Chapter 53
To say that they’d been busy these past few days would have been a gross understatement. Even today on the short flight to Edinburgh, Scotland for tonight’s show, they were occupied the whole time. Their latest single had been released a few weeks before they arrived and, like all the others, no one really expected it to go anywhere. But amazingly, this single was climbing up the charts at alarming speeds. Because of the fortuitous timing of this tour they were a hot commodity, much to their surprise, and so nearly every waking moment that wasn’t spent performing was spent talking to journalists of some kind.
John felt terrible that he had to spend so much time away from Gennie, but like always, she’d been completely understanding- happy, in fact, that things were going so well. Besides, she had things that she wanted to do in London and she didn’t need John by her side to do them. So it wasn’t the fabulous, romantic European trip she had expected, but she was having fun anyway. She just wished she could see more of him. The time away from him wasn’t all bad though. It gave her time to think about the proposal he’d laid out for her. It was a huge undertaking, if she should choose to accept it and she didn’t know if she was ready for that yet. It gave her the heebie jeebies to think that she was even considering moving in with a man she’d really only met just a month ago.
Gen lounged in bed this morning, absently flipping through the channels on TV. John had left an hour or so ago to catch his flight to Scotland. Since it was going to be an in and out kind of show, she opted to stay behind and see some more of the city when she got around to it. He would be back home tonight and she planned to be waiting for him. Come to think of it, that was what she would do today- visit the ritzy lingerie shop on Regent Street.
When she decided that nothing held her interest for more than a few minutes, she switched off the TV and started to consider the day ahead of her. She needed to get up and take a shower, but she was too comfy in bed with the soft pillows behind her and the gentle breeze blowing in through the open window to move just yet. A smile stretched across her face as a brilliant idea hit her. She would call Stacey and discuss her dilemma with her. If anyone could see it for what it was, it was Stace. Gen trusted her best friend’s opinions- she just hoped she offered the one she wanted to hear… though she wasn’t quite sure which one that was.
She reached over to the phone on the nightstand on John’s side of the bed. Carefully, her fingers dialed the long string of numbers required to call overseas as she sat patiently waiting for the call to go through. It rang once, then again with no answer. She looked at the clock and subtracted six hours to allow for the time change. “Oh shit!” she exclaimed to herself. The realization that it was only 4:30 a.m. in Oklahoma hit her. Just as she was about to hang up and pretend that she never made the call, a sleepy, gravelly voice answered.
“Hello?”
“Um, Stace. I’m really sorry. I didn’t think about the time before I dialed. I can call you later, ok?”
“Gen, is something wrong?” she asked slowly, emerging from her dead sleep.
“Oh no, not at all. I had something I wanted to talk to you about… y’know, get your ideas on it. But I really can call you later. It’s not an emergency or anything. Go back to sleep.” She suspected that Stace was awake now because she could hear her pulling on her robe and walking down the stairs to curl up on the couch and have a chat with her.
“Too late, Gen. I’m up now,” she sighed cheerfully. “Besides, no kids, no interruptions! What’s up?”
“Well…”
“So are you having a great time in Europe?”
“Pretty much. We don’t get to spend as much time together as we’d thought. Their single is doing really well here right now, so publicity takes all his time. Actually, he’s on a plane to Scotland right now,” she sighed. “But I’m having fun going shopping, visiting museums and junk like that.”
“By yourself?”
“Yeah, mostly. But it’s ok. I know my way around so I don’t feel like a damn tourist.”
“That’s cool then. So what’s the big question you have for me?”
“Uh… Stace… uh… I just wanna, um, get your opinion on something.”
“Yeah?”
“Um, well… He asked me to move to LA and…”
Stacey’s eyes shot wide open, “And?” She was thrilled for Gen.
“Well, I don’t know if I should.”
“Are you crazy?”
“No, I’m not crazy. I just don’t know what to do,” she paused and tried to make sense of the arguments swirling through her mind. “I mean, can I really walk away from my job, my home, my friends?”
Stace laughed. “Baby, if I were you, I’d quit my job, sell my house, and fly my friends out to visit me… in a heartbeat.”
“I’m serious Stace. Should I really toss it all aside and move across the country? Doesn’t that sound a little crazy?”
“Mmm… not crazy, spontaneous! I wish I could be more like that!”
“Yeah, I know, I know. But what’ll I do if I go? What becomes of me? I don’t think he’s thought of that.”
“Does it matter?”
“What? Of course it matters!”
“Wait, is he asking you to live with him or is he just asking you to move to LA? Cause then there might be a difference then.”
“He wants me to move in with him. But still, I can’t just sit around all day.”
“Geez, Gen. They have jobs in California too, you know.”
Gen winced. She knew that wasn’t the real issue. “But what if I’m not ready, y’know? It sorta feels like I’m rushing. But I’m afraid if I don’t, that we won’t stay together. I mean I know we can’t have a very meaningful relationship when we only see each other a couple times a month at the most. Stace, I’ve known him less than two months. Is this crazy?”
“Well, it’s certainly spontaneous, like I said.” Stacey took a deep breath and tried to think of something better to say. “You love him don’t you?”
“Of course I do.”
“Then I’d say go for it. You guys are great together. It’s so obvious that he loves you, Gen. Don’t let a love like that just walk away because you’re afraid of what you may have to give up to go after it.”
