Daisy and the Front Man (Entangled Crush) (Backstage Pass)

by Purdy, Rebekah L.

  “That’s fine.” Daisy curled her legs beneath her.

  Gunshots sounded from the TV as they maneuvered their characters around, shooting zombies. Daisy, as it turned out, was pretty good at the game. Which he had to admit was damn awesome. He loved gamer girls.

  “Take that, you freaking leech,” she screamed at one of the monsters on the screen who’d come after her.

  “You might want to think twice about pissing her off,” Ryder whispered. “She seems like she can kick some serious ass.”

  “I think she’s gotten more kills than you, Ryder.” Miles leaned forward, punching the buttons down on his controller. “In fact, I think she’s saved your arse more than once.”

  “Screw you.” Ryder stuck up his middle finger.

  But Mia swatted at him and whispered something in his ear.

  He smiled. “Fine, I’ll behave.”

  Daisy laughed. “Jeez, Ryder and Miles fight like a married couple.”

  “Don’t we know it,” Trevin said. She fit in so well with everyone, like she’d been hanging out with the guys their whole lives. “Trust me, this is them at their tamest.”

  Her eyes crinkled when she smiled at him. It was cool watching her loosen up, let her guard down. And to see the gorgeous smile she hid too often—it was definitely nice. He’d gotten to see it a few times over the last couple days—but the problem was, the more he got to see this side of her, the more he wanted to work at getting through her shell. He only had a few weeks to accomplish it. But that might be easier said than done.

  …

  Daisy killed another zombie and Miles high-fived her. “Blimey, you’re showing us up on this game.”

  “That’s because girls are better than guys.” Mia laughed, giving her a wink.

  “See, Mia gets it.”

  Having Mia around tonight definitely helped her relax a little more. Daisy set her controller down as they waited for their next level to begin. She couldn’t believe how much fun she was having. This group seemed so normal—like they weren’t on a tour bus, but sitting in the basement back home hanging out. But that didn’t mean she should let her guard down.

  She took another bite of pizza then wiped her hands on her jeans before picking her controller back up. Chatting with Nathan earlier had definitely been a good move. She grinned, thinking about how irritated Trevin looked. Almost jealous. Ha. Served him right.

  Her gaze slid to Trevin, whose leg brushed against hers. She stared at him, her heart jumping in her chest like a kangaroo. God, he was so hot. The chiseled jaw. The dark hair and dark eyes. The way his shoulders filled out his shirt. She scooted over some, causing their legs to brush once more. Damn. Was it warm in here? Why the hell did even the smallest touch make her feel like she needed to throw herself into a pool of ice cold water? She took in a ragged breath, trying not to watch him too closely. Instead she shifted her focus to his Kansas State University basketball T-shirt and black mesh shorts. Okay, maybe she shouldn’t be examining him so closely. So she flipped her gaze upward once more. When he met her eye, he smiled. That warm, melt-your-heart smile that normally sent all the girls screaming. She looked away, not needing to fall into the trap. What would’ve happened if he’d actually shown up for her homecoming dance? Would he have been this laid-back nice guy he’d portrayed the last couple of days?

  Don’t go there. Stay focused. Just because he invited you to play video games and to get a coffee doesn’t mean he’s not the same jerk who stood you up.

  Okay, she had to make some boundaries for herself. One, she could flirt, but only enough to make Trevin believe she was interested in him. Same as going places with him—they could hang out as long as she remembered this was for revenge and not for real. And she could definitely try to make him jealous by talking to the other guys.

  “Um, can I use your bathroom?” Daisy said after they lost the next battle.

  “Sure, I’ll show you where it is.” Trevin set his controller down and reached out a hand to help her up.

  She stared at it for a moment, then let him pull her to her feet. His skin warmed hers where his fingers touched her palm, and her heart leaped into her throat. She quickly drew her hand back. Daisy followed him past an area with six bunks in it, curtains hanging down to give them privacy should they want it. Her eyes traveled over the dressers, TVs, iPhone and iPod docks. The bus had everything they could want or need. At last they came to the back, where Trevin swung open a door to reveal a large bathroom.

