The Roadie

The Complete Series

Tate Bull

Copyright © 2024 Tate Bull

All rights reserved

The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

Printed in the United States of America

Serena

Chapter 1

‘Who?’

‘The LaLa Girls. You haven’t heard…’ I’m in my cabin in the middle of nowhere in Montana and the reception is shit. On the other end of the line is my agent and he’s trying to sell me on some gig. ‘... in the world.’ After a year of radio silence, he decided to call me out of the blue and I have no idea what the hell is going on.

‘Steve, you’re going in and out. Could you send me an email about this?’ I look out over the massive mountains framing the gorgeous scenery and can’t believe I’m even considering going on the road again. That life was supposed to be behind me and I had planned to spend what was left of it waist deep in a raging river.

‘Yeah, sure, but Jas- I’m telling you that this is a good offer. Take a look and…’ The signal goes out again and I hang up. Just hearing Steve’s voice is enough to make my blood pressure spike and the the thought of dealing with asshole musicians again is going to give me a stroke.

I steady my breathing as I look out over the landscape and try to remember why the hell I got into this line of work in the first place.

Ten years ago, I was the guy to call when an act was going on tour. I’d worked with them all and my specialty was rock. I loved everything about what I did- the travel, the music and as much as I hate to admit it, the groupies. They attached onto the musicians like starving sharks onto a bucket of chum and I would take the leftovers, which were generally solid eights.

Hey- it was better than I could have done on my own.

Twenty years of my life was spent on shitty tour buses and in stadiums and if my divorce hadn’t left me cash poor, I would have just ignored Steve’s call, but the fact is that I’m broke and need money. My ex wife cleaned out our savings and I managed to keep the cabin but everything else is gone.

After a few minutes, I feel my heartbeat return to normal and I go inside to check my email. Before he got cut off, Steve said that the pay was excellent and that this band needed someone with experience to keep them in line. I want to see the offer in writing before I agree to anything so I check my recent messages and click on the one from Steve.

Look, Jas, I would normally never come to you with something like this but they need your experience and their agent said they would go as high as 200k for the next four months. That’s more than you used to make in a year.

That’s true. The money looks good, but the fact remains that I know nothing about pop music and even less about this group.

They’re going to have a crew to deal with setup, they just need you to wrangle the act and get them to where they need to go. They’ve had some issues in the past and need a firm hand. You’re the only one I can think of who would be able to pull this off.

Let me know and I’ll get you a ticket to LA.

‘Jesus, am I a babysitter now?’ I mumble to myself as I go to the fridge and for the first time in months, wish I had a beer. I settle for a sparkling water and walk out to stare at the peaceful landscape surrounding me. I don’t have that many options and zero education to fall back on and unless I want to work as a greeter at the superstore down the street, this looks like my only option. Looking at the message again, I wonder if I’m going to regret this decision.

Ok, I’m on board.

I cringe as I type that out.

Let me know where you need me to go.

One week later, I’m in LAX- looking for the exit and cursing myself for agreeing to this.

The airport is packed and fortunately I didn’t check a bag. If there’s one thing I learned from being on the road almost constantly, it’s that your bag will get lost. I keep it simple: jeans, t-shirt, socks, underwear. I can usually get it all into a carry-on and when I see the crush of people around baggage claim, I’m glad I did.

I walk outside and look for my ride. I’m expecting a guy holding a sign with my name and am surprised to see Steve waiting there for me. He gives me a smile and pulls me into a half hug. Steve has been my agent for seven years now and I like him. Even though he looks like the product of a torrid love affair between Wimpie and Steve Buscemi, he’s a good guy.

‘I never thought I’d see you again, man.’ Steve pats my back and I realize that I’m genuinely glad to see him. I’m not crazy about hugs, though, and pull away as soon as I can.

‘I invited you to come fly fishing, but you never took me up on it.’ I say as I shake his hand and he motions for me to follow him to the valet. He hands the ticket over to the guy and looks down at my bag.

‘That’s it?’

‘You know my policy about checking things, man.’ I say.

‘Yeah, but this is four months.’ His attention refocuses as a yellow Ferrari pulls up to the curb. The valet gives it a little rev as he eases to a stop in front of us and I shake my head.

‘It’s not like I could fit anything bigger into this anyway.’

Steve shrugs as he puts down the passenger seat and tries to squeeze my suitcase into the back without scratching anything. Once it’s inside, he motions for me to get in and I whistle.

‘Nice ride man. I never took you for a sports car kinda guy.’

‘What can I say, it’s been a good year.’

‘I can tell.’ I chuckle to myself as Steve kicks it into gear and we race out of the garage. It’s bright and I put on my sunglasses as we speed onto the freeway and head towards the coast.

‘So, the plan is that you stay with me tonight and tomorrow you head off on a once in a lifetime adventure with the girls.’ I scoff.

‘Girls? Is this some sort of kid act?’ I had planned on downloading some of their music before I left but couldn’t bring myself to do it.

‘No, I mean women, uh, you know what I mean.’ Steve explains as I run my hand through my hair, already feeling a headache coming on as we get closer to his house. I miss home already and the next four months can’t be over soon enough.

‘Yeah, whatever.’ I mumble as I look out the window at the blue ocean to our left. ‘So why me? There have to be a hundred guys out there that are better suited for this.’

‘Look, Jas. I understand your reservations, but after what happened with Lisa, I thought it would do you good to get back out on the road.’ I’m not buying that for a second.

‘What’s the deal? Is there something wrong with them?’

‘No, well…’ Steve stutters and now we’re getting to it. ‘I mean, you have a great way with bands that can’t get their shit together, you know.’ He downshifts as we weave around a sharp turn, then pushes his glasses back up onto his nose. ‘Remember Copper Ingot.’

‘Ugh.’ I groan. ‘That was hell and not worth what I got paid by the way.’ I look straight at him and he shrugs as we speed down the narrow highway.

‘Yeah, well- you got kind of a reputation after that and the LaLa Girls’ manager heard about it and decided you were the only one he wanted to work with.

‘Fuck me, Steve. You mean my job is going to consist of herding a girl group around and making sure they don’t screw up?’ I ask, wanting to confirm what I’m already certain will be the situation.

‘Look at it this way, Jas. They’ve had some problems and need your guidance to become the best performers they can possibly be.’ Steve pulls the car into his winding driveway and we snake through the trees until his house comes into view.

‘Business must be incredible.’ I say, completely awestruck at his new home. The last time I saw him, he and his wife were living in a standard three bedroom ranch off of West Hollywood. This new place is a modernist mansion that’s basically hanging off a cliff over the Pacific Ocean.

‘Well, you know. I got lucky with a few deals and the rest was being in the right place at the right time.’ Steve explains as he helps wrestle my suitcase from the tiny back seat. Once it’s free, he motions for me to follow him and as we walk inside, I realize that even though I love my cabin in the mountains, I’ve really missed the California views.

‘Jas!’ I hear a familiar voice calling my name and leave the suitcase in the foyer as I walk towards Alice, Steve’s wife. She gives me a hug that I try to extricate myself from as quickly as possible and stands back to look at me. ‘New tattoos?’

I flex my forearms and look down at the one with my ex’s name that I recently had re-inked. Just looking at it brings back bad memories and I shake my head as I give Alice a casual smile.

‘Nah, just had to get rid of something.’ I try to change the subject. ‘How are the kids?’

‘Good. You know Steph is in fifth grade and is obsessed with computers.’ I can see a look of pride on her face as she brags about their oldest. ‘Liam is Liam, just the crazy kid he always was. Can I get you something to drink?’

‘Water would be great.’ She gives me a warm smile and squeezes my shoulder as she walks towards the kitchen. The two of them were my rock when I was going through my worst times and they’ll always be special to me.

‘Let’s go chat.’ I follow Steve into his office and take a seat at the desk across from him. Alice brings me my water and I thank her before she closes the door softly behind her.

‘Since it looks like we’re moving ahead with this thing, I need you to be honest with me, alright?’ I say as I look Steve in the eyes. There’s something he’s not telling me about this whole situation and I need to know exactly why he wants me to do this.

‘Ok, look. They’ve got problems, alright.’ He leans back in his chair and puts his hands behind his head. ‘Serena has a substance abuse problem and Kat was, uh, well their old manager took advantage of her and she’s still having trust issues. Zoe is- I don’t know, but she needs a firm hand.’

‘Jesus.’ This business is rough and even though I would like to say that this is the first time I’ve heard of shit like this, it’s not that uncommon. ‘How old are they?’

“Serena is twenty-two. Kat and Zoe are twenty-three.’ He opens his laptop and types in a few things before continuing. ‘Their group was at the top of the pop charts about five years ago, but then the shit hit the fan and they fell out of the spotlight. Their recent album didn’t hit like they hoped it would and this tour is an attempt to make a comeback.’

‘What’s the schedule?’ I ask as Steve leans closer to the screen.

‘They’re using a bus for the first five cities on the west coast. Ezra is hoping that spending time together will bring them back together.’ I nod as Steve continues. ‘After that, they’re flying to Toronto and you’ll meet up with Dustin, you remember him, right?’

‘Yeah, he’s a good guy.’ The name brings back memories, all of them good, too good- but that was another life.

‘If they’re still doing alright, we’ll tour the east coast before taking a break and re-evaluating the next phase.’ Steve closes his laptop and focuses back on me. ‘I know it seems stupid- when Ezra called me initially, I told him there was no way you would consider this, but after learning more about the situation, I agreed that you were the perfect guy for this job.’

I exhale as I begin to think about what needs to be done and how much stress this is going to put on me.

‘Steve, I’m only a year out of recovery. If it looks like this is going to push me back to where I was at, I’m pulling the plug, ok?’

‘Agreed.’

Chapter 2

I wake up the next morning at 5am to do yoga and meditate before hitting the pavement and going for a run. My schedule is the only thing that keeps me sane and the minute it goes to shit, my mind wanders into dangerous territory.

I didn’t want to get sober. I loved my lifestyle- party all night, sleep all day, rock and roll forever, but at forty years old, my body just couldn’t take it anymore. That was the one thing I’ll give Lisa- she pushed me towards getting help and for that I’ll always be grateful.

‘We’re going to meet the girls and then you’re on your way.’ Steve strolls into the kitchen and gives me a half smile. I’m packed and nursing a cup of coffee as I enjoy a few minutes to myself. It’s going to be a rarity for the next few months and thinking about it makes me cringe.

‘You’re really throwing me onto the fire with this one.’

‘It’s better just to get back to it, I think.’ Steve says as he winks at me and he throws the Ferrari into gear. The ride back to downtown LA only takes thirty minutes, but the entire time I’m going through the checklist in my head, worried that I’ll forget something.

‘So this first leg is two months, right? You’ve got hotels arranged and catering set up?’

‘Yeah- Ezra’s taken care of all of that. He’ll be flying to each city to make sure the venues are ready. It’s all mid-sized, no stadiums or anything so they don’t need a huge road crew.’

‘So basically I’m a babysitter?’ The question isn’t a question and Steve shrugs guiltily.

‘I guess, but a very well paid babysitter who is one of the best in the business.’ I groan and stare at the city streets, willing the next four months to go by quickly. As we pull into the parking lot of the nondescript office building, I see the huge bus idling and a few people milling around outside. ‘Ok. Here we are.’

‘Forgetting something?’ I ask.

‘Oh yeah, sorry.’ He pulls an envelope full of cash out of his jacket pocket and hands it to me, then flips open his wallet and retrieves a gold card. ‘Don’t go crazy, ok?’ I shove the cash and card into my backpack and smirk. I feel like I’m being sent off to a summer camp that I know I’m going to hate, but go just because I’m being bribed with a shiny new toy. After a few seconds of willing myself to do this, I grab my bag and walk over to the driver. I don’t recognize him and stick out my hand to introduce myself.

‘Hi, I’m Jas Cordrey.’ He gives me a smile and a firm shake.

‘Wow, man, you’re a legend. Nice to meet you. I’m Angel.’ He seems like a good guy and we chat for a few more minutes before Steve motions for me to come over to his small group. He holds out his hands like he’s a spokesmodel at an auto show.

‘Jas, these are the LaLa Girls. This is Serena.’ He motions towards a gorgeous woman with long blonde hair, icy blue eyes and a body that I’m trying my hardest not to openly gawk at. ‘This is Kat.’ A shy looking brunette glances at me and smiles softly as I wave. ‘And this is Zoe.’ I can immediately tell that this one is trouble as she stares lustily at me with her dark eyes before giving me a wink. They’re all gorgeous, but I pull my mind out of the gutter and force myself to pay attention. This is a job, not ladies night at the bar down the street.

‘I’m Jas, nice to meet you.’ Zoe’s the only one who looks me in the eye and when she licks her full lips provocatively, I realize that this is going to be even tougher than I thought. They’re all staring at me and I’m not sure what else I should say since this is the first time that the group I’m managing are total strangers. I look at Steve and he takes over, rattling off our itinerary.

‘You’re going to Vancouver first, then Seattle, Portland and down to San Francisco. After that, it’s back to LA for two shows. Understand?’ We all nod like we’re agents being sent on a top secret mission and as we load our suitcases into the undercarriage, I get my first sign of trouble.

‘Your bunk is next to mine.’ Zoe whispers into my ear as she climbs on board. Her round ass is right in my face and I can smell her spicy perfume as she runs her fingers through her dark hair. I’m not in the mood to deal with this and immediately shut her down.

‘I usually stay up with the driver at night and sleep during the day.’ It’s a habit I’ve had for years and I’m not changing it now.

‘That’s fine. I wasn’t asking when you slept.’ She winks at me as she sits next to Serena on the sofa, and Kat immediately crawls into her bunk. Normally their manager would be with us, but Ezra’s gone ahead and this is going to be a brutal four day opening leg.

I survey the bus. Up front are the driver and passenger seats, in the next section is a sofa and a small table with a bench seat facing it. The next section is where the bunks are. It looks like six total and I throw my backpack into the one on the top right side. Next to that is the toilet and in the very back is a small office. Nothing I haven’t seen before and as much as I hate being here, it almost feels like I’m home.

As the bus pulls out of the parking lot, I move to the passenger seat and begin the countdown.

‘So how long have you been driving?’ Normally I know the guy before we get out on the road, but everything about this situation is abnormal and I resign myself to the fact that it’s probably going to be a rough start.

‘About five years. I heard about you from Rico Rancone- he said you’re a blast.’ Angel laughs as he takes a right turn to get on the freeway. ‘I can’t wait to find out for myself.’ I run my hand through my hair and debate telling him that I’m not the same guy I was when I knew Rico.

Suddenly there’s a commotion in the back and I turn around to see one of the girls throwing a soda at the other one. I get up and storm back, wondering how this could already be happening. The one with blonde hair is soaked and yelling while the dark haired one laughs hysterically. It takes me a few seconds to remember their names.

‘What the fuck is going on here?’ I cross my arms and glare and they both shut up.

‘Zoe threw her drink at me because I called her a slut.’ The blonde one is obviously upset and her blue eyes burn with rage.

‘Is that true, Zoe?’

‘That I’m a slut or that I threw my drink at her?’ She asks innocently as she purses her pouty lips. I can tell that she’s going to challenge everything I say. Serena scoffs and slides out of the bench seat by the table then heading to the back of the bus to dry off. She’s athletic and lithe and my eyes follow her body as her hips sway seductively.

‘Look, this is going to be a long trip and we need to make an attempt to get along.’ I try to sound reasonable and authoritative, but am immediately shot down.

‘Daddy wants us to behave.’ Zoe mocks as she looks towards the back at Serena and they both burst into a fit of laughter. My head is already pounding and I can’t imagine my life getting any worse. Zoe slowly stands, locking her eyes onto me like she’s a wolf and I’m her prey, then slinks closer. Her perfume is one of my favorites and I try not to let my guard down as her arm brushes against mine.

She runs her finger down my bicep, circling the moebius strip tattoo on my right forearm with her purple fingernail. I can feel her body heat as she leans closer and when she whispers, my skin involuntarily breaks into a rash of goose pimples. ‘Maybe he should spank us.’

I’d be lying if I said that I’m not attracted to her. She’s hot as hell, but also almost twenty years younger than me. I mean, fuck, I have a pair of shoes that’s older than her. She might be legal, but there’s no way I’m going to let her get to me. Her eyes lock onto mine and I stare her down. She looks away after a few tense beats and I feel like I’ve won the first skirmish.

‘Where’s the other one?’ I ask as Zoe takes a step back, obviously shocked that I’m not succumbing to her advances.

‘Who, Kat?’

‘Yeah. Where is she?’ Zoe shrugs and I see a hand reach out of one of the bunks and give me the finger.

This, I can deal with.

‘Alright, now that we’re on our way, let’s go over the rules.’ Zoe rolls her eyes and plops back down on the sofa.

‘Absolutely no drugs or alcohol are allowed on the bus. Understand?’ I confirm as I lock eyes with Zoe, who nods sullenly and Serena, who emerges from the bathroom and sits next to her erstwhile friend. ‘Kat?’

‘Yeah ok. I don’t drink.’ I hear her mumbled response and move on.

‘Second- the only people allowed on this bus are the ones here now and Ezra, when we meet up with him. Is that clear?’ I ask. They nod and I get a verbal yes from Kat.

‘Last- the toilet gets clogged easily. For everyone’s sanity, do not throw your feminine hygiene shit in there.’ They all make a groaning sound and I can’t help laughing. ‘I’m serious about that one, ok. You don’t know misery until you're stuck on one of these things with that shit smell just hanging in the air when you’re in a five hour traffic jam.’ Zoe looks like she’s about to puke and Serena laughs.

‘Other than that, let’s try to have a good time and if you need to stop for any reason, let Angel or I know, ok?’ Zoe nods as she wraps her arm around Serena and they stare out of the window. Things seem to have calmed down and I go back to the front and sit in the passenger seat.

‘Everything alright?’ Angel asks as he gives me a smirk.

‘I don’t know, man.’ He laughs as I shake my head and I wonder if knows more than he’s letting on. ‘So what’s the deal with them.’

When he snorts I know that there’s something he’s not telling me. He looks at me, then back at the road and clears his throat.

‘Well you know you’re not the first person Steve called, right?’

God damn it.

‘Yeah, I got the feeling that this was a difficult sell.’

‘Difficult is an understatement.’ He looks towards the back for a second and lowers his voice. ‘These chicks have a bad reputation and no one in their right mind wants to deal with them. That’s part of the reason they haven’t been on tour in a few years.’

‘Fuck. That bad?’ He nods and I can feel my stomach twist into a knot. No one in their right mind is going to pay two hundred grand to a road manager for four months unless something else is going on. ‘Like, how bad is it? I mean, I’ve toured with the worst. They can’t be more unhinged than Fornicating Pig.’ I scoff as I remember the lowlights of that particular tour.

‘Look man. I don’t want to get into all of the dirty details, but I was the last guy on their list of drivers and the only reason I agreed to do this is the cash they offered.’ He looks at me again and shakes his head. ‘I have a feeling it was the same for you.’

I shrug and nod, there’s no need to deny it.

‘When we get somewhere private, call Steve and tell him that you want half now and the rest when the tour is over. Tell him that you can’t deal with it unless the money’s in the bank.’ Angel says before turning his attention back to the road.

I do not want to hear this and decide that it’s time to pull over for a break.

Chapter 3

‘Be back here at 2:30. Sharp.’ I order. Zoe rolls her eyes as she grabs Serena’s hand and they run off. I have plans to call Steve and want them occupied. ‘Kat, you too.’

‘I’m good.’ She calls out from her bunk and I walk off the bus and head towards an open area near the tree line at the edge of the parking lot. I pull out my phone and call Steve.

‘Hey Jas. Calling already?’ He sounds worried and that makes me worried.

‘What’s the deal here, Steve? How many other guys did you talk to before you got in touch with me?’ I hear his pencil tapping on his desk and can tell that he’s trying to come up with something. After a few seconds, he exhales loudly and just gives me the truth.

