Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11

NATE

CHICAGO

A fter my call with Tommy—and an intense orgasm that totally wiped me out—I crashed hard.

When I woke up, I noticed our bus was no longer moving. Glancing at my phone, I realized it was just after 11 AM, central time. We'd arrived in Chicago already. I should've closed my eyes and tried to fall back asleep, but it was useless. Once I was up, I was up.

I stretched—well, as much as I could in this bunk—and ignored my morning wood.

But I couldn't ignore the furious pounding of my heart. And the warm ache that had settled in my chest when I thought about last night. About Tommy. A longing swelled up inside of me like a rising tide, so sharp and powerful it left me breathless.

Tommy admitted he was falling for me. And I was sure as fuck falling for him.

Part of me still couldn't believe it. And I had no idea how this was gonna play out.

Instead of worrying about ‘what ifs,' I got my ass up and padded to the bathroom. The voices of my bandmates drifted down the hallway, along with the smell of coffee and bacon.

Once I'd showered and changed into baggy jeans and a clean T-shirt, I headed down to the front of the bus. Looking out the window, I realized we were parked in a lot. Usually at the back of whatever venue we were playing.

Otis, Xander, and Heath were already sitting around the table in the kitchen, having breakfast. Otis was, as usual, eating and talking at the same time. Or rather, eating and arguing with Heath.

Heath, who was tatted from head to toe, and, unlike the rest of us, kept his hair long on top and shaved on the sides, was fidgeting as usual. The man was never content to sit still, and now he was using his utensils to tap out a rhythm on the table. I swear he never stopped moving, even in sleep.

Xander was the quietest of all of us. And often the peacemaker when things got heated, as they often do in bands. He was eating his breakfast and watching Otis and Heath banter, his long braids bouncing with every turn of his head.

"Morning," I muttered and headed straight for the coffee machine.

A fancy one with a milk steamer and everything. I was liking this tour bus more and more. And a double espresso was needed. Stat.

"Can you make me another espresso?" Otis called out.

"Get your own," I grumbled, even though I reached for a second cup. Morning was not my jam. Not until I had caffeine and carbs. I moved mechanically, getting the coffee started, while reaching for the bowl of brown sugar.

"It's the least you can do, seeing as you kept me awake with your sex noises."

Xander and Heath chuckled along with Otis.

I bent over and shoved my ass out. "Kiss this."

"Isn't that Tommy's job?"

I turned around, my face heated, and glared at my friend.

"What?" he said as he shoved in a piece of bacon. "Ain't no secrets on this bus. We all heard you. And him."

"It was so freaking hot," Xander added as he pulled at his t-shirt.

"But you might want to save the screaming for the stage tonight," Heath quipped.

I gave them all my best fingers, then turned back to finish making the coffee. I added sugar to both cups and took a long sip of mine. Okay, now I was ready. Sort of.

With cups in hand, I walked over and sat down with the guys.

"Let's get all the filthy details," Heath encouraged, motioning with his fork.

"I thought you heard them last night?" I returned with a smirk.

I took another sip of my coffee and sighed with pleasure. It was smooth and sweet; just like a certain roadie I couldn't stop thinking about.

"What's with that dopey smile on your face?" Otis asked with a grin, knowing full well how I felt about Tommy.

Might as well fess up to all my friends.

I sighed and ran a hand through my messy hair. "I'm meeting up with Tommy when we're back in Nashville. I guess you could say we're dating."

Dating seemed like too tame a word for what was going on between me and Tommy. That sounded like we were in fucking high school or something. Was he my boyfriend now? I'd never had one, so what the hell did I know?

"This started on Halloween, right?" Xander asked.

Me, Otis, and Heath all turned to look at him.

"What?" Xander looked at them. "Nate left the club that night—an afterparty with the biggest rock band in the world—for some guy, and the next day, he's acting distracted. It was suss. Doesn't take a genius to figure out who he was with, given what he's just told us."

I nodded and finished my coffee. "I thought it was a one-time thing. But, I was wrong. So wrong."

"You sure you wanna start something now?" Heath added. "I mean, I like the guy. But our music career is just taking off. You're gonna be on the road a lot. And he's already there."

"I know that, but we're not touring every month. And who says we can't do long distance?"

Heath nodded. "So, you really like him?"

