “What’s up? Come in.”
Izzy held out the sack as they entered the room. “We’ve come to offer a bribe of pastries in exchange for information.”
“Intriguing,” Rob said with a smile. “What kind of information?”
“And what kind of pastries?” Jeff added, jumping up from the couch and hurrying over.
Izzy handed the sack to Rob; he and Jeff both peered into it eagerly. “Chocolate croissants,” she explained. “We want to know what you guys know about the alleged video the band is filming tonight.”
Jeff was already biting into a croissant. “Mmmm,” he said. “Bribe accepted.”
Rob pulled out another pastry. “There isn’t that much to tell yet. They haven’t decided where to film it… we do know that there’s going to be some sort of big party going on for everybody who’s waiting for their part. Big spread of food, lots of unknown models running around.” He took a bite. “Wow, these are good. I just know that much because I have to be there with the rep from the modeling agency, babysit her and show her around so she can get pics of their girls at this thing to show other potential clients, or whatever. Sounds like a pain.”
Izzy grimaced. “Models. Of course.”
“What, worried about them tempting Adam?” Rob asked between bites.
“Oh, I don’t know… I guess not so much anymore. It’s still kind of annoying to see them turning up everywhere though, you know?”
“Doesn’t matter how many of ‘em turn up,” Jeff said dismissively, as he reached into the sack again. “Adam hasn’t looked at anybody but you ever since the tour started. Anybody who’s been around you two backstage every night knows that.”
“He means us,” Rob clarified.
Izzy smiled. “Hey, thanks. You guys are definitely worth a bag of croissants.”
“Maybe two bags,” Emma added.
“Just keep that in mind for future reference,” Rob said with a grin.
- - - - - -
Later that evening, Izzy and Emma’s cab deposited them in front of a cheerily lit chrome and tile building, whose neon sign proclaimed it to be The Rainbow Diner. Izzy peered through a window. Inside, waitstaff in brightly colored shirts moved between tables, delivering or collecting plates.
“Ooh, a few people are already here!” She grinned and waved at someone inside.
“Great!” Emma said. “You go on, I’ll be in as soon as Erik gets here.”
Once inside, Isabel made her way towards a group that was gathered at a large table, everyone waving enthusiastically and jumping up to greet her. She suddenly found herself at the center of a little storm of hugs and cheerful voices.
“Izzy! So great to see you!”
“How’s the new job? How are you doing?”
“We’ve missed you!”
Izzy spent a few minutes returning everyone’s hugs and greetings while a few more chairs were brought. “I’m so glad to be back! It feels like I’ve been gone a lot longer than I have. You have to tell me about the new production!”
The theater manager - an older blonde woman - smiled and reached for her coffee cup. “We finally decided. It’s going to be one of our best yet… we’re doing all the death scenes from Shakespeare. Just those, one after the other.”
“Awesome,” Izzy laughed. “Sounds hilariously weird.”
A red-haired young man who was a frequent cast member grinned and nodded. “Hilariously over-dramatic and weird, thank you very much.” He nodded at the manager. “It was Jeanette’s idea.”
“With a lot of embellishment from Jay,” she replied, giving the redhead a friendly smack on the arm.
“Even better,” Izzy said. “Sorry I have to miss it. Somebody had better videotape it.”
“It’s gonna be a great time, but it won’t be the same without you on the costume crew,” Jay continued.
Jeanette added, “We’re damn proud of you though.” There was a chorus of agreement, and coffee cups were raised in a toast.
“Aww, thanks, guys,” Izzy replied, smiling. “That really means a lot to me.”
More voices piped up excitedly from around the table. “So, sit down, have a drink, tell us about the tour!”
“What’s your job like?”
“Is it much like the costume work here?”
“What’s the band like?” More enthusiastic general agreement.
“Whoa, slow down,” Izzy replied with a grin. “Plenty of time for that, just waiting for Emma and the others to get here.” Izzy turned around, searching the entrance area, just in time to see Emma entering, followed by a few more of the theater’s employees and a blonde man with a short beard. She called out and waved.
“Hey, Em!” Then to the rest of the table, “I think most of you probably remember my friend Emma?”
Emma grinned and waved. “Hey, everybody! Wow, it’s so great to be back!” There was another round of greetings and welcomes. She put a hand on the blonde man’s shoulder. “This is my brother Erik. Erik, meet a whole bunch of Izzy’s former theater co-workers.”
