by Joey Bush
One thing was for sure: she had my attention. And I was pretty sure it wasn't going to be on anyone else for as long as she was around. As much as I didn’t want to admit it to myself, the only woman in my head was the one in front of me.
“So what was your childhood like growing up? Were your parents very encouraging about your music?” I asked.
She froze, an odd, unreadable expression grew over her face, then she shrugged.
“I have an older brother, Jackson. He was always very supportive of my playing. Between him and Grace, I’ve got a lot of support,” she smiled, a bit hesitantly.
I smiled. “Is he super protective of you like I am with Talon?”
“Oh no. He’s wayyyyyy worse,” Nalia laughed, then pointed her spoon at me. “And, he hates Bleeding Heart. Not the music, but the band itself. When I told him about the job, he told me I couldn’t take it. To put it bluntly, he pretty much said you guys were a bunch of douchebags.”
I laughed. “Wow, well, I’m glad you didn’t listen to him. Maybe I’ll send him front row tickets to all our shows. Ya know, bribery. Maybe that will get him to like us, see that we're down to earth guys, that we don't have shitty attitudes and rock star egos.”
Nalia narrowed her eyes, grinning. “That’s not the reason he hates you guys. It’s more regarding your reputation with women. He was worried about... Well, you know, with your reputation, about me getting hurt.”
I raised an eyebrow. It was true, I’d had some flings here and there over the years, but if anyone was known for getting around, it was my younger brother. He had a tremendous talent for sleeping with girls then pissing them off. Although, I guessed that with the internet and gossip mags and tabloids, there were probably all sorts of false stories about me floating around. The paparazzi would say anything to sell their stupid magazines.
“My reputation? Me, personally? I didn’t know I had one,” I laughed.
“Oh, according to Jackson, all of you definitely do,” Nalia nodded, taking another spoonful of ice cream. “And, as far as my brother is concerned, you’re nothing but a womanizer who might break my heart. He’s just worried I’m going to end up falling for you, and then getting hurt,” she added, her eyes meeting mine.
I smiled, holding her gaze with a challenging look. “And, are you?”
She stared back, her smile widening, then shook her head. “Nope. I knew there was a chance this might be difficult, but I’m good. I’m here, first and foremost, to do a job for you, and that’s exactly what I plan to do. I'm not going to let anything get in the way of that.”
“And the sex?” I cocked an eyebrow.
Her eyes beamed with mischief as she laughed. “Just a wicked hot bonus.”
I grinned and leaned across the counter to kiss her. The ice cream tasted sweeter on her mouth than my spoon. She giggled, wiping ice cream off her chin as I pulled away.
“Mmm, you taste good.” I winked at her. “Incredibly good. I think it’s possible I could eat you all day.”
“So do you,” she winked back at me, then took her spoon, rubbing some melted ice cream on her chest. “Still hungry, Owen? Has your appetite been satisfied yet, or are you still hungry for more?
“Ohhh, you really are a tease, aren't you?” I laughed as I put down my spoon, coming around the island with my eyes locked on hers all the while.
“It’s only teasing if you don’t back it up.” Her perfect lips curved into a smile as she tilted her head back, waiting for me to move in. I leaned down, licking the ice cream off her silky, soft skin and felt my desire stiffening below with an almost painful desperation. It was going to be a long, hot night.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Nalia
“Come on, guys, let’s get your stuff loaded on the bus!” I shouted over the commotion the guys were making with their hooting and hollering. To say they were pumped about going on tour was an understatement. As each one of them arrived, there were more chest bumps, high fives, laughs, and cheers – and what seemed like way more testosterone than I could deal with. And to top it all off, not one of them was listening to me.
I had known that keeping this bunch of guys in line was going to be a challenge. I just hadn't realized exactly how much of a challenge it would turn out to be right off the bat. I could see myself being a frazzled, burnt-out wreck by the end of this tour. I really hoped that this wasn't what it was going to be like for the entire trip. How the hell would I be able to survive that with my sanity intact?
