Page 83 of Indescribable Love
“Anyway, we went to the hotel where Simon was staying and I was expecting like…thousands of screaming fans to be clamoring to get to his room and having to break our way through security, but all we did was ride up in the elevator to his room.”
“That’s where security was,” Simon added. “I had given Noah the key card to get up to my floor so there wouldn’t be any issues.”
But Lily went on. “So we get to his room and just hung out. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it was all just so normal!” She smiled at Simon. “And we’ve come to visit you out in the place in LA that you stay at and, again, I kind of expected paparazzi and all kinds of other famous people to be around, but it wasn’t like that at all. It was both cool and a little disappointing.”
Everyone laughed. “Yeah, I don’t live a very exciting life. I enjoy my privacy and just having some down time when I’m not on the road.”
“So what comes next?” Noah asked. “I know you’ve got a few weeks off now before the last few dates of the tour. You’ve got to get back into the studio, that part I know, but…then what?”
Good question…
Simon reached over and took Juliette’s hand in his. “You know, I don’t think we’ve really thought about it. The studio is a must, but most of the songs are written and ready to go. I don’t expect that to take more than a couple of weeks. I’m sure Juliette’s going to want to go back to New York to see her family, and…after that, I’m not sure.”
“What about a house?” Noah asked. “Don’t you think it’s time you found one of your own? I would hope you’re going to take a longer break between this tour and the next, and you’ve just been bouncing from one rental to another. Aren’t you tired of that?”
There was no condemnation in his brother’s question, just genuine concern.
“It was never appealing before, but…seeing what you’ve done here? Maybe I’m not as opposed to the whole home buying thing as I was before.” He gave Juliette’s hand a small squeeze. “There’s a lot to consider, though. Do I want to be in LA? New York? Here in North Carolina? The options are endless and I just haven’t had the time or the headspace to really allow myself to think about it.”
“What about you, Jules?” Lily asked. “If you could live anywhere, where would it be?”
The look of pure panic on his girl’s face was kind of adorable, but he didn’t take it personally.
“No pressure! Sorry!” Lily blurted out, obviously reading the expression on Juliette’s face.
“What? Oh, no, I’m sorry,” Juliette said with amusement. “This was something I was seriously thinking about the other day, so it’s kind of funny that we’re talking about it now.”
“You were?” Simon asked. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Dude, she doesn’t have to share every thought with you,” his brother murmured. “Jeez.”
“I know she doesn’t, but I just think it would have been a great conversation to have.” He made a face at Noah before adding a snarky, “Jeez.”
“Oh my God, you two,” Lily whined. “Although, this is what it’s like with siblings no matter how old you are, right, Jules?”
“I…I don’t have any siblings. Only child.”
Lily’s expression saddened, but then almost immediately perked up. “You’re going to get lots of them if you stick with this guy! And if you guys come and visit, or maybe even move closer, you’ll get to meet my family! There are a lot of us!”
“She’s not kidding,” Noah said. “I spent a Christmas with all of them and there were over fifty of them in that house!”
“Most of them were aunts, uncles, and cousins,” she clarified. “I have two sisters. Both younger than me. But we are a lot of fun and can be exhausting to be around.”
Juliette laughed softly. “I look forward to meeting them.”
“Yay! But back to where you’d live! What would be your first choice?”
“I’ve only ever lived in New York, so it’s all I know. I have a tiny apartment and I’ve never really loved it; it was just a place to live. But I think I’m more of a city girl. Or…I’d need to live close to a big city.”
Everyone nodded.
“The place Simon and I stayed in out in LA was amazing for obvious reasons, but the place in Asheville was…that felt like a home. I could see myself living in a house like that.”
“Just not up on a mountain, right?” he teased.
“Exactly! Move that house about a mile lower down, and I would be a very happy girl!”
“What was wrong with being up on the mountain? It was Asheville, right? That’s where my folks and grandparents have houses too!” Lily told her.