Fan Girl

by Brandace Morrow

  I shriek out a loud, “Reed!” and start running.

  Bobby happens to be the other guy and he pulls out his camera. I reach Reed and he picks me up and turns in a circle, saying in my ear, “Oh my girl.” He smells just the same, like peppermints and latex.

  “What are you doing here?”

  He pulls me back by the shoulders and looks me over, then turns to Deklan and waves to him. “Well, your man here called me and said I needed to get on a plane.”

  I turn to Deklan with tears in my eyes. “You did?”

  He smiles warmly. “Yeah baby, I knew you would want him here.”

  I hug him. “Thank you, this is perfect.” Nola comes up to be introduced to Reed, and they go off to talk about us.

  Della finally exclaims, “Oh I just can’t take it. Will you tell us now?!”

  Everyone laughs and Bobby positions us so that the background is the huge brick house far away. There's a crowd of thirty or so people, including the whole band, Nola, Reed, Deklan’s manager, assistant, publicist, Dean, Sarah, all of the Shell crew and their families and a few close friends. Then, about ten feet away from them, are Deklan and I with a big box between us that comes waist high. On both sides of the box is a black heart and in the middle it says Boy or girl in blue, white and pink. The pictures should be really good.

  The crows count down and Deklan and I smile huge at each other, then open the box on one. About twenty pink balloons float out to the sky, and the crowd cheers. All of the girls are jumping up and down giddily.

  Nola yells, “What’s her name!” She and Reed are holding on to each other with tears on their cheeks.

  “Teagan Delaney Thomas,” Deklan informs them, and they all cheer again. We get hugs and congratulations from everyone, then sit down to eat.

  Della and Tommy are sitting close to Deklan, me, Reed, and Nola at the long table. Della is telling me what camera to get. I tell her I want to make a picture frame holder for all the bows I bought and she immediately wants to do one for Dakota, too. Dean mentions from down the table that he knows exactly what he wants to do for the room, and he’ll be sending me more emails and paint swatches tomorrow.

  Della asks, “Where are you going on your Baby Moon?”

  Deklan and I look at each other then back at her. “What’s that?” I ask.

  “Oh! It’s kind of like a honeymoon, but before the baby comes. It’s a last hurrah before motherhood. Dek, you need to take her somewhere.”

  Deklan is nodding in thought, and I reach for his hand. “Babe, you don’t need to take me anywhere. We’re going to be so busy for the next couple months.”

  “Oh, we’re going. Right before the house gets done, that way we can get back and move right in. I’m liking this idea.” Deklan’s wheels are turning, I can see it in his eyes. He winks at me, and I roll my eyes.

  I turn to Reed. “How long can you stay?”

  He shakes his head. “I have to be on a plane at noon tomorrow, darlin'. I’ll be back before you know it.”

  “Are you moving here, then? I can rent you my apartment, or we have an in-law suite here. There’s another apartment in the barn.” I know I’m sounding desperate, but I want him close now that I’m going to start a family.

  He laughs. “I’ve had a couple of offers on the shop. I’ve been talking to them about selling. If I can get the right number, I’ll be on the next plane out.”

  Nola clears her throat, and we all look over at her. She looks nervously at her hands in her lap then up and Deklan and me. “I… was wondering.” She clears her throat again. “I passed my twenty-two year mark in January at the hospital, and I have been able to retire for a while now.” She licks her lips and goes on, “I know you’re looking for a nanny. I thought I could live in the in-law suite and be close… if you wanted.”

  Deklan and I stare at her speechless, then move just our eyes to each other and quickly get up and hug her. “Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!” I say.

  “This is perfect mom! We didn’t want to hire some stranger from an agency anyway,” Deklan exclaims.

  “You can get together with Dean and pick out all the colors and everything you want for the apartment.” I turn to him. “Dean! Nola is moving into the in-law suite, she’s going to be our nanny. You should get her colors and stuff down.”

  He nods. “Sounds like a plan. I’ll get your email address before we leave and send you what I have, you can tell me if you like it.”

