Songbird (7 page)

“You’re babbling, Songbird.” Nicholas tossed
the empty ice cream cup and picked up a second one.

“You’re going to get sick if you eat all
those without eating a meal first,” I chided lightly. Grabbing his
plate from the table I held it out.

“You going to feed me too?” He lifted a
brow.

I didn’t sigh, but it was a close call. Why
was he so much like my brother, Benjamin? I picked up the fork,
dipped into the loaded potato and held it out. “Do you want the
airplane noise too?”

“Do you make good airplane noises?”

I sighed. “Yes or no, Walker.”

He studied me. “You’d do it. If I asked.”

“Walker.”

“No.” He leaned forward and took the potatoes
off the fork. He chewed and swallowed. “These don’t taste like fast
food.”

I held out another forkful. “As long as it’s
good what’s it matter?”

“Touché.” He took the plate and began to feed
himself.

Score. Me—one. Nicholas—zero. I reached
around him and picked up the ice cream.

“What are you doing with that?” he asked and
reached for the tray. I pulled it out of arm’s length.

“Putting it in the freezer so it doesn’t melt
before you can eat it,” I replied and nudged him to step to the
side with my hip so I could get into the under counter fridge.

“Oh.” He stepped aside and watched as I
safely put his ice cream away.

With that accomplished I studied the near
empty plates one the table. “You guys ready for coffee?”

I received a chorus of yes, and please.

“You haven’t eaten yet.” Nicholas stated.
“Your food is going to get cold.”

“Perks of the job.” The kitchenette was not
big enough for me to work around him. “Sit down and eat so I can
make this coffee.”

“I’d like a cup too. Please,” he mumbled
around a mouthful of food. “And thanks for the food and ice
cream.”

“Sure. Sit.”

Score. Me—two. Nicholas—zero.

He moved to the booth and sat next to Arc. I
could feel his eyes follow me around the tiny space and did my best
to ignore it. His stare hadn’t bothered me before. Much.

“You’re still not eating,” Nicholas commented
after being served coffee and eating another Blizzard.

“I will.” Probably. When I had time. Hunger
and I were friends and I wasn’t bothered with the sensation. Thank
you, teen years.

“Sit. Eat.” Nicholas stood, grabbed my arm
and yanked me down into the booth. “Do you need me to feed
you?”

“No. I can eat. I just need to check on
Charlie and Doug. They’re supposed to be switching off and we
should be moving in a few more minutes.” I tried to pull away and
Nicholas held onto my arm and shifted us so I was sitting in
between his legs. He pulled my plate across the table.

“Eat. The almighty schedule will survive if
you take a few minutes and eat.”

Self-control wasn’t seriously high on my list
of virtues. When his breath tickled my ear, I needed every drop I
had to keep my body still. I would not shudder. I would not react.
I would not melt into a puddle of hormones and demand a private
meal of something else entirely.

“He’s not going to let you up until you eat.”
Max pushed a bottle of water across the tabletop. “Might as well
humor him.”

“Fine.” With move violence than the act
warranted, I speared my salad and munched. Trying to eat without
taking my eye off the clock was pointless, as it was determined to
mock me. We had ten minutes to get back on the road and neither
Doug nor Charlie had reappeared.

“What are you eating?” Nicholas leaned over
my shoulder. “Looks like rabbit food.”

“Salad generally gets that reaction from
people,” I replied and filled my mouth before I could whimper from
the hard press of his chest against my back.

“Why are you eating salad?” He sounded
genuinely confused.

I swallowed before answering, “Because it’s
healthy?”

“So is meat.”

“Look.” I held up the fork’s newest victim.
“It’s chicken.”

“Barely. Why not a burger?”

“Jesus, Nick.” Guy kicked at him and narrowly
avoided my leg. “Let her eat. You can play twenty questions when
she’s done. Your biggest bitch of the evening was her not eating,
but she can’t do that if she’s answering all your damn
questions.”

