Chapter Four
Abel
I didn’t sleep much last night with thoughts of Deb and Gia racing through my head. My thoughts of Deb always made me melancholy, but when I thought about Gia, I smiled. Smiled so much my damn jaw hurt.
She was in so far over her head, but I loved her spirit. She gave as much as she took. That would get her a long way with this group.
When I arrived at the buses, she was standing there holding at least a dozen bags. The crew was lined up in front of her.
“I’ve got ham and cheese, ham and cheese with egg, cheese and egg, plain and sausage.”
Toby the bass player called out, “I’ve got a sausage for you.”
She stepped out of the line and handed him a bag. “Perfect, then it’s a plain bagel for you.”
“But I wanted—”
“Want in one hand and stick your sausage in the other. Next time mind your manners and you might get a choice.”
Toby walked away murmuring something about the trouble with prickly women.
The rest of the crew fell in line. They weren’t used to being treated this well. Usually they showed up to a box of granola bars and a case of canned orange juice.
The last man filed past Gia.
“Anything left for me?” I let my eyes float over her body. She was back in black. This time jeans and a button down shirt that hid too much of what I was certain would be beautiful breasts.
“What do you want?” She held up two bags.
“Do we need to clarify that again?”
“Eat,” she huffed out. “What do you want to eat?”
A smile took over my face. I loved seeing her get flustered. Maybe having a babysitter wouldn’t be so bad.
“You offering, baby?”
She shoved a bag into my chest. “No sausage for you either.”
She walked toward the band bus. I reached out and grabbed her. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“All the help travels in that bus.”
I looked over her shoulder at the band. I didn’t like the way they were looking at her. Not that they’d do anything, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to share her with anyone.
“You got my mail sorted?”
She straightened her shoulders and stood tall. “I already told you I’m efficient. It’s sorted and on the table in your bus.”
“You’ve been on my bus?”
“Yes. It’s a nice bus. I’ve set things up to make your life easier.”
One of the reasons I traveled alone was because I liked things the way I liked them. “What did you do?”
“Stop worrying and take a look.”
I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and walked her to my bus. The boys in the band hooted and hollered until I flipped them off.