Talon was currently thrusting his hips and slapping the air in an obscene mating display while the others guffawed at him. I sighed and looked over at Owen who was laughing and obviously not going to be any help at all, even if he wasn’t joining in along with the others. If this really was a preview of the months to come, I would have my hands full and then some.
I sighed, took a deep breath, and prepared to get my attitude on. These guys would need strict discipline, and I had to let them know that I wouldn't take any crap from them.
“Talon, get your gear loaded. We need to get going soon. We have a sixteen-hour drive ahead of us to get to Seattle by the morning, and your messing around is gonna make everyone late. You can screw around as much as you want on the bus while we're driving, but right now, you're on my time, and I won't let you mess up this schedule. Now come on, get to it!”
Talon stopped what he was doing and gave me a look that I would definitely classify as defiant. He obviously didn't like being told what to do – especially by a woman.
“Come on, guys, let’s load up,” Owen finally said, backing me up. Perhaps he hadn’t remembered just how long of a drive we had until I mentioned it. There was a general grumble between the others, but they did as Owen said, obviously used to taking orders from him. I could totally understand now why he needed an assistant. Dealing with all of them, as well as all the ins and outs of planning out a tour, was downright exhausting.
“All right, so our plan of attack is to sleep on the bus tonight, work with the lighting and sound crew around lunch, then rehearsal from two to three, and then we'll be on stage at nine, as soon as the opening act has played. We have a seriously tight schedule to keep, so I need your gear loaded under the bus and your bags and anything you’ll need tonight loaded inside,” I told them once they were somewhat listening. There were more groans of protest at the schedule.
“Hey, you guys were just chest bumping and high-fiving about going on tour moments ago; did you forget touring is work, too? You've got thousands of expectant fans all pumped for this show. Now, do you guys want to let them down by being late or putting on a sloppy performance? No, I'm sure you don't. So, let's get a move on.”
Owen snickered at my gentle reminder, and I smiled to myself. The others quit complaining and finally started loading their stuff on board. I checked my watch and saw that we had another thirty minutes before we were scheduled to leave.
I was still waiting for Jackson to bring a bag I’d forgotten in my rush. I wouldn’t have asked him if it hadn’t been necessary, but that bag contained all my makeup and toiletries. I wasn’t thrilled at the prospect of having my brother come out and be face-to-face with the band he loathed me going on tour with, but Grace was working, so he was my only option if I wanted my makeup — which I did.
“Dude! Yes! Champagne!” Talon bounded off the bus holding a green bottle of champagne. He was followed by Jay, who was holding an identical bottle. Both immediately popped off the corks and began spraying them around. I sighed and looked at Owen.
“Maybe I should have told the caterer no champagne,” I said.
“Nah, let ‘em have some fun,” he insisted. “I’ll make sure we get off on time. And don't worry, these guys can handle their liquor. They'll be fine to rehearse and play, and I'll keep a tab on things and make sure they don't get too out of control.”
I shook my head, watching the guys jump around with the champagne bottles. As if right on cue, my brother pulled up. His face said everything when he got o
ut of the car and saw the guys being idiots. He was definitely still not cool with me going. He eyed the others disapprovingly and then finally shot Owen a look of disdain as he walked over. Talon and the others noticed him, stopped their champagne fight, and came over to meet him.
“Hey! You must be Nalia’s big bro! I’m Talon, this is Nate, Jay, Jeremiah,” Talon introduced the guys, and they all went to shake hands with Jackson. He hesitated, but shook their hands, wiping the champagne on his jeans.
“Jackson Dean. Yes, I’m Nalia’s older brother,” he said, puffing his chest out a little.
Owen stepped forward past me and put his hand out. “Owen Young. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Jackson.”
Jackson flashed a tight-lipped smile as he shook Owen’s hand. “Wish I could say the same.”
