Tempting Perfection

Harlem glanced to Kurt, then back to me. He tucked his long brown hair behind his ears. “We have things to take care of.”

Hopefully they weren’t leaving because of me. “Okay, I’ll see you at the stadium later. Are we still going out tonight?”

“Hell yeah, we are!” Sykes said as he ran his hand over his freshly shaved head. Until last week, he’d had long hair like Harlem.

Putting my knuckles out, I waited for Harlem to bump mine. “Hell yeah. We going to bust a move tonight, homie.”

“You bet! We’re gonna rock the house down.”

The guys laughed and exited the bus. I liked Kurt’s bandmates. They were fun. It was a tight-knit group without much drama. Yeah, they partied and had a good time, but they kept it in check.

Kurt laid George on the couch. The dog lifted his head, looked around for a moment, and then went back to sleep. “Man, he’s worn out.”

“Sawyer, you cannot wear stuff like this in front of the guys!”

Seriously, we’re still on this? I took another sip. “Well, I say I can. I’m sure they’ve seen more. And these are pajamas. It’s not like I’m coming out here naked.”

“Sawyer…” Kurt seemed to be at a loss for words as he dragged a hand through his hair.

I winked. “It’s a good thing you don’t get a vote in what I wear or I’d be shit outta luck for pajamas on this road trip.” As if conspiring with him, I leaned in and whispered, “I think being sans pajamas would be worse.”

Kurt folded his arms over his chest.

Checkmate. I win.

I looked at the color-coded calendar on the fridge. “You have a sound check in two hours. Then Waldo wants to meet with you. After that, you’ll have a few hours before you’re needed back at the arena. Did you need anything from me today?”

His eyes brightened. “Yes, I do. Can you run to the store for me?”

“Sure, what do you need?” I reached for the notebook I’d put in the drawer last night. One thing I needed to figure out was how to organize the stuff in a limited amount of space.

There was a pause, and I looked up to find out what I needed to accomplish.

“For you to get some pajamas that cover you.”

I laughed heartily and grabbed my cup and my notebook. Sashaying back to my bathroom, I called out, “You are a funny, funny guy, Mr. Glitter Sparkles. I’m going to take a shower.”

Behind me, Kurt cursed, which only made me smile bigger.

* * *

Later, at the arena for the sound check, Kurt was on stage with the band, working through the different settings. Lunch had been served. The most delicious sushi I’d ever tasted.

Nina, the costume designer, approached me. “It’s going to be a good tour. The band sounds better than they ever have.”

“I think so, too.”

Nina had worked with Kurt in wardrobe from the beginning. She was a petite redhead, and I found her to be a kindred spirit. Beside me, she chuckled. “I can’t believe Kurt let the rhinestones on his jacket stay. When he asked who’d made the addition, his jaw locked.” She giggled. “You are good for him.”

Well, not good enough.

Stop. We’re past this. Roommates.

I snapped my fingers. “I’ve been meaning to ask if you can do them on his pants pockets. One with a K and the other with an H.”

“You got it.” She pulled out her phone to make the note. “So, can I ask you something?”

Hmm, that didn’t sound like it was going to be my topic of choice. “Of course.”