by Jenika Snow
She looked over at Matty, who was sitting on the couch. “I feel like one.” That had them all laughing. She started laughing, too, but the sound that came from her was this awkward and weird noise, and that just had the guys laughing harder.
“Come on, I’ll show you where you’ll be sleeping.”
She followed Jacks down the hallway. She still had her messenger bag with her that held her essential things and a spare change of clothes. There were two bedrooms that she could see through the open doorways, a large bathroom, and then a set of bunk-bed type sleeping areas notched out on one side of the bus.
“You can have either of these rooms. Two of the guys will take the bunk beds, and the other two will take the other room with one sleeping on an air mattress.”
“Jacks, you’re sure this is okay?”
He didn’t respond right away, just took her hand and led her into one of the bedrooms. He shut the door, and before she knew what was happening he had her messenger bag tossed on the bed, and had her pressed against the door. “This is your room now, I guess,” he said low, slowly, and had his focus on her mouth. “And this is more than okay. This is five years too late okay.”
She wasn’t sure what that last part meant, but she got the gist of it. “I just don’t want our feelings getting in the way, and don’t want the guys thinking I’ve come in to mess things up. I don’t want to be Yoko.” She grinned, only teasing, and was pleased when he started chuckling. She might be totally jumping the gun here and assuming things that weren’t really issues, but it was something she had thought about. Her feelings were amplified when she stepped on the tour bus and the surreal situation became her reality.
“You are like family to them.” He leaned back so he could look in her eyes. “And you’re a lot more to me than just that.” He took her mouth with his before she could say anything. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pressed her chest to his, and moaned against him.
“Couldn’t you just stay in the room with me?” She murmured against his mouth, and loved that he couldn’t stop himself from groaning.
“I was really hoping you’d say that. In fact, I added in the whole air mattress line in hopes that I could gain your sympathy.”
She nudged him in the chest but couldn’t help herself from grinning. “You’re still an ass.”
He leaned in and nipped her bottom lip. “I’ll be whatever you want me to be.”
She grew wetter at the low, growly voice he made. “You don’t think all of this is a bit crazy?”
“It is, but it’s crazy good, Tanner.” He took her mouth again.
She closed her eyes and let the flavor and feel of Jacks take her away. And here she was, about to embark on a tour with Savage Light, and the man she loved.
Chapter Nine
One week later
Tanner couldn’t believe it had already been a week since she had joined Savage Light, and it had been just as chaotic as she imagined. With the numerous concerts being played by the band and her getting taught about the programming, she had her hands full and her time occupied. In fact, out of the three concerts they played in the last week she had seen only half of one. But if she wanted to master this then she needed to focus, and besides, she really didn’t want to see all the screaming fan girls going wild for the band. She had witnessed firsthand at Rosco’s and could only imagine how more intense it was at these huge venues. She had thought maybe she could have some female interaction with Cotton, but Black Pearl’s drummer kept to herself more than Tanner did.
She focused on the screen in front of her and went over the codes, the layout, and everything else that was on the band’s website. They wanted a massive overhaul on it and although she knew they could have probably found someone that had years of experience with this kind of thing, and not someone who had just graduated, she was not going to disappoint them. To say it was a complex system was an understatement. Their online security alone was something that she would have to really work at understanding. But if this was part of the job she needed to learn it, too.
They were about three hours outside of Cleveland, the city where their next concert was being held. She was holed up in the room she had claimed for her own on the tour bus, and the one Jacks had been sleeping in for the last seven days. She had expected the guys to give them shit about their clear and sudden relationship, but they were very accepting of it all, and only poked jabs at Jacks a few times.
She jotted down a few notes on a few more things she wanted to change, and shut the laptop. She had been staring at the screen for the last two hours. Her retinas felt burned, and her head was starting to ache. Lying on her back on the bed and staring at the ceiling, she closed her eyes and let the gentle swaying of the bus help ease her head. The contract she had signed to be an employee with Savage Light didn’t have a termination date like she had assumed. But she supposed even once the new sites were done there would still need to be upkeep on them, and new graphics created and uploaded to the webpages. Her excitement hadn’t waned in the slightest, and she honestly didn’t think it ever would.
