Night shifts black

The conversation dies the second I come into view, and I plaster a warm smile on my face.

“There she is!” Casey cries, jumping up from his stool before anything can get awkward. “Guys, this is Callie.”

“Callie, this is Eli and Jeff, but everyone calls him Sweeny.”

I wave. “Nice to finally meet you,” I say.

“You look great,” Casey whispers, kissing my cheek. It’s sweet, but I can’t tell if he’s sincere or acting for his band-mates. My guess is they need to believe our relationship is legit, too.

“Thanks,” I say with a genuine smile once I conclude that Casey’s is also. What a weird situation, pretending to date my actual boyfriend. He gives me a knowing look that indicates he’s still reeling from our bedroom scene also, and my blood starts pounding again.

I swallow. “You guys just came in this morning?” I ask, somehow managing to ignore the throbbing in my veins.

“Yeah, as soon as we could,” Eli says. “Had to once we learned this guy rejoined the planet.”

Luke gives him a smirk, but only shakes his head.

“Heard you guys have been working on some stuff. Can’t wait to hit Jackson Street Friday,” Sweeny continues.

Casey grins and slings his arm around me. “Actually, yeah. Thanks to Callie. She got me writing again. We can drop some ideas over the next few days and see if any stick.”

Their expressions change a bit, and I wonder what they’re thinking. Are they a

“Callie’s for real, guys,” Luke chimes in. “You’ll like her stuff. It’s good.”

Casey and I both stare at Luke in shock. The others seem to visibly relax at his approval.

“Looking forward to it,” Eli says.

“You’re a writer?” Sweeny asks.

I almost laugh at the ironic question and catch a subtle glance from Casey.

“Apparently,” I reply, and Sweeny looks appropriately confused.

“She is,” Casey clarifies, squeezing my shoulders.

“Cool,” Eli says. “Oh hey, it’s still downstairs, but we brought some of your stuff, Case. TJ said you were looking for a few things to prepare for Friday.”

“My gear?” Casey asks as though Santa himself just offered him the pick of the North Pole Warehouse.

They return his infectious grin. Apparently, he has that effect on everyone.

“What we could anyway. Just your small controller and the acoustic. Don’t get too excited, we weren’t going to mess with the amp, so we didn’t bring your electric.”

Casey doesn’t seem concerned. “What about my recording stuff?”

“Assuming you’ve got your laptop and drives, but the interface, mics, and boxes are in the case with the controller. No kit though. You’ll have to wait for the trailer on Friday,” he adds with a smirk.

“Come on. You couldn’t spring for an extra carryon?” Casey teases. He looks about ready to run from the room in search of this mysterious cart of gifts.

I’m not entirely sure what any of this conversation means, so I remain silent and keep my ignorance to myself.

“Just go, Case,” Luke mutters, but seems amused more than anything.

Casey nods and gives us an apologetic look. “I’ll be right back. Go

“They said they’d bring it up as soon as someone was available,” Eli explains, but clearly that’s not an option.

“It’s fine. Be back in a minute!”

With that, Casey is gone, and it’s just the rest of us staring after him in amusement.

“Good call, guys,” Luke observes to the other two. “He deserves to catch a break for once.”

They seem confused, but not enough to ask. “How are you doing, man? We heard what’s going on.”

Luke shrugs. “Fine. I have my girl Callie here to keep me from going completely nuts.”

The other guys are no more surprised than I am by Luke’s comment. I glance at him, but he’s not looking at me. In fact, his tone is so casual, so nonchalant, I almost missed the significance of that statement.

“Is she your girlfriend or Casey’s?” Eli snickers, and Luke only gives him a mischievous shrug.

“She was mine first. He stole her,” he teases, and I shove him.

“What? It’s true!” Luke cries good-naturedly.

The others laugh. “Yeah, right. Barrett stole a girl from Luke Craven. That’ll be the day.”

I shrug. “It’s kinda true,” I return lightly, and Luke and I exchange an amused look.

“Man, next you’re going to tell us this whole thing with Jackson Street was all Casey, too.”

Now, Luke and I laugh. “And that’s a hundred percent true,” I respond, totally proud of him.

They shake their heads.

“What is happening to the universe?” Sweeny mutters.

“I told you guys you’ve always underestimated him. Not all drummers are idiots,” Luke jokes.

“Our Baby Casey is all grown up, I guess,” Eli laughs.

I raise my eyebrows. “Baby Casey?” I ask, and Luke nods with a smile.

“He was fifteen when we started. He never really outgrew the name,” Luke explains.

Eli nods. “Yeah, Sweeny and I are both 30, then there’s Little Luke who’s, what are you now, 27?”

Luke nods.

“Which leaves Baby Casey at the bottom,” Sweeny confirms.

I laugh at the nickname. The thought of Casey as “Baby” anything, especially after the way he just took care of us this past week, is so ridiculous. I can’t help it.

“So how long have you two been together?” Eli asks me. “It’s not like our boy to settle down.”

Luke and I exchange a careful look, and I’m not sure what to say. I don’t know what Casey told their manager, what the official story is. We didn’t think we’d need it so soon.

“Not long,” Luke says. “But when you know you know, I guess. It was obvious to me before it was to that idiot,” he adds, and the others grin.

I give him my own grateful smile, which he returns with a slight wink.

“So what, you three just shack up here together now?”

Luke shrugs. “Sorta. Callie’s got her own place also. Casey’s just hanging out for a while. So how did the tour finish up?” Luke asks quickly, changing the subject.

It works, and the other two launch into more stories about people and lingo I don’t know. I start to tune out, counting the seconds until Casey returns. Baby Casey. Even his nicknames make me smile.

 

∞∞∞

 

Casey does return soon enough. We hear the clatter of the door, and I rush to hold it as a porter maneuvers through the opening with a cart containing two huge cases.

The guys pause their tour conversation, and I can’t help but melt at the childlike joy on Casey’s face as he tips the porter and thanks him. Maybe I do understand the nickname after all. He stands motionless for a minute, as though he can’t decide where to start. One case is clearly a guitar, the other’s just a large rectangular box framed in steel.

Luke comes over and slaps him on the back. “You want to set up the keyboard in the office or at the table here?”

Casey glances around the room.

“Here, probably. If we’re going to be working together.”

Luke nods. “Makes sense.” He bends down and opens the rectangular case while Casey opens the guitar.

I’m surprised at how small the keyboard is. I don’t know much about instruments, but I know a piano is a lot bigger than whatever this thing is. I’d just assumed keyboards would have the same number of keys as the piano, but this one clearly doesn’t. I’d be surprised if it were half the size. I would have asked Casey about it if we were alone and I thought there was any chance he would have heard me. The way he cradles his guitar and gazes at it like a child he hasn’t seen in months, I’m not sure he even remembers any of us exist.