“It’s okay.” I pushed the salad away. “I’m
kind of full anyway.” Not really. I hated salad but ate it because
I knew in a town like Nashville I was already considered fat. No
point in getting fatter.

“You only ate like three bites.” Nicholas
moved a hand to my waist when I tried to stand. “That’s not
enough.”

“I’m full. Tiny stomach.” I pulled—attempted
to pull—out of his grasp. “Walker, really.”

“Do you have an eating disorder?”

“What?” I had to turn and look to see if he
was for real. The turn, of course brought us way too close in the
confined space and I could see the amber halo in his eyes clearly.
I pretended not to notice his eyes briefly dip to my mouth before
coming back to lock on mine.

“Are you anorexic?” His grip was firm when I
once again lost the tug to be free.

“No, of course not.” I didn’t have a
disorder. Exactly. I was comfortable on half full.

“Then eat the rest of your food.” Nicholas’s
hand tightened. “Or you don’t get up from the table.”

“My God. You’re making a big deal out of
nothing. Let me up.” I struggled but he was bigger and most
definitely stronger.

“You know.” Arc caught both our attentions.
“I don’t remember seeing you eat breakfast.”

I froze. Had I eaten breakfast? I had to
think about it. I had a muffin in my kitchen before leaving the
house.

“Stilts didn’t grab any snacks on the gas
break.” Max reclined in his seat. “I remember since I went in with
her. She didn’t pick up anything for herself.”

“She didn’t order herself lunch, either.” Guy
shrugged when I glared at him. “I went in with her that time.”

“So you do have a disorder.” Nicholas stated.
Was that annoyance in his tone?

“No. I don’t. When I’m busy, I forget to eat.
That’s all. I don’t intentionally skip meals and I don’t throw up
my food.” I put a hand against his chest and pushed. Nothing
happened and he smirked.

“You have not eaten two meals today and
you’ve only partially eaten the third.” Nicholas shifted so he held
me tighter and pulled my salad back across the table in front of
us. “Eat. Or I will make airplane noises for you.”

I sighed and picked up my fork.

Score. Me—two. Nicholas—one. Dammit.

Rain fell in a nasty, cold drizzle as we
drove into Seattle. The clouds blocked the setting sun and did
nothing for the cabin fever of my bus mates. I couldn’t fault them
for wanting to get off the bus and into hotel rooms.

I wanted a quiet room where I wouldn’t
accidentally see more body parts than was polite and a comfortable
bed that I may actually be able to sleep in without waking in cold
sweat at three am. In such tight quarters, with six men changing
clothes and going to the loo, I’d seen more naked chests, legs, and
asses in the past two days than I cared to. Nicholas seemed to be
the most modest of them but I had gotten that eye full in
Nashville. And while I promised myself I wouldn’t judge, secretly,
Nicholas had the best body—with Arc in a close second.

“We should go out, get some drinks.” Nicholas
stretched his legs out and made a show of his restlessness.

“We should not. We should go to bed, because
someone has a radio show at seven in the morning.” I ignored his
legs and stepped over them to check on the overnight bags for the
hotel suites.

He sighed. “Seven? Whose idea was that?”

I grimaced. “Ezra’s. He’d already made the
schedule when he hired me. We’re both stuck, pal.”

“I need a drink and a few hours to unwind.”
Nicholas crossed his arms and put on a really good pout. “Would be
nice to get to know the opening band. They’re really
dolls
you know?”

“You can order drinks from your room. It’ll
be comped on the bill. The opening band has set up strict clauses
in their contract to tour with you. Unwind how?” I asked and when
he gave me a quick grin and eye roll I sighed. “Blonde, brunette or
redhead?”

He stared. “What?”

“I’m asking you if you’d like me to find you
a companion to end your evening with.” I held my face completely
benign. If I didn’t find something or someone to entertain him he
was bound to get into trouble and likely find the opening band to
commit that trouble with. Not something I wanted. This was the
lesser of two evils. “Well. Yes or no?”

