by Raine Thomas
Grateful for the subject change, Lily described the venue and explained the cause for the benefit. Johnathan didn’t know the full extent of how meaningful the cause was to her and she didn’t choose to fill him in right then. It did occur to her during their conversation, though, that this could make a compelling story. She wanted to kick herself for not thinking of that sooner. She should have been gathering some material right then instead of standing awkwardly in a bathroom trying to avoid the subject of marriage with her boyfriend.
“Lily, I hear Alice coming down the hall,” Sydney said through the closed door.
“Okay,” Lily told her. “I’m sorry, Wingerson. Gotta go.”
“Show time, huh? I hope you have a blast.”
“Thanks. I’m sure we will.”
“Have you given my proposal any more consideration?” he asked.
Lily closed her eyes and swallowed against the stomach pain caused by his question. “I’ve been thinking about it a lot, Johnathan. I’m just not sure this is the right time.”
He sighed. “All right. I can accept that for now. I love you and I know this is the right step for us. I’ll just be patient and wait until you say yes.”
“Thank you,” she said, not meeting her own eyes in the mirror. “I’ll call you soon, okay?”
After they exchanged goodbyes, Lily disconnected the call. Neither of them mentioned that she hadn’t said she loved him, too.
Chapter Nine
The concert revived Lily’s faltering spirits. Although The Void’s music wasn’t the classic rock she enjoyed most, she had grown to love their edgy pop-rock style. There was also no denying that Dane was simply magnetic on stage. It was easy to see why he had been named the World’s Sexiest Man in multiple magazines over the years.
“I’m going to have to learn to pace myself or I’ll completely lose my voice in the first week,” Sydney croaked as they waited back in their green room for the after-party to start.
Lily made a sound of agreement as she chewed on a handful of Skittles. She and her friends had screamed right along with the rest of the crowd, singing lyrics at the top of their lungs. It had been impossible not to get swept up in the moment.
“I hear you there,” Aria said. “And my feet are killing me. Don’t say it.”
Lily closed her mouth on an “I told you so.” She grinned instead. Aria hadn’t heeded her warning about wearing comfortable shoes and was even now removing her pretty sandals to massage her feet.
“Why do they bother having seats if no one sits in them?” Aria asked with a creased forehead. “The chick beside me kept stomping all over my toes. I nearly choked her with her backstage pass lanyard.”
“That would have been entertaining,” Sydney said.
Lily nodded her agreement as she finished her second bottle of water. Despite the cool evening, a light coat of perspiration coated her skin by the time the show was over. She had washed up when they got to the green room and immediately chugged some water to rehydrate. She figured the band was doing much the same now in their own green room.
She confirmed that less than an hour later as she, Sydney, and Aria joined the after-party taking place in one of the venue’s large meeting spaces. The room was already teeming with staff and the lucky fans who received backstage passes. Lily guessed there were probably a hundred or so people there. The faint sound of music was barely audible over the noise of everyone talking over each other.
Tables and chairs lined the walls, leaving the center of the space free for mingling. The scent of food struck Lily the moment she entered the room, drawing her attention to the staff who were putting the finishing touches on a buffet to the left of the door. Even though she normally detested buffets, her stomach rumbled and told her she’d have to get some real food soon.
She spotted Dane and the other Void members across the room. They were surrounded by people and cameras, which was nothing new. She frowned when she noticed that some of the cameras resembled professional television cameras rather than typical fan-cams or press cameras. There were even a couple of sound operators hovering over the band with microphones on poles. Maybe the band agreed to do a spot for the local news, she thought.
Deciding that it didn’t really matter since the cameras were focused on the band and not her, Lily shrugged it off and headed over to a quieter part of the room with Sydney and Aria. They waited in line at one of the room’s two bars and soon had drinks in-hand.
Nikki stood nearby with a couple of other women. Lily angled in their direction, waving Aria and Sydney after her. She fought a smile when she scanned Nikki’s attire, which was completely characteristic of her. She wore a black Void tank top over a neon green bra that lifted her breasts so they nearly spilled out of the tank’s scooped neckline. She had paired that with low-cut ripped jeans that displayed her hip bones and knee-high black boots with sharp high heels. Rows of bracelets lined both of her arms, clanging as she lifted her hand to toss her long white-blonde hair over her shoulder.
“Yeah, I’m used to these waits nowadays,” Nikki was saying to the two women beside her as Lily approached.
The two women seemed to be hanging onto Nikki’s every word. It was clear they were trying to get advice from someone who had managed to land one of The Void’s members. Judging by their short skirts and tight tank tops, they were planning on making a play that evening themselves.
“Hey, Lily,” Nikki said, lifting the beer she held in greeting.
“Hey,” Lily said. “You remember Aria and Sydney from last night, right?”
“Sure. Hi, you two.” Nikki gave a nod to the two brunettes with her. “This is Fiona and Gracie. They’ve been to quite a few Void concerts this year.”
“This is our first time backstage though,” said the young woman Nikki had introduced as Gracie.
Up close, she looked about twenty years younger than Fiona. Lily got the weird impression that they were related...possibly a mother and daughter. Gracie didn’t even look old enough to drink alcohol. Lily struggled not to make a face as she nodded and sipped her martini.
“Hoping to meet the band?” Sydney asked.
“Oh, yeah,” Gracie replied. “We want to do more than just meet them.”
She giggled and licked her lips in an almost laughable way. Lily hid her humor by taking another sip of her drink.
Clearly as amused as Lily, Aria asked, “Who have you set your sights on?”
