Chapter 6

Richie was unusually quiet as they boarded the now up-and-running tour bus. He had feigned sleep when the guys got back so he didn’t have to endure the inquisition he was sure to get from Jon about Billie.  He had waited til the last possible second to drag himself from the lumpy mattress to the bus to avoid the rest of his friends as well.  Now, they were halfway to wherever the next stop was and Jon dropped into the seat next to him.

“So, you gonna stop avoiding me and tell me what happened last night?”

“No.”  Richie continued to stare sightlessly out the window.  He wasn’t quite sure how to explain the fact that he wished the bus hadn’t been fixed.  Or how to tell Jon he wanted to be able to spend more than one night with a girl so he could get to know her a little better than just her name and what her tits and pussy looked like before taking off to the next city to do it all over again.

“Come on man” Jon elbowed Richie.  “You always want to talk about your sex-capades.  Why not this time?  She didn’t look like she’d be a bad lay.  And if her mouth was any indication, I’d bet she gave great head too.”

Richie whipped his head from the window to his friend’s face, “shut up.”

Jon shrugged.  “So what’s the problem?  Don’t tell me you couldn’t get it up.  The King of Swing couldn’t swing?  What is the world coming to?”

He shoved Jon, nearly knocking him off the seat.  “Shut the fuck up already.  That wasn’t a problem.  Believe me, it was all good last night.  All good.”

Jon settled himself back against the seat, “so what has you all pissy this morning?  You got your period or something?”

“No” exasperation colored his voice.  “I’m fine.”  He looked out the window again, “do you ever think about actually getting to know a girl?  Keeping one around for longer than one night?”

Jon’s lip curled up into a smirk and he shook his head lightly.  His friend had fallen for that little blonde waitress.  She wasn’t just an easy lay.  That was the problem here.  “Who has time for a relationship man?  We’re in and out of every city so damn fast there’s no way to get into anything more serious than a quick fuck back stage.”

Richie sighed.  “But do you ever think about it man?  About finding that one someone special?”

“Maybe there’ll be time some day, but-” he stopped at the commotion that was coming from the back of the bus.  “What the fuck is Alec doing now?”

Jon and Richie stood, taking careful steps toward the ruckus. 

“Jesus, dammit.  Ouch, what the hell you bitch. I need that hand and arm to play.  Fuck!”

They found Alec on his knees, his arm shoved up behind him and Billie standing over him.  “Don’t ya ever touch me again ya little weasel.”  She tightened her grip and he winced.

“Stop fucking pulling on my arm goddammit!”

Jon and Richie joined David and Tico.  “What the hell is she doing here?”  None of the men had an answer.

Richie was dumfounded.  How the heck had she gotten on the bus?  Why was she on the bus?  What the hell had Alec done to her?

He waded between the guys and laid his hand over Billie’s.  “Billie, darlin’, what are you doing here?”

She blew out a breath, ruffling her bangs.  “Right now I’m trying not ta kill your bass player.”

He stroked his fingers over her hand and up her arm, “let him go darlin’.  He’ll behave.”  He glared down at Alec.  “Won’t you?”

Alec shook his head.  “Yeah, sure.”  Right now he’d say whatever it took to get her off of him.

Richie looked over to Jon.  “Take him back up front man.”

Billie loosened her grip and gave him a shove, sending Alec over onto his face on the floor.  “Creep.”  She folded her arms across her chest and stood there watching, waiting.

He stood and made to lunge at her, but Jon caught him and dragged him back out of the way.  “Come on man, let it go.  You ain’t gonna hit a girl.”

“What the hell is she doin’ here anyway?”

Jon shook his head.  He had no idea.  He looked over at Richie, “figure this out man, quick.  Doc ain’t gonna like this.”  He nudged Alec and they disappeared.

Richie turned to face Billie.  She still had her arms folded across her chest, but she was shaking now too.  “Are you okay?” 

She nodded her head and rubbed her arms up and down.  Her adrenaline was fading away, leaving behind the fear she had felt when Alec had discovered her stowed away on the bus.  “I’m fine.”

He could see she wasn’t.  He wrapped his arms around her and dragged them both down to sit on one of the bunks.  “What happened Billie, why are you here?”

“I just needed a ride Rich.”  She rested her head on his shoulder.  “I needed to get out of that Diner, away from that one-horse town.  I’m going nowhere there.  My cousin owns the garage so I went over there first thing this morning, unlocked the bus and hid myself away.”  She hadn’t been planning on Alec finding her though.  She shuddered at the thought.

Richie rubbed his hands up and down her back.  “It’s okay darlin’.  Alec’s gonna leave you alone now.  You shouldn’t have hid on the bus though Billie.”

She sat up, “I know, but I didn’t know what else to do.  Please don’t make me go back.  I just want to get to New York.  I know I can find work there and start making things happen for myself.”  She peered up at Richie through the fringe of her bangs.  “Please?”

Jon walked back in time to catch the end of her story.  “Why didn’t you just buy a bus ticket like normal folks do?”

She met Jon’s angry gaze.  “Because the bus don’t come through town every day.  I woulda had to wait another two weeks for the chance to get out of there.”

She got off Richie’s lap and grabbed her bag.  It was obvious to her that Jon didn’t want to help her out.  “Look, I’m sorry I hid on your bus.  If you want to stop and drop me wherever, that’s fine, I can take care of myself.  I’ll figure something out.”

Richie stood and dragged Jon back toward the bathroom.  “Look man, she just wants to get to New York.  Can’t we let her ride with us that far?  I know Doc’s gonna have a cow but come on, we can’t leave her out here in the middle of no where.”

Jon was shaking his head.  Doc was gonna have a coronary.  “You tell Doc.  I’m not taking the shit for this one.  This is all you.”  He turned to Billie, “you can stay.  Just stay away from Alec.  He’s ready to break your arm or something.”   He stalked back to the front of the bus.

Richie pulled Billie to sit down on the bunk again.  “You sure are one tough little girl Billie.”

She flipped her hair over her shoulder.  “In case you’ve forgotten last night already, I’m not a little girl.”

He shook his head and smiled, no way had he forgotten that.  “What are you going to do in New York?”

She smiled brightly, “make my mark, Richie.  I’m gonna be a star.”

He held her closer, he had no doubt she was right.

***