Ethan was standing outside the tour bus, his smile so wide it seemed like it could stretch all the way to the horizon. The morning sun beamed down on him like a gentle, affectionate kiss, warming his skin as if the universe itself was celebrating with him. He could feel it—the sun smiling back at him, almost as if it knew just how ridiculously happy he was. Everywhere around him, the world seemed to come alive in a way that felt like a movie scene: birds fluttered through the air, chirping and dancing in delight as if they too were celebrating this perfect day. The wind played a soft, cheerful tune in the background, swirling around him like a symphony of joy. It was the kind of day where everything felt just right, like life had hit the pause button on anything that could go wrong.
Ethan inhaled deeply, taking in the fresh morning air as his heart practically danced in his chest. He was on top of the world, and nothing—absolutely nothing—could bring him down. His chest swelled with that familiar rush of happiness. It felt like his soul was floating, weightless, above the ground.
But as he stood there, basking in his good mood, a voice broke through the dreamy haze.
"Hey."
Ethan turned, still grinning, and saw Rebecca standing there. Her arms were crossed, and she was eyeing him with a mixture of amusement and exhaustion, her expression already saying she wasn't in the mood for whatever this was.
Ethan's smile only grew wider. "Good morning, Rebecca! Isn't today just so lovely?" His voice was practically dripping with happiness. It was clear the man was living in his own bubble of sunshine.
Rebecca's response was a low, dry tone. "I don't have the strength for this." She muttered something under her breath, continuing, "Bill is around. He's in the second bus right now. He wants to see you."
With that, she turned away, shaking her head slightly. "Too damn early to be that happy," she grumbled as she walked off, leaving Ethan standing there, completely unaffected.
Ethan was still grinning like an absolute fool, his head practically in the clouds as he walked toward the second bus. He could hear Rebecca's muttering fading behind him, but it didn't matter. As he approached the bus, the excitement in his step didn't fade even a little. Everything felt too perfect. He couldn't help but laugh to himself—life was just too good right now.
When he entered the second bus, he immediately saw Rebecca, already inside. "I called him already," she said, a bit tired from the long night, but her words were clear. "He was just standing there, grinning like he won the lottery." She shook her head and disappeared into the bus, leaving Ethan standing in the doorway.
Ethan looked around, searching for Bill. And sure enough, there he was—sitting in one of the chairs, looking like he was trying his best to hide some sort of awkwardness. When Bill saw Ethan, a laugh escaped him. It wasn't a hearty laugh—more of a nervous one, as though he was hiding something behind that chuckle.
"Haha, Ethan, my man, you look... happy," Bill said, his voice a little too forced, like he was trying to steer the conversation in a different direction.
Ethan didn't miss the awkwardness in Bill's tone. His smile only grew bigger as he plopped down in the chair across from him. "Yeah, man! Everything is just so good right now, you know?" He chuckled, completely oblivious to the subtle tension in the air. "It's like I'm living the dream. Singing to thousands of people who love my songs, traveling state to state, living it up! I even hit a big bet recntly, and—"
He started giggling like a schoolboy. Bill raised an eyebrow, clearly thrown off by the mention of a bet.
"Wait, bet?" Bill said, his voice full of surprise. "What bet? Did you—"
Ethan waved his hand dismissively, still laughing. "Don't worry about it," he said, brushing it off like it was no big deal. "It's all good, man. Don't even sweat it."
Bill just shook his head, trying to get a handle on Ethan's energy. "Okay, okay…" He paused, trying to keep it together. "Like I was saying, I want to talk to you about something."
Ethan was still smiling too hard to take anything seriously. His brain was so clouded with the high of everything that he could barely process Bill's words. "Yeah, yeah, man! Life's good, you know? Like, it's really good! I'm living my best life, taking it day by day, and—"
Bill let out a sigh, rubbing his temples as if to clear away the mental fog Ethan was causing. "I get it, Ethan. You're living the dream. But seriously, I need to talk to you about some stuff. Can you focus for just a minute?"
Ethan snapped out of his giggly trance for a moment, but only just. His grin never left his face as he nodded eagerly. "Of course, man! I'm all ears. What's up? Tell me everything!"
Bill stared at him, his lips pressing together in a tight line. It was hard to keep up with Ethan's constant high-energy mood, but he had to get something serious across.
Bill ran a hand through his hair as he paced. "You know how I've been crazy busy lately? How I couldn't even make it to your tour? Well, I've been chasing something big—your very first sponsorship deal."
Ethan's face lit up. "Ooo, so that's been what all the secrets been about!"
"Yeah, yeah—it's good. Real good." But the hesitation in Bill's voice wasn't lost on Ethan.
Ethan tilted his head. "Wait, so… did I get any offers, or i didn't …?"
