“You’re trouble, Travis Malone,” she finally speaks.
“Why am I trouble?”
“Because you use that smile to get out of trouble, to make others forget what they were thinking, and even worse—you know it.”
“My smile got me out of trouble?” I ask, amused.
“Don’t even. You know damn well what you were doing. Like a charming little boy who gets in trouble but knows how to play his unsuspecting mom with a smile and a kiss on the cheek.” She shakes her head, but she’s still smiling.
“So you think I’m charming? I did smile, but I didn’t get to try the kiss on the cheek thing. Thanks for the tip. I’ll have to use that next time I ‘get in trouble’ with you,” I reply, air quoting the words she used.
She narrows her eyes at me in mock offense. “Are you making fun of me?”
“Never. I would be far too afraid to make fun of a woman who knows how to throw a real punch.” I hold my hands up in surrender.
“Yeah, you just remember that. Pop taught me everything I need to know,” she boasts, flexing her feminine muscles.
Cami and the girls finish their set, and it’s time for Sound Bar to rehearse. We stand as Cami approaches us, her smile covering her pretty face. “Being up there is always so awesome! Even with just these few people out there, I can still picture the place packed and everyone singing along to our songs.”
“You sounded awesome,” Andi compliments her.
“Thanks, sis,” she says, throwing her arm around Andi’s shoulders, and they begin walking away from me.
“Travis, you’re up,” Katelyn says from behind me.
“Yeah, okay.”
Taking the stage feels like reuniting with an old friend after a long absence. It feels like home, but it’s also the ultimate rush. Mike, Kale, and Drew warm up their instruments while I warm up my voice. When we start our set, we are on fire. Working like a well-oiled machine, we’re in time and in tune with each other. We are all so ready and so stoked for this tour that we’d be willing to skip Christmas at home.
The set flies by and suddenly we’re at the place where Andi joins me for our duets. I can’t wait to perform these songs in front of live audiences before they’re ever released as singles. The sensual, seductive nature of the lyrics will drive the crowds wild and also give me an excuse to play up the words with Andi.
As she makes her way up the stairs, I try to play it cool, but when Kale catches my eye, his smirk tells me that I’m transparent as hell. If it’s so obvious to everyone else, I decide to start playing it up as much as possible. Either she’ll get the hint or she’ll think I’m kidding, but I’ll get a real reaction from her either way.
“We have a special treat for you tonight,” I say to the pretend audience. “Miss Andi Morgan will now join me for two unreleased songs. Everyone welcome Andi back to the stage!”
Cami, Leslie, Jada, and Crystal all clap and scream like crazy fans when Andi picks up her microphone. Katelyn is less enthusiastic.
“Thank you for the warm welcome!” Andi laughs.
“This first song is called ‘Just Lie.’”
The more we sing this song, the more emotions we pour into it, and the more real it feels. My band mates give me shit over Andi, but this is the first time I’ve had real feelings for someone. Passing flings, infatuations, one-night stands, and short-term relationship trials are all I’ve known. The road really isn’t the best place for a real relationship.
My band and I have been doing this for a long time now. Playing in dive bars, parties, college campus parties, and whatever other gigs we could get until we made a name for ourselves. Someone from one of our shows videoed us with a phone, uploaded it to the Internet, and it went viral. Building our own online cult following before signing with a label helped us to negotiate the best possible contract.
After signing, our popularity exploded beyond our wildest imaginations—and our imagination is pretty fucking wild. We’re all in our later twenties, so our first couple of tours consisted of nonstop parties, nonstop girls, and nonstop drinking. Backstage passes were reserved for the best of the band groupies.
It’s amazing how perspectives change after the right person walks into the picture. As we stand toe-to-toe and eye-to-eye singing this sensual love song, I consciously fight to keep my hands to myself. The urge to touch her is incredible. The need to kiss her is unbearable. The desire to make her mine is unmistakable.
I get that she’s with Luke and that they’re engaged. But I’m completely in love her, and I don’t want to love her from afar. There’s no way this feeling is one-sided. Listening to the words she sings, the feelings behind them, and the look in her eyes, my resolve is firm.
After our Christmas break is over, I’m telling her exactly how I feel. If that results in a fight with Luke, so be it. I’ll fight tooth and nail for her.
My only rule in fighting is this: there’s no such thing as a fair fight.
