Page 31 of Too Little Too Soon
“Hey, Riley’s cool. I don’t mind hanging out with her.” Travis lifted his hand, and the little girl obligingly gave him a grin and a fist bump.
“I appreciate that, but I wanted to talk to you about Ava, and it would have been easier if we were alone.”
“There’s nothing to talk about. Moot point.”
“Oh please. That is so obviously a lie, even Riley knows it.” Maria rolled her eyes for emphasis.
Think fast, think fast, think fast.Travis was not about to tell her that he’d banged her sister and couldn’t get the damn woman out of his head.
“It’s fine. I was just taken by surprise when she was at the airport. You know how I feel about nepotism within the band.”
“What I don’t understand is why you’re still holding to that belief, when every single time there’s been nepotism within the band, it’s worked out.”
It was a valid question. Why did he still hold to this belief? Or was it more personal than that? He’d hooked up with Ava, thinking it would be a one-night stand and they’d walk away afterward and never talk again. Except he’d wanted to see her again. He was the one to initiate making it more than a one-time thing.
But he’d also lied to her—at least, by omission—about who he was. She’d assumed she was hooking up with some schmo with no ties to either of her sisters.
When he realized who she was, his instant reaction had been to freeze her out. Call it PTSD, call it fear, call it whatever the fuck he wanted; he’d been transported right back to his time with Dog Daze, when he and Suzie had been on the cusp and it had all come tumbling down.
“Just because it worked out for you and Oz and Lacey and Parker does not mean I’ll be so lucky,” he said, which, he realized a scant moment too late, was too much.
Maria’s eyes went huge. “You’re interested in Ava? Seriously?”
He shook his head. Adamantly. “No, absolutely not.”
“The man doth protest too much.”
“Stop it, Maria. I’m not into your sister.”
“Then why did you just say you might not be so lucky? What are you afraid will happen if Ava joins the tour?”
Fuck him, this woman was far too perceptive, and he was too tired to keep sparring with her.
“Fine. I think she’s hot. And it’s bugging me, because I’m not interested in going there. For a bunch of reasons. Yes, because she’s your sister. And yes, because she’s tied to the band, since you’ve now apparently hired her. And yes, because I do not do relationships and how fucking—oops, sorry, Riley—how awkward would that be if, you know, something happened?”
He already knew how awkward it was, not that he planned to ever tell Maria as much.
Her shoulders drooped. “You’re a great guy, Travis. I only wish you realized it.”
“Er, thanks?”
She patted his arm and offered up what he thought was supposed to be a reassuring smile. “I’ll do my best to try to keep Ava out of your way. And you try to be nice to her when I’m not successful, okay?”
He clasped the back of his neck. It was hot under his touch. “Yeah, sure.” He’d been plenty nice to her on New Year’s Eve.
That was the problem.
* * *
He hadn’t managedto grab a nap before it was time to pile onto the bus and head to the arena, but that was okay. Adrenaline would get him through until the show was over, and then he could crash tonight and be ready to go when they checked out and moved on to the next city, the next show.
God, he missed playing huge arenas. He hadn’t even realized it until the show in Madison Square Garden. Before that, Demigoddess Revival had been playing clubs and ten thousand seats or less venues. They hadn’t been around long enough nor had they signed with a label that could take them to the next level yet.
Maria seriously rocked at getting their name out there for public consumption. And then they’d signed with the biggest record label in the country.
Which all led to tonight, with Travis rushing out onto the stage, his sticks clutched in his hand, waving over his head, nineteen thousand fans going apeshit behind that row of bodyguards down there in front of the speakers.
With his ass perched on the stool behind his drum kit, he popped his earpieces into his ears, his gaze sweeping the front row, automatically searching for his stalker. It really pissed him off that he was back to being paranoid all the damn time.