Bill blinked. "What? No—quite the opposite. We've been swarmed. Nike, Red Bull, Monster, JBL, even freaking Poppi and Celsius came calling. Then smaller ones like Threadz, SoundVault, VocalFuel, GlowBeats…"
Ethan's eyes widened. "Nah, that's insane."
Bill laughed, shaking his head. "You don't know the half of it, kid. They're clawing for a piece of you."
Ethan grinned. "So… which one do you recommend?"
His mind was already spinning with thoughts—endorsements. Rebecca had told him how important they were, not just financially, but image-wise. He imagined his face on billboards, magazine covers, Times Square. The thought made his heart thump harder.
Bill saw the spark in his eyes and leaned forward. "Listen, because of your current status, I'm only entertaining premium deals. I don't want your face on just anything. I want it where it matters. We're building a brand here. Your brand."
Ethan grinned, nodding. "Yeah, yeah…"
"I'm talking major," Bill said, eyes gleaming as he paced the room with a fire that couldn't be faked. "Like, Jordan-level branding. Like Rihanna's Fenty kind of legacy. This isn't just some product placement hustle. I'm talking real brand-building, man. No cheap logos, no corny jingles. Only high-end, visionary, unforgettable stuff."
Ethan's eyebrows lifted, the energy infectious.
"Picture this," Bill continued, arms now moving as he painted the dream midair. "Your own fragrance line. Clothing drops. Headphones with your name on them. Campaigns shot in Tokyo, Paris, Dubai. And Times Square? You won't just be on it—you'll be the face of a whole damn movement."
Ethan nearly jumped. "That's great. That's insane!"
"You'll have a skincare line, fragrance collabs, fashion limited drops, tour-exclusive merch—hell, we could drop an Ethan Jones cologne called 'Sky Blue.' Bro, your name will be a brand."
He looked at Ethan like he was already seeing it. A global empire in motion.
Ethan felt it too.
"Yeah, man. Yeah!" Bill said, now trying to calm himself down, though Ethan was the one bouncing.
Ethan clapped his hands once. "So who is it? Who's the first deal? Who's endorsing me?"
Bill suddenly coughed. "Ehm… about that."
Ethan leaned in, eyebrows lifted.
"So get this," Bill said, fidgeting, "I was in a meeting for your first deal. They offered a solid sum and everything."
"How much?" Ethan asked.
Bill chuckled nervously. "Ooh… it's ehm…"
Before he could finish stalling, his phone rang. Saved by the bell.
He glanced down. "Oh, it's Lisa. Just a sec," he said with an awkward laugh and answered. "Heeey Lisa! How are you?" His voice was suddenly louder, exaggerated. "You know where I am? I'm with my number one client right now!"
Ethan smiled back at him. They exchanged a look—but then Bill's face changed.
"Wait… are you serious?" he said, standing up suddenly, eyes wide. "For real? That's crazy."
Ethan's smile faltered.
"I'm on my way. Now, now, now!" Bill said quickly, ending the call.
"What happened?" Ethan asked, now on his feet too.
But Bill was already halfway to the door. "Ha-ha, kid," he said between chuckles. "Your first deal—it's gonna be bigger than I ever imagined!"
"Wait—what is it though?" Ethan tried again.
But Bill was gone, yelling vague words over his shoulder. "Massive, kid! It's huge!"
Ethan stood there, arms crossed, confused. "That was weird," he muttered.
Ethan pushed open the door of his tour bus with a bag of food in his hand. The place was a wreck—clothes everywhere, pillows on the floor, his shirt hanging from the ceiling fan somehow. But his grin just widened with each step.
He thought about last night. The first time. The second. The third. The fourth. The fifth—his personal favorite.
He bit his lip as he walked to the bedside, where a figure lay under the sheets. His grin stretched wider.
"Good morning, beautiful," he said, sliding in beside her.
Sydney stirred, barely lifting her head. Her hair was a mess, makeup smudged, and she looked utterly exhausted.
"Awnnn… thanks," she said sleepily as she saw the bag in his hand.
"You'll need the energy," Ethan said with a sly smirk.
She lightly slapped his chest. "That's not funny," she said, though she was smiling.
"I got you something healthy—no joke this time. High protein, low sugar, perfect recovery meal," he said, pulling out the food.
"From where?" she asked, sitting up slowly with a stretch and a groan.
"That vegan place near downtown. Chef Ami or something. Had it delivered straight here. Rebecca said its great and gives energy to."
Sydney giggled, shaking her head. "You're ridiculous."
He grinned, watching her dig into the meal. For a moment, everything else—Bill's mystery deal, the chaos—faded away.
As he leaned back on the bed, hands behind his head, Ethan closed his eyes and smiled.
"I love my life."