by Thia Finn
The jet taxied down the runway of Austin-Bergstrom International with Assured Distraction strapped in for the flight where the band would deplane in London well before lunch. The morning passed smoothly for everyone except Ryan. He called Krissy to see if she was going to come down and see them off but she refused. She was already at the office and said she didn’t want to come. He wore the disappointment all over his face, and the band couldn’t help but notice.
Once they boarded the plane, he called her again to say goodbye and again his call went to voicemail. He couldn’t believe she could be so cold-hearted to him. He loved her and hated they were parting with their relationship in turmoil, so he made one last attempt to reach her by text.
Ryan: I only wanted to say goodbye. You didn’t have to ignore me.
Krissy: Too busy to talk. Some of us have to work, remember?
Ryan: Kitten, please call me before we take off. I need to hear your voice.
Krissy: No, Ryan. It’s not a good idea. Go to Europe with your boys. Have the best time ever. Forget about me. You’re good at it.
Ryan: Please, Krissy?
Krissy: Look Ryan. You made your choice and it wasn’t us. I told you I’m done. Move on. I am.
He couldn’t believe what he was reading. Was she breaking up with him via text with him trapped on a plane about to fly over the Atlantic Ocean? She said they were over, but he hadn’t believed her. She was pretty clear about it this time. As much as he hated to do it, he followed her directions. He was sick, but it had nothing to do with the alcohol binge from the night before. He fumbled around until he found the hallmark blue paper bag, just in case. Never in his life had he felt this disheartened. He felt like he’d had his heart and lungs virtually cut out. All that kept going through his mind was: I don’t have any idea how to be without her.
Their time together over this past year meant so much to him, and he’d thought she felt the same. But now it seemed like their time together had meant nothing to her. Not knowing whether he was truly ready to give up on them was something he needed to give a lot of thought.
As soon as the seatbelt signs went off, he ordered a drink and told the attendant to keep them coming. The rest of the band watched him until he fell asleep in his seat cruising somewhere near forty-thousand feet over the Eastern seaboard.
Hayden woke up early on Tuesday morning wanting to enjoy some quiet time on the patio. The city was great, but he missed the peaceful early mornings of his home in East Texas. He wondered if life in Austin this was something he was willing to do for the long-term. Music was everything to him right now but did he love it enough to do it every single day? It was a long road to getting discovered. He was willing to give it a shot, but he didn’t know if this was all he thought it would be at this point.
He drove to the studio, his favorite guitar in tow, with the intentions of rehearsing with one of the label’s staff songwriters and producers. Their plan was to record some tracks for a demo and Hayden was excited about the possibilities. When he walked in the front doors, Krissy sat at the front desk. He had no desire to talk to her, but if she was going to be working at the studio every day, he knew he had to try to be civil.
“Mornin’, Krissy.”
She looked up from behind the counter and smiled at him. “Good morning, Hayden. I didn’t know I would see you in here.”
“Yeah, I had to do some stuff for Cash, and then he took me to meet some people after lunch, so I never made it back here yesterday.” He was shocked at how happy she appeared to be. Weren’t girls usually an emotional wreck after a breakup? Maybe she was a good actress. Ryan was a wreck when he dropped his cousin off at the airport yesterday morning. Women: I’ll never figure them out.
“Well, I’ll be seeing you every day now, so I’m sure we’ll get to be good friends.” She gave him a bright smile.
He wondered about this girl and what she was up to but let it go. “Guess I’ll head on back and get to work.”
“Sure thing, Hayden. See you later.” She kept her face toward the computer on her desk.
He nodded and headed down the hallway where he ran into Cash. “Mornin’, boss. You have things lined up for me this morning already?”
“Sure do. We have a rehearsal room scheduled for you this morning, and I have some musicians coming in to play back-up. You’ll spend most of the day in there with them. We need a productive day because I have you lined up to play different venues around town Thursday through Saturday. We need to get you primed and ready to perform at Shiner’s Saloon, Broken Spoke and then Donn’s Depot with the band. We need to start building your fan base before we put the EP’s out.” As usual, Cash spoke quickly.
