by Zoey Derrick
This meeting certainly isn’t starting off the way that I wanted it to, but I think I’m getting my point across. “I don’t care who, where, when, why or how; you’re fucking rock stars and y’all have the same damn reputation. It’s inevitable, but wrap your dicks before you stick it. No girls or guys, if that’s what you’re into, on the bus within two hours of leaving because I will not enjoy dragging them off the bus by their hair. If something happens that I need to know about or that could potentially turn into headline news, you better suck it up and tell me because once it’s out there, I can’t do anything about it. I can, however, stop it from happening. This means no pictures, no videos and no giving them your phone number and you sure as shit better not give them mine. If one of your little sluts calls my phone, I will have your balls with a side of bacon in the morning. Got it?”
There is a collective ‘yes ma’am’ that comes out of each of their mouths, but the trance in their eyes is beyond anything I’ve ever seen before. I have the feeling that if I asked them to lick the floor clean, they would. But it doesn’t make me complacent that this is going to be an easy ride.
“I’m not trying to be a bitch, or come down on you guys, but this is your first major nationwide tour. The fans are going to be crazy, the press starving for anything you want to feed them, so unless it is an approved press conference, no talking to the press. In other words, don’t feed the animals,” I tell them.
They nod their agreement. “I have a question.”
I want to roll my eyes because-well shit-because it’s Dex. “Yes,” I say calmly.
“What happens if we talk, unapproved?” he asks.
I’m impressed, a logical question. I shrug. “Nothing really, depending on what you say. The problem with talking to one reporter verses dozens at a time is that there is no one to corroborate what was said. Your words can be edited or twisted, or god only knows. Reporters are hungry and relentless jerks that will take anything you say and try to twist it around. Remember too that any chick who’s trying to crank your chain-,” snickers fill the small space, I ignore them, “has the potential to be a reporter.”
“Are you trying to scare us straight?” Mouse asks.
I laugh. “Absolutely. They’re a waste of time.” More laughter and I roll my eyes. “No, Mouse, I’m not. I’m just trying to make you aware of the fact that you’re no longer small town boys playing in a bar in the middle of Podunk nowhere. You’re famous, you’re rich, you’re fucking rock stars, and girls will do anything to get you between their legs.”
“You sound like you know from personal experience,” Kyle says with a rather straight face, but his eyes are wrinkled in the corners, giving me the impression that he’s joking around.
“I’ve been around musicians for more than seven years, some who are extremely famous and some not so much. With the exception of the females, it’s a musician’s M.O. And when a girl has that much power over someone rich and famous, they’re going to do anything.” I shake my head. “Look, I didn’t mean to turn this into an anti-sex campaign, but the truth of it is that your dicks are what will get you in trouble every time. So please, just watch yourself, and come to me if anything happens that you can’t control.”
“You got it,” Talon says without hesitation.
“Okay, moving on. We have standing reservations in both Phoenix and Albuquerque; I need to know where you guys would like to stay after the Phoenix show Sunday night. If we take off for New Mexico on Monday morning, we’d be there early afternoon and have all day Tuesday and then Wednesday before the show. If we stay in Phoenix, we don’t need to leave until Wednesday morning, so I need to know what you’d like to do?”
“Stay in Phoenix,” Talon says and everyone else nods.
“Alright, I’ll make the arrangements. Now, onto this morning’s press conference.”
The rest of the meeting lasts another twenty minutes. I give the guys some pointers on dealing with the press and answering questions. After about five minutes of debate, they finally agree that Talon will be the one to call for the questions. Also there is the matter of a large receiving line of fans standing by for autographs. If they decide to sign, take pictures or whatever, then everyone needs to be back on the bus by ten forty-five in order to get out of here by eleven for the two-hour drive to San Diego. The other plus side to being downtown is we should, with any luck, have less traffic to deal with.
