The Ghost Of You, chapter 5
So, it was planned. Brie quit her job, got one of her good friends to watch her apartment for her, and packed for the four-month tour. And before she knew it, she and Tré were on the tour bus with Billie and Mike, traveling the country on their official tour.
On the road to their first show, the four of them were getting along pretty well. Brie tried to ignore the fact that Billie was being pretty pissy towards her, assuming it was just his nerves and the fact that he had to leave his wife and kids behind again. But there was really only so much she could take, and after about the fiftieth smartass remark from him, she finally gave up and took Tré to the back of the bus to talk to him in private.
"What do you want, babe?" he asked when they were alone in the back.
She sighed. "It's about Billie."
Tré froze, the beer bottle pausing at his lips. He slowly brought it down and said, "What about him?"
Brie frowned and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "He's being a total ass to me, and I don't know why. It's seriously starting to bug the shit out of me."
Tré looked relieved. "Oh. He's probably just tired. He gets like that sometimes. You just have to learn to ignore him until he's in a better mood."
"No, he's being nice and joking around and laughing with you and Mike. But it's like he wants to just tell me to drop dead. He probably would, too, if you and Mike weren't in the same room," she explained.
Tré sighed. "Brie, you're acting like he hates you."
"He obviously does!"
"No, he doesn't. He just has to get used to you. You haven't given him a chance to really get to know you," he said.
"How long does he need? Are first impressions a big thing with him? Did I piss him off that first night we met? Is that why he's been ignoring me and avoiding me and giving me these death looks, treating me like shit?" she questioned.
"Jesus Christ! Brie, look, it's hard to explain, okay? I really can't explain it right now. So you'll just have to trust me when I tell you that I promise he will like you SOON! Just give him time. And until then, ignore it. At least you've got Mike, the sexiest bassist in the world, liking you. Alright?" Tré finally said out of frustration, smiling at he when he was finished, trying to lighten the mood slightly.
She looked down, a look of defeat on her face. She forced a smile, then mumbled, "Whatever."
Tré put his arm around her and brought her close to him, her face in his chest. He softly kissed the top of her head. "It's okay, baby. Rock stars can be assholes sometimes. You may not have Billie, but at least you have me!"
Brie brought her head up to Tré's and smiled, lightly kissing him on the lips. "I guess that's good enough for me."
* * *
Over the next four months, Tré and Brie's relationship got...deeper. They had fought a couple of times, like all normal couples are bound to do, but always made up very soon afterwards. They still had sex at least once a day, which made Tré very happy, seeing as he was usually deprived during tours. But after almost four whole months with this amazing woman, Tré was beginning to consider something he hadn't even given a thought to in...well, years.
It was about four hours before the last show of the tour. Brie was in the back of the bus, asleep, and Billie had gone ahead to the stage to help set things up and talk to the people in charge of the show. So now, it was just Mike and Tré in the bus, getting ready and finishing with their rock star attire.
"Mikey, I need to talk to you about something," Tré finally spoke up as he finished tying his shoe.
"Okay," Mike agreed, straightening his shirt.
"Um...I think I'm gonna...er...propose," Tré said nervously.
"Propose?" Mike asked, checking his hair in the mirror with furrowed brows.
"Yeah, propose. Tonight, after the show...to Brie."
Mike froze. He turned to Tré, his mouth agape for a second. His face then broke into a grin. "Are you serious, man?"
Tré looked weary and hesitant. "Yeah...I already bought the ring, but I don't know...is it too soon? Should I wait a few more months? I mean, yeah, we talk a lot, but we also have a lot of sex...I-I don't want her to think the only part of the relationship I like is the lust. She's an amazing woman, and..."
"Well, do you really love her? I mean, yeah, it's kind of soon, but it seems to me like you guys have something really special, really serious and deep. If you ask me, it looks like you have a lot more going on than just lust. And if you feel like you wanna be with her forever..."
"I do REALLY love her. See, that's just the thing. I want this marriage to be forever. I'm tired of my marriages lasting a few years and then going to shit. I want something to look forward to for the rest of my life...I want a real marriage, a true love... But I don't wanna get ahead of myself and dive into another Claudia marriage," Tré explained, getting up and finding his red bow tie.
"Honestly, Tré, I don't think that would happen with Brie. You and Claudia were such opposites... But you and Brie are so...fit for each other. I think if you dive into this, you won't regret it. If you think you're ready to marry this girl, then you probably are," Mike said.
