Living the Dream

Four

     "Well, I'm right though. You're definitely off. And it ain't just the tequila."

     I sigh. "Wes and I got into it last night. And I guess I'm just worried that we ain't gonna make it through this tour." I surprise myself by actually opening up to Morgan. I hate to make my relationship other folks' business, but I really need someone to listen to me right now. 

     "What makes you think that?"

     "He thinks I'm changin', I don't think I am."

     "What's changed?"

      "Nothin' really. I think he's anticipating the worst with this tour. I understand it, and I can't blame him, but it's puttin' a strain on us. We both said some real harsh things last night."

     "Do you ever think you'd be better off without him?" Morgan asks. His blue eyes are searching mine for just a moment. 

     "No," I say, without hesitation. "I never viewed him as somethin' that weighs me down, but I also ain't never got the chance to fly like this before." I hang onto my own words for a moment. This is something I've never thought about. I really have never done anything like this before. I have no idea how I will change as a person once I get a taste of this fame and being in a new city every night. it finally makes sense to me what Wes is afraid of. I won't admit it aloud, but maybe I'm scared of it too. Morgan looks like he knows exactly what's going through my mind right now.

     "There it is," he says. I sigh and take a sip of my water. "You just have to take it day by day and see how the both of y'all are feelin' about everything. Most importantly, just don't try to force somethin' that ain't workin'."

     "Have you ever tried to be in a relationship? With all you have goin' on?" I ask just to see if he will tell me about the same girl Hardy mentioned the first time we all went out together. He said that Morgan ruined the "best relationship of his life" by cheating.

     "When I started out, I was in one. Shit just got too crazy for us though. It didn't work out," Morgan says. I was hoping to get more of a story than that, but he is entitled to his own privacy. Maybe it's just because he has such an inviting personality, but I keep thinking we're closer than we actually are. 

     "I'm surprised that you called me to pick you up this morning," I say, trying to change the subject. 

     "Why?" Morgan asks, his eyebrows furrowed.

     "I dunno, figure you probably have a lot more friends than just me and Hardy," I say. 

      "Truth is, I ain't got too many. I ain't sayin' you two are the only ones I got, but it is slim pickin's. Not a whole lot of real friends, anyway. Plus, I didn't want too many people seein' me do the walk-a-shame this mornin'. A lot of people would sell information like that to a magazine or somethin'."

     "People do that?"

      "You'd be surprised what people are willin' to do with dirt they got on you. I don't trust many people with many things. You oughta be just as careful."

     "Noted." Our waitress comes back to the table with our food and we both thank her graciously. 

     "God, I am starved," Morgan says. 

      "My head is pounding," I say, "I don't even know how I'm talking right now."

      "You had quite the night, little miss."

      "I'm blaming it on the tequila. Jack Daniels would have never treated me this way."

     "Yeah, before last night I can't even remember the last time I drank tequila."