Chapter 40
ELLIE
I’m staring into nothing when my phone pings on the table in front of me. I blink, coming back to Earth and glance at the screen.
Travis:
Money was sent to your account
“Thank you, Ellie. I so appreciate everything you’ve done for me,” I mock to no one. Well, not no one. One of the baristas walks by at that exact moment and gives me a strange look.
I smile at her, trying to convey I’m not, in fact, crazy, though a certain big-headed lead singer is doing his damndest to drive me there.
I send back a thumbs up, smirking to myself. Nothing like a good ol’ thumbs-up response to piss you off. I’d rather be left on read. Take that thumb and shove it up your ass.
It took him a few days to get everything squared away.
I wasn’t even asking for the money. I knew eventually he’d get it to me, but things are tight for them right now.
They’re funneling a lot of money out for this tour.
The good thing about them being on their own is that all the profits are theirs, aside from what they have to pay their people.
Most of their revenue will be from streaming services and merch sales, which are doing extremely well.
Things are flying off the tables, and their website is currently sitting at ‘out of stock’ on almost everything.
Something they’ll need to address when the tour is finished.
I stroll through the doors, a fresh latte in hand, when I hear the distinct sound of a cat meowing.
My feet stop, head turning toward the narrow alleyway. At first, I don’t see anything, but as I step closer, I spot a small, sad-looking cat next to a metal trash can, seemingly searching for food.
I squat down, reaching my hand out slowly, not wanting to spook it. Who would leave this precious baby here? I’m not even a cat lover. I never had any pets as a kid. And as an adult, well, I didn’t want the responsibility.
“Hi.”
It creeps closer, and I gasp. Oh, he is the cutest!
An orange one with stripes that resemble a tiger.
I think they’re called tabby cats. I scoop him or her into my arms and walk back into the café to see if it belongs to anyone.
They quickly inform me it’s a stray, and it happens constantly in this area.
Well, that’s just fucking sad. What am I supposed to do now? I can’t put it back and walk away.
My eyes dart around the street—though I have no idea why—then I place the ball of fur in my purse.
In quick strides, I pass the hotel lobby and jump on the elevator, nearly sprinting to my room.
My heart hammers as if I’m smuggling something more menacing than an animal.
I take the kitty out of my bag and place it on the bed—checking first to confirm that it’s definitely a girl.
She walks around the bed, then curls up on my pillow.
Okay, now that’s too damn cute. I pull out my phone, snap a picture, and send it to Liv.
As expected, my phone lights up with a FaceTime request from her.
“Hiii,” I beam.
“Why is there a kitten on your bed?”
“Well,” I start, and she sighs. “I found it on the street! The street, Liv. Trying to eat from the trash, can you believe that?”
She frowns. “That’s so sad.”
“Right? I couldn’t just leave it.”
“That’s awful, but what are you going to do with it? Is your hotel pet-friendly?”
“No. I snuck her in my purse.”
“What are you going to do now?”
“I don’t know.” I didn’t think past getting it off the street.
“Ellie...” I glance back at the phone, making eye contact with Liv. “You cannot take a kitten on tour.”
My eyes light up. “A tour kitty! She’ll be famous! Hot guys and cats! Fans will go crazy. Cat lovers everywhere will line up, not only to see the band, but the kitten! This is genius marketing, Liv! You’re brilliant.”
“That’s not what I said. It’s the exact opposite.”
I shrug. “Tomatoes, potatoes.”
“Tanner will never allow it,” she says.
My smile is devious. No, no he wouldn’t. “Good thing I’m not on their bus anymore.”
She shakes her head, but she’s fighting a smile. “Ellie May Williams, you can’t. How are you going to hide an animal? It’ll need food and supplies. A litter box.”
“I’m not going to hide anything. The crew guys are terrified of me. It’s adorable really. Only Adam talks to me. The others hide from me. No one’s going to tell me no.” It sounds conceited when I say it out loud but it’s true.
“That is not surprising.”
“Well, I better get going. Apparently, I have tons of shopping to do.”
“Maybe you should check the shelters before you leave town. It’s not going to be easy to take care of a kitten on the road.”
I stare down at the precious fur ball, and I know she’s right, but I’m already attached. I want to keep her, and I’ve never wanted a pet before. It’s like it was fate finding her.
