Saturday, August 12th, 8:16 AM
Denver, CO
Had the oxy caught the pain rip before it would get brutal?
Dana clenched her teeth. Always so hard to know for sure.
Whatever. She forced herself to get up from bed, her conversation with Dad yesterday compelling the energy. Yeah. This would definitely be worth forging through the pain.
She looked out her bedroom’s window. Her earlier assumption of those sounds was spot on; the security details’ bus was already parked outside, along with loads of those trailers.
What to wear, what to wear? Trying her best to ignore the sharp pain in her knees, ankles, and of course even in her hips, she searched in her closet. Soft, close-fitting jean cut-offs. And a tight-fitting bad-ass tee. That grey one, with the Megadeath design. Yeah. All of this would fit the bill. She cautiously put them on, careful not to enrage any of the soon-to-be subsiding pains.
She slipped on her sandals and headed out of her room.
Blinking, clearing the haze from sleep and oxy leftovers from yesterday, she watched ahead down the hallway. Savannah was still here, folding her bunk bed blankets.
Each step she took gave some comfort. The oxy was kicking in. The pain was lessening.
And how about some fun, here?
The anticipation was energizing. Ignoring any lingering tinges of sharp pain, she rushed ahead until at the end of the bus’s hallway. She wrapped her arms around Savannah and tugged her toward the window by the door, the girl giving little resistance. “Need your great eyesight. We got to check this out.”
“Hey, Dana, wait a minute.” Typical Savannah, barely fighting back. “I thought you weren’t feeling so great.”
“This is worth the pain. Come on. They hired a new guy.”
“What? Really?”
Dana brought her to the sofa right under the window. They both plopped down.
Savannah inched herself closer to the window and covertly opened the blind a crack. “What does he look like?”
“Well, how am I supposed to know? Look for someone you don’t recognize, with security.”
“Oh, Dana. He’s probably going to look like Bronx, you know, that mid-age 40-something old guy with the pregnant gut.”
“No. Wrong. Heard he’s younger. Keep looking.”
She stopped and faced Dana. “What about you?”
“No, you do it.”
Savannah smirked and turned back to the window. “Oh, be your peeping tom.”
“Yes. Right. You’ve learned well.” Dana waited a bit longer. But Savannah was taking too long. “Anything? Anything? Come on.”
Savannah sighed. “Well, if it’s not Bronx, he’s probably going to look like that bald 20-something guy, with the creepy eyes. Can’t remember his name.”
“Will you stop being so negative? Just keep looking.”
Time was passing by far too much.
Dana moved to the end of the sofa near the door. She stood up.
“Oh shit!” Savannah said. “I see him, I think!”
Dana froze her hand. She couldn’t peek out the door’s window blinds now. “Describe him! What does he look like?”
“Tall. Dark hair, sort of long. Big, broad shoulders. He’s huge, Dana.”
This was just too much fun. Dana nestled her body next to Savannah and shoved her away. “Let me see!”
Savannah collapsed across the sofa. “Aww, Dana, why you treat me like this?”
“Sorry.” She gently pushed the blinders away and stared outside. And then she saw him too. “Oh my God. I could tell by your voice you weren’t kidding. He’s a handsome beast.” She looked at Savannah, now sitting up on the sofa. “I want to go meet him.”
Savannah twirled her fingers around the strands of hair near her face and yanked down on them a touch. “Now?”
“Don’t worry, babe, he’s not gonna be your boy toy.”
She smiled. “Oh. Of course.”
But first things first. Using her spread fingers like a comb, Dana stroked both hands through her hair and fluffed her hair out on the sides, next pressing her hair down some. She drew closer to Savannah’s face. “Looking good?”
“Well…” Savannah used her hands to smooth out and tussle Dana’s hair just right. “Much better now. But, no makeup?”
“No time now. Besides, I don’t really need it.”
“Yeah, that’s true.”
“Okay. Let’s go.”
Dana led them out of the bus. She stepped down upon the enormous, football-field size lawn area they were instructed to park on. The sun was bright, warming, helping to sooth any remaining twinges of the pain, though the air had too much of the usual sickening truck fumes.
Walking toward him, she couldn’t resist her nasty thoughts. “Savannah, girl, I’m going to ruin him. Crush his proud, arrogant ego to powder.”
“Why? You never met him before! And besides, your rep around employees needs to be squeaky-clean.”
“Ha, right, has Carter been talking to you?”
“Well, yeah. He’s told all of us that.”
“Doesn’t matter. I know what I’m doing.”
Dana stopped walking, to rest her legs a moment, with Savannah doing the same. She fixed her eyes on him up ahead, a hundred feet away or so. He was carrying sound equipment from one of the trucks and placing in on an ATV transport trailer. “Look at him. He thinks he’s God’s gift to women. Well, guess what? Let’s see how he feels after he meets me.”
“Dana. This doesn’t sound like you! You’re still healing from that last break up, you know.”