I cringed at his words, but Owen was unfazed by it and kept a pleasant demeanor. “I get it, man, I understand. You're not really crazy about your little sister touring with a rock band full of guys. There are plenty of rumors about us and our history, but I want to assure you, that stuff is just tabloid gossip. Seriously, don’t worry. I’ll keep an eye on Nalia on the road.”
“That’s exactly what I am worried about,” Jackson’s gaze went to me then hardened back on Owen. “I’ll fuck up everyone here if anything happens to her, and that’s a promise.”
“Jackson!” I narrowed my eyes at him and grabbed his arm tugging him back toward his car.
“What? I’m just being honest,” he said loud enough for everyone to hear. “I want them to know not to fuck with you.” He stopped, his jaw set tight as he glanced back toward the guys who were all standing there looking a little dumbfounded.
“Jackson, this is my job. I’ll be fine. I can take care of myself while we’re on tour.”
“You’re my little sister, and I’m allowed to be protective of you. Especially around guys like these,” he hissed, handing my bag over.
“Seriously. I’ll be fine. I promise,” I told him, giving him a big hug and not missing the daggers he was shooting right at Owen. “I’ll call you from the road. Honestly, Jackson, there really is no need to worry about me or get bent out of shape. I'm a grown woman.
“And remember, I worked in that god-awful dive bar with all those drunken creeps, who were way worse than any of these guys could be. Believe me, I know how to handle myself. I don't need you looking out for me, as much as I appreciate your concern.”
“I'm just saying be careful. And if anything happens, you know you can call me.” He gave me a serious look. “Anything at all. I mean it. I'm not intimidated by these guys.”
“I know. I know. I love you, Jack.”
“Love you, too, sis.” He kissed my forehead then got into his car, all the while still glaring at Owen until he pulled away. Once his car disappeared down the street, I turned around, my face flushed with embarrassment, and I trudged back toward Owen.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Owen
Nalia looked completely mortified at her brother’s behavior, but I didn’t mind. In fact, I liked that someone was so protective of her and cared about her like her brother did.
I couldn't blame him. After all, if I had a sister and knew she was going to be in a bus for three months with someone like Talon, hell, I'd be upset, too. It was only natural for him to feel the way he did, especially after all the damning garbage he'd probably read about us in tabloids and gossip mags.
I cared about her, too, and felt a duty to protect her out on the road. Hell, if I were only running the record company, there’s a solid chance I’d be doing everything in my power to get Nalia to go out with me on a more serious level. But with the band going on tour, it just wasn’t a good idea. Such things would have to wait until after the tour was over.
But with these four months of madness ahead of us, who could say what might happen between Nalia and me over the next few months? Who could predict where things might be between us at the end of the tour? All we could do was live for the moment and take each day as it came for the time being.
“I’m so, so sorry about that,” Nalia apologized. She swallowed hard, her cheeks crimson with embarrassment as she walked back over to me. “He’s just really protective of me. He always has been, ever since we were little kids.”
I wanted to ask her why. I wanted to know if there was a reason Jackson was that way — if it was just him being her older brother or if there was something more that gave him a motive to be extra protective of her. Perhaps something from their past, from growing up… But I didn’t want to pry, either. It wasn't my place to ask questions about that kind of stuff. Not at this stage, anyway.
“It’s okay. Really. I get where he is coming from,” I told her. “I mean, I know it's pretty different, but you know how protective I am of Talon. So, like I said, I do get where he's coming from, and I respect him for it.” Her expression eased some, though her cheeks still were a little red. “Come on, let’s get the rest of this stuff loaded up and on the road. Guys, bus!” I whistled at them.
The others piled into the bus and headed toward the lounge area in the back. Nalia hung back at the front, but I nodded for her to go back and hang out with them. I was staying up front in one of the booths to get some work done that I needed to knock out before the next day.
The guys were already powering up the PlayStation and the TV, and were most likely chowing down on the food and drinks the caterer supplied. As long as they didn't get too wasted and trash anything back there, I didn't really care how they passed the time. And, of course, as long as none them harassed Nalia, I was happy.