“Sounds great. Let’s do it.” He gave Cash a slow smile.
When he put his key in the lock of the apartment that evening, he heard the TV going and a woman’s voice singing. He looked to the left and right to make sure he had the right apartment and then thought maybe Ryan sent someone over to check on things. He turned the key and opened the door, walking right into Krissy.
“What the hell? What are you doing here, Krissy?” He couldn’t imagine what she was thinking being in Ryan’s apartment knowing he left the day before.
“This is my new place, roomie. Didn’t Ryan tell you I was moving in while he was gone? We are going to be seeing a lot more of each other than you realized this morning.” Her enthusiasm made Hayden instantly suspicious.
“Uh, no. He failed to mention that.” Thinking back, he did recall Ryan saying something about offering his room to her, but he never said anything more about it before boarding the plane.
“Well, he did. I was reluctant to take him up on the offer, but then I decided, what the hell. I can save some money and take my time finding the right place to live.” She knew it sounded lame.
“If it’s okay with him, I’m good. I don’t want to cause any problems, and this is his apartment.” He looked around at the changes she’d obviously made while he was at the studio, and he shook his head. “I’m just gonna take a shower.”
“I cooked for us. I figured we were both hungry after a full day, so I went ahead and made dinner. I hope you like chicken spaghetti. It’s one of Ryan’s favorites, so I thought maybe you would like it, too. I’ll have it ready by the time you get out.” She smiled a bright smile at him like she was trying to impress him or something.
“Yeah, that’s great, Krissy. Thanks.” He didn’t know how to respond. Did she think they were going to play house while Ryan was gone? He was not down with that idea and needed to talk to Ryan. He walked into his bedroom looking down at his phone while trying to calculate what time the band’s plane would be landing in London. He didn’t know their exact schedule, but he knew they were going there first.
With a short layover in Atlanta, they finally climbed off the plane at ten o’clock on the next morning at Heathrow. They were all exhausted from more than ten hours on the plane, which had been a struggle for everyone except Ryan. He drank himself unconscious and woke with another hangover; his only saving grace was that it wasn’t as bad as the last time. His head hurt, and he felt like shit: body, mind, and heart.
His phone started chiming as soon as he turned off airplane mode, instantly spiking his hopes that it was Krissy finally trying to reach him. He watched his screen light up and noticed that Hayden called while they were still in the air. He would call him back later. Whatever the kid needed couldn’t be all that important.
The band would meet up with Steel in the afternoon at the hotel. They didn’t have their first London show until the following night, so they had some time to recover from the trip and the jet lag. They would be on buses for most of their stops through Europe, so the group decided they better enjoy the comforts of a hotel for the couple of nights they had them.
“I need to meet with all of you briefly, and then you can do whatever you want,” Peri told them as they walked into the lobby. They grumbled to themselves, but all agreed to see her in her room shortl
y.
Peri caught the same elevator as Ryan and looked him over carefully wondering how he was faring. “Ryan, how you doing, big guy?”
Ryan’s long blond hair was pulled back in a leather strap. When he let it down, like Krissy always liked it, the thick hair hung to his shoulders. Keeping it tied back allowed Peri to see the stubble growing on his face, and she could admire what all of the fans saw in him. He had beautiful, deep sapphire, blue eyes with lashes feathering across his cheeks when he blinked, the kind of lashes women paid dearly. It seemed as though he kept a permanent tan, too. She wondered how he pulled that off since vanity didn’t seem to be his thing, and she couldn’t imagine him the type to use a tanning bed or spray tan. No, his sexy, divine features were definitely from good genes. Ryan, like most of the guys in the band, obviously took care of himself because she knew without a doubt his abs were rock hard and ripped.
