Starting From Somewhere (Starting From 4)

“Congratulations. We’re thrilled to inform you that you’ve been selected to intern for Scratch Records effective Monday. As we discussed, this will be a part-time commitment. I need your analytical expertise twenty hours a week through summertime. Zero and Jealousy will be leaving to tour the East Coast in August. I may require full-time assistance at that time if you’re available, but we can chat about that later. Looking forward to seeing you at ten a.m. on Monday!”

I liked the way his personality shone through the correspondence in spite of the overall professional tone. Meeting Charlie at my interview last week had been…enlightening. I was as queer as they came and a lot of my friends, including Topher, were gay too. However, none of us were as fabulous as Charlie. He was colorful, excitable, and charming. I’d had a feeling when we met that he’d make a great “cool” influence. The fact that he represented two up-and-coming rock bands with a queer presence made the internship even more attractive. I was sure I’d set myself up for the best summer ever.

Fail. Total fail.

I started to type a regretful response, thanking him for the opportunity and—then what? I couldn’t tell him I quit because of a sunburn. That sounded worse than the truth. I flipped my phone over and smiled my thanks to Topher when he set a cup of coffee in front of me.

“Do you want an ice cube in it?”

“In my coffee?” I yelped. “No, thanks.”

“Here. Drink plenty of H2O instead.” He slid a glass of water to me and sat in the chair across the table. “So, how did this happen? You’re a freak about UV rays. I refuse to believe that you simply forgot to put on sunscreen.”

“I put some on. Not as much as usual, though. And I fell asleep. Now I’m a red raccoon. I can’t show up at a cool record studio looking like an extra from the remake of a Strawberry Shortcake movie,” I groused, lifting my mug to my lips. Thankfully, my lip balm held up yesterday. I would have cried without my daily dose of java.

Toph chuckled. “It’s not that bad. I mean, it’s not good either, but you’ll be fine by the end of the week. Just bring the aloe with you tomorrow. And maybe try an oatmeal, honey, cucumber salve. I’ll look one up online.”

“I can’t go, and it has nothing to do with my red…hue. You’ve been busy the last couple of days, so I didn’t have a chance to tell you about Wednesday night. And then I forgot about it when I threw myself into the spreadsheets your mom asked me to look at for the fluid dynamic systems class she’s teaching. That looks fascinating, by the way,” I commented idly.

“It is. I wish I could take that class again. What happened Wednesday night?”

“Ugh. I’m so embarrassed.” I covered my eyes briefly and blurted, “I kissed Bobby J.”

Topher squinted in confusion. “Who’s that?”

“Jealousy’s guitarist! That huge, hunky bear of a man bought me a drink, flirted with me, walked me to my car, and—I kissed him. Except, I didn’t just kiss him…I threw myself at him. I invited him home with me. He let me down gently and suggested exchanging phone numbers instead. Oh, my God.” I rubbed the heels of my hands into my eye sockets like the effort might erase the memory. “That’s what snapped me out of my trance. I tried to play it cool but almost took his foot off when I pulled out of my parking space.”

“Whoa. I’m not following. You went to a bar?”

“Yes, a seedy one. I thought it would be a good place to start my research, and I just happened to drive by the studio.”

“Sounds suspicious already,” he said, furrowing his brow.

“Yeah, it was. I hoped for a band sighting, and I got it. Members of Zero and Jealousy were right there…as close as the TV.” I gesture toward the flat-screen in the adjacent living room. “Justin and his boyfriend, Tegan and Declan…and Bobby J.”

“You know I have no idea who these people are,” he deadpanned.

“Well, you will soon. Their bands are both red-hot and—”

“As hot as your sunburn?”

“Yeah, something like that. When I spotted them, I mentally freaked before I pulled it together long enough to find a dark corner where I could just observe. I ordered a horrible drink and stared to my heart’s content. But then…Bobby J came to talk to me. Me! Out of the blue. I’m pretty sure my voice shook, but he didn’t seem to notice. He was very cool and…”

“And?” Topher prodded.

“We flirted and kissed and—now I’m a lobster. A lying lobster. I never told him I was the new intern.”

“Why not?”

I slumped in my chair in defeat. “It was a beautiful fantasy, and I didn’t want to ruin it.”