  After we eat, the food is packed up and the tablecloths taken off of the buffet tables to reveal presents. “What in the world?! What do you get someone when you don’t know what they’re having?” I ask incredulously.

  Dez laughs and says, “Why don’t you find out.”

  I purse my lips and unwrap a gift in silver and white polka dot paper. We all laugh when we see it’s a box of diapers. “This is a lot of diapers, guys! We shouldn’t need any for the first year,” Deklan says.

  Carmen laughs. “You would be surprised. You can’t ever have too many, and if you have extra unopened boxes, you can exchange them.” I open box after box. One says P on it.

  “Preemie? Who thinks I’m going into labor early?”

  Nola raises her hand. “Those are from me. Preemie diapers work best for the first two weeks or so on average sized babies. If you have a ten pounder, I’ll just take them to the hospital and let them use them.” Nola works as a pediatric nurse, so she would know these things. She is the perfect person to be our nanny.

  I get down to the last present and hold it up. “Who is this one from?” It’s a square box again.

  Deklan raises his hand. “That one’s from me.”

  I give him a puzzled look and open the pale blue paper. Inside is a bundle box that includes a Nikon D3200 SLR camera with a case, lenses, and all the works. My mouth drops open. I look up at him, and he’s got a half smile on his face. Della jumps up and is oohing and ahhing over it. I guess this is the new one, and hers is three years old.

  I go over to Deklan and put my hands around his neck. He leans his face down and rubs his nose with mine. I say against his lips, “Thank you, babe. That’s a really expensive camera.”

  He shrugs. “I’ll only ever get you the best baby.”

  I whisper, “I love you.”

  He smiles and says, “Love you, too.”

  On the way home I take pictures of all of our friends getting drunk. It was a perfect Sunday. The next morning, we take Reed out for breakfast and to the beach. He goes swimming, while I sunbathe, and Deklan surfs. Then I sadly hug him goodbye at the airport drop off and head to work.

  Chapter 33

  When we get to Vegas a month later, the hotel has reserved the top floors for the talent. So we get to stay in a huge room that's more like an apartment and has a wonderful view of the lights. The Mandalay Bay Casino and Resort has sold out. The hottest singers of the year are going to be here and everyone wanted tickets. It's especially odd because the tickets are for one show, which means the country fans have to sit through the metal concert and so forth. Unless you pay all that money and arrive late or leave early.

  Arriving in the morning, we get situated in our rooms, then go down to the events center. It seats twelve thousand and has been the venue for awards ceremonies along with Rolling Bridges concerts. I've been to all of the RB shows here. Who can pass up Vegas?

  Backstage is a different ballgame, though. The chaos from the Paris show is amplified, as all of the crews attached to the different artists are present. Deklan had given me a backstage pass that he had gotten from his manager, and we make our way to the huge green room. There are tons of people mingling. Deklan starts shaking hands and one arm hugging people as soon as we walk in.

  “Danny, this is my girl, Ali. Ali, this is Danny Walsh.”

  I shake hands and smile up at a big man, taller than Deklan with a baseball cap on backward and cowboy boots. He's got gorgeous eyes, a deep tan, and a dimple in his chin that makes me have to blink before I go into a daze. W
ow. I've only ever been a fan girl for Deklan. This guy was hot. His big hand swallows mine, and he squeezes gently.

  “Ali, it's so great to meet you. Tag has been telling me about the drama. I love it all,” Danny tells me.

  I laugh. “Maybe a little bit of drama. We're trying to stay away from that from now on.”

  “Trust me, stay away from it as much as you can. My wife got wrapped up in it and is a total bitch,” Danny says.

  I look at his ring finger and notice he isn't wearing one. “We're in the middle of a divorce. I'm surprised you haven't heard about it on the news. Shit's everywhere these days.”

  I shrug. “I stopped watching around the time Deklan and I came out as a couple.”

  Danny nods as his eyes track a caterer bringing in a tray. “Good idea. I think those are potato skins, catch you guys later!” Just like that he's tracking down the man like prey.

  Deklan laughs. “And that's Danny. Wait until you see him on stage. The man acts a fool, and the girls scream for more.”

