Hard Freak

I put my food down on the table, Crow adding my burger to the pile. Then I pulled up a chair.

“We should get something to eat,” Rose said, standing up. “I’m famished.”

She and Elijah left. Elijah gave me a sly wink on his way out.

Crow got up to follow them.

“You don’t have to run away from me,” I said.

“I’m not running.”

“You’re running. Sit down and eat. Surely, we can spend a few minutes together. We’re in a semi-public place.”

He grinned and sat down on the sofa. I sat at the table. We didn’t talk because my mouth was full of food, and Crow didn’t talk much anyway.

“The burger isn’t as good as the tacos,” I said eventually.

“Damn, I didn’t get a taco.”

“We could go back and get one,” I said.

“Nah, I’ll give it a miss,” he said, rubbing his stomach.

I’d forgotten that his pre-show nerves could upset his stomach.

I took a gulp of my drink. We were talking like normal people. That had to be good. That easiness we’d had between us had vanished, though. I worried over every word, not wanting another “leave me alone” lecture. I didn’t need to hear that again.

“This band is pretty shit,” I said, wanting to say something.

We could hear them from back here. The strains of music weren’t as loud as out front but still clear.

“I guess we’re not in the best spot to hear them, but, yeah, they’re shit.”

I laughed. So did Crow.

“What are Damo and the others doing?”

“Damo’s being his usual control freak self. Fartstard and the others are tailing him. I’m not sure if it’s to help him or get him out of trouble if he pushes too hard.”

I nodded. I was about to mention how awesome it’d be to play to a crowd this size, but I figured that wouldn’t help with the nerves.

“How did you get here?” he asked. “Damo said you couldn’t have caught the train.”

I gulped. He wouldn’t be happy when I told him, but I couldn’t lie.

“I hitchhiked.”

He leaned forward, his eyes crinkling in a very non-sexy way. “What? Fay, no.”

“It was okay. I got a lift with this awesome chick. Carrie. She was fun.”

“It could’ve ended badly,” he said.

“I know. I was almost going to run back to the hotel when I got to the highway, but she pulled up, and I figured I’d be safe with another chick.”

He nodded. “You’re too impetuous.”

“I’ve been told that before.” Then I looked up at him, and I couldn’t stop myself from smiling. His mouth twitched a little, then he smiled too.

That smile hit me fair in the stomach. He knew how to take a girl’s breath away.

Before I could get too giddy over smiles, Elijah and Rose arrived back.

“Still got your clothes on, Fay? That’s good to see,” Elijah said with a grin.

I’d have thrown the rest of my burger at him, but I didn’t want to waste it. That wasn’t even funny.

“Still got all your teeth. That won’t last long if you don’t keep your mouth shut,” I told him.

He laughed. “You’d need a stepladder to punch me.”

“Stop teasing,” Rose said. “I’m sure Fay’s sick of it all.” Then she turned to me. “We got you a crepe.”

“This is why you’re my favorite person on this tour,” I said, taking the crepe from her. “Choco banana, my favorite, too.”

Then Damo and the others came back.

“Thirty minutes and we’re on,” Damo said. “We’d better start making a move.”

Fartstard looked at my crepe. “Where do you put all that food?” he asked. “You eat a ton every day, and you’re still tiny.”

“Maybe because I’m not weighed down by my fat, betraying heart,” I told him.

He walked off in a huff, but he had totally deserved that. And that was only the start of my revenge plan. My crepe tasted all the sweeter for that sick burn on Fartstard.

The guys got ready to go onstage.

“Let’s watch together,” Rose said. “I’m glad I’m not alone.”