Page 16 of Extended Bridge

A tenor voice booms, “What’s going on here?”

Jeb releases me and we turn to face the inquisitor. Not wanting to get the roadie into any trouble, I say, “I’m meeting your crew, Bennett. Jeb here has a big job, making sure your staging is perfect.” Not going to share Jeb’s secret.

Bennett tilts his chin and he stares at the ceiling. A sure tell he’s annoyed. “Hey, man. Everything going alright?”

The roadie, unknowing of Bennett’s simmering ire, puffs his chest. “Sure is.”

“That’s great. Thanks for all you do.” Green eyes skewer me. “Can I speak with you for a moment?” He doesn’t wait for me to respond. Grabbing my arm, he tugs me toward an empty row of seats.

When we stop, I yank my arm free. “Jeb deserves more than a perfunctory thanks. He’s part of your crew that makes sure your staging is perfect for your performance. He does important work.”

“Don’t you think I know this already?” He bends his knees to be level with my sight line. “I’ve hired every single person on this tour.”

I’m not going to be pushed aside. I square my shoulders. “Then you should be more appreciative of the work they do.”

“Who says I’m not grateful? Maybe I didn’t like the big guy monopolizing your time.”

Oh shit. Why did I think we could reset? When he goes all alpha male like this, I see desire simmering right up to the surface. Well, so what? We all have jobs to do. “How’s the leg?”

He blinks. “It’s a four. Not the issue at the moment.”

“It’s the only issue.” My thumb and pinky rub together as I control my anger. “Aren’t you needed for a sound check or something?”

He eliminates the space between us. “My part is over. Wealready played here last night. Since I don’t play an instrument, they only have to make sure my mic is working properly.”

“That’s what the control board meant before?”

“Yeah.” His hands skim my body, from shoulders to my waist, without actually touching any part of me. “I’m sorry I went all caveman on Jeb over you. You do strange things to my head.”

“Right back at ‘ya.”

Luke’s voice comes over the speaker system. “B, ready?”

Next to me, his arms drop. He yells, “I’m just collecting Jenna and we’ll be there in a minute.” He licks his lips. “It’s time to interview a new guitar tech to replace Chico. Are you ready to see how we do it?”

“Of course.” I nod, trying to get my wayward breathing under control. “Lead the way.”

We meander through a maze of seats until we meet up with Luke in a side corner. I check out the stage from here. “People sitting here will have a good vantage point if they bring binoculars.”

Luke grins. “That’s why we charge less for these seats. These guests will be able to enjoy the concert and see everything that’s going on, plus be part of the balloon drop at the end. Unfortunately, they won’t get as up close and personal with the band as people who pay more and are seated near the stage or catwalk.”

The elaborate staging is impressive. It was created for maximum interaction with the fans. “Jeb and his crew do an amazing job.”

“That they do,” Luke answers. “We pride ourselves on hiring the best roadies and techs. We’re a damn traveling family!” He chuckles, and I follow suit. Bennett does not.I need to get to the bottom of his trust issues.

That is, when the lead singer isn’t trying to come on to me or prevent me from talking with the crew.

Bennett refocuses us on the work at hand. He flips through a stack of papers, then hands me an identical one. “These are the resumes of the guitar tech candidates we’re going to interview. Ourteam has reviewed all applicants and shorted them down to the top five, who we’re going to meet now.”

They have five prospects? I usually start with ten, fearing I’ll miss someone good. I make a mental note to review this policy as it would save me time with physical therapists in the future. My need for a top ten list is strong, however. Should it be broken?

Shaking my head, I peruse the resumes. “They all look impressive on paper.”

“That’s why we’re meeting all of them.” Luke glances at the resumes. “By the time we’re done, we’ll have picked the newest member of our crew.”

I sputter. “You’re interviewing all fivenow? What’s that going to take? Like ten hours? Don’t you have a concert to put on?”

Bennett chuckles. “Things go differently with us, I suppose. These interviews will be around thirty minutes each. We meet, talk with them to get a feel for how they operate, then make a quick gut decision.”

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