Hot Southern Mess (Hide Your Crazy) (7 page)

I was about to experience life on the road with rock stars. Could it get any better than this?

“Fuck you both, Man,” Reid snarled, turning on his heels and stomping for the back of the bus.

This was going to be an adventure to say the least.

Chapter 7: Not now vagina.

It wasn’t like the couches on the bus were not comfy; it’s just that they were couches. I’ve always struggled with sleep my entire life. My brain goes five million miles an hour and even when I try to turn it off it doesn’t work. Counting sheep was useless, considering once I reached an obscene amount of sheep, I started adding things into the mix. Five hundred and nine sheep, seven elephants, two mallard ducks, and one tiny bitch dog, oh and don’t forget the E-I-E-I-O part, too. Then it became a task of trying to remember what I was adding, and well, fuck sleep at that point. So there I sat, staring out the large tinted windows, watching as the highway rolled on by, alone. The guys had gone back to their bunks some time ago, and that left me with the bus driver, who didn’t speak a word to me. Now would be the perfect time to pick away at Simon, but of course he went on the bus I was supposed to be on. Imagine that.

Softly a melody overtook my mind, and I quietly started to place a few words here and there along the chorus line.
How easily I could get lost in music, letting the rest of the world drown out and the melodies take me away. It was music for my soul, therapy for my mind, and lyrics to help heal my heart.

“Can’t sleep?” Reid questioned, throwing himself down on the couch across from me.

Startled by his words my body jolted from my musical daze. Hearing his voice at two a.m. was not something I was prepared to face. This man turned my world upside down and inside out. He was so complicated one moment, and then, just a simple man the very next second. It’s that vulnerability that makes him so damn irresistible, even the strongest of characters wouldn’t be able to deny his charm.

“I don’t sleep much
, anyway.” I shrugged my shoulders, pulling my legs up to my chest. There was something about his eyes that I just couldn’t shake. At that moment, I felt like he could look into my soul; see all the secrets and struggles I battled with daily on display. But for some reason, even with the feeling that I was naked, a calming sense rang through the air.

“What were you singing?”

“Oh, nothing. Just some words.” Music was my safe haven, and sharing that with him scared the shit out of me.

Reid nodded his head and glanced out the window, letting the silence fill the d
ark bus once again. It was completely weird how much sexual tension I harbored for this man. He was a rock god, and with that came a status. Fuck, he basically dry humped that blonde bimbo in the parking lot earlier, and I knew that was a tamer version of what happened earlier that night. Even knowing that this man had women at his beck and call, a simple word ushered and women dropped their drawers and opened their mouths, and I still wanted him. My girly bits were okay with being used and abused by this man, but my heart and mind said hold up. Reid was nothing but a walking heartbreak waiting to happen. Might as well save myself some pain and just burry the feeling deep down inside. If that doesn’t work, I can always beat it with a shovel. Let’s just dig this hole and get it over with.

"So how do you like the new job?” Reid questioned, turning his attention back at me.

“It’s great, not really what I expected, but great.” So much for beating myself with a shovel.

“What do you mean? Do you not want to be here with me?” His brows scrunched as he questioned my comment, causing his hair to dip further into his eyes.

“No I want to be here with you, I mean the band. I want to be on the road with the band; I just didn’t think applying for a PA position entitled me to travel with one of the hottest rock bands on the market right now.” I knew my face had taken on a fantastic shade of red as I quickly looked back out the window and mentally cursed my betraying body.

“So you think we are one of the hottest bands right now,” Reid taunted, lickin
g his lips slowly and methodically. He knew what he was doing, how the smallest of movements could send a woman into a working tizzy.

I rolled my eyes and fought back the urge to tackle that man. Even his cockiness at times was sexy, considering I wanted to beat him the other fifty percent of the time.

“Look, you guys know you are good, otherwise you wouldn’t be selling gazillion of albums, and partaking in this massive tour. Of course I think you are good; I’m not deaf you know.”

Reid mumbled something and let a smirk creep across his face. The sexiness was
gone; all I wanted to do was smack this man across his smug little face right now. It was crazy how fast he could flip a switch with me, and the little bastard knew exactly how to do it.

“My intention wasn’t to make you mad
, Molly Anne,” Reid apologized, leaning forward and resting his forearms against his thighs.

I let out a small sigh
then just shook my head. This man pushed buttons I didn’t even think were possible.

“That’s the second time you called me Molly Anne,” I said softly.

“Well that’s your name, right? You have this southern charm that radiates out of you. Molly is too simple for a girl like you.”

“Like me?” I questioned.

“There is something very innocent about the way you conduct yourself. I don’t see that much anymore.” Reid gave me a soft smile that melted my heart on the spot. Apparently beating myself into submission wasn’t going to work so well.

“Goodnight
, Molly Anne.” Reid nodded.

“Goodnight
, Reid.”

“Hey, Sleeping Beauty, wake up!” Brody shouted, jumping next to me on the couch. Groaning, I slowly opened my eyes, letting the light poison my irises.

“Coffee?”
Ryder asked, standing over in the galley next to a Keurig.

“Please,” my voice rumbles. Sitting up, I stretched my body from th
e apparently awkward position I crashed in.

“Sugar or cream?”

“Black, just black.” I sighed, running my hands through my hair to try and tame it into some sort of obedience. Pulling the sweatshirt over my head, I felt a rush of the morning air swarm around my skin.

“Look at Molly and her little girly little piercing,” Brody teased, reaching out and swiping his finger over my dangling belly button ring.

Note to self, remember to wear longer shirts around these guys.

“
I was going to say something witty and funny when you said black, but then got distracted by you pulling off your sweatshirt and shit,” Ryder confessed, handing the cup of hot goodness over.

