You know what I think is rude? Not answering text messages within a reasonable passing of time.

Now, I’m not one of those guys who expect instant answers and can’t cope if somebody doesn’t message them back within five minutes. I’m busy, I have things to do, and I’m not so egotistical that I assume nobody else does. People do still have lives to live and there’s a whole lot of stuff that can be going on at any given time. It’s not that people don’t think I’m important or fun; I’m just not the only important or fun person around. That’s cool, I get it, I’m not going to pout and get bitchy because people aren’t there at my every whim.  I’m sure that there are better and/or more crucial things going on for people to attend to first.

So when I say “reasonable passing of time” you know that I’m not talking about something stupid like two minutes. I’m talking about two days.

“Still no word?” Rachael asks.

“No.” I scowl at her as if it’s her fault. That’s very immature but I’m still angry with her over that dumb intervention. Since it is Addy who isn’t answering my messages she’s getting unfairly blamed.

“Strange.” She doesn’t seem as bothered by it as I am, if the shrug is anything to go by. “Oh well, they probably just got her buried under a pile of paperwork. You almost ready to go?”

“Almost.”

“We have to be in the car in five minutes,” she warns.

“What’s this one?”

“Another performance, though you’ll have to do a five minute fluff piece afterwards. They never ask anything too probing so minimal brain power should be required.”

“Good. I got no brain power left after last night.”

Last night was an extremely raucous dinner and then club scenario during which we all consumed a lot of alcohol. Nobody meant to consume as much as they did, especially since we’re working today, and I am paying for it. Trying to dance and look peppy is difficult when your stomach is groaning at every jump and turn. Still, I think I’m allowed – it’s a celebration of the single hitting number one. Funnily enough that was why I texted Addy in the first place. I thought it only right that the muse should join in the fun. She likes notice so I made sure I gave her plenty, but she never got back to me and still hasn’t.

Addy has been extremely distant ever since I refused to start things back up with her. No matter what Trace says that has nothing to do with the bullshit they said to me about her. Yeah, she’s not as laid back as she used to be but she has more on her plate than she used to. She’s coping fine. Lily seems to be atoning for whatever girl crap was happening between them and there’s no problem with Addy in general. The problem is specific. Specifically the problem is that my little prediction back on Adora came true and I’m not willing to go there with her.

I predicted that if I had more time to spend with her, I could catch some feelings. That is exactly what has happened. Why wouldn’t it? We have a lot in common and we have a great rapport with each other; it’s not often you can really talk with the opposite sex. She frustrates me sometimes, sure, but that’s because she challenges me and I haven’t been with a woman who challenged me in a long while. So when she said she wanted things to be the same as they were last year it may have tempted me for a little bit but eventually the brain in my head won out over its rival. No was the only answer. If all Addy wants is to be friends then I’d rather leave out the sexual complications. It was one thing while we were both on the same page, but we’re not now. I want more and she doesn’t, so we’ll keep it clean and civil.

Well, we would if she’d answer my fucking messages. I think she’s sulking.

“Well finally,” Rachael snipes as Trace deigns to enter our presence. “You were about to make us late.”

“Oh please. It’ll be LA traffic that makes you late so there was no point in me hurrying.”

“Whatever, short stuff. We all here now?”

“Yes Randy,” Rachael smiles sweetly at my driver. It’s no good, he has us all clocked. Innocent smiles are useless before him.

“Then put your seatbelts on and try to keep the playground bickering to a minimum.”

“So are we still on for tonight?” Trace asks.

“Does it involve alcohol?”

“Not really, unless you want wine at dinner.”

“Then we’re on.” I push my head back against the seat and sigh a little, staring at the ceiling. My stomach still feels too acidic for drinking. “You coming Rach?”

“Umm…” Her nose always screws up in this really funny way when she’s considering something. “Yeah, go on.”

Trace nods. “Groovy. Only this time please do not suggest tequila.”

“I thought that was you?”

“No, that was you,” I interject. “Trace is the dumb ass who suggested we got the sambuca.”

“Hey, that was going fine until Mike decided to break out the matches and lighting shit. How’s your thumb by the way?”

“A little singed but still working,” Rachael says as she scrutinises her left thumb. There was some stupid trick suggested which involved wetting your thumb in the alcohol and lighting it. Rachael left it too long and once there was no more alcohol to burn the flame moved on to skin.