The one thing they all did was hit the gym regularly, so whenever they pulled off their shirts on stage, the beaded sweat would work its way down their bodies through the planes and cuts of muscle in such as a way to drive the up-close females wild. These guys knew how to use their male sex appeal to their full advantage. Peri witnessed the move many times from backstage. Ryan’s body always appeared drool-worthy, in her opinion, but she had to keep those to herself now that she was their manager.
“I’m alright, Peri. Not great, but I’ll live. Krissy wants a break, and I’ll give her one. But when I get back home, it’s on. We will get this shit straightened out.” He never looked up at her while he spoke. “Thanks for asking. I appreciate that you care enough about all of us to want to keep up.”
“Oh, Ryan, it’s not just that. I do care about you all. Not only because I’m your manager but because I’m your friend.” She stepped in front of him and pulled him in for a hug, and he let himself slump into her soft body. She doubted he would turn down a hug from right now, no matter who was offering because surely he needed the contact to remember he was human. Maybe she needed the human contact just as much if she was truthful with herself. Even though she had yet to share the news of her break-up with Sawyer, she still felt the need for a solid, strong hug. She was sure her decisions with Sawyer were the right ones, but she still felt lonely and hugging this friend wouldn’t hurt either of them at this point.
When he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her lush body against him, he found himself enjoying the close contact. She was soft in all the right places and seemed to be okay with the tight embrace. Her fragrance was different from Krissy’s, and he was glad for that. The beautiful scent of a woman was always a major turn-on for him, and Peri didn’t disappoint. Hers was a hypnotic scent that he found almost intoxicating, somewhat sweet but also spicy with a hint of musk that pulled him in. Whatever she wore, he liked it. In fact, he found himself liking it a bit too much and abruptly let her go. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to get carried away there. It’s just that you smell so good.”
“Oh, no problem. I thought you might be in need of a good hug, and the scent is called ‘Hypnotic.’ I’ve been wearing it a while now.” She didn’t know why she told him this. He didn’t ask. Sometimes her brain let her mouth rattle on and say stupid stuff. She’d felt something in the close contact too, and it had left her brain a bit addled. If she examined the moment more closely, she might even say there was some electricity between them during that hug, but no, she couldn’t even consider letting things go there. The elevator doors opened a minute later, and they went their separate ways in search of their rooms.
Peri’s room was crowded with the band a short time later so they could quickly get back to their rooms and get settled. “So, let me say, the best thing you can do for yourself is to stay awake until at least seven tonight.” The entire group gave a collective moan at the suggestion.
“Shit, Peri, that’s a long damn time from now. Most of us have been awake for over twenty hours and crammed into airplane seats, car seats, van seats, and airport terminal seats.” KeeMac spoke up for the band.
“I know that seems outrageous for me to say, but you’ll sleep better tonight. Also, it will help you all get acclimated to the new time zone more quickly and be ready for the schedule tomorrow. Do some sight-seeing, eat English food, and have fun. Hell, ride a double-decker bus and see the city. The concierge can hook you up with any of the excursion stuff.”
“If we are going to do that, then you’ll have to go, too,” Chandler informed her. “We don’t want to leave you behind.”
“I have some work to do today, but I can go for a while. I’ve never been to London, and I would love to see something of the city before we take off.” She felt the pull to be part of their band family but didn’t want them to feel like they had to include her in everything.
“Great,” Carter jumped up. “Let’s do this. I suggest we start with the nearest pub and work our way through a list of them.” He was at the door before they all stood up.
“You crazy fucker, it’s only eleven in the morning here.” Gunner was right behind him.
KeeMac wrapped his arms around Chandler and gave her a look that was sure to melt the panties off any woman who dared stare long enough. He pulled her in close and whispered something in her ear that all but made her glow red. “Um, guys, I think Chandler and I will, uh, catch up with y’all after lunch sometime. Text us where you’re eating or in a couple of hours.” The pair clung to each other as they turned left through Peri’s door and headed down the hall to their room.
