Chapter Sixteen #2
Security is waiting to help us, and as we exit, the screaming starts.
I begin my usual routine of smiling and waving to the fans, but quickly remember they’re not here for me.
A couple of them look at me and smile, but mostly, they’re all screaming for the boys.
I grin and chuckle to myself as I drop my hand and turn to Nate to see him nodding and waving to everyone.
Not going to lie.
This feels weird.
I’m so used to having all the attention on me.
But I’m not jealous.
Actually, far from it.
If anything, it’s nice to stand back and watch someone else in the limelight for once.
Ryan’s running along the line, high-fiving everyone as Danger signs autographs, and Matt’s standing back, looking like he’s not really caring about anything. Like he’s seen this all a million times before, and the fame doesn’t bother him at all.
Nate, however, is smiling from ear to ear, absorbing everything but standing at my side.
I lean into his ear. “Go! I’m fine. Be with your fans,” I whisper.
He looks at me and shakes his head. “I don’t wanna leave you.”
“It’ll look suspicious if you never leave my side, Nate.”
He nods as I squeeze his hand and gesture over to a girl who’s holding a pair of drumsticks. “Go.”
Nate winks at me, then turns, heading for the girl with the sticks.
She hands them to him, and he leans in to hug her and take a selfie.
The look on her face is pure jubilation.
I can’t help but stand back in awe. I love how much the crowd adores these guys.
I hadn’t realized just how popular they are.
I guess I thought being in their video meant I was helping them. Maybe they will be the ones helping me?
“Zaria, can I get a picture?” someone calls out.
I nod, feeling like, finally, someone knows who I am.
I walk over to the fan who called my name, and her smile is bright, lighting her eyes.
“Hi, honey, what’s your name?” I ask.
“Heidi.”
“Well, Heidi, it’s lovely to meet you. Thanks for coming out to support the guys.”
She smiles. “I do love them, but you’re my favorite actress. So having you both here together is like all my dreams come true.”
“Aww, you’re sweet. I hope you enjoy our video when it comes out. Be sure to keep an eye out for it.”
“Oh, I will. I’ll be watching it on repeat over and over again, sooo many times. Don’t you worry about that.”
I laugh. “Thank you for your support, Heidi. It means so much to us all. In fact, Danger…” I call out to gain his attention.
He looks at me and smiles as I wave him over.
Heidi tenses up as he walks up to us.
“Hey,” he says, smiling wide.
“Can we get a pic with me and our biggest fan, Heidi, here?”
Danger smiles. “Biggest fan, hey? Of course.” He moves in behind Heidi as I shift to her side. She freezes with the biggest smile on her face and pulls her cell up, snapping some selfies of the three of us together.
“Okay, got it, I think. Thank you, guys, so much. You’ve made me so happy.”
“Anything for our biggest fan, right, Zaria?” Danger says, wrapping his arm around my shoulders like we’re the best of friends, and believe it or not, it’s actually comforting.
“Exactly. Have a good day, Heidi.”
“Thanks again, guys.”
“You’re welcome, honey,” I reply as Danger drags me off toward the massive double doors of the radio station. The security guards are trying to usher us inside, and we’re laughing at their bossy tones.
“Thanks for coming over to have a pic with Heidi and me. I think we might have made her day.”
He smiles. “It was worth it to see her smile. Plus, you’re damn easy to work with, Zaria. You’re not such the hard-ass you portray.”
“I’m not a hard-ass at all, really.” I giggle. “I’m actually quite different from that movie star I portray once you get to know me.”
Danger smirks. “We have two months to get to know each other, and I have a feeling we’ll be having a lot more Heidis in that time. So we better get along, right?”
I nod, wondering if it’s possible to become friends with all of them.
We walk into the radio station and are introduced to the producer.
He tells us the interview will last around ten minutes, and they will primarily talk to Danger and me about how we liked working together, then play a couple of the band’s songs in between.
The band members will be there but won’t get any on-air time as the focus will be on Danger and me as the headliners.
I glance over to Nate to check if this is something the band knew about, but the look on Ryan’s face makes it clear they did not.
Chewing on my bottom lip, we slip into place as the others sit in the back of the room, away from the soundboards and mics.
I feel terrible.
Like I’m stepping on their toes.
But I was brought in to promote them, so that’s what I’ll do, to the best of my ability, anyway.
After about ten minutes, the interview wraps up seamlessly.
It went great—we bounced off each other like old friends, the conversation flowing naturally without a hint of anything forced or fake.
For once, I felt completely genuine talking about how much I’m enjoying my time with Danger and Recoil, and I’m pretty sure that came through perfectly.
Once we’re all finished, we make our way through the studio while Oliver thanks the host and the producer, and Nate comes to my side.
“You were great,” he whispers in my ear.
I smile up at him and breathe a sigh of relief.
I’m glad he approves.
