Everybody Cares, Everybody Understands

Gabe has been on tour for about three months now. I couldn’t wait to go visit him next month. We were going to celebrate our anniversary and a belated birthday for him. He had wanted me to come and stay for two weeks so we could be together for both, but he was going to be gone next October too, so we compromised.

I talked with Gabe just about every night and he was having so much fun. I got drunken calls a lot, but it was fine. He was with his best friends in the world; he deserved to be having that kind of fun, but a huge part of me wanted to be there with him.

“Good morning Sadler!” Lucas said brightly. He was with Courtney.

I had asked Lucas who she was about three months ago because she started coming into the offices all the time. I was seeing him with her at lunch, in the quad, all over campus. I think Lucas got an ego boost when I asked him. I think he assumed and still assumes that I’m jealous. He laughed and didn’t tell me what their relationship was. It irked me so much. I knew that they weren’t dating, but why was she showing up all the time and why wouldn’t he just say who she was? So, I was surprised to say the least that she was standing with him in my office.

“Good morning,” I replied somewhat cheerily.

“I’d like to introduce you to my sister, Courtney,” He smiled and I stood up and shook her hand. “She just moved her like five months ago,” He looked at her for confirmation and she nodded.

“Nice. Where did you move from? How do you like it here?” I smiled. I felt relieved I had one piece of the puzzle figured out.

“I was living in Arizona, that’s where Lucas and I grew up,” She smiled. “It’s a big change. I’m still meeting people.”

“Did you move out here for a job?”

“Yeah, my company transferred me out here. I do online trade shows, which is as lame as it sounds,” Courtney laughed.

“Well, I’m taking Courtney to get a late breakfast, but I’ll be back,” Lucas winked and pulled Courtney out the door.

About an hour later I went to the bathroom down the hall. When I came out of the stall Courtney was coming in. I smiled at her and went to wash my hands.

“Hi,” She smiled.

“Hi, how was breakfast?” I asked grabbed a paper towel and dried my hands.

“So delicious. I could eat breakfast for every meal,” She laughed and patted her belly.

“Me too. I love waffles,” I was trying to be nice.

“I see that you and Lucas are able to get along, considering everything,” She said nervously.

“Everything?” I asked really confused. Did she know about everything that had happened between Gabe and Lucas?

“I mean working together so well,” She started backpedaling.

“Oh no, it’s fine,” I assured her. “We can still be professional, though at times it’s really hard.”

“I bet. I’m sorry,” She reached and touched my arm. “I’m sure you don’t want to talk about it at work. I’m so spacey sometimes,” She cringed a bit.

“No, don’t worry.”

“Don’t tell Lucas I’m such a jerk,” Courtney laughed.

“You’re not a jerk and I won’t say anything to Lucas,” Mainly because I keep talking to Lucas at a minimum.

+++

“Dude!” Danny Hutto, Cobra’s merchandise guy.

“Dude!” I smiled as I pulled my luggage behind me. “Thanks for coming t get me,” I gave him a huge hug. He was like the bands little brother and so cute.

“Of course, what else am I doing?” Danny laughed as we let each other go.

“Don’t make me feel like a priority or anything,” I laughed back.

“Of course you are. Let’s get you back to the venue!”

Danny drove us back to the venue and I dropped my bags off at the bus and we went into the venue. Everyone was sort of milling about and Cobra was sound checking. I helped Danny set up merch and watched Gabe and the rest of the guys on stage. I waved to them excitedly.

As soon as they were done sound checking, Gabe jumped off the stage and ran over to the merch booth. He hopped the table and pulled me into his arms.

“Happy anniversary,” He whispered and I gave him a big kiss.

“Happy anniversary! You guys sounded so good,” I said between kisses.

“I missed you so much,” Gabe picked me up and threw me over his shoulder.

“Gabe!” I laughed and he started walking throught the venue.

“Hey, Sadler!” Alex Suarez laughed holding his hand up for me to give him a high-five.

“Hey! Great sound check,” I pushed my head up to look at him.

“Thanks. Gabe you look like a caveman with your woman right now.”

“Maybe, because we’re gonna go make the bed rock!” Gabe said spinning me around so he could see Alex.

“Jesus dude,” Alex laughed and walked off.

Gabe literally walked me onto the bus and put me in his bunk before crawling in next to me.

“You weren’t kidding,” I smiled as I wrapped my arms around him.

