Page 56 of Naughty Dreams
The bandmates kept jamming on cover requests. DJ took with good grace the ones that didn’t work well with his vocal talents, laughing at himself. Eventually, they abandoned the game and instead played whatever suited their mood. DJ did a hell of a job with Matchbox Twenty’s “If You're Gone,” and “Iris” by the Goo Goo Dolls. The band rocked out “Odds Are" by Bare Naked Ladies.
It couldn’t help but affect Roy. DJ had been right. He was as relaxed as he ever got on a job, the ride allowing him the rare indulgence to watch, listen and learn about DJ’s needs and wants, likes and dislikes.
Like raspberry Tootsie Pops.
CHAPTER NINE
Roy might have been surprised to know DJ was doing the exact same thing. Joan Baez, how crazy was that? And the connection to the mother he’d discussed with DJ was another nice reveal.
He wondered who Roy listened to on his off time. No matter who his favorites were, he probably had strictly assigned roles for the music in his life. Workout music, unwinding music, go to sleep music. Brush his teeth music.
He glanced down at the Tootsie Pop. Roy picked up on nuances and details for security reasons, while DJ did it to write his songs. Had Roy noticed the change in Tal’s expression when he chided all of them, and yet offered them the candy? A kid didn’t have to have had a father to have the yearning for one.
Yeah, Roy definitely had a “Who’s Your Daddy” thing. When they did “Bad Guy” by the Interrupters, DJ couldn’t resist giving Roy a side eye as he promised he could take control, and DJ would be his animal.
Those steel gray eyes, the tightening of his lips and set of his jaw were a deliberate echo of the face he’d shown DJ in the live room. A Master’s secret warning, reminding him to behave. DJ missed a chord.
Fortunately, no one caught it because on the “tough guy” part, Tal pointed at Roy, left the bunk and started jumping around like a gorilla. Roy rolled his eyes at him.
“Okay, one more,” DJ said. “Otherwise I’m not going to have a voice for the next show, and the fans are way more important than you lot. Except for Lonnie, of course. And by the way, you keep skipping your turn. Times up.” DJ dipped the headstock of his guitar at her. “What would you like to hear?”
“Ben E. King’s ‘Stand By Me’ is one of my favorites.” She leaned against Steve’s side, his arm resting around her back, hand curved over her hip. Since she had her skinny legs across his lap, his other arm lay upon them. Two people in love and wanting to be tangled together whenever the opportunity presented itself. DJ knew the feeling.
Steve raised a brow when DJ didn’t respond right away. “Going to let my girl down?”
“Never. But…” DJ tapped his thumb on the bridge. The strings hummed. “That song works best under a sky full of stars, with lots of open space all around.”
She looked enchanted, and Steve snorted. “He spouts that shit and women melt. It’d be annoying if he did it on purpose.”
Tal bounced back up onto the bunk and bent forward in his seated position, the heel of one of his swinging feet bouncing off Pete’s face. When the bassist shoved at his calf, Tal bent over to make a face at him, then tilted it toward DJ, a grinning clown. “Sounds like you found the reservation info in my bag. Who’s up for an overnight camping trip?”
Pete eyed him. “Man, what are you smoking today?”
Tal straightened with a satisfied look. “I rented a campground about fifty miles this side of where we’re going. I know you like your quiet spaces, DJ. And after that shooting shit, I thought you might want a break. It’s got a bunch of cabins with indoor plumbing, cable and a pool.”
“Water slide?” Pete asked.
“You know it.” The grin came back. “We’ll give up tonight’s pricey hotel rooms to our techs already on site doing set up. Since Moss didn’t schedule any promo for us before the concert, I figured we could squeeze in the break.”
“Did you think about letting security know?”
Roy’s cool tone brought a pause to the enthusiastic responses. “Don’t get your shorts in a bunch, Roy,” Tal said. “The only one who knew the plan and location was me. I’m not an idiot. It was a surprise for everyone. The staff prepares the spot for guests in advance, but they’re not there. It will just be us.”
He turned to Steve, Pete and DJ, his expression becoming more earnest. “Next week is the anniversary of our first gig together.”
“Did you use your own name when you made the reservation?” Roy asked.
Tal shot him an irritated look. “I used Moss’s agency name. Most people don’t know that kind of shit.”
“Most isn’t everyone. And anyone with an internet connection knows Atlanta is your next show.”
Tal bristled. “Doesn’t your job description include being ready for the unexpected? You got a problem having to work a little fucking harder to earn what DJ’s paying you from his own pocket?”
“Zed, stop the bus,” DJ said.
The driver glanced at the wall of trees passing by. “We’re in the middle of nowhere.”
“That works. Find a good shoulder.”