Just as she felt herself start to drift asleep there was a loud popping noise, and the bus swerved to the side of the road before coming to a stop. Tanner sat up and moved across the bed so she could look out the back window. They took the back road for anonymity and made their way toward the city. But now it felt like they were out in the middle of nowhere—a slight exaggeration—but still, farmland was all she could see. The vans that had been following behind that pulled the trailers with the guys’ equipment and instruments all pulled to a stop. She saw the young woman get out, the same one who had given Tanner the “fuck you” glare when she’d first boarded the tour bus. Tanner had found out her name was Laura, but that was only because she had heard some guy call her name out. Tanner didn’t know who she was exactly, and wasn’t about to ask the others. At least she tried to act like she didn’t want to know and didn’t care. Was the girl another groupie? Tanner had no idea of the etiquette for random chicks coming on tour with the band. She could have been part of the staff, but the tight as hell clothing she wore, and the lack of the black “STAFF” t-shirt that everyone else wore, kind of debunked that assumption. It would have been a lot easier to have just asked, and that way she wouldn’t be having this internal debate, but she just wasn’t going to. Tanner might have thought Laura was one of the guys’ steady fuck buddies, but even though she had mainly been in the backroom working on the website, and spending a lot of time with Darren, she hadn’t seen any of the band members with her.
Laura lifted her arms in the air and stretched.
“Ugh, you skinny bitch.” Tanner should have felt bad saying that, but she didn’t. Hell, the girl had given her nasty looks anytime they crossed paths. If Tanner had been one of those confrontational types she might have asked the girl what the problem was, but instead she ignored her—or tried to—and went about her business.
Laura’s already micro shirt rose up over her belly, and a slight twinge of jealousy at her flat stomach speared Tanner. She had never cared about her appearance, not really anyway. Sure, she could be called chubby, especially by that rail-thin chick. Compared to her Tanner was the Marshmallow Man. The bus was heavily insulated, and she could tell they were talking outside but couldn’t hear them. The sounds from inside of the bus told her the guys were exiting. A few seconds passed, and then she saw Matty and Jacks move around the back of the bus. There were already several staff members looking at what she assumed was the tire she heard pop. Jacks was talking to the guys, and then lifted his head and stared right at her. He couldn’t see her because of the dark tinting of the bus but she swore he was looking right at her, and then he smiled this cocky grin and she couldn’t help but chuckle. That amusement faded when she watched Laura move up and stand right beside Jacks. For a moment she didn’t do anything but stare at where everyone else’s gazes were, but Tanner didn’t miss the little glances she eventually started making at Jacks.
Tanner really cou
ldn’t get mad. Maybe the girl had some kind of past with Jacks? Maybe she loved him? That thought had her knitting her eyebrows and a pissed off feeling filling her. It wasn’t like they did a lot of PDA. In fact, aside from Jacks kissing her right before she got on the tour bus a week back the only affection they had showed each other was in this bedroom. Well, that was a lie. He had held her hand and leaned in to whisper really filthy things in her ear, but there hadn’t been any make-out sessions, and certainly not any more kissing in front of the staff. She had never been one that liked causing a show, so it wasn’t like they were rubbing it in anyone’s faces. Maybe that Laura girl just didn’t know Jacks was taken, which was likely. But God, she probably thought Tanner was just another groupie. Well, unless Tanner wanted to allow this girl to touch Jacks like he was hers—which she was currently doing—then Tanner would have to just let her know that he wasn’t single. Fortunately, Jacks shrugged off her hand that was snaking up his forearm and over his shoulder.
A knock on the door had her turning, and before she could call out for whoever was on the other side to come in, it was being opened. Five leaned against the doorframe and grinned at her. He was wearing a ratty looking t-shirt, and when he crossed his arms his muscles bulged. All the guys were in really good shape, but she supposed they had to be or they’d crash. The colorful tattoos that covered one full arm on Five stood out, and she could even see that he had his nipple pierced through his t-shirt.
