Chapter 30

Back on the road, the atmosphere, while not exactly joyous, was much less tense. Even Jon was more relaxed, which just proved the old saying that a burden shared was a burden lightened.

But he still had his bad days. One such day was in Houston. They'd spent the afternoon doing interviews, but had the evening off. Since David was on distraction duty, Brianna was looking forward to soaking in the hotel's hot tub for a couple hours followed by curling up in bed with a good movie. She figured she deserved it after dealing with Jon's roller coaster mood swings all day.

"Hey nina, I need your help with something tonight." Tico slid his arm around her waist and guided her towards the elevators.

Brianna bit back a groan. "What's going on?"

"I promised a friend I'd go meet his cousin and check out his drum kit. I need you to come with me."

"What do you need me for? I don't know anything about drums."

"It's supposed to be some new design that will appeal to amateurs and pros and women as well as men. I need your opinion." Before she could formulate an argument, he hustled her into the waiting car and they were off.

When the car stopped and they climbed out, Brianna frowned up at the flashing neon sign on the building. "Um....Teek, this is a club."

"Yeah. Come on." His hand on her back urged her forward.

"Yeah? What do you mean yeah?"

"Mr. Torres! Right this way please."

Brianna's head was spinning and what greeted her gaze inside didn't help. "What the hell?!"

The club was large, with multiple levels of seating and long bars along three of the walls. Along the fourth was a stage about thirty feet long. The huge dance floor in front of it looked like it had the ability to light up in various patterns, but tonight it was dark. The people standing one it weren't dancing either. Everyone's attention was focused on the stage where a handful of people stood behind large oil drums. Huge drop cloths covered the stage and the wall behind them. The tops of the drums were covered in pools of neon coloured paints. The participants beat on the drums with large sticks kind of like the ones they use on bass drums in marching bands, in time to the music blaring over the sound system. When stick hit drum, paint flew through the air covering walls, stage, participants - and those watching within the splash zone until they looked like they stepped out of a neon Jackson Pollack painting. The lights were the kind that white and neon glowed and they moved and changed with the beat of the drums.

Brianna turned as Tico pressed a glass of wine into her hand. "This is like that scene in Miss Congeniality! Cool!"

"Drink up. You're up next."

"What? No. I couldn't."

"Yes you can. It's all set up. I told you I needed your opinion.....and you need to loosen up." He grinned. Despite her protestations, he could see that she liked the idea.

Brianna wrinkled her nose at him, emptied her glass in two swallows and held it out for a refill. "I'm going to need more if I'm going to do this."

"Stage fright?" Tico was surprised.

"Hey, you guys might be used to a room full of people staring at you on stage, but I'm not!"

He chuckled and handed her a full glass. "Liquid courage it is."

It took two more glasses before she was ready. "Okay, let's do this." At the base of the stage she grabbed his arm and tugged. "You're coming up there with me."

"Ummm...yeah okay." He tugged the brim of his fedora down a little and followed her up the stairs.

The co-ordinator eyed Brianna's suit dubiously. With a rueful smile, she took off the jacket and set it behind the curtain with her bag, leaving her in a white tank top and navy skirt. She shrugged. The tank top was no big deal and if the skirt got ruined, well, she could afford a new one. This was going to be too much fun to pass up.

Brianna's first experimental strike resulted in bright pink paint splatters on her top....and a streak on her face. She laughed.

Tico grinned, pleased that the first part of his plan was a success - he hadn't heard her laugh like that in a long time. Too long. When the music started, he nudged her. "Like this. Do what I do."

"No one can do what you do."

"Thanks, nina, but try."

She did her best and very quickly they were both covered in splashes of various colours. Even Brianna's hair sported streaks of green, blue and purple since the crew changed the colour every time they added paint to the drums. She was having a blast! The background music was an accessory to their beat, enhancing rather than distracting. The lights pulsed to the same rhythm. The result was....primal. Each strike could be felt deep in her chest. She got into the rhythm and Tico kept it simple so that she could match him beat for beat. Even the crowd seemed to enjoy what they were doing. Every time they tried to step aside and let other people play, the audience booed and yelled until they picked up the sticks again.

Finally, after close to an hour, they pleaded exhaustion, set down their sticks and left the stage in search of a well earned refreshment. A staffer set a bag with Brianna's suit jacket and bag in it beside her chair. "Thanks." Taking a big gulp, she tried to wipe some of the paint off her hands with a napkin and grinned at her companion. "That was great! I haven't had that much fun in a long time."

"Yeah, that was pretty cool." Tico checked his watch. Okay Lemma, any time now.