“I locked the bus door,” Gabe kissed me.

“Wait, I have something for you,” I jumped out of the bed and grabbed Gabe’s birthday present out of my bag. “Happy belated birthday!” I handed him the present and then hoisted myself back up into the bunk.

“What could it be?” He asked sort of sitting up – well as much as he could in the bunk.

“If the door is locked, why are we cramping ourselves up here?” I asked.

“Good point,” He laughed and I jumped out of the bunk and went to sit on the couch, Gabe followed.

“Open your present!” I smiled. “It’s nothing crazy,” I said as he opened the bag.

“These are fucking awesome,” He said as he pulled out a few hoodies and then a bunch of old band t-shirts. “Thanks, Sadie,” He said giving me a kiss.

“You’re welcome,” Gabe got up and put his presents on the other couch and came back to my side.

“I missed you so much,” He said and pulled me back into my arms and my cell phone started to ring. I groaned and just let it ring.

“Maybe you should check your phone soon, you’ve been blowin’ up for the past hour,” Gabe laughed as we got up and ready to go back inside.

“It’s a weekend, it can’t be that important,” I groaned and grabbed my phone out of my purse. “Ugh, like I said. It’s just Lucas,” I rolled my eyes and checked my voicemail and followed Gabe off the bus.

Sadler, it’s Lucas. I really hate to do this to you or ask you to do this, but I have a family emergency and I have to leave for about a week. I have some huge meetings and you’re the only one that knows what’s going on enough to stand in for me. Can you call me back as soon as you get this? Again, I’m so sorry, but I tried to move the meetings and I couldn’t. Okay, call me.

“You have to be fucking kidding me,” I said as I hung up my phone.

“What happened?” Gabe asked.

“Lucas has a family emergency and he needs me to fill in for him this week. He tried to move these meetings, but he couldn’t move them,” I was so annoyed. I had just gotten here.

“What? Are you kidding? You don’t have to go, you’re on vacation!” Gabe said just as annoyed as me.

“I know. Let me call him back and find out. Maybe the meetings aren’t until like Tuesday or Wednesday and then I can at least spend five or so days with you,” I tried to make the situation sound better and I laced my fingers with his and called Lucas back.

“Sadler, I’m sorry to interrupt your vacation, but I could really use your help,” He sounded frantic when he answered.

“When are the meetings?” I got right to the point.

“The pre-budget meeting is on Monday and then the meeting about the fundraiser is on Wednesday,” He sounded so desperate. I was just hoping I had most of the week, but he needed me for Monday.

“You have to be kidding me?” I mumbled a little too loud.

“I’m sorry, I really am. If you do this for me, I’ll let you have that extra time you were asking for,” He was begging, which was sort of nice to hear. Gabe just kept looking at me for an explanation.

“Are you going out of town?” I asked trying to avoid saying “yes,” right away.

“No…uh…Courtney is very sick and I’m all she has here, so I have to help her out,” Lucas said hesitantly.

“I’m so sorry. Is she going to be okay?” I wish things between Lucas and I was more like this. He was very talented and creative and great for his position, but his advances overshadowed all of that. I was thankful though, since the Gabe incident there have only been a few comments here and there and we were able to work together on projects. It didn’t change my disdain for him, but it made my life a lot easier.

“She has a virus. We should be leaving the hospital soon, she was admitted last night. I really am sorry, but if you could do this for me I’d appreciate it.”

“I’ll do it, but I need that extra time like you promised,” I sighed feeling really crappy.

“You can have that time and whatever else you need. Thank you!” He sounded genuinely appreciative.

I hung up with Lucas and just wrapped my arms around Gabe.

“You’re leaving me aren’t you?” He sounded so sad.

“I am, but not until Sunday night and that means we have three days together. His sister is in the hospital. And remember I told you I saw her with a baby? I’m assuming he’s helping her and babysitting,” I explained to him. “I’m not happy about it either.”

“If it were anyone else I’d be okay with it,” He muttered.

“I know, believe me I feel the same way. I just…he still is my boss and his sister shouldn’t have to be punished because of Lucas…especially if she has a kid, you know?”

“I know, but it still doesn’t make me like the situation,” Gabe kissed the top of my head and we went backstage to join everyone else.

+++

“Call me as soon as you get in, okay?” Gabe asked me as I was about to walk through security.