  I absolutely believe that. We make our way to the band, and Della fills me in on what food sucks. A commotion by the exntrance causes all of us to turn. A man has another guy in a headlock and is dragging him into the room. Another guy is laughing hysterically, propping himself up with the wall. A girl taller than me with bleach blonde hair weaves her way through the guys, and I see she's wearing platform mary jane's. She ignores the guys still wrestling and heads for the food.

  Fandy goes over to her. “Hey, Popper. You guys get done with sound check? I think we're up next.”

  The girl looks up and past Fandy to us before telling him, “We didn't finish. Dumb and Dumber over there got into it over too much bass, and I called it quits before they broke the equipment. We'll just wing it.”

  Fandy nods and heads back over to us. I still watch the girl. Her voice was emotionless when she was talking, but her lip ring emphasized when her lip trembled, after she was done talking. She was probably so embarrassed. The other acts ignored the guys and steered clear. The guy on the wall was definitely high on something. His eyes were bloodshot and half-mast, plus he was laughing absurdly hard for someone getting strangled.

  I look at Deklan to see him watching the girl still. “What?” I ask him.

  He takes a breath and shakes his head. “She's gonna blow soon. That girl has a temper you would not believe.” I look back at her, but she's calmly loading food on a plate.

  Danny comes up to our little huddle with his cheeks bulging with food. He even looks good as a chipmunk. “Chick's gonna lose her shit any second.”

  I look between them. “How the hell do you guys know this stuff?” I ask them.

  Deklan answers me, since Danny just shoved a whole piece of pizza in his mouth. “We're all at the same award shows pretty much. It's not unusual for something to happen with Chimera.”

  Just then, the girl moves away from the buffet, sets her plate down on one of the dining tables set up around the room, and grabs two water bottles by the tops.

  “Oh shit,” Alan says, coming up behind me to watch over my head.

  The girl moves slowly over to the men, now grappling on the floor, before reaching her hands back and bringing down the water bottles down on their heads. It doesn't take long for the bottles to break and water to be flung everywhere, including on us. When the guys stop fighting to cover their heads in defense she walks over to her plate and starts eating.

  “That's the craziest thing I've ever seen.” I say quietly.

  Peter is the first to move. “Mhmm. She's bat shit cookoo in her clock. We're up, let's go.”

  We walk past the guys climbing to their feet and make our way to the stage. I go to sit in the stands, but Deklan pushes me over to the stage stairs. Everyone takes their spots adjusting earpieces.

  Deklan tests his mic. “Let's shake it off. Ali, dance for us.” he says into the microphone to be projected over the whole venue. My eyes go wide.

  “What?” I ask him.

  He smiles. “Dance. Spin around and do your thing. What song will you dance to?”

  I shake my head. The man is insane. Tommy taps out a beat, and Della comes over to me holding her hands out. The guys pick up the song and Deklan starts singing about how much guys love the good girls, if only to turn them bad. Della and I laugh and start out just shaking our hips and mouthing the words. By the second song, their number one hit about meeting a girl in a club, we're spinning and dancing around.

  Deklan has a big smile on his face as he circles us, dancing and jumping around to the songs. Tommy is yelling out 'yeah baby’ from his drum kit, as he watches his wife. Suddenly there's a flash of movement from my peripheral vision and Della screams. The guy who was laughing in the green room charges Tommy on the drums.

  Deklan drops the microphone and it screeches, causing Della and I to cover our ears as it echos around the empty arena. He charges over to the man before the other band members can get their instruments off. Alan comes around his keyboards and gets to the group in a second. Tommy is trying to get the guy off of him. Deklan is struggling too, so the man has to be on some kind drug to give him crazy strength like that. Della is shaking beside me, and I put my arm around her.

  Finally, Deklan gets an arm around the guys neck, as Alan punches him in the face. Tommy kicks him in the stomach from his position on the floor as the men lift him up. As soon as Tommy is up, he's looking for Della. She straightens away from me and nods to let him know she's okay. Peter is on his phone, talking to someone about security.

