by Maya Hughes
“I don’t know if Keira will go for something like that.”
“What’s not to go for? You’re a good looking guy, she’s a good looking girl. Things like this happen on tour. Play it up for some photo ops and we’re golden. Then when your tour starts the love affair continues.”
“I’m not going to use Keira just for my image.”
“You don’t think she’s using you for hers? She’s raising her profile in a big way.” He didn’t like the idea of pushing this on her, but he had a feeling if he balked they wouldn’t back her for the job. What was a little harmless flirtation, if it got them all what they wanted? A buzz came through the phone on his desk. “Your next meeting is here,” came the disembodied voice.
“Anything else, Eric?” he said, looking up at him from over his steepled hands. Not wanting to screw up his big break, he decided to go with it. He liked her before the suggestion, he wanted her on tour. This would work out. No worries.
Keira perched on the edge of one of the couches, biting her bottom lip, leg tapping away wildly. She got him going in a way he couldn’t describe, just from the little bit of time they’d spent together. He could have spent all night talking to her at the bar. She was easy going and while she liked his music, she didn’t fangirl all over him, but there was something about the way she looked at him. He was blown away by her talent, seeing how she could bring someone to life on the page took his breath away.
They could keep things casual, but he looked forward to spending time with her on tour. Close quarters, lots of time on their hands, it was only a matter of time before he was able to convince her just how good they could be together. He’d wanted to taste her from the minute he saw her lips wrapped around the straw of her drink. He wanted to feel her under him. He didn’t know the last time he’d wanted someone as much as he wanted Keira.
12
Keira sent a quick text to her sister to let her know she wouldn’t have to worry about what to do this summer after all. To think, less than 48 hours ago, she thought she’d be on couch duty at her sister’s place for the summer. The broad smile across his face when Eric walked out of the exec’s office had her letting out a huge breath, she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. That had to mean good news. She stood, portfolio in her hand and a smile on her face.
“Good news?” she said, cautiously.
“Great, news. You did it,” he said, picking her up and whirling her around. She dropped her portfolio and threw her head back, laughing. He stopped spinning her and she put her arms around his neck as he lowered her back to the ground. Staring into his eyes, the spark he always started with her ignited something more. Their lips were inches apart, when the exec flung his door open, they both turned to look at him and Keira dropped her arms from around Eric’s neck.
The exec smiled and gave her one of her photos that had fallen out of the portfolio.
“Welcome to the tour Ms. Weston. I know you’ll do a wonderful job in helping fans truly connect with Eric.”
“Thank you so much for the opportunity. I promise I won’t let you down,” she gushed. This was really happening.
“I’m sure you won’t. Remember what I said Eric. A wonderful opportunity for everyone,” he said, tilting his head and striding back into his office.
“What was that about?” She turned to Eric who had a weird look on his face. Slapping a smile back on he turned to her.
“Nothing, let’s get your stuff and get to the plane.”
“What time does it leave?”
“I think when we get there,” he said with a puzzled look on his face. Now it was her turn to be confused.
“What do you mean?”
She got that answer when they showed up at the private airfield to the private jet they’d be taking to Vancouver. Holy crap! Climbing the steps to the type of plane she never imagined seeing in person, let alone flying on, she ran her hands along the metal railing up the narrow steps. The minute she was inside, a flight attendant took the bag from her and offered her a cool towel.
The plush cream interior had a low leather couch that ran the length of one side of the plane. Cream seatbelts with gold buckles all crisscrossed neatly on the seats. Then there were four pairs of cream seats along the other side. The first two sets were facing one another and had a small table between them. Toward the back, a small hallway with two doors.
Eric came up behind her with his eyes bugged out as big as hers. At least, she didn’t have to worry about acting like an idiot on the plane, because it looked like all this was just as new to him as it was to her. The flight attendant grabbed his duffle bag and guitar and tried to stow them. Eric pulled back the guitar.
“I’ll keep this with me.”
“No problem, sir,” the flight attendant said, before ushering them both to the plush leather seats. Eric took a seat across from Keira and strapped his guitar safely in the seatbelt. She chuckled at the care he took when it came to his guitar. Attempting to play it cool, she only played with a few of the buttons on the seat.
“Can you believe this?” Eric whispered, leaning across the small shiny wooden table between them.
“No, I’m freaking out. Have you been on one of these before?”
“Once before, but it was filled with industry types, so I didn’t really get to play.”
The flight attendant appeared next to them and they both sat back like they’d been caught being bad.
“We will be taking off shortly, is there anything you’d like to request from the galley?”
“What do you have?” Eric said, shooting Keira a cheeky smile. The flight attendant listed of the voluminous number of options for a flight just under three hours and Eric ordered a few dishes and some snacks. The flight attendant excused herself and pulled the galley curtain shut, they could hear doors being opened, latches being flicked and other sounds filtered back from the galley.
“You ordered a lot!”
“Once we get to the bus, there probably won’t be any food left and there won’t be any place open by the time we land. We can bring some with us to tide us over until morning.”
“Good thinking.”
