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  I made sure Ted got his van tuned up and helped them pack the day they left. Callie looked so happy, beaming smiles all morning. She looked like she was floating on a cloud, the girl was that happy.

  “Listen guys, I’ll meet you in Boise. Okay? I’ll join you there and we’ll do this together. I want to make sure the spots deliver on their contract promises, and I’ll collect the money for you.” I had created a rider that would ensure certain things for the band, keep them fed and the sound system correct. Plenty of water and so forth. As theirmanager, it was my job to see that they were well taken care of at each location.

  “Callie?” I wanted to grab her and hold onto her sweet body, but I willed myself to stay professional. She wasn’t quite eighteen for one thing,[SO7][ES8] and I had to make this strictly biz because she was my client. But her birthday was only days away. What excuse would I use then? By the time I met up with them, she’d finally be an adult, and her age wouldn’t be an obstacle. I had to keep my hands off her. I had worked too hard to fuck it up now. What the hell was I going to do next time I saw her? My heart did this weird pitter patter thing I had never felt before. “Thud, thud.”

  In the background, over all these weeks while we worked on everything, we had engaged in some harmless flirting. We tried to keep it subtle, but sometimes I thought the boys caught on. I knew when it went too far, and I was careful. Believe me, I was super careful. Her blonde hair had grown and now reached all the way to that perfect ass. Oh lordy, I told myself over and over, I needed to keep my hands to myself. I ordered them to stay put and slammed them into my pockets to keep them safely tucked away. Being attracted to her broke all the rules.“Yeah, all ready, systems set to go!” She beamed, beyond excited to get going. I hoped her passion kept her on this emotional high. She had such a bubbly personality, and I loved seeing her happy face.

  Marko squeezed his massive bulk into the back of the van. He was squished up against the drum kit, he was all smiles. Kid didn’t talk much, that’s for damn sure. At age eighteen, I knew he would keep them grounded. Dude was already over six feet tall and had to fold his body down to fit into the small space. He had that calm aura that everyone loved to be around. His dirty blonde hair flipped up by his shoulders, and he had that “rock look.” I knew the kids would love him. It was that indescribable something everyone looked for.

  Ted jumped in the front seat, ready to drive the first leg of their long journey. His dirty blonde hair was tied back with a leather band, and he had an awesome, steady presence. He wasn’t as tall as his brother, but you could see he worked out and was cut, just like the ladies loved. I’d gotten to know them both well over this time together in the studio, and I totally understood why Callie made such a fuss about bringing them along. They were both really talented, and I was grateful for her stubborn demands. That girl was so freaking smart. I felt so stupid against the backdrop of Callie’s beautiful brain. Thank God she had gotten through my thick skull.

  The tour dates started in the northwest. From there, they went across the country...they left California, hit Oregon then Seattle, Washington, and then went east zigzagging across the US. This was a four-month tour, and I just hoped they were in it for the long haul. Tour exhaustion could ruin everything, and I had warned them plenty of times to take care of themselves, to stay in touch with me and especially their family. They needed to stay connected to those they loved. It would make being away for so long a little less painful.

  Ted was the chatty one of the two brothers. They both had light green eyes that enchanted the girls. He was going to be a surprise to the fans. He had the looks and the chops that would make him a star in his own right. He gave me a smile and a handshake.

  “Ready to hit it,” was all he said. He was eager to get on the highway and launch this new career building era. His fierce loyalty to the doves shone off his ruddy cheeks.

  Then there was Callie, standing by the open passenger door. She looked radiant this morning with her sparkling eyes full of that enthusiasm that I simply adored. I was going to miss her most of all. But this was what it was all about, going straight to the people. All our hard work was going to pay off. I’d built a pathway to fame, with bricks cemented together with each appearance, building their name recognition. I wanted The Turtledoves to become a household name.

  When I first signed the Turtledoves, I thought I’d want to change their look and[SO9] their name.

  “Callie, where did the band name come from? Is there some significance to it?” I’d wanted to understand what the origin of Turtledoves was, maybe that would teach me something I could use to promote them, or at a minimum, give me the excuse I needed to change this bulky-ass name.

