A Bleu Streak Christmas by T. I. Lowe

mornings, though.”
    “Okay,” she mutters, still not sounding
so sure of this setup.
    I point to the right just past the
bunks. “Shower is in there. Everyone gets ten minutes to wash it and get out. The
toilet and sink are on the opposite side. They’re not like the hotel suites we just
hung out in today, but they’ll do.”
    “This place is a mansion on wheels,” she
says in awe. “No more downplaying it, sir.”
    Izzy heads back to the kitchen and
makes herself at home while the rest of us help load things and get settled.
Before the bus pulls out, this chick has managed to make flatbread pizzas, some
kind of creamy dip to go with sliced vegetables, and a fruit salad. Izzy brings
our driver, Joe, and our bodyguard, Sonny, a plate up front, and Blake delivers
a tray full of the goodness to the other bus before we take off. No one says
anything until all the food is gone.
    “Izzy, please let us keep you,” Tate
begs. “Don’t get me wrong. Jen and Jewels and some of these punks can cook, but
none of them have the passion to do so.” He leans back in the leather recliner
and rubs his belly.
    “You think the other bus ate all
theirs?” Max asks as he texts on his phone. It pings seconds later. “Dang it.
Dillon said it’s all gone. He says to thank you, Izzy.”
    Her cheeks pink up from the attention. It’s
the most mesmerizing shade of pink I’ve ever seen. I swear it inspires lyrics
in me. Itching to write them down, I head to my bunk to pen them before I lose
them. There’s no way I can pass her without touching, so I place a quick kiss
on her cheek. Innocent as it is, one whiff of her sweet, spicy scent sends my
mouth to watering. The guys do one of those stupid aww’s , so I shoot them a dirty look and head on to my bunk.
    Losing myself in lyrics has become
another one of my healthy addictions. I’ve not even realized it’s gone
completely silent, except for the hum of the bus as it passes mile after mile,
until I close my journal. A glance at my phone tells me I’ve wandered away for
close to two hours. I shuck off the track pants and thermal I pulled on after
my shower earlier and try settling down in my bunk.
    I’m about to cram in my earbuds and
crank up some music to lull me to sleep when I hear sniffling from my bunkmate
across the aisle. A few beats pass with no more sound. Maybe I was just hearing things? Nope. There it goes again.
    “Another mystery stinker got you
upset?” I ask, going for my go-to humor to deflect the situation.
    She clears her throat. “You nailed it.”
    I already know her more than I realize,
because she’s not fooling me at all. There was no hiding the catch in her
voice. Easing out of my bed and kneeling onto the floor, I slowly pull the
curtain open.
    Dang…
    Red, puffy eyes and damp cheeks do
something painful to my gut.
    “What’s wrong?” My fingers reach out to
wipe the tears away as I wait for an answer, but she stays silent. “Izzy.” Me
using her actual name catches her attention, so she finally looks over at me.
    She shrugs. “Just homesick. Stupid,
right?” A weak smile pulls at those pouty lips, but goes nowhere near her sad
brown eyes.
    “You ever been away from your mom?”
    She shakes her head and more tears
release. I dare not ask if it’s their first time apart since her dad’s passing.
That answer is already evident on that pretty face.
    “There’s nothing stupid about that,
sweetheart. It’s okay to miss her.” I settle on the floor. “Promise not to tell
anyone, but I missed my mom like crazy when we ran off to California. I was only
sixteen and thought we owned the world that night we snuck off. That only
lasted two days before I was on the phone with her, crying like a baby, wanting
to go home.”
    “Did she go get you?” There’s too much
hope in that question. No way am I letting her bail on this tour.
    “No.” I laugh. “Momma told me to stop
acting like a pansy and start appreciating the adventure I was blessed to