Beat

I’ve never been a morning person. I might rise at the ass crack of dawn, but that doesn’t mean I look forward to being awake. Most days after my eyes see the first rays of daylight, I pull the blanket over my head and try my damnedest to go back to sleep.

But not today. I’m looking forward to having coffee. At six in the morning. And the fucked-up thing is, I wish I were back on the bus. I’ve come to look forward to seeing those thin little shirts that Lucky wears to bed. Chances are, she’s going to cover up before heading downstairs to the lobby for her coffee.

I throw on a pair of sweats, t-shirt, knit hat and some sunglasses to shield my identity as much as I can. Word got out that Easy Ryder was staying at this hotel, and last night the place was flooded with groupies when Mick and I came back from di

Despite the fact that Lucky had just casually mentioned that the lobby lounge serves coffee begi

I grab a newspaper and begin to flip through to kill time. Then my eyes catch a pair of pink-painted toes in flip-flops. I don’t know why, but it’s in this moment that I realize, I’m fucked.

The sight of her toes makes me smile.

I’m falling for another guy’s girl. Something I promised myself I’d never do.

But then I reason with myself. I haven’t done anything wrong. Thinking a woman is beautiful and spending time with her doesn’t have to turn into anything, right? They’re just toes after all. But look how cute they are. I’ve never been a foot guy, yet I wouldn’t mind sucking… Stop. Just stop. We’re just friends.

Because I’ve been friends with so many hot women in the past and not fucked them? Yep. I’m screwed. I need to get the hell out of here.

“Good morning,” she whispers and smiles down at me. My eyes lazily travel up from her toes.

I’m totally not going anywhere.

I hold up her mug of coffee. And then I realize she still has the thin shirt she wears to sleep on and I’m eye-level with the sexiest taut nipples I’ve ever seen.

Screw sucking her toes… “Certainly is.” I grin.

We spend nearly three hours in the lobby lounge, drinking coffee and turning the pairs of words for my song into so

My phone buzzes as I step from the shower. The face flashing on the screen makes me smile. I wrap a towel around my waist and answer it before it goes to voicemail.

“Hello.”

“Hi, Uncle Si

“Hi, beautiful. How are you?”

Laney spends the next five minutes telling me all the songs she learned on her new karaoke machine. Lady Gaga, One Direction, Taylor Swift. My sister’s music taste is like mine—rock, blues, a little Joh

By the time Laney decides to hand the phone to her mother, I’m pretty sure my niece must be tinted a lovely shade of blue. Not one pause for a breath in five minutes. My sister needs to introduce commas and periods to our little princess.

Bec and I catch up. The last time we talked, I didn’t even have all the details about filling in for Linc yet. “So, when do I get to meet her?”

“Who?”

“The girl you’re crazy about.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You sound normal. The only time you sound normal is when there’s a woman you’re trying to impress.”

“Normal? What the hell does that even mean?”

“Are there any women in your room right now?”

“No.”

“Did you go to sleep before midnight?”

“Yeah. I was wiped out.”

“Look around the room, are there empty beer cans all over?”

I scan the room. Not one. “No.”

“Have you showered already today?”

“Yes.”

“Normal. You’re acting like a regular person instead of a rockstar.”

“Whatever, Bec. I’m just trying to make a good impression with the new band, that’s all.”

“What are you doing now?” My sister is a bloodhound. If she thinks I’m hiding something, she doesn’t stop sniffing until she finds it.

“I’m going to meet my voice coach and head over to the arena to work on some things.”

“Is your voice coach a woman?”

“Yes.”

“What’s her name?”

“Lucky. Why?”

“The same Lucky you had Laney dedicate a song to?” she says with a tone that tells me she thinks she’s figured out the puzzle she’s been trying to solve.

“You need to get a life, Bec. You spend way too much time analyzing me.” And, shit, you know me so well.

“That’s actually why I was calling. I went through the tour schedule that you emailed, and I was thinking maybe we could fly out for the Austin show next week. I’ve been promising Alana that we’d come to visit, and since Professor Douchebag gave me a decent-size guilt check instead of coming to his own daughter’s birthday party, I have some extra cash.”

I love that I have even her calling her ex Professor Douchebag. “That would be great. We’re there for three nights, and one of the days is a big festival. I’ll book a suite at the hotel they put us up at.”

“Laney is going to be so excited. You can get us tickets to the show, right?”

“Sure.”

“Will Lucky still be there?”

“I think so. Why?”

“Because I’m looking forward to meeting her.”

“Good-bye, Bec,” I say in a warning tone.

“Good-bye, Fly

The blond manager is slightly less aggressive when we arrive at the arena today. Although, she does mention she’ll be at the show tonight if I need anything. Her smile makes it clear that anything includes fucking. I already tossed her card in the garbage when I emptied my pants pockets yesterday.

“So, you wa

“I was thinking. I don’t think I should skip step five. What if step five is critical to my overall success and I fail after going through all this work, just because of poor neglected step five?” She’s teasing, but it’s obvious there’s real fear in her voice.

“You’re going to be fine. I’ll be right here with you.” I put my hands on her shoulders and speak into her eyes, trying to reassure her.