Erik smiled and gave a little wave. “Nice to meet you all. Emma’s described some of your productions… I’m looking forward to seeing one now that I’m living in the area.” He gave Izzy a quick hug. “Iz! It’s great to see you again!”
Izzy grinned and returned the hug enthusiastically. “You too, it’s been such a long time!”
As Erik sat down, Izzy looked around at the group. “So hey, be sure to let me know how many of you are coming tomorrow night. And come early! There won’t be enough time to talk after the show, we’ll be packing up to leave again. Albany is next.”
There were a few disappointed noises here and there around the table. “Yeah, I know,” Emma said. “The crew’s work is never done. That’s why we’re so happy that we could all get together like this.” She gave her brother a playful nudge and smiled at him.
A waitress appeared, and the table was soon crowded with plates of food and cups and glasses. There was a constant buzz of conversation as everyone shared news and told stories. Between bites, Izzy and Emma did their best to answer questions.
“Yeah, it’s a lot like what I used to do at the theater, only with added chaos and pressure. There’s also an element of packing and shipping things very carefully, which is more like what Emma did at the gallery.” Izzy gestured at her friend with her fork.
“Don’t forget the laundry and mending,” Emma added with a grin. “And the sweaty things you have to spray, because they can’t be washed. Now that’s rock ‘n’ roll for you.” There was an echoing ripple of laughter.
“So what are the guys in the band like?” One girl asked again.
Another - an especially cheerful high school girl, Izzy thought her name was Diana - added, “Yeah! Especially Bono, he’s so hot.”
“Do you get to hang out with them?” Someone else asked eagerly.
Emma looked at Izzy before answering, wondering how much she’d want to admit to ‘hanging out’ with one particular band member.
“Not much so far,” Izzy answered, giving her friend a brief, knowing smile. “Most of the time we’re all either busy with some aspect of getting ready for the show, or resting up from one, and the crew is kinda discouraged from bothering the band unless it’s work-related.”
“Nice guys, though,” Emma added. “Not at all arrogant or stuck up or anything, like you might expect rock stars to be. They can be pretty goofy sometimes, but always polite and respectful to the crew.”
“So what’s Bono like?” Diana asked again. “Do you get to talk to him?”
People’s questions always seem to come back to Bono, Izzy thought with amusement. “Mostly small talk before the show, while we’re helping them get ready. He’s cool. He’s funny, hugs people a lot, works incredibly hard. Kind of out there and private at the same time.” He’s also hard to sum up in a few words, but that’ll do.
She and Emma managed to (eventually) steer the conversation away from How Awesome The Band Is and onto Funny Theater Stories so they could take some time to eat.
Several stories later, most of the dishes had been cleared, dessert was being contemplated, and Jeanette was in the middle of a story about ‘that big Christmas production where the tree fell over’ when Jay started staring out the window, his expression troubled. A couple of the people around him noticed, and turned to see what he was looking at.
“What’s up?” one asked.
“Some guy just turned up, hanging around outside,” he answered. “I think he’s looking in at us. It’s kinda creepy.” He nodded toward the street just outside the window, where a dark-haired man in a black coat stood at the edge of the light coming from inside.
A few others turned to look, curious to see what the problem was. “I think you’re right, he is,” someone else said. “That’s weird… should we tell the manager or something?”
Jay’s baffled look became a frown. “No, wait… he looks familiar. Is that… it is, what the heck is he doing here?” His tone was somewhere between confused and angry.
The rest of the group was watching by now, alert to possible trouble. When Izzy saw the man, her smile faded. The only sign of emotion on her face was the anger flashing in her eyes. “Oh, my god,” she sighed wearily, “it’s Jason.”
Erik turned to his sister. “Who’s Jason?” he asked quietly.
“Izzy’s ex-boyfriend,” Emma replied, equally quietly. “They did not part on good terms.”
One of the other guys spoke up. “He still hangs out at some of the bars we go to… we see him there sometimes, so he probably heard us talking about tonight.” He turned to Izzy, his tone apologetic. “He didn’t say anything about showing up here though.”
“It’s okay,” she replied. “He was bound to turn up again sooner or later. Probably still sulking about our breakup.”
