Chapter 20
TRAVIS
I thought having a week home in my bed would recharge me and prepare me for the second leg of this tour.
I was wrong. Sleep was still teasing me.
As soon as I got home, I slept for two days, but when I woke up, I was irritable. I had no energy or desire to get off my couch.
I hadn’t planned on taking any pills while I was home.
I wanted to catch up on sleep, but waking up and feeling like dogshit wasn’t fun.
There were things I had to do: laundry, cleaning, and paying bills.
We’ve been gone for almost two months, and I neglected to take care of shit before I left.
I realized that when I got home, and had no damn water to shower with.
Without Calvin’s “guy,” I had to dig deep into some of the old buddies I used to party with. I hope it doesn’t get back to Penn.
I was able to score a higher milligram than what Calvin gave me. That shit hasn’t been working as well anyway. I had to pull out some savings my parents set up for me years ago. Since we’re not cashing in any money from this tour until after, I’m running low on funds. Being on tour is expensive.
As soon as it’s over, I’m stopping. I’m not addicted or anything.
I don’t even particularly like Adderall.
Sure, it’s nice to be wired, but the come-down is awful.
I rarely have an appetite, and my mouth is constantly dry, which causes my throat to get scratchy.
And that fucks with my voice, and I need my voice.
Now it’s day one back, and our bus broke down two hours away from our venue.
The good news? The crew bus is fine, and all of our equipment is safely there already. Save for Penn’s beloved guitar that he trusts with no one. Bad news? The equipment can’t play itself.
We were lucky enough that the tow truck came quickly, and while Calvin secures us a rental van, we’re killing time at Planet Fitness. Ellie demanded we all get memberships before the tour started, and it has come in handy. A nice, clean place to shower and a toilet that’s safe to flush.
Tanner is the only psycho who works out while we’re here. Says it’s good for his mental health.
“I’m going to hit the sauna, if anyone needs me,” Ellie informs us.
My eyes track her as she walks to the elevator. I just showered, but I’m considering following her. Her skin looks nice when it’s glistening with sweat.
Penn flicks my ear. “Whatever you’re thinking, no.”
I push him away and rub my ear. “Shut up. I’m not thinking anything, damn.”
He stares at me, knowing I’m full of shit. Fuck, that’s annoying.
Maybe I crossed a line going into Ellie’s room.
I just wanted to make sure that guy didn’t pull any funny shit, but once I finally broke away from the fans mauling me, I saw him exiting the lobby as I was going in.
I could’ve turned around right then, but I didn’t.
And I was pleasantly surprised when I walked in and caught her playing with herself with a little bullet vibrator.
Now, all I’ve been able to think about is what it tasted like when I cleaned her cum from the rubber toy. How hard my dick was while she watched me stroke myself, getting so turned-on she had to fuck her fingers to another orgasm.
Shit. I adjust myself, my cock threatening to expose my thoughts.
I miss how fun and easy it was with her. I haven’t even been entertaining groupies anymore because they aren’t doing it for me. But I need to get laid or else my dick will fall off from lack of use.
“The rental will be here in twenty minutes. We need to hit the road ASAP if we want to make it to the show on time,” Calvin says, appearing behind us.
“I’ll tell the others.” Penn takes off toward the gym, where Tanner convinced Liam to spot him while he lifted. Fucking weirdo.
Once Penn’s out of earshot, I say, “I better go tell Ellie. She hasn’t showered yet.” Calvin glances at me with a smirk. Is that what I look like when I do that? Ew.
Not waiting for his response, I head the way Ellie disappeared.
She’s wrapped in a cotton towel, sitting on one of the benches in the steam room, her head resting against the wall.
I’m thankful there’s no one else in here as I take the spot next to her.
Fuck, this is nice. I should’ve done this before I showered.
“Rental is on its way.”
Her eyes pop open. “Shit, okay.” She jumps up and then winces.
“What’s wrong?”
She adjusts her towel carefully, wincing again. “The towel is rubbing my piercings, and it’s not pleasant.”
I nod. Mine have got caught on my shirt a couple of times, and it wasn’t fun either, but they must be healing fine because I haven’t had any issues. They were tender as hell those first few days.
“How are they looking?” I ask her, eyes falling to her tits, wishing I could see through the material.
She slips out the door, and I follow. “They’re healing, but they’re still sensitive. I woke up the next day and felt like my boobs were revolting. My nips felt like they were on fire.”
