by Raine Thomas
“Yes, Miss Lily. I have a delivery for you.”
“Come on in.”
Barney opened the door and stepped inside bearing a vase full of flowers she knew well. Pink plumeria. There was already an arrangement from Dane in the room, though. Had he ordered two by mistake?
“Thanks, Barney,” she said. “You can place them on the table by the other flowers.”
When he did, she walked up to them and plucked the card out of the small envelope. She was already smiling in anticipation of whatever romantic sentiment Dane had written for her. She lost her smile when she realized the message wasn’t from Dane.
My dearest Lily, it read in handwritten script she didn’t recognize. Please accept this small token of my deep affection for you. XOXO, Your Biggest Fan.
The gift probably should have been flattering. She’d never received anything from a fan before. But several things about it disturbed her.
First was the XOXO signature, which was how Johnathan used to sign off his messages to her. Second was the “Your Biggest Fan” reference, which sounded like something out of Stephen King’s horror novel, Misery. Third was that the person who sent them knew exactly where she was right that moment. And last but not least was that the flowers had arrived on the same day she’d gotten the chilling e-mail.
Was all of that merely a coincidence?
“Who are the flowers from, Lily?” Sydney asked.
“A fan.”
“Really?” Sydney sounded excited. “Wow.”
“How did they know you love pink plumeria?” Aria wondered.
“I mentioned it in the interview I did with Oscar. The article must have come out.” Moving closer to Barney, Lily whispered, “Since this is handwritten, wouldn’t the person have had to order them locally?”
“Yes,” he said, picking up on her concern. “Let me handle this.”
Touching only the edges of the floral card, he took it and left the room. Lily felt oddly reassured by his straightforward actions. Hopefully they were both overreacting to an innocent gift.
“Come on, Lily,” Aria said. “Time to do your hair.”
Not unexpectedly, it took them twenty minutes beyond the thirty to finally meet Aria’s approval to head to the party. While Barney waited for them, Lily gathered the small silver purse that had somehow made it into the garment bag with the mysterious dress and confirmed her fully charged phone was inside it so she could capture some photos and videos for social media. Sydney also picked up her purse and the midnight blue shrug that matched her dress. At Aria’s urging, she left the shrug off and just carried it.
Barney held the door open for them. Lily patted his arm in appreciation as they filed past. She had grown rather attached to her stern bodyguard. He had unending patience that she suspected could only help him in parenting his teenagers.
She was surprised to see Trey also standing in the hallway outside her green room. “Hi, Trey,” she said as he moved into step beside her. “Why aren’t you with Dane?”
“Mr. Archer is busy with the band. He asked me to assist with escorting you.”
“All right,” she said.
She did her best to sound casual. Aria and Sydney gave her looks, telling her she hadn’t pulled it off. She gave them a smile, not wanting them to pick up on her concern.
But concerned she was, as she had just realized that by Dane sending Trey to protect her he was much more worried about the threat to her than he had let on earlier.
Was she truly in danger? If so, what could she possibly do about it?
Chapter Thirty-Five
The Void hadn’t yet made it into the after-party. They were currently engaged in the last of what felt like an endless round of interviews before they joined the other tour acts and VIPs in the event room beyond the doors behind them. The crew currently set up in front of them was from a Salt Lake City-based entertainment network. They were one of the few local media outlets that had been granted an on-camera interview with the entire band, which was why Keith was sitting with Archer and the others outside the louder after-party room in a section that had been set up as a makeshift set.
Keith did his best to concentrate on the interview. It was a real struggle not to keep looking to the right of the cameras and set lights towards the end of the hallway where they were sitting. That was where Sydney would eventually emerge.
It was more than a little mortifying that he couldn’t get her out of his head.
He needed to make an effort on this media stuff, though. Christopher had laid it all out before the concert. Things were going very well for the band and they had to maintain the momentum, giving the media as much attention as they wanted.
So Keith sat on a stool to Archer’s right, trying to look interested as Archer answered questions that had already been put to them by several other news sources that evening.
“Is it true that you finished recording the new album while you were in L.A.?” the interviewer, a guy named Francis Harding, asked.
“We did,” Archer replied in his smooth way. “It came together really quickly for us. We’re aiming to release the first single next month.”
Francis leaned closer to Archer as though seeking the inside scoop. “Would that be ‘Not Mine?’ Lily has been dropping hints about it on social media. We’re all intrigued.”
Keith noticed Archer’s expression change just at the mention of Lily’s name. His eyes lit up and his smile looked more genuine. Keith normally would have mentally mocked that but then the doors opened at the end of the hall and he experienced heavy disappointment that it wasn’t Sydney who walked through them. He had no right to mock anyone.
“Yeah, that’ll be the first single,” Archer confirmed. “We’re still discussing which song will follow that up.”
Francis looked to Keith then. “Do you have a favorite song on the album, Keith?”
“‘Not Mine’ is right up there,” he replied without missing a beat. They were there to promote that single with every possible breath. “I’m also partial to ‘Miracle Worker.’”
