“I love tour family night,” Lizzy said. It was good to see Lizzy relaxed and in jeans. Her hair was down, and her clipboard and headset were somewhere else. The only thing in her hand was her phone and a drink that smelled like vodka with a hint of cranberry juice. Since Denver, Lizzy had cut back on drinking, which made Bristol happy, so seeing her with alcohol was unsettling, but Bristol kept her mouth shut.

“We’re almost done here,” Annette said. She stood back and spritzed Bristol’s face so her makeup wouldn’t smear. “Perfect as always.”

Bristol never knew if Annette was complimenting her own work or Bristol. She leaned forward and nodded. “Perfect as always.”

The entire top floor was theirs. Ballrooms A and B were open for their party. Plush couches and wingback chairs were arranged in clusters in the large hallways for people to break off and chat if they didn’t want to stay in the ballrooms.

Bristol knew she was good for only a few hours before she had to throw in the towel. Her bandmates could stay up all night and still perform the next day, but not Bristol.

“Let’s have fun tonight. No worries, just fun,” Lizzy said. She grabbed Bristol’s hand and waved at Annette and Phoebe to join them. “Leave your stuff. Let’s grab a drink.”

Bristol couldn’t help but smile at how happy everyone seemed. It was important to let her entire team know that they were important to her. Hanging out with them always boosted morale. She chatted with some of the set builders on her way to grab a glass of wine and thanked them for keeping her safe onstage. Her phone buzzed, and she smiled immediately, knowing only one person would be texting her right now.

I’m here, but I’m not sure where to go.

The entire floor is the party. I’m getting a glass of wine in Ballroom A. Would you like something to drink? Bristol didn’t mind waiting in lines, but the moment she did, people scattered out of the way to give her immediate access to the front. That bothered her.

“Great concert tonight,” Sondra said. Her voice was low, and she was having a hard time keeping eye contact. Liquid courage in the form of an Anchor Steam rested in her right hand.

“Thanks for all your hard work, Sondra. I know we’re demanding with our instruments, but you do such a great job of keeping our equipment straight for each concert.”