“Thank you, but I meant everything I said. I wasn’t playing a part in there.”
“You weren’t?”
Reaching out and touching his arm, I smile.
“No. I really do enjoy being around you guys. Sure, it hasn’t been smooth sailing with the girls, but the guys are easy.
There’s no need to make up stories about liking you all because I do.
One a little more than the others, though,” I say, raising my brows up and down insinuatingly.
He chuckles. “Only a little more?” He uses his fingers to measure the distance.
“Can’t play blatant favorites now, can I?” I tease.
“Personally, I think you should. No, I think you definitely should.” He steps in closer, wrapping his arm around my waist. I go to lean in to kiss him, but someone clears their throat next to us.
“Sorry, guys, technically, you’re in public. So, ah, PDAs are a no-no,” Tillie says with a sympathetic frown.
Nate pulls back and sighs. “Fuck! Sorry, Tillie. This might be harder than we thought.”
She nods, looking around obviously to check if any radio personnel saw our little encounter. “It will be hard, but you’ll get the hang of it. Just lucky no one saw but me.”
“Yeah. Sorry again, Tillie,” Nate says.
“It’s all good. Let’s go back to the bus. Then you guys can kanoodle all you like.”
Nate chuckles. “Did you really just say kanoodle?”
“Yes, now let’s go!”
“Yes, ma’am.”
We stride out of the studio, and the fans are still here.
I wave to Heidi, and she smiles at me widely as I rush past the crowd and onto the bus.
Nate follows me on, and once we’re safely behind the tinted windows, he pulls me to him and kisses me passionately.
I melt into his arms and kiss him back. I’m not sure why we need each other right now, but I can’t get enough of him.
That is, until loud cheering forces us to break apart.
We notice Ryan making a fuss over us with his usual slurping noises and what looks like him making love to his hand.
I laugh, shaking my head as Nate holds me to him.
“Am I gonna have to listen to you two banging below us all the time?” Ryan asks.
Nate rolls his eyes.
“Shut up, Ry, that’s what headphones are for,” Tillie chides.
I gasp as she winks at me. Sex with Nate in the next two months hadn’t crossed my mind, especially on a tour bus with seven other people.
Fuck!
“Relax. We don’t have to do that. Not if you’re uncomfortable, Ria,” Nate says, seeming to know what I’m thinking.
I turn to face him, and he smiles at me so warmly that it melts my heart. “I just… faking it on a set is easy, but having an audience for the real thing scares the living shit out of me, Nate.”
He grabs my hands, and his thumbs trail along my skin. “We don’t have to do anything you’re not happy with, Ria. I’m not the forcing type, okay, babe? We can sit this out. I can wait as long as it takes.”
Nodding, I smile. “Thank you.”
The others climb up on the bus, and the driver closes the doors.
“Everyone here?” Oliver asks.
“Yep,” Tillie replies.
“Let’s roll,” Oliver says as everyone takes their seats.
Nate wraps his arm around my neck, pulling my head onto his shoulder. “Don’t stress, Ria.”
Feeling at ease with his words, I lean into his side.
I know Nate won’t pressure me into anything I don’t want, and I think as long as I can lessen the tension with Lunar, I have no doubt this little tour is going to be quite comfortable indeed.
***
It’s night, and the bus is on its way to Dallas.
We’re all tucked away in our beds, the curtains are drawn, and I’m cuddled into Nate as he doodles on a notepad attached to the top bunk awkwardly above us.
“So today went well,” I whisper.
“Sure did. You and Danger were getting along quite well.”
“Yeah, it seems like we’re actually going to be good friends, I think.”
“Mmm…” An intoxicated moan echoes from the bed across from us, and we both look over, even though our curtain is closed.
Heavy breathing follows, then more deep moaning.
I purse my lips, looking up at Nate, who’s trying to hold back his laughter, when the unmistakable sound of skin slapping against skin, followed by two sets of moans, echoes through the back of the bus.
Clenching my eyes shut at the sexy sounds coming from Danger and Lunar’s bunk, I risk opening my eyes again to glance at Nate, who is chewing on his bottom lip with an unmistakable look of lust in his eyes.
I can tell he’s thinking about sex—sex with me.
But I can’t.
I can’t have others hear me like that.
How embarrassing.
I run my hand up his chest and look into his eyes. “I’m sorry.”
He smiles, grabs my hand, and gently squeezes it. “You have nothing to be sorry for, baby.”
“Oh, God… yes,” Lunar calls out, making me cringe.
Nate flares his nostrils as I tense completely, then he sweetly leans in, kissing my head, and goes back to doodling on his notepad above the bed, drawing doves and clown fish.
I cuddle in closer to his side, doing my best to tune out Danger and Lunar riding out their orgasms and Ryan and Tillie giggling above us.
Even with the awkward tension swirling about, I can’t help but enjoy this time with Nate.