“When did you get a piercing?” She looked up at him and saw that he was grinning.
“Which one?” He cocked a brow. His hair looked darker from a recent shower, and the grin he gave her was downright wicked.
She held up her hand and shook her head. “Not even going to go there.” She started chuckling.
“So.” He walked into the room and over to the window. They both stared out it for a few seconds and watched as the staff was talking to one another. “You like the tour so far?” He turned and looked at her. “I mean you’ve been in the bus for the most part so haven’t really gotten the backstage concert experience.” He grinned, as if being backstage was where all the action happened. But Tanner supposed that was an experience vastly different from being on the main floor and seeing them perform.
“I like it, although it’s keeping me busy.” She pointed to the computer.
“You’re doing great.” He grinned at her.
“You guys are performing at…” She was drawing a blank on the venue even though she had heard them talk about it for the last few days.
“Quicken Loans.” Five answered for her
“Yeah, that’s right. Sorry. I guess I have my mind occupied with the graphics.”
He sat on the bed, but his attention was still out the window. “When we hit Cleveland you need to let loose and enjoy the shows.” Five shifted so he could lean against the wall. “It’s going to be fucking awesome, Tanner.”
Before she could answer she heard the bus door open and then a very feminine voice speaking. Five had left the bedroom door open, and she leaned to the side so she could see out into the hallway. She could Laura walking up the front steps. She was fanning her face like she was hot. Matty and Jacks followed behind her, and Moe, the band’s manager, was right behind him.
“Thank you boys so much. It’s like the sun got to me.” There was this sickly sweet quality to Laura’s voice, and Tanner couldn’t help but roll her eyes.
“Damn girl, sheath those claws in.”
She looked over at Five and flipped him off.
He started laughing and held up his hands in surrender. “Hey now, I ain’t trying to go after your man.”
She glanced back out in the hallway again and saw Laura sitting on the couch, right across from Beats, but the drummer had headphones on and had a drumstick in each hand. He seemed oblivious to everything else as he tapped out a song on the table right in front of him. “I probably seem so petty, right?” She was still staring at Laura, and although she had barely spoken ten words to the other woman since she had joined the band, she just couldn’t shake off this very nasty vibe she got from her.
“Nah, Laura is totally trying to hook up with Jacks again.”
She stared at Five and lifted a brow. “Again?” She shouldn’t care, because what he had done before she had come back into her life was none of her business, and they had just made things official—kind of—a week ago. But, of course she was jealous. That woman had screwed Jacks. Tanner loved him, so of course she was going to be pissed when his past lovers were right there in her face.
Five snapped his mouth shut. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
She shrugged, trying to play it off like she didn’t care, but of course she did. “It doesn’t matter.” The look Five gave her told her that he didn’t buy what she said.
“Okayyy.” He dragged that word out and was nodding his head in a very sarcastic way.
“Shut up.” She lightly hit him in the shoulder, but grinned. Tanner looked at her hands that she realized were twisting together in her lap as if they had a mind of their own. “So, ugh, were they like serious, or was it just sex?” Yeah, she totally had to be a masochist, but she wasn’t about to ask Jacks this and seem like this jealous girl when they were in this good place right now. Besides, Five didn’t have a filter, and he probably would have spilled the beans sooner or later.
He shrugged and looked away from her to where Laura was sitting. “It was just one time I think. But I don’t think Laura realizes it was just sex.”
Tanner looked out into the hallway once more. Laura was still sitting in the same spot, but it was very clear that she was staring at Jacks, who was just on the other side of the couch and talking to Moe. “No, I don’t think she got the memo, but maybe I should give it to her personally.” Tanner hadn’t meant to say that out loud, but when Five started chuckling she felt her cheeks heat. God, she sounded ridiculous. “I feel stupid being upset.” That was the nice thing about being friends with someone, or more than one in this instance: it might have been years, but it didn’t matter because they fell right back into their old way of living around each other.