‘All of them.’

‘What?’

‘I called everyone, Jas.’ He says as he exhales and I can tell that he’s worried I’ll bolt. ‘They all refused. You were my last option and I knew you needed the money.’

‘Fuck!’ I scream and remember what Angel told me. ‘Look, I’m going to need half of the payment now.’ I think for a minute and make a snap decision. ‘And I want three hundred grand.’

‘Jesus, Jas.’ He’s pissed, but so am I. I hate being lied to and this feels like a setup. ‘Fine. I’ll talk to my accountant in the morning and send it over, but listen- for this price I need you to bring this thing in, ok?’

‘Ok. Thanks Steve.’ He mumbles something that sounds like fuck you and I hang up. My heart is racing and I look towards the bus, then check the time. It’s 2:25 and I have enough time to take a leak and then head into the convenience store.

A crowd’s gathered in the back and I’m surprised to see Serena and Zoe posting for photos with some of the other customers. I let it go on for a few minutes as I grab something to eat. I pay for it up front and return to the small group as Zoe signs some autographs.

‘Ok, say goodbye. We need to hit the road.’ The girls smile at their fans and wave as I walk them out and back towards the bus. I’m surprised that people in this shithole know who these girls are, but soon we’re back on the interstate heading north. It’s quiet and I relax for a few minutes as I eat my sandwich and chat with Angel. After a little while, I get suspicious about how calm everyone is and turn my head to see what’s happening.

‘How’s everyone doing?’ I head towards the back and sit on the sofa.

‘Good.’ Zoe’s scrolling through her phone as she strokes Serena’s hair and I’m surprised at how well everything is going. Maybe they just needed a firm hand and no one else was willing to do it.

‘So when was the last time you were on tour?’ I ask, feeling like I should make an effort to get to know them. They must have been young when they first started performing and it was probably tough.

‘Four years, right?’ Zoe looks down at Serena and she nods her head slightly. ‘Yeah, it’s been a while.’ Zoe smiles at me and I relax slightly.

‘Where did you go?’

‘It was our Europe tour, so Paris, London, Milan, you know…’ She rolls her eyes and turns back to her phone and I try again.

‘Yeah, did you enjoy it?’ I put my arm on the back of the sofa and rest my ankle on my knee.

‘It was nice, but we didn’t really get to see much.’ I completely understand. Even though it sounds like an exciting life, bands spend so much time traveling and rehearsing that they rarely get to enjoy the places they visit.

‘Maybe you’ll get to go back for fun some day.’ She rolls her eyes again.

‘What’s wrong with that?’ I can’t understand why she’s being so pissy. Suddenly Serena sits up, leans forward and pukes on the floor.

‘Shit!’ I jump out of my seat. ‘What the hell?’

‘Everything ok back there?’ Angel calls out.

‘Yeah, just, uh, pull over at the next stop, ok?’ I can suddenly smell alcohol and when Zoe smiles at me and shrugs, I realize what’s happened. ‘Has she been drinking?’

‘I guess.’ Zoe mumbles as she looks at the mess and wrinkles her nose. Serena moans as she rolls herself onto her back and Zoe manages to extricate herself from the other woman and repositions herself next to me, lowering her voice to a whisper. ‘She nicked a bottle of vodka when we were chatting with the fans.’

‘What?’ I burst out. None of this makes any sense and I need to wrap my head around the fact that she stole a bottle of vodka, then drank it all in the hour since we left. ‘Why the fuck would she do that?’

‘Well, we don’t have any money, so that’s the only way she could get it.’ Zoe says as she flutters her eyelashes innocently. The stench from the puke is overwhelming and I pull open the closet door and grab a roll of paper towels.

I get down on my hands and knees, the familiar scent of vomit filling my nostrils and I want to gag. I wish I could say that this was the first time I’ve done this particular job, but that would be a lie.

‘Ok,’ I pause for a minute to look at Zoe. ‘My first rule was no drugs or alcohol on the bus, why didn’t you stop her or tell me what was going on?’ I’m raising my voice and the realization sinks in that I’ve been hired to be a babysitter.

‘I’m not a rat, Jas.’ Her dark eyes bore into me and Serena moans, clearly in bad shape. I pick her up and walk gingerly towards the back of the bus where there’s another sofa in the tiny manager’s office. She weighs almost nothing and when the bus goes over a pothole, she holds on tighter. When I lay her down, I wipe a few strands of hair away from her forehead and position her on her side so she doesn’t choke if she vomits again

I go back out to the main area and see that Zoe’s taking care of the rest of the puke.

‘Thanks.’ She gives me a genuine smile and I feel like her bitchy facade is fading slightly.

Chapter 4

Day two. 3am. Somewhere between LA and Sacramento.

I gave Angel a break and have been driving for five hours. We hit some traffic and should be much farther than we are now.  It’s rough, but I don’t want any delays. Even though I have my license, this is probably my least favorite part of being on the road. My job is to make sure the act is there on time and ready to perform, so I do whatever it takes to make that happen. I carried Serena up to the passenger seat earlier to keep an eye on her and as I take another sip of energy drink, she wakes up and stares at me, surprised.

‘Why did you move me up here?’ She stretches her long legs as she looks around.

‘Because you stole a fucking bottle of vodka and drank half of it and I was worried you would choke on your own vomit.’ She scoffs and I hand her a bottle of water.

‘You make it sound way worse than it is.’ Her voice is flat and I shake my head.

‘Which part, stealing a liter of vodka or drinking most of it by yourself?’

‘Both, I guess…’ Her voice trails off and I stare straight ahead.

‘You know, I had the same problem.’ I can’t see her, but know that she’s rolling her eyes.

‘I don’t have a problem. I just like to have a drink every once in a while.’ She says as she picks at something on her leg. I said the exact same thing more than one time but don’t want to lecture her. ‘Besides, every ex alcoholic thinks that everyone else is an alcoholic. I like to have fun, what’s wrong with that?’

‘It didn’t look like you were having fun.’

‘Blow me.’ She says with a completely straight face and I burst into laughter.

‘Jesus.’ She starts laughing too and I’m glad she’s loosening up. ‘So what’s the deal with your friend back there?’

‘Which one, the slut or the hermit?’

‘Both, I guess.’ She grabs my energy drink and takes a sip, then gulps the rest of it down.

‘Do you have more of these in the back?’

‘Yeah, go grab a couple.’ I say as she gets up. I feel her grab onto my seat and can only imagine how bad she feels right now. The road stretches out in front of me and there’s not much traffic. We should be hitting Sacramento soon and I’m trying to avoid the morning rush hour.

‘Here you go.’ She pops open a can and hands it to me before plopping back down in the passenger seat.

‘Is everyone still asleep?’ I take a sip. It tastes like lemon cleaning fluid with too much saccharine mixed in, but I can’t imagine being awake right now without it.

‘Yeah, I think so.’ She goes quiet and I enjoy the silence. There’s no need to force conversation, as long as she’s not openly hostile, I’m happy. A few minutes later, I feel a tap on my shoulder.

‘Thanks for the break. I can take over if you want.’ Angel is standing behind me and I pull over into a truck stop. ‘I’ll go get some coffee. Want anything?’

‘I’m good, thanks.’

‘Ok, I’ll be back in five.’ He rushes off and Serena looks at me. The lights of the approaching trucks flash across her face and even in the dim, ragged light, she’s absolutely stunning. My thoughts start to wander and I realize that It’s been a year since I was with a woman. I shake my head as I try to dislodge the dirty fantasies that start to overwhelm my mind.

‘Do you want to go get some sleep or stay up here?’ I stand and motion towards the back.

‘I’ll stay up here for a while, it’s peaceful.’

‘Yeah, it’s not bad when you want some time to think, but sometimes too much of that can be a dangerous thing.’ I say and she nods in agreement.

Once Angel returns, I crawl into my bunk, enjoying the familiar feel of the bus swaying as I drift off to sleep.

I’m enveloped in the warm sea as my body sinks beneath the gentle waves. I feel myself panic, but when I realize I can breathe, I give in and notice a figure in the distance. As she swims towards me, I admire the iridescent scales that begin slightly below her tapered waist and flare into a shimmering tail. Her blond hair floats around her like a halo and I reach out to touch her naked tits, brushing against her pink nipple as she kisses me.

Her hand trails down my chest and unfastens my belt. I give in as she unzips my jeans and shoves her hand inside, stroking my stiff cock as she moans in my ear. It feels so good and as my eyes flutter open, I realize that I’m not alone.

‘What the fuck?’ A hand is in my sweatpants and I grab it as Zoe’s face merges into my field of vision. I roll away, jerking her soft hand away from my rigid dick as I try to cover myself with the thin blanket.

‘Morning, Jas.’ She whispers. Her dark eyes are sparkling wickedly and she bites her lip as she smiles.

‘Get the hell out of my bunk, Zoe.’ I’m still half asleep and my raging hard on is making extricating her from my personal space way more difficult than it ought to be.

‘Come on, just a few more strokes.’ She says as she leans down to kiss me. Her lips feel like velvet and she pushes her tongue into my mouth before I come to my senses and grab her shoulders, jerking her away. She’s not wearing a bra and her shirt is cut so low that I can see the light pink blush of her areola. I have to force myself to look away and it takes every ounce of willpower to do it. ‘You were enjoying it before you woke up.’

‘Christ, Zoe. Get out of my bunk, now!’ I’m worried that if she doesn’t leave I’m going to lose control. She pouts and as she jumps down, a wave of relief washes through me. I’m as hard as an icicle in a snowstorm and try to think about anything else right now but the way her soft body felt against mine.

‘Fuck!’ I scream into my pillow as I hear her giggle and manage to squeeze my jeans on. When I slide out of the bunk, I see her whispering to Serena and wave my hand as I go look for a cup of coffee. I can’t deal with this shit right now and return to the passenger seat as we cross the Oregon state line.

‘Problems?’ I settle into the passenger seat and try to get what happened out of my head.

‘Yeah- three.’ My pulse is still pounding and I can feel Zoe’s eyes boring into the back of my head as I try to ignore her. She and Serena are chatting loudly and I can tell that they’re discussing Zoe’s failed attempt to seduce me.

‘Do you want to stop? I know I wouldn’t mind a break.’ Angel says as we stare at the mountains in the distance.

‘Sure, pull over.’

The next exit has a half empty truck stop and as we slow to a crawl, I return to the back to remind them of the rules.

‘No alcohol. I mean it.’ Serena glares holes through me and I double down. ‘I will be checking, so don’t try it. Ok?’

‘You’ll need to check me too, Jas. I might be hiding something for her.’ Zoe says teasingly and she brushes against me as she and Serena file off the bus. I take a look at my phone and see a message from Steve.

Call me.

I find a quiet spot near the convenience store and wait for him to pick up. The breeze is cool and the smell of diesel hangs low in the air as I listen to it ring and try to keep an eye on the girls. I notice that Kat is with them and I’m happy that she’s decided to get out of her bunk for a few minutes.

‘Jas, hey. How’s everything?’ I think about the booze and Zoe and the general chaos that’s surrounded us and decide to go with the simple answer.

‘Good, we’re in Oregon.’ I crane my neck to find Zoe’s dark hair. ‘Just stopping for a break.’

‘Ok, happy to hear that. I knew you were the right guy for this.’ He trails off and I worry that he has some bad news. ‘Listen, somehow the tickets were oversold and the venue in Vancouver is going to be slightly larger than we had originally planned.’

‘That’s good, right?’ I had never heard of a band being upset that they sold more tickets than expected.

‘Normally, yes, but Kat has an issue with large spaces.’ Fuck. ‘Can you talk to her and let her know that we’re moving to a bigger venue?’

‘Shouldn’t Ezra do that?’

I’m not their fucking manager.

‘Yeah, but he’s been dealing with some other stuff and we could really use your help on this.’

‘Ok fine. Is that all?’ I need to get some coffee and make sure they’re not stealing anything.

‘Thanks Jas.’

There’s no one else inside and I can hear the three of them chatting excitedly. As I approach, they quiet down and I figure that this is a good time to talk to Kat. If she’s as terrified as Steve says, maybe Zoe and Serena can help break the news.

‘I just spoke with Steve.’ I say, trying to make this sound like it’s a positive development. ‘Ticket sales in Vancouver were great and we’ve changed venues. It’s slightly bigger…’

‘How big?’ Kat’s soft voice is strange to hear and I’m glad she’s talking.

‘We’re moving from three thousand seats to five thousand.’ I can see a flash of panic crease her pretty features and continue, hoping she won’t lose it. ‘It’s really not that much bigger, this one has a mezzanine. I’ve worked shows there before and it’s honestly one of my favorite halls.’

‘It’s ok, Kat. You know how it is when the lights are down, it’s hard to see anyone past the first few rows anyway.’ Serena says as she wraps her arms around her friend and strokes her hair.

‘We can talk about it some more once we’re back on the bus, ok?’ I say as I give her a reassuring smile. ‘Is there anything you want from here? I will pay for it.’ I emphasize the last part, hoping I can deter their sticky fingers.

‘Vodka…’ Serena teases and I shake my head.

‘Anything else?’

We walk out, loaded with a few bags of junk food and some coffee and pile back into the bus. I give Angel the ok and we pull out as I keep my eyes on Serena and Zoe.

‘You didn’t take anything, did you?’ I don’t see any bottles, but Zoe comes closer, clearly in the mood to poke me and whispers breathily into my ear.

‘You can frisk me if you want.’ I remember the way her body felt pressed against mine and imagine stripping her naked, bending her over the table and fucking her right here in front of everyone. Instead, I spin her around, satisfied when I don’t see any contraband.

‘Serena?’ She obediently stands and twirls. There’s no way she could hide anything in the tight yoga pants and sports bra that she’s wearing. Kat does the same before crawling into her bunk and I’m worried that I’ve lost the opportunity to chat about what’s going on.

‘Thank you.’ I throw the bags onto the table and hold onto one of the railings that line the ceiling as we pull back onto the freeway. ‘I hate feeling like a prison guard, but you guys aren’t leaving me much choice here.’

Zoe grabs a bag of chips from the pile of snacks and starts munching loudly, getting the attention that she so desperately craves as Serena throws a pillow at her. I let their little scuffle die down before continuing.

‘Here’s the plan. In a few hours we’re stopping in Eugene so we can all get some sleep and showers and hopefully feel slightly better.’ The tour bus is nice, but a real bed and some personal space sounds incredible right now.

‘Can I share a room with you, Jas?’ Zoe is doing her best to annoy the shit out of me.

‘No. Any other questions?’

Chapter 6

‘This place blows.’ We’re filing off the bus and Serena stops and stares at the decrepit looking building in front of us. ‘Ezra couldn’t find anything better?’

‘I’ll go make sure this is it.’ I say as I motion for them to stay put. This looks like the kind of place that a struggling rock group would shack up in a few decades ago. I walk into the lobby. It reeks of smoke and mildew and I really had no idea that there were still places like this. There’s a rusty bell on the formica counter and I ring it, wondering who’s going to emerge.

I’m not disappointed as an overweight balding woman walks out of a back room and looks at me from across the counter.

‘What do you want?’ The smell of boiled cabbage wafts out from the back room and I wrinkle my nose as she studies me over an ancient pair of spectacles.

‘I think I might be in the wrong place, but do you have a reservation for Jas Cordrey?’ She clears her throat before opening an ancient ledger and skims down a row of names.

‘Cordrey. Five rooms?’

Fuck.

‘Yeah.’ I look through the window and see the girls looking around and a wave of fatigue hits me. ‘Can I get the keys?’

‘This is the place.’ I’m staring at the girls as they eye the keys suspiciously.

‘What am I supposed to do with this?’ Zoe holds it up, acting like she’s never seen anything like it before in her life.

‘It’s a fucking key, you stupid bitch.’ Kat mumbles beneath her breath and I have to stifle a laugh as Zoe glares holes through her bandmate.

‘Let’s go in and get some rest. We’re only going to be here for ten hours, so we can live with it.’ I look at each of them as Angel begins unloading the bags. ‘I promise I’ll talk to Ezra about the next stop. This place is pretty rough and I’m sure he can do better. It’s probably just some sort of misunderstanding. Ok?’

They nod and I help get their bags to their rooms, wishing them good night as I turn the key in my creaky door and let myself inside. The lobby was luxurious compared to this room and I yank back the sheets, fully expecting to find a few dead roaches and a used hypodermic needle tucked inside.

It’s time to give Ezra a call.

I dial his number and after a few rings, I hear a voice on the other end.

‘This is Ezra.’

‘Hey, this is, uh, Jas Cordrey…’

‘Jas! Hi, I’ve been meaning to touch base.’ It’s been two seconds and I already dislike this guy’s nasal voice and business school demeanor intensely. ‘How’s the trip going so far? Are the girls behaving?’

‘Uh, yeah. Ezra, we need to talk. What’s going on with this hotel?’ The other end goes silent and I wait for him to respond.

‘Jas, look- I just got another message that I need to take. I’ll speak with you about it tomorrow, alright?’

‘Wait, Ezra…’ The other end goes dead and I can feel myself on the verge of losing it before reigning myself in and taking a few deep breaths. I shoot a message to Steve about the situation and decide to let it go. I’ve stayed in worse places and like I told the girls, it’s only ten hours. I throw my suitcase onto the second bed and pull out my toiletry bag and place it on the vanity by the shower before getting undressed.

The shower looks good at least and as steam fills the bathroom, I get in the hot spray and let the water wash over my body. I’m more exhausted than I realized and think I hear the door open and close. I shake my head and turn off the water, grabbing a towel from the rack and drying myself off. All I can think about is that bed and getting some shut eye and as I walk out of the bathroom, I don’t notice the figure perched on the edge of the mattress.

‘Nice.’ I yank the towel from around my neck and quickly secure it around my waist as my mind registers Zoe sitting there, staring at me.

‘What the hell are you doing in here, Zoe?’ She keeps her eyes locked on me as she licks her full lips and slides her fingertip down the soft skin of her neck.

‘I wanted to see if your room was any nicer than mine.’

‘I can trade if you want, just give me a minute to get dressed.’ As I reach for my shirt, she stands and slinks towards me. Her finger traces my abs and begins trailing down my stomach, then through the patch of hair that ends at my hardening cock.

‘I was thinking that we could bunk together. It gets really lonely by myself and the heat isn’t working...’ Her word trails off and I inhale her perfume as she runs her hand through her dark hair. She’s so hot and I try to push the memory of the way she stroked me on the bus out of my mind.

My phone starts ringing and I breathe a sigh of relief as I hold up my finger to her and answer it.

‘Yeah. Steve?’ She crosses her arms and stares at me.

‘Hi Jas- just got your message. What’s going on?’ I turn away from her to keep from getting distracted by the way she’s staring at me.

‘What’s up with this motel? It’s some run down motor lodge in the middle of nowhere. Can’t you guys do any better than this?’ I can hear him tapping his pen and realize he’s about to give me some bullshit.

‘Look, Jas- there’s not much money. We’ve spent most of it on venues and your salary and other costs. They haven’t been on tour in years and their most recent studio album didn’t hit the way we thought it would.’ It all sounds like made up excuses and I can’t help but wonder if there’s something he’s hiding.

‘I’ll talk to Ezra and see what we can do about the accommodation situation. Maybe your next stop will be better, all right?’

‘Ok, but promise me you’ll at least bring it up. They don’t deserve this.’ He says his goodbyes and I turn my attention back to the intruder as I toss my phone onto my bag. ‘What do you want from me, Zoe?’ I’m feeling frustrated and even though every part of me is attracted to her in the most primal way, I’m not in the mood for games.

‘You know what I want.’ She whispers. I can feel her breath dance across my chest as she draws closer and when her lips meet mine, I give in.

Chapter 7

It feels so good. Almost like part of me has been asleep for a year and now I’m waking up and experiencing life again.