“You guys are ridiculous.”

“Be thankful we like ya. Normally, women don’t make it past the first town we come to on the drive. We might actually let you hang with us for a little while.” Tysen laughed, flopping himself on the other couch.

“That and you seem to irritate Reid for some reason. Shit, that’s totally worth sharing a bus with a girl,” Ryder snorted.

“Well I won’t be invading your space again, boys. I have my own bunk on the other bus. Had you all been on time last night, I would have been able to sleep there.” I rolled my eyes and sank back into the couch, sipping on the liquid gold in my cup.

“Sure, I see the way you look at Reid. You want a piece of his beef stick, don’t try and deny it,” Brody laughed.

Coffee sprang from my mouth as I tried not to choke on the remainder that slid down my throat.

Ryder Smirked, “busted
.”

“Next thing you know there will be bobby pins in the bathroom and healthy shit in the fridge. It’s only a matter of time,” Brody joked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively at me.

“You are all nuts, you know that?” I comment, wiping the coffee up from my chin.

“Yeah
, well, you’ll get use to us. We are one big dysfunctional family,” Ryder added.

“Dysfunctional? Please
, player, my shit is always working,” Brody stated suggestively.

“Of course it is
, buddy, as long as you continue to take your medication,” I commented back, patting the top of his thigh.

Brody scrunched his face and gave the middle finger to the guys. This was the perfect little dysfunctional family I always wanted.

I tried to straighten out my appearance the best I possibly could with no supplies
, or clothes for that fact, but in the end I still looked like a hot mess. My hair was only partially straight and most of the makeup I had on yesterday was smudged underneath my eyes. I knew once we got to the venue Stephanie would be waiting for me to do her errands and such, but hopefully I could sneak away for a few minutes to change my clothes and pull myself together.

“Hey, we are pulling into the arena,” Reid’s voice came through the thin bathroom door.

“Oh okay,” I mumbled, sliding open the door. Reid’s eyes raked up and down over my body, stopping suddenly at my bare midriff. I have always been confident of my body. Even with my itty bitties, I knew I looked good. But for some reason, once again this man made me want to slam the bathroom door and stay hidden until everyone exited this bus.

“I’ve got to get my shoes…………”

“Yeah, sorry,” Reid’s voice came suddenly as he stepped back in the small hallway.

Wrapping my arms around my waist, I scampered to th
e front of the bus, fighting the urge to turn around and look at the man behind me.

“
Looks like some fine pickings tonight, boys,” Brody purred, drooling at the sight of women surrounding the arena.

“Pig,” I muttered,

“Nothing wrong with a little roll in the mud, darling.”

“Seriously
, Brody? That is so disgusting.”

“Oink, oink.”

Rolling my eyes, I braced my hands onto the counter as we pulled into the parking lot. The bus shifted as we went over a speed bump, causing my uncoordinated body to flail about. Suddenly, a pair of arms were wrapped around my waist, steading me on my feet.

“Hey, I got you,” Reid’s voice whispered behind me.

“And I thought chivalry was dead,” I replied quietly.

Reid let out a small laugh and released the hold around my waist
, instantly sending a cold chill down my spine. Glancing over my shoulder, I smiled at the man standing next to me.

With his free hands, Reid smacked my ass and let a grin spread across his lips
. “Oh it’s dead Molly Anne, but for some reason when I’m with you, something makes me want to resurrect it.”

Something had to give between us, or I might self-combust from sheer adulterous lust.

I hurried the boys off the bus and into the arena, and then scampered over to the other bus, desperate for a change of clothes and my toothbrush. Punching in the code to get onto the bus, I hurried over to my bunk and tore through a small bag I left there last night. Thankfully, I put a clean pair of jeans and a simple black tank top in the bag, as I refused to walk around tonight in my black skinnies and a crop top. I wasn’t a groupie and didn’t want anyone to confuse me with those sluts.

Swiftly
, I plastered another layer of makeup on my face and raked the toothbrush over my teeth for a few minutes. There wasn’t much I could do for my already wrecked hair, thus throwing it up into a short stubby ponytail was my only option; placing a few bobby pins on the sides to keep some of the shorter pieces back.

Apparentl
y I didn’t pack any clean socks. Refusing to put on last night’s again, I grabbed my black flip flops from my bag and raced out the door. Looking at my cell, I realized it only took ten minutes to make myself somewhat presentable. Hopefully, Stephanie wouldn’t be looking for me yet.

Flashing my badge to get in backstage, I wandered the hallway looking for Stephanie. It was still shocking to see how many people it took to put on this show, not to mention how they managed to pull it off night after night on this level.

“Hey Tiny, have you seen Stephanie?” I yelled down the hallway.

“Yeah
, she is in with Political Downfall,” he hollered back, pointing to a closed door down the way a little bit.

“Thanks,”
I waved back and headed for the door. I was about to reach for the handle, when the door suddenly flew open.

“Where have you been? I have to deal with a couple
things; can you handle the situation in there?” Stephanie questioned, still holding her cell phone up to her ear. I could tell she was irritated; it didn’t take a rocket scientist to realize this woman’s mood swings.

“Uh……….sure?”

Stephanie waved me off and stormed down the hallway, shouting at the pour soul on the other end of the line. She was the type of woman you didn’t cross, and if for some reason you ended up on her bad side, you basically sold what remaining parts of your already blackened soul to the devil to get out of it.

Sticking my head in the door was like walking into the gates of hell. Shouting, screaming, and I think that was a beer bottle that just flew across the room.
This is going to blow balls.

“Hey,” I shouted loudly into the room, hoping to get the attention of the pissed off and testosterone filled man chil
dren flailing about. The four man band didn’t even acknowledge my presence as they continued to throw the obvious temper tantrum happening.