"Is there a reason you're standing in the middle of my shot?"

I turned to find a video camera in my face, the camera operator hidden behind it. He hadn't been the one to speak. A man stood next to him, arms crossed, annoyance evident on his face. He didn't have a headset on and he didn't have a staff badge. I opened my mouth to apologize and was met with the most stunning pair of light blue eyes I'd ever seen. The rest of his face was just as stunning, perfectly sculpted like a Roman statue. With his crisp, light green collared shirt and tan slacks, I had to wonder. Was he a model? What was he doing in a music company parking lot?

"Can I help you?" Maybe he was lost.

The man turned from slightly annoyed to aggravated in an instant. He pinched the bridge of his nose between two fingers, looking pained, as if he had a migraine of epic proportions.

"You can help me by getting out of my shot."

I glanced at the camera operator and it dawned on me.

"Oh! You must be part of the film crew."

"I'm the assistant producer." The man eyed me up and down and sneered. He beckoned over the closest person with a headset. "Can somebody tell me why there's a groupie hanging around?"

"I'm not a groupie," I told him through gritted teeth. "I'm-"

"You're in my way," he interrupted.

The person he'd grabbed stared at me with a blank expression and shrugged, continuing on his way. He'd had no idea who I was, but I had a staff badge, so I was safe.

"Just find somewhere else to take your groupie pictures." The producer pulled out his phone and starting tapping at it, ignoring me completely.

I fumed inwardly but didn't want to cause a scene, especially not on my first official day. "I'll just go do my job somewhere else, then." I turned on my heel and stalked off in the opposite direction.

Life had been too good to me lately. Scoring an awesome internship working with my favorite band, getting to follow them around all summer and using my social media skills to promote them-there had to be a catch. Of course it was egotistical industry execs with big heads and holier-than-thou attitudes abusing the lowly intern.

The man had been more handsome than I would have expected from some pompous music executive, though, and he didn't have a staff badge. I glanced back at him, but he was speaking with the camera operator, who seemed to be listening. Not a model, then, and probably telling the truth about being on the film crew. It didn't bode well for me if that guy was any indication of the people I'd be working with on this tour.

I pulled out my phone and typed furiously to Neil. He would understand, being in the film business himself. I was sure he'd run into his fair share of self-important jerks.

@AudioAiley: Turns out there are assholes in every industry.

A few minutes later I got the reply: @PointShootNeil: Something happen?

Just some pompous ass mistreating the lowly intern.

Ignore those pricks. You're amazing, Ailey. I don't know what kind of job you're doing, but I know you'll be awesome at it. Don't let those jerks get you down.

Thanks, Neil. I'll try.

If you ever need a boost of self-esteem, just let me know, and I'll sing your praises.

I don't think you need to go that far.

But it's true. I think you're an amazing girl. They're lucky to have you.

My insides flooded with warmth at Neil's words. He always knew what to say to cheer me up. He was such a great guy.

Anyone would be lucky to have you.

I flushed and didn't know how to respond. I'd been wondering if Neil felt as strongly about me as I did about him.

I guess I'd find out when summer was over.

TRAVELING CROSS-COUNTRY by bus wasn't an ideal way to spend the summer, but I had one small consolation-we wouldn't have to sleep in one. Deena told me we'd be staying in hotel rooms, only sleeping in the bus if we were behind schedule or in a hurry to get somewhere. That was a relief. My mild car sickness would have made sleeping on a bus every night an unappealing prospect.

"I thought all the band members and crew slept on their tour buses," I asked Deena.

"Kell refused. Said sleeping on a bus was trashy." She threw her hands up. "That boy is going to be the death of me."

When Deena guided me to my assigned bus to drop off my suitcase, I was surprised to see an interior just like a normal living room, with wide leather sofas and squishy cushions, a table and chairs for dining, and a fridge, stove, and sink. I'd half expected to be assigned some sort of bus with bucket seats that maybe reclined back to lay down.

It also had a full-sized bar, complete with two barstools that also had cushioned seats. There was one big screen TV, but also multiple little screens, so each person could watch their own movie. There was a ceiling fan, floor lamps, carpets, and drapery on the windows. It was, in essence, a full living room you could find in any home.