I’ve fucked a lot of women. It happens when you’re on tour and surrounded by groupies and aren’t totally repulsive. It’s easily in the hundreds, and that’s only counting the ones I remember. When I met Lisa, I gave it all up and managed to stay totally devoted to her until she left.

I haven’t been denying myself or anything, I jerk off as much as the next guy. The point is that I haven’t wanted any complications in my life and the person currently shoving her tongue down my throat is a massive complication that I should keep at a professional distance if I want to have any chance of surviving the next four months and getting paid.

But it just feels so fucking good.

Her lips are soft and sweet and I wrap my hands around the back of her neck, pulling her close as she presses her body against mine. I know what I want and knowing that I shouldn’t just take it right now is killing me. As her tongue fills my mouth, I imagine ripping off that tiny shirt and squeezing those big tits and sucking on her pointy little nipples, then pushing her onto her knees and fucking her sweet, tight pussy until she screams my name.

She gasps, almost as though she can see the dirty thoughts racing through my mind and takes a step back. I notice that her cheeks are flushed and I wonder why she stopped. The only sound in the room are her sharp breaths as she pants.

‘What? Do I have bad breath?’ I smile and put my finger under her chin, lifting it up so her eyes meet mine. ‘Is it not what you were expecting.’ My question isn’t a question and I see panic light up her eyes.

‘No, it’s nice. Like really nice.’ She flushes again and brushes her fingertips against her wet lips. ‘I have to go.’ I watch as she retreats, pausing at the door before turning the knob and slipping out. I’m still rock hard, but too tired to rub one off and just get into bed. It takes five minutes before I’m out and when the alarm sounds the next morning, the whole thing seems like a dream.

I go for a quick run as soon as I’m up, then jump into the shower again and get dressed. Angel is already on the bus and I join him, giving him a nod as I head towards the back for a cup of coffee before I return to the passenger seat and start scrolling through some documents that Steve sent through last night.

‘Morning.’ Serena’s the first one on the bus and she looks at me and smiles. ‘My suitcase is outside.’ She throws her backpack on the sofa and pulls out her phone. Kat’s next and I look at my watch, ready to get back on the road. As Angel steps out to load up the luggage, Serena comes towards me with a devilish grin curling her lips and leans close to my ear.

‘I hear that you and Zoe got to know each other a little better last night.’ Her words are whispered and the sound sends chills through my body.

‘Zoe invited herself into my room and nothing happened.’ I say, shutting her down. I’m feeling agitated and want to get going. ‘Where is she?’

‘I thought you would know.’ She winks at me and returns to the back, whispering something to Kat as she stares at me.

‘Fuck.’ I mumble as I make my way towards Zoe’s room, about to bang on the door as it opens and she emerges.

‘Oh, morning Jas.’ She ducks under my extended arm and walks towards the bus, acting as if nothing happened. I’m starting to think that she’s the kind of girl that only wants what she can’t have and once she gets it, loses interest completely. I shake my head and load her suitcase, then close the door.

‘Ready?’ I sit in the passenger seat as Angel pulls back out onto the interstate and we’re on our way.

The drive to Vancouver should only take around eight hours, barring any unforeseen incidents and Angel agrees to iron ass it. We stop outside of Seattle and the girls get mobbed by fans again and I can’t understand why Steve insists that they have no money. I’ve been on plenty of tours where not even the fans at the venue recognized the band and these chicks get mobbed everywhere they go.

Something’s not right.

Once we’re cruising again, I pull out my phone and start doing some research. Steve told me that their last album hadn’t done well, but according to the charts, it was number one for eight weeks and hung around the charts for most of the year. I’m not an expert on record sales, but that should give them plenty of cash for nicer hotels and plenty of pocket money. If Ezra had told me they were limiting access to their funds because of Serena’s drinking or some other specific reason, I would understand, but these women are obviously broke and the whole situation seems shady as hell.

‘You’re awfully quiet. What’s going on, man?’ Angel’s question interrupts my thoughts and I shake my head as I watch the landscape speed by.

‘Have you ever seen a band with no pocket money before? I mean, no cards, no cash- nothing.’

‘Nah, usually they’re spending like it’s going out of style. Why?’ I shake my head and cross my arms in front of me as I lean back in my seat.

‘No reason, just thinking about something.’

‘Matter of fact, I remember when Axel Hansen gave some guy at a rest stop in Texas five thousand dollars for his goat- in cash. He brought that thing onto the bus and kept it for like a week. That was some wild shit, man.’ Angel laughs at the memory and I continue scrolling through info about the group. Are they really as broke as Steve says or is something worse happening behind the scenes?

‘Jas!’ I hear my name being called and shake my head as I get up and make my way towards the back.

‘What?’ I hold on to the handrail as I look at Zoe, then Serena. I’m not in the mood to deal with their bullshit right now.

‘Zoe told me you’re a good kisser and I want to find out for myself.’ She puckers her lips and I shake my head.

‘No.’ I say firmly as I lean against the wall. ‘I have a question, though. Why don’t you have any money?’

‘What do you mean?’ Zoe looks clueless and stares at Serena.

‘You said the other day that you didn’t have any money. Why is that?’

‘I mean, we’ve always had everything taken care of for us, so we haven’t really needed it.’ Serena says as she looks at me blankly, then decides to come clean. ‘Ok, fine.’ She exhales deeply and stares through the window at the passing landscape. ‘Ezra said we’re running out of cash so that’s why we’re back on tour.’

‘Your last album was certified platinum, so why are you touring mid level venues?’ I ask, and they both shrug. I’m not surprised, the artists rarely know anything about the nuts and bolts of the tour.

‘Why?’ Serena is curious about why I’m asking so many questions and I don’t know what to tell them. Something feels off and I plan on looking into it further. I’ve heard horror stories about managers and accountants screwing acts out of millions and I hope to God that’s not the case here.

‘Nothing, I just haven’t run into a situation like this before.’ I pause and change the subject. ‘Our hotel tonight looks significantly better.’ Ezra sent a link a few hours ago and apologized for sticking us in that shithole last night.

‘Good. It’s downtown, right? I wouldn’t mind going out.’ Zoe smiles at me and I shake my head.

‘You have early rehearsal tomorrow and I want to see you up by seven, so no partying.’ Serena pouts and I realize I’ll need to keep an eye on her to make sure she doesn’t get into any trouble. The conversation dies out and I walk towards the tiny office in the back. There’s a laptop on the desk and I turn it on, closing the door as I look up some additional information about the group.

I’m scrolling through some fan sites and am so caught up in what I’m reading that I don’t hear the door open and close softly behind me.

‘If there’s something you want to know, you can just ask.’ I recognize Serena’s voice and quickly shut the laptop. She squeezes past me and sits on the small sofa, staring at me with open contempt as she chews loudly on a piece of bubblegum. She’s got on a pair of short cutoffs and when she shifts, I can tell she’s not wearing any panties.

I lean back in the chair, weaving my fingers behind my head as I try to figure out what to say. From what I read, the group has always been on the verge of a meltdown and the only thing that kept them together for the first three years was their parents. Now that they’re on their own, chaos seems to follow them everywhere they go: destroyed hotel rooms, nasty public breakups and drunken meltdowns, just to scratch the surface.

‘I have some questions about what’s really going on, Serena.’ I pause as she crosses her legs and pulls on one end of the chewing gum, stringing it out, then moving it back towards her glossy pink lips. ‘It’s strange that you’re already broke after putting out an album that should have made you tons of money.’

‘It’s not strange at all. Thanks to some bad contracts that our parents signed years ago, we only saw a small fraction of what we should have earned.’ She looks upset and I can understand why. ‘There’s nothing we can do about it now except put out two more albums and hope that we can stay popular until the third one is released.’ She blows a bubble and it pops loudly.

‘Have you spoken with a lawyer? I know a guy…’

‘We’ve spoken with a few lawyers and they all said the same thing: the contract is binding and we need to honor it if we want to keep performing as the LaLa Girls.’ She leans forward and looks at me seriously. ‘This is the only thing we know how to do, Jas. If they take that away from us, I don’t know what will happen.’ I feel terrible for her, for all of them.

The tight space is quiet except for the humming sound of tires meeting the road and I stare at her for a few seconds. I assume she’s leaving as she stands and closes the distance between, but she shuts the small door behind me. The look in her eye tells me that she wants something and she’s not going to be happy until she gets it.

Suddenly she’s on my lap, spreading her legs as she moves closer to me. I know I should leave, that I should push her off and retreat to the safety of the passenger seat, but I’m pinned down and the reality is that I’m in no hurry to go.

‘You’re a good guy, aren’t you Jas?’ Her voice is soft and she glides the back of her manicured index finger across my afternoon stubble. I can feel myself getting hard despite my best effort to keep my body under control, but when she looks down, she notices the thick bulge in my pants and smiles wickedly. ‘But you’re still a man.’

Chapter 8

I should put a stop to this whole thing now, but I don’t and my logic is taking a back seat to my desire. Her body is lithe and thin and as she pushes her weight down on me, I’m surprised at how light she is. She’s wearing a pair of shorts that barely cover her ass and her loose fitting t-shirt is thin enough that I can clearly see the peaks of her breasts pushing against the worn fabric.

She slides closer until I can feel her hot breath on my skin. Her eyes hold mine and she reaches up to pull her golden hair loose from her messy bun. It cascades over her shoulders and releases the clean scent of generic hotel shampoo into the air surrounding us. She tilts her head slightly as she traces my pectoral muscle, inspecting the goods before making a firm commitment.

‘What do you want, Serena? Is this some sort of twisted competition between you and Zoe to see who can get me first?’ I ask. She bends down to kiss me and I can taste the intensely sweet flavor of the gum as her lips meet mine. Against my better judgment, I cup her tight ass and pull her closer so that her body is pressed against me. She leans away for a second and I think it’s over, but she tosses the gum in the trash bin before pushing her tongue into my mouth. Her arms are around my neck and I can feel her hips begin to rock in that familiar rhythm as she grinds on top of me.

‘I want to be close to someone, Jas.’ She whispers into my ear and I feel my body respond with a soft prickling across my skin. ‘I think you do, too.’ My hands creep up and circle her thin waist as she continues rocking slowly and steadily. I want to wait to see where she takes this, but when she pulls off her t-shirt in a swift motion and her small breasts are right in front of me, ripe and ready to be tasted, I find it hard to control my base instincts.

I pull her closer, taking one of her soft nipples into my mouth. It feels so good and right and as a fierce moan escapes her lips, I suddenly worry about being discovered. We’re both adults, but I don’t want people to find out that I couldn’t control myself, that I gave in at the first opportunity that was placed in front of me. I’ve spent the last year exercising self control and denial and now I’m losing it completely.

Her hips move faster as I suck and as I push my fingers between her legs, I can feel her desire seeping through her shorts. I suddenly remember what pussy tastes like and the sensation of that soft skin against my tongue and all of the blood in my body rushes straight to my dick.

‘That feels so nice…’ She murmurs and I want more. As I pull away from her breast, her lips find mine again before helping me wriggle out of my t-shirt. She brushes her fingers through the sparse hair on my chest, tracing the lines of my muscles as she leans back and smiles. ‘You have some gray hair.’ A light giggle escapes her lips as she bites her full lip and I shrug.

‘It happens.’ Her fingers trail down my torso and stop at the top button of my jeans as she considers her options. I wait patiently as she toys with the button and when she looks at me again, she smiles.

‘I want to suck your dick, Jas. Is that alright?’ I’ve never had a woman actually ask before. It always just happened, but the fact that I know what’s coming makes me want it even more.

‘Yeah, that would be nice.’ I swallow as she slowly maneuvers herself off my thighs and kneels on the floor between my legs. She slowly slides the zipper and by time she gets it to the bottom, I worry I’m going to come in my pants.

She reaches into my jeans and wrestles out my cock. It’s stiff and ready and when she brushes her lips against the tip, I have to grip onto the sides of the chair to keep from losing it completely. She sticks out her tongue and licks the seam from my balls to the crown, staring at me with those big blue eyes as she does it. Even if it hadn’t been a year, I would still be struggling to hold back right now, just looking at her.

‘When was the last time you had a blow job?’ She asks as she kisses the soft skin of my shaft lightly, then traces one of the throbbing veins with her finger.

‘A while. When was the last time you gave one?’ A laugh bubbles out of her throat and she shrugs as she leans over and wraps her lips around me. ‘Christ, that feels good.’ I reach out, running my hand through her silky hair as she takes more of me, and I revel in the sensation of her lips and teeth and tongue as she teases me.

I want to grab her by her arms and throw her over the desk and fuck her the way she needs, but I let her continue. I can feel the back of her throat as she leans over and the muscles wrap around the tip as she gags lightly, then pulls away. A string of saliva trails from the slick head to her lips and it’s the most beautiful fucking thing I’ve ever seen.

Suddenly I feel the bus turning and as we begin to slow, I panic. She doesn’t seem to notice, but as I sit up and start to tuck myself back into my jeans, her expression changes.

‘What’s wrong?’ She asks as a hurt look creases her beautiful features.

‘We’re stopping. Get dressed.’ I grab her arm and pull her towards me, but she just smiles and wraps her fingers around my cock. Her strokes are slow and assured and I lean back in the chair, giving in to her.

‘You have time to come, let me take care of it for you.’ She says softly before swallowing me again. I let go as she takes over, allowing myself the pleasure that I’ve been avoiding for so long. Each pass of her mouth reminds me of what I’ve been missing and I wish her tight, juicy pussy was wrapped around me instead of her lips. It only takes a few more strokes and I let go, shooting into the back of her throat as she continues to work the softening flesh.

‘God damn.’ The bus comes to a stop and I don’t have time to revel in the pleasure. I see her swallow my cum and lick her lips as she pulls on her t-shirt and I try to make myself presentable. Almost immediately I start feeling guilty about what just happened. I help Serena off the floor and against my better judgment, lean down to kiss her. I want her again, but need to find out what’s going on.

‘Did something happen?’ I’m the first one out and can feel Zoe staring daggers into me as I make my way towards the front to talk to Angel. ‘I thought we weren’t stopping until Vancouver.’

‘Zoe said she wasn’t feeling well and wanted to get out and walk around.’ I glance back at her, watching as she storms off the bus.  Serena looks at me before chasing after her friend and a wave of regret about what just happened overwhelms me.

I’m supposed to be caring for these women, not fucking them.

Zoe

Chapter 1

I just couldn’t help myself.

Instead of telling Serena no, I went for it and now I’ve got a massive problem on my hands.

‘What’s wrong Zoe?’ She’s standing on the other side of the parking lot and I walk towards her, braving the daggers shooting from her eyes before she turns around to look in the other direction. I reach her in a few long strides across the patchy gravel and when she faces me, I see tears running down her cheeks. She has her arms wrapped around her body and she looks so fucking vulnerable and beautiful.

Jesus.

‘I know what you were doing in there…with…with…Serena.’ She chokes back a sob and stares at me with those dazzling eyes, telling me everything I need to know in one glance. It’s sad and brutal and I feel like the world’s largest piece of shit.

I hate it when women cry. I don’t know what to say or do to make them stop and standing in front of me is an absolutely gorgeous woman with tears streaming down her face and it’s my fault because I couldn’t bring myself to stop.

‘Look, Zoe-’ I grab her shoulder and move her away from the edge of the busy lot as a huge truck drives by. The guy inside is staring at me and I can tell that he’s thinking all sorts of things that aren’t true. I give him a brusque nod and he shakes his head and moves on, keeping an eye on us in the rearview mirror as he merges onto the busy highway. ‘I don’t know what the problem is.’

‘You don’t know what the problem is?’ She says incredulously as she steps back and glares at me again. I’m guessing that wasn’t what she wanted to hear and try a course correction as a fresh stream of tears flows out of her eyes.

‘Ok.. ok.’ I hold out my hand, trying to keep her away from the steady stream of big rigs passing right next to us. ‘I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done, uh, that.’ I don’t know how much I should confess. I feel like she doesn’t need to know all of the dirty details about what happened between Serena and I, but at this point I’m pretty sure she’s already guessed most of it.

‘It’s always the same thing with Serena. Any time I like a guy, she steals him.’ I’m just now realizing how much younger they are and that just because I’m looking at this as casual fucking, they probably don’t see it the same way. They need to understand that I’m not relationship material. I mean, I’ve only really been in one long term commitment and look how that turned out.

‘She didn’t steal me, Zoe.’ My mind is racing as I try to figure out what to say to get her back on the bus. ‘We’re not together and whatever happened between Serena and I is none of your business.’ Her dark eyes narrow and I can tell that I just said exactly the wrong thing again.

Goddammit.

‘None of my business?’ She murmurs and I try to walk back what I said.

‘It’s just that...’ I run my hand through my hair as I curse under my breath. ‘What do you want me to say, Zoe?’ I’ve mostly been able to avoid this type of drama in my life and now it’s chased me down and I’ve got a massive chunk of it threatening to ruin my life, just when I need to get it together.

‘I don’t understand why you were willing to be with her, but not me.’ A few more tears slide down her smooth cheeks and she looks so fucking beautiful that it’s killing me.

‘You decided that you didn’t want to be with me, Zoe.’ I say as I reach out and wipe away a tear with the back of my finger. ‘In the hotel yesterday- you just left.’ She bites her lip and looks away and I hope that she’s ready to get back on the bus and move on.

‘Yeah, but…’ Her voice trails off and I see her staring in the direction of the bus. I turn around and see Serena and Kat’s faces pressed against the glass as they dissect the drama unfolding before them. ‘I wasn’t ready.’ A fresh stream of tears pours out and I stare at the ground, trying to figure out how to get her to stop. I feel bad for her, but she’s also being overly sensitive about the whole situation.

‘Look, Zoe. You shouldn’t do anything you’re not ready for, but I’m not some toy that you can pick up and put down whenever you want. I’m a person too and whatever is going on between you and Serena is something that you need to talk to her about.’ I look at my watch and swear again, tired of this conversation and ready to move on. ‘Can we go now?’

She nods and throws her arms around me. As much as I hate hugs, her body feels warm and soft against mine and as I pull her close, a wave of emotions rush through me as we embrace in the filthy parking lot.

‘What the hell was that?’ I sit next to Angel after getting Zoe back on the bus and shake my head, not wanting to touch his question with a ten foot pole.

‘I fucked up, man.’ I say, hoping we can leave it at that. I don’t need Ezra and Steve finding out about this lapse in judgment. ‘How much farther?’

‘Maybe an hour if we don’t hit any traffic.’ We pull out onto the interstate and I try to resist looking back. I know that Serena and Zoe are in the office talking and I really don’t want to get pulled into their personal drama, but since I’m the cause of this round of contention, I feel some responsibility to help resolve it. I take another look and ultimately decide to wait, hoping the whole thing will just blow over.

Angel and I sit in silence as I scroll through my phone, listening for any sounds of trouble from the back. He knows something happened, but he doesn’t want to pry. He’s learned to practice a certain level of discretion and I appreciate that. The scenery of the Pacific Northwest zips by and I’m enjoying the silence, but the suspicions I have about what’s going on with the girls’ money is still bothering me.

Even if they’re under contract, they should have access to their bank accounts and with the level of their popularity, I can’t imagine that there’s no cash. The idea that Steve could be screwing them over is intensely distasteful and I sincerely hope that my friend isn’t doing anything to actively hurt them. He’s always done alright money-wise, but his new circumstances indicate that he’s come into some serious cash recently and I hope that it’s not the result of skimming from the LaLa Girls.

By the time we reach the Canadian border, the girls emerge from the back and I see Serena’s arm draped around Zoe and both are laughing hysterically. I shouldn’t have let Serena give me that blow job, but I don’t regret it. She was so hot and I wanted it. Unfortunately, my lapse of judgment could cost me everything.

‘Get your passports, we’re almost at immigration.’ I shout out and Serena winks at me. I hope that she’s calmed Zoe down and we can get back to business. As we inch closer to the checkpoint, Angel opens the door and a Canadian official boards.

