Justin flipped Charlie off, then fist-bumped Bobby J and Gill, who were standing nearby. “Congrats. One down, twenty-one more to go. Let’s keep kickin’ ass.”
Charlie flung his bright-pink scarf over his shoulder and clapped excitedly. “Yes! On to San Diego! Everyone has their bus assignment. Don’t give me a hard time about sleeping arrangements. Work it out yourselves. There will be hotel stops along the way. I’m not sure who needs to hear this, but the tour bus restroom is for number one only. Don’t poop on the bus.”
Justin wrapped his arm around my neck and made a peace sign when Charlie popped in front of us wielding his camera. “Cheese.”
“Hey, give me some warning. My mouth was open,” I groused.
“Don’t care! This is a paparazzi zone. Be prepared for candids at any moment,” Charlie singsonged.
Justin chuckled at my put-upon expression, then poked at my strap so my bag slipped off my shoulder. Did I mention that these guys were the brothers I never had? He stepped out of reach before I could retaliate.
“Don’t be cranky. You’re almost a celebrity. And to celebrate…you can have the window seat. I’m driving to San Diego with Gray.”
“Why?” I whipped my sunglasses off and scowled.
“We’re only going to see each other sporadically for the next month. Gray has work in his studio. He’s going to fly to a few shows, but he can’t bus it with us all over the southwest, and I want to spend some time with him. Sexy time.”
I cracked up at Charlie’s eye roll as I gave Justin a high five. “Fine. See you there.”
Charlie waited until Justin headed for Gray’s car before turning to me. “I need a favor. Will you sit with Dec on the way to San Diego?”
“Uh…”
“Not to alarm anyone, but we’re in damage-control mode,” he sighed dramatically.
“Wait. You just said we had great reviews.”
“You do, but I read one from a traditional review site. Everyone else is talking about that kiss.”
“Oh. Fuck.”
Charlie waved dismissively. “It’s okay. Maybe great, actually. So I’m thinking of dropping a hint that Jealousy and Zero are collaborating on a new song.”
“And you want to take photos of Dec and me…when Justin isn’t around,” I finished.
Charlie wrinkled his nose. “Yep. This is the shortest leg of the tour, and it’s a good photo op. I only need a few. You don’t even have to sit next to each other. The master suite has a big bed. I could do something cool with that shot.”
My eyes bugged out. “You want us in a bed?”
“With your clothes on…playing an instrument,” he added quickly. “No kissing. But…the concert photos drew a lot of love. We’ll have to keep that in mind later. What d’ya say?”
“Okay, but did you mention it to Dec?”
“Yes, he’s already on the bus.” Charlie pointed to the sleek black bus on the left and gave me a gentle shove. “Come with me.”
Tour buses came in all shapes and sizes. Some bands traveled around in RVs or repurposed school buses, while others drove themselves and their equipment to their shows. I’d always driven myself because until last summer, I’d never been in a band with aspirations as big as Zero’s. It wasn’t that my previous groups hadn’t wanted success…of course we did. We just didn’t know how to do it. And it was hard enough finding time to practice and work two regular jobs to pay rent. We considered ourselves lucky to live in LA where we might get some real exposure and ideally, a record label’s notice.
Charlie didn’t wait for luck. He made things happen. He wasn’t afraid to take financial risks. And let’s be real, a concert tour was a huge risk for a new band. It was expensive as hell to coordinate, and there was no guarantee that a month-long musical journey would make money. The exposure and the experience were priceless, but we’d be fortunate to break even.
But if we went belly-up, at least we’d do it in style. Two sleek sleeper buses with lounge areas, bunks and yes…a master suite. Holy crap. This was nice.
I hopped onto Jealousy’s bus and greeted the driver, pausing to give a couple of fist bumps to crew members as I sidled by Charlie on my way to the back. I heard him issuing instructions and figured I had a minute or two to spare. I knocked on the door to the suite, then jiggled the handle.
Declan slid the door open and flashed a wicked grin as he stepped aside. “Hey.”
I glanced over my shoulder to be sure no one was watching before dropping my bag on the floor and pressing a quick kiss on his mouth. Dec looped an arm around my neck and molded his lips to mine. I couldn’t resist him. He tasted too fucking sweet. I pulled him against me and thought about driving my tongue home, but my sense of preservation kicked in. Charlie was nearby, and the last thing anyone needed was a scene.