The press conference goes off without a hitch. The band spent the better part of an hour answering questions, most of which revolved around their new album and when it will be released. Weirdly, Talon turned to me to answer that question. It was awkward, but I think I handled it pretty well. “Right now their focus is on the tour. Once the tour is over, the band is scheduled in the studio to work on it. Vicious Records will have more details in the coming months.” That was my response and by ten I had an email from Trinity congratulating me on fielding the question. She spent a good portion of the email telling me that she knew I was right for the job.
So now we’re on the bus. God, I feel like a second grader being on a bus. I haven’t done this in a long time and it is going to take some getting used to. We were on the road five minutes before I traded my heels for flip-flops because moving buses and stick heels do not mix well.
We received a police escort out of downtown and down Highway 5 until we were pretty close to Disneyland, which was kind of cool. Through the two-way radio chatter between the two buses and one of the roadies’ campers, we learned that there was a line of cars about a mile in length following behind us. It was at this moment that it hit me how big 69 Bottles really is, and the fact that I am shacked up on this tiny forty foot bus for the next twelve weeks with them is mind boggling.
Around noon I received a text from Sam telling me that she and Jess were at the airport and would be taking off in about an hour. She gushed over how cool the plane was and how high class she felt.
An hour after that, just as we were getting close to our destination in San Diego, I got this.
Sam: OMG UR NOT GOING TO BELIEVE WHO JUST BOARDED THIS PLANE!
Me to Sam: I’m going to take a guess that it’s Cami.
Sam: AND TRISTAN FREAKIN MICHAELS! THEY’RE COMING TO SAN DIEGO FOR THE CONCERT!!!
Holy Shit! “Kyle!” I shout from my bunk and I hear heavy feet coming down the bus quickly.
“Jesus, woman, what the F?”
“Sorry, momentary panic.” I show him the text from Sam.
“You’re shitting me?”
I laugh. “I wish I were. What do we have left of the VIP passes?”
“Just use yours,” he says.
“I can’t.”
He looks at me like I’m crazy. “Look, and if you repeat this to anyone I’ll make a new hat out of your balls, but my girlfriends and I were supposed to drive down to San Diego today for this fucking concert.”
He busts out laughing. “Of all the things I could’ve pegged you for, a fan certainly wasn’t one of them.”
“Huge fan,” I say deadpan and he all but falls to the floor laughing.
“What’s going on in here?”
Shit, it’s Talon. “Nothing.” I sober quickly but Kyle has no intention.
“Addison’s a fan.” Oh my god, traitor. I go beet red.
“You weren’t supposed to fucking say anything,” I bark at him.
Talon just stares and laughs, “I would’ve never guessed, at least not with the way you were busting everyone’s balls earlier. Most fans don’t do that.”
I laugh. “No, they don’t, but while I am a huge fan of your music, I didn’t find out until Tuesday that you’re a Bold client, let alone the fact that I’ve never looked at any pictures or really read anything about you guys before coming on board today.” He’s shocked at my revelation. “I never really have time for personal investigations of rock stars and once I found out about coming on board, I didn’t have enough time to get through the packet of information. Besides, I don’t like t
ainted opinions of clients, I’d rather form my own.”
Talon smiles and his cheeks turn slightly pink. “So, you’re a fan?”
I look him square in the eye. “Huge.”
“You want an autograph?”
“Oh my god.” I bust out laughing. “Is that how you pick up the chicks?”
“Hey it works, Red, trust me.”
I laugh a little more. “I don’t doubt it. But no, I don’t want an autograph, I’m sure by the time this tour’s over I will run away screaming.”
“God, I hope not,” he says with that sweet sultry voice of his and I want to melt into a pool on my bed. My nipples tighten and once again my pussy moistens with wanton need, a desperate need for Talon Carver.
“So why’d you scream for Kyle?” I ask her; watching her very closely. She’s a fucking knockout and I’m almost sorry that I’m not the only one that thinks so.