“Yeah, that’s the last damn time we’ll see those two until probably tomorrow at breakfast. Maybe.” Gunner remarked when he stepped into the elevator.
Peri laughed with the rest of the group, except Ryan, whose eyes had turned a darker blue just before she watched them close until the elevator came to a stop at the ground floor. Peri was sure no one else noticed Ryan’s little private moment of pain, but she thought how she’d never seen a man in such agony over a woman and certainly not one as undeserving of it as Krissy. It endeared Ryan to her a little more, seeing how much heart he had in him to give.
Peri lined up transportation for the group herself instead of relying on the hotel services, opting for the private services offered added discretion and security. It wasn’t long before they began to zigzag through the city. Each time they got on or off the small bus, she sat next to Ryan and tried to make small talk but sadly she did most of the talking.
Finally stopping for lunch, she made her way inside the little pub toward the restroom when a strong hand grabbed her upper arm and swung her around. “What the hell?” she yelled trying to jerk her arm away from the assaulter.
“Sorry, it’s just me,” Ryan announced as he let go. “Look Peri, I know you’re tryin’ real hard to make me feel better, but stop, okay? I don’t need a personal comedian to take care of me. I’m fine.”
Peri looked into his eyes that were dark again when he looked straight at her. She knew most girls would have fallen over themselves to be the recipient of that look.
“I know that, Ryan. I’m not trying to.”
“Yes, you are and stop, please. I’m going outside to return Hayden’s call he made while we were on the plane. Order me anything, and a beer, please.” He waited for her nod then turned and strode out the door.
As he walked away, she was at a loss as to what she could do to help him. Maybe the guys could talk to him better than she could. The ever-present tense, sullen expression on his face was not him. Women found him irresistible on stage, and she couldn’t deny the appeal. The guy was seriously hot, normally. She knew this new, badass scowl would probably get him noticed, just as well, but it was more of the unapproachable, brooding rocker vibe: still sexy, in its own way. Peri knew him well enough to recognize that this wasn’t his true personality shining through right now. She wondered if maybe she could suggest Carter and Gunner take him out tonight, if they were still standing that many hours from now, and maybe get Ryan to blow off some steam.
“Hey Peri
,” Chandler greeted her as she arrived back at the table just as KeeMac was ordering a round of pints for everyone.
“Oh, hey. I didn’t think we would see you both again.”
“Gunner texted and told us where to meet you guys. We want to do some sightseeing, too.” Gunner laughed at Chandler’s comment.
“Too, huh? As in, ‘when we aren’t breaking the hotel bed,’ you want to do some sightseeing?” Everyone including the two lovers laughed out loud.
“Prick,” KeeMac responded.
“Not to worry, KeeMac. We aren’t going to let you get ‘a-head’ in that department. Right Carter? We’re going out tonight to find some sweet British lasses. I’ve been dying to find out how my name will sound screamed in that fucking sexy accent.”
“Please, Gunner. First, ‘lass’ is the wrong country! And, second, we do not need to hear about your man-whorish ways over our meal. That visual is too much.” Peri tried her best to look angry, but she knew them both too well.
“Did I say ‘sweet British lass’? Oh, sorry, what I meant was sweet British asses.” A collective groan carried over the table before tableware flew in his direction.
“This is such bullshit!” Peri sighed when she heard the first words that came out of Ryan’s mouth when he reached the table. “Y’all are not going to fucking believe what she’s done now.”
The entire group looked at him, waiting for him to speak as if they were afraid to make any more sudden sounds or movements to escalate his anger.
“She moved her sorry ass into my apartment! When Hayden got home from the studio last night, she was cooking them fucking dinner like the two of them were playing house or something. Who the fuck does she think she is? She tells me our relationship is over, waits until I’m gone and can’t do anything to stop her, and she pulls this shit.”