Tré stared at himself in the mirror. "Yeah, but is she ready?"
There was a short silence, then Mike said quietly, "There's only one way to find out..."
On the road to their first show, the four of them were getting along pretty well. Brie tried to ignore the fact that Billie was being pretty pissy towards her, assuming it was just his nerves and the fact that he had to leave his wife and kids behind again. But there was really only so much she could take, and after about the fiftieth smartass remark from him, she finally gave up and took Tré to the back of the bus to talk to him in private.
"What do you want, babe?" he asked when they were alone in the back.
She sighed. "It's about Billie."
Tré froze, the beer bottle pausing at his lips. He slowly brought it down and said, "What about him?"
Brie frowned and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "He's being a total ass to me, and I don't know why. It's seriously starting to bug the shit out of me."
Tré looked relieved. "Oh. He's probably just tired. He gets like that sometimes. You just have to learn to ignore him until he's in a better mood."
"No, he's being nice and joking around and laughing with you and Mike. But it's like he wants to just tell me to drop dead. He probably would, too, if you and Mike weren't in the same room," she explained.
Tré sighed. "Brie, you're acting like he hates you."
"He obviously does!"
"No, he doesn't. He just has to get used to you. You haven't given him a chance to really get to know you," he said.
"How long does he need? Are first impressions a big thing with him? Did I piss him off that first night we met? Is that why he's been ignoring me and avoiding me and giving me these death looks, treating me like shit?" she questioned.
"Jesus Christ! Brie, look, it's hard to explain, okay? I really can't explain it right now. So you'll just have to trust me when I tell you that I promise he will like you SOON! Just give him time. And until then, ignore it. At least you've got Mike, the sexiest bassist in the world, liking you. Alright?" Tré finally said out of frustration, smiling at he when he was finished, trying to lighten the mood slightly.
She looked down, a look of defeat on her face. She forced a smile, then mumbled, "Whatever."
Tré put his arm around her and brought her close to him, her face in his chest. He softly kissed the top of her head. "It's okay, baby. Rock stars can be assholes sometimes. You may not have Billie, but at least you have me!"
Brie brought her head up to Tré's and smiled, lightly kissing him on the lips. "I guess that's good enough for me."
* * *
Over the next four months, Tré and Brie's relationship got...deeper. They had fought a couple of times, like all normal couples are bound to do, but always made up very soon afterwards. They still had sex at least once a day, which made Tré very happy, seeing as he was usually deprived during tours. But after almost four whole months with this amazing woman, Tré was beginning to consider something he hadn't even given a thought to in...well, years.
It was about four hours before the last show of the tour. Brie was in the back of the bus, asleep, and Billie had gone ahead to the stage to help set things up and talk to the people in charge of the show. So now, it was just Mike and Tré in the bus, getting ready and finishing with their rock star attire.
"Mikey, I need to talk to you about something," Tré finally spoke up as he finished tying his shoe.
"Okay," Mike agreed, straightening his shirt.
"Um...I think I'm gonna...er...propose," Tré said nervously.
"Propose?" Mike asked, checking his hair in the mirror with furrowed brows.
"Yeah, propose. Tonight, after the show...to Brie."
Mike froze. He turned to Tré, his mouth agape for a second. His face then broke into a grin. "Are you serious, man?"
Tré looked weary and hesitant. "Yeah...I already bought the ring, but I don't know...is it too soon? Should I wait a few more months? I mean, yeah, we talk a lot, but we also have a lot of sex...I-I don't want her to think the only part of the relationship I like is the lust. She's an amazing woman, and..."
"Well, do you really love her? I mean, yeah, it's kind of soon, but it seems to me like you guys have something really special, really serious and deep. If you ask me, it looks like you have a lot more going on than just lust. And if you feel like you wanna be with her forever..."
"I do REALLY love her. See, that's just the thing. I want this marriage to be forever. I'm tired of my marriages lasting a few years and then going to shit. I want something to look forward to for the rest of my life...I want a real marriage, a true love... But I don't wanna get ahead of myself and dive into another Claudia marriage," Tré explained, getting up and finding his red bow tie.
"Honestly, Tré, I don't think that would happen with Brie. You and Claudia were such opposites... But you and Brie are so...fit for each other. I think if you dive into this, you won't regret it. If you think you're ready to marry this girl, then you probably are," Mike said.
Tré stared at himself in the mirror. "Yeah, but is she ready?"
There was a short silence, then Mike said quietly, "There's only one way to find out..."