“Well, I suppose I’ll have to explain the whole story now. Thanks, dick,” she says to Kyle and I can’t help but smile. That seems to be our name for Kyle and in less than five hours she’s managed to figure it out already. “Okay, basically this weekend I was supposed to be off, but after you fired your last guy, Bold stepped in and said they would send someone, namely me, so I had to cancel my plans with my girlfriends. However, Cami, my boss’s boss and owner of Bold, offered my girlfriends her plane to bring them to San Diego.” She blushes. “We were coming down for the concert.”
I can’t hold in the laughter. “You really are a fan, aren’t you?”
“I was,” she says completely deadpan.
Her seriousness is a shock. “And why has that changed?” I ask her, completely ignoring the fact that Kyle is standing right next to me.
“Because I have to put up with you for the next twelve weeks.” I’ll put up with you, sweetheart, up and in. Damn it, Carver, cut the shit.
“Fair enough,” I tell her.
“Anyway, after the show we were going to spend the weekend on Coronado and just have some girl time. Well, I had to bail on them, again, and Cami felt bad. So anyway, back to the point, my friends, Sam and Jess, are on the plane waiting for it to take off for San Diego when all of a sudden Cami boards the plane, followed immediately by her husband.”
“Oh, and who is that?” I ask; I honestly have no clue. Kyle has managed most of the Bold dealings, hence why he’s our manager.
“Tristan Michaels,” Kyle chimes in.
I look at Red and back to Kyle. I shrug.
“Holy shit dude, you don’t know who Tristan Michaels is? Where have you been the last four years, under a fucking rock? Even I know who Tristan Michaels is,” Kyle says standing a little straighter.
I watch as Red rolls her eyes. “Tristan Michaels is one of Hollywood’s biggest celebrities, the whole Love is Burning movie phenomenon?”
I curl my lip. “I’ve heard of those, but…,” I shrug. “I’m a dude, chick flicks don’t do it for me.”
Red laughs. “Well, okay then. Bottom line is that I called Kyle back wondering about remaining VIP passes.”
“Just use yours,” I tell her.
“And that is the problem. I was going to give them to Sam and Jess, kinda my payback for ditching them this weekend and having to ditch them during the show. They’re fans and they haven’t a clue that I’m now working for you guys.”
I can’t comprehend why she wouldn’t tell her girlfriends. “Why not?”
She gives me an exasperated look. “Because I’m not allowed to. They know the drill, so I thought that if I gave them my VIP passes that they’d get over it and figure it out without me actually having to tell them, because I can’t,” she says with emphasis.
I look at Kyle. “Can we handle getting this Cami and Tristan VIP access?”
Kyle nods his head. “Though I doubt they’ll need it. I’m sure you’re the only one on the planet who doesn’t know who Tristan Michaels is.”
I sock Kyle in the shoulder. “Whatever, dude, just get it done.”
“Hey guys, we’re here,” someone shouts from up front.
“Let’s get to work,” Red says as she hops down off of her bunk at the same time the bus comes to a stop, throwing her off balance and right into my arms.
Fuck, she feels just as amazing as she looks. She’s skinny, but she’s not bony. Supple and ridiculously sexy as hell; my cock hardens to a point beyond pain. I’m growing a serious case of blue balls right now and it’s driving me nuts. Shut up, that was so not intended to be a pun and I’ll be dammed if her hip isn’t rubbing up against him.
“You all right?” I ask her. Her eyes widen at the sound of my voice that’s filled with lust. God, I fucking want to be buried inside her sweet cunt.
“I’m…I’m fine,” she stutters and she tries to stand up, but I’m not ready to let her go just yet. My lips twitch with a desperate need to kiss her.
Someone clears his throat and I freeze. Instantly helping her to her feet just in time to see Kyle staring at both of us and for some unknown reason, my eyes travel down to the bulge in his pants that wasn’t there before. And that causes my dick to twitch again.
In all the years I’ve known Talon, I’ve never ever seen him look at a woman the way he just looked at Addison and it turned me on. I’m no stranger to admiring men, but Talon? I’ve never looked at him that way before. Seeing the look in his eyes, looking at her, fucking turned me on and he saw it.