The setup was pretty swanky for an intern.

A sudden thought occurred to me. Butterflies took wing in my stomach.

"Deena... I'm not sharing with the band, am I?"

"Of course. How else will you be able to chronicle their every move?"

I tried to keep the butterflies from spewing out of my mouth. Not only was I following the band around, I was going to be in the exact same bus as them. Alone, with Jayce, for weeks at a time.

I wished to god I hadn't packed my fuzzy pajamas printed with bunnies and baby ducks. Hopefully Deena was right and we'd rarely have to sleep on the bus overnight.

To distract myself from my nervous stomach, I started snapping pictures of the interior. That was the kind of thing fans would like to see, eventually. I couldn't post the pictures yet, but once the word was out that Feral Silence was on tour, everyone would want to know how the band was traveling. The more luxurious, the more successful our fans would think we were.

We wouldn't want them to think we were spending too much money, though. We needed our fans to believe we still needed their support, that we hadn't yet made it to the big leagues. There were always fans who gave up on their favorite groups when they got too popular, and we didn't want that to happen yet. We still had a long way to go.

I snorted inwardly at myself. I was already thinking in terms of "our" and "we" as if I was part of the band. I couldn't help it. If I was going to be the voice of the band, I had to think of myself as one of them. It would make their connection to their fans that much stronger.

Since I was the first person on the band's tour bus, I had all the time in the world to explore, but aside from taking photos to post online, I was too nervous. It was too much like ransacking a stranger's house.

Instead, I sat on a hard chair at the small dining table near the back, playing with both my phones, flipping them over and over in my hands, one in each. My crossed legs jiggled nervously, waiting for everyone else to arrive. Would they be annoyed at having to share their space with me? Four people on one bus had to be cramped enough. Add one more and it might make the place claustrophobic.

I was in the middle of a silent contest between my right hand and left hand, seeing how fast I could flip my phones, when a notification popped up. I had set up two types of alerts. One was for general notifications, whenever anyone online happened to mention the band in passing. The other was for direct alerts, letting me know when someone was sending a message directly to the band. It was the same setup I had with my own personal accounts.

I only had the alerts set up for a few hours before I realized I could ignore most of them. There was a lot of squealing fangirl praise that didn't need a response.

I had thought out a few good strategies based on what I did for my AudioAiley persona. Every so often I would pick one of Feral Silence's fans at random and write back. They would no doubt freak out when that happened, unable to believe their idols were speaking with them directly. That would cause a flurry of posts from other fans hoping for the same thing. On my own accounts, I always waited a few days before reaching out again, waiting until the furor died down before igniting the flames again.

I figured that same strategy would work with the band, only a thousand times more so. After all, Feral Silence was a rock band with hordes of fans. I was just another music reviewer, albeit one with a bit more of a following than most.

I swiped the screen to open the message, but it was standard fangirl squealing. I could ignore it.

There was a commotion near the front of the bus, and I sat up straight. Who would be the first one on?

Jayce's head popped up as he clambered up the stairs. He paused when he saw me, an almost pleased look lighting up his face. Then his gaze dropped to the phones in my hand. He pressed his lips together and flopped onto the closest sofa, as far away from me as he could get without leaving the bus.

"Good morning!" I smiled brightly.

"So this is what Deena meant when she said you'd be following us around." Jayce tilted his head back to look up at the ceiling, looking vaguely uncomfortable.

For all that he was in the public eye, for all those heated stares he'd thrown my way, it sure did seem like Jayce dreaded working with me. I supposed I wouldn't be too happy with a stranger following me around to share my every move with the world either. I wondered how he was going to handle having a film crew tailing him. Maybe I could convince him I wouldn't be an imposition.

"I didn't know I'd be sharing the bus with you until this morning. Just tell me if I get in the way."

"Sure," he murmured.

Draping his arms over the back of the sofa, Jayce slouched down, spreading his legs. He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye. I couldn't see them clearly from that distance, but I knew they were a warm brown. I'd seen them shine with every expression under the sun. Joy, passion, fury, sorrow. On stage, Jayce held nothing back. He gave everything he had to his audience and they worshipped him for it.

I had seen flashes of something similar yesterday, but this morning he was more subdued than I'd expected. He acted different now that he knew we were colleagues than when he'd thought I was a fan.

