Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 58840 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 294(@200wpm)___ 235(@250wpm)___ 196(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 58840 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 294(@200wpm)___ 235(@250wpm)___ 196(@300wpm)
I’m on a break from the action but still feeling very uneasy when I hear the other guys come in. “Colin, you okay?” It sounds like it’s Zane who’s yelling for me, and then there’s a knock on the door.
“I’m all right.” From the roiling feeling in my stomach, the guys are going to know what’s wrong soon enough without me having to explain.
After another bout that I really hope is the end of it, there’s another knock on the door. “Are you okay?” Owen asks.
I grunt in response.
“Brittany’s given us a two-minute warning,” Owen says, sounding concerned.
Am I ready to go? I start to stand, but my stomach tells me to stay put. Fuck. Brittany’s probably going to take pleasure in my misfortune. She’d given me a dirty look when I was eating the hot dogs, but that might have been because I made a lewd gesture with one of them when I caught her looking.
I heave once more, and then again, vowing never to eat another hot dog.
When I finally stop, there’s a quieter tapping at the door. “Colin, are you okay?” It’s Brittany, though her tone of voice is much softer than I’ve heard before.
“I’ll be out in a couple of minutes,” I call out.
After a pause, she says, “Take your time. I sent the others on to the hotel. Toad will come back for us when I call her.” More silence. “Do you need anything?” she asks, her voice sounding even closer to the door.
“Just privacy,” I say, trying not to sound rude.
I wash my hands, wipe my mouth, and notice how pale my skin looks in the mirror. When I exit the bathroom, I’m relieved to find the dressing room empty. There’s a toothbrush and toothpaste in my bag, which is also a relief. After cleaning up, I take a tentative sip of water and relax when it feels like it’s going to stay down. I think it’s over.
The soft knock repeats, this time on the outer door.
“I’ll be out in a minute,” I call.
The door opens a few inches and her head peeks in. “Okay if I come in?”
When I don’t immediately answer, she pushes the door open further and slides in just far enough to get a good look at me. The concern on her face takes me by surprise. Her pretty brown eyes have never looked so big and soft. I’m more used to seeing them narrowed at me.
“Food poisoning?” she asks.
I nod, a hand going automatically to my bare stomach. I’m still wearing only the shiny Speedo I had on for the last number.
“Are you feeling better?”
I nod again. “Yeah, I think I’m good.”
“Luckily, there’s no show tomorrow night, so you’ll have some time to recover.”
I wait for a snarky remark about the hot dogs, or for her to tell me how this all serves me right, but I’m getting nothing but a caring attitude, and it’s making me feel guilty.
Have I been too hard on her?
“Do you feel well enough to leave?” she asks. When I tell her I do, she sends a text through to Toad and then stands patiently near the door while I get dressed and pack up my things.
It’s strange being alone with her in the back of the van, and if I was feeling better, I’m sure I’d be thinking about all of the fun things we could do with all of this space, but instead, I just sit quietly with my eyes closed.
When I feel the van turn off the road and come to a stop, I’m surprised to find that we’re at a grocery store rather than a hotel.
“I’ll be right back,” Nice Brittany says before she slips out of the van and closes the door behind her. When she returns a few minutes later, she deposits a shopping bag in front of me.
“What’s this?”
“Just a few things to help you feel better.”
Poking inside, I find a box of saltines, a six-pack of ginger ale, and a couple of microwaveable containers of chicken noodle soup.
“These should help settle your stomach,” she says.
I open my mouth and literally nothing comes out. I try again. “Thanks. I never expected you to be so nice to me.”
Now it’s her turn to be at a loss for words. As I watch her face change, I regret being so blunt.
“It’s part of my job to keep the talent healthy,” she says in a tone that sounds like the Brittany I know. “The tour won’t be as good if there are only three men on stage.”
“Gee, I feel so special,” I tell her. We’re back to our usual dynamic, and I feel like I’ve missed out on an opportunity.
ENEMY 3
14
BRITTANY
It’s a longer haul into the next city. Traffic gets thick as we approach the city limits, and I’m so grateful there’s no show planned tonight, or I’d be sweating it. It’s after dark when we finally make it to the hotel, and I’m exhausted after a long day of sitting facing the men while also trying not to look at them. I catch Zane looking at me several times, though I guess I’m in his line of sight, just as he’s in mine.