While she knew she had talent, she really didn't think anyone would care to listen to her music. That's why she got so nervous before each performance. She'd never share it with anyone, but she expected the audience to leave and wonder what they were doing there in the first place. Once she could look out at the crowd from the stage, she could see them swaying and connecting with her music and she becameconfident.
Looking around for Jordan, she spotted Kat sitting on a table with a group of people around her. Lucky thought she looked like a queen with her court as she looked down from her perch ateveryone.
"Lucky! Get your ass over here!" Kat waved her hand high intheair.
As Lucky approached, two of Kat's group turned around. It was Ross and one of his friends from Philadelphia. Ross was cute as usual in a pale yellow polo with the band around the sleeves hugging his muscular arms and a pair of worn jeans that hugged just the right spots. With his short dark hair and everything about him looking perfect, Lucky couldn't help but think he looked like he stepped out of a clothingcommercial.
"It's my lucky day! Hey there, beautiful! You put on a great show. Was that Jude Morrison behind the kit?" Rossasked.
"Thanks and yeah, thatwashim."
Lucky looked around for Jude, hoping she could think of an excuse to talk to him and get away from Ross, Kat, and her adoring fans. She spotted him walking towards one of the exits with a girl hanging on each of his arms. Her heart sank a little as she thought about whatJordansaid.
She hoped Jude's reputation wasn't real, but it looked like it was. Lucky didn't know how she'd manage seeing that for an entire tour, no matter how short a touritwas.
"You remember Mark, right? He and I are following your tour,"Rosssaid.
Ross's voice brought her back and she looked at Mark, who looked like a clone of Ross except withlighterhair.
"Oh hi, yes, I remember Mark," Lucky lied as she looked down the hall Jude was in with the two girls, but they were gone. "Wait a second, you're doing what? Following the tour?Whattour?"
"Ours, silly," Kat said. "I think we should invite them on the bus. It's only two of them, and I bet they'd make the trip so much more fun. What do you say, Lucky? You know youwantto."
Lucky stared at Kat blankly. She couldn't process that these guys were following her tour and would be wherever they performed. It didn't make sense to her, but even as she tried to figure it out, she couldn't get her mind off of Jude and those twogirls.
"The group is going bar hopping tonight, Lucky. You have to come along. Remember, you still owe me a kiss," Ross whispered inherear.
She winced as Ross's alcohol breath reached her. After meeting Jude, the last thing she wanted to do was kiss Ross. He was definitely cute before, but now not so much. And especially not after seeing Jude inperson.
"No, not tonight," she said. "Maybe another time. I'm pretty beat, so I'm going to thehotel."
She quickly grabbed her messenger bag, knowing the crew would pack up everything else, and walked out the exit door she saw Jude heading towards. No one was outside. The hum of the bus filled the air and she thought about how she preferred the smell of oil and exhaust to Ross's stinkybreath.
Thinking Jude might have taken the girls into the bus, she summoned up all her courage and got on. The back room door was closed. She hadn't seen it yet, but she heard it had a bed. As she walked to the back, she tried to talk herself out of it. This was crazy. What was she doing? She had just met the man and now she was acting like a jealousgirlfriend.
Her mind raced. What could he be doing with two girls? Did people actually do that? Throwing the door open, she stepped inside expecting to catch them doing something, but the roomwasdark.
As she turned on the light, she felt all her adrenaline leave her. She hated how Jude made her feel and she hated that he couldn't keep it in hispants.
She sat on the bed, which took up most of the room, and punched a pillow. Just the fact that there really was a bed in the bus filled her with rage. As tears filled her eyes, she heard someone climb the steps ontothebus.
"Oh, I didn't expect to see you, Lucky,"Stansaid.
Stan was an elderly man with more life and kick in him than people half his age. He was small and almost frail in appearance, with a thick Southernaccent.
While he appeared unassuming, Stan was not a man to mess with. Growing up in the inner city, he was picked on for his size and learned how to fight in order to protect himself. Fighting was something he didn't have to do once people turned to him for protection. His standing joke was that he was stronger and just as stubborn asamule.
"Sorry Stan, I was just…looking for someone,"shesaid.
Smiling, he joined Lucky in the back of the bus. For as long as Stan could remember, he drove tour buses for some of the biggest and smallest acts in rock 'n' roll. He had seenitall.
"Jude decided to walk back to the hotel. It's just a few blocks from here,"Stansaid.
"I didn't say I was lookingforhim."
"And I never said I was the bus driver, Ijustam."
He had a twinkle in his eye that Lucky couldn't get mad at. Stan patted her on the back beforestanding.