“You’ll learn about life on tour. Never turn down a clean bathroom, a meal you’re not paying for, or the opportunity to load up on snacks to stash.” The flight attendant came back to let them know to buckle up and get ready for takeoff. She also took their pre- and post-take off drink orders. Promptly, setting a bottle of beer in front of Eric and a vodka cranberry in front of Keira. After making sure they were buckled in, she disappeared back behind the galley curtain and the captain made some standard announcements. Keira’s heart raced as the plane sped down the runway and her stomach dipped as the wheels left the ground. She wasn’t normally a nervous flyer, but she’d never been in a plane this small before. Not until Eric’s look of concern, did she realize she was gripping the arms of the leather chair tightly and leaning her head back against the seat.
“You okay?”
“Yeah, just not used to small planes, that’s all. I’m okay,” she said, through gritted teeth.
“Oh yeah, you’re the picture of relaxation,” he said, laughing. She balled up the napkin that had been under her drink and threw it at his head. Perfect shot! It hit him right between the eyes. He grabbed her napkin ball and made one of his own. Attempting to dodge the assault, she moved from side to side, but he still hit her with both. Raising his arms in triumph over his head, pumping them up and down. She laughed as the plane leveled off and they were no longer rocketing toward oblivion. “See, much better now,” he said, his smile even wider.
“Good job with the distraction Mr. Newcastle.” Picking up her drink and draining the last of it, the flight attendant was back with another round. Keira sipped hers. A slight shudder of turbulence hit them and some of her drink sloshed onto her shirt. Looking down, the red patch spread across her white top.
“Damnit,” she said, pulling the now wet and cold shirt away from her skin. The captain l
et them know they could move around the cabin and Keira unbuckled her seatbelt. “Do you think there’s a bathroom back there?”
“Yeah, probably. Let’s go find out.”
“It’s okay, I can find it on my own.”
“I’m sure you can, but I want to see what else there is on this plane. This is the perfect excuse to snoop.” They both stood and creeped toward the back of the plane, glancing back to see if the flight attendant was back.
“You’d think we were stowaways or something,” she said, suppressing a giggle.
“I mean, we don’t want to look uncool. I’m sure she’s used to flying with pros. Don’t want her to know we’re not used to the high life.”
The first door in the narrow corridor was to a bathroom. The biggest bathroom, she’d ever seen on a plane. Inside was a huge vanity, complete with lights around the edges, a sink, a toilet and real towels. It could easily fit three people, unlike a normal plane bathroom where you could go to the bathroom and wash your hands all at the same time. She grabbed one of the towels, wet it and rubbed it over her shirt, trying to get some of the cranberry juice out before it stained. Using some of the what she imagined was ridiculously expensive soap, she dabbed and rubbed at it, until it was more of a giant wet spot than a giant cranberry spot. Her wet shirt momentarily forgotten, they checked out the other door toward the back of the plane.
A smaller cabin with a comfy looking bed, complete with sky high pillows and a nice fleece draped across the bottom. There were fresh flowers on the bedside table and two pairs of comfy pajamas laid out on the bottom of the bed. So, this was how the other half lives. Eric threw himself onto the bed and started making snow angels on it, knocking everything off onto the floor.
“What are you doing?” she whisper shouted.
“Come on, you know you want to. When is the next time you’re going to be on a private jet? When’s the next time you’ll get to throw yourself onto a bed at twenty-five thousand feet and jump around like an idiot.” He moved over on the bed and patted the space beside him. He did have a point. Checking behind her to make sure the flight attendant wasn’t coming, Keira flopped down onto the bed. She sunk right into the soft and plush comforter and immediately remembered her wet shirt, which now clung to her chest, making her lacy bra clearly visible.
Glancing up, Eric’s gaze locked onto her chest as her breasts rose and fell, the tops of which could be seen at the top of her shirt. He looked up and knew he’d been caught. A sheepish grin across his face, he maintained eye contact. Staring deeply into her eyes, he brought his hand up and twirled one of her curls around his finger. She bit her lip, watching him play with the curl, winding and unwinding it around his finger. Each wrap had her squeezing her thighs together as her breath quickened.
Hesitantly, she brought her hand up to his hair and ran her fingers through his fiery locks, transfixed by his blue eyes. Lost in his gaze, she could’ve stayed there all night, laying beside him in that ridiculously comfortable bed. Dropping the curl, he brought his finger up to the side of her face and ran it down her cheek.
“Keira,” he said, breathing heavily.
“Yes?” she responded, the flutter was back and her breathing picked up. He leaned in closer to her and her core throbbed in anticipation of his lips on hers. And more than just his lips on her. He threaded his hands through her hair and brought her face toward his. Bringing his lips nearly to hers, they were both startled by a knock on the bedroom door.
“I’ve placed your entrees on the table whenever you’re ready.” The flight attendant called from the other side of the door. Kiera’s flush and heavy breathing quickly turned into embarrassment as she sat up in the bed, unable to believe what she’d almost done. This was her big break. This tour could turn into something more for her and if she screwed it up by getting involved with him, it could be the end of things before she’d even gotten a chance to get started. Grabbing the fleece blanket off the floor, she wrapped it around herself to cover her practically see through shirt.
