“Not sure. I’ll check in a minute.”
“Excuse me.” I squeezed past Micah, suddenly too curious about that bus to remain a mute spectator. I’d heard about bands’ touring buses and everything that goes on in them. I’d never personally set foot on one.
They’d shut off the engine, but the door was left open, so I climbed in, expecting to find a decadent sex cave. Maybe it needed a few rock stars to transform it into something more than a glorified mobile home. I’d been on the normal kind of buses, with the carpet-covered seats paired two-by-two to the back. I wasn’t expecting anything like that. I was still surprised by black-and-white diamond lamination on the floor. Leather sofas ran along either wall facing tables fixed to chrome poles. Farther in, a flat-screen TV graced the back wall.
“Layla?” Shane stuck his head around the front divider and stepped in.
“Just checking out your digs. Not too shabby.”
He rolled his eyes. “Not for a short trip maybe. Thankfully, we’ve got hotels every night this week.”
I pictured the parties in those hotel rooms, the groupies, the sex. “Will you call me while you’re gone?”
He moved closer and slid his hand around my back. “Every chance I get. You won’t find it annoying?”
“Maybe avoid work hours?” I could just imagine Gabe’s look if I sat at my desk, flirting over the phone. “After you’re done performing, you could tell me about the show?”
His breath tickled my ear. “Or I could tell you what I’d rather be doing.”
“Break it up, you two.” Fucking Noah had arrived. “Shane, say your goodbyes. We need to hit the road.”
I turned my attention back to Shane. He wore a short-sleeved Henley with the first three buttons undone, and I peeled it open to take a gander at his chest. “I’m gonna miss this.”
He dragged me into a bear hug. “You could come with us.”
“Stop. I have to earn some money.”
“So, grab a train and come up to Boston Friday.”
“To the festival?”
“Why not? You could hang backstage. You wouldn’t have to fight the crowds. Think about it.”
I wanted to. Backstage . . . My God, that sounded amazing. “I don’t know. My boss was already mad I missed a day last week.” Not to mention, Adam had invited me to his rehearsal on Friday.
“Just think about it. Maybe it will work out.”
Micah climbed up the steps. “Are we just waiting on Rick? Oh, hey Layla. Did you decide to come with us?”
The image before me—three of the band members from Theater of the Absurd—standing in their tour bus suddenly struck me as surreal. This had never even been anything I’d ever fantasized about. Backstage, sure. Tour bus? Never. It was so crazy, the awe snuck up on me.
“Let me get a picture of you guys before I go. I can add it to my blog post. I bet fans eat up this kind of stuff.”
It might have been my imagination, but I could have sworn Noah rolled his eyes. Micah said, “Yeah, sure. We’re not going anywhere until Rick gets here anyway.”
Shane joined them as I got out my phone, praying the lighting would cooperate. “Say cheese!”
Not a single one of them said cheese. Noah brooded. Micah flashed his normal perfect smile. But Shane gave me bedroom eyes and sexy-times lips. I exhaled wishing we could be alone on that bus for a few minutes. I snapped a bunch of pictures in quick succession, planning to find the one that flattered Shane the most and use that one. I had no doubt that anyone who hadn’t noticed how hot he was wouldn’t miss it in those pictures.
“Got it! Thanks!” I tucked my phone away, then glanced around awkwardly. I had no further reason to be there. “I guess I’ll just—”
Shane took my hand and led me off the bus where he pressed me up against the side and kissed me like we were in private. I relaxed into him, wishing I could stay with him the rest of the day, then stay in his hotel the rest of the night. But it wasn’t meant to be.
Rick chose that moment to appear. “Come on. We’ve got to be in Albany by six if we want time to check sound.”
The bus started up with a raucous rumbling.
Shane placed a foot on the first step. “I’ll call you later.”
