Fully Automatic (Bullet) (33 page)

Chapter Thirty-nine

A
COUPLE OF days after the review, Jet called Brad again with a proposition.  “Hey, dude, we’ve set up a couple of shows out of state, and we were thinking about going balls out—invite a couple of other bands, make a huge show.  You know, we could contact lots of venues close together but get exposure to people who’ve never seen us before.”

“When
are you thinking?”

“We already have a couple shows booked for late spring, so we’re gonna see what we can come up with.  But before we start booking shows, we want two solid bands with us.  I’m pretty sure Spanky’s Kids is on board.  You play with them before?”

“No, but I’ve heard they kick ass.”

“That they do.
  And they have a huge following—probably more people than you and me combined.  What’s your schedule look like?”

They discussed particulars, and Brad was stoked.  He loved Denver crowds, but expanding their audience could only help them.

When he told the band, they too thought it was a great idea.  Of course, the questions started.  He tried to remind them of the times—not even a year earlier—when they would do weekend shows on the road.  This would be the same, only it would be longer.  The best part was that Brad wouldn’t have to book any of the shows.

He wound up pitching in, though, and all three of the bands on board did a little asking around.  Brad wound up securing one venue on his own.  When all was said and done, they had nine new venues spread out over fourteen days.
  As soon as Jet had told him about it, Brad asked his boss if he could have the time off.  The guy had been really accommodating, and all Brad could figure was it was because he’d never missed a day of work.  He’d asked for time off, but he’d never called in.  Not once.  Yeah, he hadn’t even been there a year, but turnover for the place was pretty high and, of the employees who stayed a month or two, attendance wasn’t always the best either.  When Brad thought about it, he was surprised too.  In just eight months, he was the senior employee, aside from his boss.

When the dates were solidified, Brad also told Val to ask for the time off.  Her place of employment wasn’t quite so understanding, though, and told her that her job might not be waiting for her upon her return.  Val decided that, even though she found it distressing, she was going to do the tour anyway.  Her future wasn’t in sandwiches.  It was in music.  She could get another sandwich-making job when she got back if she had to. 
Brad even offered to bring her back during the part of the tour where they had a couple of days off in the middle.  Fortunately, she saw the foolishness of it and told him she’d get another job if her boss decided not to take her back.

In preparation, they worked on a couple of new songs and switched up their set list.  They were going to debut the new songs on the road.  They’d make them perfect and then share them with their old fans back home.

And, just in time for their road trip, Ethan and Val began bickering again.  Oh, they were quiet and contained about it at first, but it was there just the same.  If they got vocal or out of hand, Brad was going to have to say something.  Nick and Zane never complained about it, but he could see on their faces that they hated it as much as he did.  It was stressful.  When he’d been making their accommodation arrangements, he told them they’d be sharing a room and the three guys the other—a small shift in what they used to do, but that would give the three other guys a break.  Still two rooms among them, but it would feel a little roomier.

All three bands met at Village Inn a few days before the tour started to iron out the last few final details, and Ethan made a huge display.  He was obviously on something, and he was all over Val.  She let him, but his friend was acting possessive and alpha for no good reason.  It was ridiculous and embarrassing.  All Brad could figure was it was because Ethan was trying to send a signal to all the guys on tour that Val was his.  Brad could halfway understand it.  Val was beautiful
and
hot, and she was the only woman in their baker’s dozen.  Ethan felt the need to let the other men know she was his and they’d better not lay a finger on her.

Still…he could have been more subtle abo
ut it.  Instead, when they continued talking out in the parking lot, Ethan pushed Val up against the van and let her have it full on.  Jesus.  It was awkward and uncomfortable.  If he started feeling her up or some shit, Brad was going to have to step in.  Ethan stopped just short of it.  And instead of saying anything, Brad took a deep breath and continued talking to the other people in their group, trying to ignore Ethan’s territorial display.

Once they got on the road, though, he grew excited.  New audiences, more fans, new sights.  Brad planned to do all the driving
for his band.  They would only be driving during the day and, other than the first day, it didn’t seem like they’d be on the road more than six hours at a time, so he knew he could do it.  When it came to the van, he was a bit of a control freak.  Hell, he was a control freak about everything, because he felt like he could ultimately only trust himself.  It had paid off thus far.  He didn’t think it bothered any of his bandmates for the most part—sure, some of them bitched once in a while (like when he organized duties at their apartment), but they got over it.  He decided if he got super tired, he’d ask Val if she wanted to drive, but she was the only one he’d trust to do it.

It was just two days into the tour
, and Brad sensed a weird shift in the dynamics of the group.  He wasn’t sure exactly what was going on, but he knew something huge was happening between Ethan and Val.  Neither of them said a word, but by day three, they weren’t talking to or looking at each other—and yet Val looked like she was having a hard time not smiling.

Maybe that meant that she’d finally told Ethan goodbye for good.  But the last time she’d done it, she’d been miserable until they’d gotten back together.
  Something serious and heavy was going on, but he didn’t want to get in the middle of it, so he wasn’t going to ask.  As long as the band was functioning okay, he’d keep his nose out of everyone else’s business.  And, if he knew Ethan and Val as well as he thought he did, he’d find out soon enough.

Turned out he was right.  Ethan was angrier than usual but didn’t say a word.  He knew it was because, when it came to Val, the guy didn’t trust Brad.  Maybe he’d had every reason not to a year earlier, but in the present, he had nothing to worry about.  Brad had made a promise
, and he wasn’t about to break it.

He started putting two and two together, though. 
First, Ethan started sleeping in the room with the other three guys, confirming the split.  But then Brad noticed that Val and Jet were hanging together—
a lot
.  And when Jet draped his arm over Val’s shoulder after one of the shows and whispered in her ear, Brad thought he’d figured it out.

