"Hey, Emerson. Todd needs to see you when you clock in." Emerson Matthews was just clocking in for her shift at her local Alabama Target store when the HR person stopped her.

'I wonder what the store manager wants with me…' Emerson thought as she walked towards his office. She had been working there for about six months, and couldn't think of anything she'd done to warrant a visit to the store manager's office. Knocking on his door, she felt a bit like a student being summoned to the principal's office.

"Come in," she heard from inside the office. She pushed open the door slowly.

"Hi, Mr. Jones, they said you wanted to see me?" she said cautiously.

"Yes, yes! Please come in. Have a seat." He seemed in a good enough mood, maybe she wasn't in trouble. "The reason I asked to see you is that we have a wonderful opportunity for the store and we would like you to be a part of it. Now, you like country music, right?"

She nodded. "I love it, it's my favorite. It's the only music I listen to, actually."

"Great! Well, I don't know if you've heard or not, but Target is running a huge promotion campaign with Blake Shelton for his new album, and he is actually going to be visiting the store next week. We were asked to select an employee with a love of country music and a good knowledge of the local area to be a sort of ambassador for Mr Shelton and show him around town for a day."

It took her a couple seconds to realize what was happening. Her mouth dropped. "Me? You want me to do it?!"

"Yes, if you'd like to. You'll just be asked to show him around town. Take him to a couple good local restaurants and show off some of the night life. Think you can do that?"

"Well, of course! I'm so honored you thought of me. Thank you," she said.

"You're welcome. We thought you might like say that. He will be here Monday at lunch, and after a few photos here at the store, he's all yours. You'll need to take him to lunch, then show him some area attractions. Then take him to dinner and then out on the town. There will be a photographer with you, and maybe a couple members of his team, like his manager."

"Okay, yeah. Food, attractions, bars. I can certainly handle that."

"Great. Well, I'll let you get to work. See you Monday."

Emerson left the manager's office with her mind reeling. She couldn't believe the opportunity she'd just been handed, and she couldn't wait until Monday.

Monday Morning

Emerson had to be at the store at eleven in preparation for Blake Shelton's arrival at noon. She spent the morning making sure every brunette hair was curled to perfection and that her makeup was flawless. She arrived at work confident and ready, albeit a tad nervous. When Blake and his crew arrived, they did so with little fanfare. Their trip to Tuscaloosa had not been advertised, and few people actually knew he was there. He came into the store and was greeted by the manager, who promptly introduced him to Emerson.

"Mr. Shelton, this is Emerson Matthews. She is going to be your ambassador today and will be showing you around town," he said as he introduced her.

"Please, call me Blake," he said as he extended his hand to her. "And it's nice to meet you, Emerson." He shook her hand, holding it a second longer than a normal hand shake, as he looked her up and down. "Very nice to meet you," he grinned.

"Nice to meet you too, Blake. Thank you for coming. I'm really excited to show you around town," she said.

"That makes two of us," he said, winking at her. She wondered if the subtle flirting was something normal for him, or if there was something else going on.

The store manager showed Blake and his crew the promotional items in the store for Blake's new album, and after a short photo session, it was time for lunch.

"So, what's for lunch, Emerson?" Blake asked. Their group would consist of Emerson, Blake, his manager Brandon, and a cameraman, Joe.

"Well, they said you wanted to see good local places, so we are going to a little place called Mr Bill's. It's a home cooking, meat-and-three sort of place," she said.

"Sounds good, show us the way," Blake said. They loaded up in an SUV and let Emerson drive them to the restaurant. They at lunch at a table sort of away from the rest of the crowd in the restaurant, and Emerson couldn't help but notice that Blake seemed to be paying a lot more attention to her than she expected. That, coupled with the flirting in the store earlier, made her think something was up. She pushed the thought out of her mind. 'He's married, Emerson,' she said to herself.

After lunch, she drove them around town, pointing out different sites and telling local stories. They stopped to tour the University of Alabama campus, and when that was over, the manager suggested taking a break. It was nearly 6pm, and they had dinner reservations at Nick's in the Stick's for 8pm.