“That sounds a little out of The Void’s typical milieu,” Francis observed, his gaze sweeping across the entire band. “What can you tell us about it?”
“It’s definitely a different vibe for us,” Xander offered. “But it’s one of the most compelling songs on the album.”
“Yeah,” Sage added. “We layered it in a way that our fans are going to love.”
“Now I’m even more intrigued,” Francis said. “Did you write that one, Archer?”
“I did, but the unique elements in ‘Miracle Worker’ aren’t my doing. We incorporated vocals by Keith’s girl, Sydney Ward. That’s what makes it such a gripping song.”
Keith almost found himself smiling. He wasn’t sure whether it was because Archer was publicly crediting Sydney with her work or because he had referenced her as his girl. Either way, he figured he was dangerously close to looking like a complete idiot on camera.
Man, he was a goner.
“I can’t wait to hear it,” Francis said. “Have you named the album yet?”
“We’re still tossing ideas around,” Archer replied. “We’ve come up with a...”
Keith found himself staring at Archer’s profile in anticipation of what his front man was going to say only to realize that Archer was thoroughly distracted. It was the first time Keith had ever seen him lose focus in an interview, especially on camera. As one, Francis, Keith, and the rest of the band all followed Archer’s line of sight to see what had caused the disruption.
It was with very little surprise that Keith realized it was Lily. She had just passed through the hallway doors flanked by Trey and Barney. Keith could see why Archer had been struck speechless. Lily looked like she had just stepped off a fashion runway. The ceiling lights glittered on the jewelry at her ears and throat and whatever had been woven into her hair. She looked every inch the Hollywood diva.
Francis waved at the camera operator and had the camera swivelin
g to focus on Lily. As Trey and Barney moved ahead to open the after-party doors, Lily glanced over and noticed all of the attention on her. She smiled and gave Archer a wink before she disappeared into the party amidst a surge of excited murmurs and a virtual strobe light of flashing cameras.
Keith’s attention quickly turned as Sydney and Aria appeared from behind the crew’s lights and cameras. He had to look twice at Sydney before he was sure it was her. The sleeveless dress she wore was made of dark blue lace and dipped in a deep V at the neckline and—he saw as she passed him—in the back. The full skirt of the dress ended at her knees, displaying her amazing legs all the way to her coordinating high heels. Her defined arms and shoulders were exposed, tempting him to run over to her and cover them up. He realized he liked being the only one who really knew what she kept hidden beneath her clothes.
As Lily had, she looked over at the group as she neared the doors to the after-party, giving Keith a glimpse of her sleek wavy hair and sultry red lips. Those lips curved into a smile when she saw him, almost prompting him to lift off of his stool so he could walk over to her. She gave him a little wave as she followed Aria into the party.
“Ah...” Archer seemed to shake himself out of his stupor and gave Francis a self-deprecating smile as the camera returned to the band. “Sorry. What was I saying?”
Francis laughed. “It’s fine. Who could blame you? Lily looks amazing. We’d love to speak with her, too.”
“I’m sure that can be arranged,” Archer said. “And it would be appropriate since she inspired much of this album.”
“She’s your Muse?”
“Always.”
Keith couldn’t stop himself from looking again at the doors to the after-party. How much longer was this interview going to take?
The answer was ten more minutes. After that, the band was thankfully freed to join the rest of the after-party. Well, everyone but Archer, who was asked to bring Lily back for a few questions. Keith was more than happy to leave them to it.
Unfortunately, Christopher caught up with Keith, Noelle, Xander, and Sage just as they entered the after-party.
“Time for the meet and greet portion of the event,” their manager said, leading them towards a trio of long rectangular tables near the back of the room separated from the rest of the space by rope and stanchions and flanked by three hefty-looking security guards. “Archer will join you shortly. You’ll be signing autographs—no more than two per fan to keep things moving—and posing for photos. Should take no more than an hour since they capped the VIPs at a hundred.”
As Keith scanned the room in search of Sydney, he saw that similar tables had been set up along the outer edges of the room for the other acts. A few fans stood in front of those tables, but it looked like most of them had already gotten the autographs they wanted and were now standing in line at The Void’s table.
Suddenly Something was set up on the far right side of the room. Nikki sat with them, right next to O’Dell. Keith caught her staring at him. She leaned over to whisper something into O’Dell’s ear. O’Dell grinned and also looked over at Keith before pulling Nikki closer and kissing her like he was going to strip her down and do her right there on the signing table.
The ploy to get a rise out of him was both obvious and pathetic. Keith couldn’t care less what or who Nikki did as long as it didn’t involve him, Sydney, or The Void. If Nikki knew him at all, she would have understood that. He didn’t play games or have patience for people who did.
It was as that thought crossed his mind that he finally spotted Sydney. She was standing with Aria near a bar in the far left corner of the room talking to a trio of men. Her gaze shifted to him as though she sensed he was looking at her. She smiled her soft, shy smile and he felt it in the dead center of his chest.
One of the males in the trio, a tall blond guy with a square jaw and way-too-tight jeans, turned to look where her gaze was directed and saw Keith. He said something to Sydney that was lost to Keith due to the distance and the music playing. Sydney responded to the guy and an expression of disbelief crossed his features.
