22 #3
"Our tour manager, Mike." Rhys nodded toward the man. "And two of his minions. The very large bloke who looks like he's going to single-handedly consume all the food is my head of security. His name is Terry, but everyone calls him T."
The scent of the food struck her nose, and Rhett's mouth started to water. "Is that Chinese food that T is about to steal from us?"
"Yeah." Rhys stepped back and stretched his arms toward the ceiling. "We're all a little tired of the usual stuff they feed us and wanted something different."
"What do they usually feed you?"
"Steak, baked potato, either asparagus or green beans depending on where we are. Oh, they do mix it up and prepare other things, but they seem fixated on steak." Rhys groaned as his stretch reached its zenith, then lowered his arms again.
"Oh, poor babies." Rhett worked hard to hold back the eye roll that wanted to accompany her statement. "Have to eat steak every night."
Rhys snorted laughter through his nose. "First world problems, right? Oh, by the way. I didn't know what to get for you, so I just sent out for what you had when we ate Chinese last time."
"Lo Mein, General Tso's Chicken and pork fried rice?" At his nod, she smiled. "Good. That's the only thing I ever eat when I have Chinese food."
"Really? That's all?"
"Oh, come on, Rhys." She gave him a gentle push on his chest. "You know how I feel about vegetables." The last word was almost spat out, as though she were talking about raw sewage.
"What's wrong with vegetables?" growled a menacing sounding voice.
Rhett looked over Rhys's shoulder at the voice's owner.
Ross Kellum, lead guitarist for Illicit, could have stood in for a pillaging Viking with no questions asked.
A light mustache and beard of golden brown matched the elbow length mane on his head, and his straight brows and narrow eyes gave the impression of mayhem ready to erupt at any moment.
Though he was the same height as Rhys he seemed bigger because of his heavily muscled arms and chest. Rhett studied him for a moment and caught the mischievous twinkle in his fjord-blue eyes.
"I'm just doing it for your well-being," she told him. "The less vegetables I eat, the more for you."
Well-shaped lips broke into a smile. "You must be Rhett. I'm Ross. Good to meet you." He cut his eyes at Rhys. "Tell this idiot to quit slobbering all over you and y'all come eat."
Laughing under his breath, Rhys took Rhett's hand and led her after Ross to the round table Mike appropriated for the food. Take out boxes were being distributed right and left by the ring of people that made it impossible to get near the table.
"Hey." Drew Cooper held up a container and squinted at the writing on it. "Where the hell's Rhett?"
Like everyone else in Illicit, with the exception of Rhys, Drew had a thick Southern accent, so his question sounded more like "Where's the hellcat?" Mike thought so, anyway, because he looked up with a confused frown.
"Which hellcat?"
Drew turned annoyed eyes his way. "Not hellcat. Where. The. Hell. Is. Rhett."
While Rhys choked with laughter beside her, Rhett decided to speak up. She raised her hand and stepped forward.
"Here the hell is Rhett."
Drew's shoulder length dark blond hair swung around his neck as he turned to look at her, one side of his mouth tipped up in a smile. He handed over two food containers. "Here you go, Hellcat. By the way, I'm the fuck is Drew."
"Hey, the fuck is Drew." Rhett took her food and stood back as Rhys elbowed his way in between Drew and Parker. After a moment he emerged with several more take-out boxes and indicated with a tilt of his head that she should follow him.
Four or five more round tables dotted that side of the room, and Rhys headed for the one furthest away from Food Central. After using his foot to shove all but two chairs aside, he and Rhett opened all the boxes and finally sat down to eat.
While Rhys used his chopsticks with proficiency, Rhett tore the cellophane from a plastic fork before digging in to her Lo Mein.
"How was your flight?" Rhys asked around a mouthful of what appeared to be snow peas.
"I guess it was okay." Her cheeks warmed at his quizzical look. "It's the first time I've ever flown, so I don't know if it was good or not. We didn't crash or anything, so I'm guessing that counts as okay."
Rhys swallowed his mouthful and flicked a strand of hair from her cheek. "I didn't know you'd never been on a plane."
Ashamed to admit to him just how much of an ignorant hick she really was, Rhett kept her gaze pinned to her noodles.
"Rhys, I've never been out of Texas before.
Wait, strike that. One time I went with Todd and his cousin Cory to Texarkana to pick up a truck Cory bought, and Todd got lost and we ended up on the Arkansas side of the city.
So, I was out of Texas for about ten minutes 'til Todd got us turned around and back over the state line. "
Rhys put a finger under her chin and turned her face toward his. "Have I ever told you how perfect you are?"
Laughing in shock, Rhett gestured toward his food. "Did they put hallucinogens in those snow peas?"
"No," he said with a patient smile. "You are perfect. For me."
"Oh." There was no stopping the misty smile his words brought about. "I can live with that."
"I'd like to grab you and kiss you senseless right now."
"I could definitely live with that." She cast a glance over his shoulder, but he shook his head.
"Not here."
A disappointed little sigh lifted then lowered her shoulders.
"Well, if there's not going to be any kissing, you might as well eat.
" She gave him a smile of anticipation. Maybe she couldn't get naked with him anytime soon, but she would get to see him onstage for the first time in a matter of hours. "You have to work tonight."