Juicy Rebound (IceCats 1)

An older man pushes off the truck and looks down at me. “Amelia?”

“Yes, I’m—”

“Man, Mr. Moon wasn’t kidding when he said you were the most gorgeous woman ever. You two married?”

Swoon. I press my lips together to keep my laughter in. “I am,” I lie so he won’t hit on me.

“Well, Mr. Moon is one lucky guy.”

“He sure is.” I clap my hands together as Sadie moves herself through my legs. “So, you’ll get started?”

“Yup.”

“Okay, I’ll be in the house.”

“Don’t use the bathroom, though.”

“I understand.” I call for Sadie as we head into the house.

We’ll be here for a while, and that’s fine. I don’t have anything else to do. After getting a snack and a bottle of water, I lie down on the couch with Sadie, putting on Netflix. We’re deep into a Marvel movie when my phone rings. I reach up on the arm of the couch for it and answer without looking at the screen. I know it’s Shelli from her ringtone.

“Hey.”

“Hey, what are you doing?”

“Lying on Chandler’s couch, watching Thor do Thor things and looking mighty fine as hell.”

“Mmm. I love Thor.”

“Don’t we all?”

“I’m surprised you remembered the appointment. I was convinced you would forget about that today.”

“I did,” I say with a dramatic roll of my eyes.

She laughs. “Knew it. Nico owes me money.”

A grin spreads across my face. “Huh! Guess you’re glad I didn’t find you the night of the party and make you come home with Chandler and me.”

She snorts. “It would have been weird if you took both Chandler and me home.”

“Exactly, which is why I sent the text.”

“I guess. Whatever.”

I grin as I harass her. “So you guys are like talking, talking?”

“No, we’re hooking up. It’s totally casual, and that’s it. Seriously. I don’t have time for a relationship, and I sure as shit ain’t moving to South Carolina,” she says, her voice dry as a piece of toast.

“You could,” I suggest, but she scoffs.

“No. I told you. I think I’m gonna go back to school.”

“You were serious?” I ask, furrowing my brows. “I thought you were just being emotional.”

“I’m serious. I’m kind of over this Broadway stuff.”

“Seriously?”

“Yes!” she laughs. “I miss my family. I don’t know. I don’t like the vibe here anymore. I feel like I’ll start doing something I’m not supposed to.”

“Like what?”

She hesitates. “I don’t know. Drugs and alcohol are everywhere. I don’t want to be one of those people who falls into that stuff.”

“Shelli, you’re smarter than that.”

“Seriously, Amelia, my castmates are all into it… I may have already done it.”

My heart picks up speed at what I’m hearing. “Oh, Shelli. What?”

“Coke.”

I close my eyes. “Seriously?”

“Just two times, and it freaked me out. I went off on my friend Chris for it and said I don’t want to do it again.”

“Why, though, Shelli?”

“I sing with a guy in a snowman outfit six days a week. It’s mortifying.”

I want to laugh, but I can’t. I’m scared. “But you’re not addicted or anything—”

“God no. I promise you. It wasn’t my jam—at all.”

Well, that’s a plus. “Shelli, don’t give up something you love because people are dumb and pressure you. You’re almost done with this show. You’ll get another one.”

“I know that, but I don’t think I love Broadway anymore.”

“What? Really?”

“Yeah, I’m tired of singing the same thing over and over again. I want to write and sing what I want to sing. Just…I don’t know. I feel like I jumped into this way too young.”

I nod in agreement. “I can see that.”

“I want to enjoy my early adult years. I miss my dad, and…I just want to be home.”

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Yeah, I support you.”

“And you’ll go home too?”

I pause. “You’re not doing this to get me home, are you?”

“No, Amelia. God, the world doesn’t revolve around you.” I laugh at her exasperation. “I just thought it would be nice if we were both home.”

“I don’t want to go home.”

“Because of Chandler?”

I shrug as I stroke my fingers through Sadie’s hair. When she licks my hand, I smile. “He’s a big part of it.”

“Well, at least you admit it.”

I roll my eyes.

“I don’t know what I want to do. I’m still figuring out my life.”

“So am I.”

“Being an adult sucks.”

“It does, and you aren’t even at the hard parts yet.”

“Great, thanks for the reminder.”

“I’ll be here for you, though, because I love you.”

“Back at ya. I love you too.”

When we hang up, I have a grin on my face. Shelli has always been my constant supporter, my best friend. As much as I want her to stay in New York and be the star she is, I think I always knew she wouldn’t last. She belongs in Nashville; it’s her home. For a long time, I thought it was mine.

But I may have been wrong.

I lay my head on Sadie’s as we continue to watch Thor’s sexy display. I’m pretty sure Sadie likes him too because she hasn’t taken her eyes off the screen since the movie started. Outside, I can hear the guys working and talking loudly, but it’s easy to ignore. Somehow, I fall asleep during the movie, which is unlike me, but I did wake up at six a.m. to go into work. I really need to quit; I hate it there. William and his dad aren’t doing right by that coffee house or me. I want to do something else, but I don’t think what I want to do will ever happen.