“You need more?”
“She needs more,” Ned confirmed so I didn’t have to. “We have more but thought we’d give you a chance to defend yourself.”
“Nothing to defend,” I said as I shrugged. “I didn’t know who Pushing Daisies were until you played that song. I may have heard one of their songs in passing along the way, but I wouldn’t have known it was them. Anything else?”
The lights on the phone flashed all over the place, but one flashed differently. Their system was like all the other systems, only theirs was set up to go on the air.
“We have a mystery caller.” Ned grinned while I tried not to. “Caller, are you there?”
“I’m here.”
Shit. That was Bonham. Why had he called in? Now I shifted in my chair, the weight of all the questions I had pushing me heavily into the seat.
“So, caller, are you saying you can confirm what our Jurnie is saying?”
“I can,” Bonham agreed.
I leaned in with my lips parted. “Hey, Bonham.”
“That’s right, listeners.” Brian was suddenly very excited. “We have Bonham Thompson on the line, drummer for Pushing Daisies.” The fake crowd went wild. “To what do we owe the pleasure, Bonham?”
“Well…” His voice sounded so close. Not across town and far away from me. “I wanted to get a hold of Jurnie but didn’t want to get her into trouble while she’s at work.”
“Well, you’ve got her now.”
“It’s kind of public,” Bonham began. “But I’m hoping I can convince her to see me tonight.”
“You could’ve sent a text or a Snap,” I told him, playing along with this whole thing.
“I could’ve, but people have been known to screenshot Snaps. How do I know it’d stay between us?”
His mention of me saving his Snap from last night had me burning up. There was no way the DJs didn’t see it.
“Point taken,” I conceded. “But discussing this in public is better?”
“Does being public bother you?”
“Not at all.” It wouldn’t bother me for the general public to know we were dating. My parents were another story. Even Delaney. I might not want her to know right now but if she found out, it’d be fine. But maybe Bonham would want to keep it private. I didn’t know. Nobody cared who I was dating with the exception of my parents and Delaney. Still, I wasn’t about to admit that to him, the DJs, and the greater Detroit area.
“Then what’s your answer?”
“To what?”
“Getting together tonight?”
I tapped my chin as if I needed to think about it then told him, “Of course.”
“I feel like we’re on a dating game.” Ned broke into our conversation. “How about you, Bonham, message our Jurnie the details and hang around after the break to chat for a few minutes?”
Bonham chuckled into the phone. “Sure, I can do that. I’ll talk to you soon, Jurnie.”
“Bye.” I slid off the headphones and hopped off the chair as they went to commercial.
“You’re a great sport, Jurnie,” Brian told me.
I shrugged off the compliment. “It was fun. Being in here is a lot of fun.”
“Don’t tell us that.” Ned faked all of his outrage. “You tell us that and we’ll keep pulling you in here.”
“Don’t threaten me with a good time,” I told him back, wondering where the hell that had come from. Not good girl Jurnie Evans, for sure. My phone vibrated in my pocket, telling me I had to get out of there. “See ya later, boys.”
Once I was out in the hall, I pulled the phone out and saw a shirtless Bonham. Every time I saw this picture from now on, I was going to be reminded that he knew I’d screenshot it. I shook that off and answered the phone.
“Hey.” I scurried into the break room, where no one currently was.
“I only have a minute. I hope you didn’t mind that.” Bonham must’ve been calling me while they took that commercial break.
“It was fun. Though I wasn’t sure how much I could say. Either way, I think it played better this way.”
“Wait. What do you mean you weren’t sure how much you could say?” But before I could answer, he muttered, “Fuck. I have to get back. The commercial is ending, but I was serious. Are you busy tonight?”
“Nope.” Maybe I should’ve played it coy. Said I needed to check my calendar. That wasn’t what I wanted, though. I’d decided to start doing what I wanted.
“Want to come hang out with the band? We’re just getting pizza, might talk some work shit, but with everyone there, it still should be a good time.”
“Yeah. Sure. I’d love to. But when you say everyone…”
“I mean everyone. I’m sorry. I’ve got to go.”
The line went dead. Time to get back to work, but I couldn’t wipe this silly grin off my face the rest of the day.
Bonham sent me a message that he’d pick me up at six if that worked for me. I told him I’d have my car back this afternoon—Dad was going to get it for me—so I could drive to his place. He insisted he’d pick me up.
Which was how I’d ended up ready and waiting for him when my sister came up from downstairs. It was Friday night and her kid was with her dad, so Delaney was going out.
“Where are you headed?” she asked me.
“Out.”
“With the same guy from the bookstore?” she asked. I nodded. “OK, this is becoming a thing, Jurnie. You have to tell me about him.”
She wasn’t wrong and my sister was the one I’d normally discuss this kind of thing with. “He’s so hot, but he’s funny and caring and just nice. Do you know how hard it is to find a nice guy?”
Delaney snorted. “Who do you think you’re talking to?”
Oh, right. Delaney had had a bunch of relationships in her past, but more than a few hadn’t wanted to date a woman with a kid. Not that I could blame them when they’d been nineteen. But she still attracted a certain type of guy and it wasn’t always pretty.
“Right. Sorry. Anyway, he’s just… everything I think I’ve been looking for.”
“Sex?” she asked.
I shook my head. “Not yet.”
“Yet?” she almost yelled. “If you’re saying yet, that means you’re at least thinking about it.”
“I am. There’s no reason to wait. Someone once told me that if it’s something I won’t personally regret in the morning, I should do it.” Those were her words.
“Whoever said that is a fucking genius.” Delaney leaned into me with a more serious expression. “But seriously, Jurnie, have some fun, whether that includes sex or not.”
“I plan to.”
“What’s this guy’s name?”
I knew that was coming. Telling my sister could go a few ways. I could tell her and she might have no idea who Bonham was. I could tell her and she did know but wasn’t a fan. Or I could tell her, she would know who he was, and then she’d lose her mind because she loved Pushing Daisies. I had no idea. Yet pushing her off now would’ve been weird. I was going out with a guy and wouldn’t tell anyone his name? Not a good look for me.