  “We learned Turtledoves mated for life in biology the year we formed the band. We liked that; we liked the idea that our sound would last a lifetime.” Callie looked at me with those soft, dewy blue eyes, and it all clicked perfectly together in my mind. It made sense, and I knew on a deep level, that their fans would love this inspiration.

  “That’s amazing. Now there’s a back story I can get behind.” I knew I would use this amazing story to plug them, that the fans would find it completely relatable.

  The more I got to know them, the more I knew that they were going to set their own pace. They would be the trend-setters. I didn’t do a thing to change them, honestly, I really appreciated that Callie insisted I signed all three of them. I had learned over time how relevant they were. This was going to be huge for me, and I just couldn’t wait to join them on the road where I thrived.

  I had to send them out without me for the first leg of the tour. I had a lot of work to wrap up and a big event I had to attend, so that was how it had to be. Now that they wouldn’t be here distracting me? Yeah, I was going to grind for them.

  “Bye Hunter, see you on the road.” Callie gave me a whimsical smile, the one that dazzled me every single time. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her close.

  I whispered in her ear, “Make me proud, Callie.” I could feel her melt into me.

  “I will. I promise, I will,” she whispered into my shoulder. She looked lovely in her cute-as-fuck dress that floated beautifully around her body. She was fueled with a fierce pride I respected.

  Callie jumped in the van and buckled up. I watched as they drove down the street and took a sharp right at the stop sign. The van disappeared from my sight. I trudged over to my car and hopped inside.

  Time to get back to my office and straight to work. I wanted to be ready to meet them when I said I would. I worried about them all the way home. I hoped she was going to be okay. I hoped it went well. I just knew the burnout rate was really high. Their first gig was in two days.

  I just wished I could be there.

  Damn it. I wished.

  But building a dream took all my dedication and focus.

  Chapter 11

  Callie

  Ted drove down the street, whistling a happy tune. I could hardly believe we were finally on our way! This was my first out of town tour, and my heart was skipping a cheerful beat. I was so excited. I had my best friends with me, and nothing was going to stop me now. It was all so thrilling, and as I watched us pass familiar streets, I thought of what was ahead.

  We were going to make it big. I could feel it in my bones. I didn’t want to wake my family this morning when I left. I tiptoed out to my car at four am. I carefully eased the door closed and started over to the Doves’ house. I’d said my goodbyes to my parents last night.

  “Mama, Daddy, I just wanted to say goodbye. I’ll be back in four months.” I’d taken my GED already and passed with flying colors. I didn’t care about college. Music was my life.

  “You be good out there, baby.” My mom hugged me tightly to her like she was never going to let me go. I could feel her tears dampening my shirt. They weren’t convinced at first to let me go, since I was so young, but I talked them into easing up over the weeks as shit was materializing. I couldn’t pass up on a national tour, now, cou
ld I?

  “I will, Mama. Daddy?” We were all getting emotional. Goodbyes were hard on her, but hey, we had to get used to it if I was going to be successful.

  “Yeah, honey, take care of yourself out there. Keep in touch?” He hated to see me go, but we had talked it to death.

  “I will, I promise. I love you both.” I looked at the two of them. My dad had his arm around my mother, comforting her.

  “We love you too, baby.” My mom smiled through her tears. I knew they were going to miss me, but now they could focus on Gaby, and he was growing so fast. I’d miss them all, but this? This was my destiny!

  So, yeah, I was thinking over our goodbyes as Ted took the onramp to the freeway. Gaby was almost four months old now, and he was still not sleeping through the night. I hoped my parents found some rest; they both looked so tired, dragging ass, when I said my goodbyes. But hey, I’d see them in a few months, and we’d video chat all the time.

  I looked over our itinerary, the one Hunter gave us before we left. It laid out every single gig in order and the directions to get to each venue. Most of the spots were supplying rooms for a couple of nights, and we got thirty dollars a day for food, called a per diem. Everything had been taken care of, and really, I had nothing to worry about.

