How Many Times Can You Race Around the Tree Before You Catch Me?

THE NEXT DAY

Jake woke me up by stumbling through the door to the back lounge drunk.

"Jax, It's day one!" He did some sad form of Jazz hands before stumbling into the spot next to me.

"Day one and I got laid!" My chest and head started to hurt a little bit at his words.

He silently laid next to me and I realized then that he would be asleep soon. I looked over at my phone on its charger to see that it was 6:30 and I needed to meet Vinny for our run. I quickly walked outside to see if he was there.

"You're going running in PJs?" He asked when I walked up to him.

"No, I just didn't sleep until really late. I had to rewire some cabs and then the merch boxes and all that jazz. Come on." I had him follow me into the bus and he sat on the couch while I grabbed a glass of water and an aspirin package.

"Headache?" He asked. I shook my head no.

"No, Jake went out with some girl last night and just came back drunk as shit. He best hope that they don't play first or anything because it will be the worst day of his life." I shook my head again before heading into the back and placing the water and pills next to Jake. I grabbed my running clothes and headed back out front.

"Let me just change really quick and we can go."

VINNY

She came back out and grabbed a water.

"Do you want to go through the front gate and see if we can run outside the grounds?" She smiled for a yes.

We hopped off the bus and immediately started our run heading in the direction of the main gate.

"Think there will be kids lined up?" She laughed.

"at 7am? Usually a few."

"How many times have you been on Warped?" She wrinkled her nose as she thought.

"Three, once by myself with a catering band, once with A Day To Remember, and another time with the guys but that was only like a week. Warped was my first tour ever."

"Was it difficult, I'm not gonna lie I'm kinda nervous." She gave a light laugh.

"Don't be, you're a band member. It's like the easy job. That and you're the touring member." I glanced over at her.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She stopped and took a drink of her water. I did the same.

"It's not a bad thing. You just don't have responsibilities that the other guys do. You won't do interviews or signings. You just get to hang and do what you want."

The thought mulled over in my head. She was completely right.

"Fair enough. That just means I get to spend more time trying to convince this girl I met that she should go to dinner with me...." I smirked at her.

"Don't try too hard, I hear she's more of a spur of the moment kinda gal." She smiled and started running again, leaving me temporarily stunned.

I hurried to catch up with her. My only problem was when I tripped over my own two feet as I caught up to her and fell on top of her. She quickly, almost reflexively, rolled over bringing me with her. She now sat on my stomach as I just stared up at her.

"I didn't just tackle you I swear. I'm rather clumsy." She just chuckled again.

"I thought this was just you trying to be in the moment..." She winked.

"Oh I see you want spur of the moment...." Before she could reply, I flipped us over yet again and pinned her arms down.

She wasn't smirking anymore when I leaned down so I could whisper in her ear.

"How's this for spur of the moment?" I smirked and pulled back to look at her.

She looked at me blankly for a bit. We did not move, only stare at each other. Finally, she started laughing. I sat back and she held her stomach from how hard she was laughing.

"Why are you laughing?" She didn't stop for a few more minutes.

"Well I'm effectively embarrassed..." I went to get up but she stopped me.

"You act like this is meaningful." she laughed again.

"Well it's kinda hard to romance someone you don't know. You cross any lines and it's sexual harassment." She laughed again.

"God dammit you fool." She grabbed the top of my shirt and pulled herself up.

"What are you doing?" She flipped us back over again.

"Stop thinking and stop talking..."

Her words were vague and confusing, but easy to decipher once she moved again. Her lips met my own and I couldn't react because I was only shocked. My lack of action is what she must have realized as she pulled away.

"Well this is now sufficiently awk-" I carefully cupped her face and kissed her again.

There was a huge smile on her face when I pulled away.

"Well, I usually don't do this kinda thing..."

"What kinda thing?"

She stood and offered her hand out to me. After she helped me up, we continued our path, but at a brisk walk this time. My question went unanswered for awhile, we were almost back at the front gate.

"Ya know, there's still a question to be answered..." Trailing off, I hoped she would answer it.

"I know... I just don't wanna come off as rude."

"Don't worry, I kind of just attacked you...twice...ya know, if ya think about it." A small chuckled escaped her lips.

"Fair enough...," She sighed again before stopping, "I don't want this to be a tour thing. I work super hard and yet I am still looked down on frequently for being a female in this industry..."

I completely understood where this woman was coming from. All the hard work she's put in for years to be where she is and it could all crumble because of other people's horrible conceptions of females in this industry.

"I get it..." She looked back at me and I gave her a sympathetic smile.

"Well I need to go get the guys up..." I nodded and we kept walking.

Up through the front gates and finally we were back at the buses. We stopped to say out good byes behind our trailer which was now open.

"I run everyday at 6:30 or when we first get to the venue. Off days are gym days for me. You're always willing to join." She gave me a small smile and a wave before trying to walk away. I stopped her.

"Ya know, I'm not gonna use you...." She just sighed.

"That's not the problem, it's what other people would think..." This time it was my turn to sigh.

"Well that's only an issue if it actually turns into something..." She chewed on one of her lip rings.

"Look, I want to get to know you better. We spent all of these runs talking about each other. You're fun to be around and you're beautiful. I'll lay it on hard and if it turns into something, great. If not, you still can't get rid of me because I'll see you every day until August. I mean that in an endearing way. You can't say no to getting dinner as friends and getting to know each other." My words shocked even myself. She just kinda looked down as if thinking.

"I'll take a friendly dinner. Just know that I also feel the same way towards you. I'm not the easiest person to get with though." I just smiled.

"Darling, you have no idea how persuasive I can be..." I smirked again.

"Prove it to me tonight." I nodded my head slowly and smiled.

"Bus call is at 2, meet me at 11?"

"Is this a nice date or casual?"

That's an excellent question...

"I'm gonna call it nice." She had gotten closer to me.

"Ah, you just want to see me dressed up." I tried to reply, but she beat me to it.

"I know, I know. 'Who wouldn't want to see a beautiful woman dressed nicely.'" I chuckled.

"Don't ever stop believing it sweetheart."We were almost touching now.

"Vinny! Where you been-oh" I backed away immediately and coughed.

"Hey Ryan, I went for a run."

"I'll see you later. I have to go wake the boys up and make Jake throw up so I can get him out of the bus." She waved and walked away after waving to us both.

"Who was that? Ryan asked.

"Jax, She's the TM for the band in the bus next to us." Ryan hummed and smirked.

"What's the smirk for?" He chuckled.

"Be careful." Josh came out of the bus.

"Where have you been all morning?"

"I went for a run with Jax." He was eating an apple.

"The girl from yesterday?"

"You were hanging with her yesterday too?"

"Yeah we went for a run last night and she was grabbing merch boxes last night." Chris left the bus.

"Oh! That girl you helped unload boxes from the pallet and then she put everything on her drum boat?" I sighed, having basically answered this question several times and I had a feeling it was going to continue.

"Yes that one. How many times are you guys gonna ask about the same person?" Josh started moving stuff out of the trailer and Chris helped him.

"What person?" Ricky came out of the bus and I just groaned.

"Ask someone else, I'm going to change." I walked away and into the bus.