The Rocker's Muse

“Well, then it’s about time I did.”

I looked over to the back corner. Emily was reading a book, but she closed it when she spotted me.

“Excuse me,” I said as I moved toward the rear to talk to her.

Guess I hadn’t wasted much time getting to why I was really here. I could sense everyone’s eyes on me as I took a seat next to Emily.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, seeming genuinely surprised.

Fuck it. “Feel like taking a ride with me? Getting a bite to eat before we have to leave Minnesota?”

“It’s late, and we’re taking off soon. So no.”

I checked the time on my phone. “We have over an hour.”

“I don’t feel like going out. It’s cold.”

Rejection wasn’t something I was used to, but the fact that she didn’t jump made me like her even more. Fuck. I was screwed. “You’re right. It’s cold as balls out there. I don’t blame you.”

“You could’ve asked one of those groupies who got on your bus tonight to go out with you,” she said, her tone almost bitter.

Ah. “You noticed them, huh?”

“Yeah. I notice them almost every night.”

Maybe she was being standoffish because she was annoyed with the groupie situation, rather than general ambivalence about seeing me. That gave me a little hope, even if I shouldn’t have cared.

“What do you think goes on in there with them?” I asked.

She shook her head. “I don’t want to know.”

“It’s not always what you think.”

“Oh, really?” She raised a brow. “What…are you playing Monopoly with them? You expect me to believe there’s anything going on in that bus besides the obvious—”

“That’s part of the reason I came over here. I wasn’t into it and needed to escape.”

She tilted her head. “You weren’t into tonight’s particular selection of girls, you mean?”

“No. Megan Fox could’ve walked in, but I wasn’t in the mood tonight.”

“Even I wouldn’t turn down Megan Fox.” She finally cracked a smile.

I chuckled, loving her comeback. And loving the visual of Megan Fox and Emily that flashed through my mind.

“Good to know you swing both ways.” I winked.

“Well, I don’t typically. But you know…there are always exceptions.” She picked some lint off her shirt. “So you left the groupies on the bus to come see me? Why?”

“I’m not into you like that,” I assured her. “I just wanted to say hello.”

“I’m no Megan Fox. I get it.” She rolled her eyes. “Thanks for the compliment.”

I felt myself sweating. Why the fuck had I said that? I cleared my throat and attempted damage control. “I meant I don’t have ulterior motives.” I looked around the bus, noticing a few eyes still on me from up front. “It’s actually way better over here. Calmer. You think they’d let me switch buses permanently?” I teased.

“I wouldn’t want you here,” she said.

My eyes widened. “Why not?”