Destroyed (Lost in Oblivion, #3)(84)

“Such a tough life. Okay, let’s go.”

They got off the bus and escaped down an alleyway to the main campus. Trees and reddish walkways offset all the light-colored buildings. They fell into step with students as they wandered through a huge quad with a circular fountain at its center.

A huge patinated archway lead to food vendors. Simon sipped his way through the bottle of vodka during their lazy stroll through campus and knew he needed to drink actual water or something before he stank like vodka through his pores.

It was ridiculously hot.

Feeling better with two hotdogs in his belly and a large fresh lemonade, he finally relaxed. The sun was bleeding through the trees when they finally circled around to the back end of the campus where the stage was located.

They dropped onto the stone stairs where there was finally some shade. Margo took a long drink from the tall bottle of water she’d refilled a few times.

“I can’t believe this campus. It’s so different from Boston.”

He hadn’t even thought about the novelty of a new campus for her. She was an East coast girl. Sure, she did some studio work in Los Angeles, but that was a far cry from this slice of collegiate life.

He pulled his phone out and texted her.

“Yeah, I went to college. I have a Master’s in music theory and a minor in business from Brown.”

His eyebrows shot up. Well that was certainly a far cry from his own high school diploma.

“Holy shit!”

Simon hunched up his shoulders. His half-assed disguise had worked all day. He really didn’t want to have to fend off fans. Especially when he couldn’t charm his way out of it like he usually did.

“Crap, you probably don’t remember me. I look a little different.”

Simon slid his sunglasses down and looked her over. Ass-hugging denim shorts and a bright red top initially distracted him, but her face started pulling at a memory.

He was pretty sure he hadn’t slept with her, but couldn’t be absolutely sure.

“Simon, it’s Tori.”

He frowned. That name definitely niggled.

Margo held out her hand. “I’m Margo. Simon has laryngitis, so he can’t talk.”

“Oh. Oh, wow.” Tori pulled her hair over her shoulder and twisted it into a coil.

Simon snapped his fingers. He dug out his phone and texted Margo.

She looked down at her phone then gave him a deadpan stare. “I’m not saying that.”

“Can I see?”

“It’s rude.”

Tori laughed. “I bet it is.”

Margo sighed and turned her phone around.

Tori snorted. “Yep. That would be me.”

Nick’s blowjob girl from the first tour had turned into a little bit more than just a fun flirtation. She’d gelled with Nick more than any other girl Simon had seen on tour.

Ultimately, the tour was just too much of a force and Tori had gone on to greener pastures. Yet whenever they had a show in California, Nick seemed to hook up with her.

Looked like this one might not be any different.

“I was hoping to find Nick somehow with the show tomorrow night. He gave me an all-access pass to whatever show I could get to.”

Margo tilted her head in that way that made his cock harden. So curious. “Nick doesn’t really do the backstage scene all that often. You must be something special.”

“I like to think so.” Tori flipped her dark hair over her shoulder. “He’s always so damn serious. I like to shake him up a little.”

“He…” Margo trailed off.

Simon nudged her with his shoulder.

She rolled her eyes. “I don’t want to sound bitchy.”

“Oh, girl. Nicky can be an absolute *. That’s why I love him so much.”

“Well yeah.” Margo tapped her middle finger against her nail. “He needs to get laid.”

Simon tipped his head back and clapped. Oh man. If only Nick could hear what she said. And it was so very true. Nick wasn’t exactly a saint on tour, but he wasn’t hooking up in every town, either.

Hell, not even every fifth town.

The boy needed to get out of his own way when it came to pleasures of the flesh. He kind of satiated himself with the pre-game warmup, but rarely sealed the deal after a show.

At least from what Simon could tell.

Tori grinned. “Now that is one thing we always excelled at.”

“Well, you should definitely come back with us. We’re not doing anything much tonight with the big show tomorrow.”

Simon’s shoulders tightened at the reminder. The show where he would still be on stage, but not able to sing a goddamn note.

“Are you sure it’s okay?”

Simon nodded.

Margo grinned. “See? Perfect.”

The girls chattered about the tour, about Tori’s major, and Nick. By the time they found the bus again, dusk was falling.

Nick was coming down the stairs from the bus when they walked up. “Jesus, where have you guys been?”

Tori hid behind Simon, her fingers twisting into his belt loop.

“We just walked around. Figured I’d cheer up Grumpy Cat.”

Nick snorted. “Good. He needs it.”

“How’d the interviews go?”

“Same old, same old. Did a question-and-answer session with the students. I swear they ask some of the smartest and dumbest shit.”