  Hunter was a true musical mastermind. His passion for the industry rubbed off on me. All I ever thought about was music, but now I understood how the business side worked. He'd taught us so much. He had explained how an advance worked,

  “The label sends us money called an advance, but we pay the entire sum back through record sales. They get paid back first. Understand?” Hunter’s eyes swept from me to Marko to Ted, as we all nodded.

  “I hope it’s easier than it sounds. I mean, that’s a ton of money to owe.” I chewed on my lip. With my calculations, we’d have to sell one hundred thousand CDs in order to pay them back fully and finally make some money of our own. It seemed impossible.

  “And I negotiated the breakdown of points. See, there’s ten points, I get one and a half points, they get four points, the producer gets another one or two points, and the rest is yours. Make sense?” Uhh, not really, but I hoped it would become clearer over time.

  “Sure,” I said, shrugging. Marko and Ted nodded.

  In the back of the van was a box packed with CDs. I planned to sell them at every single stop. We even got T-shirts made up with our logo on the front. I was wearing one right now, a soft dark grey cotton short-sleeve tee with ‘Callie and the Turtledoves’ splayed across my chest.

  It was a dream come true.

  I thought back on that hug with Hunter and sighed. He was so freaking hot, and I didn’t think he realized how handsome he really was. I wanted him, but I needed to stay professional. One day I saw him without his shirt on and got a peek at his six pack. There was a deep V that disappeared into his jeans, and I would love to follow his happy trail.[SO10] I fantasized about his body at night. But I knew I needed to stay focused on my career. The last thing I needed was to ruin what we had going on. I thought sex could fuck up everything. I needed to keep my hands to myself, goddamnit.

  Back when Hunter discovered us, my boyfriend Hank and I had been a couple, but we broke up right after I signed the contract. We’d been together an entire month when everything happened for my career. Hank didn’t want me to go on tour and put his foot down. He said, “It’s me or music. Make your choice, Callie.”

  Tsk tsk, High School boys, ha.

  It was hilarious, really. He didn’t know me very well, now, did he? If he could put our relationship on the line like that. Dude didn’t stand a chance. Music would always win, motherfucker.

  “Are you crazy? Music wins every time.” I watched as Hank realized his fatal mistake. I was glad to be rid of him. How could he try to come between me and my first love? Music and I had a long, complicated history that Hank would never understand. He had been in my life for a minute compared to my lifelong obsession. No way was I going to allow him to thwart my dreams.

  At the beginning, we went out on dates that ended with us making out for hours. My lips got so sore kissing for that long, but I loved it. Eventually, his hands slipped up my shirt.

  “You’re hot,” Hank whispered while his cold, clammy hands travelled up my back.

  “Wow, that feels so good,” I said. It felt amazing, really. We ended up ‘doing it’ after a school dance so I’m not a virgin, thank goodness. At seventeen, almost eighteen, I’d finally lost my virginity. Hank fumbled around with my body, leaving damp fingerprints all over my skin. It made me laugh, how he just didn’t know what he was doing. Don’t get me wrong, neither did I.

  “Oomph.” Hank came two seconds after entering me. “Oh, I’m so sorry.” He seemed embarrassed over his quick release.

  “It’s okay, we’ll try again.” I smiled openly, hoping he’d be ready to go again, soon. Yeah, I didn’t know if I even liked fucking yet. As soon as he broke my hymen, he was coming inside the rubber. Ugh. I hoped, someday, a real man would show me all the wonderful ways of making love way better than young and dumb Hank.

  But Hunter wasn’t that man.

  After an all-day drive, Ted pulled up to our hotel for the night. The Hilltop looked like an average hotel, not fancy but nicer than a motel.

  “We have a reservation for two rooms under Callie Jenson.” Ted took the lead when we walked up to the reception desk.

  “Yes sir, I have your keys right here.” The young guy handed us each a key. He was dressed in some brown cords that matched the color of his hair.

  My parents put their foot down about this one thing. We had to have separate rooms. I couldn’t very well stay with the two boys, now, could I? They insisted I had to have a separate room. Believe me, I was so grateful for that. I like a little ‘me time’ away from smelly boys.