It was a little disheartening.  Brad was glad Val had managed to escape the toxic hold Ethan had over her, but she’d jumped right into another relationship.  He knew Jet might just be rebound guy, but it bothered him.  Still…he and Jet had always gotten along.  Jet was a good guy.  A bit of a party animal, but he respected the hell out of the guy, and if Val kept smiling like she was, he guessed he’d find a way to live with it.

Val confirmed his suspicions not long after he’d figured it out.  One night, they were loading up their equipment after another great but exhausting show, and she pulled him aside when they’d finished.  Whatever it was, it was making her nervous, so he tried to look calm.  “We’re spending money on an extra room, but I’m not using it.  Well…I’m using it to put on makeup and get dressed, but that’s it.”

He didn’t want to jump to conclusions, even though he was pretty sure he knew what she was saying. 
“Why?  What’s wrong with it?”

She blinked and said,
“Nothing.  I’ve just…been spending the night in someone else’s room.  And I figured we were wasting money.  You can either just not get it, or one of you guys can share it with me.”

Even though he’d known, the admission felt like a wrecking ball to the chest.  He forced air into his lungs and hoped his expression was as neutral as he was aiming for.  He tried to sound casual and upbeat. 
The truth was the rooms were already reserved, so he figured they were stuck with them.  “That makes it mine now, and I’m kinda glad.  It was hard enough sharing a room with two other guys, and now we’re back to four in a room…well, mostly.”  Since she’d broached the subject, he had to know for certain.  “So…you and Jet…pretty serious?”

She blinked again and then s
hrugged.  “For now, I guess.”

He nodded.  “Come here.”  He
put his arms around her.  He needed to hide his face from her.  They were close friends, but he loved her.  He fucking loved her, and it was hitting him fast and hard.  He needed a few seconds to pull his shit together.  “You know I’m always here for you, right?”

“Yeah.  Same here.” 
He had to let her go or she’d figure out things weren’t right with him.  So he did and then she asked, “It’s okay if I leave my stuff in your room, right?  And if I dress and all that stuff, but the bed’s yours?”

So…she was sleeping with Jet but leaving her shit in another room?  That didn’t make sense.  So he wouldn’t be able to just ignore it.  He’d be reminded of it constantly.  But what the hell else could he say?  So he said the only thing he could. 
“Yeah, we’ll make it work.”

All their conversation had done, though, was open a wound he thought had healed.  No, it had just scabbed over, and Val had ripped it back open.  It was raw and painful again, and Brad felt like breathing was an effort.  He had to do something to get her off his mind.  He wasn’t going to survive if he couldn’t find a way to let her go for good.

* * *

A few nights later, several band members were partying together again, and a few fans had joined them.  A gorgeous brunette was flirting with him, telling him how much she loved the band, the show, and especially Brad himself.  She kept touching him and leaning in to whisper in his ear, and he decided
maybe
she
could get his mind off Valerie.

He barely
saw Val anymore.  He saw her during shows and while they drove from one venue to the next, but her free time she was spending with Jet.  He couldn’t blame her, he supposed.  She was infatuated with the guy.  He made her feel loved and wanted, and he suspected that he gave Val everything in him, unlike Ethan.  Even when Ethan was faithful with Val, he kept a part of himself closed off.  Brad understood why, but that didn’t make it easy for Val to accept.

Yeah…the girl named
Brittany touching his arm.  She would be a one-night thing, but it would be a good first step.  Awesome sex managed to alter the course of his thoughts enough that he knew it would at least make the whole
I love Val
revelation a little less fresh.  So when she asked, “How many girls ask you for a private concert?” he took that as his opening.

“I think you’re the first.”

She bit her bottom lip and then smiled.  “Well…?”

He shrugged.  “Come on.”  He crushed the empty beer can and tossed it in the trash on his way out.  He was glad no one commented on the fact that he was leaving with a girl, but he wasn’t going to act all cute about it.  He put his arm around her shoulders.  She wanted to feel special for the night with him; he would give that to her.

He led her out to the van and unlocked the trailer, pulling out his guitar case.  She could only see what the parking lot lights illuminated inside, but she could tell it was full.  “Holy crap.  You guys have a lot of stuff.”

“I guess people don’t realize what all goes into making music.  It’s more than just a guitar.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

They walked up to his room, the one that was only his…and the place where Val stored her luggage.  He’d felt a little guilty at first
for having an entire room to himself, but he justified it in his mind.  He was, for all intents and purposes, not just their guitar player; he was also their manager.  He deserved to be spoiled a little once in a while.  And, as he led this beautiful girl into that room that was only his, he was glad he’d decided to be selfish.  Nick—hell, even Zane and Ethan—might not care if they found a girl who didn’t mind fucking in front of other people, but Brad wanted a little more privacy…and he wanted to be with a girl who didn’t feel the need to be an exhibitionist.

When they got to his room, Brad invited her to sit on one of the beds.  On the othe
r, he laid his guitar case down, opened the snaps, and pulled out his newest baby.  He’d bought it for himself for his birthday—a beautiful work of art, tight and cherry-colored, and she had the loveliest tones.  He’d fallen in the love with her the first time he played her, and she made playing onstage a treat.

He knew too that girls got off on guys playing their guitars.  He couldn’t quite understand why, but he wasn’t going to question it, especially not now.
  He sat next to her on the other bed and started strumming a song no one else had ever heard.  Without an amp, he couldn’t really give her the “concert” she was wanting, but the song he was playing—one he’d written about Val—was one that sounded better on an acoustic, and an unplugged electric mimicked (although poorly) the sounds of an acoustic.  Still, it didn’t do the song justice.