Before Keith could see anything else about the interaction, Christopher moved to block his view. “There will be time for that later,” he said.
Keith frowned. He almost pointed out that Nikki was making out with O’Dell behind the Suddenly Something table for God’s sake, but one look at Christopher’s expression had him biting back the comment.
“Ugh. I could eat a whole cow,” Noelle complained as they neared their table.
“There will be food afterward,” Christopher told her. “Thus, all of these nicely decorated tables.”
When Noelle issued a heavy sigh, Sage pulled a Kit Kat out of his pocket and handed it to her. She immediately brightened.
“How long has this been in your pocket?” she asked as she took it from him.
“Does it matter?” Sage replied.
She tore into the wrapper. “Nope. Thanks.” She took a bite as they reached the table. “Mmm...melty.”
Resigned, Keith joined his bandmates in standing behind the table. There were chairs, but all of them knew that they’d be asked for photos too often to bother using them. The table was essentially there to use for signing and to keep some distance between them and the fans when they weren’t posing for pictures. He stood between Xander on his right and Noelle on his left. They left the far end open for Archer. Once Christopher got things moving with the first fans, he left the room again. Keith assumed he was going to herd Archer to the table.
With nearly every phone and camera in the room aimed at him and the band, Keith put on his game face and got ready to perform. Before long, Archer joined them, which kept the line moving. Keith noticed that Lily had her own table adjacent to the band’s. Many of The Void’s fans were stopping there, too.
He signed autograph after autograph, posed in photo after photo, and answered question after question, all the while glancing over at Sydney where she now sat by herself at one of the dining tables while Aria danced on the increasingly energetic dance floor. Sydney’s phone was in her hand, keeping her occupied.
Keith didn’t like having to leave her alone. He hoped they could get through the last group of fans before he completely lost his patience and left for the hotel with her.
He got his wish a few minutes later. The last of the fans lingered at Archer’s end of the table, freeing the rest of the band up to go sit at their dining table. As they did, the music lowered and someone announced that dinner would be served shortly.
Sydney looked up when he reached the table. She smiled at him as he bent down to give her a kiss.
“Free and clear?” she asked.
“Yep,” he said, sitting beside her. “Felt like it took forever. What have you been doing to occupy yourself?”
“Nothing much.”
“Just learning Portuguese on her language app,” Aria said as she approached and sat on Sydney’s other side. “I figure she’ll have it knocked in another couple weeks.”
Keith looked at Sydney. “Sounds like something to me.”
She flushed and didn’t respond. He wondered why she hadn’t said what she was doing. Learning a new language was something to be proud of.
“What languages do you speak, Sunshine?” Xander asked, taking the chair on Aria’s other side.
Noelle and Sage walked up as Sydney replied, “Spanish, French, Italian, and ASL.”
“And German,” Aria added.
“Passable, not fluent. I’ll work on it after I master Portuguese.”
“That’s amazing,” Noelle said as she and Sage sat down next to Xander. “Hey, if we ever tour internationally, you’ll have to come along and translate for us!”
Keith appreciated Noelle’s easy acceptance of Sydney. He knew Sydney did, too, though her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes.
Something was up.
Archer and Lily arrived before he could say anything. They took the two empty chairs at the table. Lily ended
up sitting to Keith’s left. She looked pale as she greeted everyone. Archer’s concerned expression told Keith he saw the same thing.
“You all right?” Keith asked her.
She nodded and managed a small smile. “It’s just been a long day and I didn’t eat much. I should have thought about how late this meal was going to be.”
“Christopher said the food will be served shortly,” Archer told her, putting his arm around her and rubbing her upper arm.
“Thank God,” Noelle said.
“Hey, I gave you my emergency Kit Kat,” Sage reminded her.
She grinned and leaned over to give him a resounding kiss on the cheek. “That’s because you’re my bestie.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
Keith looked again at Sydney. “Are you hungry, too?”
“Starving. I’m going to have to start bringing snacks to these things.”
Maybe that explained her mood. “They usually feed us by now,” he said, glancing around in search of whoever would be bringing their dinner. “I don’t know why they felt they had to get all fancy with us tonight.”
Moments later, uniformed servers walked through a door near the back of the room carrying covered plates on trays. They approached The Void’s table first, Keith was relieved to note. He waited with everyone else as their plates were set in front of them. Once the plates were all on the table, the servers paused just behind their chairs with an air of expectation.
The music cut off abruptly and the sound of someone blowing into the microphone turned Keith’s attention to the right side of the room. There he saw an enormous black guy with bright red hair and a searing lime green suit holding the microphone. The man spoke a few words with the DJ before he carried the microphone closer to The Void’s table.
“Hello, everyone,” he said with a wide smile. “My name is Chaz Kimble and I’m the one who planned this event. Thank you so much for being here tonight.”
He paused expectantly. Someone started clapping and everyone else joined in. Sydney elbowed Keith until he lifted his hands and brought them together a few times.