When Roxie took off her sweatshirt to start rehearsals, Brooke lifted her eyes and pointed to Roxie’s behind. “Looks like you grew another ass while you were gone, Roxie.”
Roxie nodded. “Nice one, Brooke. Thanks.” She gave an extra little booty jiggle in Brooke’s direction and walked to where everyone else was gathered. No one else ever seemed to hear when Brooke decided to pounce, so it was a waste of time to do anything other than ignore her.
The money she was making was all that pushed Roxie. And being able to dance. Every day after rehearsal, it didn’t matter how exhausted and sore she was, she practically sailed home, so content to be doing exactly what she’d dreamed of her whole life. She knew she had already improved a thousand times since they began rehearsals, which was hugely gratifying. The only thing that could make this any better was if it weren’t with Beckham. But she had a feeling he was also what made it so good…
On New Year’s Eve, Beckham threw a huge party for everyone involved in the tour, including their significant others. When he invited everyone, he said he’d considered giving everyone a break from each other, but they were becoming a cohesive group and ringing in the year together would solidify that even more. Beckham had rented out a club that Roxie had seen once in People magazine. She didn’t know if she’d ever get used this craziness.
Chloe talked Roxie into going. She wanted to stay home with Leo, but Chloe argued with her, saying Leo would be asleep by 8:30 anyway. Like clockwork, he was out, so Roxie went to the party.
A waiter went by with a tray of drinks. Roxie grabbed one and downed it. She didn’t know why she felt on edge, but she wanted to shake it, and fast. She grabbed another drink and took her time with this one, watching everyone dance.
Brooke and Beckham caught her attention. He was holding her hand and twirling her out and she came back in with a vengeance, grinding up against him. He stepped back, putting space between them, and it made Roxie smile. He usually looked for every opportunity to be as close as he possibly could when they danced together.
“He never looks like he wants to get away from you,” Sparrow whispered in her ear.
Roxie looked over and smiled at Sparrow, then shook her head. “He’s good at what he does,” she said.
Sparrow’s eyes gleamed as she smiled bigger. “You’re beautiful, Roxie. And nice, smart, sexy … trust me, he notices.”
“Hey, you’re not playing matchmaker, are you? Nuh-uh, don’t get any ideas. Not interested.” Roxie took another gulp of her drink. “Where’s Ian?”
Sparrow made a face. “He’s changing Journey and himself. She had a blow-out and managed to ruin both of their outfits. Thankfully, Anthony found a shirt for him to borrow.”
Roxie pressed her lips together, but still busted up. “I can’t believe I missed that!”
Just then Ian walked toward them wearing a tight, short-sleeve denim cowboy shirt. Roxie and Sparrow lost it all over again. Roxie wiped her eyes as Ian reached them. He held Journey facing out, so she could see everything. Her feet kicked happily.
“Well howdy, Partner.” Sparrow could hardly get the words out.
Ian eyed the two of them and his lip quirked up to one side. He shook his head and looked down at Journey.
“You’re all happy now, aren’t you, pumpkin?” She looked up at him and gave him a dimpled grin. “Yeah,” he cooed at her. “I’d feel good too if I’d gotten rid of more than double my body weight in POO.”
Journey giggled and bounced up and down. When she saw her mom and Roxie laughing, she laughed and bounced harder.
Anthony asked Sparrow to dance, and Ian and Roxie chatted for a few minutes while she finished her drink. She moved toward the dance floor, unable to stay away for too long, ever. Justin and Vanessa were slow dancing and oblivious to everyone else. They were up and down, their lust and disgust for each other seesawing back and forth every day. Today appeared to be up for them. Brad and Shelton seemed to only have eyes for each other too.
Great. The tour is gonna be one huge hook-up, she thought. She wondered if Brooke and Beckham might be a possibility … if they’d ever had any of the intense moments she’d had with him. It didn’t matter; in fact, it might even help her to get past these confusing thoughts she kept having about him if he’d focus on someone else. Shoving Beckham out of her mind, she closed her eyes and began to move.
She didn’t even open her eyes when she felt his hand in hers. He brought her body flush with his and they moved without any thought. She felt his lips brush against her neck and then by her ear.
He whispered, “I don’t want to dance with anyone but you.”
She didn’t say a word, just allowed her movements to say all that needed to be said.
Just a few days after the New Year, the buses rolled out of the warehouse parking lot long before the sun came up. Headed to northern California, they were officially on the road.
“Think you can live with me on this bus the whole tour?” Beckham asked Sierra.
“Ugh. I don’t know,” Sierra groaned. “It’s a long time.
Beckham threw a pillow at her. “C’mon. You love me.”
She smiled. “I am glad to not be cramped with people I don’t know. Thank you for that.” She looked around. “And this is a pretty sweet bus.” She propped her feet up on the couch. “You’ve done really well for yourself, little brother.”
He sat down across from her and waited for a jibe to come.
It didn’t.
“You sure you’re ready to give all this up?” she whispered.
He’d told her to be careful of what she said, with the bus driver in close range. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust him exactly, but he’d learned the hard way that people could be bought fairly easily for a story. Just one more thing he was tired of … never knowing which one of his ‘friends’ would spill their guts to a gossip magazine.
“I … yeah. I think so.”
There was something about this tour that already seemed different, though. He felt more grounded, less anxious. He didn’t know if it was being around the most laid-back man he’d ever been around—Ian—or if it was the way the songs had all become new again. Roxie made him feel…
He searched for the word in his mind—what did she make him feel?—and realized it was simply that she made him feel at all. After years of numbing his feelings, his emotions were waking up, and it was as if he was trying to walk on feet that had fallen asleep. He was a prickly, stumbling mess, but it still felt better than being dead.
He turned the conversation to non-threatening topics and they chatted all the way to San Jose. It was always a little rough the first few days of the tour, getting into the swing of things, but he’d worked with the same crew the last three tours, so he had no worries. They were scheduled to eat a late lunch and then everyone would do a quick soundcheck. By next week, someone else would do the soundcheck for him and he would mostly be free during the day.
Roxie was the first one Beckham saw when he went to eat.
“Come sit with me,” he said before he could stop himself.
“Yeah, but you’re … Beckham Woods.” She put a shaking hand to her mouth and looked at him with awed eyes.
Beckham leaned in closer and gave her a cocky smile. “Did you just now notice that?”
“Maybe.” Roxie smirked.
She looked at the tables filling up around them. It was a large room to fit the camera crew, lights crew, stagehands, dancers, backup singers…
“Do you even know who all these people are?” she whispered. “Some I’ve never even seen before today!”
“Of course I do!”
“Are they gonna think it’s weird that we’re sitting together? Am I taking someone’s seat? It is kinda weird, right? Why are you being so nice to me?” She rambled and then clamped her hand over her mouth and turned those piercing eyes on him until he squirmed.
“I like you, okay?”
“You like me?” Roxie’s nose crinkled up.