“But I’m better. Don’t worry.”
She began walking again, Savannah staying with her, the distance between the two of them and that handsome beast decreasing with every step.
“Wait a minute.” Savannah grabbed Dana’s shoulder and held her back. They were only about fifty feet away now.
“Yes?”
“Oh. My. God. That’s the hot dork who called you by your last name in Casper, and got in that fight!”
“Finally, you get it!” Dana couldn’t help but burst out laughing, even though it hurt. She bowed over, her hands on her knees, barely able to stop her giggles. “Took you long enough.”
“Oh, and you didn’t know what he looks like. Sure, you didn’t. And I hope you realize, everyone is looking at us now.”
Dana finally suppressed her giggles, stood up straight and didn’t even bother to see if the crew were looking at her. Fuck them. But Savannah had her arms crossed and appeared hurt. Dana placed a hand on her arm. “I’m sorry. I just couldn’t resist.”
Savannah smirked and gazed at the ground. “I know. But this certainly explains your animosity toward him.”
“Come on.” She laughed again, quietly this time. “Let’s go meet, as you put it, the hot dork. And watch and learn, my dear Savannah, watch and learn.”
With every step getting them nearer, Dana evaluated. Thank you, Carter, for your required uniform, that black polo T-shirt and those Bermuda khaki shorts. Couldn’t better highlight this guy’s features. His biceps, deltoids, and forearms were massive. He had that lovely, thick, rugged neck. His legs were built like a body builder, but not overly muscle-bound. A bulky, but muscular, athletic body. No skinny toothpick this guy, umm no.
And Savannah’s initial reaction was coming through loud and clear the closer the view. Features maybe a mix of Samoan and Polynesian, almost like Hal, but not with the same dark skin tone. Plus he had straighter black hair. But his dark brown eyes, and his rugged, handsome face was just too much to handle. And needed to be destroyed.
Dana’s closer approach caught his attention. He placed a large speaker on the trailer, stood up straight, and looked at her dead on.
She continued walking nearer to him. But with each closing step, discomfort rose within her. This wasn’t going to be so easy. His eyes were staring right into her. No, not just within, but directly into her very soul. Okay. She stared right back. But didn’t seem to budge him. What. Was he curious? Overly arrogant? Maybe angry?
The rest of the guys nearby knew better than to stare back at her. They gave quick glances, maybe a nod and a smile, and continued with their work.
Dana crossed her arms under her breasts and stared up into his face. “So, the new guy.”
He cracked a smile, making him even hotter than he was already, and held out his hand. “Hi. I’m Evan, Evan Turrone.”
Dana sneered and placed her hand forward. He reached out to take her hand and she instantly flipped her hand back away from him. She placed her gently curled fist near her chin instead. “Sorry. Sort of a germ freak. I don’t shake hands.”
Savannah giggled.
Good ole’ Savannah. Always knew how to have someone’s back.
The smile on the hot dork’s face dissolved. But his eyes didn’t deviate from hers. He only lowered his hand. “I see. That’s all right.”
“Besides. Why would I want to shake hands with someone who yells to me by my last name?”
Finally, his stare broke; he looked down, and away. He brought his eyes back on her, obviously ready for round two. “I must apologize for that. I was only hoping to get your attention, above everyone else.”
“Well, well. Quite the strategy. And, clearly worked.” She gave a sly smile to him and glanced all over his frame, from his face down to his knees, and back up again. “So. Let’s try again.” She held out her hand for him to take.
But he didn’t do the same. “I thought you were a germ freak.”
Dana crossed her arms below her breasts again and sniffed in disgust, sneering like before. “And you sure look like some sort of freak yourself.”
Bewilderment and maybe even a slow boil flushed across his face. “I’m not sure I understand what you’re going for here.”
She eyed again him from his feet on up to his head. “Didn’t know they piled shit that high.” And she burst out laughing.
Savannah giggled her girlish giggle.
His face took on disgust, even sadness. Something about his reaction felt off, but whatever. Dana slowly reigned in her laughter and gave him a hard pat on the side of his meaty, muscled arm. “Kidding! Don’t go crying on me now!”
From the force of her hard pat the hot dork lost his balance. Ha, nervous too. He stumbled, to his right side, nearly falling to the ground before breaking the fall with some quick foot work.
Several of the nearby roadies even laughed at him though under their breath and not so obviously.
What a fool. And, mission accomplished. Once his eyes met with hers again, she stared with a milder sneer. “See you around Evan.” Quietly laughing, she entwined arms with Savannah and began walking away with her, back to the bus. She turned around to see him. “Oh, and have a great first day!”
She was expecting to see that crushing, destroyed expression she was so adept at provoking. And she did see it, though less than expected.
She turned away from him and continued walking, her and Savannah still laughing and snickering quietly.
Something was different about this guy. He wasn’t like the other guys Carter hired.