‘How’s everyone doing today?’ He smiles and I shake his hand.

‘Good, officer. We’re on our way to a concert in Vancouver.’ He looks towards the back and Zoe and Serena wave at him and smile.

‘Ok, sure. I’ll just need your passports.’ Either he’s being a complete professional or he has no idea who they are. I’m not sure which I prefer and I can tell that Zoe’s a little put out at not being immediately recognized. After he stamps the passports and takes a look through the bunks, he waves us through and I breathe a sigh of relief. We’re almost there and I think all of us can use some down time.

Chapter 2

The bus pulls into the city and I’m thrilled to see that the hotel is something more aligned to all of our expectations. Angel pulls into the front lot and I get out to collect the keys. The lobby is large and elegant with dark wood, thick carpeting and a lobby bar that every part of me is screaming to visit.

Check in is uneventful and as I hand out the keycards, Serena ignores me and I wonder if her brief infatuation has run its course. Zoe snatches the plastic card from my hand before rolling her eyes and Kat is the only one who thanks me. It’s an odd turn around and I shrug it off, hoping that things have finally settled down.

‘Get some rest, we have an early call in the morning, ok?’ They all nod as the bellhops grab the luggage and I slip the guy in charge a hundred dollar bill and hope they can be discreet. Even though the reservations are under my name, if word gets out that an act is staying in a specific hotel, things can go south fast.

‘Hey, Jas.’ I hear Serena’s voice calling out as I stare at the bar and turn to face her. The lobby is filled with tourists and professionals and I’m pretty sure that no one’s noticed us.

‘Yeah?’ I say softly, trying to keep it casual as she comes closer.

‘About what happened on the bus…’ Her voice trails off and she looks over her shoulder, quickly surveying her surroundings before returning her attention to me.

‘Look, Serena.’ I don’t want to say the wrong thing and get her worked up. ‘Whatever happened, happened and we can just move on.’

‘I don’t want to move on, Jas.’ She whispers and when she stands on her toes and kisses me, I’m shocked. Her lips feel so good pressed against mine and as I get lost in the moment, I hear the sound of a camera clicking. I pull away immediately and am shocked to see a smiling woman taking a picture of us, then typing furiously as she texts someone.

‘Hey.’ I motion for Serena to stay put and walk towards the woman. She’s grinning broadly and I hear the distinct sound of a message being sent as I approach her. ‘What the hell are you doing?

‘I just took a photo- chill out.’ She rolls her eyes as she puts her phone back in her purse. I’ve dealt with fans before, but I’ve never been the subject of their curiosity and I’m not happy about this development.

‘Hey- can you do me a favor and delete that?’ I ask calmly as the woman smirks.

‘No way. All of my friends are obsessed with the LaLa Girls. They’re going to die when they find out that Serena’s dating a hot daddy.’ She eyes me appreciatively and I feel completely clueless.

‘What’s that?’ I ask.

‘You know, a good looking older guy.’ The woman smiles and waves before walking off and I’m speechless as I return to Serena.

‘I think we need to get you upstairs.’ We head towards the elevators and I swipe the card against the reader and press the button for her floor. I’m obviously upset and lean against the thin wall as I try to figure out how I’m going to explain this to Steve.

‘What’s wrong?’ Serena asks and I’m pulled out of my thoughts. I don’t know what to say. I’ve never been in this situation before and I don’t know how to deal with it.

‘That woman got a picture of us kissing and I’m worried that it’s going to cause a shitstorm.’ I’m surprised when Serena pushes me against the wall and runs her finger down my cheek, brushing it lightly against my afternoon stubble. When her lips meet mine, I wrap my hands around her small waist and kiss her back. This doesn’t fix the problem, but it feels so good that I lean in and give into the feeling of her slim body pressed against me.

‘Let’s go to your room. I want to fuck you.’ She breathes as she grabs the keycard from my hand. When the door opens, she drags me behind her as we rush down the hall. My heart is pounding as she waves my keycard in front of the lock and it clicks. Everything inside of me is telling me to run, to tell her that I’m flattered and that even though I want to fuck the shit out of her, it’s not a good idea.

She pulls me inside the cool, modern room and throws her bag on the floor, then stares at me like she wants to devour me.

‘I can’t stop thinking about what happened earlier, Jas.’ She comes closer and her words are barely above a whisper. Her lips find mine and I remember how hot she looked as she writhed on top of me this afternoon. I can feel myself getting hard just thinking about her tits and her mouth and want her so bad that I have to hold myself back.

‘Serena, listen…’ She cuts me off with another kiss and I can feel myself giving in completely. Her lips are warm and soft and sweet and I hope to God that this is worth completely destroying my career over.

I pick her up and carry her to the bedroom, throwing her onto the bed as I get undressed. The room is on the fiftieth floor and I don’t even notice the amazing view of the city as she wriggles out of her shorts and lays there in a pair of pink panties and an almost see-through tank top. Her soft nipples press invitingly against the fabric and I remember how she rocked against me as I sucked on her tits earlier and how her lips felt around my cock and I can’t take it any more.

‘Why are you staring at me like that, Jas?’ She asks teasingly as she pulls off the thin shirt and I get another look at her incredible breasts. They’re just so perfect and I want to touch them again, to make her cry out my name. Her blonde hair is loose and falling around her shoulders and I watch as she pinches her nipple and gasps. ‘I know you want it too.’

I can’t argue with that and yank off my t-shirt, wanting to feel her soft skin against mine, to taste her. Every inch of her is perfection and as she slides off her panties, I get a look at her slick slit and lick my lips, thinking about burying myself inside of her and making her mine.

‘God Serena.’ I murmur as I crawl onto the bed. She parts her thighs and I stare at the pink flesh as she lightly sucks her manicured finger and smiles wickedly. I lower my head, inhaling her sweet scent as I lightly touch the soft skin. ‘Are you sure you want this?’

She nods and I trace my finger across her smooth lips. It’s been a long time, but I lean forward and kiss the pink flesh nestled between her thighs. I hear a low hiss and she shifts herself slightly as I bury my tongue inside of her, relishing her taste as she grasps the sheets.

‘That feels so good, Jas.’ She murmurs as I weave my tongue through the wet skin and a low moan escapes her throat as I reach her clit. ‘Oh, fuck.’ I push her thighs apart as her body comes alive and as I push a finger inside of her tight, wet slit, I feel like I’m going to explode. She’s so perfect and sweet and just thinking about burying my cock inside of her is enough to make me come in my pants.

Her cries grow louder as I push another finger in, marveling at how she responds to my touch, begging for more and staring at me expectantly. I can’t hold off any longer and rip off my jeans, giving my stiff cock a few rough strokes before spreading her thighs and pulling her closer to me. She’s staring at me with those big blue eyes and I lean over to kiss her breasts, biting her pink nipple lightly as I tease her as she wraps her legs around my hips.

She’s wet and ready and as I slowly push inside of her, I’m surprised at how tight she feels, each inch is indescribable bliss and I can already feel myself getting close to the edge as she shifts her hips to accommodate me. I kiss her savagely, pressing my body against hers as I force myself the rest of the way in.

Her back is arched against the bed and she grabs the sheets tightly as I begin thrusting slowly, trying to control myself as her rhythm matches mine. It feels so fucking good and when she rolls me over and straddles me, I finally get a chance to fully admire her gorgeous body. Her tits are perfect, small but firm and shake slightly as she writhes on top of me. I love the way her long, slender waist tapers into her hips and as she moves, her thighs wrap around me. I reach for her clit, brushing against it as she moans.

‘Goddamn, you’re gorgeous.’ I breathe as my hand cups her small breast, lightly pinching her puffy, pink nipple as she gasps and begins riding me. Every part of her is flawless and I wrap my hands around her hips, helping her as she falls into a smooth rhythm. I’m finding it hard to hold back and I look away for a few seconds as I try to think about anything else, but when she leans down to kiss me, my attention is back on her.

She sits up again, tracing her finger across my chest as she languidly rocks, a sigh escaping her wet, parted lips every few seconds as she continues. I sit up wrapping my arms around her as I kiss her again before forcing her onto her knees and staring at her gorgeous pink pussy. The skin glistens in the dim light and I run my finger through it as she looks over her shoulder at me. Her back is arched and as I push myself inside, I feel her convulse, as she relaxes and I thrust more forcefully.

My finger traces her tight little asshole and the slightest touch causes her to moan as I press my finger inside. I can feel my cock through the thin layer of skin as she cries out, begging me for more. When I feel her clench around me, I pull out and come on her back, staring at my thick cum slide down her waist and onto the bed.

I’m breathless as she gets up and walks towards the bathroom. I hear the shower running and stretch out on the bed, propping my head up on my arm as I listen to the water run and Serena’s voice as she sings the chorus to one of their songs. When she emerges, she has a towel wrapped around her body and lays down next to me, resting her wet head on the crook of my arm as she lays her hand on my chest and traces patterns on my stomach.

‘I really like you, Jas.’ I really like her too, but I can’t bring myself to say  it, so I wait for her to continue. ‘You’re not like the rest of them.’ She pauses again and her confession is heart wrenching. ‘You seem to really care about us and not just about the money.’ Her words trail off and I feel an intense sadness work its way through me and I wrap my arm around her, pulling her close as the room darkens and I feel her body soften as she dozes off in the crook of my arm.

Chapter 3

I roll over and realize that I’m alone.

I get up, get dressed and head downstairs for a cup of coffee. It’s almost seven and the rest of the group emerges, including Serena, who gives me a dazzling smile as she climbs up the stairs. I’m feeling incredible, but I can’t say the same for Zoe. She looks like she’s ready to kill someone and I have a feeling that someone is me.

‘That one’s pissed.’ Angel says as he nods his head towards Zoe before closing the bus door and expertly weaving the bus out of the packed parking lot. I shake my head, not interested in talking about it. Even though last night was totally worth it, I’m worried that this whole thing is about to implode. I’ve confirmed that half of the promised amount is in my bank account, but if Steve learns what happened with Serena, I’m worried he’ll go after me to recoup all of it if they shitcan me.

‘You know how women are.’ I say, trying to reassure myself as we pull into the rush hour traffic. I fish out my phone and attempt to distract myself by scrolling through my news feed when I see it. My blood freezes and I can feel my head start to spin.

Fuck.

It’s the photo of me kissing Serena.

My face is obscured, but the article below is speculating that the person she’s with is someone from the tour crew and it’s only a matter of time before they figure out who I am. I shove the phone back into my pocket and lean my head against the window. Before long, I hear a scream from the sofa and realize that Zoe’s seen it too.

I can’t keep pushing this under the rug, so I take a deep breath and get up, moving slowly towards the back as I realize that I’m going to have to end it with Serena if I want to have any chance of finishing this thing in one piece. Zoe is on the sofa and I look over at Serena, who shrugs innocently. I turn my attention back to the other woman.

‘What’s the problem?’ Zoe is glaring at me and I see a smug smile on Serena’s face.

‘This is the problem.’ Zoe shoves her phone with the photo into my face.

‘Ok Zoe, let’s talk.’ I roughly grab her arm and drag her towards the office. We enter the tiny space and she closes the door behind her before leaning against it and rubbing her wrist melodramatically. ‘Well? Is there something you want to ask me?’ She , clearly not amused and I feel the bus making a turn as we inch towards the venue in the early morning traffic.

‘Did you fuck Serena?’ Her dark eyes bore into me and I realize that I’ll need to just come clean.

‘Yes.’ I reply. There’s no reaction so I continue. ‘What’s the real problem here, Zoe? We talked about this already. You had your chance, I was ready to go that night in that shitty hotel room, but you turned me down. You can’t just jerk people around- it’s not cool.’

She crosses her arms aggressively and looks through the back window at the cars behind us as she thinks about what she wants to say.

‘I’m waiting.’ I say, feeling like the bad guy even though I’ve done nothing wrong. We’re all adults and I have a feeling that Zoe’s more upset with the fact that Serena got me first, than that it happened at all.

‘I don’t know, Jas. I mean, I thought you knew how I felt about you, but after what happened yesterday and then this photo, I feel like you want Serena, not me.’ Her eyes fill with tears and I have a hard time knowing if they’re real or if she’s putting on a show. The bratty expression on her face makes me want to throw her over my knees and give her the spanking she deserves, but the thought of doing that makes my cock jump to attention and I try to push the increasingly detailed fantasy out of my mind.

‘Look, Zoe- you’re being childish. We’re all adults here and you decided that you didn’t want me.’ I say as I rest my forehead in my hand and shake my head, almost wishing the situation could go back to the way it was on the first day, with all of them hating me equally. ‘I know I should have told Serena no, but I didn’t and I can’t take it back.’

‘I…’ Zoe looks through the window as she attempts to explain herself. I don’t want to push her, but I feel the bus start moving and realize that we’ll be reaching the venue soon. This could affect today’s rehearsal and that can’t happen.

‘Let’s get through today and we’ll talk about it after rehearsal, ok?’ I say as I reach out and put my hand on her bare shoulder. She nods and before I can open the door to leave, her lips are pressed against mine. I don’t attempt to stop her and as she pushes me against the wall, I realize that I need to take control of the situation before there’s another misunderstanding.

I roughly lift her up and set her on the edge of the desk, kissing her deeply as I shove my hand between her thighs. She spreads her legs and I stroke my fingers across the inside of her soft thigh, pausing when I reach the edge of her lace panties. She bites her lip and nods slightly as she stares at me and I push my fingers inside the thin fabric, brushing them against her wet pussy as she gasps.

‘Do you like that?’ I murmur and she smiles as she nods, leaning her body against the glass of the back window. With my other hand, I pinch her nipple through the fabric of her shirt, causing her to squeal and I silence her with a kiss as my finger continues to weave through her sticky flesh.When I brush against her clit, she moans ferally her eyes begging me for more and I’m ready to give it to her. I pull off her panties and push my finger inside of her, moving it slowly as she writhes against me.

I’m so hard and want to fuck her right now, but decide that I should wait. I need to make her feel good, to get her to relax, so I get on my knees and kiss the soft skin between her thighs as she whispers my name. When my tongue makes contact, I can feel her body shake as she weaves her hand through my hair and spreads her thighs further apart. She tastes like honey and the little noises she’s making are driving me insane as I tease her clit mercilessly.

‘Do you want me to make you come, Zoe? Will that make you feel better?’ She nods and I kiss the tiny clump of nerves as she grabs the table and moans. Her pussy is slick and sweet I can only imagine how it would feel to slide my dick inside of her, but as I push another finger in, I decide that I want to experience her somewhere better than this- to give her the fucking she deserves.

She’s panting and I can feel her body convulsing with each pass of my tongue as her cries come faster. I can tell she’s almost there and stand to kiss her lips as my fingers find the right spot and a slick liquid gushes out onto my hand. Her body goes limp and she gives me a gorgeous smile as I lean down to kiss her cold lips.

‘Feel better now?’ I ask. My body is on fire and it’s going to take a while to calm down, but maybe she’ll be able to make it through rehearsal without losing it completely. When she nods, I feel relieved and wipe my soaked hand on a nearby jacket before retrieving her panties and handing them to her. She slips them on and I can tell that her attitude has changed completely as she gives me a shy smile.

‘That was nice, Jas. I’ll be expecting more later.’ She says before giving me a wink and slipping through the door. She’s so hot, but every interaction with her is like walking on slippery rocks through a river of acid and I hope that she’ll be able to make it through the day without another outburst.

We stop suddenly and I realize that we’ve arrived at the venue. I make my way back out and Serena winks at me. I’m relieved that she seems ok with what happened and hope that this will get everyone back on track. I grab my backpack and as I walk down the steps, a guy with blonde, slicked back hair, icy blue eyes and a five thousand dollar suit walks towards me and extends his hand.

‘Jas?’ I give him a weak smile and can only assume that this is Ezra.

‘Ezra. Good to meet you.’ I return the shake and cross my arms in front of my chest as the girls troop off the bus. He cocks his eyebrow and stares at the four of us incredulously.

‘You seem to have everything under control.’ He says and I shrug, unable to disagree with him. He leans closer and winks. ‘You’ll have to let me in on your secret.’

I smirk as I think about what happened with Zoe this morning and shake my head.

‘You just need to treat them well, Ezra.’ He smirks and my dislike intensifies. ‘Anyway, I think we’re ready to get started.’ He motions for us to follow and as we enter the Grand Victoria Hall, memories of previous tours are triggered and my heart starts racing.

I never disliked touring, it was the other stuff that I hated. The job itself was amazing and I genuinely missed the comradery, the music and most of all, the performances after I left. It was a lot of work to get to that point, though, and as I watch the stage crew assembling the lights and backdrops from my place in the front row, I’m glad I’m not dealing with that aspect. The girls run through the steps with their choreographer and I watch as they transform on stage from the women I’ve come to know to the superstars that the rest of the world is already familiar with.

While the LaLa Girls’ repertoire is mostly pop, when I see Kat grab a guitar and start playing notes, not just strumming, I’m mesmerized. They’re all incredibly talented and when they’re on stage, they exude that type of magnetism that makes the best performers and I can see why they’re so popular, even if their music isn’t for me.

My attention is fixed firmly on the rehearsal, but my eyes keep drifting towards Ezra and the way he interacts with the rest of the crew. Something about him is off and I can’t figure out what it is. He’s active in every aspect of the production and when he sees me staring, he waves and walks towards me.

‘They’re great, right?’ He says as he slides into the seat next to me. I nod and lean over slightly, wanting to chat with him about their money issues.

‘Yeah. Uh, I wanted to find out what’s going on with their money situation. Serena told me…’ I trail off as Ezra shifts his body to glare at me. The music swells in the background and I can see a flash of anger in his eyes.

‘Listen, Jas. Your job is to get them from point A to point B and make sure they’re ready to perform. Everything else is on me and Steve, alright?’ His eyes cut into me and I back off for now. ‘Besides, I saw the news on the gossip sites this morning and even though you haven’t been fingered over your little- uh, indiscretion with Serena, it won’t take long for them to figure out who it is.’

Even though his tone makes this sound like a fairly casual conversation between acquaintances, I can’t help but feel like there’s a threat buried somewhere in his words.

‘I don’t know what you’re talking about, Ezra. Anything that may or may not have happened is between the two of us and has nothing to do with finishing this tour.’ I respond, hoping to put this whole thing to rest. Serena comes onto the stage and my eyes lock with hers for a second before I return my attention to Ezra.

‘Jas.’ His eyes pierce through me as he speaks. ‘How long have you been in this business? Have you ever heard of celebrities’ personal lives staying personal?’

I shrug, leaning back into my seat as his words sink in. While I enjoyed last night with Serena, I need to keep in mind that it’s just a fling and that she’s already satisfied her curiosity and is likely ready to move on. They’re all too young for me and Ezra’s right, my job is to shuttle them between their shows and make sure they’re ready to perform.

I’m a glorified babysitter.

‘My advice to you is to finish this tour, take the obscene amount of money that we’re paying you and disappear back into the mountains of Michigan or wherever.’ His tone is really pissing me off and I want to slug him, but manage to hold back.

‘Montana.’ I correct him and leave it at that.

‘Whatever.’ He returns his attention to rehearsal and I try to shake off his words. Ultimately he’s right and I need to finish this tour and move on.

The song ends and he stands and claps before walking off, shouting instructions to the stage crew as they start shifting around set pieces. Serena’s eyes meet mine and she winks as she gives me a smile and I have to remind myself again that it’s just a fling and that I need to keep my emotions in check.

My attention drifts towards Ezra and I notice that he’s typing furiously on his phone. There’s something about him that I can’t stand and even though it’s none of my business, I want to find out what’s going on with the girls’ financial situation. It’s their money and losing it to a guy like this would be devastating.