By now Jason had entered the diner and was approaching the group, his manner subdued. Jeanette fixed him with a stern look. “Jason. What can we do for you?”
Jason glanced around at the group, his eyes lighting briefly on Izzy. “I need to speak to Isabel for a few minutes.”
“That’s up to her,” Jeanette answered. “I’m not convinced it’s a great idea. It’s your decision, Izzy.”
“Please. It’s important,” Jason said, turning back to her.
I doubt that, Izzy thought. She tried to think how she would describe his expression. Affectionate? Ha, no, not at all. Angry? Not that either, thank goodness. Just… businesslike. Might as well see what he wants and get it over with. “Okay, fine,” she said. “As long as it doesn’t take too long.” She grabbed her jacket and followed him back outside.
They paused on the sidewalk, in a spot where they wouldn’t be disturbed by customers entering (but still close enough for her friends to see them, just in case, Izzy made sure of that) and stood staring at each other for a minute. Izzy wondered if Jason felt as awkward as she did.
“Um, it’s good to see you again,” he said. “Thanks for talking to me. I guess I just wanted to see if anything had changed.”
No, Izzy thought. “In regards to what?”
“Anything. Us, this tour you’re on…” He said the word ‘tour’ almost as if it was a questionable thing that she should have known better than to accept.
Izzy cut him off. “It hasn’t. I made a commitment when I took this job, and I’m not going to go back on that. It’s a great opportunity for me.”
“But… it’s just… I miss you. You accepted that job so fast, and went off for who knows how long, and I feel like you didn’t even think about what it was going to do to us.”
Oh god, Izzy thought. Not all this again. “Jason, there was no ‘us’ by that point. We were arguing all the time. I needed to move on, and this was the perfect chance. I explained everything when I got the job offer. Besides, this tour is a huge step for my career, I couldn’t turn it down.”
Jason sighed. “ No, I guess you couldn’t.” Was that a touch of resentment creeping into his voice? His expression was sad, but Izzy wasn’t fooled.
“If you hadn’t been so against the whole idea, if you’d tried to be supportive, if you’d at least have been happy for me, we could have kept in touch, but as it is…” she shook her head. “You showed me how you really felt. Like I said, I need to move on.”
“And you sure did!” Jason said angrily. “When you got a chance to travel with rock stars, you dropped me right away. I guess I can see what kind of guys you’d rather be around!”
Izzy ignored his insult. “Why are you even bringing this up again? There was nothing between us anymore, even you had to see that. What did you want me to do?” She asked. She knew, but she wanted to hear it from him again, as proof she’d made the right decision.
“I mean, you could have taken me with you, couldn’t you? For at least a little while?”
Izzy was starting to have difficulty keeping her voice calm; they’d had this same argument before. “Dammit, Jason, we went over all this months ago. Crew members aren’t allowed to bring visitors along, we’re too busy. We really don’t have the time. Besides, you didn’t show any interest in coming along when I was getting ready to leave.”
“I still hoped you might change your mind. I hoped you cared enough about me to stay! But obviously you prefer being around somebody richer and more famous. I can see what really made you take that job. It’s just selfish.”
Enough was enough. “Well, if that’s what you think of me, breaking up was the right idea. And if by ‘cared enough about you’ you mean you hoped I’d be willing to turn down the best job I’ll probably ever have in order to stick around here and keep on taking care of you like I’m your mother…”
“My mother?” Jason huffed. “What are you talking about? It was never like that!”
“Not at first, maybe. But at the end it was like that so much I couldn’t stand it. Everything was about you and what you thought I should do for you. I did my best to make you happy, but it was never enough. If you had ever asked me what was wrong all those times we argued, instead of just telling me I was being selfish or cold or what the fuck ever, maybe you would know that!”
Izzy stopped and took a few deep breaths, trying to keep her voice from shaking. She caught movement out of the corner of her eye, near the doorway, and took a quick look; she spotted Jeanette, leaning against the building, smoking a cigarette. Keeping an eye on things, probably.
After a minute, she spoke again, her voice tight. “We’re done here. I’ve got nothing else to talk to you about.”
“Oh, come on! Don’t you think you owe it to me to share a little of this good luck with me, after all the time we spent together?”
Izzy laughed, but there was no humor in it. “No, I don’t! I’d already had enough of your bullshit the last time I saw you. We’re history. End of story. I don’t owe you a thing!”
