“Gotcha. Yeah, I think five hundred works for now.” I slide into the booth and wait for him to deal the cards.
“So, why teaching?” His question takes me by surprise.
“I’ve always loved kids and school came easy to me. I had a few teachers who made it fun. That’s important, and I thought I could be that person.”
“So, why the pharmaceutical company?”
“It’s hard to find a full-time teaching job. Most settle into a position and stay there until they retire. Unfortunately, with tight budgets, classrooms are filled over capacity and teachers can’t give their students the attention they need.”
“So, what happened with the pharmaceutical company? I remember Logan saying you were unhappy with it.”
“Nothing specific, really. They talked a good game, had me convinced that I would be helping to educate physicians and nurses about the vaccines.”
“Is that not what you were doing?”
“Yes and no. What they don’t tell you is how busy the office staff and physicians are. It’s hard to get even a few minutes of their time to listen to what you have to say. Not to mention here I am, an education major, telling a physician what treatment to recommend for their patients. They didn’t treat me bad, but you could tell they were just listening because they had to when we would bring lunch or provide them with samples.”
He nods. “I can see that. They’re saving lives and all that shit.”
I laugh at his comment. “Yeah, so I always felt as though I was a thorn in their side. It’s just uncomfortable and not teaching at all, really. I have no clinical background, but that didn’t matter; education major and nurses are who they hire. My team leader was a nurse, and she would travel with me to my sites once a month. It just . . . wasn’t for me,” I confess.
I watch as Cole concentrates on the cards in his hands before he lays out a spread and discards. “What about you?” I ask. “Has it always been music for you?”
“Yeah, I mean, I’ve always loved it. I started playing the guitar when I was ten. My grandparents bought me my own for birthday. The first time I played I was hooked.”
“Did you ever think about what you’ll do when this,”—I sweep my hand around the bus—“stops. When you all decide to stop?”
“Of course I’ve thought about it. The guys, we’ve talked about it. We’ve thrown around ideas such as starting our own label.” He shrugs. “Who knows? I know the four of us have always been smart with our money and invested wisely. We could stop playing, touring, stop it all tomorrow and still be set for life.”
Not able to make a play, I discard. “That’s good, but what would you do?”
He seems to think about my question. “I don’t know. I guess it just depends on if we start a label or what direction we go in. I’d like to think that I would find a place in the music world, but I don’t know. I’ve never been much of a planner, really. Investing our royalties is the most planning I’ve ever done. I live each moment to the fullest.”
“I didn’t have a backup plan either. I’m a twenty-three-year-old college graduate who lives with her parents.”
“Just recently. You lost your roommate, that’s understandable.” He’s quick to defend me.
“Doesn’t make it any easier. I was in a job I hated with no prospects of positions to use my education.”
“It’s all good, though.” He stops what he’s doing and grins. A grin that brings out his dimple, which I just discovered, and lights up his big brown eyes. “Now you’re here with us. You’re one of us. We’re your backup plan.”
“Yeah, I guess you are.” I find myself grinning at him too.
I give myself a mental fist bump—I kept my cock in line and didn’t make a pass at her all afternoon. Well, there was a minute when I was showing her the bunks that I had to touch her. I couldn’t have controlled it even if I tried.
We arrived in Atlanta a few hours ago. We were all starving, so we made that our first order of business. Now, it’s time to decide what we’re doing for the night. The boys and I usually go out, but I can tell Kacen won’t be.
“So, what’s the plan?” he asks.
I look around at my brothers and no one jumps at throwing out suggestions. “I think I’m just going to chill here,” Tristan says, looking at his phone. Something is going on with him. I wonder if he’s met someone. He’s been glued to that phone the past few months.
“I’m not really feeling it either,” Gavin chimes in.
I stare at both of them, trying to figure out what I’m missing. Something’s up.
Although, once my eyes land on Stacy, I can’t seem to find the desire to go out either.
“Cole,” Kacen says.
“I’m good,” I reply. I would rather stay in and talk to your wife’s best friend than get my dick wet with a random.
Fuck!