But all good things must come to an end and this one ended abruptly with the buzzing of Brianna's phone. Sighing, she carefully pulled it out of her pocket and read the text from Jon.

Need you back here ASAP!

She'd barely finished reading it when the next message came.

I mean NOW Bri!

When she wrinkled her nose in a grimace, Tico fought against a smile. "Problem?"

"Apparently. My night off just got cancelled." She frowned. "I wonder what it is that David can't handle....and why David didn't call me?"

"Maybe he didn't tell Lemma." Tico offered, rising from his chair. "Let's go see what's up."

On the car ride back to the hotel, Brianna tried to call Jon, but couldn't get an answer. "It goes straight to voicemail. Now I'm starting to worry. Maybe I should call Paul and see if he knows what's going on."

"If he knew and it was something serious he would have called you."

"Yeah, I guess."

At the hotel, Brianna hurried up to their floor and paused at the door to her room, rummaging for her key.

"What are you doing?"

"I've got to get cleaned up first." She waved at her multicoloured shirt and face. "This is hardly professional."

"But isn't Jon waiting for you? You know how he hates to be kept waiting." He slipped an arm around her waist and hugged her. "I keep telling you, you need to loosen up."

With a frustrated sigh, she continued down the hallway to Jon's room and knocked.

No answer.

She knocked louder. "Jon? It's me."

Still no answer.

She glanced at Tico and frowned.

Tico stepped up and thumped his fist on the door before disappearing into his own room.

Suddenly the door flew open to reveal a rumpled and very grumpy Jon wearing a pair of sweatpants....and nothing else. "What the fuck do you want?! I just get to sleep and you're banging on my door? What the fuck Bri?" He took a closer look at his assistant. "What the fuck happened to you? Some sort of orgy or another new fashion statement....explosion in a paint factory?"

Mortified, her face flushed beet red, but she ignored his question and fought to keep a professional tone. But first she had to clear her throat and tear her gaze away from his bare chest. "You texted me that you needed me back here right away."

"No I didn't."

"Yes, you did."

"No, I didn't."

"Yes, you did." She pulled out her phone and showed him the messages.

"Bri, I haven't been on my phone in two hours, it's been charging. Ask Lemma."

They stared at each other for a moment, then their eyes widened. "LEMMA!"

At the sound of his name - or at least a version of it - being yelled down the hallway, David stuck his head out his door. "You bellowed? Oh hey Beautiful, nice look."

"What did you do David?" She ignored his comment on her appearance.

He saw her phone in her hand and knew the gig was up. "Don't blame me, I was just following orders."

"Who's orders?" Jon asked.

Before David could answer, Richie joined them, having also heard their raised voices in the hallway. "What's going on?" His lips twitched at the sight of Brianna. "Looks like someone had some fun tonight. Good. You needed to loosen up."

At those words - that she'd already heard twice tonight, Brianna knew who had masterminded this plan. Turning slightly she glared towards his room. "HECTOR SAMUEL JUAN TORRES! How could you?!"

Tico stepped out of his room and leaned against the wall. "I told you nina, you need to loosen up......put a little more....colour.... in your life. You've been way too uptight lately."

Her eyes narrowed. "Stephanie warned me about you, but I thought she was exaggerating."

He just grinned.

Richie ran a finger along a purple streak on her arm and sniffed it. "You should try the flavoured body paint next time." He waggled his eyebrows.

A snicker, and a clicking noise had her turning towards Jon's door to see him grinning and snapping pictures. "What are you doing?"

"Obie will want one for the tour scrapbook, and I want to send some to Dot. She's worried that you don't know how to relax and have fun. And you never know when these might come in handy." He paused and looked her over. "I think the blue streaks in your hair are a particularly nice touch. You look like you've been painting with Jakey." He chuckled and resumed taking pictures. "So much for my prim, proper, and ultra professional assistant."

They don't think I remember how to have fun? Hmpff! Reaching up, Brianna pulled the pins out of her hair and shook it out, sending a few flecks of paint towards her tormentors. Tossing her head, she struck a pose that would make a cover model jealous.

Jon's eyes widened, then he grinned and went with her flow. Crouching, he gave instructions as his camera clicked away. "Like that, yes! Now the other side. Give me mean, give me angry, give me sad and pouty. Toss your hair. Look at me over your shoulder. Now seduce me with those golden eyes."

Richie and David exchanged a look at the last one.

By the time they finally wound down and called it a night, David, Richie and Tico had all been pulled into her 'photo shoot' and they would never again accuse Brianna of not knowing how to have fun.