Jason was still sputtering angrily, but before he could say anything else, Jeanette tossed down the end of her cigarette and came to stand between them. Her expression made it clear that her words would be obeyed.
“It’s time for you to leave, Jason. Now. You’ve said enough.”
Jason turned without another word and stalked off down the street looking sulky, leaving Izzy and Jeanette alone. The anger had faded from Izzy’s face. Now she just looked tired and a little shaken.
“Thanks, Jeanette. I owe you one.”
“You okay?”
Izzy shrugged. “Yeah… no… I don’t know, I guess…” This time her voice was a little unsteady. “I really didn’t need to have to deal with him again. I was stupid to think he might discuss things rationally.”
“Hey, don’t blame yourself. Knowing him, he might have made a scene if you hadn’t agreed to talk to him.” Jeanette grinned. “Emma and her brother and a couple of the other guys were all ready to come out here and knock some sense into him.”
“It probably would have taken all four of them, as little sense as he had.”
Back inside, Izzy was greeted with hugs and reassurances. When asked what had happened, she replied, “I basically told him to fuck off.” The cheers and toasts that followed made her feel a bit better, although her hands were still shaking.
- - - - - -
Back at the hotel, the girls took a few minutes to compare notes about the next night’s concert. “Jeanette and Jay and a few of the others are coming,” Izzy said. “I’m having tickets held for them.”
“Great! I know they’ll all be really thrilled to meet the band before the show starts.”
“I don’t imagine Jason will have the nerve to show up after what happened tonight.”
“He’d better not, or I’ll kick his ass.” Emma looked her friend over, searching her face for any sign that the night’s unexpected events were still affecting her. “Are you alright? Do you need anything?”
“Thanks, I think I’m good,” Izzy replied. “I’m just going to try to relax for a while and see if Adam calls, then I’ll crash.”
“Okay, well, you know where I am if you need me. Have a good night.”
“Thanks, you too.”
- - - - - -
Some time later, Izzy was back in her room, sprawled on the couch in sweatpants and her favorite old flannel shirt - the red plaid one that always made her feel better - reading a magazine. She had hoped that a few random fashion articles would help distract her from the confrontation with Jason, but so far, they hadn’t. Fuck him for showing up now, she thought angrily. She turned on the TV and flipped through the channels, looking for something diverting.
When her room phone rang, it shook away some of her gloom. She smiled a little, guessing who it must be. Sure enough, when she answered, she heard Adam’s voice.
“Hey there. We just got back from filming, and I just wanted to hear your voice. Sorry if I woke you up.”
“Awww. That’s sweet.” Izzy heard Adam chuckle at that. “It’s okay, you didn’t. I couldn't sleep. Had kind of a weird night.”
“Oh yeah? Weird how?”
Izzy was a little reluctant to explain her issues with her ex-boyfriend to someone who seemed fairly likely to be next in line for the position, but she had heard a note of concern in his voice. “Well, Em and I were having dinner with some old friends, and my ex showed up, and decided to be stupid.”
“Oh no - did he make a scene?”
“Nah, not really, just brought up an old argument again and hoped he could win this time. No real harm done, just got me pretty upset.” Izzy sighed, remembering.
“Aw, damn. Exes can be a real pain in the ass. Hey, I’m going to be up for a while too; why don’t you come up here, we can hang out and talk? I’ll tell you about the video shoot. Maybe that’ll make you feel better. Plus, I have tea.”
Just being with you will make me feel better, Izzy thought. “Okay. That sounds good.”
“Great, I’ll see you in a few minutes.”
Izzy felt strangely nervous as she waited for the elevator. She and Adam were starting to spend more time together, but she still hadn’t had a chance to visit him in his room yet; at this time of night, everybody was usually tired from the night’s show, and she was usually a little worried about people thinking something was going on. Well, so what? Time to stop worrying about what other people think, she thought now.
Adam answered the door looking tired but relaxed, and pulled Izzy into a hug. “Hey, sweet girl. It’s good to see you, how are you doing? Come on in. ”
Izzy relaxed against him, enjoying his warmth and his scent. “Doing better now.”
