My hand balled tightly formed before I could grasp what I was doing. Circumvent began playing just as I was about to bring my fist into Tom’s mouth but Jason stopped my hand from shooting forward. He dragged me closer to the stage and away from Tom. “Do you know Tom?” he asked in disbelief.
“No, I don’t.”
“Then why - You know what? Never mind. I don’t want to know.”
We listened to one song by Circumvent before Jason dragged me back toward Tom. We stood there, Tom and I, seething toward each other. I’d offended this guy somehow. Since the kiss was burned so elegantly into my mind, I couldn’t put my finger on why he was so pissed. I may have started the whole thing but he kissed me back. Trust me, he kissed me back, hard and without reserve. He has no reason to be so arrogant. So mean. So...so...so...ugh!
“You’re right,” Jason said, bringing me out of my hateful thoughts.
“What?” Tom and I said in unison.
“January. She was right. Circumvent was mediocre, at best.”
“So what?” Tom said shrugging. “We were here to see The Belle Jar, I told you that.” This surprised me and my eyes widened briefly.
“I know, but January offered me an honest opinion about Circumvent that bewildered me. She knows what she’s talking about, maybe as much as you do, Tom.”
“Sure she did. She’s just a talented, talented girl, isn’t she?”
“That’s it!” I said, ready to throw that punch yet again.
“Jeez!” Jason exclaimed, dragging my body against his to prevent Tom getting the beating I wanted to throw his way. “What happened between you two? Do you know her?” Jason asked Tom, ignoring my earlier answer.
“No.”
“Then what the hell is up with you guys? You claim you don’t know one another but you’re at each other’s throats. What? Did he hit on you, January, and you turned him down?”
We both turned beat red, my throat and face heating to that unnatural red, giving me away.
“Ah,” Jason said, jumping to the wrong conclusion. I wasn’t going to correct him, his scenario put me in a better light and shunned this guy Tom, but what surprised me was Tom didn’t correct Jason, he just stared at me harshly. “Dude, January, if Thomas Eriksson hits on you, you let him down easy. He’s got a broken heart the size of Montana.”
Tom shifted uncomfortably in his place. “I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about.”
“Come on! It’s obvious, dumbass. In New York you’re one person, you jump at the chance to move to Austin, you change everything about yourself here. You’ve been screwed over. Bad, from what I can see.”
I stood there, watching both of them exchange a conversation I could tell I wasn’t meant to hear. Jason, realizing this, shook his head and turned toward me.
“Listen, January, Tom is a talent scout for Seven Seas. Ever heard of them?”
“I’m not a complete idiot,” I answered.
“The jury’s still out on that,” Tom said under his breath.
“I’m Tom’s boss,” Jason said quickly, hedging my reaction. “Though, now I’m not so sure anymore.” Tom shrugged as if it meant nothing to him, this dream job, making Jason sigh. “Anyway, I’d like to offer you a position at Seven.”
“What?” Tom and I said together, again. We turned to each other in disgust, pissed that we picked the same word.
“Seriously?” I continued on. I couldn’t believe it.
“Seriously. You’d have to move to New York, though. Can you swing that?”
“Of course. I’m free as a bird.” Tom snorted, but I ignored it.
“Good, it’s gopher work for right now, but eventually, with some grooming, you can start scouting with a veteran.”
“Oh my God, thank you, Jason,” I said hugging him in a moment of unprecedented girliness. Jason was genuinely surprised and I felt a little embarrassed, my neck turning beet red.
“It’s cool. I want you at this address,” he said, handing me a business card, “in two weeks. It doesn’t pay shit but neither does scouting, just ask Tom here.” He smiled but the smile fell when we looked on Tom. “Uh, anyway, it’s worth it. You’ve got an in with the execs and if you play your cards right, you can make some pretty decent cheese in time. Plus, it’s a cool gig for musicians like yourself.”