Page 44 of The Roadie
“What do you think of the West Coast?” Cam asked. “Drastically different, huh?”
“Very. I, personally, think I’m very polite, but I’ve been called rude more times than I can count.”
“They’re just not used to East Coast honesty. People are more filtered here. I used to constantly remind myself to think before I blurted out something that might sound offensive. I guess it made me a nicer person. And everything moves at a slower pace here.” He sighed and his shoulders relaxed. “It was a welcomed change. I needed that. We take the time to enjoy life out here.Reallyenjoy it. I think the weather helps,” he explained. “It really puts a smile on my face to see that sun shining every day.” He guffawed. “I can’t believe I used to dredge through the ice and snow just to get to the subway. Then ride nose to nose with strangers who’ve never heard of toothpaste and mouthwash.”
She laughed. Then noted that he was drinking champagne, like her, instead of beer or a mixed drink like mostly everyone else in the room. She was about to mention that they shared the same palate, when Alan Delgado and Jeremy Kagan barged into their little group.
Bulletproof’s drummer and bassist roughed up Brett in a hug, which turned into some friendly wrestling that caused a small circle to open up around them. Brandon stepped away from them and rejoined his husband with an arm around Cam’s shoulder. With Brandon’s long wild hair and rock star persona and Cam’s clean-cut corporate look, the two looked like total opposites, and she imagined that their personalities reflected that. But they made an extremely attractive couple and fit together perfectly.
“Did my guy convince you to move out to California yet?” Brandon asked.
Kira opened her mouth, but nothing came out.Had Brett been telling his friends that he wants me to move to the West Coast?
“Not only do we have sunshine year-round,” Brandon continued. “We have some of the most beautiful beaches in America. Has Brett taken you surfing yet?”
Cam whipped his head in Brandon’s direction. “There was a shark sighted in Newport Beach the other day! Surfing is dangerous, Bran. Don’t encourage it.”
“Thank you!” Kira clinked her glass against Cam’s. “I tried to tell that to Brett in Miami. About the sharks. I guess these Cali boys have no fear of the water.”
“He wanted to take you surfing inMiami?” Cam shook his head from side to side. “No. No. No. Just no.”
Brandon chuckled and wrapped his arm tighter around Cam’s neck. He tried to pull him in for a kiss, but Cam backed up. They had a little standoff that was more erotic than aggressive, and Kira found herself watching with heated fascination as they tugged on each other’s shirts and shared a forceful kiss.
Brett returned to Kira’s side and took her hand. “Do you want to catch the opening band?”
She looked around the room at the crowd of people headbanging, dancing on tabletops, laughing, drinking, and having a good time. There were the obvious celebrities in the mix, but some were star-struck fans, evidenced by the VIP lanyards around their necks. She loved that they gaped at their idols with eyes filled with wonder and awe. It had been years since Kira had been at a backstage party of this caliber, and it was exactly where she wanted to be. “No. I think I want to stay here and enjoy the fun.”
“Fuck yeah!” Derek, who obviously finished his tabletop performance, slung his arm around Kira’s shoulder and gave her an over-friendly side hug that made some of her champagne spill onto the floor. “She’s one of us now, bruh!” he shouted. “And we ain’t giving her back!” He snapped his fingers in the air. “We need more food and drinks!” Three servers immediately surrounded them – two with alcohol and one with appetizers. Derek stuffed a bunch of bite-size meatballs into his mouth and took a bottle of beer. “Drink up,” he told her. “You guys got here late. You gotta catch up.”
She laughed at his over-exuberant personality, downed her champagne and took another glass from the server’s tray.
Ninety minutes and several glasses of champagne later, Kira and Brett stood at the side of the stage while Bulletproof blew the roof off the Staples Center. Maybe because Jimmy and Mason were drummers, or because the drum riser was directly in Kira’s sightline, but whatever the reason, she couldn’t take her eyes off of Alan Delgado. He was the only member of the band with short hair, which was probably a drummer thing, so that made him stand out right off the bat. But the way he pounded those double bass drums made her feel as if her ribcage was about to explode from the vibrations pounding inside of her chest, and she was riveted.
Jeremy suddenly jumped onto the drum riser facing Alan. He jutted his hips forward as he thumped out a deep and thunderous bassline. The moment the two made eye contact, an energy passed between them and they fed off each other’s talent. It was as if no one else was on stage and they were connected by the rhythm.
Bulletproof was loud, and the music was hardcore. Kira had so much energy coursing through her she couldn’t stand still and bounced on her heels. She raised her arm and pumped her fist in the air and accidentally knocked some guy’s cowboy hat off his head. “I’m sorry!” she yelled over the music, picking up the hat. She held it out to the man next to her and froze. “Oh my God. You’re Travis Fontana.”
“That’s me.” He took the hat from her, ran his hand over his spikey platinum blond hair and stuffed it on his head. “You must be Brett’s chick. Kira, right?”
He knew her name.
“Yep,” Brett answered, before she had a chance to reply. “This is Kira.” His eyes sparkled as they grazed over her. “Isn’t she beautiful?”
“She sure is.” Travis Fontana took her hand and kissed it. “Nice to meet you. Brett’s said so many nice things about you.”
Her heart fluttered at the way Brett had talked to everyone about her in the week that they’d been back from the tour. “Thank you. It’s a pleasure to finally meet the nation’s biggest country music star.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet the number one A&R executive in America.”
Her ego soared at the compliment.
“That’s my girl,” Brett slipped his arms around her waist and kissed her cheek.
His girl.It was silly that those two little words sent chills down her spine, but they did.
“And that’smyguy.” Travis pointed to Derek MacAlister, folded his arms across his chest and stared at Derek with a broad smile and stars in his eyes.
Derek was on his knees at the apron with his kilt fanned around him. He whipped his hair all over the place as he delivered a soul-rendering aggressive riff on the guitar.