  “Holy crap, I think this is bigger than my bathroom at home.” Daisy eyed the full-sized shower, double sinks, and tiled floor, along with a toilet, linen closet, and laundry hamper.

  “Well, it does have to accommodate five guys.”

  “True.” She stood watching him for a second. “I’ll just be a minute.”

  “Right, I’ll—I’ll go back out there.” He pointed over his shoulder.

  She shut the door and quickly used the bathroom. Then she glanced in the mirror and fixed her hair. Several bottles of shampoo caught her eye, each labeled with one of the guys’ names. Hmm… She could definitely have fun getting back at Trevin. Bottles of cologne sat in a cabinet and Daisy picked them up and sniffed them. She easily found Trevin’s. Great, now she recognized his scent. She put it back and washed her hands, but she still caught a whiff of his cologne on her.

  Hopefully he didn’t notice; the last thing she wanted him to think was that she was some weird stalker girl. But being in their bathroom tonight had given her a brilliant idea. She only hoped she could find what she needed in hair and makeup.

  …

  Daisy woke up early the next morning. She had a mission. As quietly as she could, she got dressed, trying not to wake anyone. She climbed from her bunk on the Hanging On bus, her foot nearly nudging the girl below her.

  She got dressed, grabbed her wallet, and slipped out into the cool morning air. She glanced around the parking lot where all the tour buses and trailers were lined up. When she located the hair and makeup trailer, she hurried in that direction. She just needed to get in, find what she needed, and then get out.

  When Daisy got to the trailer, though, it was locked. Damn. She could wait to do this until another time, or she could make a quick run to the store before everyone got up. With a sigh, she messaged her dad to tell him she’d gone to get a coffee and would be right back. Then she pulled up a link for nearby drugstores. Sweet, there was a twenty-four hour chain store a block away. Daisy set off on foot, revenge fueling her every step.

  When she got to the Shop-Smart-Mart, she pushed inside the air-conditioned building. Except for a couple of cashiers, the store seemed pretty dead this early. Thank goodness. Fewer people to catch her in the act. She searched for the hair and beauty products aisle. When she found it, she went right for the piece de resistance to her plan.

  Hair for Men. Platinum Blond. She giggled.

  Trevin was about to get a makeover and he didn’t even know it.

  She grabbed two packs of it and hurried to the checkout counter.

  “Morning,” an older lady said. “You know this is for men, right?”

  “Oh, yeah. It’s not for me. My boyfriend wanted to try something new—so I told him I’d pick some up.” She handed over her hard-earned money from working at the record store back home. But it was worth it.

  “Have a good day,” the woman said.

  She had no idea just how good of a day Daisy was about to have.

  “You too!” After she left, she swung by a gas station to grab a coffee. Not the best tasting stuff, but she wanted to make sure she had all the bases covered if her dad happened to catch her up and around.

  When she got to the lot where the buses were parked, she went back to her bus and took the hair dye out. She followed the directions for mixing it up in the plastic container. Now Daisy just needed to get onto Trevin’s tour bus before the guys woke up. She grabbed her purse and folded it beneath her bulky sweatshirt.

  Then she saw her dad he
ading toward her. Her way in.

  “Morning,” Dad said with a yawn. “You’re up early.”

  “Yeah, I couldn’t sleep. I’m not used to the bunk beds on the bus yet.” Daisy smiled, the bottle of hair dye, hidden in her pocket, bulging out. “Um, Dad, do you think you could bring me onto The One?” She pointed to the band’s bus. “I think I left my purse either by the couch or maybe in the bathroom last night.”

  “The boys are still sleeping.”

  “I promise to be quiet. You can wait for me inside while I go check. It’s just I have most of my money in it and I want to make sure I didn’t leave it somewhere else. I’ll be quick.”

  “Fine, but let’s hurry up.” Her dad led her to the bus, where he opened the door. With all the shades pulled, it was dark.

  She pretended to check next to the couch, then whispered, “It’s not here. I’ll need to check the bathroom.”

  A soft snore came from the boys’ sleeping area. She sucked in a deep breath, praying she wouldn’t get caught. As soon as she made it to the bathroom, she shut the door and flipped on the light. She grabbed Trevin’s shampoo from the shelf and quickly emptied its contents down the sink. She then jerked the hair dye bottle from her pocket and dumped it into the shampoo container. Daisy grabbed her purse from under her sweatshirt and shoved the evidence inside, then rushed back to her dad.

