Waiting for Never - Post Malone

Riptide

November 1st is the expected release date for Austin's album, just in time for Christmas shopping is what the marketing department said. In the lead-up, to the release date, the record label gets Austin to 'accidentally' leak a little snippet of one of his songs on his social media which resulted in social media crashing for a few hours. There is a PR relationship made between Austin and some small-time actress who is dating some big-time actor but the love triangle is so messy and soap opera-like of course it makes headlines for weeks. Throwing all three of them into the spotlight - classic PR bullshit. Austin is booked on talk show after talk show, his charm and wit winning over the audience and host in seconds. His rider is not long, it only has two requests he refuses to negotiate on. The first, he would like an endless selection of liquor and the second is if they have to spend a night or more away from LA the hotel and venue needs to be able to accommodate his dogs, his dogs who will be with his assistant at all times. "He has lost his mind, dragging us all over the country," she says to Otis who just looks at her with a tired face. She loves his big bear face. Austin does not drag Marli to any more LA parties though. But he does always phone her just as the sun is rising, slurring the address through the phone and begging her to fetch him. He has a driver and his bodyguards with him even, but he still phones Marli and waits for her to collect him and take him home, to clean him up and soothe his rattling mind. With each phone call, Marli loses a little bit of herself, a little bit that Austin keeps. When Marli is sorting through his schedule for the end of October she sees that a week in New York is planned, four talk shows, two event appearances, and two photoshoots will keep Marli and Austin very busy. She hopes she gets to see her parents, she speaks to her mum every day but has not seen them since she left almost ten months ago. She is not going to tell her mother she is going to be in New York just in case she can't see her. It's for the best. Marli's mother is South African and South African women are not good at holding their tongues. Yes. This is for the best. 

~

Otis is whining so much that Marli unbuckles herself from her chair and lays down on the plane floor with him. He stops whining immediately and Colt takes that as a confirmation to throw his big body over Marli. If you did not know she was there, you would be forgiven for not seeing her. Willadeene, Austin's seemingly last loyal dog is curled up next to him with her head resting on his lap. A soft smile is playing on Austin's lips as he watches Marli. 

"Go through my schedule again for this week in New York, please. " 

"We arrive tonight night at 11:30 pm. Saturday you have SNL from 6 am to 11:30 pm. Sunday you have the Late Show with Stephen Colbert from 10 am to 6 pm. Monday you have a photoshoot for Gucci from 5 am to 8 pm. Tuesday you have an appearance at an art gallery that starts at 2 pm. Wednesday is The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon from 11 am to 5 pm. Thursday is Good Morning America from 4 am to 9 am. Then you are free until Saturday when you have an interview and photoshoot for GQ from 8 am to 5 pm. Then you have an event for Levi that starts at 8 pm. Sunday we fly back to LA. Busy, busy boy." 

"We are free from Thursday afternoon till Saturday morning?" 

"Yes." 

"So would you like me to phone your mother and make arrangements to meet up or would you like to do that?" 

Marli would sit straight up if she could push Colt's dead weight off her. "Um...no, my parents are busy."

"Don't you lie to me. You phone or I will."

"You have my mother's number?" 

"Your father's too."

"That's weird."

"I also have their address."

"You are crazy."

"Thank you."