I opened up my laptop, doing my best to ignore them. I still had a business to run and tons of emails waiting for me to respond. For a brief moment, I wondered if I'd still have started this record company if I'd have known just how crazy a workload it would be. Still, I was proud of myself for what I had accomplished, and in the end, that made all of the hard work worth it.
I had a few contracts to read through, marketing plans to approve, and who knew what else would come up while I was out of the office. I was glad that this bus had a mobile office on it. Even with Nalia's assistance, there was still a lot of work I would need to get done while on the road.
“Nalia, you have to hear this story about our last tour,” Talon started, but I did my best not to pay them any attention and focus on my work.
“Oh my God, no, he didn’t?!” Nalia giggled, and my ears perked.
He wasn’t telling her anything I had done, was he? I wracked my brain trying to remember if I had done anything dumb or stupid on the last tour, but that had been over five years ago. I mean, of course there had probably been a few incidents, and perhaps more than just a few groupies, but that had been a different time.
Besides, I'm sure anything I’d done hadn't been anything over-the-top crazy. I frowned, but persevered on, rereading the same email I had been reading a minute ago and looking over marketing material for one of our new bands.
“Ewww, that’s disgusting!” Nalia squealed, and the guys broke out into laughter. I stopped and looked in their direction, but I couldn’t see them behind the curtain, aside from Nalia’s legs next to Talon’s. Talon was making weird sounds, no doubt imitating something of a sexual nature.
I sighed. No, forget them, just focus on this work, I told myself. I had too much I had to get done to get distracted. I got through a few more emails when I heard Nalia giggle again right along with Talon.
“Don’t! I’m ticklish!” Nalia squealed in uncontrollable giggles, and when I glanced back, I saw her legs flailing with Talon’s looking like he was leaned over her. The little shit was flirting with her; I just knew it. I clenched my jaw, staring at my laptop screen as their giggling continued. Finally, I slammed it shut, stomping toward the back of the bus.
When I pulled the curtain back, just as I thought, Talon was leaned over Nalia tickling her sides, a big stupid grin on his face. Everyone froze and looked up at me as I glared at him.
“Do you think you could take it down a notch or two? Some of us actually have shit to do, and I can’t concentrate with you being loud back here like that,” I said, not masking my annoyance with him. He sat up, frowning at me. Nalia adjusted herself, sitting up straight.
“Dude, take a chill pill, Owe. Come on, we were just having a little fun. And, I thought you were going on tour to get out of the office, not bring all of that boring-ass shit with you. Come on, man, don't you wanna have a good time, like the old days?”
“I still have to run a record company whether I'm on tour or not, and considering that record company is funding this tour, you shouldn’t give me shit about it.”
“Yeah, well, maybe I wouldn’t if you’d get that stick out of your ass.” He flashed me a shit-eating grin that made me want to throttle him as the other guys snickered at his comment.
“You know, maybe if I didn’t have to deal with all of your shit on top of everything else, I wouldn’t have a 'stick up my ass,' as you so eloquently put it. Shit, man, it’s always just fun and games with you since you’ve got your big brother to clean up all your damn messes and bail you out every time things go pear-shaped – which they always fucking do with you.”
His smile faded in an instant. I knew I shouldn’t have said that but I was pissed off, even though I knew I didn’t really have a legit reason to be. Maybe I didn’t like the fact that while I was busy working and keeping everything on track, he was back here goofing off and, above all else, hitting on Nalia.
“Owen, not cool, dude,” Jeremiah shook his head at me. I sighed and turned to go back to the front. “Seriously.”
“Whatever, just keep it the fuck down. I have to work.” I flung the curtain back and headed back toward the booth I’d been sitting in. Footsteps followed behind me, and I fully expected Talon to be on my ass. Instead, when I spun around to tell him I was sorry, I bumped into Nalia. The bus turned, and she fell against my chest before righting herself.