Adam’s room was bigger than the ones assigned to the crew - a bedroom plus a separate living room - and a bit neater than hers, just a pair of shoes near the door and a jacket over a chair. A guitar case was propped against the couch. The bedroom door was open, and a faint sound of conversation was coming from inside. Izzy looked around curiously.
“So, this is how the other half lives. Pretty nice.” She gestured down at her clothes. “Sorry I look kind of scruffy.”
“Not at all, you look cozy and relaxed.”
“Thanks. I’m finally starting to feel relaxed, now that I’m back here.” With you, Izzy added silently.
Adam smiled. “Glad to hear it. I was just lounging in the bedroom and looking for interesting movies, if you’d like to join me… It’s more comfortable than the couch. I can bring us some tea.”
Izzy grinned a little. “Join you in the bedroom, huh?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll behave myself. I wouldn’t try anything tonight, when you’re upset.”
“Thanks, I appreciate that. I mean, any other time…” Izzy broke off and gave Adam an apologetic look.
“Yeah. Me too.” He gave her a quick kiss on the forehead in passing and headed for the bedroom. She followed, his admission causing a little flutter in her stomach that pushed out a bit more of the gloom.
The bedroom was fairly neat as well, but more lived in. Rumpled sheets and extra pillows piled up, a suitcase on a chair, a couple of paperbacks on a table, all made it look similar to her room and other crew rooms she’d seen. A silky-looking robe hanging on an open closet door added a touch of luxury that didn’t surprise Izzy at all; she’d seen something similar in his dressing room. The TV was on with the volume low; she wasn’t familiar with the movie that was playing. The room was softly lit by a lamp on the nightstand, which made the screen easier to see.
Adam nodded towards the bed. “Sit down, make yourself comfortable. I’ll get us some tea.”
Izzy took off her shoes and sat down cross-legged on the bed. Leaning down, she noted with a little thrill that the pillows smelled faintly of Adam’s cologne. Things are getting more relaxing all the time, she thought.
Adam soon returned carrying a tray that held two cups and saucers, set it down carefully, and sat next to her on the bed. “There’s milk and sugar too, if you need it.”
Izzy raised her steaming cup and took a cautious sip. “Mmm, thank you. I just take it plain.”
“Tsk, you Americans.” Adam smiled, stirring his cup. “One day I’ll teach you to make a proper cup of tea.”
“So, not iced, then?”
“If you must, I suppose.”
They grinned at each other over their cups. After a few moments of sipping in companionable silence, Adam asked, “So, do you want to talk about this guy who upset you?”
“You sure you want to hear about that?”
“If it’ll help you to feel better, yes.”
“Well, okay…” Izzy put her cup down and shrugged a little. “We dated for, I don’t know, not quite a year. He was always kind of needy, or bossy, or something? When I got the job offer for the tour, he was upset about it.”
“About you being gone so long?”
“That’s what he said, but from the arguments he kept starting afterwards, it sounded to me like he was just jealous. He pretty much confirmed that when he brought it up again tonight. Kept talking about how I only wanted to be around famous people and I owed him a share of my good luck. Said I was being selfish.”
“Ugh, you don’t deserve that crap.” Adam put one arm around Izzy’s shoulders and gave her a hug. “Selfish, my ass. I can’t imagine you being selfish about anything.”
Izzy leaned into the embrace, feeling at once rather thrilled and a little shy. “Aww, thanks. Yeah, I should have dropped him a long time ago.”
“Better late than never.”
“True. My former boss and I both basically told him to get lost, so I doubt I’ll be seeing him again. At least if he’s smart.”
“Was he smart?” Adam smirked as if he knew the answer already.
“No, not really. I can’t imagine now why I was even with him.”
“Seemed like a good idea at the time?” Adam suggested. He was grinning now. “Was he at least good in bed?”
“No, I’m afraid not.” Izzy lowered her head to try to hide her blush, but she couldn’t hide the laugh that was already bubbling out of her. Adam was laughing too - that boyish giggle that she loved hearing.
“There you are then, ZooTV has saved you from him.”
“Much appreciated, thank you.”
“We’re happy to help.”
They sipped their tea a bit more, then Izzy continued, “So how did the video shoot go?”
“It was fun, but kind of crazy,” Adam replied. “We were at a restaurant, Bono was upstairs in the main area filming, and the rest of us were downstairs. They had a party going while we waited to be called. There were drag queens and models all over, and a huge amount of food and drinks.” He took another sip and set his cup back down. “ I think it was initially meant to look like the party was happening in the restaurant, with Bono singing at the center of all the madness, but it never materialized.”
