Chapter 8.

"What are the qualities that you find most attractive in a guy?" A face formed in his head, breaking through the fog slowly. It was pleading.

"Adam, it hurts..."

"Mr Lambert?"

"What? Oh, yeah I think my new album will come out sometime after the tour ends. We're working on some tunes now and its-"

"Mr Lambert, that wasn't the question." He looked at the young lady in front of him with the microphone. The sickening sensation of embarrassment slowly creeped through him and he felt nauseous. He stammered.

"It, wasn't?"

"Cut, we're done with this interview." Joe stepped forward and grabbed Adam's shoulder, shaking, him out of his obliviousness. The interviewer protested. but Joe shook her off, ready to pull Adam away.

"It's my first day on the job, please, just one more question."

"No, this man isn't ready for one more anything." Adam stood still, refusing to budge. Joe turned and glared at him.

"Adam, come on."

"No, Joe. It's her first day." Joe stopped for a while, and then relented. He stepped towards the young lady and put on a fatherly accent.

"What's your name, dear?"

"Janice."

"Well Janice, look, Adam here isn't in the right mood today. We're going to do the interview a bit later but I promise we'll get it done. I'll call Buzznet up and tell them what happened. Is that okay?"

"I guess so."

"Thank you, dear. Now, if you'll excuse us." Joe grabbed Adam by the elbow and pulled him out of the room, closing the door behind them as they reached the corridor. He looked around and pulled Adam into the fire escape. It was windy, but that's all Adam knew. Everything else was like a blur to him.

Joe was about seven inches shorter than Adam, but his voice could intimidate even the bravest of people. Such was the authority of the manager, in his forties. But he spoke with a gentle, calming voice that immediately took Adam in.

"Look, Adam. You haven't told us, but we know what's going on with you and Bill. I just wanted you to know, we all love Bill and we love that you two are a pair now. In fact we think its the best decision you've made since breaking up with Drake. But you've been distracted all morning and I can't help but to think something's up." He looked at Adam's eyes. They were wet.

"What is it? Adam, you can tell me."

"No, it's, it's nothing. Can we go back to the hotel?"

"Adam. I've known you since Wicked. I know "Nothing" doesn't make you cry." There was a slight pause. The wind blew past them.

"He's hurt."

"What?"

Adam couldn't take it any more. He wanted to scream, to cry out the way Bill must have cried out when he was being tortured in that room. He couldn't stand being here when miles away, his true love was hurting in a bed.

"HE'S FUCKING HURT. HE'S FUCKING HURT AND I COULDN'T SAVE HIM. I WASN'T THERE FOR HIM AND NOW...," his voice faltered, "and now, he's dying and I don't know if..., if he's okay, and...". Adam grabbed onto the railing for support.

Joe looked at the floor for a while before gently putting a hand on Adam's back, wanting to console him but not knowing if it was okay. Adam wept silently, still clutching the railing.

"We'll go back to the hotel, Adam and when we get there, I'm bringing you up to his room."