Suddenly I’m wondering if Addy had the right idea skipping out. She’s probably still in full working order today, which is more than can be said for us.

“Hey, have you heard from Addy today?” Trace asks. My head shoots up guiltily, as if somehow he could have known I’ve been brooding about her.

“No.”

“Weird. Usually she’s texted me back by now.”

“You boys,” Rachael says rolling her eyes. “She’s probably just busy or not had time to charge her phone or something. Don’t sweat it.”

“Who was sweating it?” Trace retorts. “Just saying it’s not her usual style.”

“Justin was sweating it.”

“Was not!” I protest.

“Yes you were.”

I am not about to start that playground rendition of the yes and no fight, so I remain silent. She can read whatever she wants into that, along with my irritated facial expression.

For once in his life Trace decides to be perceptive and change the subject. “So have the label said anything about the song?”

“Not in huge detail,” I answer, “but you could hear the relief. The big moment’s not until later this week though when they track the effect on the album.”

“Still, no reason numbers shouldn’t go up.” Rachael has a very encouraging look on her face. “They didn’t miss an opportunity to mention the album in the promo for the song.”

“I hope so.” I scratch at the top of my head. It’s a nervous habit of mine and a dead giveaway to those who know me. “I still think they’re holding out on the tour until they get the numbers in. Better they are the better my budget.”

“I thought you said you want to strip the show back though?”

“I do, but I’d rather do that because I want to and not because the finances demand it.”

“I see your point.” She nods. “Always better to come in under budget and have spare to play with than be struggling to cut things down. The meeting’s next week, right?” Rachael flips through the diary to the appropriate page. “Yeah, Thursday.”

“You need me for that?” Trace asks.

“No.” Rachael shakes her head. “Might be a good idea if we can get your mom and dad there though JT.”

“I’ll call.”

I slouch back in my set and fold my arms. The scenery isn’t very interesting but I stare out at it anyway. At least it moves and changes, which is more than can be said for the back of the driver’s seat. It’s funny but even after the fit she threw about me being famous I wish Addy was around for me to talk to about it. The general public find it hard to imagine somebody as seemingly blessed as I am being stressed, but money doesn’t save you from these little worries in life. Of course I’m not like some sales guy who’ll struggle to pay the bills if he doesn’t get decent commission this month, but I still do have work problems. Not only that, I want to do well for its own sake. I want to be good at what I’m doing.  People who aren’t in the industry are oddly more empathetic on the subject; the professionals will all start dishing advice and clichés about what a tough game it is but people like Addy just listen and tell you that it sucks. Sometimes I don’t want practical advice, I want sympathy.

Yeah, I know, poor little rich boy. There are starving children in Africa.

I’m aware that I am blessed in a lot of ways. That doesn’t save me from having some issues like everybody else though, and this feeling of not living up to my own standards is part of the reason I wound up on Adora in the first place. It’s precisely because I’m so lucky that I feel this pressure to constantly live up to it all the time. Somehow, if I’m stressed or feeling bad I feel like I’m being ungrateful. Who am I to feel so shitty when I have so much? I had a really hot girlfriend and that wasn’t enough. I’d made some huge accomplishments in the course of my career but the sales dipped a little and it wasn’t good enough. I couldn’t take some time off to just be because I had to be doing something. Even now that I’ve had that experience on Adora and learned some ways to chill out and take a better attitude, I still feel that way sometimes.

“You okay JT?” Rachael peers at me. “You’ve gone quiet.”

“I’m fine. Thinking.”

“Well that’s dangerous. Amateur like you could hurt yourself.”

Despite myself, I smile and raise an eyebrow at her. She may piss me off sometimes but at others she’s a God send. In moments like this I need somebody to make fun of me.

“Screw you.”

“You love me and you know it.”

“Masochism’s not my thing.”

“What did I say about playground bickering?”

“Sorry Randy.” Rachael jerks her head at the driver’s seat and rolls her eyes.

“I got mirrors, you know. I saw that.”

“Oh so you admit it’s mirrors and not really eyes in the back of your head?” I ask.

“No, I still got those too. I’m watching you.”

I’m saved by the bell. More accurately I’m saved by the sound of The Who. I fish in my pocket for my phone and cast a wary eye over the caller ID. I don’t know how fans get hold of my number so often but they do. It means I have to be careful who I answer the phone to.

“Hello?”