He lifted a brow in challenge. “Blonde.
Taller than you, and stacked.”

I kept my disgusted snort internal.
“Age?”

“Legal.”

“Fan or has no idea who you are?” I was
deliberate in the careful notes on my phone.

“Whatever you can find.”

I nodded with a smile. “Let me get you into
your room. Promise me you’ll stay there and I’ll bring a…” I
trailed off, my lips twisting with sarcasm. “
Companion
by.”

His grin was a smirk. “You won’t do it. You
have too much class.”

I leveled a bland stare at him. “Wait and
see.” If there was one thing I never backed down from was a dare.
Spoken or otherwise implied.

I wasn’t sure if he was testing me or not,
but I was going to deliver.

The bus pulled up and a man that could be
mistaken for beach bum, stepped up to the door. As I walked out
carrying my bag, he immediately started tossing out information,
and I recognized his voice from the phone call yesterday. This had
to be Obi. He hustled us into the lobby handing over all the
paperwork as well as the room keys. Obi seemed like a nice enough
guy—for a whirlwind, I mean.

Once I got the room keys from Obi and the
band into their rooms, I stood in the hall contemplating the
easiest and fastest way simply to find a groupie.

“Ma’am?”

I turned to the very large black man in a
suit. I blinked once, because physics stated he shouldn’t be able
to move as quietly as he did.

“Yes?”

“I’m Henry. Head of security.”

I shook his hand and considered. “Henry, I
need someone posted here to make sure Nicholas stays in his
room.”

His grin was quick and mischievous. “Been
told about that, huh?”

“Do you know where I can find a car? I need
to run out to the venue. Have the fans started lining up yet?”

“I’ve got my car,” Henry pulled out a phone
and started texting. “I can drive you over to the venue. And yeah,
the fans are lined up down the block already.”

“Perfect. I want to check in with Jimmy and
then I have an order to fill for Nicholas.”

Nicholas would understand that the music came
first. He had said so himself on the bus only hours before. His
dick could wait a few minutes longer. Besides, Jimmy had the bribe
items I needed.

The ride was short and I used the time to
modify a couple of contracts to cover Nicholas’s ass if something
should happen. When I saw the line of people, I was both impressed
and surprised. “You weren’t kidding.”

“Won’t always be such a big draw.” Henry eyed
the crowd as if he expected them to attack at any moment. “But this
one isn’t bad.”

“Theater isn’t sold out yet.” I didn’t look
up from the papers Obi had handed me. “I have the numbers.”

“Probably won’t be. Nicholas is country after
all.”

“Country music is countrywide.” I smiled.

Jimmy’s eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched
when I stepped in to review the stage set up. He crossed his arms
and then uncrossed them and purposefully turned away from me to
shout at someone else. Well, that was clear, and wouldn’t be
tolerated.

“Jimmy.” I didn’t shout or raise my voice. I
wasn’t going to stoop to that level. We were all adults. I studied
the stage coming together. “How’s it coming?”

“Had to wait for the last concert to finish
so we could set up,” Jimmy grimaced, “Some rap shit. We’re a little
behind, but it’s not going to effect the stage schedule.”

“Good.” I waited but he didn’t turn and look
at me. The sigh that wanted to escape was swallowed. “Where’s the
VIP stuff?”

“The box of VIP stuff for Seattle is still on
the bus. I’ll turn it in to Will Call tomorrow morning. Don’t know
why it couldn’t have been shipped.”

I ignored the complaint. The box traveled
with us because Nicholas, once again, had missed his deadline to
have everything signed on time. “Any Extras?”

“Twenty per Ezra’s numbers.”

“Good. I need one. I’ll go out and get it.
You’re doing a good job.”

“Always do.”

I didn’t verbally respond, only nodded and
continued through the space. I stopped in the dressing room to
check and make sure stage clothes were hung and clean as I moved.
Everything looked in order and the old spinet in a corner caught my
eye.