I take out my phone and pull up my list of contacts. A musician buddy of mine had an issue with his recording contract a dozen years or so ago and had a shark lawyer that was able to sort it out. I don’t want to do anything without the girls’ permission, but getting in touch with him to take a look couldn’t hurt. I send a message to my buddy to ask for the lawyer’s name and hope he’ll get back to me soon.

Almost as if he knows what’s going on, Ezra turns to wink at me and a foreboding chill races through my spine. I don’t trust him at all, but the last thing I want is to sabotage this tour.

Chapter 4

‘How were we?’

It’s three o’clock. Rehearsals are over for the day and as we return to the bus, Zoe runs towards me. She gives me a bright smile and I hope that we’re finally moving on.

‘Great- I mean it’s not really my kind of music, but I could get used to it.’ Zoe shoots me a dirty look and I realize that she’s not really asking me about the music. ‘You did a great job, though.’

‘Thanks.’ Her mouth curls into a shy smile and the two of us file onto the bus. We’re alone and she sits next to me while we wait for everyone else. ‘Look, I’m sorry about the temper tantrum this morning. It’s just that Serena and I have a history of being really competitive over guys and when I saw that picture of you and her…’

Her words trail off as she looks at me with those dark eyes and I feel jolts of electricity run through my body as she moves closer. I remember how she looked this morning when I had my fingers buried inside of her and I can feel my body responding to her scent. ‘I wanted to be with you so badly, but I have such a bad track record when it comes to choosing the wrong men.’

She’s rambling and I don’t know how to reply, so I just let her continue.

‘I want to be with you, Jas. I think you would be good for me.’ Her lips meet mine and the kiss is so nice. It’s passionate and self assured and I feel like she’s finally getting over whatever she was going through earlier. Serena passes through my thoughts and I pull away, struck by the sobering realization that I should be ending this, not adding to my problems. Even though he’s a complete prick, Ezra is right- this is a fling and the sooner I put an end to it, the better. I’m about to tell her that, when Serena and Kat hop onto the bus and sit on the sofa across from us.

I can feel the excitement emanating from them and a sense of pride pulses through me as they talk about how well the rehearsal went. They’re incredible performers and I can see why their fans are so crazy about them.

‘Great job, guys.’ I say as I stand up. ‘I think it went really well.’ Kat beams at my praise and Serena eyes Zoe suspiciously. ‘Do you think you’re ready for tonight?’

‘I think so. It felt really good to be back on stage.’ Zoe chimes in and I’m glad to see that they’re all doing so well. The excitement is palpable and it’s good to see them so enthusiastic.

Angel returns and I join him in the front and let the girls chatter excitedly in the back.

‘How did it go?’ He asks and I shrug.

‘Pretty fucking good, I think.’ He closes the door and we head back to the hotel. There’s not much traffic and I relax into the seat as we weave through the streets and pull into the parking lot. I want to make sure we’re all on the same page, so I give them the rundown for the rest of the day.

‘The show is scheduled for 9pm. I want to be back on the bus by 7. Understand?’ I look at each of them as they nod. ‘That’s four hours from now. Do not be late.’

‘Ok, Dad.’ Zoe says sarcastically and Kat and Serena burst into laughter. I’m fine with being the adult and join in, watching as they grab their things and file off the bus.

Once they’re on the elevators, I head towards the bar. The rational Jas objects to being anywhere near this place and I try to convince him that I’ll just get a club soda. I always used to go to the hotel bar for a few drinks before performances and even though I know I should stay away, it’s a ritual I’m loath to give up.

I slide onto one of the stools and the bartender nods in my direction and walks towards me.

‘What can I get you?’ He asks as he slides a bowl of pretzels and a coaster in front of me. I want to say whisky or scotch or vodka and take a sip and have it burn down my throat as it numbs my brain as I allow the shitstorm that’s my life to pass into the back of my mind.

‘Soda water with a splash of cranberry and lime.’ He nods and smiles and I feel proud of myself for not giving in. The bar is empty and I pull out my phone and start scrolling through some messages. Ezra wants to make sure we’ll be at the venue on time and I tell him it’s under control. By the time I finish replying, my drink arrives and I take a sip, not getting the kick I want but enjoying the opportunity to clear my head for a bit.

Suddenly I see a familiar figure out of the corner of my eye and Zoe slides into the seat next to me, winking as she motions for the bartender. I don’t mind her joining me, but I’m worried about being seen in public and that she won’t be able to keep it casual.

‘Diet Coke with lime.’ I breathe a sigh of relief when I hear her order. The last thing I need is for her to get plastered before the show. I stare at her and she shrugs. ‘I guess you’re a good influence.’

A laugh bubbles up in my throat and when she gets her drink, I clink my glass against hers. The bartender stares at her for a minute, cocking his head before leaning closer.

‘Are you Zoe Tanner?’ He asks and Zoe shrugs.

‘Sometimes.’ She gives him a stunning smile through her dark red lips and winks. ‘Why?’

‘My daughter is a huge fan.’ He produces a napkin and a pen and slides them towards her hesitantly. ‘I hate to bug you, but could you sign this for her? She would be so excited.’

‘Yeah, sure.’ Zoe looks completely at ease with the request and grabs the pen. ‘What’s her name?’

‘Sara.’ He answers, clearly thrilled that she’s willing to do this for him. ‘She’s going to be so excited.’

Zoe scrawls on the napkin like she’s done this a million times and I get a look at what she’s written before she slides it across the polished wood.

To Sara- your dad is cool. Give him a hug for me! Zoe- xoxo

‘Thanks so much. The drinks are on me.’ He beams as he grabs the napkin and carefully places it under the register before going to take an order from a couple at the far end of the bar.

‘That was nice.’ I lean back into the cushioned barstool as Zoe takes a sip of her drink and absentmindedly plays with the paper wrapper from her straw.

‘Our old manager was crazy about fan interactions.’ She smiles at the memory as she stares at me with those big brown eyes. ‘He always said that it was our job to be their best friend and that every autograph makes a new fan, who will most likely go out and buy everything you’ve created.’ Her voice lowers for the last part and I can tell she’s had those words drilled into her from a young age.

‘He wasn’t wrong.’ I pause for a beat and let my eyes drift over her body before continuing. ‘Some of the guys I used to work with were total assholes- they wouldn’t sign shit and it pissed people off. But there’s also a line that can’t be crossed and some fans want too much- almost like you owe them. It’s tough to know how to wade through it.’

Zoe shrugs and stares at the couple sitting at the end of the bar as she takes a sip of her drink.

‘It must be nice to be like that, though.’ She muses as the woman leans over to kiss the man. ‘Anonymous, unknown…’

‘I think it’s overrated.’ I take another drink, then put my glass down. When she leans over to kiss me, I’m not expecting it. Her lips are warm and soft and I want more, but pull away when I realize that a few of the other customers are staring.

‘It would be nice to just go out on a date and not have it in the gossip magazines the next day.’ Zoe says as a downcast expression colors her stunning features. I feel bad for her, for all of them, knowing that this is all that they’ve experienced.

‘Yeah, but you get to travel, see things and experience stuff that most normal people never get to try.’ I attempt to sound upbeat about the whole thing. ‘It’s not all bad.’

She rests her hand on my thigh and I can feel my pulse race uncontrollably up as it drifts dangerously close to my dick.

‘True,’ She says as she leans closer and I can feel her hot breath on my skin as she stares at me. ‘But I’ve never had the opportunity to really get to know anyone.’ Her hand drifts further and I can feel myself getting stiff as her fingers brush against the fly of my jeans. This is getting intense and I can feel the couple at the other end of the bar staring at us with interest. After what happened with Serena, I don’t need any more scrutiny.

‘Zoe, you should probably cool it.’ A smile curls her lips and she finishes her drink.

‘You’re right. Let’s go to your room.’ I hesitate and she leans closer. ‘You promised.’ She says breathily and winks at me. It’s not that I don’t want to fuck her, it’s just that there are so many reasons not to. There’s a chance that she’ll change her mind at the last minute again and nothing will come of it, so I nod and leave a twenty on the bar as we head towards the elevators.

I’m having flashbacks of yesterday with Serena and as she pulls me across the lobby I try to think of how I can let her down; let her know that I care for her a lot but that this is not a great idea. Then I remember how good it felt being with her this morning and I tell myself that maybe she won’t want to go through with it. I still don’t know if she really wants this or if she’s playing some sort of game.

When the elevator door closes behind us, her lips crush mine and every ounce of me is ready for this. I can feel her heart racing as she presses her body against me and when the door opens, I pull her into my arms and carry her down the hall. At this moment, I don’t give a fuck who sees us and as I open the door, she jumps out of my arms and leans against the wall, staring at me as I lock the door behind us.

‘Are you ready this time?’ I ask as I arch my eyebrow and yank my t-shirt over my head. She nods and stares as I come closer. I’m working on my zipper as she stares at me and her eyes brighten as I pull out my cock and give it a few rough strokes. I push her against the wall, realizing that she wants me, but prefers it when I’m in control. ‘Get undressed. I want to see you naked.’

I watch as she releases the button on her short skirt, allowing it to pool at her feet. She pauses before sliding off her shirt and seeing her standing there in a pair of black panties and nothing else makes me almost lose it. Her breasts are round and full and her small pink nipples are absolutely perfect. My eyes drift down, taking in her thin waist and full hips and I lick my lips as I imagine burying myself inside of her.

‘Everything.’ I remind her.

She loops her finger inside of the fabric and slides them down her legs. Her pussy is smooth and soft and I can see pink flesh peeking out from her lips. I remember how she tasted and as she stands there waiting for me to tell her what to do now, I grin wickedly. I reach out and brush her lips with my finger, then kiss them lightly. ‘I want these lips around my cock, ok?’

She nods and when she gets on her knees and takes me into her mouth, I inhale sharply. Her lips wrap around my shaft and as she takes me further inside, I brace myself against the wall. I hit the back of her throat and she pulls away, wrapping her hand around my stiff cock as she strokes me softly and lightly kisses the tip.

‘God, Zoe. That feels so good.’ I praise her as my hand tangles in her dark hair. As she works on me, my mind empties and the pleasure she’s giving me is all that matters. Her tongue glides across the slick head of my cock and she smiles at me before sucking harder and I realize that I need more from her.

‘Get up.’ I grab her arm and lift her onto the counter, spreading her thighs as she kisses me needily. My fingers slide through her slick juices and I push a finger inside of her to make sure she’s ready. She’s hot and tight and the look on her face tells me that she wants me as badly as I want her. I push her legs apart and position myself at her opening, noticing the look of desperation plastered plainly on her beautiful face.

I tease her slightly, pushing the tip of my rock hard dick inside of her, then pulling out. She wraps her legs around me, attempting to force me closer, but I take a step back as I grin, wanting to make her beg me to fuck her.

After all she’s put me through, I deserve it.

‘Tell me you want me, Zoe.’ I say as my pulse races and the pleasure from seeing her suffer whets my appetite. Her face contorts and I lean over, taking her small nipple into my mouth and sucking lightly as she rubs herself against the surface of the counter like she’s in heat. I laugh as a low whine forms in her throat and I wait patiently for her to give me what I want.

‘Just fuck me already, Jas.’ Her eyes flash with pent up frustration and I laugh.

‘Come on, Zoe…’ I grab her wrists and force them over her head, pinning them to the wall as I lean down to kiss her again. ‘Tell me how badly you want this.’ My voice is a low growl and she presses her body against mine as a pathetic whimper escapes her lips.

‘I want you, Jas.’ I kiss her again, twisting her nipple as she moans. ‘Please…’ Her words trail off and I can tell she’s almost there.

‘Good girl.’ She smiles at my praise. ‘Now I want you to apologize for the way you acted earlier.’ A surge of excitement passes through me as she considers and I slip the tip of my cock inside of her, then slide it across her clit as I wait for the apology. She pauses and I lower her arms as her lips meet mine and I realize that I don’t give a shit if she apologizes or not.

‘I’m sorry, Jas.’ She whispers and I ease myself into her tight, wet slit. Her mouth widens and as I lean over to suck on her nipple, she cries out my name. I’m buried inside of her and with each thrust, her body opens to me and I want more. My hands grab her ass as I pull her closer, pushing further as she adjusts her hips to take me.

She’s so tight and wet and I can tell that she wants this as badly as I do and I hold myself back as her cries fill the room. My hands trail over her smooth skin as she writhes against me and right before I’m about to come, I pick her up and take her to the bed, tossing her on it as I stare at her incredible body for a few seconds, then leaning over and kissing her full lips.

‘Is this what you wanted?’ I ask as I pull my mouth away from hers and slowly slide myself inside of her tight wetness.

‘Yes..’ She whimpers as I wrap my hand around her breast and pinch her pebbled nipple roughly. I pin her beneath me, thrusting slowly as she wraps her legs around my hips, pulling me closer as she groans needily. ‘It feels so good.’

Her last words are breathless and I feel her clench around my cock as her body shakes and she arches her back against the mattress, smiling sweetly as she kisses me softly. I pull out, giving my cock a few more strokes before shooting a thick rope of cum onto her stomach and collapsing beside her.

I’m exhausted, both physically and mentally, but she looks satisfied and when she leans over to trace the outline of my chest with her fingers, I realize how happy I am- how happy they all make me and I wonder if what we have is something that could last.

Chapter 5

‘Where’s Kat?’ I ask. The rest of us are ready to go and for some reason, the only one who hasn’t given me any trouble so far is deciding to become a problem now.

‘I saw her go into her room.’ Serena says as she pulls out her phone and sends a text. I look at my watch. It’s 7:05 and we need to be on our way.

‘Ok, I’ll give her five more minutes then I’ll head up.’ I say as I cross my arms in front of my chest and tap my foot. Zoe ended up staying until it was time to go and I can see Serena eyeing her suspiciously. I don’t need any drama right now and decide to head up to find Kat anyway. ‘I’ll be right back.’

I exit the bus and jog towards the lobby, hoping that she just took a nap and overslept. This is the most important part of my job and if the girls are late for the performance, I might as well not bother hanging around. I’m cursing under my breath and can’t believe that she’s chosen now to start behaving badly. The elevator ride takes forever and by the time I’m on her floor, I send a message to Serena to make sure she hasn’t boarded the bus.

Is she there? I send a message to Serena and see that she’s typing.

Nope. Serena replies and I can only assume that she’s still inside. I run towards Room 6058 and knock on the door loudly.

‘Kat! Are you in there?’ I hate being this loud, but I can’t let her fuck this up. There’s no answer and I bang on the door again, hoping that she’s just in the shower. ‘Kat! It’s time to go.’

I hear something move inside and breathe a sigh of relief. Maybe she just screwed up the time.

‘Kat- let me in. We need to go.’ I look at my watch. It’s almost 7:10 and my heart is racing.

‘Ok. Coming.’ I breathe a sigh of relief as I hear the deadbolt and the door cracks open. Staring back at me is Kat and she’s still in her pajamas.

‘What the fuck, Kat? It’s time to go.’ The chain is still in place and I can tell that she has no intention of opening the door completely.

‘I’m not going.’ Her voice is soft and breathy and I can see panic in her eyes.

‘What do you mean?’ I’ve dealt with stage fright before, but usually performers just need a push and they get on with it. She looks completely undone and I’m not sure what I can say to get her going.

‘I can’t do it, Jas. It’s too much.’ She says as she starts to close the door and I hold it, not wanting to let her go.

‘Can we talk?’ I think if I can get a few minutes with her, I can convince her to come out. ‘You were fine at rehearsal today.’

‘Rehearsal is different, Jas. There’s no one watching.’ Her voice breaks and I feel awful about trying to make her go. As talented as she is, performing is difficult. I’ve seen the toll that it takes and hate to force her into doing anything that makes her uncomfortable. ‘What if I screw up or forget the lyrics?’ I feel her softening and see an opportunity.

‘Just let me in for a minute, Kat.’ I plead. She nods and I let her close the door, then the chain slides away from the lock and she opens the door, walking away as I enter and close it behind me. I feel like I’ve won a battle, but the war is still raging. It’s almost 7:15 and I feel my phone vibrate, but ignore it.

‘I can only imagine what it’s like up there, Kat, but you made a promise to your fans as well as Serena and Zoe.’ I attempt to reason with her as she throws herself onto the sofa. Her eyes bore into me and my heart breaks as I realize how scared she is.

‘I can’t do it. Just thinking about being on that stage in front of all of those people makes me want to lose it.’ She stares at me and my heart breaks for her. This is all she’s ever known and it can’t be easy dealing with the strain of this much expectation. Her long, dark hair cascades over her bare shoulders and she looks so sad that I want to give in and let her stay.

‘You sounded so amazing this afternoon. I mean, I don’t even like this kind of music, but you were really good.’ A laugh bubbles out of her throat and I join her, realizing how much I feel like a coach. ‘And I know you’ll do a great job. Could you please just give it a try? We’ve been through so much and it would be a shame to end it here.’ I feel awful about pushing her into this. She obviously needs more help than I can give her, but the fact remains that this performance needs to happen.

She gives me a shy smile and I continue flailing around, hoping that I can say something to get her on the bus. The truth is that I genuinely believe that she’s incredibly talented and I hope that she can get over this apparently crippling anxiety. ‘You sound great and when you’re up there, it’s magnetic.’

‘Really?’ She sounds surprised and I find it hard to believe that she’s not constantly hearing this. Her body softens as she leans against the cushions and I hope that she’s about to change her mind. I want to give her time and not force the issue, but we’re going to be late if we don’t head out now.

She’s so beautiful, but completely different from Zoe and Serena and I wonder if being around them has made her more introspective or if she's naturally that way. I also remember what Steve told me about her past and a brief flash of fury wells up inside of me. The thought of anyone wanting to hurt her is too much and I try to push it out of my mind.

‘Yeah. I mean, I’ve been doing this for a while, I should know.’ I glance at my watch and realize that it’s almost 7:30. ‘Shit. Kat, we really need to go.’

‘Ok. I’m coming.’ She leans forward and brushes her lips against mine, surprising me with a kiss. She lingers for a few seconds and I don’t try to stop it. Her mouth is warm and sweet and I give in as she lingers and lightly touches my arm. It feels like we’re suspended there for an eternity and when she pulls back, she smiles and I can see a flush creep across her cheeks. ‘I really appreciate the pep talk, Jas.’

Chapter 6

We’re cutting it close and by the time we get to the venue there’s already a line of fans waiting outside.

When they see the tour bus, the large group swarms around us and starts chanting. I’ve been with popular bands before, but this is the biggest crowd I’ve ever seen and as the girls get off, they smile and wave, signing a few things before rushing inside. I shrug and grin at Angel as he closes the bus door and I suddenly hear my name.

‘Jas!’ I look around and see a woman screaming as she stares at me and pushes her phone closer. ‘Jas- is it true that you and Serena are dating?’

I turn around quickly and duck inside, hoping that this whole thing will pass over. When I see Ezra standing next to the green room with a frown on his face, I realize that this problem is not going to just disappear.

‘What the hell, Jas?’ Ezra asks as he shoves his phone into my face. I see the photo of me sitting with Zoe at the bar and I realize that this whole situation is way worse than I could have imagined.

‘She, uh…’ There’s nothing I can say to explain it away. The evidence is right there and trying to deny it would be futile. I run my hand through my hair and shrug. ‘I mean it just happened and someone was there to get a photo.’

‘This is not your job.’ Ezra whispers before exhaling sharply. ‘Steve said you were a professional and that they would be safe, but now I’m not so sure.’ He puts his phone back into his pocket, then turns his attention to me.

‘They’re not kids, Ezra.’ My mind flashes to what happened afterwards and I attempt to move the conversation forward. They’re adults and can make their own decisions. ‘Tensions had been running high and I think she just needed someone.’ I can tell my explanation isn’t going over and I try to shift tactics. ‘It was a one time thing and I told her that from now on, we need to keep it strictly professional.’ That’s not the whole truth, but I have my suspicions about Ezra and Steve and just need a little more time to figure out what’s really going on.