  “Did you find it?”

  “Yeah, it’s right here. Thanks.”

  “All right, well, why don’t you and I go grab a bite to eat before everyone else gets up?”

  “Sure.” Daisy followed after him.

  Project revenge, step two, now underway.

  Chapter Seven

  Half asleep, Trevin stumbled to the bathroom. He’d have just enough time to take a quick shower before everyone else got up. He tossed his clothes on the floor, then climbed beneath the warm spray. After washing his body, he grabbed his shampoo, dumping a big blob in his hand. He scrubbed it into his scalp, trying to get yesterday’s gel out of it.

  He coughed. What the hell was that smell? Was it his shampoo? Or maybe the septic was backed up and needed to be pumped? Trevin rinsed the soap from his hair then turned the faucet off. He grabbed a towel and dried off, then wrapped it around his waist. He turned the blow dryer on, using his fingers to comb through his hair. Once dry, he leaned forward and wiped the steam from the mirror so he could see to style it.

  There, staring back at him, was some Asian kid with bright blond hair. What the fuck?

  “Ryder!” he screamed, ripping the door open. He flipped on the light, which made all the guys groan.

  Bleary eyed, Ryder poked his head out of his bunk. “What the hell are you screaming about?”

  “Really, you’re going to play dumb?” Trevin’s hands fisted at his sides.

  Ryder glanced at him and started laughing. “Okay, I’m not sure blond is your color.”

  “No shit. So why did you put hair dye in my shampoo?”

  Ryder slid from his bunk, grabbing a T-shirt. “I didn’t do it, so calm your tits.”

  “Seriously? No one else on this bus would pull stupid shit like this. Or was it part of your plan to screw me over on the bet?”

  “I told you, man, I didn’t do it.” Ryder stalked out of the sleeping area.

  “Miles? Do you know anything about this?” He pointed to his head.

  “Don’t look at me, mate. I have better things to do. Maybe you pissed off one of the cleaning ladies who come in to replace our stuff.”

  Will and Nathan glanced at him, both grinning.

  “I’m not going to have time to fix this before the autograph session.” Trevin sighed, scrounging through his closet for a hat. “LJ is going to piss himself.”

  “So don’t show him.” Miles yawned, stretching as he got out of bed.

  “I’m willing to bet this was Ryder’s doing—it has his name written all over it,” Trevin said.

  “Maybe it wasn’t him,” Will said.

  “Then who else could’ve done it?”

  He shrugged.

  Exactly—no one else had a reason to do something like this to him. Other than Ryder, who had a bet he wanted to win. It was freaking brilliant. He couldn’t believe Ryder would stoop to this level.

  The SUV turned into the mall parking lot. Already hundreds of girls stood behind rope barriers. Security guards lined each side of the walkway, trying to keep the shoving to a minimum.

  “I hope this autograph session goes quickly,” Trevin said, catching Daisy’s eye. He adjusted the beanie on his head, trying to keep his hair from sticking out, which was hard to do. Every few seconds he reached up to tug it back into place. He was half tempted to do something to get Ryder back, like maybe cut the ass cheeks out of his favorite jeans—or drench his bunk with a water gun. Then you’ll really make things worse. And LJ will ride your ass even more.

  “Why? Afraid of getting writer’s cramp?”

  “No, he’s scared he’ll be maimed by a ten-year-old. Those girls are vicious. The tears and smiles are just a front—they’re really like the kids from Children of the Corn.” Ryder grinned.

  “Well those ten-year-olds are part of the reason we get to do what we do,” Nathan said.

  “Aw, is our little Nathan sticking up for the girls?”

  “Ryder, don’t start.” Trevin shoved his sunglasses back in place as the vehicle came to a stop. He wasn’t in the mood for him today.

  “Hey Dad, do you think I could wander around the mall while the guys are signing?” Daisy grabbed her purse.

  “I want you to stick close by. We’re going to have to rush out of here at the end to get to the stadium on time.”

