Although I was leading a fiery life, the rest of the people on tour with me seemed to be having more of a monotonous life. I watched the roadies set up for another concert like they were robots. Even the boys were merely going through the motions, showing up for the sound check hung over and lethargic.
River made them play "Fiery Life" twice so I could practice my part on the cymbal. He applauded after the second time, and Gabe gave me a hug. Buck bowed to me in silent approval, and Chuck gave me a kiss on the cheek. I was on top of the world.
We went back to the bus before the show, and Chuck challenged me to another video game. He'd been much more considerate lately, sitting up all night without a single sexual come-on. It made me like him more than I ever had. I could almost see adding benefits to this friendship. Almost.
We flopped down on the sofa to look through the choices. After considering a few titles, he lost interest and started to kiss my neck. Clearly his way of saying that the choice of a game was unimportant. His kisses felt nice, a warm sensation from a gorgeous rocker. I kept browsing for games, but my attention wasn't on the selection, either.
Chuck's kisses started to feel even better, and crazy ideas filled my head. The thought of making out with this handsome and talented man suddenly had powerful appeal. I certainly wasn't afraid of his advances anymore. So I discretely turned to find his mouth, transforming his innocent pecks into a fully-realized kiss. His lips were warm and firm and lightly parted, offering a taste that I instantly wanted more of. We reached out our tongues at the same time, which sent a flush of excitement coursing through me. Who needed video games?
I could see that Chuck was going to make it past the friend zone, which worked for me. Face it, the week was half-way done, and there weren't any other offers. River was in a committed relationship. Buck was wound-up so tight you needed extra insurance just to go near him. And Gabe was my friend. So Chuck, who'd professed his desire from the moment I boarded the bus, might just get his wish. He'd be the perfect Fiery Boys fling.
Just as our kiss was getting serious, the mood was shattered by the sound of rattling glass. I pulled away as Buck came into the living room with the box of recycled bottles from the kitchen. "Box is full, gotta move it out." He swayed comically when he got near us, grinning and pretending to lose control of the box as it teetered in his hands. The bottles crashed against each other and one of them actually fell onto the coffee table. "Oops," he let out a laugh. The bottle had sunk into a day-old bowl of mystery snack food that nobody wanted to finish. Buck pulled it out and tossed it loudly onto the top of the pile. "Sorry to disturb you." He laughed some more as he slowly made his way across the living room, dancing with the noisy box of glass until he was off the bus and heading towards the recycling bins.