“Hi Justin, it’s Lily.”

“Oh, hey Lily.” I’d be lying if I said I was expecting her to call. “How you doing?”

“I’m fine, thank you, just looking for my errant roommate.”

Mental alarm bells immediately start going off. ‘Bells’ is probably too nice a term – bells do nice things like ring and chime. This is more of a siren wailing in my head. “Then why’d you call me?”

“Where else would she be?”

“Where else have you looked?”

A small huff echoes down the line. Lily sounds a little exasperated with me and now I think about it that probably wasn’t the most helpful or polite response. I don’t mean to be obtuse, I’m just confused. Rachael mouths ‘what is it’ at me but I’m ignoring her to listen to Lily.

“She didn’t go into work today or yesterday. She’s not picking up her phone, nobody’s seen her, and you’re the only person in LA I can imagine her having any overnights with. It’s not like she even knows anybody else.”

“I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news but I haven’t talked to her in a few days. She hasn’t been with me.”

Rachael’s mouth silently forms the word ‘Addy’ and I nod a confirmation at her.

“When did you last see or speak to her?”

“Umm…” I have to think about that. “Two days ago.”

“Oh shit.” Lily sounds like she’s on the verge of tears. I’m taking that to mean she hasn’t seen her since then either and was hoping I’d talked to her in the interim. “Umm… I have no idea who else to call. I just don’t know who else she could be with, it’s not like she’s made a huge list of acquaintances in this city.”

“I wish I could help, Lil.” I taste blood and realise I’ve been gnawing on my bottom lip. “But apart from you and work, I wouldn’t know who to check with either.”

“Okay, umm… I’ll think of something. Can you please just let me know if she calls?”

“Of course I will.”

Lily hangs up, and when I raise my gaze from my phone both Trace and Rachael are staring at me with worried expressions. “What’s going on?” He asks.

“Lily hasn’t seen Addy in like two days and she’s freaking out.”

“Shit.” Rachael looks even more anxious. “I haven’t heard from her either. I should have known.”

“What?” I ask doubtfully. “How could you have known?”

“Well, not this specifically, I just knew she couldn’t keep going like she was. I didn’t keep telling you she was depressed to be a bitch, you know.”

“What, you think she’s… run away?” Now I really am incredulous.

“I don’t know. I just don’t think it’s good that nobody’s heard from her in forty eight hours. That’s long enough to file a missing person’s you know.”

I’m not paying attention to her now. That’s partly because I find the idea ridiculous, and partly because I’ve had one last, desperate brainwave. Addy cannot possibly be with the people I’m about to call, but it’s not totally out of the question that she’d speak to them. Even if they don’t know where she is it doesn’t matter. If we can at least ascertain that she’s spoken to somebody in the last two days that should make Lily rest a little easier. Finally my wi-fi decides to co-operate and it gives me the international number to dial. I just hope the time zone is okay.

“Hola.”

“Hi, is that Nina?”

“Speaking,” she slips easily into English. The resort had a website so a quick Google got me the info I needed.

“Hi Nina, you probably don’t remember me but my name’s Justin we met last summer? I’m a friend of Addy.”

“No, I remember. How can I help, Justin?” I don’t even have time to laugh at the accent like I used to last year. It makes my name sound more like ‘Justine.’

“I’ve been speaking to Addy’s roommate, and she’s a little worried that she hasn’t seen Addy in a while. Have you spoken to Addy in the last couple of days.”

“Of course I have.”

Relief washes over me. I love it when my little ideas pan out like this – makes a nice change from the screw ups. “Oh that’s great. When was it?”

“Half an hour ago.”

“Even better!” I can at least reassure Lily (and myself) that she’s not in a ditch somewhere. “Did she say where she was?”

“She didn’t need to.”

That’s an odd response. “Sorry, I don’t get what you mean. She didn’t need to?”

“She didn’t need to tell me where she was, I was standing next to her.”

For a moment, silence reigns. Rachael is frantically gesticulating at me, trying to get me to tell her what’s happening, but I’m too astounded. I cannot possibly have heard that correctly. That would mean that Addy has skipped town and gone back to Europe without telling anybody and that cannot possibly have happened. It’s not like me to be speechless but I just don’t understand.

“Uhh… does that mean the same thing in Spanish that it does in American?”

Now Rachael’s not gesturing at me, she’s just looking at me like I’m the village idiot.