I hold back my laugh. I know what she means. She’s a trooper. “If you need me to massage them for you.”
She halts at the changing room door. “Considering the slightest touch right now makes me want to scream, I’ll pass.”
“I know, I’m kidding.”
I wasn’t.
Her face turns serious, and I know what’s coming before she even opens her mouth. “We can’t...what happened before—”
I cut her off. “I know.”
We’ve both avoided talking about it. When she got on the bus the next day, she wouldn’t even look at me. The guilt was written all over her face. So I pretended it didn’t happen.
“To show up at the very last minute and not rehearse, I think that went well.”
I glance at Tanner, blinking. “Well?”
“Yeah. Don’t you?” He eyes each of us.
“Do we ever perform better than well in your opinion?” We were fucking fantastic. The crowd was eating out of our palms. Moshing and surfing the entire set.
Sometimes I wonder how he got here. Not here here, but the bassist for a punk band. He has this nerdy look to him that suggests he spends his free time in a library reading for fun. Bleh.
I can’t imagine a younger Tanner doing anything other than reading books and making checklists on his trusty clipboard. I don’t know what prompted him to pick up a bass.
He looks confused. I shake my head, not bothering to explain it to him. He’s smart, he’ll figure it out.
Calvin comes into the room, passes us each a bottle of water, and places a fifth of vodka on the table. “Gift from the venue,” he says as if it’s not obvious, then he waves behind him at the doorway where two girls stand. He looks right at me when he says, “Gift from the universe.”
I stare at him. He’s like a puppy wanting a bone. I flick my eyes toward the girls, two brunettes with big, hopeful smiles. My eyes drop to the fresh vodka in front of me, and I sigh to myself. Fuck it.
I unscrew the cap and take a long pull. My throat screams in protest. I haven’t been easy on it. I’m supposed to take breaks from talking too much and drinking shit like this when I’m overworking my vocal cords, but do I ever listen? No.
The guys scurry from the room as soon as the girls step inside.
They frown, but they aren’t too deterred.
They plop down on either side of me, smiling.
I toss my arms behind them and offer them a drink from the vodka bottle, which they greedily accept.
This is what I need. To relax and forget about the marketing manager on tour with us.
I’m making meaningless conversation with whatever their names are when Ellie steps into the room. She jolts back, clearly taken off guard, but she recovers quickly. “Oh, I was just coming to see if you guys needed anything before I left.”
“Everyone else is already gone, but I’m good.”
She nods. “I see that.”
My eyes narrow, detecting a bit of attitude in her tone. Her attention falls to my lap, where the girls have their hands resting on my thighs. She straightens just as fast, and plasters on a smile. “I’ll let you get back to it.” She spins on her spikey high heel and struts out the door.
I watch her hips sway as she leaves, and once she’s gone, the girls move in, pressing their lips to my neck at the same time.
Their hands slide across my thighs, inching closer to my dick.
I shut my eyes, leaning into it, but as soon as my lids close, I see Ellie.
Her gorgeous face blissed out in pleasure, body trembling as she comes.
I jerk, eyes flying open. I shake my head, trying to rid myself of the picture that’s been burned in my mind since I watched her finger fuck herself in that hotel bed.
It’s not like I don’t have plenty of spank bank material.
Especially of Ellie. That is some of my best material, but I need some new shit.
Preferably of someone that’s not Ellie. I’m not supposed to be seeing her like that anymore.
I’ve tried to erase those images, it’s easier that way.
I’m less tempted if I’m not thinking about it and remembering how good it was.
One of the girls rubs my dick over my jeans while the other sucks hard on my neck, but all I can think about is Ellie now. How her ass was squeezed into those pants, how her nipples looked with those bars shoved through them, her face when she made herself come at the same time as me. Dammit.
I jump up and the girls fall forward, almost slamming their heads together. “What the hell?!” one cries out.
“Sorry, gotta go,” I say, grabbing the vodka and rushing from the room.
Since we can’t pick up the bus until tomorrow, we sprung for a hotel tonight.
I slip out the side exit and head down the street with one destination in mind.
When I reach Ellie’s room, I pull out the keycard I bagged earlier after she checked in.
I didn’t plan on using it, but I think it’s nice for one of us to have in case of an emergency, and by one of us, I mean me.