the staff were talking to each other. “You like the tour so far?” He turned and looked at her. “I mean you’ve been in the bus for the most part so haven’t really gotten the backstage concert experience.” He grinned, as if being backstage was where all the action happened.
But Tanner supposed that was an experience vastly different from being on the main floor and seeing them perform.
“I like it, although it’s keeping me busy.” She pointed to the computer.
“You’re doing great.” He grinned at her.
“You guys are performing at…” She was drawing a blank on the venue even though she had heard them talk about it for the last few days.
“Quicken Loans.” Five answered for her.
“Yeah, that’s right. Sorry. I guess I have my mind occupied with the graphics.”
He sat on the bed, but his attention was still out the window. “When we hit Cleveland, you need to let loose and enjoy the shows.” Five shifted so he could lean against the wall. “It’s going to be fucking awesome, Tanner.”
Before she could answer she heard the bus door open and then a very feminine voice speaking. Five had left the bedroom door open, and she leaned to the side so she could see out into the hallway.
She could see Laura walking up the front steps. She was fanning her face like she was hot. Matty and Jacks followed behind her, and Moe, the band’s manager, was right behind them.
“Thank you boys so much. It’s like the sun got to me.” There was this sickly sweet quality to Laura’s voice, and Tanner couldn’t help but roll her eyes.
“Damn girl, sheath those claws in.”
She looked over at Five and flipped him off.
He started laughing and held up his hands in surrender. “Hey now, I ain’t trying to go after your man.”
She glanced back out in the hallway again and saw Laura sitting on the couch, right across from Beats, but the drummer had headphones on and had a drumstick in each hand. He seemed oblivious to everything else as he tapped out a song on the table right in front of him. “I probably seem so petty, right?” She was still staring at Laura, and although she had barely spoken ten words to the other woman since she had joined the band, she just couldn’t shake off this very nasty vibe she got from her.
“Nah, Laura is totally trying to hook up with Jacks again.”
She stared at Five and lifted a brow. “Again?” She shouldn’t care, because what he had done before she had come back into his life was none of her business, and they had just made things official—kind of—a week ago.
But, of course she was jealous. That woman had screwed Jacks. Tanner loved him, so of course she was going to be pissed when his past lovers were right there in her face.
Five snapped his mouth shut. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
She shrugged, trying to play it off like she didn’t care, but of course she did. “It doesn’t matter.” The look Five gave her told her that he didn’t buy what she said.
“Okayyy.” He dragged that word out and was nodding his head in a very sarcastic way.
“Shut up.” She lightly hit him in the shoulder, but grinned. Tanner looked at her hands that she realized were twisting together in her lap as if they had a mind of their own. “So, ugh, were they like serious, or was it just sex?” Yeah, she totally had to be a masochist, but she wasn’t about to ask Jacks this and seem like this jealous girl when they were in this good place right now.
Besides, Five didn’t have a filter, and he probably would have spilled the beans sooner or later.
He shrugged and looked away from her to where Laura was sitting. “It was just one time I think. But I don’t think Laura realizes it was just sex.”
Tanner looked out into the hallway once more. Laura was still sitting in the same spot, but it was very clear that she was staring at Jacks, who was just on the other side of the couch and talking to Moe. “No, I don’t think she got the memo, but maybe I should give it to her personally.” Tanner hadn’t meant to say that out loud, but when Five started chuckling she felt her cheeks heat. God, she sounded ridiculous. “I feel stupid being upset.” That was the nice thing about being friends with someone, or more than one in