Along for the Ride
Page 21
We all looked at each other, not sure quite what to do, but then we heard it.
“What’s that noise?” Darren said, angling his head toward the front of the building.
I smiled at him, happy to deliver the answer. “The crowd.”
“For real?”
I nodded.
His eyes widened as he looked at the rest of the band and then after a slow grin spread across his mouth, he offered fist bumps all around.
“All right,” I said, making my voice as authoritative as I could to cut through the excited chatter. “Why don’t you guys head back to the dressing room? Kiki’s there waiting for you for last minute tweaks and then it’s time to get changed. Make sure you use the washroom,” I looked at Graeme pointedly before I continued, “and drink some more water, too.”
I’d expected the guys to razz me for bossing them around, but as one, they all nodded and left out the side of the hall toward the smaller room we’d commandeered to be their green room. Sandy followed with Rex so they could document the behind-the-scenes of their first real gig.
I watched the boys go, loving their excited energy, which had come back once they’d started rehearsing.
“You’re a natural,” Dad said from my left. I hadn’t even noticed him approach and startled a little, but then smiled at him. “Thanks.”
His own smile faltered and he sighed before scrubbing his face with his palms in a gesture that I knew was caused by stress. Something he hadn’t shown to the guys while they were in the room. I didn’t need to ask what was upsetting him.
“I’m so sorry, Dad,” I said.
He shook his head. “It was an accident. You don’t need to apologize.”
“Still…” I shrugged. He had to understand I felt horrible about it.
He looked at me with a question in his eyes. One I’d been waiting for. “For how long?” I asked.
“I don’t know,” he said. “Until she’s back on her feet or I can find someone else to replace her.”
I looked down at my hands and cracked a knuckle. “I guess I owe you an assistant.”
“No you don’t,” Dad said, his stern voice making me look up at him. “Like I said, it was an accident, and I don’t hold you responsible, Nessa. Neither does Linda—I spoke with her a few minutes ago, and she put you forward as the best person to sub in for her. And I don’t even think it’s because of the painkillers.”
He laughed as I gave him a look, but he went on, his face serious again. “But if you come on tour, you’re helping me out, no more. And I’m not forcing you—if you really don’t want to, you don’t have to, no questions asked. This is still your choice—you are by no means obligated.”
Right. Tell that to my guilty conscience, I didn’t say out loud. But I knew my dad, and he was being totally fair and meant every word of what he was saying; if I said no now, he wouldn’t ask again.
“I’ll go,” I said, trying not to choke on my words because I felt like such a hypocrite. Again. I may as well get a shirt with a big H on the front.
Speaking of that whole hypocrite thing, going on tour meant living on the bus with Dad and the band. Feet away from the guy I’d been avoiding for most of the weekend and the other guy who was now my boyfriend. Maybe that shirt could also have a big A on the back for Awkward.
“You sure?” Dad asked, thankfully oblivious to the details of my internal struggle.
“I’m sure,” I said. “Sandy will be overjoyed.”
“Everyone will be overjoyed,” he said, and I knew he was referring to himself as he held his arms out for a hug.
He pulled back and smiled down at me. “You’re a good kid, you know. And I think you’re going to make a great substitution.”
I nodded.
“But…” he began, his eyebrows going up.
“What?”
He looked around, but the crew was busy, and no one was paying us any attention. “Whatever is going on with you and Andy…”
I wanted to deny it, but my hot face gave me away. “Dad,” I said, though had nothing to follow it up with.
“I am not blind,” he said, giving me a withering look. “While I like the person Andy has become, you can’t date one of the boys while on tour,” he said. “And I’m not just saying that because you’re my daughter. Relationships on tour are a very bad idea.”
Like he needed to say that? But what about you and Linda? I thought, but kept to myself. It was now a moot point anyway.
“I’m serious about this,” he said, looking down at me with his very serious dad face, the one that there was no negotiating with. “As much as I want you on tour, I need the boys focused, and if Andy is distracted by you being there, it’s not going to work.”
So much for that relationship we’d just started. Well, I guess we had planned to put it on hold anyway. Now we’d just have to do that while sleeping like a bunk away from each other. “I understand,” I said because that’s what he was waiting for. “I’ll talk to him. I won’t screw things up for you, I promise.”
He nodded. “Thank you,” he said and then took a deep breath, changing gears. “Now, about this tour. We’re leaving tonight right after this show.”
“I know.”
“What will you need?”
Of course, most of my stuff was at the beach house, and there would be no time to drive all the way back to get it. “I have my backpack with my immediate necessities and a change of clothes.”
“All right, good,” he said. “We can buy whatever else on the road.”
I glanced over at the table set up on the side of the room. “Or I could just wear these jeans and Wiretap t-shirts the whole time like a groupie.”
I was only half-joking, but Dad laughed and put his arm around me, gently tugging me toward the green room where we’d go join the band. “I know this isn’t ideal and not the summer you had planned, but I think you’re going to have a good time. I’m happy you’re coming, if not delighted about how it came to be. I’ll even pay you,” he added, which I suppose was a nice perk.
“I guess it won’t be horrible,” I said. And for some reason, I wasn’t as upset about going on tour as I thought I was going to be. Maybe it was because my best friend was coming (though we were going to have to figure out what she’d be doing after the first week if I was sticking around beyond that) and I knew the band already and liked them all. Some more than others, of course, but they were a good bunch of guys to hang around with.
Or maybe it was because deep down, I really didn’t hate musicians after all.
Thank you for reading!
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The Rosewoods Rock Star Series
ALONG FOR THE RIDE
GOING ON TOUR (coming soon – see below for a sneak peek!)
