“What happened to this place?” Jessica asked.
Myrna continued to the small square table near the sleeping area, which consisted of two sets of curtained bunks stacked on either side of the corridor.
“Huh?” Myrna glanced over her shoulder.
“The bus. It’s clean.”
“Uh, one too many loogies between the toes and I made the guys clean it up. I couldn’t live in that disgusting mess.”
“Impressive.” Jessica couldn’t get the “guys” to do anything when she’d briefly toured with them over two years ago. And they’d been less famous then. Less full of themselves.
“Have a seat,” Myrna offered. “Would you like something to drink?”
“Thanks. That would be nice.” Jessica slid into the booth, her back facing the exit, and looked around the bus. On second glance, this wasn’t the same bus they’d had when she’d toured with them. This one was much nicer. It even had a pair of doors that led to other rooms near the back.
“What would you like?” Myrna asked.
“Aren’t my choices beer, beer, or beer? Sinners’ only food group.” Jessica chuckled.
“No alcohol on this bus,” Myrna said. “If you want a beer, you’ll have to brave the other bus, which we’ve monikered the pigsty bus. The roadies keep to that one mostly. We have bottled water. Juice: orange, apple, cranberry or grape. And Trey’s new addiction, black cherry Kool-Aid.”
“Water is fine.”
Myrna retrieved two bottles of water from the fridge and sat across the table from Jessica in the booth. Jessica took a long drink.
“Brian told me you were going to law school,” Myrna said.
Jessica’s eyes widened. Why would that even come up in conversation? “Yeah, that’s right.”
“So why are you working as a stripper?”
Was this woman direct or what? Sheesh! No wonder the guys obeyed her commands. She probably intimidated the hell out of them.
“I’m pretty sure that’s none of your business.”
Myrna shrugged. “I suppose not.” She chuckled. “I guess Sed was right about you.”
Jessica’s brow furrowed. “What did Sed say about me?” She knew she shouldn’t care, but her heart could scarcely beat in her constricted chest.
Myrna shook her head nonchalantly and took a drink of her water. “Nothing.”
“I needed the money is all. Why did Sed say I was dancing?”
“You needed money.”
“Doesn’t matter anyway. Because of that cocky idiot, I got fired.”
“Sorry to hear that. Are you looking for another job?”
“I dunno. I couldn’t afford to pay my rent, so I got evicted. I’ll probably just go to my mother’s. You know, I’ve had a very crappy twenty-four hours. It all started the second Sed touched me.” Jessica hesitated. She’d forgotten that Myrna seemed to actually like Sed. “Sorry to unload on you. You don’t even know me.”
Myrna smiled kindly. “I don’t mind. You know, I’ve been thinking of hiring an assistant to help me with my research project.”
“Your research project?”
“That’s why I’m touring with Sinners. I’m doing psychology research on their groupies. I’m trying to determine what it is about rock stars that makes certain women promiscuous.”
Did she really need to do formal research to figure that out?
“I wondered why you were walking around looking like one of my law professors.”
Myrna chuckled. “Actually, I dress like this because I know it turns Brian on. Don’t tell him I told you that.” Myrna winked at her. “Anyway, are you interested in the job?”
“Me?”
“I’m offering a job. You need a job. Makes sense to me. I assume you’re an intelligent person if you’re going to law school. How are your grades?”
“Almost straight A’s.” Except that failing term paper in Ellington’s class. But now was not the time to start hyperventilating over a bad grade. Something wasn’t right here. Jessica didn’t even know this woman and she just offers her a job out of the blue? “What’s the catch?”
“No catch. The stipend will be ten thousand dollars if you see the project to its end.”
Jessica’s jaw dropped. “Ten thousand dollars? How long is this project?”
“About two more months. A lot of the burden of data collection and entry will be put on you. I couldn’t keep up before, and now I seem to be a newlywed.” She grinned. “How did that happen?”
Jessica chuckled. “Congratulations, by the way. Brian is a prize catch.”
“Thanks. I think so.” Myrna smiled dreamily, radiating happiness.
Jessica had had that once. Stupid Sed and his ridiculous ultimatums.
“So what do you say?” Myrna asked.
“Can I get an advance so I can find a new apartment?”
“You’ll be touring with the band, Jessica. You don’t need an apartment.”
Her bubble of relief and happiness ruptured.
“I can’t tour with the band. Sed—”
“What about Sed?”
Why did Jessica feel like this woman was manipulating her and planning her demise? “We can’t get along.”
“This is a professional relationship, Jessica, not a personal one. Besides, you’ll be working for me. You can ignore Sed entirely.”
Jessica didn’t think it was humanly possible to ignore Sed. Sed was… Sed was… well, Sed. She sighed aloud. “I…”
“Do you have a better option?”
Jessica shook her head. “I’m really grateful for this offer, Myrna. I just don’t think I can be around Sed for two months.”
“Why not? Do you still care about him?” Myrna asked.
“No!” Jessica said, a little too fast and a lot too loud.
“Then what’s the problem?”
“No problem. I gratefully accept the job. Thank you, Myrna. You saved my life.” Or potentially ruined it.
“Awesome. I hope you can start tonight. I’m leaving on my honeymoon in about…” She checked her watch. “…ten minutes.”
Well, what did Jessica have to lose? Except her sanity and already pulverized self-respect. “Um, okay. Sounds good. Just show me what to do.”
Myrna was explaining how to enter her huge backlog of data into a spreadsheet when the crowd outside the bus erupted in cheers. Jessica’s heart raced. The members of Sinners were probably headed this way right now. How would Sed react to her joining his band on tour? How would she stand being so close to him for two months? Living quarters on a tour bus were… intimate.
Brian climbed the stairs and entered the bus. He didn’t even notice Jessica. He went straight to Myrna, drew her against his sweaty body, and kissed her hungrily. “Are you ready to go?”
“Everything’s packed,” she murmured. “I just need to explain a few more things to my new assistant before we head out.”
“Assistant?” Brian’s eyes, surrounded by purple bruises and a thick rim of black eyeliner, settled on Jessica. “Jessica?” he said breathlessly. “What the fuck are you doing here?”
His hostility surprised her. Brian was such a nice guy. She wondered why he was so pissed to see her.
“Hey, Brian,” she said, offering a single wave. “Long time no see.”
“Sed’s on his way. You’d better leave before he sees you.”
Myrna ran a hand up Brian’s sweat-drenched T-shirt. “She’s staying for a couple of months. I just hired her as my assistant.”
Brian looked down at her incredulously. “You did what? Are you insane?”
Myrna smiled and shook her head. “Trust me, m’kay?” she murmured, dropping a kiss at the corner of his mouth. “Besides, with an assistant’s help, I’ll have more time for us.” Her hand clenched, gripping his T-shirt at the waist.