The One That Got Away.

Vegas, Baby.

Fans were playing and requesting the new Thirty Seconds To Mars song on every platform, and it continued to blow up the charts. It was getting massive positive attention from mainstream media critics as well. When fans finally get a look at Josh Ryan, the band's number of social media followers explode. There was some chatter from the record company about extending the tour in the U.S. and adding dates in Europe and Australia. They hadn't even played their first show yet, but the buzz around them was white-hot. In the past Jared would have jumped at the chance, committing to the additional dates without considering anyone except himself but now he needed to think about Kelly. And to a lesser extent, Josh. 

Josh was a soldier. You could send him into battle and he would emerge victoriously. But if Kelly couldn't handle it then Josh simply wouldn't. Not to mention, even soldiers can burn out. This life was not for everyone. Touring was grueling for most people. Jared just expected his band and crew to suck it up and be glad they had a job. He didn't feel right putting that pressure on Josh. This hadn't exactly been Josh's dream, he was much more down-to-earth than that. It was Jared who sold him this dream, so it was only fair to treat him right. 

Jared told the record company that, at this time, they would not be adding dates to the tour but they would consider going on another tour afterward, with at least a one-month break in between. The record company responded with the ultimatum that they better release an album post haste. Jared agreed. Recording on tour was easy, just stick a mic up and play. Fortunately, they had several songs ready to go. 

The first stop on the tour was Las Vegas, Nevada. This location had been chosen many months before he had that fateful run-in with Kelly. There was something about Nevada she didn't know. Something he was neglecting to tell her because he felt it would be overwhelming. He wanted to get her seasoned, for lack of a better word, before he introduced her to what he had in Nevada. Die-hard super fans knew a little about it but not as much as they thought they did. Only people in his tight inner circle knew the truth about what was out there. That was for good reason, too. 

If Worry and Anxiety were a sport, Kelly would be a gold medalist. On the 4 hours and 49-minute journey to Las Vegas, while Jared prods her for information about her childhood, she has something else to get off her chest. 

"What is the official word about Josh and me? I mean, in the press with fans and all." Patrick had clued her in on the fact that Jared was not public about his relationships and it seems Tara and Shannon were being discreet about their romance. It was an open secret but they didn't exactly post each other on Social Media and fans were respectful of their privacy. Kelly wonders if it will be that way for them or will some curious soul do some digging and uncover the fact that she is the one Jared was canoodling with on the beach in Florida (while her husband was out of town on business no less!) 

"Your marriage won't be a secret. We influence and have control over what we can and can't be asked about in interviews, and what we post on socials. The focus is on the art and the music. Tomo is married, it was never a problem. Fans won't pay as much attention to it as you think."

Kelly doesn't believe that for a minute. 

"Come on, let's change the subject. We have a month together. This is an opportunity to get to know each other better. I want to know everything about you. I want you to know everything about me." 

There is a light tap on the door, and without warning, it slides open to reveal Shayla holding an armload of food to load up in their mini-fridge. Her presence immediately irks Kelly. What if they had been doing something and she just opened the door like that? 

"Oh, this is fucking great, Shay! Clyde's Vegan Chocolate Milk!" Jared exclaims.

"That brand has been discontinued so I bought out all the stock available in stores around town. I did some research and found that Nevada, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington have some stock left so I've purchased everything they have and I'll pick it up as we make our rounds on tour."