Page 14 of Before Eve

That’s another good thing about Anne. She’s got a loud mouth, but she knows when to rein it in for me. And to my relief, that is the last thing Anne says about West as we load up a van and start the drive west to Memphis. Every mile between an old town and a new one makes me breathe easier.

CHAPTER 8

That afternoon,Anne and I are walking down the outdoor Memphis venue that sits on the Mississippi River, and Ford catches sight of us. “Girls!” He waves us over to the soundboard where he opens a large crate full of used cables. “Your job for the day.”

He picks up a cable and shows us where the wiring inside is exposed, before tearing a piece of electrical tape and wrapping it. “Think you can do that?”

“Uh, yeah,” Anne deadpans.

Ford walks off and she turns to me. “Does he think we’re idiots?”

“I don’t mind.” I settle on the concrete slab and start in.

She puts her earbuds in and does the same.

The next few hours go by, Ford doing his stuff at the soundboard, the other bands coming on and off stage for practice, and Anne and I wrapping wires. I like the monotonous work. It keeps my brain focused and off of everything else.

“Guys are here,” Ford informs us, but Anne is rocking to her music and doesn’t hear.

West and Simon chat as they walk on stage to take their spots with the rest of Bus Stop.

Ford picks up a microphone, his voice echoing through the amphitheater. “All right boys, let’s get started. Check on mike one.”

West steps up to mike one. “Check.”

Stretching his fingers across the board, Ford positions them on the sliding knobs and makes a few adjustments. “Check on mike two.”

The keyboard player pulls his mike down. “Check.”

Ford continues through the rest of the checks and then begins on the instruments, asking them to play specific chords and give feedback on the volume of the onstage monitors.

“This is the EQ rack,” he tells me, probably because he sees me watching him. “I’m boosting the bass.” He turns a knob. “Now I’m lowering the high end. Hear that reverb from the right side of the house?”

I listen to the echo and nod.

He makes adjustments. “Now it’s gone.”

“That’s really cool.”

“It is.” Ford slides a bar down. “Even more exhilarating during a live show.”

I go back to wrapping wires, and my heart nervously picks up pace as I remember West’s encouraging words.

But before I have a chance to ask Ford about being his assistant, he opens the gate that leads from the tech box. “Be back in a sec.”

I finish the cable I’m working on and start the next one, still eyeing the soundboard.

Anne takes her earbuds out as she waggles her brows. “Did you seeWestis here?”

“Eve!” Ford yells. “Bring me that silver hard case under the board.”

Grabbing the case, I carry it down the aisle and up onto thestage. Ford takes it from me and opens it up. “This is Eve everybody. She’s new crew.”

I spare the guys a quick glance. West, Simon, Toby, the drummer, and Levi, keyboards. With his ever present fedora, West steps forward to shake my hand as if we haven’t already met. He gives my curious look an amused one, a corner of his mouth twitching as he looks at the Tom chasing Jerry across the front of my tee. Though no one else probably recognizes it, he holds my hand just a second too long until I finally slip my fingers from his grasp.

“It’s roast beef girl!” Simon jokingly recognizes me.

“Roast beef girl?” Ford asks.