They spent the rest of the flight in their seats, indulging in things like steak and freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. This was a life she could get used to, but she reminded herself it was only a glimpse into this world. She started to nod off toward Eric as they were ready to land, her head dipping low onto his shoulder. Jerking back upright, she reclined her seat and closed her eyes. He gently tucked the blanket up around her neck and she couldn’t suppress the small smile on her face as she took a few minutes to let things sink in.
13
Showing up outside the music venue at close to midnight, Keira wheeled her bag across the uneven concrete with it tipping after every three steps. Stupid piece of crap luggage. The wet asphalt shined under the overhead lights, casting long shadows as some people lingered in the parking lot. There were women in the shortest leather skirts she’d ever seen chatting with the security guards dotted around the place.
The tour buses were parked around the back. Keira had her credentials wrapped tightly around her wrist. An assistant on the tour whisked Eric away in a black town car the second the plane landed. Keira had been put in a different car and driven to the venue. The driver was nice enough to point her in the direction of the tour buses because the waist high barriers made it impossible for him to drive her closer.
The trip from the record label to the airport had given her only a taste of what it would be like to be on tour with Eric and she wasn’t one hundred percent sure she would be able to handle it. She just hoped she didn’t screw it up. If she did, classes started back up in September, but she wouldn’t know if funding was available for her until the end of August. If this didn’t work out she could be out of a job for a while. Must be a professional. Must do amazing work. Must not bang the subject of her job and potentially kill any possibility of being able to pay her bills. She repeated the mantra in her head.
Three levels of security guards checked over her badges giving her wary looks. She glanced down. A peasant top and flowing ivory skirt didn’t exactly fit in with this crowd. The nerves were back with a vengeance and she concentrated on breathing and keeping calm. The last security guard pointed her in the direction of the lead bus after scrutinizing her badge like she was trying to get into the Pentagon. Not knowing where she should store her luggage, Keira, left her bag at the door to the tour bus.
She’d check inside and figure out where she should stash her stuff. The bag wasn’t too big, but she didn’t want to carry it up there, if it needed to go under the bus. Fear and excitement warred inside her as she took a deep breath to compose herself before walking up to the open tour bus door. The assistant told her to get comfy on the bus and they’d be back soon. Seeing the inside of a tour bus wasn’t something she ever thought she’d do, let alone going on tour with the band.
Lugging her oversized purse up the steps, she maneuvered up the turn at the top and the smell of sex and liquor hit her like a slap in the face. Staggering back for a second, laughter, squeals and deep voices filtered to her little hiding spot at the top of the steps. Unable to help herself, she peeked around the corner of the partition at the top of the steps and her brain froze.
Four guys, maybe five, she tried not to look too hard at what exactly they were doing. Four guys and, at least that many girls and a whole lot of skin. Skin, smacking, sucking and more were all going on up there. Stumbling back down the stairs and nearly face planting, she ran straight into the bare chest of a man at least a head taller than her. Her heart raced and she thought she might need to wash her eyes with bleach. Strong hands gripped both her arms to steady her and right her on her feet on the concrete just outside the bus steps.
“Hey, where you going sweetheart? The party’s just getting started,” he said, tucking one of her curls back behind her ear. Despite her earlier shock, when she glanced up at the guy she’d run into she found a dopey smile spreading across her face. His bright blue eyes and spiky black hair made for a stunning contrast. A strong jaw, covered in a
five o’clock shadow and lush lips made her forget her own name as she stared up at him, unable to look away.
“Don’t leave so soon. We don’t get many like you around here. Nice look,” he said, winking. She wasn’t dressed like those women in there, if you could describe mostly naked as dressed. She wasn’t a prude, but she felt like she could skip the first year of an OBGYN residency after just a peak of what was going on in the other room. Appreciating and drawing the naked form were part of her job and something she enjoyed, but the display up there couldn’t be described as anything more than an orgy. Not that there was anything wrong with that, but it wasn’t her thing. He turned her around and attempted to walk her back up the stairs, into the bus of nakedness. Glancing behind her, up at the dark foreboding steps she held onto the metal railing at the bottom, stopping his advance.
“I think whoever’s in there is a little busy,” she squeaked.
“Exactly, and wouldn’t you like to join in the fun?” he asked, licking his lips. Holy crap, this guy was a walking billboard for sex, but as hot as he was and as much as nakedness in the artistic form didn’t shock her, joining in on an orgy wasn’t in the cards for her.
“No, definitely not, I’m not here for that. I’m joining the tour,” she said. He gave her a quizzical look before the sultry smile snapped back into place.
“I can think of a few things we can explore, if you’re going to be joining the tour,” he slid his hand across the skin along the gap between her top and skirt. He leaned in, breath tickling her ear. “I’m sure there are more than a few things we can teach one another.”
She shook him off and backed up, knees hitting the bottom of the steps. The hit to the back of her legs had her sitting on the bottom step of the bus, right at crotch height to the now towering half naked man. He bent down and whispered in her ear.