‘I get it, but something like this could derail the tour and we don’t need any additional distractions.’ He comes closer and puts his hand on my shoulder. My disdain for him is only increasing with each interaction, but I resist batting him away. ‘This has happened before and it nearly tore the group apart.’ His words linger and I wonder if he’s telling me the truth or not.

‘It’s under control, ok? They’re here and ready to perform, so trust me, alright?’ He nods and smiles and a sick feeling creeps through me as I watch him pull out his phone and type a message.

‘Jas!’ I hear my name being and see Serena and Zoe peeking out of their dressing room door. Ezra is occupied and I turn towards them.

‘What?’ I hiss.

‘Come here.’ Serena’s eyes are sparkling and I can tell that the two of them are up to something. I walk closer and they open the door wider, motioning for me to come in. They’ve both had their makeup done and are in their first outfit for the evening and look absolutely stunning. Serena’s lips are a bright red and her blue eyes sparkle as she looks at me.

‘What is it? You’re going on in…’ I look at my watch. ‘Thirty minutes. Are you ready?’ I duck into their dressing room and look around. ‘Where’s Kat?’

‘She’s fine.’ Zoe pushes me against the wall and kisses me. Her lips are hot and soft and it feels good, but they need to be getting dressed and doing their final runthrough of the set list. I grab her by her shoulders and attempt to pry her body away from mine.

‘You’re going on stage soon, this isn’t really the best time.’ I glance at Serena as she comes a few steps closer. She’s wearing a tight black tank top and a short skirt that accentuates her perfectly round ass.

‘Come on, Jas. It won’t take long.’ I see a bottle of vodka on the vanity and am about to say something when she stands on her toes and kisses me. I can taste the alcohol on her breath and immediately realize that they’ve had a few too many. My attention shifts to Zoe, whose fingers are working on my fly and I feel her hand snake into my jeans.

‘What the fuck?’ I murmur. Earlier today, the two of them were fighting about me, but now they seem to have made up.

‘I want to watch you fuck Zoe.’ She giggles as she whispers in my ear and I freeze and look at the clock. Zoe’s painted red lips are around my dick and as she starts sucking, Serena pulls off her shirt and grabs my hand, molding it over her breast as I decide to give them what they want.

‘Are you sure?’ I ask as she kisses me again.

‘Yes.’ Her blue eyes tease me and I look down at Zoe, who’s giving me the best blow job I’ve ever had. Her lips form a tight seal around my cock and she sucks as her teeth lightly graze the sensitive skin. It feels incredible and I’m having trouble holding back.

‘Jesus.’ I lean against the wall as Serena tangles her hand in Zoe’s hair, helping her friend as she works my dick. The clock on the wall says that we have twenty-six minutes and as much as I would like to stay here all night, I need to get them out on that stage. Music from the opening act crescendos and the head of my cock hits the back of Zoe’s throat and I groan.

‘How does it feel?’ Serena’s words are soft and she pulls my hand beneath her short skirt, moving my fingers against the wet spot on her panties.

‘It’s nice.’ I reply. ‘You should help her out.’ She brushes her red lips against mine before lowering herself to her knees and pushing Zoe’s hair away from her face. They stare at each other for a moment and as their lips meet, I have to look away for a second to keep from losing it completely.

I’d be lying if I said I never fantasized about something like this with the two of them, but seeing it is even better than I imagined. Zoe turns to face her friend and leans down, kissing her nipple before sucking it lightly. Serena stares at me as her eyes roll back with pleasure and she pulls Zoe closer as she teases her. When Zoe pulls away, she leaves a red lipstick mark on Serena’s nipple and giggles as she attempts to wipe it away.

They return their attention to me and I glance at the clock and realize that, as much as I hate to do it, I’m going to need to move this along. I grab Zoe’s arm and pull her towards me, giving her a kiss before bending her over a nearby table and pulling up her short skirt. Her ass is tight and smooth and I give it a slap before ripping off her panties and running my fingers through the slick pink flesh nestled between her thighs.

‘Is she ready?’ Serena’s words float into my ear and I nod and swallow as she watches me slowly slide my cock into Zoe’s wet slit. A low moan escapes Zoe’s throat as I wrap my hands around her waist and pull her towards me. I take another look at the clock: twenty minutes.

Fuck.

When the door opens behind me, I don’t notice and continue pumping as Serena reaches down and plays with her friend’s clit. Zoe’s trying not to moan, but her muffled gasps are almost as sexy and I can feel myself getting close to the edge as I slam into her.

‘What’s going on?’ A familiar voice asks and I turn around to see Kat staring at what I’m doing to Zoe. She smiles and I decide to continue as she sits in a nearby chair and watches the show. Serena pinches Zoe’s nipple roughly and she cries out as a spasm rips through her body, I pull out. Serena grabs my cock and begins sucking, finishing me off as I release in her mouth. She strokes me as I finish and swallows my cum with a dazzling smile curling her lips.

‘Mmmm.’ She smiles and licks her lips as Zoe stands and walks shakily to the vanity, sitting down to finish getting ready. Serena pulls on her top and I zip up just as the makeup artist and wardrobe guy enter the tiny room, ready to complete the finishing touches.

‘What did you do to your lipstick, girl?’ One of the guys asks Zoe and she bursts into a fit of nervous laughter that fills the room. I see Kat staring at me and I wonder what’s going through her mind. She’s impossible to read and I hope that she’s not upset. I don’t have time to think about it as the stage manager rushes into the room.

‘Five minutes.’ I hear applause for the opening act and suddenly the crowd is chanting. It’s electric and I hope that they can use that energy to fuel their performance. I lean against a nearby wall and watch them get ready and can’t believe how gorgeous they all look. They huddle together for a pep talk and I hope they can keep it together out there.

They wave at me as they hold hands and go out onto the stage. Suddenly, there’s a loud roar and the music starts pounding away and a vibration rips through the building. It’s electric and I feel the energy surge through everyone present as they start their first number.

I’ve done everything I can to get them ready- it’s up to them now.

Kat

Chapter 1

It’s a Tuesday morning and I’m sitting on my porch, staring out at the mountains as the sun rises over their snow-capped peaks and enjoying the cool, early autumn breeze as it skims across my skin.

Why the fuck am I here?

The question sits in my head like an unwanted guest and I have to remind myself that I needed a break, that the stress was getting to be too much and that I was about to fall back into habits that I desperately need to avoid if I want to stay clean.

I miss the girls. I miss them so much that it hurts. I know I needed to get away, but I wish to God they were here with me right now.

I close my eyes and breathe deeply, then exhale and repeat- practicing the exercises I learned during therapy. Somewhere in the back of my mind I hear the phone ring and I attempt to push it out, to let it go, but my curiosity gets the better of me and I race inside. It’s an unknown number, but I answer anyway.

‘What? Uh, sorry- hello?’

‘Is this Jas Cordrey?’ A gruff voice greets me and I have no idea who it could be.

‘Yeah. Who is this?’ There’s a pause on the other end and I hear typing on a keyboard.

‘This is Lew Murphy, you got in touch with me a week ago about some music group.’

Oh shit, it’s the lawyer.

‘Yeah, hi Mr Murphy, uh- Lew?’

‘Lew’s fine. What’s the problem?’ This guy sounds like he’s been smoking two packs a day since 1963 and I hope that means he’s been practicing law for a while, too. I try to sort the situation out in my mind before getting into the lengthy story.

‘I’ve been touring with a music group, the LaLa Girls…’

‘Never heard of them.’ Lew cuts me off and I lose my train of thought.

‘Yeah, well, neither had I until a few weeks ago, but I think we’re the only ones.’ I reply and Lew scoffs, clearly ready for me to get to the point already. ‘Anyway, I’m calling you because I have some suspicions about what’s going on with their manager.’

I go into what I know about their situation, telling him about how they appear to be broke and how their tour manager has come into a lot of money recently. He’s quiet except for the sound of a pencil scratching against paper and I hope I’m not coming off like some sort of lunatic.

‘Unfortunately, this happens a lot- more than I can tell you.’ His gravelly voice comes to life and I hope he’s willing to help me out. ‘I can look into it for you. That Ezra guy sounds familiar, but I don’t know him personally. It’s going to cost you, though. I’m not running a charity organization here.’

‘Yeah, I can cover the cost of the initial investigation. If anything serious turns up, we can discuss it further.’ I can’t believe that I’m about to give this guy my money and risk never being able to work in this industry again, but it’s a gamble I’m willing to take.

The girls deserve better.

‘Ok, Jas, my secretary will be in touch with the fee structure and I’ll call you in about a week with an update on what I find.’

‘Thanks, Lew- it was good talking to you.’ I hang up and exhale, my pulse pounding in my ears as what I’m doing sinks in. I plug the phone back in to charge and grab another cup of coffee, as I try to shake off the melancholy that’s consumed me since I left the girls in LA. The first half of the tour ended up being a complete and total success and Steve and Ezra gave me all the credit for that. But knowing that it was all coming to an end was torture and by the time I got back here, I was a mess.

I shake my head in an attempt to dislodge the worry and pull myself back into the present. I pour myself another cup of coffee and stare out of the window at the mountains in the distance.

Just when I start to relax, I hear a car door slam, then another and I wonder who it could be. I’m not expecting anyone and the house is too isolated to get random visitors.

I walk outside and as soon as I see who it is, excitement rages through me like bulls in a stampede.

Chapter 2

‘What the hell are you doing here?’ I shout, completely stunned, as Serena rushes to give me a kiss. She drops her duffel bag on the ground as she wraps her arms around me and everything suddenly seems alright. Zoe is staring at us jealously and I pull her close. Kat hangs back and gives me a shy smile as she waves. It’s so weird to see them here, but I’m thrilled and I grab their bags and motion for them to follow me.

I haven’t seen them since their last show in LA and I’m pretty sure no one knows my address. As I pile their bags in the kitchen, I take the opportunity to get a good look at them. Serena’s blonde hair is in a high ponytail and as she walks around the cabin, my eyes won’t stop following her perfect ass. Kat smiles and looks more at home in her worn jeans and flannel shirt that’s unbuttoned low enough that her impressive cleavage is on full display.

‘We missed you, of course.’ Zoe says before giving me the most incredible kiss and sitting down at the kitchen table. She looks completely out of place here in a low cut black minidress and black combat boots and my heart races as she locks her eyes on me and licks her lips suggestively. Memories of the last time we were together flash through my mind and I can feel myself getting hard.

‘You didn’t even say goodbye.’ Kat’s voice is sad, and I wrap my arms around her and give her a hug. Over the last week that we were together, we bonded and even though I’m physically closer to Serena and Zoe, I love them all equally.

‘I feel terrible about that. Something came up and I had to rush back.’ The thing that came up was that Steve threatened to fire me if I got photographed in a compromising position with any of them again. We agreed I should head back to Montana for the break and let things cool down.

Because the first leg of the tour went so well, they’re rescheduling with larger venues and our two-week hiatus has been stretched into a month. It was killing me not being with them, but I hope like hell that I don’t get in trouble for all three of them being here now.

‘Did you let anyone know that you’re here?’ I ask and Serena’s mouth curls into a sly smile.

‘I told Ezra that we were attending a yoga and detox retreat in Idaho.’ She rolls her eyes as she laughs and I cross my arms in front of my chest and smile as I look at the three of them seated around my kitchen table. I thought about calling them so many times, but I didn’t want to rock the boat.

‘So what do you think of my mountain retreat?’ I motion around me and can tell that they’re not impressed.

‘It’s…nice…’ Zoe says cautiously as she grimaces and I frown.

‘I like it.’ Kat says as she smiles warmly and out of the three of them, she looks the most relaxed. Serena glares at her and she shrugs. ‘What? I can totally see myself chilling out here.’

‘Thank you, Kat.’ I say. She beams and I continue. ‘I need you guys to keep a low profile, alright? The last thing I want is for Steve or Ezra finding out where you really are. They’ll fire me like that.’ I snap my fingers and look each of them in the eye as they nod. ‘Ok, good. I was just going down to the river to catch some dinner. Would any of you like to join me?’

Serena and Zoe narrow their eyes at the thought, but Kat pops up out of her seat and walks towards me with her hands in the pockets of her worn jeans.

‘I’ve always wanted to learn how to fish.’

‘Ok, let’s go.’ I say as I motion for her to follow me and we walk outside to get the gear. Even though we got to know each other better over the last week of the tour, she still has a few walls up and I never wanted to intrude. She’ll open up if she feels like it and I’m not going to push the issue. She follows me to the shed and we chat about what she’s been doing on the break so far.

I grab the equipment and hand her Lisa’s old waders. She never enjoyed fishing, but gave it a try and I appreciated that. The longer we’re apart, the more I realize that my ex-wife was a good woman- she just needed more than I could give her. I push the thought out of my mind and concentrate on the present as we load up the truck and drive out of my long driveway.

My favorite fishing spot is only ten minutes away and once we arrive, I place everything on the riverbank and help Kat get suited up. Generally I’m alone when I fish, but having her here makes me happy. I help her wade into the fast moving water and when she slips; I grab her. Once she’s stable, I return to get the rest of the gear.

‘What do you think?’ I ask. She seems to have gotten the hang of standing in the rushing water and I’m surprised how well she’s taking to it.

‘It’s gorgeous out here.’ Even though she’s quieter than Zoe and Serena, there’s something calming about her and I’m happy that we’re finally spending some time together.

‘I love it.’ I confess as I cast. ‘I grew up in New Jersey, in one of the old factory towns, and never imagined that I could live in a place like this. Then I visited a friend who had a ranch here about twenty years ago and fell in love, but was too wrapped up in other bullshit to make the move. When I finished treatment, I realized that this is exactly what I needed.’

‘I grew up in Kentucky, so I’ve always loved the outdoors.’ She says and I’m surprised. I just assumed that they were all from LA. ‘My parents moved the family to Los Angeles when they realized I could sing.’ She looks off into the distance and I see the tip of her rod bend.

‘I think you’ve hooked something. Reel it slowly, it’s going to fight you.’ I tuck my rod into my belt and grab the net, watching as she slowly reels in her catch. ‘It looks like a big one.’ I hear the line pull and watch her as she manages to get it close enough for me to net it.

‘Wow, this thing is huge.’ I say, genuinely impressed. I throw the large trout into the creel and we continue for another hour, catching three more- plenty for dinner. We wade carefully out of the raging river and I leave the creel in the water as I help her get the waders off. She plops down on the grass and I sit next to her as the sun hovers over the mountains and casts an orange haze over the landscape.

‘When we first got to LA, they found this guy to be my manager.’ She says, unprompted as we settle into the wild grass. ‘He introduced me to Zoe and Serena and that’s how the group got started. We were only seventeen, so our parents were involved, but my mom…’ Her voice trails off and I can tell that she’s having trouble. I remember what Steve told me about her past and wonder if the guy she’s talking about was the asshole that took advantage of her.

‘You don’t have to tell me, Kat.’ I say as she leans against me and I wrap my arm around her protectively.

‘No, I feel safe with you, Jas. I want you to know that.’ We lay down and she rests her head against my chest. ‘He touched me, you know, and I didn’t want him to, but my mom told me to go along with it, that it would be good for my career.’

‘Jesus, Kat.’ I can feel my heart breaking for her as I stroke her hair. ‘Did you report him to the police?’

‘No, he never…’ Her voice trails off again and I wait for her to continue, even though I wish I could smash the guy’s face in for doing that to her. ‘Zoe’s mom found out what was going on and confronted him. Luckily we hadn’t signed a contract, and we found Ezra and he got us our record deal and you know the rest.’

Unfortunately, I do. Time to change the subject.

‘We did great today.’ The sun sinks closer to the mountains and I stare at her for a few seconds. She looks so gorgeous and I remember the kiss from a few weeks ago.

‘Why are you so standoffish with me?’ She asks.

‘What do you mean?’ I know exactly what she means, but I don’t want to push her into anything she’s not ready for.

‘You and Serena and Zoe are… close, but you never act like you want to be with me.’ A hurt expression fills her eyes and I realize that I have been keeping her at arm’s distance.

‘Well, Steve told me about what happened to you and I didn’t want you to feel any pressure.’ I lay on my back and look at the darkening sky as the stars emerge. She reaches out and brushes her finger across my stubble and I wonder what she’s thinking.

‘It doesn’t mean that I don’t want to be close to anyone, Jas.’ She bites her lip as she stares down at me. ‘I think it means that I need someone who understands.’

‘I’m sorry, Kat. I wish I had known. You were just so distant and acted like you preferred to be on your own.’ She leans down and brushes her lips against mine and I can feel myself wanting her so badly, but I can’t stand the thought of hurting her. Her hand pushes down my chest and towards my crotch and I wonder how far she wants to take this.

‘When I saw you fucking Zoe, it was really hot.’ She murmurs as she releases the top button of my jeans. ‘I want you to do that to me.’ She slides her hand inside my fly and hesitantly wraps her fingers around my cock.

‘Are you sure? I mean, here?’ It’s almost dark and the air is cool and damp and I want her to feel safe and cared for, not fucked on the grass like some kind of animal.

‘Why not? It’s beautiful.’ Her kisses are soft, but hesitant and I try to force myself to slow down even though every part of me wants to rip her clothes off and fuck her senseless. She sits up and unbuttons her flannel shirt and I can see that her lace bra is struggling to contain her full breasts. When she shrugs off the huge shirt and unhooks her bra, I realize I’m holding my breath.

‘What?’ She giggles as I smile like an idiot and rub my finger across her peachy nipple.

‘You’re beautiful, Kat.’ She leans down to kiss me again and her tits press against me as her body moves on top of mine. I’m so hard that it hurts, but I want her to feel comfortable and not push her too far. She’s been through a lot.

Her hands are under my shirt and she helps me pull it off, then starts unbuttoning my jeans. I’m already rock hard and as she strokes me, she bites her lip, totally focused on what she’s doing. When she leans over and takes my dick into her warm mouth, I almost lose it.

Her mouth and lips and tongue are my entire world right now and I tangle my hand in her thick brown hair as she swallows me. When she pulls away, she lightly kisses the tip of my cock and gives me a gorgeous smile.

‘What?’ I ask as she stares at me and I reach out and caress her breast, rubbing my thumb over her stiff nipple as she closes her eyes and exhales.

‘There’s something I need to tell you.’ She bites her lip and I see a light flush creep onto her cheeks.

‘What? You can tell me anything.’ I sit up and kiss her soft lips, letting her know that nothing is going to change the way I feel about her.

‘I’ve never, you know…’ She looks down and pulls at the grass and it takes me a minute to realize what she’s trying to tell me.

‘Really?’ I’m genuinely shocked. Between what she told me and being who she is, I assumed that she was as experienced as Serena and Zoe. She looks embarrassed and I put my finger under her chin and look into her eyes. ‘It’s ok, Kat. Everyone has to have a first time.’

‘I know, but I’m so old and Serena and Zoe always give me such a hard time about it.’

‘Fuck them.’ I tell her as I laugh. ‘It’s no one else’s business. We don’t have to do anything now if you don’t want to. I mean there’s a lot of other stuff we can do…’

‘No, I want to.’ She reaches out and touches my face. ‘I want you.’

Jesus.

I don’t really like having sex with virgins. Maybe I’m the only guy who’s ever confessed it, but I’m fairly certain that I’m not the only one who’s thought that way. It’s a lot of work. You’re constantly checking that they’re ok and that you’re not going too fast or it’s too rough and like a million other things. I like being with women who have experience, who know what they want and know how to make you feel good too. Kat’s a sweet girl and all, but I don’t know if I’m up for this.

‘Ok, wow- um…’ I think for a minute and she’s staring at me and smiling like she’s expecting the world. ‘Are you sure you don’t want to go back to the house? I have a nice bed upstairs.’

‘No. I want to do it here. With you.’ She pulls off the rest of her clothes and I marvel at her body, at her soft curves and small waist and the pink skin that juts out from between her legs as she lays there staring at me.

