Free Chasing the Music: For the Love of Music Book 0.5 by Mia Josephs

before. How would she do there?
    She shoved off the boots she’d worn through town because being seen not looking like Lita James wasn’t an option. Her feet ached as she rubbed her arches and slipped another small bite into her mouth, but even chewing felt exhausting.
    Lita rummaged through the couple bags she’d gathered on their quick shopping trip and handed one to Bridget as she tugged off another bite. “Can you get that to Griffin?”
    Lita immediately dumped her other bags out on the bed, eyeing her simple tank tops and thinking how nice it would be to do a show once in a while in just a tank and jeans, barefoot instead of rocket-high heels… Maybe she wouldn’t be so tired when she finished.
    “For Griffin ?” Bridget’s tone was all suspicion and Lita forced her eyes to stay on the few things she’d purchased for herself. “Did you get them a size too small so we can get a good look at that ass?”
    “No.” Lita rolled her eyes.
    “But we’re buying presents for the crew now?” Bridget asked.
    Lita swallowed. They were just black jeans. No big deal. She tried for her best breezy voice. “Yeah. Thanks. He’s been out of uniform.” And she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him since they sat on the stage together. His voice. The smoothness of his words through his thick Georgian accent. The way he played… How they’d just sat and it hadn’t felt… It hadn’t felt forced or awkward like it could have.
    She heard Bridget’s feet drag slowly on the carpet, and Lita knew there would be questions about Griffin at some point. Just hopefully not before she had some answers.
     
     
    “Okay,” Dave said as he stepped into Lita’s dressing room. “Ten minutes until all the meet and greet stuff.”
    Lita slumped, her body feeling shaky like after a show and she hadn’t even started yet.
    “You’ll survive it,” Dave said as her makeup artist stepped back and gave her one last look-over.
    Lita plastered on a grin. “I always do.”
    She stood and had to tug up her leather pants. How were they loose?
    Bridget’s arm went around her friend. “Showtime.”
    Lita squared her shoulders, ignored her weak legs, and stepped into the hallway backstage.
    She wobbled as they rounded the corner and Griffin stopped, a guitar case in each hand. “You okay?”
    Lita paused, even though she didn’t have time. “Shaky today.”
    What? Why had she said that? Gah . It had something to do with the honest concern in his eyes, and not the bored-worried look that Bridget had mastered.
    He pulled out two bananas tucked under his arm. “Bananas are great energy food. I bet you could down this thing in less than a minute.”
    Lita stared at the piece of fruit. Maybe just a bite or two…
    “She can’t eat that,” Bridget gave her a tug. “It would stick to her vocal chords like crazy.”
    Griffin tucked the bananas under his arm. “Beats passing out onstage. It happens, you know.”
    “Maybe just a bite,” Lita started, but Bridget was already hauling her up the hallway.
    “Don’t stress,” Bridget said as she gave her friend a squeeze. “I’ll run across the street and get you another coffee to keep you on your feet. I’ll take out the cream so your voice is still okay.”
    Lita just nodded because a full meal before a show was not a good idea. Maybe the banana would stick to her throat. Coffee would be enough.
    Too wide smiles on a group with cell phones at the ready signaled that she’d found the backstage pass purchasers. Lita planted on her best rocker-girl face, whatever that was, and pushed forward. It was a routine she could do.
     
    Griffin watched Lita and Bridget move around the corner.
    Something was definitely up. Not just with Lita either, but with Bridget. Yeah, bananas weren’t the best thing to eat before a show, but a few bites? That shouldn’t be any big deal and it would keep her feet under her.
    But then, taking care of Lita wasn’t his job. She seemed to go almost