“Let’s get to work,” I say, desperate to avoid the fact that while Talon helps Addison right herself, he’s still looking at me. The look in his eyes is full of something similar to how he was looking at Addison earlier, lust maybe?
“Addison?” Talon calls my name from the front of the bus. I, on the other hand, am still trying to get over what happened in the room a few minutes ago. I jumped down, the bus stopped and I fell into Talon’s arms and HOLY FUCK! He was hard as a god-damn rock and it was pressing against my hip. But his eyes were alight with lust and my god, his lips twitched with a need to kiss me. Ultimately, the look that was exchanged between Kyle and Talon was beyond anything I have comprehension for. I could spend months analyzing that look, but instead I need to pull up my big girl panties and get to work.
“Be right there,” I shout back.
“Hurry up. There’s people waiting for you.”
What the fuck? “I’m coming.”
Oh fuck, that was the wrong choice of words to use, especially after what just happened.
Thank god there is a mirror in our room. I adjust myself and climb back into my heels, fluff my hair and check my make-up, pinch my cheeks and straighten my skirt. If I didn’t know better, I’d think I was straightening up after a mid-day sexcapade on a tour bus. I roll my eyes at myself. It might as well have been.
“Get your shit together, Addison. You’ve been here for like five hours out of twelve weeks,” I whisper, then steel myself as I head back to the front of the bus.
When I come around the corner it’s just Talon and Kyle with two more members of the men in black patrol. I smile sweetly at them.
“Addison, these are our two main bodyguards. The one on your right is Mills. He’s the head of the team who travels with us. He’s also responsible for event security coordination among other things. If you have a security problem or question, he is the man to go to,” Talon says with a very professional attitude and I’m surprised given what just happened. Is he not as affected by this as I thought I was? Ah, forget it.
“Great to meet you, Mills. I’d ask you for a first name, but I doubt you’ll give it to me.”
He smiles sweetly. “No, ma’am.”
I cringe. “Addison or Addie will be just fine. None of this ma’am crap, I’m not old enough for that and I’m certainly not your boss.” I smile just as sweetly at him.
“Yes ma-Addison.”
“That’s better.”
Mills is a good looking man with an obvious military stature. His dark hair is buzzed short and he’s easily twice as wide as I
am, but he’s decent looking none the less with his tanned complexion. If I had to guess, he’s Native American or similar. Now the man next to him is someone more in my league. “You are?” I ask him.
“My apologies, Red. This is Rusty. Mills’ second in command. If you can’t find Mills, you will most definitely find him roaming around.”
“It’s a pleasure,” I say holding my hand out to him. He takes it gently into his. Rusty is attractive with strawberry blonde hair, its skater boy long on top, short all the way around. He has it pulled back in a hair tie. His eyes are a gorgeous blue-ish green color and he, like Talon, has a rather scruffy beard, but it is trimmed nicely. “Okay, I seriously have to ask this, am I the only damn woman around here?”
All four guys laugh. “No,” Kyle says. “My assistant Kate is here too, though she’s on the other bus with the rest of the crew.”
“And us,” Rusty says.
“Oh, you guys don’t travel on this bus?” I ask.
Talon answers, “When we leave a major city, like tonight when we leave, either Mills or Rusty will be on board with us. The couch-,” he turns around and gestures, “folds down into another bed. We try not to use it if we don’t have to. The length of the drive determines whether they will stay on board with us or not. Like from here to Vegas, they’ll stay.”
“I’ll be on board tonight,” Rusty says with a smile.
Yeah, I bet you will. I smile back at him and Kyle gets us moving along. “We need to finish off loading the equipment. Addison, this would be a great time to catch up on any work you might have to do. I’ll come grab you before the sound check.”
“Actually, I need to run my passes up to will call. Are the attendants here yet?” The four men look at each other. “Can we find out so I don’t walk all the way up there for nothing?”
“Absolutely. I’ll send Leroy up there to check. Actually, I can have him drop them off,” Mills says.
