Who He Is (FireNine, book 1) (11 page)

I wasn’t the kind of person who brought darkness to light. I had my own closet that I never wanted to open and memories I never wanted to relive again, so instead of chasing after Deed, I grabbed my sketchbook, slid my pencil into my satchel, and headed for the bus.

“All right, let’s go!” Ben yelled from the front door of the bus. Snickering, I crossed my legs on the couch and pretended to watch TV. I wasn’t really a TV person—plus, the entire time I’d been listening in on Gage and Penelope arguing outside. It was sort of my entertainment.

All I could make out was her being upset that she couldn’t ride with him on our bus to the next city. He’d already bought her a plane ticket to go back home. The next city stop was Orlando, Florida, and their new FireNine tour bus was waiting there. I was glad about it. I was growing tired of the boys being around… specifically Gage.

Gage stepped onto the bus with a heavy sigh. I turned slowly to look at him, but he was already looking at me. He didn’t say anything, though. Instead, he turned for the hallway and the bathroom door shut behind him.

Deed, Roy, and Montana stepped onto the bus next. Deed still wore a dark pair of sunglasses. I could feel him looking at me through them, but he didn’t say a thing. He most likely thought I was going to bring something up, but I knew better. I doubt I had it in me to mention it in front of everyone anyway.

“This is a twenty-hour ride so get ready, boys,” Ben said, the door slamming shut behind him. The boys groaned as they parted ways. Deed went for his bunk, Roy went for his room, but Montana came for the couch across from me.

“S’up, Eliza?
Didn’t see you at the club last night.”

“I don’t really do clubs.” I hated repeating myself.

Montana nodded, looking at the TV. A movie with Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis was playing, and I found it kind of interesting. I wondered if it were possible to have benefits with a friend of the opposite sex. To have a guy I could mess around with whenever I’d like with no feelings involved until I was ready. It sounded like a good plan to me. No feelings, no problems. No attachments. Just fun.

Just as the thought came to mind, it seemed like luck had come my way. The door swung open and when I looked toward it, my jaw literally dropped. He had on dark-blue jeans, a tight b
lack T-shirt, and his hair was dirty blond. A few pieces of hair hung in his light-green eyes, but his smile was contagious. As he looked at me briefly, I felt my knees lock and my body ooze with warm excitement. He had a rugged look about him because of his couple-day-old stubble, but it was sexy all the same. His jawline was firm, all man, and his nose not too pointy or too crooked. Just right.

His black camera hung from his neck. A bag was slung on his shoulder and the handle of his suitcase was locked between hi
s fingers. I didn’t know who this guy was, but obviously Ben did because, from the kitchen, he yelled excitedly and rushed in the hot guy’s direction.

“I’m so glad you’re here, Cal!” Ben exclaimed. He ushered the phenomenal “Cal” inside and he looked around before dropping his bag
s in the corner.

“So where’s a guy like me supposed to sleep?” he asked Ben. “I’m not too big so I don’t need much space.” He chuckled.

Ben laughed with him. “Don’t worry. The couch is available for tonight. The boys will have their tour bus back tomorrow so the rooms will be empty for the rest of the tour. I’m so glad you’ve decided to take us up on the offer, though. A journalist like you is exactly what we need to get FireNine that extra buzz.”

A journalist? When I found out what he was, I licked my lips. He was a man who dealt with words. Check one on the list of friends with benefits material.

“I wouldn’t have missed it, Ben. I love this band’s music and to get the full effect should be fun. I’ve been looking forward to it since you contacted me about it.”

“Well, great.” Ben turned around to look at me and I looked away quickly before Cal could see me staring at him. “Eliza, come here, sweetie,” Ben insisted.

I hesitated. What I had on was rather hideous—a pair of black-and-red running shorts with a red T-shirt to match. I wasn’t dressed to impress at all and being introduced to Cal so underdressed kind of bothered me. Meeting him for the first time meant I should’ve been rocking some nice jeans and a blouse that was a bit revealing. For a guy like him, I was supposed to make him do a double take, make his jaw drop, his head spin—something.

I had to remain bold, though.

I stood slowly and made my way to Ben’s side. As I got closer, Ben wrapped his arm around my shoulders, looking at Cal, who was already looking at me. “Cal, I’d like you to meet my daughter, Eliza Smith.”

Cal’s head tilted as
his eyes scanned me from head to toe. As he did, I fidgeted. Cal then took my hand and kissed the skin on top. “It’s a pleasure, really.” My cheeks caught on fire as he looked at me beneath his blond eyelashes. His green eyes were so clear yet hard as he observed every aspect of my face. I wondered if he found me attractive because he was attracting the hell out of me. “They call me Cal, but my full name is Calvin Avery.”

“It’s
nice to meet you, Cal,” I said boldly, although I could feel my voice wanting to waver.

“Ben!” someone shouted
from the front door of the bus. It sounded like Terri. Ben pulled his arm away from my shoulders and took a step forward with a sigh.

“I’ll be right back,” he said hurriedly.

This was one moment I didn’t want Ben to leave me alone… with Calvin Avery. A sexy Calvin Avery whom I couldn’t be so confident around. He was really something to look at. Beneath his shirt I could make out the creases that defined his upper half. Through his jeans, I knew he was carrying a rather large package. He looked like he had it all.

“So, Eliza,” he finally sighed. “What brought you
on tour with a bunch of men?”

Finall
y blinking, I looked from Cal to Montana, who was currently lying on his back, his eyelids droopy, on the verge of falling asleep. “Ben thought it would be nice for me to come along with him this year. I had nothing else to do this summer so…” I shrugged. “I just went with it.”

