"How’s the ’Little Engine Who Could’ doing?" she asked.
"I think I can rock, I think I can rock..."
"You’re gonna be great," she said. "If you get lost, look to Vick and he’ll get you back on track. And rember to have fun."
I sighed. "I know you’ve been doing this all your life, but would it kill you to look at least a little bit nervous?"
"You kidding? I’m scared shitless," she whispered. "New tour. New songs. New . How could I not be?"
"For what it’s worth, you don’t look scared."
"No? What do I look like?"
There were a dozen ways I could describe lody, and every one of them would cross every line of professionalism.
I chose my words very carefully. "You look like you’re ready to take on the world."
lody’s smile made so fucking hot, roadies were gonna need to lay down yellow caution tape in between us.
lody
This guy was going to get under my skin if I wasn’t careful. When Harmony introduced him as Gill’s replacent, all I could see was a big, bad biker. But Courtland Nash spoke like he played. Soulfully and without a hint of unnecessary bullshit.
"Thanks everyone. We’re good to go," Vick called out to the band. "See you all at dinner."
"Dinner?" Train asked.
"Most nights, we have a big dinner for the band and crew. We travel with a chef who specializes in making gourt road food. Everyone’s welco."
"Wow, that sounds great," he said, but sothing in Train’s voice didn’t quite match up with his words.
"Oh, and if you have any guests just let Brandy know and she’ll arrange to have tickets for them at will call."
"Thanks," he said. "My only family is the club, and I can’t imagine any of those guys hitting up for tickets."
"What about your girlfriend?" I asked, instantly mortified that I’d asked.
Train grinned and shook his head. "Not at the mont."
"I...I...just figured. You know, because so of the other guys have girlfriends, and I just wanted to let you know that if you did have a girlfriend she could co to the show. For free, I an. If you had one, but you don’t. A girlfriend, that is."
What in the na of the Grinch Who Stole Christmas was I rambling about?
"Still no girlfriend."
"Cool. Well, I guess I’ll see you at dinner then." I turned and left the stage. My face and neck burning with red hot embarrassnt.
Why the hell did I ask him if he had a girlfriend?
I was set to take the stage in a matter of hours for my first tour in three years and this was where my dumb head was?
Jesus, I needed to get a grip.
Train
"Thanks, everyone! Goodnight," lody yelled, after her second encore. We were all standing with her at the front of the stage and gave one last bow, then followed her off to the left, the night having flashed by in an instant.
The show had felt like a fever dream. Most of the ti I was running on pure adrenaline and muscle mory. I was all at once hyper aware of the audience but also completely isolated from them. Most of the ti, I couldn’t even see their faces through the stage lights. Other tis, the crowd seed to move as one giant organism. Performing at this level was going to take so getting used to. lody was right. This was nothing like being shot out of a cannon. It was more like being launched into outer space.
"Oh my god, you guys were amazing," lody crooned as the sound guy helped her remove her in-ear monitors and pack. "Thank you for making the first show perfect."
She hugged all of us and then we continued back toward the dressing rooms. We all expected lody to head to her private dressing room, but she stuck close to as I followed the rest of the band toward the green room.
"You’re coming with us?" I asked. I’d been advised that lody would disappear to her dressing room, change, then imdiately head to her bus alone, or with Brandy, to decompress without the band and it was typical that we wouldn’t see her until the next day. So the fact she was walking down the hall with now was not what I expected.
She smiled. "Yeah. Got a surprise for you."
Before I could ask what the surprise was, I walked into the room to find several of my club brothers letting out a series of hoots and hollers, along with applause, just as Harmony rushed to her sister and pulled her in for a hug.
"Oh my god, sissy, that was amazing."
lody laughed, hugging her back. "It was super fun."
Hatch pulled in for a brotherly hug and then Maisie wrapped her arms around for a little longer before cupping my face. "Goodness, love, I knew you could play, but you are so very talented."
I grinned. "Thanks, sweetheart."
Flea and Grace were next in the welcoming committee, and they spent a few minutes congratulating before hanging back with Hatch and Maisie, leaving alone with lody.
"Did you plan all of this before the show?" I asked.
"Of course."
"You didn’t want to fill in?"
She chuckled. "You said you didn’t have anyone you wanted passes for, and I knew that couldn’t be true, so I called my sister. It’s obvious this is your family and if anyone knows how important family is, it’s ." She t my eyes. "They’re there for your wins just as much as your fails and this is most definitely a huge win, Train. They deserve to be here for you just as much as you deserve them to be here. It’s been a phenonal night. You played your ass off. I sang my ass off. Your family is aweso. My family is aweso. I’m logging this win and calling it a night."
Jesus, she was so fucking beautiful.
I smiled. "Thanks, lody. You did great tonight. It really was kind of amazing."
She squeezed my arm gently, then walked away.
After hugging her sister and Jaxon, she said goodnight to everyone, then she and Brandy left the room and I suddenly felt like sothing was missing.
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