"How about you drop us off at the hotel, and come back around 7:30," Brandon suggested. "Is that enough time for everyone to get changed and ready and make it to dinner on time?" He looked around the SUV for consensus from everyone.

"How about you, Em? Is that enough time to get yourself all gussied up? You're not wearing your Target uniform to dinner are you?" Blake asked, grinning. She'd been asked to wear her standard Target uniform - red Polo and khakis - for lunch and the tour. And while her 5'10" body of devastatingly beautiful curves worked wonders in the uniform, it wasn't going to work for the rest of the evening.

"Yes, that's plenty of time. And no, I'm not wearing this. Not to dinner and certainly not where we're going afterwards." She grinned back. 'I can play that game, too,' she thought to herself.

She dropped the men at their hotel, and went back to her apartment to change and get ready. She touched up her hair and make up with a sultry nighttime look and changed into the outfit she'd purchased especially for this evening. She wore a dark denim skirt and studded cowboy boots, paired with a black lace crop top poncho over a white tank top.

She double checked the mirror one last time then headed back to the hotel to pick up the men for dinner. Brandon, Blake's manager, offered to drive, and the cameraman called shotgun, leaving Blake and Emerson in the back seat. She could feel his eyes on her the whole ride over, but she ignored it. It wasn't until he put his hand on her thigh under the table at dinner that she realized there was intent behind his flirtation. She chose not to react, but when they ended up at the table alone while Brandon and Joe both went to the restroom, he spoke up.

"Look, if I'm out of line, just say so and I'll stop. But I'm not sure if you're getting the hints I'm droppin' here," he whispered to her.

"Oh, I get the hints. I'm just trying to figure out exactly how far you're trying to take this. I know you're married, so I don't know exactly how to react since I don't know exactly what you're looking for," Emerson said. "Flirting is one thing, casual sex is something else. Just tell me what you're asking for." He looked at her with the smallest bit of shock on his face.

"Well, way to put it bluntly," he said. "Alright, let's say I'm looking for casual sex, and my wife doesn't mind at all. What do you say?"

"I say I'm not opposed, but you'll have to work a little harder. I'm not all that easy, ya know." Emerson smiled at him. At that moment, Brandon and Joe arrived back to the table.

"Is everyone ready to go?" Brandon asked as he tried to stifle a yawn. "Where to next?"

"Well, I was hoping to take y'all on a little bar hop. Are you up for that?" Emerson asked him.

"Yeah, I think so," he said, stifling another yawn.

"Hey, man, you don't have to go if you're ready to turn in," Blake said. Emerson could tell he was trying to get Brandon out of the picture, so she played along.

"Yeah, I know it's already late, but things are just now really getting started on the bar scene where we're going," she said.

Brandon thought about it for a second, and then Joe chimed in saying that he was tired and ready to turn in as well. "I guess you two can go alone. Less likely to draw a crowd too." With the decision made, they dropped Brandon and Joe back at the hotel and Blake and Emerson headed downtown.

They went to a couple of bars and luckily drew very little attention. There weren't many people out on a Monday night. Blake turned on the charm, excited by the chance of getting Emerson in bed. And Emerson, captivated by the chase, eagerly ate up his advances. Blake bought drink after drink, and by last call, they could barely keep their hands off each other. The cab back to the hotel was a struggle just to remain fully clothed. They composed themselves long enough to make it to Blake's hotel room, but once inside, it was over.

When she woke, she opened her eyes slowly and looked around. It took only seconds for her to realize where she was and who the naked body next to her belonged to. He began to stir, like he had sensed she was awake, and rolled over to face her.

"Good morning," Blake said.

She didn't reply.

"Are you okay," he asked, sounding genuinely concerned.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Just not sure exactly what to do right now," she said. "And I haven't looked in the mirror, so I'm hoping I don't look like a wreck," she said with a quiet laugh. He smiled broadly.

"You look great, actually. Not hungover?" he asked.

