I didn’t sleep much last night with thoughts of Deb and Gia racing through my head. My thoughts of Deb always made me melancholy, but when I thought about Gia, I smiled. Smiled so much my damn jaw hurt.

She was in so far over her head, but I loved her spirit. She gave as much as she took. That would get her a long way with this group.

When I arrived at the buses, she was standing there holding at least a dozen bags. The crew was lined up in front of her.

“I’ve got ham and cheese, ham and cheese with egg, cheese and egg, plain and sausage.”

Toby the bass player called out, “I’ve got a sausage for you.”

She stepped out of the line and handed him a bag. “Perfect, then it’s a plain bagel for you.”

“But I wanted—”

“Want in one hand and stick your sausage in the other. Next time mind your manners and you might get a choice.”

Toby walked away murmuring something about the trouble with prickly women.

The rest of the crew fell in line. They weren’t used to being treated this well. Usually they showed up to a box of granola bars and a case of canned orange juice.

The last man filed past Gia.

“Anything left for me?” I let my eyes float over her body. She was back in black. This time jeans and a button down shirt that hid too much of what I was certain would be beautiful breasts.

“What do you want?” She held up two bags.

“Do we need to clarify that again?”

“Eat,” she huffed out. “What do you want to eat?”

A smile took over my face. I loved seeing her get flustered. Maybe having a babysitter wouldn’t be so bad.

“You offering, baby?”

She shoved a bag into my chest. “No sausage for you either.”

She walked toward the band bus. I reached out and grabbed her. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“All the help travels in that bus.”

I looked over her shoulder at the band. I didn’t like the way they were looking at her. Not that they’d do anything, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to share her with anyone.

“You got my mail sorted?”

She straightened her shoulders and stood tall. “I already told you I’m efficient. It’s sorted and on the table in your bus.”

“You’ve been on my bus?”

“Yes. It’s a nice bus. I’ve set things up to make your life easier.”

One of the reasons I traveled alone was because I liked things the way I liked them. “What did you do?”

“Stop worrying and take a look.”

I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and walked her to my bus. The boys in the band hooted and hollered until I flipped them off.

When I walked inside, I was shocked. What once smelled like diesel fuel and stale beer smelled like lavender. Small baskets dotted the tables and were filled with my favorites like cheese puffs, peanut butter protein bars, and red licorice.

“How did you know?” I walked down the aisle toward my bedroom. I was afraid to walk inside. This woman had already blown me away. If she had anything else for me in there, I might never let her leave.

“It’s my job to know.” She followed me into the room.

My bed was made and in the fridge was an array of drinks from my favorite orange soda to a selection of everything from sugar free to energy drinks.

“Really, how did you know? The people closest to me don’t get it right.”

She stood in the doorway and leaned against the jamb. “Most people see what’s on the surface. I tend to look deeper.” She pulled her phone out and scrolled through at least a dozen photos of me. She expanded one to show me holding an orange soda. There were four more with the same brand.

“Thank you, Gia. I don’t need a sitter but …” I walked over and grabbed the still cold can and popped the top. The spray of carbonation bubbled into the air.

“I imagine you need someone to pay attention to the important stuff.”

Maybe that was what was missing from my life. Since Deb died, no one had been genuinely interested in me. Sure they liked the music, the money the music brought me, or in the case of my manager and crew, what the music brought them, but no one had truly had taken the time to dig into who I was until Gia.

“I’m happy to ride with the crew. They seem like a good bunch of guys.”

The bus lurched forward sending her falling into the room. I managed to step forward in time to catch her from hitting the floor, but I stumbled back from her momentum and we both landed on the bed. Me under her. Her body pressed me into the mattress and I’d be lying if I said it didn’t feel fabulous.

“Sorry.” She squirmed on top of me.

The press of her hips on mine made my cock jump with excitement. My hands gripped her hips and held her close to me. “I wanted you in my bed, but I expected it to be different.”

Her hands pressed against my chest. “Sorry to disappoint you.”

She wiggled out of my grip and fell to her knees between my legs. I immediately sat up. “This works too.”

Seeing her big eyes look up at me from her place between my legs caused an immediate reaction. Her eyes grew bigger as I did.

She bolted to her feet and stepped backward. “Are you always so bold?”

“You bring out the best in me.”

She retreated to the door. “Or the worst. Behave yourself.”

“Or what? You’re going to take away my sausage?” I looked down at my hard length pressing against my jeans.

Cherry red bloomed on her cheeks. “You’re terrible.”

“On the contrary. I’ve been told I’m really good.”

Her hands went to her heated cheeks. “Do women really fall for that shit?” She turned and walked back to the living area.

I adjusted myself and followed her. “You’d be surprised at how little effort it takes.”

She fell into a lounge chair against the window. My bus had two chairs, a sofa, and a big screen television. There was a small galley kitchen and a bathroom on the way to my bedroom. It was really a house on wheels.

“I’m not one of your groupies.”

I laughed, and she smiled. She seemed to light up when I laughed, like it was her personal mission to bring lightness to my life, and I liked it. I’d keep laughing if she kept smiling.

“That’s for certain. If you were, you’d be naked and in my bed already.”

She pulled her knees to her chest and rested her chin on them. “Do I need to arrange for a medical checkup at our first stop? Aren’t you afraid of catching something?”

“I got a clean bill of health last week. Insurance won’t cover me on the road without it. As for groupies, I had my fill the first year on tour.”

“What is that like? Having women throwing themselves at you constantly?”

I sat in the chair next to hers and hung my legs over the arm. I thought about that first year, when every woman claimed to love me but in reality what they loved was the moment. Talk about notches on belts; I can’t even think about how many times I became a cross off on a bucket list. “It’s not real. These women think they love you, and they’ll tell you they do, but what they love is the idea of you.”

She looked at me thoughtfully. “Most men would love that. You don’t?”

Her fucking eyes spoke to me. When she talked to me, it was as if she was really interested in what I had to say. Could be she was getting paid to pay attention to the details, but something told me Gia was a person with integrity. Early on, I had an assistant that did nothing. At that time I liked craft beers, but each time I entered the bus all she had was some commercial crap. Toby, my bass player, hooked me up after the third city.

“Too much of anything is just too much.”

“And I thought groupies were your thing.”

“What gave you that impression?”

She sat up and smiled. She lowered her voice and repeated what I’d told her at the gate. “Sure baby, come on in, and we’ll get better acquainted.”

“Will you ever forget that?”

She laughed. “Not likely.”