Page 31 of #Moonstruck

Ashley scooped up four additional boxes for the other dancers, and I offered to help carry them. We made small talk on the way back to her bus. She was from Chico, California, and she’d been on three of Ryan’s tours.

The first thing I noticed when I boarded was the overwhelming smell of incense. I was getting secondhand hippie from it. Their bus looked exactly the same as mine, only with a lot more purple and animal-print pillows on their couch.

“Y’all, this is Maisy. And this is Monique, Britt, Megan, and Mariette.”

Then I shared this brilliant observation. “Wow. That’s a lot ofMnames.” They all smiled at me politely, but there really wasn’t a good response to my comment. I immediately felt stupid.

We passed out the boxes, and I sat down at their table. Inside the box was a delicious grilled flank-steak salad with mixed greens, walnuts, and other vegetables I couldn’t identify. Which probably meant I was not eating enough vegetables in my regular life. I seemed to be the only one actually eating. As best as I could tell, the dancers were simultaneously discussing the merits of nearby clubs, their current favorite music video, the best shade of lipstick from a particular company, and which TV show they should binge-watch next.

It was almost like being in a foreign country with a culture I didn’t quite understand and a language I didn’t speak. I’d never spent much time with groups of women. There were a couple of girls I hung out with during the day in school, but I was always so focused on music and then my mom that I hadn’t made the time for friendships. Angie was the first close female friend I’d ever had.

“What about you, Maisy? Do you want to come dancing with us tonight after the show?” Ashley asked. “And bring those fine bandmates of yours?”

Of course, I immediately wondered if Ryan would be going out dancing with them. If he flirted with these beautiful women the way he flirted with me.

If I was just one of many.

I was not into clubbing. “The guys in the band are my brothers. Who you might want to avoid if you’re into commitment and relationships. I’m not sure what my band is doing tonight after the show. Maybe I can go? One of my brothers said something about an after-party.” I hoped that wasn’t hurtful or offensive.

Ashley shook her head. “Girl, whatever you do, do yourself a favor, and do not go to Ryan’s after-party in his room. Don’t get me wrong; he’s better about some things than he used to be, but that boy is a heartbreaker.”

This was something I already knew and kept reminding myself about, but my body apparently didn’t care. My brain tried to tell it that even strangers were warning us away. “What do you mean better than he used to be?”

“He used to be really bad about starting shows on time, partying too much. Nonstop women. Then something changed. He seems like he doesn’t really do that kind of stuff anymore, but I wouldn’t take the risk. People don’t fundamentally change who they are.”

It made me wonder what had happened. Why he’d changed.

And if he would change back.

“Yeah, I haven’t seen him hooking up with a random girl or groupie in a long time,” Britt said. “But aren’t you traveling on his bus? He might try to get with you.”

“I am. Maybe I should move in here with you guys.” I said it in a joking manner, but I was ready to grab my bags if they’d have me.

“We’re full up. For some reason, the crew thinks if we live in close proximity with them, we’ll suddenly fall in love,” Ashley said with a laugh. “If anything, it has the opposite effect. Boys can be kind of gross to live with.”

“I’m used to living with a bunch of men.” That was the result of being raised with all boys. I was accustomed to the smells and the humor. I’d found that men were usually easy to understand, and so, usually easy to live with. Most of their motivations were based in something physical, like food, women, or sleeping.

A loud whistle sounded outside the bus. “What is that?”

“Piper,” Ashley explained. “She loves that stupid whistle. It means she wants everybody to gather together.”

I finished up my lunch and followed the dancers off the bus, throwing away the box. I told the girls goodbye and went off to find my brothers.

“When are you going to introduce me to your new friends?” Parker asked as I came to stand beside him.

“I was planning on never.”

“Spoilsport.”

Piper used the whistle again. “Okay, the hotel situation has been fixed. We have a private elevator for our use only. You must have your key card to make the elevator function. We have access to the Prestige lounge, which means free breakfast, drinks, and appetizers, as well as concierge service. We’ll be passing out your key cards and today’s PD. Once you get them, you can head up to your rooms.”

“PD?” I repeated.

“It means per diem. Money they give us that we can spend on whatever we want every day. Food, transportation, that kind of stuff. It’s meant to cover basic personal expenses,” Fitz explained.

That seemed generous, but Fitz told me it was pretty standard. Piper handed us our key cards and envelopes. “Don’t forget your sound check at five o’clock today. There will be a car waiting for you outside the lobby at four thirty to drive you over.”

I thanked her and then checked out the envelope once she’d left. Wow. There was seventy-five bucks inside.

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