Play Me (Love on Tour #2) Read Online Free PDF

my way to his side. It was easy. The crowd parted for me.
    “Hey everybody!” I said loudly, holding my arms up.
    It worked. They quieted down and gave me their full attention.
    “We have a long day today and Sean’s wife has a craving for some barbeque. So we don’t have time for autographs. But, if you hang out here and line up real orderly, Tony,” I pointed to the open bus door behind me, “will give you each a free ticket to tonight’s show.”
    I knew Tony was going to be pissed. I watched as he peeked his head out the door and scowled at me. Mike kept him supplied with these little business cards to hand out that offered comp tickets. It helped when the crowds got crazy. But Tony was basically a misanthrope and he hated having to interact with people. Oh well, we were going to get some lunch, he would have to deal.
    The crowd obeyed and started lining up. Sean and I joined Mike and the girls, and walked into the now nearly empty restaurant.
    “Hank Tolk!” The hostess squealed.
    “Hi, sweetheart,” I said, as if I’d known her for years. “Do you have a back room in this place where we could eat in private?”
    “Yeah, we do! I’ll, um, get it ready for you. Give me one minute.”
    I winked at her. She shivered and took off at the speed of light. I turned back to my companions. Baby was all cuddled up on Sean’s arm, looking sullen. Bell was wide-eyed again.
    “I’m sorry,” Baby said. “I forgot. I just get so tired of eating on the bus all the time.”
    “Don’t worry about it, Baby,” Sean said. “I was tired of eating on the bus, too.”
    “But it’s so much hassle,” she said.
    “No it isn’t. Hank has it covered.”
    “Damn right,” I said.

4
     
    The hostess came back and ushered us into a small banquet room. A long, rectangular table sat in the center of the room. Against one wall was another long table that held empty chafing dishes, awaiting hot foods like chicken and mashed potatoes. In the center of that table was a large bouquet with Mylar balloons tethered to it. The balloons hovered near the ceiling exclaiming ‘Happy Retirement.’ Yellow and blue streamers hung along the walls.
    “Are we interrupting something?” Baby asked.
    “Oh no!” A man appeared in the doorway. He was wearing dress slacks and a button-up shirt. “We have a party, but it’s not until tonight.” He looked at his watch. “We have tons of time. Would you like lunch menus? Because if you want dinner menus we can do that, too. Don’t worry about the time.”
    “Lunch,” Baby said.
    “And can you have somebody take a big plate to the cranky guy out in the bus?” I asked.
    “Of course. And some drinks for you? Pitchers of beer, on the house?”
    “It’s only one o’clock. How about pop,” Sean said.
    “Coming right up!” He and the hostess hurried out of there.
    I sat down at the head of the long table. Sean and Baby sat to one side of me, Mike and Bell on the other.
    “This is different,” Bell said, looking around.
    “Remember the sushi place in Boulder?” Mike asked.
    “Oh yeah,” Sean said, “I remember.”
    “We walked in there, I guess it was about four or five years ago. I just started working for Sean, so five, yeah. Anyway, it was one of those hole-in-the-wall places that some chick Hank had slept with in Denver–”
    “She was the hotel manager,” Sean said.
    “That’s right. She recommended it. And we get there and the place only has like three or four tables. And the owner was this older Japanese man who was a massive fan of the album Hank had just released.”
    “That would have been Fist ,” I interjected.
    “Yeah, and so this dude gets all excited and he clears the whole damn restaurant. Kicks all these people out in the middle of their meal, locks the door and serves us.”
    “I felt bad,” Sean said.
    “Yeah, but it was good sushi,” I said.
    Bell shook her head. “So bizarre.”
    “You get used to it,” Mike told her.
    “Not really,” Baby