“No, I don’t think you’re stupid. I mean you love him, right?” Five stated it as a question, but the expression he gave her told her that he knew she did. But was she ready to just come out and tell Five? Before she could respond he shrugged. “I’ve never been I love, or in a meaningful relationship for that matter, but I can assume I’d be upset if that shit was happening.” He tilted his chin toward the door. “You know she’s Randolph’s kid?” At her confused look he continued. “He’s a roadie that started with the band six months ago.”
“She seems kind of old to be hanging with her dad on his job. What is she, twenty?”
“Something like that.” He shrugged. “I’m not sure actually. But I heard some of the guys talking when he first started and brought her along. I guess she has nowhere else to go. No family, no money. So, she came along.”
“She helps out with the band?”
He shook his head. “Nah, but Randy pays her way out of his cut. Jacks and Beats have a soft spot for that shit. I would have said no.” He shrugged again.
Tanner wasn’t about to ask why he would have said no. Maybe because she hadn’t given Five the time of day? Or maybe she had? Shit, maybe she had been with the whole band? Ugh, visual picture right then and there. “The past is the past, right?”
When Five didn’t respond right away she turned and looked at him.
He was messing with his bottom lip. He must have felt her gaze because he looked up at her and dropped his hand. “What?”
She shook her head and refrained from rolling her eyes. “Nothing.”
“Hey, you wanna go get something pierced?”
She turned a shocked expression on him, she was sure. “What?” Oh, she had heard him, but her imagination ran wild on all the things he was probably thinking about getting pierced—if he didn’t already have holes in those body parts. Instinctiv
ely she touched her earlobes, which were the only body part she had pierced. “I don’t think I need any more than these.”
He wrinkled his nose when he looked at her ears. “Really? When did you get those, when you were like five, right?”
She nodded. Tanner had wanted her ears pierced so badly, but she hadn’t known it would require them using a needle and gun to do it. Well, a “gun” was stretching it, but her five year old mind had seen it as some kind of deadly weapon.
“Okay, you’re totally getting something pierced then. I’d say it’s about time.” He stood and stretched.
“I’m not getting anything pierced, Marcus.” His named slipped from her on its own.
He looked at her and knitted his brows. “Damn, I haven’t heard that name in fuckin’ years.” He ran his fingers over his jaw, and she actually heard the day old stumble make a scratching noise under his nails. He suddenly grinned. “You know how I got the nickname Five?”
She held up her hand to stop him from going any further. “Yeah, Jacks told me, and I don’t want to hear it again, believe me.”
He started chuckling and looked up at the ceiling, as if reminiscing. “Yeah, those were good times.”
She could only imagine how much Jacks had sanitized the story for her benefit. She was no prude by any means, but no way did she want to hear all the nasty details of Marcus screwing five women at once.
“Come on, show a little support.”
“I am not getting anything pierced. I will go with you, but that doesn’t mean I need to get any new holes put in my body.”
He started chuckling. “Whatever. We will see.” And with that cryptic response he winked and headed out of the bedroom.
She sat there for a few minutes, picturing herself actually going into the shop with the intent to get something pierced. Of course she knew she’d be too much of a wimp to actually go through with it, but she imagined what it would be like to get a small piercing in her belly button. And then her thoughts were brought out of her mindless wandering when she heard Laura giggle. She didn’t think Five’s sudden shift in conversation was accidental, and that had her smiling. Tanner moved off of the bed and headed out of the room. Beats still had his headphones on and his focus on a sheet of music, Matty had since sat on the other side of Laura but was playing a video game, Jacks was talking to Moe still, and Five was bent at the waist and rummaging through the fridge. The guys seemed busy, so she wasn’t sure what Laura had laughed at seeing as none of them were paying her any attention. When Laura looked up and saw Tanner the smile that had been on her face left. Tanner also didn’t miss the glance Laura immediately sent to Jacks. Yeah, she was going to have to make it known that Jacks wasn’t on the market any longer, but Tanner had never been the out there kind of girl, and doing so seemed almost petty and childish. No, she’d speak with her later, just tell her that they were together and that she needed to back off—in a nice way.