I'm sure my smile said it all.

"I haven't been with anyone else since we met."

There was complete silence around the table. A first.

"Shit, after that shocking news, we need whiskey to go with our coffee," Heath quipped.

"Y'all can tease me forever if you want. I don't care. I'm already gone over this man and I'm really fucking happy."

Heath smiled and tapped my hand. "Then I'm happy for you."

"Me too." Otis nodded.

"Same," Xander whispered. "But if he hurts you, it's on."

My friend was quiet, but protective as hell. And I loved him for it.

"Okay, enough emo talk, boys." Otis clapped his hands. "What do you guys want to do first now that we're in Chicago?"

"Deep-dish pizza and beer," Heath replied.

With one appetite sated, I was down for that.

Tommy , the next day

I'd never been so restless after a job.

Usually, the day after a concert, exhaustion hit me. Today, though, I woke up and my mind and body were still running at full speed.

After two iced coffees, I got busy doing the inventory at the warehouse. With the band in the studio for the next month, there'd be no hauling shit for a while. Sometimes they'd do an impromptu local show, but that didn't require all the equipment, the lights, and the staging.

But my conversation with Brodie yesterday had me thinking. I had a lot of vacation days accrued, so I booked five days off, instead of two. Just in case Nate's plans were delayed or extended. I'd need at least a day to get my condo cleaned and ready for his arrival. Fuck, I was so looking forward to having him at my place.

A hotel would be fun and sexy, but it was impersonal.

Having Nate in my home, in my bed, was a whole other level of intimacy that I was now really excited about. Never thought I'd long for the day when my lover stayed overnight, but I also never thought I'd want a repeat. With anyone.

Things are changing.

After finishing up my work for the day, I headed for my truck. It was cool and damp today in music city. There was fog rolling in and a light misting of rain. I lived downtown, not far from the studio and the warehouse, and loved it.

But sometimes, I liked to take a drive out to the country and just take in the quiet. I was so used to being on the road that driving an hour or two outside the city felt like nothing.

I stopped by a local market, picked up some fresh fruit, my favorite bbq, and headed back home.

Forty-five minutes later, I pulled into the parking garage of my building.

My condo was one bedroom, two baths, and nine hundred square feet. Not a huge space, but it was all mine. I couch surfed at Ace's place for two years, saving up every bit of income to use as a down payment for my condo. Buying my own place was vital to me. I'd come a long way from the homeless nineteen-year-old boy I once was. With my mom long since passed, and my stepfather turning his back on me, Ace and the band, the crew, were the only family I had. And the life I'd built? Maybe to some it wasn't much, but to me, it was everything.

I parked and grabbed my stuff, heading for the service elevator.

Once I hit the lobby, I got into the main elevator and punched the button for the tenth floor. The ride was fast, and I headed out into the brightly lit hallway. I had a corner condo, with a great west-facing view to catch the sunsets.

Opening the door, I set down my bags and yanked off my boots. I slipped off my socks, and padded barefoot to the kitchen. Once my food was put away, I walked over to the living room and opened the windows to let in some air. Then I made a list of all the supplies I'd need for Nate's visit.

Condoms and lube first off. He said he didn't want to use condoms, but I'd buy them just in case he changed his mind.

What else? Food. That was a given. We were gonna burn a lot of fucking calories.

After I'd made my list and made a reservation at one of Nashville's best restaurants, I grabbed a beer from the fridge. Then I sat down in my living room, with my laptop, checking my work emails.

My phone pinged with a message notification.

Ace: You requested time off? I'm happy to approve, but does this mean you're actually taking a vacation this year? WTF?

I laughed at his comments.

Tommy: I'm staying in town. I've got someone coming to visit. A guy I'm seeing.

Ace: Anyone I know?

Ace wasn't just my boss, he was my closest friend.

Tommy: Nate Filier

Three dots appeared while Ace typed his response. When it finally came through, I bit back a smile.

Ace: I knew something was up the day after that concert! You were so distracted.

Tommy: Look who's talking. You met Colm the same night.

And you've had a permanent grin lately. I can see you two together. So, is this love?

Tommy: Remember what you told me when I first started working for you?

Ace: Of course. There's only one rule for a roadie: don't fall for a rockstar

Tommy: Too late