By the time we got there, Gabe and Chuck were somewhere else, probably in the shower and the bedroom, if I had to guess. The only one in the living room was Buck, with two beers in his hands and an empty bottle on the table in front of him. River sat down at the table and swatted him on the shoulder. "Go easy there, buddy. It's a long way to Kansas City."
"Just keeping my strength up." Buck blew out a single laugh and tilted the second bottle upward, finishing it.
I sat down next to him. "Thank you for doing that, Buck. You really know how to work an audience." His smile was tight as he handed me a beer and started on his third. I took a sip, then dove back into an attempt at conversation. "By the way, how did you know that was my favorite song?"
"River told me." Buck nodded at his bandmate. I must have looked shocked, because he laughed a little. "Just because I hate Chuck, doesn't mean the rest of us don't get along." He tilted his head back to pour more beer down his throat.
Gabe came out of the shower, and River got up. He looked down at me. "I'm going to clean up, then I've got something I want to ask you." He walked away before I could begin to figure out what he meant, leaving me sitting at the table, stunned.
River wanted to ask me something, and my meandering brain spun dozens of happily-ever-after scenarios. What if he was planning on leaving his girlfriend and taking me as his lover? Okay, I knew that wasn't going to happen. But we were getting along so well, and he was going out of his way to be nice. So it might. Reality slipped into the background as fantasy wedding bells chimed in my head.
Gabe sat down in River's seat wearing only a towel. His body was quite fine looking, wiry and muscular. He lit up a joint and took a deep drag. "To a great gig and a wonderful crowd." He tapped the joint against my beer bottle in a mixed-intoxicant toast. Then, before taking a drink, I tapped my bottle with Buck's, too.
A beer with the band and my future lover in the shower. Everything was looking up. Finally, I was experiencing the Fiery Boys tour as I'd dreamed it would happen. I was sitting on the tour bus with friendly faces, having a drink with my new buddies and longtime imaginary lovers. Those roadies who expected me to run away were going to be sorely disappointed. I was busy living a fiery life.