Going on Tour
It was late. Like, really late: almost two a.m. after what felt like the longest day in all of eternity. It had started with Linda getting injured (thanks to my badly-placed backpack) and then rushing around to get the band ready to play their first big gig. But then had ended on a very high note with them crushing their performance. To say it had been a success was a giant understatement.
But I barely had time to think about it now, and I sure didn’t have the brain power even if I had.
The band had vacated the building once their set was over several hours before and had gone to meet their families at a restaurant down the block. I’d sent Sandy to go with them since I didn’t think it was fair to make her stick around and help, since
she wasn’t even being paid (unless you count t-shirts and free meals as payment, which I didn’t).
The rest of us stayed behind to pack up everything and get it all on the trucks—we were scheduled to get on the road tonight, so there was no leaving it until morning. I was beyond exhausted, and it was slow going, but my new job as fill-in tour manager and assistant to my dad, meant I had to oversee the stage breakdown and make sure everything was packed away properly, and nothing got left behind.
Finally, when I was barely able to remain upright, my feet and legs aching, my eyelids feeling like lead, Dad came over and took pity on me.
“Go on,” he said. “The bus is outside; your stuff’s already on it. I’ll do one last sweep of the building when these guys finish and then we’ll take off.”
“I should be here till the end,” I said, disappointed that my voice was a lot more slurry than it was determined. I so wanted to do a good job.
He gave me a gentle push toward the door. “We’re almost done, kiddo. Go.”
Relieved and grateful, I didn’t argue and shuffled out the door into the night that was only slightly cooler than the building had been. As the muggy air clung to me, I suddenly realized how grimy I was after a day of running around, touching mics, cords, dirty floors, and all sorts of filthy things, but found it hard to care very much.
The door to the bus was open, but I didn’t go straight up the stairs. Only because there was a body in the way.
Andres. He was sitting on the bottom stair, looking rumpled and ready for bed, wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt, his hair damp from the shower. I swallowed as I took in just how gorgeous he was, even more gorgeous sitting there, clearly waiting for me, than he had been when he’d been perfectly groomed and on stage.
Dad and I had told Sandy and the boys right before the gig had started that I’d be joining them on tour, but I hadn’t had a chance to get Andres alone. Until now.
“Hey,” he said, standing up as I approached, but keeping his distance, crossing his arms at his chest.
I tried to smile up at him, but even my mouth was tired, so who knows what it looked like. “Hi. Great show.”
“Thanks,” he said.
“Your family staying in town?” I asked, even though I realized as I said it that I honestly didn’t care and what the hell was I doing making small talk?
“For a couple of days,” he answered as he looked down the street absently, something on his mind. Not small talk, obviously.
May as well get this over with, I thought. “So with me coming along…”
He nodded. “Your father and I already talked.”
I snorted and was too weary to care that I’d snorted. “That must have been an awkward conversation,” I said.
He finally looked at me. “A little,” he said with a smirk.
I admit, I was kind of glad that we didn’t have to discuss it. I thanked Tony inside my head for sparing us that awkwardness. Though it might have been nice if I’d had one last chance to make out with Andres—something to tide us over until tour was over. I looked at his lips, which were lush and so kissable—and I should know—but out here with who knows who watching and Dad coming to join us any minute, it was a bad idea. Better to have a clean break anyway, I told myself.
“I guess I’d better go claim a bunk,” I said, almost in tears over having to climb the five stairs onto the bus; I was that worn out.
As I tried to get by, Andres grabbed my arm. “Wait.”
I looked up at him.
“I need to ask you something,” he said, sounding serious. For that, I turned back around to face him.
His eyebrows scrunched low into a frown. “Something happen with Dave?”
My stomach churned as the almost kiss went through my head. But that couldn’t be what he was asking about. That was a week ago, well before we got together. “No, why?”
He clenched his jaw and exhaled before he said, “He didn’t seem as happy as everyone else that you’re coming with us. You two seemed close until this weekend. I wondered if something happened.”
Oh. Right. That.
“He’s probably just upset about Linda,” I said with a shrug that I hoped was at least somewhat convincing. Lying to my new boyfriend wasn’t a good way to start a relationship, but now that I was going on tour, our relationship was on hold before it had even started. I had time to figure out how to explain the whole Dave situation. That whole thing about me being a hypocrite.
Andres stared at me until I had to look away and not just because I was exhausted. “I’m tired,” I said, wriggling free of his grasp. “I’m going in.”
He didn’t move, and I had a premonition of just how long and painful tour was going to be if we weren’t getting along.
I sighed and looked up into his eyes, shadowed from the streetlamp by the tour bus. “It’s nothing. Dave and I are friends. I’m sure he’s just stressed. Tonight was a big deal for him—unlike you, he hasn’t really done this before.”
He seemed to search my face before he finally nodded in agreement.
“So, we good?” I asked.
After what felt like a long moment, he nodded and followed me up onto the bus.
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Find me online at http://katrinaabbott.com, follow me on Twitter @abbottkatrina and to see my inspirations for the band members, check out my Pinterest page where I’ve created a board just for them!
Also by Katrina Abbott
The Rosewoods
Taking The Reins
Masquerade
Playing The Part
Reading Between The Lines
This Point Forward
Making Ripples
Acting Out
Hitting the Target
Turning the Page
Crossing the Line
New Beginnings - The Rosewoods Series - Books 1 - 3
Fresh Start: The Rosewoods Series Prequel
The Rosewoods - Bonus Content
I'll Never Forget
Risking it All
The Rosewoods Rock Star Series
Along for the Ride
Going on Tour
Working for the Band
Watch for more at Katrina Abbott’s site.