Ok, I can do this.

‘Just, you know, let me know if you want me to stop, ok?’ She nods and I lean down to kiss her as I press her against the grass and kiss her breasts, lingering on her peaked nipple for a few seconds before spreading apart her thighs and kissing the soft folds. She moans and I continue.

When I push one of my fingers inside of her, she tenses slightly, but relaxes when I lick her clit again and come up to kiss her lips. I’m rock hard and as I slide myself in, I go slowly, stopping when a look of discomfort crosses her face.

‘Are you alright?’ I ask and she nods as I work my way further, holding back, wanting to make sure that she enjoys her first time. She’s so wet and tight and I thrust softly, adjusting to her breathy moans as she relaxes and wraps her legs around me, pulling me close.

‘It feels so good.’ Her lips meet mine and I push harder and faster, not holding back until I feel her clench around me and her body shakes. I pull out, stroking myself a few more times before coming on the grass and collapsing beside her. She’s panting and smiling and when she rolls over and kisses me, I realize how lucky I am to be with someone like her.

Chapter 3

‘That was delicious. I never knew you were such an incredible cook.’ Serena teases me as she helps me wash the dishes and lightly bumps my hip with hers. The sky is pitch black and Kat and Zoe are passed out on the sofa in the living room.

‘I’m pretty sure there are a lot of things you don’t know about me.’ I reply and she shrugs, looking at me with her deep blue eyes as I rinse the last of the glasses.

‘Tell me something I don’t know.’ She pulls herself onto the counter and smiles as she crosses her long, tan legs. ‘I want to learn everything about you.’

I think for a few minutes, filtering through the years of fuck ups and insane shit that I try to keep locked away for something that isn’t too embarrassing.

‘Well..’ I trail off as a memory surfaces and my mouth twitches into a smile. ‘I played the tuba in my high school marching band.’

‘Really?’ She scoffs as she scrunches her nose and pulls me closer, spreading her thighs so she can give me a kiss.

‘Yeah, it’s true. I was pretty good at it too…’ My words trail off as she presses her lips to mine and I feel my heart race. It’s so good to see her again and even though I tried my hardest to get over all of them, I realize now that when they finally decide to leave, my life is going to be empty.

‘Do you want to go upstairs?’ She murmurs and I nod, pulling her off of the counter and throwing her over my shoulder. She squeals and I shush her, not wanting to wake the others up. Even though they don’t care, it’s rare to get some time alone and I want to take full advantage of this opportunity.

I hold Serena tight as I mount the stairs and can feel myself getting excited at the thought of being with her again. Even though we fucked a lot during the last week we were together, I can’t get enough of her and just breathing in her scent is enough to get me hard and ready.

I close the door of the bedroom behind us, toss her onto the bed, then tug off my t-shirt as I eye her like she’s my prey.

‘God, you’re so fucking hot, Serena.’ She smiles at my praise and even though I’m sure she’s getting tired of hearing me say it, it’s the truth. Her body is just so perfect, and as I crawl onto the bed next to her, she props herself against the pillows and grabs the headboard as my lips meet hers. She tastes so good and I want to savor her, but every part of me is on fire and I need her now.

‘It’s so good to be with you again.’ Her kisses are hot and needy and I pull up her t-shirt lavishing attention on her soft breasts as she spreads her thighs and invites me inside. When I’m with her, I have a hard time controlling myself and I unbutton my jeans and give myself a few quick strokes before burying myself inside of her.

Her light gasps push me on and I lean over to suck on her nipple, not wanting our time together to end. As she writhes beneath me, I can’t imagine what my life would be like without her- or any of them. As we lay in bed, I pull her close and kiss the top of her head. She wraps her arm around my chest and strokes my chest hair lightly.

‘What do you want in life?’ She asks finally. It’s a loaded question and I exhale, not wanting to get too philosophical about it.

‘I guess what everyone wants, to be happy.’ I hope that answer is enough. I’m too old to think too abstractly.

‘Are you happy?’ She asks and it feels different from regular pillow talk.

‘Right now? Very.’ I answer and she leans back and brushes her lips against mine.

‘Me too.’ She murmurs and grabs my hand. ‘You were right.’

‘About what?’ I ask. She’s being very cryptic and I hope nothing’s wrong.

‘About my drinking. When we were on the bus and you accused me of being an alcoholic…’ She trails off and her eyes fill with tears. I wrap my arm around her and pull her close. I hadn’t really followed up on it, but can tell that the memories are painful.

‘It’s ok, Serena.’ I say and she clears her throat and sits up again, wiping her eyes with her arm.

‘It was bad, but when you said something… I just appreciated that you cared. Everyone else just let me drink and no one cared, but I felt like you did.’ She smiles at me and I’m really happy that she’s telling me this. ‘I wanted to tell you about it.’

She lays back down and when I hear her snoring lightly I ease out of bed and head back downstairs. The fire is mostly burned out and I stir it before walking towards the sofa and shaking Kat. She groans and I pull her into my arms and carry her upstairs, putting her in one of the guest rooms before going down to get Zoe.

Her eyes are open and she stares at me as I pad down the stairs.

‘Hey.’ She flutters her long eyelashes and smiles sweetly.

‘Hey. Want me to show you your room?’ I ask and she nods. ‘Come on.’ I motion for her to follow me and she gives me a petulant look. ‘You want me to carry you?’ She nods and I pull her into my arms and carry her up the stairs. When I place her into her bed, I give her a light kiss and brush her hair away from her forehead before turning off the lights and heading back to my room.

Chapter 4

I roll over and realize that I’m not alone.

‘Morning, Jas.’ A pair of dark eyes stares at me and it takes a few seconds for me to focus. Zoe is staring at me and I hear the shower running in the bathroom.

‘Morning, Zoe.’

‘Kat told me that you deflowered her yesterday, and you fucked Serena last night.’ She says teasingly as her hand creeps down my torso and into my boxer briefs and a smile curls her lips. ‘Are you saving the best for last?’

‘Of course.’ I murmur as her lips brush against mine. She wraps her legs around me, straddling me as I feel my cock waking up.

Zoe pulls off her tank top and pulls my hand over one of her full breasts. I never get tired of looking at her tits and as I cup one of the round orbs in my hand, she moans and squirms on top of me. In a quick movement, I roll her onto her back and take her nipple between my lips, sucking lightly as she grabs the sheets, writhing needily beneath me. I really want to fuck her right now, but need to take care of some housekeeping first.

‘I’ll be right back.’ I tell her and head into the bathroom to brush my teeth. Lisa always complained about my morning breath and my mouth currently feels like a garbage can that’s overflowing with rotten fish.

‘Where are you going?’ She whines and I put some paste on my toothbrush and start brushing. I stand in the doorway as I keep my eyes on her and smile as she pouts. ‘Hurry up. This is taking way too long.’

I love teasing her and watching as she rolls around on my messy bed is the most fun I’ve had in weeks. I go back into the bathroom and spit out the toothpaste and take a drink of water. I’m in no hurry and the more she complains, the longer I’m going to take.

‘Ja-as!’ I sniff my armpits and realize that I could use a shower so I turn on the water, waiting a few minutes for it to heat up and hear Zoe let out a frustrated scream when she realizes what’s going on. I step inside and let the hot water run over my body as Zoe walks into the bathroom and crosses her arms, staring at me as she waits impatiently.

‘What do you want to do today, Zoe?’ I ask casually. She turns and storms out and I let out a laugh as I lather myself up and wait for a reply.

‘You know what I want to do, Jas.’ She shouts and I rinse myself off.

‘Come here. I want to talk to you.’ A few seconds later, she shows up and I open the shower door and motion for her to enter. ‘Get in, I think I need to wash you off.’

‘Fine.’ She pulls off her lace panties and I stand aside as she joins me, obviously unhappy about this turn of events and not bothering to hide her feelings.

‘Relax, Zoe. We’ve got all day.’ I say as I lean down to kiss her full lips. I push her against the wall and run my hand between her legs, brushing against her clit as a hiss escapes her lips. She’s soaked, but I’m not ready to fuck her just yet. ‘Let’s get you washed off, ok?’

I move her under the spray and she squeals as the warm water envelopes her body.

‘Turn around.’ I say and she obeys as I squirt some shampoo into the palm of my hand and rub it into her hair. The motion is oddly intimate and as after I work up a thick lather, I wash off my hands and cover her eyes. ‘Lean back.’ She does as she’s told and I rinse the shampoo out, getting all the excess as she waits patiently.

‘See- things are so much nicer when you listen.’ I lean down to kiss her again and grab the soap and work it in my hands before rubbing it between her thighs. She gasps and holds onto my arm as I move my soapy hand through her soft flesh.

‘Let’s rinse you off, ok?’ I clean the suds away, teasing her as I work and when I’m done, I push her against the wall, pinning her wrists above her head as she stares at me wildly. ‘Good girl. Let’s get you dried off, ok?’

She nods and I lead her out of the shower and grab a clean towel. Her body is incredible- all tight curves and smooth skin and as I run the towel over her hardened nipples, I hear a light moan. I reach out and pinch the pink flesh and can see her rubbing her thighs together as she grabs the sink for balance. I move the towel down her torso and get on my knees in front of her.

‘Spread your thighs.’ I order and she does as she’s told, her dark eyes peering at me from under her long lashes as I run my tongue through her soft flesh. Her hand reaches out and grasps the sink as I tease her clit mercilessly.

‘Oh fuck, Jas.’ She moans as her fingers tangle in my hair and I need her right now. Her scent is driving me crazy and I drag her to the bedroom and push her onto my bed. She rolls over, staring at me as she pinches her nipple and as I crawl next to her, she pushes me onto my back and trails kisses down my torso.

‘Remember when I woke you up in the bunk?’ She asks as she stares at me before kissing the tip of my stiff cock.

‘Yeah, how could I forget?’ She runs her tongue up the underside of my dick and I think about how her body felt pressed against mine.

‘You were so pissed.’ Her tongue reaches my balls and she pulls one into her mouth, sucking it lightly as she strokes me.

‘Mmhmm.’ I moan. She smiles at me and takes me into her mouth. It’s warm and wet and her tongue swirls around the tip and I feel like I’m going to lose it. ‘God, Zoe.’ I hit the back of her throat and go a little further as she moves her head up and down. It feels so good, but I want something else and I grab her arm and push her onto her knees, pulling her hips up so her ass is spread and I can see her glistening pink pussy in all of its glory.

I run my finger through her slit, testing to see if she’s wet. She’s absolutely drenched and I push the tip of my cock inside of her, working myself into her tight slit as she moans. It takes a few tries, but once I’m fully inside, I grab her hips and thrust furiously, needing her more than I’ve ever needed anything else in my life. Her cries fill the room and just when I’m about to come, she pulls away.

‘What the…’ I’m shocked and she smiles at me as she bites her nail.

‘Sorry, it’s just that, uh…’ I’m not feeling very patient right now and need to know what’s going on.

‘What, Zoe? Jesus.’ My dick is throbbing and if I don’t come soon, I’m worried something’s going to burst.

‘Well, I, I really want you to fuck me…’

‘What?’

‘In the ass.’ I’m surprised. I’ve done anal a lot, but it was always with flings. Lisa hadn’t been into it and I just sort of forgot about the whole thing.

‘Are you sure?’ I ask. I’m not one to turn something like that down and as I reach into my nightstand for some lube that, until now, had been used solely for jerking off. I feel slightly awkward about the whole thing, but when she comes closer and kisses me, pushing her tits against my chest as I feel her heart race.

‘I want you to fill me completely.’ She whispers and my dick jumps back to attention.

‘Have you done it before?’ I ask and she shakes her head. ‘Ok, I’ll need to get you ready.’ She nods and kisses me again before getting back on her hands and knees. I pour some lube on my hand and push myself into her slit, enjoying the slick wetness for a few seconds before tracing the soft skin puckered asshole with my finger. When I push it inside, she gasps.

‘Are you ok?’ I double check and she nods as her hand reaches towards her clit and she moves her fingers over the tiny bundle of nerves as I slide in and out. She arches her back down and pushes against me, the motion driving me wild.

‘Fuck, yes.’ Her body relaxes slightly and I push another finger inside, loosening her up before pulling out my cock and covering it in lube. Her ass is so perfect and I position my dick at the entrance, grabbing her hips with my hands before pushing inside.

‘Ohhh.’ She moans as she arches her back and I keep going, pushing slowly as her body adjusts. I’m not huge, but I want to go slow so she can enjoy it completely. It’s so tight and hot and I can feel myself on the verge of letting go as I slide deeper inside of her.

‘Goddamn.’ I’m sweating and the sunlight is streaming in through the windows as I thrust slowly, then faster as she takes me completely. She rubs her clit furiously and I can feel her body let go as she squirts a clear stream of liquid onto the bed. It’s too much and I come, releasing inside of her as my body goes limp. I roll onto my back and she crawls next to me, resting her head on my chest as I try to catch my breath.

‘How do you feel?’ I ask and she stares at me, biting her lip as she wraps her arm around me.

‘Really good.’ She replies. Her heart is beating furiously and I realize that this is all going to end and I pull her closer, not wanting to let go.

Chapter 5

‘We’re scheduled to leave for Toronto in four days. Are you ready?’ I’m surprised to hear Steve’s voice over the speaker and assumed that we would have another week, at least.

‘Yeah, I guess.’ I’m standing in the kitchen and watching Kat as she strums on her guitar on the porch. ‘When do I need to be in LA?’

‘Tomorrow would be good. Ezra is trying to round up the girls, they went to some off the grid detox retreat and he can’t track them down.’ I hold back a laugh as I turn to face Serena, who’s currently making a jerk off motion and rolling her eyes. ‘We also need to talk about your, uh, relationship with them.’

‘What do you mean?’ I ask, doing a terrible job at feigning ignorance.

‘Jas, you know what I mean.’ His voice takes on that annoying tone that I hate and I feel frustration rip through me. The last week has been incredible and I can’t imagine being forced to act like I don’t care about them. ‘Ezra is going to join you on the bus to make sure nothing happens. The gossip has already died down and we’ve found an actor for Zoe to date and that should help staunch some of the rumors.’

My heart races with an untethered rage and I can’t believe that he’s doing this.

‘They’re adults, Steve, they can do what they want.’ I grab the edge of the counter and can feel the fury inside me intensify. ‘And besides, you even said that they were performing better than ever.’

‘That’s true, but if something goes wrong, which it will,’ He pauses for effect and Serena stands and storms out of the room. ‘Everything could come crashing down and they need this half of the tour to go better than the first. A lot is riding on this.’

I know he’s probably right, but I don’t want to admit it. Lew still hasn’t gotten back to me and I have a feeling that it’s probably a dead end. Ezra and Steve have been completely honest with me lately and I wonder if my reaction was wrong.

‘Ok, I understand.’

‘I’ve booked you a ticket for later this afternoon and a hotel at LAX. I’ll pick you up from there in the morning and we’ll head to my office to go over the details. Does that sound good?’

‘Yeah, sure. See you then.’ I end the call and an intense sadness surges through me. The past week has been incredible and I know it’s been great for the girls. Zoe comes in from her perch on the porch and grabs something to drink from the fridge.

‘What’s going on? You look pissed.’ She says as I run my hand through my hair.

‘We’re leaving today.’

‘What?’ Her expression shifts and sadness colors her features. ‘We’re not supposed to head out for another week.’

‘They decided to get started early. Tickets are sold out and they want to spend a few days rehearsing at the first venue since these shows are going to be bigger.’ I try to explain. I’m upset too, but they need to do this and I don’t want to make the situation worse by sharing my feelings on the subject.

‘But we just got here.’ Kat’s small voice is sad and I grab her hand, bringing it to my lips before pulling her close.

‘Look. I’m the low man on the totem pole here. Whatever Steve and Ezra says, goes and this is a great opportunity for all of you.’

They’re all upset but reluctantly get ready and we head to the airport.

I’m back at LAX. The girls took an earlier flight and they’re safely back home. My heart is breaking not being with them, but I know that this is for the best.

I check into my hotel and try to relax, but when I see a message from Lew, my mind begins to race.

Call me. We need to talk.

I dial his number and he answers almost immediately.

‘Jas?’ Lew’s voice rips through the phone.

‘Yeah. What’s going on?’

‘I found some interesting information about these two guys, but I’m not sure how much you want to know.’ His words sound ominous and I start to feel frantic.

‘What’s your address? I’m in LA for a day or two.’ I scribble down the address and get a ride to the office in Venice. Steve sends me a message saying that Ezra found the girls so we should be ready in a few days.

I put my phone away and my mind wanders to places that I don’t want it to go. What if Steve is stealing from them? What can I do? He’s been my friend for years and my last connection to my old life. If I get on his shit list, I can pretty much kiss my career goodbye.

My car pulls up to a shabby building a few blocks off Venice beach and I step outside. It’s a typical LA day, hot and dry and I’m definitely not dressed for the occasion, but I jog up to the second floor. Lew’s name is on a shitting looking sign on an old door and I knock.

‘Come in.’ When I hear that voice, I know I’m at the right place and walk into the smoky office. I’m having a hard time believing that this is the guy that got my buddy his money, but I shrug as I sit down in a chair and wait for the man himself.

‘Jas. Nice to meet you.’ He extends his hand and sits across from me, then leans back in his chair. ‘This case you’ve brought me is interesting.’

‘Ok?’ I’m not sure if that’s a good or bad thing and wait for him to continue.

‘After our discussion, I realized that I’ve actually had a run in with Mr Taylor in the past and I’m afraid that this isn’t the first time he’s pulled this shit.’ Lew leans forward and starts sorting through the piles of paper on his desk. ‘It was about five years ago and involved some singer you’ve probably never heard of, Lara something.’ He smiles as he finds the folder and opens it up.

‘Yeah, Lara Sinclair. ‘ He ruffles through a few sheets of paper and I’m ready for him to get to the point. It’s hot in here and the smoke is getting to me. ‘He managed to clean her out, then ruined her career. Terrible stuff.’ He grabs his pack of cigarettes and offers one to me.

‘No thanks.’ I wait for him to light up then continue. ‘So the same thing is happening with the LaLa Girls?’

‘Honestly, I don’t have enough info to make a call, but if I was a betting man, I’d say yes. I’ve looked at their publicly available information and they should be rolling in dough. If they’re not, something fishy is definitely going on.’

‘So what are their options?’ I ask. Lew takes a drag and leans forward on his elbow.

‘A lawsuit is going to be messy. There’s a contract involved and unless there’s gross misconduct, the court usually comes down on the side of that.’ He thinks for a minute and shuffles through the papers again. ‘I’ve never heard of this guy Steve before. He looks pretty clean, but likely involved. We could try going after him. Maybe get him to crack.’

‘He’s a friend of mine.’ I say to Lew, completely disgusted with everything he’s told me. ‘I think we’re going to need to have a chat.’

Chapter 6

‘Jas, good to see you, man.’ I meet Steve downstairs at the hotel. He’s taking me out to lunch and as I crawl into his Ferrari, I think about what Lew told me yesterday. We speed off and I stare out the window, not feeling like talking as he rambles about the tour.

‘Anyway, other than those photos with Serena and Zoe, we’re really happy with how this whole thing is going. Fans are saying that the performances are incredible and the new venues will mean that they should make a good chunk of change and really be able to hype their next release.’

‘Are they headed back into the studio?’

‘Yeah.’ Steve says as he downshifts and we round the corner to the restaurant. ‘As soon as the tour’s over.’ Something about that makes me sad and as he parks the expensive car in front of the restaurant,  Steve throws the keys to the valet. We walk in and are immediately shown to our table. It’s by a window overlooking the ocean and Steve orders a glass of wine. I get sparkling water and drink it in two gulps.

‘Thirsty?’ My erstwhile friend asks as he holds up his glass for a toast and shrugs. My conversation with Lew yesterday is still fresh in my mind and as I sit here watching him sip a fifty dollar glass of wine, I start to spiral. I try to reign myself in, I’ll need to keep it together if I want this to end well.

