Anna

As Anna awakes from a peaceful slumber, she looks at her phone and sees that she has eight missed calls from her boss. Oh God, what now? she thinks to herself. Being as quiet as she possibly can, she dials Bruce’s number. He answers on the first ring.

“Jesus Christ, Anna! It’s about damn time you called me!” Bruce yells into her ear. Anna holds the phone away, wincing.

“Bruce, please don’t use Jesus Christ’s name in vain. You know how much that irks me,” she whispers.

“Anna, why the hell are you whispering?”

She sighs. “I’m on the Of Mice & Men tour bus. I think everyone’s still sleeping. My truck broke down and Austin saw me and said I could stay with them on the bus.” It goes quiet on the other side. “Bruce?”

“I can’t believe how unprofessional you are being, Anna,” he mutters into the phone, a hint of malice in his voice.

“With all due respect, sir, it was either ride with the band on the bus, or walk to the next venue thirty-five miles away.” Another pause from Bruce.

“You could have called me. I would have come and picked you up,” he mutters. Oh, wouldn’t you like that, creep, Anna thinks to herself. She shudders at the thought of being stuck with Bruce alone for that long.

“I’m sorry, Bruce. I will be professional with the band, okay? I’m only riding with them until I can get a new car,” Anna lies. There’s no way she can afford a new car. Plus, she thinks, why would I give up being a roadie with Austin freaking Carlile? Bruce buys her fib and begrudgingly hangs up on her without a goodbye.

“Professional, eh?” A voice from down the hall says. Anna hears footsteps approaching. “Who was that? He didn’t sound happy,” Austin says, appearing by Anna’s bed. She sits up to face him, smiling.

“Ah, that was just Bruce, my boss. He’s not happy that I’m riding with you guys.”

“I’ll bet he’s jealous,” he replies with a smirk.

“Wouldn’t be surprised, honestly.” Anna rolls her eyes. She realizes Austin keeps peeking at her chest, and looking down, she realizes why. She had gotten hot during the night and stripped off her shirt; she was only in a bra.

“Oh, shit! Sorry!” She exclaims, snatching up the blanket and covering herself.

“Oh, I don’t mind,” Austin says with a wink before he walks into the kitchen. Anna shrugs on a t-shirt, her face turning bright red. She follows Austin into the kitchen, where he’s rummaging through the cupboards for something to eat.

“Where is everyone?” Anna asks, realizing how quiet it is.

“They’re all out sight-seeing before the show tonight. I decided to stay behind so you wouldn’t wake up alone.” He smiles. “You know, Anna, we all walk around shirtless all the time. It really wouldn’t be a big deal if you did the same.” He casts a glance at her, making her cheeks flush again.

“I don’t know. I was raised to be modest. My parents are very Christian.”

“Ah, I see. So you’re a very good girl then?” He turns to face her, crossing his arms and cocking an eyebrow.

“You could say that, yes.” She turns and walks into the living area before he can see her turn tomato-red.

“Am I making you embarrassed?” He asks, grinning and following her to the couch. She can’t help but crack a smile.

“Anna, you can be yourself around me. I won’t judge you. I promise.” His eyes are sincere.

“So what are your parents like?” She asks, changing the subject. He looks down for a moment before he answers.

“Well, my mother passed away when I was 17. My dad did the best he could to raise me himself, but I had bigger dreams... bigger aspirations than to just be stuck at home all the time. And I was really depressed about my mom. Music saved my life, Anna.” Anna’s heart sinks to hear about his mother. Scooting closer to him, she puts her hand on his shoulder. His eyes tear up slightly as he looks up at her. “You know that’s what Second and Sebring is about, right? My mom?”

“No, I didn’t know that,” Anna says. She realizes at that moment that what she once thought of as just screaming and heavy rock music, is actually something special to Austin, the band, and their fans. The lyrics actually mean something. Austin smiles through his tears, taking Anna’s hand from his shoulder and holding it between his own.

“Damn, sorry about that. I don’t mean to get all emotional on you,” he says with a soft laugh.

“You can tell me anything, Austin. I won’t judge you either.” Anna looks down at their hands. His are so much bigger than hers; they envelop her hand completely. They sit in silence for a moment, both in their own thoughts. Anna gets the feeling there is more to Austin’s story than just parental issues, but she doesn’t ask any further questions.

“Anna, can I ask you something?” She nods.

“Can I kiss you right now?” Her heart leaping into her mouth, she blinks in astonishment. A little voice in her mind screams YES!

“Um, well,” she stutters, flustered. Finally, she answers. “Yes.” With that, he leans in. She mirrors him. Placing his hand gently on the underside of her chin, his melted-chocolate eyes meet hers, checking to see if she’s still okay with this. She must have given him the green light, because he presses his lips to hers, softly. His lips are warm and soft, and something inside Anna tugs at her, making her want more. Their lips break away for a second, and then they meet again, harder than before. Anna places her hand on the back of his neck, deepening the kiss. Their mouths start to move in sync with each other, and Anna’s heart starts racing in her chest. She breaks away, catching her breath.

“Oh... my.” She says, leaning back on the couch. He does the same, a grin spreading across his lips. Anna finds herself grinning, too.

“I’ve been wanting to do that since I met you,” he murmurs, turning his gaze to her. Anna smiles and rests her head on his shoulder.

“So much for professional.”