Cal
nodded. “Has it been fun for you so far? You seem rather… bored.” He looked around, as if we were supposed to be throwing some kind of animalistic party.

“It’s
been pretty chill so far. It’ll probably pick up in Orlando.”

“Considering that we’ll be staying there
for five days, it just might. It’ll give me a chance to get to know each band member personally… and maybe a few others around.” He winked and my cheeks heated as he bent down to grab his suitcase. I couldn’t believe it. Calvin Avery was flirting with me?

“Ben?” a deep voice call
ed from the hallway. I knew who the voice belonged to. Gage, of course.

He stepped around the corner and at first sight of Cal, his eyes narrowed. “Who are you?”

“Ho-ly shit.” Cal dropped his bags and rushed for Gage. Gage looked at him, slightly inconspicuous, before shaking the hand Cal held out toward him. “I’m Calvin Avery, but you can call me Cal. I work for
It’s Real
magazine, and I’ve been asked to write an article on you and the band in August after the tour is over. I have to say, it’s going to be amazing to be up close and personal with you guys and to get the full effect. I know the readers will love to read about my adventure and road trip with you all, the ladies especially.”

Gage forced a laugh,
looking from Cal to me. “That’s great. I can’t wait to get to know you… I guess,” he said, looking at Cal again. Cal nodded and Gage glanced at me once more before going for the stairs of the bus and stepping outside.

“This should be fun,” Cal
said, sighing as he took in the feel of the bus. He looked at Montana, who was snoring. He’d fallen asleep that fast. “So, Eliza, would you like to show me around the bus?”

I
snorted a laugh. “I can, but there’s not much to see.” I stepped to his side and looked at the kitchen. “That’s obviously the kitchen,” I said, pointing at it.

He nodded, smirking. I slightly oozed on the inside, holding back on a grin.

I turned for the hallway but stepped past the first bedroom. That was the room Roy was in and I refused to go in because he always made situations awkward. He could have been cutting kittens’ heads off in there… Okay, that wasn’t true, but that’s how much he creeped me out. We passed the bunks and I mentioned to Cal the top bunk was Gage’s and the bottom one was Deed’s. My room was diagonally across from it and I swung the door open. I was slightly embarrassed as I took it in from a bystander’s point of view.

The bed wasn’t made. I had pencils and drawing paper all over the place. Paint was sitting in the corner, and my clothes weren’t too organized in my suitcase. I grabbed the door handle and tried to shut the door after telling him it was my room, but he held up his hand and pressed his palm against it to stop me.

“Hold on now.” He chuckled. “Are you embarrassed about me seeing your room?”

I shook
my head as he took a step in. “No. It’s just not too clean right now.”

“Hey”—he shrugged—“clean isn’t even in my vocabulary. I hate cleaning. It’s just something I’ve despised for ages. And besides…” He sighed, reaching for one of the pencils on my bed. “I kind of like dirty girls.”

He’d definitely lit another fire within my cheeks. He noticed the way I tried to control my girly emotions and laughed smoothly. “Shall we continue the tour?” I asked.

“We shall,” he said, dropping the pencil on the bed and following me out. I led him down the hallway and showed him the bathroom. Afterward, I mentioned that the last two bedrooms belonged to Montana and Ben.

“For a bus, it’s kind of big,” he said as we stepped into the living room again.

“Yeah. It’s big, but I kind of love it.”

“A girl who loves big things,” he said, smirking. “You know, Eliza, you’re making me more and more interested in you by the second.”

I giggled, blushing. “How?”

“It wouldn’t be fair to tell you unless we get to know one another, now would it?”

“Get to know one another how, exactly?” I asked, my head tilting. I was still smiling, which shocked me a little.

“We have almost two months ahead of us. I’m sure we can figure it out way before the tour is over.”

I laughed. I couldn’t doubt he was flirting with me. It was obvious, and as someone who didn’t really care for guys who flirted with me,
I was finding it fun with Cal. He was adorable, especially when he smiled and his cheeks sank in, revealing his dimples. I couldn’t deny it.

The front door of the bus swung open and in came Gage again. He looked at us and then noticed how
close I stood in front of Cal. Gage’s hazel eyes were like steel and, if I wasn’t mistaken, held a hint of aggravation. I figured he was still upset about his argument with Penelope, but I took a step back anyway.

“Gage, you don’t mind if I get a few questions in w
ith you tonight, do you?” Cal asked, taking a step back as well. “I have some from the fans, but I won’t bombard you with them. I have a few for the whole band, but it seems like everyone wants to hear what you have to say most.”

Gage sh
rugged. “Happens when you’re lead singer of a band.”

“Cocky much?” I teased.

He laughed at me, running a hand through his hair. “Never that, Sweet Ellie. Never that. Just confident.”

Cal
laughed with him and then went for his suitcase. “Great. When would you like to start?”

“We could do it now.” Gage sighed. “I have plenty of time to practice my vocals later.”

“Awesome.” Cal dug into his suitcase and unzipped a small black bag, fishing out a cell phone and a notebook. “At the table, shall we?” He gestured to the table.

Cal
went for it quickly and Gage nodded with a sigh. As he stepped by, he paused to take a look over his shoulder and winked at me. I frowned. I was still annoyed with him and his act with Penelope; plus, I knew the interview was going to take a while so I headed for my bedroom.

I allowed drawing to consume me and even did some drawings and T-shirt designs for the band. They turned out way better than I thought they would. There weren’t skulls or anything grunge. It was actually on the softer side but with a hint of masculinity.