Love Is Always Write Volume 4

spending our days on this cramped bus… or maybe head home for a few days before coming back? We could?"
    "Well… that wasn't on the schedule. You…"
    A couple of other voices were getting louder in their murmurs, possibly excited about the idea of a break in schedule. "But it's possible, right? I mean, some of the people here have family they'd like to see."
    "I wasn't aware you had any family," the pipsqueak replied snidely. God, the guy was an arrogant ass.
    Zeb was about to agree to the no family thing – until he remembered Chad's words. "Actually, I do. I have a pregnant sister in California. Maybe you remember her considering she's part of this band…" Zeb let his voice trail off and his condescending tone made itself obvious. "Well both her husband and I are here while she's there on her own. I'm sure she'd love to have us home, even if it's only for four or five days before we fly back."
    David tried to hide his scowl and pinched face, but everyone on the bus saw it. The man was in love with schedules and control, and hated when anything didn't go as planned. He also seemed to love treating them like indentured servants instead of adults, free to do as they pleased. "I suppose, since technically we don't have a date scheduled for eight days, that if some of you needed to take an absence it would make sense. But…" He said the last word like it was the final ultimatum to an unruly teenager. "I would have to remind everyone here that anyone not at the sound check by Wednesday at noon would be going against their contract and…"
    There were a lot of 'yeah, yeah, whatevers' being waved away by anyone that had dealt with the man before and knew his type of analytical mumbo jumbo. Zeb didn't care about that though. He didn't care about going back to California or attempting to take some time off to act the part of the tourist either.
    Nick walked over and sat in the chair across the aisle from him. "So, you planning on taking care of business, bro?"
    Zeb looked down at the floor, not sure how to explain. He'd used Callie as an excuse and hadn't even meant to. He missed her and all, but right now there was something far more pressing than a pregnant sister with cravings for peppermint ice cream and oysters. "I, um… about going to California…"
    "Who said anything about going to California?" Zeb looked up at Nick's confused expression. Then the look changed quickly into a laugh and Zeb realized Nick was yanking his chain. "I asked if you were going to take care of business. Last I checked, the business that needs to be taken care of is in Minnesota."
    Zeb smiled, then bit his lip to keep it from growing into a big ass grin. "Yeah."
    Nick stood and clapped Zeb on the shoulder twice. As he headed towards the front of the bus he called over his shoulder. "No worries. I'll send Callie your love." He winked and left the bus.
    No worries? How could he not worry. It had been all that occupied his mind since the talk he'd had with Nick that morning after leaving Iowa. And the second he found out he was a free man to do what he wanted, he knew there was only one thing he wanted or needed. There was only one thing that could make him happy in this life or any other. And, dammit, he was going to get it back.
    ****
    Chad finished the dishes from his dinner, a very good pasta for one, and grabbed a beer out of the fridge before wandering in to the living room. Okay, watch T.V. or read a book? He honestly couldn't decide, but only because neither sounded all that appealing. Nothing had really sounded appealing lately. Everything was just sort of… off-kilter. Like there was something wrong in the world that he couldn't quite put a name too. Except he could.
    Shaking his head he decided on a movie. Something mindless – with action and swearing and absolutely no romance.
    He'd been avoiding most of his friends all week. He wasn't sure why, it's not like they'd be able to tell something was up with him and force him to talk about it. Except Derek. They'd known each other too long for Derek not to be able to read his moods. Sometimes so well Chad would think they were stamped on his forehead.
    Maybe for that reason he was the friend Chad least wanted to talk to. But Derek, being his best bud, was the one he finally broke down and called Monday night. Chad told him everything and Derek had been royally pissed. Not at Zeb or the situation, only at the fact Chad didn't tell him he was going to the concert in the first