It shouldn't have surprised me to learn he was different off stage. Every celebrity assumed some sort of public persona, some type of alter ego. No one acted the exact same way in private as they did in public.

Was Jayce worried I would expose too much of his inner self to the world?

I felt bad thinking about it. Jayce had to perform; he had to be "on" every minute of the day, acting the part of the cocky rock star, and here I was invading the precious few moments when he could just be himself.

"Thanks."

I was brought back to myself with Jayce's rough voice.

"For what?" I asked, hesitant.

"For what you said yesterday. How you won't just post things without our permission."

Relief unfurled in my chest. He wasn't upset with me.

"I'm not here to do some sort of expose. I'm here to make you look good for your fans. I'm here to make you famous."

"Are you saying I'm not famous?"

I was going to backtrack and protest when I noticed the wicked smile playing on his lips.

"More famous," I corrected myself. "You don't have to worry, I've signed an NDA. I'm not allowed to talk about anything with anyone."

"Even to your hundred thousand followers?"

"They don't know what I'm doing this summer." I was surprised at his question. "People seem to like my music reviews. I don't think they're expecting to see anything else from me."

He tilted his head, smirking. "You ever review Feral Silence?"

I tried to hide a smile. Sometimes it felt like Feral Silence was a good one-third of the content I posted.

"Yeah, I've reviewed you a few times."

"Should I be worried?"

It wouldn't do either of us any good for him to know I was one of his gushing fangirls. Not that he probably didn't already suspect. "I try to be as unbiased in my reviews as possible."

"Ouch. That bad, huh?" He tossed me a grin that almost caused my heart to burst in my chest. I found myself grinning back.

"You can't tell me you don't know exactly how good you are."

"Kell's the one with the swollen head, not me. I just like to make music."

"So humble," I teased. "What would your legions of adoring fans think if they found out their rock star god doubted himself?"

Jayce's face shuttered closed. I immediately regretted my words.

"Not that I would ever post anything like that," I rushed out. "Because I wouldn't. Ever."

He gave me a considering look, then nodded, face softening up again.

"What made you decide to apply to Dark Sound for an internship?"

He sounded genuinely curious. I was pleasantly surprised. I'd assumed a famous rock star wouldn't care about an intern. It was nice to know there was something deeper inside him than the cocky rock star god.

"It wasn't just Dark Sound. I applied to every single music related internship I could find. I also applied to normal marketing and event promotion companies, too. I didn't even know you guys were looking for an intern. One of my followers sent me a link and told me it sounded like something I would enjoy."

"Which follower?"

"Just one of my fans. Not someone I know personally. I should thank them, actually. They're the reason I'm here."

"Maybe I should thank them, too."

He narrowed his eyes and looked me up and down, just like he had the day before. I was wearing the same type of pencil skirt and blouse, but the colors were reversed- a cream white skirt and a dark grey shirt. The longer he stared, the faster my heart raced.

Was I just imagining the heat in his eyes? He lingered on my bare thighs. The hem of my skirt had ridden up while I sat. A warm flush threatened to creep into my cheeks. I was ensnared by his gaze, the rush of blood flowing through my body making me reckless, daring. A naughty thought entered my head.

Instead of pulling the hem down, I casually shifted in my seat, making sure to turn sideways, giving him a better view of my ass and the curve of my back. His chest expanded, and I knew he'd taken in a sharp breath. He brought a thumb to his bottom lip and tapped it, considering. His laser gaze lingered on my ass before roaming over the rest of me, enjoying the swell of my breasts. A wave of excitement rushed through me. He was just as attracted to me as I was to him. I had the power to make this man, this rock star, this musical god, desire me.

The moment was interrupted by loud voices shouting outside the bus. The rest of the band members had arrived.

I did blush, then. I turned around in my seat and tugged my skirt down to the tops of my knees. What had gotten into me? I was here for work, not to play the desperate groupie. I didn't want Jayce to think I was throwing myself at him, eager to spend the night with a rock star.

In the back of my mind, though, I couldn't help a small persistent thought. From the look in Jayce's eyes, I had no doubt he would be willing to indulge me.

Chapter Four.