“Oh yeah? What happened?” Izzy asked. “Did you ever get called?”
Adam laughed. “We never did! Bono kept having to redo shots, so he never got to the party, and the rest of us never got into the video. It turned out really well, though. Should be released soon.”
“That’s great! Too bad you never got to be filmed though.”
“We didn’t really mind. The food was good, and everybody was goofing around and talking to the extras. The drag queens were more fun to talk to than the models, to be honest. The only thing missing was you.”
“Hey, thanks.” Izzy smiled, her face suddenly feeling warmer than the tea.
“Which reminds me, I brought you something. I’ll go get it… help yourself to more tea.”
Adam went back into the living room, calling back, “More for me too, please.” Izzy poured them each another cup, sipped, and tried in vain to figure out what the current TV program was.
When Adam came back, he had a brown paper bag in one hand. “Here you are. Treats from the party.” He set the bag down next to her and reached for the milk.
“Ooh, thank you.” Izzy opened the bag and looked in, and her eyes widened. “Candy! So many different kinds… even bubble gum! You rock stars really know how to live.” She gave Adam a teasing smile.
“We’re horribly spoiled. I had to bring you some… especially some of these.” Adam reached into the bag and pulled out a couple of Hershey’s Kisses. He handed one to Izzy and they both smiled, remembering the night of his birthday party.
“My favorite.” Izzy popped the chocolate in her mouth, settled herself comfortably (a little closer to Adam) with a pile of pillows at her back and her teacup close by, and reached into the bag again. “So, what are you watching?”
Adam was eating a handful of M&Ms one by one. “No idea. I was switching between channels when you arrived.” He handed her the remote. “Here, have a look.”
The two took turns switching channels, commenting on or laughing about whatever programs they came across, alternating sips of tea with bites of candy. Before long, Izzy could feel the tea’s warmth seeping through her, and she stifled a yawn.
Adam smiled. “Feeling better now?”
“Much. The tea is making me sleepy.” Izzy leaned closer and kissed Adam’s cheek. “Thanks. For everything.”
“My pleasure.” Adam wrapped an arm around Izzy’s shoulders and gave her a quick hug. “Here, I’ll just move this out of the way.” He picked up the tray of tea things and set it on top of a dresser, then sat back down on the bed. “It’s nice just spending time with you.”
Izzy leaned against him, one hand lightly on his arm. “You too.” She giggled at the pun.
Adam grinned and put his arm around her again, then went back to changing channels. “See anything you like?” He asked. When Izzy didn’t respond after a few moments, he turned to look at her. She was fast asleep, still leaning against him.
He clicked off the TV and put the remote on the bedside table, then gently eased Izzy back against the pillows. The candy bag and his glasses joined the remote on the table, then he turned out the lamp and lay down beside her. She made a sleepy noise and snuggled against him, and Adam felt a sudden stirring of emotions he hadn’t felt for a long time.
“Sweet dreams, Isabel,” he whispered, and smiled. He carefully pulled the blankets over them both, and closed his eyes.
- - - - - -
Izzy awoke at midmorning, a bit disoriented at first. Rubbing her face sleepily, she sat up, her mind on the previous night. She thought again of Jason’s angry speech and rolled her eyes. Clueless idiot. She looked over at Adam, half wrapped in blankets, his face peaceful. Nothing like you.
She remembered waking for a brief moment in the early morning, her head on Adam’s shoulder, his quiet breath in her ear. The memory made her feel shy and giddy all at once, and drove away any lingering thoughts of Jason.
She brushed a light kiss against Adam’s neck, then slipped out of bed as quietly as she could and made a quick trip to the bathroom, making sure to neaten up her sleep-tousled hair when she finished. A few minutes after she got back and lay down again, Adam started to stir. He rolled over to face her and smiled. “Good morning.”
“Good morning,” Izzy replied. “Sorry I fell asleep on you last night.” She sat up and looked around for her shoes.
“It’s okay. You needed the rest.” Adam sat up and reached for his glasses. “Besides, it was really nice waking up next to you.”
“Yeah, it was,” Izzy agreed with a little smile. “Thanks for taking my mind off things. It was fun just hanging around with you and doing nothing.”
