“Oh my God, can I have two seconds without someone up my butt?” I snap.
Alvin chuckles. “I’m thrilled Chaser’s broadening your horizons, Mallory, but I actually need to talk to this bonehead.”
“Sorry.” I wave my hand toward the living room. “I wasn’t expecting that last night.”
Chaser stretches out on the bed, tucking his hands behind his head. “What time do we need to be there?”
“Eleven.”
“Be where?” I ask.
“We’re doing an in-store record signing at All Ears Music store up in Union. Thom added it to our schedule last minute,” Alvin explains.
“I can’t believe I forgot.” Chaser groans and rubs his hands over his face again. “I always wanted to do a signing there.”
“Looks like you were busy.” Alvin drops down on the bed and shakes Chaser’s leg. “Have fun with your psycho buddy?”
Chaser sits up and in a hushed voice explains, “You have no idea the shit I had to listen to last night.”
“I can guess.” Alvin gestures toward the door. “I heard him screaming her name up and down the hallway. In desperation, not passion.”
I giggle-snort into my hand and Alvin winks at me.
“Thanks for coming out and helping,” Chaser says.
Alvin grins at him. “You seemed to have it handled. So, what happened? She find out about one of his groupies?”
Chaser’s mouth twists as he fights off his laughter. “I can’t…” When he finally has control, he explains the events.
Alvin falls over in a fit of giggles and promptly rolls off the bed, landing on the floor with a thud. “You’re making that up.”
Chaser nudges Alvin’s butt with the toe of his boot. “I can’t make that shit up, bro.”
Like a child unhappy about being called on to provide an answer for the whole class, I raise my hand. “Unfortunately, I can confirm. It was red lipstick.”
Someone knocks on the door and pushes it open. Garrett sweeps his gaze over the three of us. “Damn, thought you were having a party in here.” He glances over his shoulder. “Jacob took Pamela down to his room to “console” her.”
“Fucking great,” Alvin mutters. “Just what we need.”
“Thank fuck this tour’s almost over,” Chaser adds.
“Ah, Thom wants to talk to us about the possibility of another tour after we finish the album,” Garrett informs us.
Another tour? More time away from Chaser?
Our gazes collide but he quickly looks away. “Headlining? Opening? What are we talking about?”
That’s so not the question I hoped he’d ask.
Chapter Eleven
Chaser
Robbie guides our tour bus down the narrow city street toward All Ears Music. Mallory shifts in her seat and stares out the window. I’m not sure if it’s hanging with the guys or finding out I might be going right back out on the road, but something in Mallory’s attitude has deflated since we left the hotel.
“Damn, look at all those fuckers,” Garrett peers out the window, drawing our attention. At the moment they’re neatly lined up, waiting to get inside but as we pass, half the line breaks and they rush around the side of the building to follow the bus.
“Are you sure I should even be here?” Mallory asks, watching the kids trailing after us. “I’m not a member of the band.”
“You’re an honorary member for life.” Alvin pats her leg and she smiles at him.
Robbie has to stop to make the turn for the narrow alleyway, giving the kids a chance to surround the bus, screaming and banging on the doors.
“Damn.” Alvin whistles, staring out the window. “You got this, Robbie?”
“I think so.” He pounds on the horn a few times and the kids back off.
Slowly, we roll down the alleyway and into the record store’s parking lot. Once we’re through, two guys in black and yellow polo shirts slide a massive chain link gate closed.
“Phew.” Robbie roughs his palm over the back of his head. “That was intense.”
As the tour progressed, the poor guy went from acting as our bodyguard to being our bus driver, security, and gofer. He definitely needs a pay raise if we’re going back out on tour.
“Let me make sure no one’s gonna mob you guys before you get off the bus,” he says, hefting himself out of the driver’s chair.
“Thanks,” Alvin says.
“Think Jacob will make it on time?” I ask Garrett.
“When is he ever on time?”
Ever the helpful gentleman, Jacob offered to take a taxi to the airport with Pamela