  We grabbed our backpacks out of the van. Marko and he disappeared into their room after I opened my door. I pushed inside and dropped my pack by the bed and then plopped down onto the mattress. Whew! Thank God, we made it through the first day with not a single hitch.

  It was getting late, but I pulled my cell out and video called my mom. She picked up after one ring. “Hey Mama, we made it to the hotel.” Hunter gave them a copy of our itinerary That way they knew where I was and where I was staying. I thought it was a great idea. He really was so considerate to every person I cared about.

  “Baby! I miss you already.” She looked like she was going to cry.

  “We’re good, Mama. It’s okay. I miss you guys too.” I knew it was the right thing to say, but I’d miss them more as time went by. Let’s not get dramatic on our first night.

  “Well, I don’t have a lot to say. Just wanted to check in and tell you I love you.” I leaned back on my bed.

  Mama kissed her fingers and touched the screen. I did the same thing back. “Okay darling, call me after your gig.”

  I saw my dad's face pop onto the screen, and he said, “Love you, peanut.” And we hung up right after that.

  I was ready to crawl into my pj’s and crash for the night. When I snuggled down in the blankets, I grabbed a hold of one of the pillows and started thinking of Hunter. I just couldn’t help myself. I would love to kiss those luscious lips of his. They were so inviting, full and delectably curved up into a smile. I’d love to attack him. I was worn out from all the excitement today, so I was off to dreamland right away.

  This had been the best day of my life!

  I was going to love living on the road.

  Chapter 12[ES11]

  Callie

  I found a note shoved under my door.

  Dearest Callie,

  You sound just as good away from home.

  I’m proud of you, girl.

  #yournumberonefan[SO12][ES13]

  What the hell? These notes were making me fucking nervous as fuck. I shoved it in my jean pocket and wondered who the fuck that was? What should I do? Throw it away, pretend it never happened, or make a big fucking deal over a handwrit
ten note?

  Fuck, I really didn’t know. I shoved the whole mess away.

  I’d think about it later.

  I told myself to stay focused on the tour. The music was what was important. It was still everything to me. I decided to ignore the note. Someone was trying to freak me out, and if I wasn’t careful, they would succeed. I chose to stay oblivious to this new development.

  Who really gave a fuck?

  Chapter 13

  Callie

  Marko decided to take the wheel today. We drove practically nonstop for two straight days, and now, on the third day, we were on our way to the first venue. I was super stoked to play Portland. I had never been here before and would love to roam the city, but there was no time for sightseeing. Afterall, this wasn’t a pleasure trip.

  My cell phone rang, and I slid my thumb over accept.

  “Hi, Hunter, how are ya?” I said, bouncing in my seat in the front of the van. I knew I had to take a turn sitting in the back, but Ted said he’d go first. They both spoiled me so much.

  “I’m good, how’s it going? Did you get to the spot yet?” Hunter seemed a little distracted, and I wondered what that was about.

  “Yeah, we’re cool. We’re about to get to the venue and then we’ll start setting up. I hope the manager here at the Tunes, is cool.” The Tunes, a bar and concert venue, was our first stop on the road to the hundreds of shows still ahead. My heart pounded at the thought of taking the stage tonight. I always got nervous right before I performed.

  “Call me if you have any problems, kid,” Hunter said. He made me wish he was here. It would be cool to have him in the audience tonight at our opening gig. I wish he’d stop calling me that, I ground my teeth together.

  “Will do. Hey, I’ve got to go. Almost time, you know?” He was just like a mother hen, I swear. I knew he was going to be worried until we got paid. “Talk later.” I hung up as we pulled into the lot. We parked the van near the back entrance, grabbed our gear and went inside. We took our time setting up so nothing weird or bad would happen during our set. Sound check went smoothly. We always performed a song or two to make sure the levels were correct and work out any kinks at each spot. One of the doves would go to the sound board and discuss our needs with the person running the board. Sound check made all the difference in the world.