Singer - 11. Summer Plans

Following his win and exit interview, Chipper joined a waiting Aslan backstage. The two repeated the embrace they had shared in front of the audience.

“I’m sorry, bud. That’s the second time Adam pits me against a friend. I hate this shit.” Chipper was truly sad to see the man go.

“Mahalo. I’m cool. No doubt in my mind you were the best one out there tonight.” Aslan’s lopsided smile made his face light up. “Look at it this way. I got to meet some awesome people like you. I got to work with Adam. And hopefully, someone took notice and will come calling.”

“Great attitude, dude. Wanna grab a drink? I have a flask in my backpack. Let’s score a couple of sodas and find a quiet spot. I want to talk to you about something in private.”

While changing and removing their makeup, they found out Bliss had won her contest. Chipper was delighted for her but knew she would be a formidable adversary in future rounds.

Although done for the day, neither one desired to venture too far from the soundstage. They wanted to find out who else would move forward. Aslan returned to the dressing room with two soft-drink cans. “Where you wanna go, bro?”

“It’s gorgeous today. Let’s get some fresh air. We can sit on one of those concrete bumpers in the parking lot and talk.”

The moment they stepped outside, bright sunlight made them reach for their sunglasses. Nodding at the security guard, Chipper steered them away from the entrance. They found themselves a quiet spot and sat on the ground with their backs against the building.

“So, what did you wanna talk about?” Aslan opened the cans, poured out some of their content, and held both out so Chipper could refill them from his flask.

“You’ve heard some of my story and how I ended up in DC. When I moved to Washington, I hit the friend jackpot. I landed in the middle of a group of great guys who’ll be around for the rest of my life.”

“The ones you mentioned have ink matching yours.”

Chipper absentmindedly rubbed the tattoo on his left arm. “That’s them. The Squad. Anyway, one thing I learned is friends, real friends, stand with you through good and bad times.”

“Sounds like a great bunch.”

“They are. I hope you get to meet some of them. Listen, you mentioned before that this little adventure was your first time outside Hawaii. You want to be on Broadway, but you’ve never been to New York.”

“One day soon, I hope.”

“Let’s make it sooner than later. You’re my friend, and I want to help. I want to pay forward what my buds have done for me. If you have no summer plans, I’ll be in the City while we’re on hiatus. Come with me. You’ll have a place to stay for free in Manhattan, we’ll sightsee, hit a few shows, and I’ll introduce you to some people who may be able to help you.”

Chipper ignored his phone while talking to Aslan. He had texted his family, The Squad, and the two guys he met at Coachella. It was a simple missive “Won the round. On to the live shows.” When he finally looked at it, he had replies from most of them. His parents he would need to call, so he postponed it until later. His sister and the guys back east, he sent short messages. Bryce and Zion asked him to call.

“Dude! We knew you would kill it! Gratz!” Zion sounded as excited as Chipper felt.

“Thanks. It was scary. The guy against me was damn good. But I’m in. What are you two up to?”

“At the gym right now. What about you? Let’s go celebrate tonight.”

Chipper thought it would be fun to hang with the two pretty boys again. There might be no sex involved, but he suspected it could happen. “I need to stick around here until they’re done taping for the day. Where do you want to meet?”

“We’ll text you the address and time. Congrats again, dude.”

EZ on Santa Monica Boulevard was tiny compared to other West Hollywood lounges Chipper had been to. Darker and quieter, it was probably the closest thing to a dive bar you could find in Los Angeles. Before he could say hello, Bryce handed him a lime wedge and a shot glass. “Drink.”

The tequila went down smoothly, and the guys went through greetings. “Damn! That’s the way to be met when you walk into a bar.”

“You deserve it, singing boy.” Zion waved a hand at the bartender. “What do you want to drink, Chipper?”

“Margarita on the rocks.”

The bartender grinned when Bryce raise three fingers. “Salt?”

“Yeah, what the heck.” Chipper took a stool and the couple sat to either side of him.

“You’re done for a while, right?” Zion inched his stool a little closer. “We want to hang out with you. Maybe have an encore of our time in the van?”

“I’m in.” Chipper nodded vigorously. “It’s like school. I have the summer off. We have to be back here when the broadcasts start in September. They try to arrange something like a concert in people’s hometowns once the public knows we’re in. Not sure what they’ll organize for me.”

“Do you have plans for your vacation? Bryce and I are spending a few weeks in North Africa. A couple of photo shoots in Tunisia and lots of sightseeing. You should fly out and enjoy some time with us.”

“Wish I could guys. Money’s tight. The rents are still helping me out, but I don’t want to take advantage of them. I’m spending the summer in New York. I lined up a couple of gigs to make me some money.”

“Okay… What are you doing this weekend? Wanna come to a hot pool party in Malibu?”