Chloe threw her pen at Greer and giggled. “Oh my God, you’re completely ridiculous.”
“Ridiculously serious,” Greer retorted with a wink.
“Oh boy,” Inky sighed. “You two are going to be trouble.”
“How about we concentrate more on the show we have tonight and less on what outfit Chloe’s going to wear?” All eyes turned in Reid’s direction, the sharp bite of his voice a stark contrast to the lighthearted conversation seconds before.
“Of course,” Chloe said, shooting Reid an apologetic smile. However, Reid wasn’t looking at her. His gaze was locked on Greer, his expression a stony mask. He was angry, annoyed, and if Chloe wasn’t mistaken, maybe a little bit jealous.
As they exited the bus, the air around the group remained thick with tension. The crew set about removing their equipment from under the bus and hauling it inside. Chloe sorted through her things, making sure to put what she needed for the show in a second bag. Inky appeared by her side and peeked over her shoulder.
“That’s a badass shirt.”
“Thanks. Although, maybe I should pick a different one so I don’t torture all those helpless men.” The sarcasm in Chloe’s voice was clear, but a small part of her wondered if maybe she should tone down her outfits.
“Whatever. Don’t let them get to you. Men are like packs of wild dogs, constantly asserting themselves as the alpha and fighting over every bone they see. Even though some of them already have a bone and, therefore, have no business fighting over a bone they can’t have anyway.”
“Why do I get the feeling I’m the bone in this metaphor?”
Inky grinned and moved into the open area of the bus. “Because bones are smart.”
“Well, this bone thinks you’re crazy. But for the record, I’m not interested in being a chew toy for anyone.” Chloe grabbed her things and turned to follow Inky, but she stopped when she noticed Inky hadn’t moved. Pulling in a deep breath, she moved into the open area, unsurprised to find Reid leaning against the counter, his eyes on Inky. Chloe had no doubt he overheard their conversation.
“Hey,” Chloe said, breaking the silence. “Were you looking for me?”
Reid hesitated a moment before answering. “Actually, Tom’s looking for Inky. He had a couple of questions about the merchandise inventory.”
“He inside?” Inky asked, moving to the door.
“Yup.”
Inky left without another word, leaving Chloe and Reid alone in the bus. “Everything okay?” she asked.
Reid nodded and pushed his hands into his pockets. The movement caused the muscles in his arms to strain under his colorfully inked skin. The sight distracted Chloe, but only for a moment before she adjusted the shoulder strap of her bag and shifted her weight.
“Did you need to talk, or are you here for some last-minute Jedi schooling? I feel like our training time has been sorely lacking.”
Reid pushed away from the counter, his smile easy, his stance less rigid. “I blame the lack of homemade pastries.” After a moment, he exhaled and dropped his chin. “Listen,” he said, looking toward the floor. “I wanted to apologize for earlier. I wasn’t angry with you.”
“You sure seemed angry with someone.”
“I guess I’m still stressed about the show, the changes we still need to make and . . .” Reid groaned and pushed his hair back. His jaw ticked and his eyes darted from place to place.
“And, what? You seemed fine before your phone call. Is everything okay?” She didn’t mention Jess by name. She didn’t have to.
“No. I . . . it’s just hard being on the road again. Jess and I—” Reid paused again, his fingers tapping in rapid movements against his thighs. “We haven’t been back together very long. I worry what this tour might do to us. You know how fans are with social media now. Everything is uncensored and in your face.”
“Ah. I see. You can’t control what others say, though. Trying would be pointless.” Chloe assumed Jess read or saw something she didn’t like. The way Reid reacted to the conversation between her and Greer, Chloe figured it had something to do with her.
“I know.”
“Everything will be fine. One day at a time and all that.”
Reid smiled and moved to the front of the bus. “Thanks. I’m going to head inside and start setting up for rehearsal.”
“Okay, I just need to run to the back and drop off some things and I’ll meet you there.”
Chloe waited until Reid was gone before falling onto the seat behind her and letting out a heavy breath. They weren’t even a week into the tour and already there was drama. If this kept up, it was going to be a really long year.