IT MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN the best idea I’d ever had, but once it gripped hold of me, I couldn’t think about anything else. Who knew that it’d lead to so much trouble.

My life ruled. Really. I found it hard to believe myself, sometimes.

Not that long ago, I’d been lazing around watching Netflix and wondering what to do with my life. Then my cousin Polly had phoned, and I’d been skyrocketed from regular college student to fronting her band on this European tour. I’d always known I was destined for greatness, but I hadn’t expected it to happen so suddenly.

Of course, I was only a provisional member of Wreckage. I’d replaced Polly’s ex, Miles, the big jerk. My whole reason for being in the group was that I knew their songs, including the bass parts. But, hey, their desperation was my gain. And theirs. I rocked the heck out of fronting that band because I had way more charisma than Miles.

There was only one black cloud.

Crow.

Not Crow himself, but I wanted it to be Crow and Fay. The two of us, together. Friendship was all well and good, but I wanted a whole lot more than friendship. Convincing him of that would have been a whole lot easier if Polly hadn’t been dead set against it. She’d become a bit creepy about keeping the two of us apart. Not only did she feel like she was responsible for me, but because she dated Damo, the lead singer of the Freaks, she’d kind of taken over as mother hen of the whole tour. Damo hated drama, and he hated being disturbed, so making sure Damo had the peace and quiet he loved had become Polly’s mission.

The whole lot of us—my band, Wreckage, and the headliner band for this tour, the Freaks, plus assorted management—had bussed from Amsterdam to Brussels, arriving late in the afternoon.

Of course, there were a lot more crew on the tour, but they had their own bus and their own schedules. We got the night off while they had to set everything up for tomorrow’s show.

We were only playing a few shows here before the Freaks hit Paris to headline a big festival there. Then both bands would be playing Paris.

See, that’s how much my life ruled. I’d be onstage in Paris. Not that Brussels wasn’t awesome, too. But Paris would be extra-special.

When I left home, Mom had told me to defer study for the year so I had something to come back to. I’d agreed, but I had no intention of ever going back. I’d have to be dragged kicking and screaming from this life.

We checked into the hotel, and I went to my room.

I’d only had time to shower when Polly called to say everyone was going to dinner. Yikes, I needed to find something to wear. Something sexy but not too sexy. Jeans and a tight t-shirt fit the bill.

We got to the cafe, just a standard burger bar with pop art prints on the walls and bright colors everywhere. Jax and Damo pushed a couple of tables together to fit us all in. While they did that, I moved closed to Crow. That way, when Damo and Jax finished, I’d be sure we’d be sitting together. If only Damo would stop his fussing.

Sitting together at dinner wasn’t such a bit deal, but maybe I could convince Crow that the two of us should go out drinking afterward. Just the two of us, not in a group.

Before we seated ourselves, Polly wedged her way between Crow and me. She put her arm around my neck.

“How’s it going here, kids?” she asked. Then she pushed us toward the table, making sure she sat between us.

I groaned. Every single time I started getting close to him, she did that. It wasn’t that she didn’t like Crow; she just didn’t approve of the two of us together. But Polly should just mind her own business instead of interfering with mine all the time. Even though I appreciated her asking me to join Wreckage, the way she tried to rule my life was proving a real pain in the butt.

“What do you think?” she asked, handing me a menu.

I handed it back to her. “Whatever,” I said. “I’m not that hungry.”

My stomach rumbled. I could eat a horse. I just didn’t want to say that to Polly. And, sure, that probably proved my immaturity to her, but I wanted her to know I was annoyed. Instead, she ignored me and discussed the burger options with Damo, leaning over Crow to do it.

When the waitress came over, I folded my arms and didn’t order, but no one noticed. They were too busy ordering their own food. Even Crow put in an order. I could die of starvation before anyone cared.

When the waitress started walking off, I called her back. I grabbed one of the menus off the table.

“The double beef bonanza,” I told her. “Cheese and bacon fries on the side.”

Starving myself wouldn’t hurt Polly, just me.