  Trevin tapped her arm. “Don’t worry, I promise it won’t be so bad watching us sign. Besides, a signed photo of me is worth its weight in gold.”

  Her lips tightened into a frown. “Yeah, a couple of hours standing around doing nothing—sounds totally amazing. Especially the part where I get to watch you sign stuff.”

  Beau hopped out of the SUV and came around to escort them toward the door. Screaming erupted, and girls hopped up and down waving their signs. Others held up their phones to snap pictures.

  Trevin glanced back to see Daisy fall in behind them. He was half tempted to catch hold of her and help her keep up with them. Last thing he wanted was for her to get trampled.

  “Don’t worry, she’s still there,” Miles said, leaning closer to him so he could be heard over the crowd.

  Trevin shrugged. “I don’t know what you’re talking about—I’m just making sure all you guys are here.” And if he was going to win this damn bet, he wanted to make sure he had time to spend with her.

  “Right. Because we all have long luscious red hair and perky—”

  “Hey, knock it off.” Trevin didn’t like him talking about Daisy’s perky anything.

  He chuckled. “Down boy—what are you, her guard dog?”

  “No, but you don’t need to say shit like that.”

  “You’re right, that’s normally Ryder’s thing.”

  Nathan fell in next to them as they pushed inside the mall. The main lobby area already had lines formed. The whole place was filled with fans, yelling, crying, and hollering the band members’ names.

  “This is a weird question,” Nathan said, “but does Daisy look familiar to either of you? I swear we’ve seen her face somewhere other than just Beau introducing her a couple days ago.”

  “Uh-oh, don’t tell me Trevin is going to have some competition for her?” Miles stared between them.

  Trevin’s stomach knotted, and he clenched his fists at his sides. Shit. He hoped that wasn’t what this was about. Although, Daisy had been talking to Nathan quite a bit over the last day or so. And it irritated him more than he wanted to admit.

  Nathan’s eyes widened. “No—it’s not like that. I don’t know, never mind, maybe she just has one of those faces.”

  “Or maybe she looks like her dad,” Trevin said.

 
“So you’re into her because she looks like Beau?” Ryder snickered.

  Trevin rolled his eyes. “Anyone ever told you you’re a jackass sometimes?”

  “I tell him every day.” Miles patted Trevin’s shoulder.

  “And we all hear it.” Will joined them.

  They were escorted to a small stage at the center of the main lobby. Sunlight poured in through the giant skylights as Trevin slid into a seat at the end of the long table. In front of each of them were markers, headshots, and stickers. A tiny lady, with white hair and skin that had seen way too much sun over the years, hurried toward them.

  “Hi, I’m Mavis, the event coordinator for the autograph session. Is there anything I can fetch you boys before we get started? Water? Soda?”

  “Water will be fine,” Trevin said.

  “Same here,” Miles said.

  She rushed away and grabbed all of them drinks. Once she handed those out, she turned on a microphone and stood in front of their table. “Attention shoppers, Seconds to Juliet is now in our main lobby signing autographs until one. We’d ask that you be patient and don’t push or shove.”

  One of the security guards opened the rope gate. “Keep the line; single file please.”

  Teens rushed forward like a pack of hungry coyotes fighting over a carcass. Beau positioned himself right next to the band, along with a few other bodyguards.

  The first girl had curly dark hair and a too tight T-shirt on. “OhMyGod, Trevin. I’ve wanted to meet you for so long. You’re my favorite in the group. I have hundreds of pictures of you hanging up in my room. And last night, I dreamed we went swimming together.” She teared up.

  “Thank you. So does this beautiful girl have a name she wants me to make this headshot out to?”

  “Misty.”

  Trevin smiled and handed her one of his pictures. “That’s a pretty name. Thanks for coming out today, Misty.”

  She nodded and moved over to get Miles’s signature.

  On and on it went. More girls, more tears. A twenty-something woman in a halter top stopped in front of him, flinging her long blond hair over her shoulder. Her boobs practically fell out into his lap as she leaned over the table. And of course, she probably did it on purpose, hoping he’d invite her back to his bus or something. God, he was starting to think like Daisy. Was she rubbing off on him? Not that he should be cynical; these girls made him what he was. But still…