“Yeah, well, maybe I wouldn’t if you’d get that stick out of your ass.” He flashed me a shit-eating grin that made me want to throttle him as the other guys snickered at his comment.
“You know, maybe if I didn’t have to deal with all of your shit on top of everything else, I wouldn’t have a 'stick up my ass,' as you so eloquently put it. Shit, man, it’s always just fun and games with you since you’ve got your big brother to clean up all your damn messes and bail you out every time things go pear-shaped—which they always fucking do with you.”
His smile faded in an instant. I knew I shouldn’t have said that but I was pissed off, even though I knew I didn’t really have a legit reason to be. Maybe I didn’t like the fact that while I was busy working and keeping everything on track, he was back here goofing off and, above all else, hitting on Nalia.
“Owen, not cool, dude,” Jeremiah shook his head at me. I sighed and turned to go back to the front. “Seriously.”
“Whatever, just keep it the fuck down. I have to work.” I flung the curtain back and headed back toward the booth I’d been sitting in. Footsteps followed behind me, and I fully expected Talon to be on my ass. Instead, when I spun around to tell him I was sorry, I bumped into Nalia. The bus turned, and she fell against my chest before righting herself.
“You okay?” she asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Look, I just have a lot of stuff to do while they’re all having their fun, and to be honest, it's really frustrating.”
She offered me a sympathetic smile. “Let me help you with it. Maybe we can get it done quicker together.”
I didn’t want to make her work right now; I wanted her to get to relax some. But truth be told, I wanted her there with me, and I really could use some help, too, even if I didn’t want to admit it.
“Maybe. I guess I do have some phone calls that need to be made. You could help me with that while I get through these emails and marketing proofs.”
“Sure thing, boss.” She winked and scooted into the other side of the booth. At that moment, I wanted more than anything to kiss her. Not just for being helpful, but for how sexy and cute she was. But we weren’t alone, and I really did have a ton of work to do.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Nalia
I came out of the bathroom dressed much more comfortably in a pair of yoga pants and a t-shirt. It was getting late as the drive wore on, and everyone was starting to crash. Being on a bus so long really did take it out of you, even on a huge, luxury touring bus. A couple of the guys had already crawled into their bunks a little after midnight, but Talon and Jay were in the back playing video games and lounging. I didn't know how, but Talon just seemed to have energy for days. Nothing seemed to make that guy tired. I grabbed some snacks from the kitchen area and headed to the back of the bus to bring them to them.
Talon looked up when I pushed the curtain aside, and I tossed a bag of chips to each of them, and then took a seat next to Talon. They were playing Grand Theft Auto, and random explosions and sirens blasted out loudly from the flat screen TV. He paused the game and thanked me, tearing open his bag of chips.
“How are you doing back here?” I asked, still a little worried after his and Owen’s little fight earlier.
“I’m good,” he said, watching as Jay drove a tank around, crushing cars and gaining more stars in the game. “Owen just needs to chill. He’s always so serious. I mean, he kinda always was the more serious one, and I guess that's why we ended up doing so well—because of his focus and discipline—but he used to at least know how to have a little fun. Now, it seems like he's just permanently pissed off and stressed.”
“Well, he does have a lot on his plate with the record company,” I said in his defense. “But I think maybe as the tour progresses and he gets back on stage, he’ll loosen up a little more and enjoy himself.”
Talon gave me a curious look, and I wiped the smile off my face, but it was too late.
“Owen likes you, doesn’t he?” he asked. “That’s the real reason he was so pissy earlier. It was because you and I were laughing and carrying on.”
“I don’t know,” I dismissed his assumptions, even if it was impossible to hide anything when you were all stuck in a big, but still confining, bus together. “I think he was just stressed and worried with the tour just starting out and his business being left on its own without him at the helm, ya know? I mean, you guys all know just how important that record company is to him, and up to this point, he's never physically been away from it. There's a lot for him to worry about. Probably any laughter at that moment would have set him off.”
“Yeah, maybe you’re right,” he agreed, though I wasn’t sure he was buying it one hundred percent.
“So, are you excited about tomorrow night, or, rather tonight to be technical, since it’s well after midnight?” I asked, changing the subject from Owen and me. Even if there were anything going on, the two of us weren?
??t and wouldn’t be an item. Not for the duration of this tour, at least. Still, maybe Talon would flirt a little less if the thought was there.
“Yeah, I can’t wait for the show. It’s going to be great.” He smiled a broad, genuine smile that told me he really was a true performer; he lived for it. Well, that and the ladies, from what I’d heard. “It's been far too long since I've been on stage with these guys. Bleeding Heart really is the greatest thing that ever happened to me. I don't know what I'd do without this band.”
“Well, perhaps you should get some rest soon so you’re ready for a long day of prepping, don’t ya think?” I raised an eyebrow at him.
His smile turned mischievous. “Hmm, you and Owen make good tour moms. Trying to keep us acting responsibly, huh? Just wait till after the show tomorrow night. If you think playing video games is crazy, you ain’t seen nothing yet.”
“I know, I know. You told me those stories earlier.” I shook my head. “I’m about as prepared as I can be. Just, please, try and get some rest,” I encouraged him then got up and went over to Jay.
“How are you doing?” I asked. I wanted to make it a point to make sure each of the guys was in the right mindset and doing okay while on the tour and Jay, in particular, wasn’t much of a talker aside from when he was hanging out with Talon. Owen had told me they were best friends and that Jay was the one that had come to him when Talon wasn’t doing so well and suggested getting the band back together to help his brother get clean again.
Jay flashed me a shy smile, only glancing away from the game. “I’m doing all right. Excited about tonight, but not enough to sleep yet,” he winked, having overheard my little lecture to Talon. “Tell Owen not to worry, though; we’ll probably crash soon,” he said.