‘Do you mind if I ask you a question?’ He arches his eyebrow and puts down the glass, realizing that this is more than a casual request.

‘No, go ahead.’ He says as he leans back in his chair, clearly curious about what I want to know.

‘I asked you a few times about the money situation with the girls and you said that their record had flopped and there was no money coming in, but I found out something interesting.’ Steve looks nervous and I don’t blame him. From what Lew told me, there could be serious legal implications from what’s been going on. ‘According to a guy I’ve been speaking with, the amount that Ezra is taking from them is almost triple the industry standard and it looks like he’s also been skimming a little bit extra off the top.’

Steve looks intensely uncomfortable and tugs on the collar of his shirt. I realize I’ve got him and that he probably knows exactly what’s going on.

‘Look, Jas.’ He loosens his tie and I see him sweating as he waves the waitress over for another drink. ‘At first there was just so much money.’ I cross my arms in front of my body and hope he’s finally going to tell me the truth. ‘Ezra thought that he could take a little extra and they would never notice. In the beginning that’s what happened, but he got greedy.’ Steve pauses and shakes his head as he looks down at his hands. ‘So did I.’

‘Why did you do it, though? They trusted that both of you would do the right thing and you took advantage of them, even though you knew how much they had been through.’ I hate that I’m having this conversation with him, but it needs to happen and I’m the only one that’s willing to do it.

‘I know, I know. Now that you’re saying it, I feel like such a dick, but at the time it seemed perfectly natural.’ The waitress brings his drink and he takes a sip. He looks like shit, but I’m having a hard time stirring up any sympathy for the situation in which he’s now finding himself.

‘Steve, I don’t want to fuck up your life. You’re one of my oldest friends and you’ve always been there for me, but you need to make this right.’ I say gently, wanting him to come up with a solution so we can leave the lawyers out of it.

‘You’re right. Look, I’ll pay it all back, with interest- I just…’ He trails off and shakes his head. ‘I don’t want Alice or the kids to find out about this. Alice- she started getting suspicious about six months ago, wondering where all of this extra money was coming from. Business was better, but not that much better and I knew that she was worried something else was going on.’

‘I won’t say anything- I just want you to make it right.’ I offer and put my hand on his shoulder, glad that he’s willing to admit that he was wrong. Hopefully he’ll help us go after Ezra.

‘I have to confess something.’ Steve says, slurring his words slightly as he starts on his third glass of wine.

‘Shoot.’

‘Part of the reason I wanted to hire you for the tour is because I thought you would look the other way on a lot of the shit that was going on.’ Steve mumbles and I feel a jolt of anger surge through me. ‘You never seemed to give a damn about anything or anyone and I thought that it would be the same thing this time. I guess I was wrong.’

‘A lot’s changed, Steve.’ I take a deep breath before continuing. ‘Do you think you can fix this?’ I don’t want to lose him as a friend, but I’m not going to budge on getting back their money. They worked hard for it and deserve every penny that’s owed to them.

‘Look, Jas- I’m going to try, but it’s not going to be easy.’

‘I know one thing you can sell to get some quick cash.’ I say as I burst into laughter and his face twists into a painful expression.

‘I know, but I love that car.’ His head falls on his forearms and as we finish eating, I get the feeling that he’s relieved to have this off his chest. When it’s time to go, I grab the keys from the valet.

‘At least I’ll get to drive a Ferrari once in my life.’ I cackle as Steve sinks into the passenger seat and I peel off.

Chapter 7

I called Serena after my lunch with Steve and she invited me over to her house. I’m standing outside of a hidden bungalow in the Hollywood Hills when she opens the door and throws her arms around me.

It’s good to see her and as I lean down to kiss her soft lips, I wrap my arms around her thin body and pull her close to me. She’s wearing nothing but a pair of panties and a tight tank top and I pick her up and she wraps her legs around my torso. I carry her inside and place her on a table near the entrance, enjoying the feeling of her body pressed against mine as she helps pull off my jacket and slides her hands under my t-shirt.

‘It’s so good to see you.’ I murmur as I kiss her again. It’s only been a few days, but so much has happened that it feels like our week in Montana was a lifetime ago. She helps me pull off my shirt and I can tell that she’s happy to see me too. I feel like an animal as I wrap my hand around her firm breast, squeezing it lightly as the strap of her tank top slips down and I tug it below her tits.

When I lean over and take her nipple into my mouth, she gasps and leans against the wall, her body quivering as I slide my fingers between her thighs. She’s already wet and as I press a finger inside of her a purr escapes her throat. I unzip my jeans and pull out my cock, then push myself inside of her tight wet slit. It feels so good and I thrust slowly at first as she adjusts, her lips locked on mine as her firm tits press against my chest.

‘Mmmm.’ She breathes and I kiss her lips and her neck and try to hold off. She pulls me closer, kissing my earlobe as she whispers into my ear. ‘I want to have your baby, Jas.’

‘What?’ I freeze, not sure if I heard her correctly.

‘I want a baby and I want to have it with you.’ She says as she wraps her legs around me tightly and pulls me closer. I don’t have any kids that I know about and never really wanted any, but as I look at her, I wonder if she’s the one.

‘I don’t know, Serena. Let’s talk about it later, ok?’ I can feel myself getting soft and try to get back to the task at hand.

‘I don’t want to talk about it, Jas, I just want to be with you.’ Her blue eyes bore into mine and she holds my face in her hands and I can feel myself letting go as I thrust, going deeper with each stroke and suddenly wanting it as much as I want her. When I come, it feels incredible and I lean against her, panting as she strokes my hair and kisses my forehead.

My heart is racing and Serena slides her finger down my afternoon stubble and smiles.

‘That was nice.’ Her eyes sparkle and I stare at her incredible body as she slides off the cabinet and pads naked through the foyer and into the kitchen. ‘Want something to drink?’

‘Water would be great.’ Fucking her felt so good, but it doesn’t fix the problem that I might have caused or what I learned about Ezra.

She brings me a glass of water as I button up my jeans and pull on my t-shirt. I take a drink as she grabs my hand and leads me into her living room. From the outside, the house looks small, but the view from the back is incredible and I let out a low whistle as I stare through the floor to ceiling windows, over the small infinity pool and across the hills as the sun sets and the red clouds give the appearance of fire on the horizon.

‘This place is fantastic, Serena.’

‘Thanks. It’s the one good thing my parents did for me.’ She says as she pads into another room and emerges a few minutes later wearing a silk robe. ‘My first paycheck went into this house even if I lose everything else, this will still be here.’ Her smile is brilliant and she throws herself on the sofa and pats the seat next to her. ‘You sounded upset on the phone and I don’t think it was just because you were desperate to fuck me.’

‘You’re right.’ I say as I let out a nervous laugh. She’s everything to me and if she finds out that I’ve been snooping around in her affairs, I worry that she’ll never speak to me again. I sit down next to her and try to figure out what I’m going to say. ‘I had lunch with Steve earlier.’

‘I know.’ It takes a few seconds for me to register that and I’m not sure how to respond. ‘He called me yesterday and told me that you had a lawyer poking around about our financial situation. I told him that you had my permission and that we wanted to make sure everything was on the level.’

‘Why didn’t you say anything?’ I grab her hand and pull it to my lips and even though we just fucked, this feels a million times more intimate.

‘I trust you, Jas.’ She says as she bites her lip and I think I see it quiver. ‘My entire adult life has been on view for public consumption and everyone always wants something from me. You’re the only one who’s never asked for anything besides me.’ Her eyes are wet and glistening and her voice shakes as she says the last few words. ‘If you think there’s some sort of issue, I’m more than happy to have you look into it.’

A wave of relief washes through me and I’m so happy about everything she said. I kiss her fingers lightly, then wipe away the tear that’s running down her cheek.

‘Ok, good. I was worried that you would be pissed, but I found out something interesting from the lawyer I hired.’ Serena perks up and even though the news isn’t great, I feel like we’re getting to the bottom of their issues. ‘He said that Ezra’s fee structure is way off and that the contract your parents signed is significantly worse than the industry standard.’

‘Really?’ Her eyes widen and I hope that I’ll be able to give her some good news in a few days.

‘Yeah, it’s way over what guys like him normally make and he’s been funneling some of it to Steve to keep him quiet.’ I say and her expression shifts to anger.

‘So is there anything we can do?’ She asks and I was hoping that I could have this conversation with the three of them, but maybe it would be better if Serena tells them.

‘Maybe. The lawyer, Lew, has had some luck with recouping funds and Steve said that he would be willing to return some of the kickback he received as long as there’s no lawsuit. We might be able to convince him to pressure Ezra as well.’ I don’t want her to get overly excited about the prospect of getting back their money, but she needs to be a part of the negotiations for them to succeed.

‘That’s good news, but…’ Her voice trails off as she considers the ramifications of going after someone as powerful as Ezra. ‘I mean- what will happen to us, our career?’

‘To be honest, I’m not sure. Your contract with Empire is solid, so I’m sure you’ll need to finish that out, but you’ll probably want to get a new manager.’ Her eyes fill with worry again and I wish that I could tell her more, but even Lew said that recouping the money would be an uphill battle and that the odds of any sort of victory were mixed at best.

‘Whatever happens, I really appreciate what you’ve done.’ She kisses me and leans her head against my shoulder and I wrap my arm around her and pull her close.

Chapter 8

‘Now that we’ve fired Ezra, what’s going to happen?’

It’s two days later and I’m in Steve’s office. He’s already cut a check for half the amount he skimmed, promised the rest in six months and apologized profusely for being a general piece of shit. I know that deep down he’s a good guy and the girls agree to keep him around as their tour manager. The problem now is that we’re supposed to be flying to Toronto early tomorrow morning and since Ezra’s gone, it’s up to us to finalize everything. The five of us are on a conference call and we’re going over the final details.

‘Good question, Zoe.’ Steve leans against his desk, still slightly miffed about having to sell his Ferrari. ‘We’ll move forward while we figure out the next steps. Everything is in place and Jas and I should be able to manage for the most part.’ He looks at me and I shrug.

‘Your flight and hotels are booked so let's move forward.’ I already told Steve that Lew wanted a full accounting of expenses and agreed to cut my fee in half. It was an outrageous amount of money and now that everything's going so smoothly, I feel bad taking that much.

We all say our goodbyes and Steve hangs up.

‘So we’re set?’ For once I’m excited to get back on the road.

‘Yeah. The bus will pick you up from the hotel on Friday morning.’ Steve smiles and winks at me. ‘The driver’s an old friend of yours.’

‘Oh really? Who is it?’ I ask, curious about who he pulled out of the dustbin.

‘Rat Stone.’

Shit.

‘Wow, ok. You couldn’t have found someone a little cleaner for the girls?’ I ask, not happy at all with this revelation. Rat is one of the old timers. He swears like a sailor and tries to fuck anything with tits.

‘Sorry, Angel got another gig and everyone else is booked. He’s a good driver and I’m sure you can handle any issues that come up.’ Steve sounds confident and I don’t want to rock the boat any more than I already have, so I go along with it.

‘Ok, no problem.’ I’ll definitely need to keep an eye on him.

‘Also, Alice really wants to see you again. You should come stay with us tonight.’ I know Steve is trying to keep me away from the girls while I’m in LA, but I’m a little annoyed.

‘Yeah, sure.’ I reply grudgingly. I had planned on spending the night with Zoe and she’s going to be pissed, but I understand where he’s coming from on this. I follow Steve out of the building as I throw my bag in the back of his minivan.

‘Nice ride.’ I scoff and he rolls his eyes.

‘I know I did the right thing, but it hurts, man.’

‘At least it’s easier to get my bag in the back.’ I say as I laugh, pulling myself into the front seat next to him. The ride isn’t as exciting as last time, but Steve looks like a load has been taken off of him and as we pull up to his mansion, I wonder if that will be the next thing to go. I feel bad for Alice and the kids, but knowing his wife, she would never want to live in a place that was paid for with stolen money.

‘You look great, Jas.’ Alice greets me with a hug and a wink. ‘So, is it true about you and Serena?’

‘You shouldn’t believe everything you read online, Alice.’ I lean down and kiss her cheek. ‘Where am I staying?’

‘Same room. Dinner is at seven.’

It’s strange how a few months can change everything. Steve and I are on the way to the airport and I’m actually excited. The memories of my first meeting with the girls fill my thoughts and I think about how excited I am this time.

‘Does this thing move any faster? We’re gonna be late.’

‘Fuck you, Jas.’ Steve says as he puts his foot down on the gas and the minivan responds begrudgingly. He already took his Ferrari back to the dealership and is working on getting the money together to pay back the girls. I laugh and roll down the window as the cool breeze from the ocean whips across my face. LAX is packed and he drops me at the curb. I’m catching an earlier flight than the girls so I can make sure that everything is ready when they arrive.

The flight is uneventful and I arrive later that evening, unhappy about being back on the road, but glad that I’ll see the girls tomorrow. Just as I’m feeling relaxed, I hear a knock on the door. It’s almost nine and I can’t imagine housekeeping is making the rounds at this hour.

‘Surprise!’

‘Holy shit.’ I say, completely floored. The three of them are standing outside of my door and Kat rushes towards me, giving me a big hug as I motion for them to enter. I hope no one saw them and take a quick look down the hall to make sure we’re alone. ‘I thought you weren’t getting here until tomorrow.’

‘We changed our tickets.’ Serena says, giving me a kiss before throwing herself on the huge bed. ‘Our hotel reservation doesn’t start until tomorrow, though, so we need somewhere to spend the night.’

‘That’s not a problem.’ I respond as Zoe kisses me, slipping her hand under my t-shirt and tracing my muscles with her fingernails. They’re all staring at me expectantly and I hope that I’m going to be able to make it through tonight in one piece.

Zoe’s hand creeps into my jeans and she smiles wickedly as she bites her lip as the other girls get on the bed, waiting for the show to begin. Kat rests her head on Serena’s shoulder as they watch their friend unbutton my jeans and pull out my already rock hard cock.

‘Who gives the best blow jobs, Jas?’ Serena asks as Kat buries her head in the pillows and starts laughing uncontrollably.

‘Christ.’ I say as Zoe kisses the tip of my cock and I grab a nearby table for support. ‘You don’t actually expect me to answer that, do you?’

‘I do.’ Zoe teases as she wraps her lip around me and takes me into her throat. My eyes roll back in my head and when I open them again, I see Kat toying with the buttons on Serena’s shirt then sliding her hand inside the fabric and pinching one of her nipples. A breathy gasp escapes Serena’s lips as she pulls Kat close for a kiss and I have to force myself to look away. Zoe has her hand wrapped around my cock and as she strokes me her lips and tongue suck and tease and my body feels like it’s on fire.

Kat pulls off Serena’s shirt and lavishes attention on her breasts as I watch and Serena writhes beneath her. When Kat pulls up her friend’s skirt and buries her face between her thighs, I almost lose it and pull Zoe towards me, then bend her over the sofa and bury myself inside of her tight pussy as I watch Serena and Kat.

It’s beautiful and Serena’s eyes lock with mine as Kat licks and teases her, sliding her fingers inside of her friend and causing Serena to cry out. I push into Zoe as I watch, reaching around and rubbing her clit as she tightens around me.

I feel like I know her body so well and I lean down to kiss her shoulder as she arches her back and matches her rhythm to mine. She feels so good and after a few minutes, she clenches and relaxes as she comes and her body softens beneath me. Serena has her fingers between Kat’s legs and I join them on the bed with Zoe right behind me.

‘My turn?’ Kat asks brightly and I answer by pushing up the hem dress and pulling off her panties. I toss them to the side as I bury my face in her pink folds. She tastes like honey and I can’t get enough. As my tongue glides through her, Serena leans over to suck her stiff nipple and Zoe joins her on the other side, kissing Kat languidly as her hands fondle her full breast.

Kat writhes with pleasure as I play with her clit, and Zoe pushes my head closer, earning a grateful kiss from Kat. She spreads her creamy thighs further apart and I slide a finger into her as her lusty moans fill the room. When she cries out my name I worry that my neighbors are going to call hotel security, but Zoe silences her with a kiss.

Part of me wants to sit back and watch, to simply enjoy watching their naked bodies as they pleasure each other, but I also want to be a part of it, to make them feel good. I lean over to kiss Zoe and steel myself before pushing myself into Kat’s waiting slit.

She feels so good and as I thrust, Serena pushes me deeper and Kat wraps her legs around my hips. Each stroke is like heaven, she’s so tight and wet and I have to force myself to hold off, to make sure they’re all taken care of before I can let go. As I go faster, I grab Kat’s thighs, pushing harder and faster, relaxing slightly as her body spasms and an orgasm rips through her.

I don’t get a second to rest as Serena pulls me away and kisses me, lingering against my lips before the three of them roll me onto my back. Serena crawls on top of my slippery cock, sliding herself onto me as I wrap my hands around her hips and guide her. It feels incredible and I want to hold off as long as I can, even though every part of me wants the sweet feeling of release.

Her hips twist and I run my hands over her smooth skin, cupping her breasts as Zoe slides her hand towards her clit, flicking it slightly. The motion causes Serena to move faster and as Kat covers her mouth with a kiss, her body shakes and I erupt inside of her. She laughs as she leans over to kiss Kat and strokes her fingers across the other girl’s cheek.

They’re all satisfied and Serena collapses next to me, a smile creasing her eyes as Zoe kisses my lips and runs her fingers through Serena’s blonde hair. My heart is racing and as I pull Kat into my arms and kiss her head, I realize that I never want this feeling to end.

Epilogue

‘Jesus, I’m huge.’ Serena walks up the steps and I grab her bag as the four of us tramp into my cabin.

It’s been almost five months since we were last here and I’m glad that I got a few days alone to get it cleaned up before the girls arrived. The tour was a massive success and the LaLa Girls are scheduled to head back into the studio at the end of the year.

‘You’re not that big yet. Get over it.’ Zoe mumbles under her breath and I can tell that she’s annoyed with all of the attention that Serena’s getting.

‘Can I get you anything?’ Kat asks Serena as she heads to the fridge and opens it up. She turns her attention to me and gives me a dirty look. ‘There’s nothing in here.’

‘Sorry, I’ll run out to the grocery store later.’ I say apologetically. All of our attention is focused squarely on Serena and because she’s pregnant, everyone is trying to make her life easier. She puts her hand on her growing belly and gives me a kiss. Even though I swore that I never wanted to be a dad, seeing her like this is making me all gooey inside and I just want to take care of her.

‘Do I need to get knocked up to get a kiss?’ Zoe teases as Serena rolls her eyes.

‘Absolutely not.’ I say firmly. ‘One is enough.’ That doesn’t seem to go over well with Kat and I shrug as I try to be the peacemaker. ‘Look, we’ll see, but for now, let’s just take care of this one.’ Serena smiles gratefully as I come closer and rest my hand on her belly. It’s too early to feel any movement, but just knowing that part of me is in there makes me so happy.

‘I hope things don’t change too much.’ Kat muses as she leans against the kitchen counter. Her transformation has been incredible and I would have never recognized the person she is now a year ago. A bright smile accentuates her beautiful features as she stares at me and I pull her into a bear hug.

‘I promise that I’ll try to keep everything as close to normal as possible.’ I lean down to kiss her. ‘Want to go fishing later?’ She winks at me and I turn my attention to Zoe, who is as petulant as ever. She gives me a sexy pout and traces her finger down my arm, admiring my new ink.

‘What’s this?’ She asks as she inspects my forearm. I flex it slightly and smile, really excited about the latest addition. ‘Wait, it’s our names.’ Her pout turns into a smile and she wraps her arms around me as she kisses me and the other girls come over to take a look as well.

‘I guess this means that you’re stuck with us now.’ Serena says and they all laugh. As their chatter fills the kitchen and we relax into our new home, I realize that my life is finally complete.

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