“I will call you when I touch down. I’m sorry,” I leaned into Gabe’s chest, just overwhelmed with emotions about leaving him.

“I don’t want you to go either, but I’m glad we had the time we did and we had a pretty good time, right?” He pulled me back with his hands on my shoulders and looked me in the eyes.

“Of course. Okay, I really need to go and board. Thanks for taking me to the airport,” I gave him a kiss.

“Love you,” He smiled and pushed me toward security.

“Love you too.”

When I landed back in New York I was still in a funk. I was supposed to be with Gabe from Friday to Friday, but instead I got a nice short weekend. After four months on tour and away from me I get three days. I felt terrible for Lucas’ sister, but I missed Gabe and my friends.

The pre-budget meeting went well. I had done it with Lucas anyway, so it was true I was the only one that could go in and present it to the board. I knew what I was doing. I then had the fundraising meeting on Wednesday, which was okay. A lot of politics and people puffing their egos, but other than that it was okay. As soon as that meeting was done on Wednesday I was contemplating flying back out to be with Gabe, but It would just be too short. Lucas had promised to give me the extra time off I had asked for, but was denied. I was going to go out in another three months to Europe with all of them. I wanted to take ten days, which I had, but it was also during our last two sessions of winter orientation. He wanted me to wait, but then I had a conference that I definitely wanted to go to if I still took the ten days and if I still went to the conference it’d cut my trip down to only four days. I was thankful that Lucas was letting me take that time off now. I couldn’t wait.

After the meeting on Wednesday it was around lunch time. I wasn’t too hungry, but I was desperate for a coffee. I walked down to the Starbucks and ordered the usual. As I was waiting at the end of the bar for my drink Courtney walked in. She looked as healthy as a dog.

“Courtney?” I asked in disbelief.

“S-Sadler, hey,” She stuttered, clearly she’d been caught.

“You look to be feeling better?” I let a little sarcasm slip.

“I wasn’t sick. It was the little one. I mean I was dehydrated and in the hospital on Friday, but it was from whatever he gave me. He’s still sick, but Lucas and I needed some coffee,” She smiled.

“Do you live over here?”

“Well, I live with Lucas right now, so yeah,” She turned and ordered her drink and mine was up. I grabbed it and waited for her to come to the end of the bar.

“Lucas is very secretive I guess. I didn’t know you were living with him or that he even lived near here.”

“Lucas is pretty secretive, but he’ll open up. Just give him time,” She smiled.

“Sure,” I said confused by that. “Well, I hope you all feel better,” I said and walked out of the store. I couldn’t help, but feel like I had been used.

I flew all the way back for what? So, Lucas could take care of his sister and her kid, while his sister was a picture of complete health? I was steaming mad. I grabbed my phone out of my purse and dialed Lucas.

“Hey Sadler,” He answered with a little lift in his voice. “How’d the meeting go today?”

“Did you just want to sabotage my trip? What the fuck is going on?” I asked angrily.

“What are you talking about?” He laughed.

“I just saw your sister. She doesn’t look like the walking zombie you told me she was,” I continued to walk, hoping it’d help me calm down.

“She’s fine now, but the little guy is still sick.”

“Well, if Courtney is fine then why isn’t she taking care of the baby?”

“How did you know about the baby?” He almost choked on his words.

“She told me…and I saw you all together at Starbucks a couple months ago,” I admitted.

“Court just needs help, that’s all.”

“Lucas, why can’t you be a nice guy? Seriously, I cut short time with my husband and friends that I haven’t seen in four months and then I see your sister out and about. Honestly, I am so pissed off right now,” I almost screamed, but I didn’t want to look too crazy.

“I am being a nice guy by doing this. I gave you your extra time off, now drop this,” He yelled back at me.

“I will not drop this. I can’t believe you,” I sighed. “Scratch that, I can believe this. I just never thought you’d stoop so low to use an innocent baby,” I shook my head in disgust and just hung up. “The fucking nerve,” I said to myself and I walked back to work.

Lucas had stooped to a new low, using an innocent child as an excuse to get out of work. He forced me to end my trip and it wasn’t necessary. Courtney was more than capable of taking care of the baby, it was hers after all. I stomped down the street and back to work. I had to calm down, so I called Meg and told her the whole story. She was able to calm me down by threatening to kill Lucas and tape him to the flagpole in the middle of our quad. I just couldn’t let this go now. I couldn’t.