"Nope, not hungover. I'm feeling pretty good actually," she said as she stretched. Her body felt unhinged, the result of Blake's extraordinary lovemaking skills.

"You should come on tour with me," he said.

"And do what?"

"You could be my tour bumper."

"What's a tour bumper?" she asked.

"Oh, um, well. A tour bumper is someone who works on a tour that I could casually 'bump into' when I wanted."

"Like a groupie?" she asked with a laugh.

"Kind of, but way more professional. You work on the tour and get paid, but we get to discreetly bump into each other from time to time," he explained. "It's kind of an industry secret. Not everyone has a tour bumper. Miranda has one, but I've never had one."

"Your wife has a tour bumper?" Emerson was shocked.

"Yeah! Smokin' hot red-headed chick. Miranda swings both ways," he said. "I get to watch sometimes, but the red-head won't let me join in. She only swings the one way."

"So let me get this straight. You want me to give me a fake job on your tour, so that we can have casual sex whenever you feel the need?" she asked. It didn't make sense, but she liked the idea. She was into casual sex, and if the wife was on board, why not?

"Oh, no, you'd have a real job. You can be my personal assistant and help with my Twitter and other random stuff I need. The 'tour bumper' part is just between us. It's not part of your job description, that would make it illegal. What do you say?"

"I say you order room service and answer some more questions for me, and I'll think about it," she said. With that, they ordered room service and she continued to pepper him with questions about what exactly her job as his assistant/tour bumper would entail.

He explained that she would sign an employment contract for the duration of the tour, and they would discuss what they would do after the tour when the time came. As his personal assistant, she would have a bunk on the management bus and would be provided with a smart phone and tablet computer to use for her job. Emerson would be responsible for Blake's various social media outlets, as well as any other personal assistant type tasks he asked of her.

As his bumper, she would be paid much better than the average personal assistant, and would make herself available to him whenever he needed to 'bump into her,' which he estimated would be a nearly daily occurrence. Of course, she had every right to refuse any advance for any reason, although she knew the odds of her refusing him were slim.

"So, what if I can't be 'bumped into' for some reason?" she asked in between bites of the pecan waffle she ordered for breakfast.

"I'm assuming you mean during your cycle, or something. I don't know, I guess just let me know ahead of time or something," he said. "Although, there's lots of ways we can bump into each other." She understood his hint right away.

"How about if I wear skirts on a daily basis, and if something is going on and we can't bump into each other in a conventional way, I'll wear pants." It sounded like a good idea, and Blake agreed. "Although, I don't have many skirts in my wardrobe. I'll have to get a few more. When does the tour start?"

"It starts in two weeks in North Carolina, but we are in Nashville until then for rehearsals and promo stuff," he said. "If you're serious and you want to come on the tour, we'll go to Brandon and get an employment contract drawn up for you today. Then I'll give you a sign on bonus so you can edit your wardrobe and get ready to come on the road."

She thought about it for a couple more minutes, mulling it over in her mind. He was offering her the chance to tour the country with a dream job, and sex with this gorgeous creature was part of the fringe benefits.

"Okay, yeah. I'll do it. One more question though. You singers don't talk to each other about your bumpers, do you? I don't want some kind of 'Pretty Woman' situation happening where someone else comes up to me thinking they get to play the game, too."

"No, absolutely not. Brandon is the only one who will know. Well, him and Miranda. You'll meet her eventually. But other than that, no, I won't be discussing or bragging about it to any other artists." His response sounded genuine, and she believed him.

"Okay, so where do I sign?"

"You go take a shower, get cleaned up, and I'll call Brandon."

Emerson took a quick shower and came out into the room in a hotel robe. Blake was dressed and on the phone, with Brandon, she assumed, but he gestured towards a pile of clothes on a chair. They weren't hers, but the jeans and long sleeve shirt were her size. She took them back into the bathroom and put them on, sans panties, because she couldn't find them, and came back out.

"Thanks for the clothes, where'd they come from?" she asked.

