say hello wave goodbye

2: this time I'm not leaving without you (1997)

February 1997

"Can I...do you want to go back to my place? Oh wow. That's not what, I didn't mean it like..."

Stevie laughs, patting Lindsey's shoulder reassuringly as he gives her a sheepish grin. "I just meant, you could hear the new tracks I was telling you about- unless you don't want to," he adds quickly when he sees her hesitating. "I know it's Valentine's day, you probably have someone waiting up for you..."

"Oh god, no," she says, laughing again. "The only person I have waiting on me is Karen. She said she'd stick around in case things went south- I totally forgot to tell her she could leave. She's probably going to kill me."

It was with a mix of trepidation and nervous excitement that she had agreed to meet the rest of the band for dinner in order to discuss plans for a potential reunion. She had been nothing but optimistic about the idea until the time came to actually head to the restaurant, when she had a moment of panic and only agreed to leave the house on the condition that Karen stay right outside so that she could make a quick exit if necessary.

Thankfully, it didn't come to that. She had a few nervous minutes when she first arrived, wishing that for once in her life she hadn't been the last one to show up. She spotted the group at their table before they noticed her, the four of them smiling and laughing together, and she briefly felt like she was back at Sound City sitting alone in the corner with her knitting and wondering if there was really a place for her there.

But then everyone stood up for a round of hugs and warm welcomes as soon as they saw her, and once she took her seat she had forgotten all about wanting to leave. It was as if the time had never passed, like she had stepped out for a smoke in 1975 and came back to the same group of people they had been before the fame and the fights, the affairs and addictions and all the heartbreak that came from them. They retold old stories, everyone talking over each other to fill in forgotten bits or beat someone else to the punchline, and inside jokes flew back and forth until they were all laughing so loudly that they were getting dirty looks from other patrons who were trying to have a romantic evening. By the time they actually got down to business, they had already finished dessert. Once again it was just like the old days, only this time the delay wasn't due to a dozen 'bathroom breaks' or someone storming out mid-meal.

The others had already taken off with a promise to keep in touch and reconvene in six weeks. Stevie and Lindsey had hung back, much to the chagrin of the restaurant staff who were looking eager to close up. "Let me go tell Karen she can leave, if she hasn't ditched me already, and then we can head to your place."

Lindsey agrees and follows her into the parking lot, Karen rolling her eyes when she sees him trailing behind, and he feels strangely like he's 18 and standing at the Nicks' door asking permission to take their daughter out for the night.

"You can head home, I'm sure Lindsey can give me a ride back when we're done," she tells Karen, who gives him a sternly protective glare that would put Jess to shame.

"Maybe we should decide on a time and I'll come pick you up."

"You really don't have to," he promises. "I'll have her back at a decent hour, I swear."

Stevie giggles, but Karen seems less than entertained by his humor. "Fine, but I'll be waiting up for you."

The two women have a silent conversation with their eyes and reach some sort of agreement, nodding to each other before Karen reluctantly drives off.

"Why do I feel like she's going to be sitting on your porch with a shotgun when we come back?"

"Oh, she's not that bad," Stevie scoffs as she climbs into the passenger seat of his car. "I'd just told her before we left to- never mind."