The Rockstar's Intern

Chapter Nineteen - Seattle is for Sinners

By the time I got off the phone with Kent and reapplied my makeup it was almost show time. My eyes were lined dark and my lips were cherry red as I climbed down the steps of the tour bus and flashed my badge to the burly security guard at the entrance.

The red bottoms of my black heels clicked along the floor tiles backstage and every roadie stopped their work to stare at me, their eyes going wide. I tugged at the bottom of the dress, chastising myself for buying it. It was too tight and too low to be flattering, and my mother would keel over on the spot if she saw me like this. I seriously considered turning around and going back to the tour bus to change, but Asher's voice beyond the dressing room door pulled me in.

"Where the hell is Barbie? She's going to miss it." Asher groaned.

"She's probably buying more pantyhose or something." Snake laughed before hollering as though someone had punched him.

"Don't be a dick." Asher growled.

I pushed open the door, feeling oddly empowered by the way the three men turned and stared at me.

"Did I miss the huddle?" I asked, my cheeks blushing.

"No, you're right on time." Snake said, eyeing me up and down. I reached out for his hand and for Theo's bowing my head as our small circle formed.

"Let's pray." Asher's voice sounded strained, and my eyes met his as the other two men bowed their heads. "Dear God, please keep us free from illness or injury and help us to have one kick ass show." Asher said, his voice genuine but his eyes never left mine. "Thank you God for all the wonderful ways you have blessed us, and all the amazing ways you will continue to bless us." Asher said smiling brightly at me, and I smiled back, my eyes crinkling at the corners.

"Amen!" The other two guys said, lifting their heads, and I tore my gaze from Asher, turning to stare at the blowup doll that sat in the corner. The same one I had bought in the strip mall in Vegas. Pam had become one of the crew, and witnessed every last detail of the tour. Thank God plastic couldn't talk...

"Good luck tonight!" I said, clapping Snake on the back, where he followed Asher out of the room.

"Thanks!" Theo said brightly, lagging behind, his eyes a little red from his time spent with Snake's bright pink bong. "And Barbie?" He turned, putting in his ear piece at the corner of the stage.

"Don't put your headphones in tonight. We prepared a little something for you." He said, his grin crooked as he sprinted out toward his drum set.

"What the fuck is up Seattle?!" Asher's voice boomed through the speakers and my eyes immediately went to my email. Massages for Sunday were booked, the space needle tour was booked, the house boat was booked. My mind wandered to the rest of my emails, one from my parents hoping my 'little internship' was going well. My eyes traveled to the half clothed girl trying to climb the stage to get close enough to touch Asher. If my parents only knew. I flipped through the photos in my phone, trying to ignore Asher's intoxicating singing voice, focusing on the photo of Kent and I from the governor's ball last spring.

"The next song is something a little different than we usually play. We don't do bullshit covers, but fuck it, we were feeling inspired..." Asher's voice cooed into the microphone and my eyes snapped up to the stage. My smile cracked my face in two as the opening chords to one of my favorite Taylor Swift songs began to play on the electric guitar. He was doing this for me. They all were.

"Can I go where you go, can we always be this close, forever and ever...." Asher's voice sang A Capella into the microphone before the crushing drums and electric guitar came back in. "You are my my my...lover!" Asher screamed into the microphone, the veins on the side of his neck protruding through his tan tattooed skin, and the crowd went wild, cellphones throughout the audience trained on him, but I barely noticed. I stood, transfixed, staring at him until he finished the song and long after.