"I had some sent up from the gift shop early this morning. I got the sizes from your clothes from last night," he said. "Brandon has an employment contract for you in his room. I'd love to stay, but I have to catch a plane back to Nashville for a promo gig at the Wildhorse tonight."

"Oh, okay. So I just need to go to his room?"

"Yeah, room 512, just a couple doors down. He'll take care of your contract and your bonus."

"Okay, I'll go down there now then since you're headed out," she said. She felt nervous that he was leaving suddenly and he must have sensed it.

"Hey, don't get nervous on me. It's going to be great. I'll see you soon," he kissed her passionately before opening the door for them to leave. He walked toward the elevator and she walked the other way towards Brandon's room. She waited for him to get on the elevator, then waved as he got on.

She took a deep breath and knocked on Brandon's door. 'Here goes,' she thought to herself.

Knock, knock, knock.

Brandon opened the door with a smile, "Hey, Emerson. So you're going to be Blake's personal assistant?"

"Yep. Well, that and -"

"Hey, that's between you and him, and I'll never refer to you as his 'bumper.' He only tells me so that I can sort of look out for you. If anyone ever refers to you as a 'bumper,' you let me or Blake know, and we'll handle it. That's his private business, not office gossip," he said.

"Wow, okay. Thanks. I guess I just need to sign the employment contract," she said, relieved that Brandon didn't seem to be looking down on her.

"Yeah, I have that right here. You'll get your phone and your tablet when you get to Nashville."

"I thought the tour started in North Carolina?" she asked.

"It does, but Blake wants you in Nashville as soon as you can get out of Alabama."

"Oh, okay. Um, I have to make some calls, quit my job for one. And I need to shop and do some packing."

"I understand. I'll be driving back to Nashville tonight, and you are welcome to come tonight, if you can be ready. I'll put you in the hotel where Blake is staying, and you can do whatever shopping you need to do in Nashville. Do you think you can be ready tonight?"

"Um, yeah, I can be ready. I just need to get some clothes and let my family know what's going on. I actually still live at home with my dad, so all I really need to do is talk to him and pack some clothes. How many suitcases am I allowed on the tour?"

Brandon explained that on tour, she would have a footlocker on the bus plus one suitcase, as well as a carry-on for stuff she needed to keep with her, like her phone, tablet, ID, etc.

"I honestly wouldn't suggest packing much clothes. Blake said your sign on bonus was supposed to help you with your wardrobe, and honestly, it's enough to get a whole new wardrobe."

"A whole new wardrobe?" she asked. "How much is the bonus?" Blake had never mentioned an amount and she hadn't fathomed a guess.

"He didn't tell you?" Brandon asked. "Figures. It's ten thousand dollars." He handed her envelope full of cash and she wondered how on earth they had come up with so much cash so quickly.

"Oh, wow. I had no idea it was going to be that much. Wow! Um, okay. Let me go talk to my dad and grab a few things."

"Okay, good. I can be ready whenever you are, so just call me when you get ready to go."

"I will. Thanks, Brandon," she said with a smile.

"No problem," he said. She quickly signed the employment contract, then grabbed the envelope of cash and headed home.

Emerson hurriedly explained the events of the last twenty four hours to her dad, leaving out the sex and the tour bumper part, of course. She told him that Blake Shelton and his manager Brandon Blackstock had been so impressed with her work in putting together the event for them that they wanted her to come on the tour. When he expressed doubt, she showed him the envelope of cash, driving home how serious she was. After receiving his reluctant blessing, she started packing. She quickly packed a few of her favorite outfits and her favorite hair and makeup products. Then she called her work. They were not happy with her, but what could she do? She couldn't miss this chance. When she was finished packing, she called Brandon.

"I'm ready," she said. "Let's get out of here."

It was almost 10pm when they arrived at the Hutton Hotel in Nashville where Blake was staying. Brandon walked her into the lobby and handled check in for her then escorted her up to her room.

