I was in the booth trying to lay down part of new song we were working on.
"Zac, can you just do it one more time? The snare doesn't sound quite as strong as I'd-"
I looked up at where everyone was when Tay abruptly stopped talking and saw my wife had just busted through the door.
"Hey Kate!" Jo said with a little too much enthusiasm.
"Jo." Kate snarled back. "Zachary! Why haven't you answered any of my texts in the past two hours??"
Great. I rolled my eyes and took a deep breath.
"Well Kate, I've been a little busy you know, playing the drums. Working." I flung my drumstick around motioning to everything around me.
"Yeah. Convenient." She spewed as she shot Jo a dirty look. "Well I'm going to OKC overnight with Maria. I'll be home sometime tomorrow. Just wanted you to know." And with that she turned on her heel she left the studio.
Ike leaned back in his chair and let out a long "duuuuude".
"What the fuck. Whatever, let's finish this. Then let's drink."
I must have been lost in my head for awhile when Tay came over the speaker to tell me he thinks he got what he wanted from me. I let out a sigh of relief, dropped my sticks on the floor and stood up from my stool. I walked into the studio where everyone else was. I walked straight over to Jo, grabbed her hand and pulled her up.
"Bar. Now."
We walked into the bar around the corner from the studio and moments later Ike and Tay joined us. I ordered everyone a round and we took a seat at a table towards the back.
"You alright man?" Jo asked me, looking genuinely concerned.
"Yeah, sorry. She just...ugh I don't know. She just pisses me off."
"Zac, man, you guys need to figure your shit out. Maybe a break will do you two some good." Isaac always the one to offer guidance.
"Yeah..no...I don't...I don't know. Something tells me there's more going on with her. And I care but I don't."
"Well, you're the only one who knows what will make you happy. You gotta do you, bud." Jo put her hand on my arm, lovingly. I was afraid my feelings for Jo would surface again when I saw her...and they totally are. I slammed the rest of my beer trying to push those feelings back down.
Around 730 Ike and Tay stood up and announced that they needed to head home. I was feeling pretty tipsy by now.
"Let's do a shot!" Jo jumped up in excitement. Obviously she was feeling it too. She would only do shots if she was drunk. Or it was apple pie.
"Why not! Hit me woman!"
A few shots later we were sitting outside sharing a joint. Jo had her legs up on another chair and was relaxing with her head back and eyes closed. Her long orange hair cascaded down the back of her chair exposing her neck. I noticed she had a new tattoo just behind her ear. It was tiny. It was a dainty little outline of Oklahoma. I smiled to myself. I knew she missed home. She had been living in New York for the past eight years, only returning home for major events until now. She quit her job at a big bank (totally weird, her being in banking) and decided to move back home.
"You missed me." I said very matter of fact.
Jo turned her head towards me and just smiled. "How'd you know?"
"Just a feeling. Oh and your new tattoo." I reached out to touch her little Oklahoma. I rubbed my thumb across her earlobe, just like I used to when we were kids. It was just something I always did to her. I think it calmed us both. Jo leaned into my touch and let out a soft mmm.
"I've missed this Zaccy."
"Me rubbing your ears?"
Jo laughed. "Well that. And just Tulsa. You, this town, just hanging out with my best friend." She placed her hand on mine.
I could feel my insides start to flutter. I reached across and placed my hand on the side of her face. I ran my rough thumb across her bottom lip. She closed her eyes and smiled. I wanted to kiss her so badly. I learned forward and I could feel the warmth of Jo's breath on my lips. I was so close to her. I've been dreaming of this day since I married Kate. What was wrong with me? I wanted Jo to be the one I came home to. The one I would walk into the kitchen to see making coffee in the morning. The one who was laying on the couch watching the Kardashians when I came home from the studio late at night.
"Zac, I'd never watch the Kardashians.... without you." Jo's voice made me pull back. Had I just said all that shit aloud...?!