“We should do it more often,” Adam replied. “Anytime you can’t sleep and want to hang around doing nothing, give me a call.”
Izzy laughed. “I’ll do that.”
“Want some coffee?”
“Sure! Sounds great.”
- - - - - -
Later, as she was in the elevator headed down to meet Emma for a late lunch, Izzy thought again of how Adam had kissed her goodbye when she left his room. The memory gave her feelings that were even warmer and fuzzier than her favorite flannel shirt. There was still a secretive little smile on her face when Emma greeted her.
“Well, you look extra happy today… anything to do with why you weren’t answering your phone last night?”
“Could be.”
“That sounds mysterious. So?” She gestured for Izzy to continue.
“I was with Adam.” The smile widened.
“Oho, I see!” Emma teased. “No wonder you look happy.”
“It wasn’t like that, silly. I couldn’t sleep, I was still upset about the whole thing with Jason. Adam called and said I should come up and hang out, so I did.”
“And that’s it? Nothing else happened?”
“That’s it. He didn’t want to take advantage when I was in such a bad mood. We did have tea, though. I told him what happened, he told me about the video shoot. And he brought me candy from the party.”
“That’s adorable. He’s such a nice guy. So how did it all end?”
“We were sitting on the bed, just talking and looking for something interesting on TV, and I fell asleep, so he just let me sleep there.”
Emma grinned and shook her head. “This whole thing is so cute, I can’t take it.”
“I fell asleep leaning against him, that’s even cuter.” Izzy remembered how strong and warm Adam’s arm had felt, and the mysterious little smile was back.
“Are you going to tell everybody you’ve been seeing him when they come to the show tonight?”
Izzy thought for a moment. “I don’t think so. It’s still just too new. And I think Adam would probably prefer to keep it private for a while too. I mean, it hasn’t even been that long yet.”
“Makes sense to me. And speaking of show, we should get over there pretty soon.”
- - - - - -
Izzy found herself stealing quick looks out at the audience that night, wondering what her friends were thinking during her favorite moments of the show. When Bono added a little of Love to Love You Baby at the end of Mysterious Ways, she wished she could see their reactions. Later in the show, when Bullet the Blue Sky started, Emma said, ‘Erik loves this one.’ Izzy just grinned and nodded and gave a thumbs up. And later still, when the distinctive opening chords of Where the Streets Have No Name started, building and building until the lights came up and the crowd cheered their approval, both girls just stopped their work and stood still for a moment, lost in the magic of the song.
“I wish I could be out there with them right now,” Izzy said, smiling, eyes shut.
“Oh, man… oh yeah,” Emma agreed. “Amazing.”
- - - - - -
It had been a magical night, starting with their friends’ excitement at meeting the band, going right through to the energy they could feel coming from the crowd as the venue emptied. They were still talking about it later that night on the bus. Izzy stuffed the magazine she’d been skimming through back into her backpack and turned to Emma.
“Tonight was so perfect! I really wish we’d had time to talk to everybody afterwards though.”
“Yeah, I know. That’s tour life for you. Hey, you know what we can do, though… we can call them from the hotel tomorrow. You can call the theater and talk to everybody… and I know Erik will be expecting to hear from me.”
“Good idea, let’s do it,” Izzy said. “I’m sure they all had a great time, but I really want to hear everybody’s reactions. I don’t know, something about the old life approving of the new life, if that makes sense.”
Emma nodded slowly. “Yeah, I know what you mean. You kind of want them to see what an amazing thing this all is, you want to, I guess, hear them say it.” She paused for a moment, staring sleepily out the window, then laughed a little. “Like, we’re leaving for this long, crazy trip, and tonight was all of them standing on the dock and waving, bon voyage.”
Izzy grinned and waved dramatically at her friend. “That’s a funny way of putting it, but yeah, I think you’re right. Only tonight was more like a quick hello and bon voyage.” She was quiet for a moment, then added, “There’s so much unknown ahead, I still feel kind of nervous about it sometimes. The tour, and Adam, and everything.”
Emma scooted closer and wrapped an arm around her. “Hey, it’s gonna be an amazing time, just wait and see. Wild and surprising and amazing.” Izzy nodded silently, and they settled down to stare out at the headlights and road signs and think about Albany.