How will I have room on the bus for all the shoes I’ll need?
Grabbing my phone, I call Cami and wait a couple of rings before she picks up.
“Yo, gurrrl.” She drags it out comically. “What’s up?”
“I’m having a crisis,” I blurt out.
She giggles at me. “What seems to be the problem, miss?”
“The bus isn’t big enough for all the shoes I need to bring with me,” I whine.
The burst of laughter on the other end helps to settle my own nerves, and I start laughing like a maniac with her.
“Okay,” she says as she stops laughing. “First of all, calm down. We’re not all crammed into one tour bus. Sound Bar is huge, and this is a six-month gig, so we’ll travel in style.
“There’ll be six buses. The crew members are unfortunately the ones who are the most cramped on one bus. Sound Bar has two buses and Fireflies has two buses. You and Katelyn will be on the other one. They each have two bedrooms, two and half baths, a sliding extension, a small kitchen, and every amenity you can possibly think of.
“All of our instruments will be in a pull-behind trailer, except an acoustic guitar if you want to keep it with you to write songs along the way. Sometimes we’ll all ride together on one bus. But when it comes time to get some sleep, we’ll all split up and be comfortable. You’ll have plenty of room for your shoes.”
I exhale a heavy sigh of relief. “Cami, I don’t know that I can do this trip without your help. Especially since I’m just now learning that I’ll be on the bus alone with Katelyn. She hates me.”
“You have me and the other girls to help you anytime,” Cami says sincerely. “Katelyn doesn’t hate you. She’s just jealous of you.”
“Why would she be jealous of me? That’s crazy.”
“For one, because Travis was willing to leave his label, and his manager, to sign with you. And two, because she’s in love with Travis, and he’s clearly not interested in her. She doesn’t like the attention you get from him.”
“She’s known him longer than I have, so she knows how he is. She should know that we’re just friends. There’s no reason to be jealous of me,” I reply, obviously confused by this revelation.
“You really have no clue, do you?” she asks, but there’s no sarcasm in her tone.
“About what?”
“Andi, it’s not my place to say anything about this. Just be careful with the‘gods of rock.’Travis is the most wanted man in the world right now, and he knows it. That super inflates the egos, and men like him forget that they’re still human. They’re also used to getting whatever they want. Anything out of their reach is a challenge, and these guys will win at all costs.”
“Thanks for the word of warning, Cami. I’m just not sure how it pertains to me.”
“You’ll find out soon enough, Andi. Just remember what I said,” she says, leaving me as puzzled as ever.
We talk about other things I should be prepared for on the tour for a while before I finally let her hang up. Part of that is because I’m now dreading the trip I have to make to the store. I can only imagine the looks I’ll get when I buy six months’ worth of tampons and feminine products. Not embarrassing at all.
* * *
My nerves are all frayedand crazy as I approach the massive buses with Sound Bar’s logo custom-painted on the side. There’s no hiding who we are with these vehicles that would rival any eighteen-wheeler’s size. We are riding in huge, moving billboards—marketing on wheels at its finest.
One of the crew members rushes to help me with my luggage. Katie brought me today and she’s been my rock. Even when I wanted her to turn around and take me back home, she told me to grow a pair and get over it. She’s so right.
The roadie takes my luggage and my acoustic guitar to my bus, and I follow him to check out the inside. I’ve always wondered what they looked like for the big stars who still use tour buses instead of flying to every location. As soon as I step inside, I understand exactly what Cami tried to describe to me. This isn’t a bus—this is an elegant home on wheels.
The slider is fully extended while the buses are parked, giving much more space than the Greyhound Bus I pictured in my mind. The floors in the main living area are slate tile, the walls are tongue and groove wood, and the couches are soft, supple leather. The compact kitchen has every appliance and amenity I have at home. The small refrigerator and all the cabinets are fully stocked with every type of food I could ask for.
Walking toward the back of the bus, I pass the small half bath before I come to the first bedroom door, where the roadie left my things. I’m amazed to find it’s expertly decorated with deep, rich reds, browns, and a cream accent. The bedroom has a large closet, plenty of room for all my shoes, and a small sitting area. Behind another door is a full bathroom.
Maybe this won’t be so bad after all.
Stowing my purse, I rush back out to finish my exploration of the bus. Not expecting anyone else to be on the bus yet, I’m not paying attention when I fly into the hallway—and right into Travis. The collision is so unexpected that I don’t have time to catch myself as I bounce off of him.
Bending at the waist, he wraps his arms securely around me and pulls me into his chest, saving me from hitting the floor. We’re both shocked beyond words and stand motionless for several seconds, his arms locked around my waist, my arms locked around his neck, and both of us breathing heavily.