I tried. I did.
I went to three shelters, and every single one was full of depressed-looking animals that made me cry in the back of my Uber.
Sneaking her on the crew bus was easy. No one even batted an eye, not even when I lugged the shopping bags on.
I only got the essentials. Ok, and maybe a couple of cute sweaters and toys, but she needs clothes.
What if she gets cold? And toys to keep her occupied and quiet on long drives.
She needed a bed and a small crate for when I’m working.
Not to mention the most important—litter box.
I got the one for travel, but it’s still noticeable.
Another thing I didn’t consider was cleaning the litter.
Like, what am I supposed to do with it once it’s full? Toss it out the bus window?
She’s already familiar with the litter box, which just makes me more upset. That means she had a home once and they abandoned her. Well, never again. She’s mine now. She’s so smart and quiet. Seriously, all she’s done so far is curl up on my pillow and sleep. This is going to be a breeze.
“What’s that smell?” Adam, Travis’s guitar tech, asks. The sound of footsteps approaching has me kicking the litter box under my bunk and tossing a blanket over the kitty as he enters my space.
“Hi!” I chirp loudly.
His eyes shift around, and his nose crinkles like he’s a dog on a trail. It’s not that I’m worried he’d say anything or even care that I have a cat, but the fewer people who know, the better. For now, anyway.
“Hey,” he says, eyeing the tiny lump on my bed that’s currently purring. Dammit, that’s cute, but also really inconvenient right now. “Uh, your blanket is making noise.” He points beside me, and I lean to the side, blocking his view.
“I don’t hear anything.”
He bites back a smile. “Ok then. We’re stopping in a few to grab some food, wanted to let you know.”
Meow.
“Ok.” I cough, trying to mask the meowing. She hasn’t made a peep in two hours, but now all of a sudden, she’s a Chatty Kathy. “Thanks.”
Meow.
Adam stares at me and I smile wide, not blinking.
“Is that, do you have a cat under there?”
“What? Psht, no! I don’t have a—why would you ask such a question?”
Just as I’m about to spill more unconvincing lies, said kitten crawls out from under my blanket.
“Holy shit, I knew it,” he says, reaching for her and scooping her into his arms.
“Oh my God, how did that get there?” I gasp overdramatically, and he chuckles.
“Where’d this cutie come from?”
“I found her. Someone abandoned her and I didn’t know what else to do.”
“She’s sweet.” He strokes her back, then sends me a regretful smile. “Caleb’s allergic to cats.”
My stomach sinks. “Oh.” Damn.
Caleb is Travis’s vocal coach and kind of vital to the tour, I suppose. I don’t know how much help he’d be if his throat swelled shut.
“But maybe it’s not that serious. I mean, you’re all the way back here, maybe he’ll never know.” Adam tries to soften the blow and hope springs to my chest. But it’s quickly crushed when the sound of rapid-fire sneezing comes from somewhere near the front of the bus.
His eyes resemble saucers as they snap back to mine. “Coincidence?”
Achoo! Achoo!
He winces. “Guess not.” He snuggles the kitten one last time before carefully placing her on the bed. “What are you going to do?”
“I guess she has to go.” My lip wobbles. I had no idea I could get attached to something so quickly.
“I’m sorry, Ellie.”
“Thanks.”
Adam disappears, and I grab my phone.
Ellie:
Liv it’s awful!
Olivia:
What??!
Ellie:
Caleb is allergic to cats! What am I gonna do??
Olivia:
Oh no, I’m sorry, Ellie. Maybe there will be a nice shelter at the next stop.
Ellie:
Ugh, maybe. I’m so sad. I love her already
Olivia:
Well…there is another option..
Ellie:
Kick Caleb off the bus? I thought about it but logistically I don’t think it’ll work.
Olivia:
No lol you could go back to the other bus….
Ellie:
And let Travis off the hook? I’d rather flush a dozen fresh donuts down the toilet than go crawling back to that bus.
Olivia:
Ok, it was just a thought.
I scowl at the phone. But I know she’s right, and more than that, it’s what has to be done. I’ll get to keep the cat and get my eyes back on Travis’s sneaky ass so I can figure out what the hell is going on.