  The guy's face is turning purple. “Deklan, he can't breathe,” I point out.

  He cuts his eyes to me, still breathing hard. “Don't care right now Ali,” he tells me tightly.

  I close my mouth and hold my hands out. Security comes before the guy passes out, but his face looks like it's about to explode. They handcuff him and the guys call the sound check good.

  We head out to the casino and waste a few hours before the band gets mauled by fans arriving for the concert. Security has to escort us to our room as teenagers, women my age, and what looks like their mommas try to get into the elevator with us, screaming. The guys are all used to it and look slightly bored as they wave until the doors close. My eyes feel like they might pop out of my head. Girls are crazy. Thank God I never acted like that. Stacie totally would have if she hadn't known the band.

  I turn to Deklan. “I never came off like that, did I?”

  I'm terrified of his answer. The other men laugh under their breath, and Della rolls her eyes.

  Deklan puts his arm around my shoulders and kisses my temple. “No, babe. You could never be that.”

  “I feel like I could sometimes, trust me,” I tell him wryly.

  The guys laugh harder.

  Peter asks, “Why do they do that? After all of this time, I still don't get it. Do they think we're gonna say, 'Oh yes, you, the one who is screaming the loudest in my ear and trying to rip my hair out, come with me'.“ He shakes his head then freezes as everyone looks to Tag.

  He jerks his head back in affront. “What?”

  They shake their heads and try to stifle laughs as Fandy claps him on the back. “It's all right, dude. Maybe one day you can hook up with a fan girl like Ali. Just try to shoot for the ones not trying to climb the stage.” The band laughs loudly as Tag goes red.

  He tries to be the first one off of the elevator when the doors open, but the guys close in on him, rubbing his hair and nudging him so he's basically bouncing off of elbows until he's laughing too. “All right, all right!” he yells.

  The guys back up and walk down the hall cracking jokes.

  Della comes up to me as I trail behind. “They have great chemistry,” Della observes.

  I nod. “They've always been that way. Insanely likeable. They're more like brothers than friends, even back in their bar days.”

  “I have to confess, I stalked your YouTube channel for those performances. Fandy's Afro...” We both hold our stomachs and
laugh loudly, the guys look back at us, causing us to laugh harder thinking about all of the bad haircuts they had. I think about Deklan's long hair and how sexy I thought it was. I haven't watched them in a long time. I wonder how hot the young Deklan would be to me now.

  When we get to the rooms, Deklan orders room service, and I go into the bathroom to start the concert ritual. There is a basket on the counter next to the sink. There are several different types of woodsy smelling soaps and salts, along with Kahlua chocolates, Deklan's favorite. There's a card in the middle of the arrangement so I flip it over and, since it's not sealed, I read it.

  Thought you might like a little slice of heaven <3 Brittany.

  What the—what? “Deklan?” I call out.

  He shows up a minute later, looking disappointed that I'm not naked already.

  “What's up?” he asks.

  I hold out the card for him. His eyebrows come together in confusion as he reads it, then looks to the basket. “Oh this is from my assistant. She always does this shit. Can you have a chocolate since it's got alcohol in it?” he asks as he starts rummaging through his gifts.

  I'm blinking in confusion. So his assistant's name is Brittany, and she leaves him chocolates on his bathroom counter. Was she in here or did she have someone drop it off? Does she have a key? Have they ever been together? What does she look like and how can I not know?

  “Babe? You getting in the shower?” Deklan asks me, jolting me out of my thoughts.

  “Um, yeah. Yeah, I'm going.”

  When I get out of the shower there's a rolling cart next to the little table by the window, and Deklan is leaning on the doorjamb of the front door talking to someone in the hall. Tying my robe tighter, I get closer to the door when Deklan laughs. The door isn't open wide, just enough for his shoulders to fit in the opening. “All right, I'll see you later. Thanks Britt.”

  My back goes straight hearing him call her a nickname, the woman I now have a problem with. I call out, “Who is it, baby?”

  He turns to me, and I catch a flash of bright red hair, taller than me and definitely female, before the door shuts.