Hollywood Princess (Hollywood Royalty 2)

“I’m all ears.” Cori turns to go back to the kitchen and starts cleaning up things.

“Chick-fil-A.” I smile big at her. “Like the five hundred-piece bites.” I nod my head. “That would be amazing.”

“Okay, well, I’ll put that on my list for next time.” Cori turns and grabs another bottle of water and gives it to me. “Drink. Now, I know how you get after the shows, but I’m about dead on my feet,” she tells me, knowing that I can’t sleep after the show.

“Go to bed and don’t worry about me.” I cut into the chicken that looks like rubber. I’m sure it tastes great, but it’s not Chick-fil-A. Cori looks at me and then turns to look at Brian.

“I hid all the knives, so no matter how mad you get at her, she can’t shank you, but she does have forks.” She smiles and walks away, and I watch Brian tilt his head back and laugh out loud. His laughter fills the room, settling me for some odd reason, and it bothers me.

“Don’t laugh.” I look at him, putting a piece of chicken in my mouth and then pointing my fork at him. I see Trisha come out of the back room, and Jackie goes into the bathroom. Trisha goes to the kitchen, opens the fridge, and then she starts moving things around. “If you are looking for Chick-fil-A, there is none.” Trisha laughs while grabbing a pizza pocket and throwing it in the microwave.

“This woman and her Chick-fil-A,” Trisha says, grabbing two water bottles from the fridge and a bag of chips. When the microwave beeps, she grabs her food and walks to her bunk, getting in and closing the curtain.

“Welcome to the most anti-social bus of life,” I say between bites. “You’ll get used to it.”

“Does this happen all the time?” he asks me, looking to see Jackie come out of the back room and just go to her bed. She is going to crash and then wake up in four hours starving.

“Yeah.” I stand, taking my plate to the sink and washing it. “The girls usually just crash.”

“What about you?” I look at him while I dry the plate in my hand. “Do you just crash?”

“No.” I shake my head as I walk over to the couch. Sitting down, I curl my feet under me, then reach out and grab the remote. “I am usually too wired after a show. So I stay up watching movies all night long or until I crash.” The television turns on, and I flip on Netflix and start a movie.

“Do you mind that I’m here?” he asks me softly, my eyes going to his as we look into each other’s eyes. He’s still the most handsome man I’ve ever seen, but I don’t say anything in case my mouth decides to give me word vomit. “I’m going to go change, and I’ll be back.”

I don’t say anything. Instead, I watch him walk to his bunk, then squat down, grabbing his bag and taking out a change of clothes. He saunters to the back, and I continue to watch him, then listen as he enters the bathroom and turns on the shower two seconds later. “You are so creepy,” I say to myself. Opening the drawer under the couch, I grab a pillow and place it in the middle of the couch, giving him enough room to sit if he comes back. Lying down, I throw my legs over the arm of the couch and let them hang. I listen to him come out and go to his bunk, and I have no idea what is going to happen. When I hear his footsteps come closer, I look at him and quickly look back at the screen. “I can move if you don’t have enough space,” I say quietly. His hair is still wet, little droplets lingering on the ends, and his jogging pants hang low on his hips. He sits next to me, and the scent of his body wash envelops me. My eyes don’t move off the television while he stretches his legs out in front of him. My eyes get heavier and heavier. I’ve never crashed so early after a show. I feel warmth over me, but my eyes are so heavy, and I just sink into the blackness.

The hissing is what wakes me up, and my eyes slowly come into focus. I’m on the tour bus couch where I dozed off, but my head is now on Brian’s lap. Turned on my side now, I have my brown blanket draped at my waist. “I know you’re up.” I hear him and then look up at him. “Can you please get up?” he hisses, and I push up to my side, holding myself up with my hand. The blanket falls, and my robe now hangs open. I grab the cover and bring it to my chest while he walks into the back of the bus, climbing into his bunk and shutting his curtain. I hear laughter coming from the table, and I see Jackie sitting there.