I hated the way Polly made me feel like the naughty kid. She didn’t need to watch me constantly or monitor my behavior. I was more tightly controlled on tour than I was at home. So much for sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll. This was more like work, work and work.  Things were easier when Elijah was around. He became a buffer between Polly and me. When sparks started flying, he’d make some stupid crack and totally defuse things. But Elijah had rushed off to win his lady love and wouldn’t be back tonight.

While Polly was distracted, I managed to get in a glance at Crow.

No matter what Polly or anyone else said, Crow didn’t have any malice in him. He was the sort of guy who looked tough but would cry if he saw a puppy get hurt. Other people didn’t notice the way his dark eyes sparkled when he was happy or the way they dulled when something bad happened. Just because he didn’t like to mouth off didn’t mean he was hard to communicate with. He just didn’t like talking too much.

And then, when he was really happy, he got those crinkles around his eyes. Every time, that made my heart leap. I wanted to make him especially happy so I could see those crinkles as often as possible.

Crow would never be considered as mainstream good-looking as Elijah, but he had a depth to his face that Elijah lacked.

Crow looked back at me. That glance zinged right through me, making my toes curl and my hair stand on end. He could say what he liked about wanting to stay friends, but that glance told a whole other story, and that story would have “X-rated” slapped all over it.

Then Polly moved to block my view of him. As much as I loved my cousin, I hated her sometimes.

When my burger arrived, I cheered up. That was one awesome-looking burger.

“You’re quiet tonight, Firecracker,” Jax said from across the table.

I wanted to yell at him for calling me Firecracker. That was Elijah’s nickname for me, and I hated it. But I had a mouthful of burger.

Finally, I got it down and could speak.

“The name’s Fay, to you, mister,” I said.  “And, yeah, I’m tired from all the traveling today.”

“Not going out drinking with the rest of us? We’re thinking about hitting one of the rock clubs in town.”

I tried to check Crow’s reaction to that. If he wanted to go, I’d go, but otherwise, I wasn’t too keen. And maybe if he stayed back, I could get him alone. Nothing would ever progress between Crow and me without us having some alone time. Not that alone time had been that productive, either. Like everyone else on this tour, Crow treated me like a kid sister. If that was all, I’d leave him alone, but he didn’t really think of me as a kid sister, not one bit.

“What about you, Crow?” Jax asked. “You’ll be up for a drink, yeah?”

I couldn’t see his face. Not with Polly blocking me. I’d have to squirm around in my seat, and that’d look obvious.

“Yeah, maybe just a couple,” Crow said.

Damn, if I changed my mind about going to the bar now, Polly would watch me like a hawk.

That was when I had my brilliant idea.

If I went back to the hotel alone, she’d think I was having an early night. But I didn’t have to go back to my own bed.  That desk clerk at the hotel would give me the key to Crow’s room if I batted my eyelashes at him.

Luckily, I no longer had to share a room with Polly, so she’d get back to the hotel and think I was sound asleep.

I just had to prove to Crow that I was serious. I mean, what man would say no to a hot chick naked in their bed? Not many, that’s for certain.

I hugged myself over the brilliance of my plan. Okay, there might’ve been a few flaws, but I didn’t want to think about that. I’d focus on the important stuff, like Crow realizing I was much more than the kid sister type. Once we were established as a couple, there’d be nothing Polly could do about it.

I could barely eat my cheese and bacon fries with the excitement welling up in me, and it took a lot to turn me off cheese and bacon fries.

“So, you going?” Jax asked me again.

“Nah, I really need an early night. It’s okay for you guys, but I have the spotlight on me. I can’t look old and decrepit out there onstage.”

Ha, just like I’d intended, that got them all fired up. They were too busy arguing over who the decrepit ones were that I could plan this out in peace.

“You okay to get back to the hotel alone?” Polly asked as they were leaving. “I could walk back with you.”

I rolled my eyes at her. “It’s a couple of blocks. I’ll be fine.”

I shot her a sweet smile. I’d be totally fine, no doubt about that.