“I guess you’re right. It’s just so scary to just leave, quit, sell my house, y’know.”
“Yeah, I know. I hate to lose my best lunch buddy, but it would be stupid to stick around for dumb stuff like that. And you don’t have to sell your house, you know. Keep it; I somehow don’t think you’ll have money problems.”
“True.”
She could tell that Gen was still uncertain. “Look, when I met Josh, I knew he was the right one after just a month or two. I think you know in your heart what the right thing to do is. Go with that. Don’t let anything stand in the way of being happy.”
“Thanks, Stace. I knew talking to you would make me feel better.”
“Glad to help.”
“Now go back to sleep. I‘ll talk to you later.”
“Good deal.” She paused for a moment. “Oh, and Gen… Congratulations.”
For the first time, Gen realized that she was moving to California. A giddy smile spread across her face. “Thanks Stace. You’re the greatest. Bye, now.”
As soon as she hung up the phone, she was overcome by uncontrollable giggles. She shook her head and pounded her feet on the bed. She was moving in with her boyfriend… She was moving in with Johnny Rzeznik!
Several hundred miles north of London, John and Robby sat at a table backstage at the auditorium before getting ready to do their sound check. Mike took advantage of this odd moment of solitude to go for a much-needed run.
John took a bite from his sandwich and tossed the wrapper aside. Stretching his legs out onto the chair beside him, he made himself comfortable. Robby bit into his sandwich with the same hungry zeal.
“Dude,” John inquired of Robby when he was sure no one was paying any attention to them, “What am I gonna do if she says no?”
“Don’t worry man. Are you kidding? She won’t say no.”
“I wish I was as confident as you are. You shoulda seen her when I asked her. She started crying, Rob.”
“I know. You told me. But even you knew it was cause she was so tired. They weren’t horrified tears, I’m sure,” he chuckled.
John flashed him a toothy grin. “Yeah, I know she wasn’t horrified, ya wiseass.” He took a swallow from his Coke can. “But she had these reasons, y’know. She had reasons for not moving in with me. And they made sense, man. They really made sense.”
“But she’s gotta have reasons to do it too, you know. Did ya ever think about that?”
“She did.”
“Then you just gotta hope she picks the right ones, y’know. Try making it worth her while. Make her see what she’d be missing if she doesn’t go.”
“See, that’s what the problem is… If she says no, I can’t see how we can keep it going, y’know. When we were on the road all the time, it really didn’t matter. But now it will. I can’t have a girlfriend who lives in a different time zone! I mean, how shitty is that?”
“Yeah, it doesn’t work.” Robby paused thoughtfully. “What do you think are her real reasons for not moving? It can’t just be about this independence thing, cause she’s been independent. And she’s got no reason to think that she won’t still be independent. Hell, you’re hardly home, she’d have all the independence she needs!”
John studied his sandwich very closely, like it held the secrets to a perfect relationship. “I don’t know, man, I don’t know. I’m thinkin’ they’re probably the same concerns I had about askin’ her. Y’know, spooky shit like… we’ve only known each other for a short time, we’ve hardly spent any time together, if we do this it’s, like, serious, man… it’s a commitment, y’know. You don’t just move in with someone when you’re in your thirties and expect it’s just for a good time. Fuck, man, this is for real, y’know.”
“These are her concerns... or yours?”
“I think that’s the point. They’re my concerns as well, but I’ve made my decision. What’ll I do if her decision isn’t the same as mine? Can I really just walk away? Can I leave her behind and forget about her? Cause I’m thinkin’ we’re playing for keeps here.”
“Why don’t you stop stressing about it and worry when the time comes.”
“Dude, this is what I’m saying! The time has come. It’s been three days now and she hasn’t said anything about it.”
“But John, you’ve hardly been there! You don’t expect her to wait up all night for you to have this discussion, do you?”
“No, but it’s freakin’ me out man!”
“We’re taking her to France tomorrow, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Things are pretty light while we’re there. The single’s not doing that great over there. Why don’t you hang back in Paris for a day? Spend the day with her. Get a nice hotel room. You’ll have the time together and you can talk and just be Johnny and Gen, y’know. We can cover for you on this end. Mike and I will handle the press shit for a day or so. Maybe something like that will score you some points.”
“That’s a great idea, dude. Thanks, Rob. I love ya, man.”
Robby rolled his eyes. “Honestly, Johnny, I don’t think you’re gonna have any problems. She’s crazy about you. If you ask me, it’s a sure thing.” Why couldn’t John ever see the obvious? He always got so worked up over nothing.
“I sure as hell hope you’re right.”
“Shit! Me too! I sure don’t wanna be around your mopey depressed ass if she says no.”
John rolled his eyes. “Gimme a fuckin’ break.”
“Aw, c’mon Rzeznik, you are the biggest sissy when it comes to shit like that. You get your heart broken too easily. If she says no, you’ll be cryin’ in your beer for weeks!”
John giggled and threw his wadded up napkin at him. “Shut the fuck up, dude!”
Deep down, he knew Robby was right about that. It would kill him if Gen said no. He’d never waited so eagerly for an answer in his life. He made a mental note to make this Paris trip special- hoping that it would be more a celebration of the future than a fond farewell.