"You're on the same floor as Blake, I think. I'll text him your room number," he said, as they stepped off the elevator. "Come by the office tomorrow - the concierge can call a cab for you - and I'll get your phone and tablet for you, and we'll discuss how to get ready for the road."

"Okay, that sounds good. Looks like this is me," Emerson said when they stopped in front of room 1010. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Good night, Emerson. Great to have you on board," he said as he walked away. She stuck her room key in the card reader and gasped when she opened the door.

It was beautiful. They had gotten her a suite with living room and a separate bedroom. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the floor to ceiling windows and the amazing view of downtown Nashville. Then she saw it. The flowers and the note. She assumed they were from Blake, and was surprised to find out otherwise.

Dear Emerson,

It's only been a day, but Blake has already told me all about you. You must be something else. He was telling the truth when he told you I wouldn't mind. I've got someone who takes care of my needs, and she's my best friend. I'm glad you are there to take care of his. Can't wait to meet you.

Love, Miranda

P.S. I'm glad you're there, but please keep in mind: he's my husband. Don't do him wrong, and don't get too attached. :-)

Emerson read the note over again, then inhaled the sweet scent of the yellow and pink roses. It gave her a little boost of confidence that she had made the right decision. She put the note down, then began to explore the suite. She walked from the living area into the bedroom, where there was another vase of flowers with a note, on the bedside table. After peaking into the bathroom at the amazing granite shower with rain shower heads, she came back to the flowers. This time it was a simple bouquet of purple tulips. She smelled their sweet scent, then picked up the note.

Emerson,

See? Told ya it was okay. Hope you like your suite. You'll be here until the tour starts, so make yourself at home. Order anything you like from room service anytime, and use the concierge to your advantage. If you get in before midnight, give me a ring. I'm in 1012.

Blake

She put the note down and looked at the clock. It wasn't quite 11pm yet, so she picked up the phone and dialed his room number.

"Hello?" Blake answered, sleep in his voice.

"I didn't mean to wake you, your note said midnight," Emerson said. "I'm sorry."

"No, I was waiting up for you and dozed off on the couch. I'm right across the hall, want to come over? I'll pour us a night cap."

"Sure, give me just a minute to freshen up." She hung up and quickly dug her toiletry bag from her suitcase. She brushed her teeth, ran a brush through her hair, and spritzed a bit of her favorite perfume. Then she grabbed both her room keys and walked out into the hallway and knocked quietly on his door. It took him a minute to come to the door.

"You knocked so softly, I wasn't sure I heard you or not," he said when he opened the door. He pulled her in and quickly shut and locked the door, then kissed her eagerly.

"I didn't want to disturb any other guests," Emerson said in between kisses.

"We're the only ones on the floor," he said. Blake had the penthouse suite, and there were only two other suites on the floor. The one Emerson was in, and another that Blake had rented for the sole purpose of keeping it unoccupied to ensure privacy. He lead her into the living area of his suite, where he had a glass of white wine waiting for her next to his glass of bourbon on the rocks.

"Mmm, moscato. You remembered," she said after taking a long sip. They chatted for a while about how her conversations had gone with her dad and her boss. Near midnight, she began to yawn, and Blake offered to walk her back to her room. She opened the door and Blake followed her in, shutting the door behind him.

"Let me show you the bedroom," Emerson said, as she took his hand and led him across the living area.

"Are you trying to bump into me?" he laughed. She said nothing, but led him into the bedroom. He took her cue and began to kiss the back of her neck. She turned in his arms, and kissed him passionately. He slowly lowered her to the bed and they shed their clothes with ease. He fumbled for the bedside table, and finding the foil packets he had placed there before her arrival, he sleeved himself easily without breaking away from her lips. He took her quickly, neither of them bothering with the bed covers, and within minutes he had her on the edge of ecstasy. This was not the long, purposeful lovemaking from the night before. It was intense and fervent, almost needy. They came together, and minutes later, she was asleep, her lips still on his neck. He slowly disentangled his body from hers, and after covering her up, dressed himself and headed back to his own suite.