“Archer, of course,” Fiona responded.
“Is that right?” Lily asked, keeping her tone casual.
“Yeah,” Fiona said, looking Lily up and down. “So don’t go getting any ideas.”
“Please, Mom,” Gracie scoffed. “Look at her. She’s not going to get into anyone’s pants looking like that.”
Lily just smiled.
Seeing the reaction, Nikki shook her head and laughed. “There’s no way you’re getting into Archer’s pants now, ladies.”
Gracie gasped in dismay and Fiona’s dark eyes narrowed. “We’ll just see about that,” she said. “Come on, Gracie.”
The two women flounced off in the direction of the band. Lily shrugged and took another sip of her drink, licking sugar off the rim as she did. She realized she was drinking her martini faster than she should because she was still thirsty. Since it tasted good and made her feel even better, she didn’t bother slowing down, finishing it off with one more gulp. She felt the burn all the way down to her stomach. The alcohol buzz was swift and delightful.
“You want another drink?” Aria asked her.
“Sure,” Lily said, handing her friend her glass. “That’ll give you the perfect excuse to chat with the hot bartender you’ve had your eye on since you walked into the room.”
“Noticed that, did you?”
Lily grinned. “I’m not blind.”
Aria nudged her in the side and headed towards the bar with an added sway to her hips. She looked amazing in her dark red sleeveless pantsuit. You wouldn’t know her feet were killi
ng her by the way she rocked her glittery heeled sandals. Half the heads in the room turned to watch her walk, male and female alike.
Sighing in envy over her beautiful friend’s ability to command a room, Lily tuned back into the conversation between Nikki and Sydney.
“I can’t believe I was once like that,” Nikki said, staring after Fiona and Gracie.
“Did you go to a lot of The Void’s concerts in hopes of meeting them?” Sydney asked, fiddling with the buttons on her lightweight sweater. She always got cold.
“Hell, yeah. I lost count of how many I went to. Eventually I got to come to a few of these parties and hang out with the band more often.”
Her tongue loosened by the alcohol, Lily said, “I’ve got to admit that I’m surprised you’ve managed to get Keith to commit to a long-term relationship, Nikki. I thought he’d never settle down.”
Nikki didn’t seem offended by the statement. “I’ve heard that from other people, too. They all wonder how I’ve done it. The answer is simple, really. I’m willing to do anything in bed.”
Sydney choked on the Diet Coke she’d just sipped. Lily laughed and patted her soundly on the back.
“I can see why that might work,” Lily said.
“But sex only holds a guy’s attention for so long,” Sydney pointed out when she had cleared her throat.
Nikki eyed Sydney as though wondering what planet she was from. “Well I’m planning on holding Keith’s attention for a long time to come.”
Leaving her empty pilsner glass on a neighboring table, Nikki walked purposefully across the room, shouldering her way between the people crowding the band until she stood next to Keith. The second he looked at her, she grabbed him and pulled him into a passionate kiss, clearly not caring who watched.
Seeing Sydney’s frown over the spectacle, Lily asked, “Are you all right?”
Sydney’s expression eased and she shook her head at herself. “I’m fine. This just isn’t my thing.”
“Do you think she’s going to go around kissing all the guys?” asked a male voice from behind Lily. “Because I’d really better reconsider this French Onion Soup if that’s the case.”
They turned to see an attractive, familiar-looking guy with long brown hair and blue-green eyes standing with a bowl of steaming, fragrant soup in his hand. He lifted the bowl in Nikki’s general direction to explain his comment. Lily and Sydney both laughed.
“I think you’re in the clear,” Lily said. “I’m Lily and this is Sydney.”
“Hi there. I’m Corey.”
As she shook his offered hand, Lily realized who he was. “You’re Corey Gauthier with Brewer Street, right?”
“Hey, you know us?”
“Sure.”
“Then you’re either Canadian or a reporter,” he joked, lifting his spoon to blow on some soup before slurping it down.
“I’m neither,” she said. “I’m a writer and I’m here with The Void for the duration of the tour. I familiarized myself with the opening acts before the tour kicked off. I enjoyed your album. It’s cool that you incorporated some of the folk sounds from Newfoundland in your songs.”
He seemed surprised that she was so familiar with his band. “Thanks. It’s important to us to reflect Canadian culture in our music. What are you writing then?”
Lily barely registered Aria strolling by with another Lemon Drop Martini and placing it in her hand. She didn’t notice at all when Aria and Sydney left her alone with Corey.
“I’d really like to write strong human interest stories,” she told him, “especially those that make readers look at the interview subject in a completely different way.”
Swallowing another bite of soup, he said, “I have to admit that isn’t what I expected you to say. What inspired you to focus your writing in that direction?”
She wasn’t about to tell a virtual stranger that she had been raised by a mother who had hated her from birth and whose opinion of her she had never been able to change. That motivation had only become clear to her in the past couple years. It was something she still grappled with.
“I guess I just know how hard it is to be seen a certain way when there’s more to the story. I want my interview subjects to tell their real stories without the usual sensationalist slant. I hope their stories will touch others and help them through difficult times.”
“Wow. I really admire that. It’s got to be a challenge.”
“It’s not as hard as you’d think to write the stories,” Lily said after sipping her drink. “The trick is to get people to allow you to really get to know them. What affects us the most isn’t something we enjoy talking about, you know?”
“I getcha. Well, hey...I’m sure Brewer Street would welcome an interview with you. Would that help?”
“That would be great! When do you think we could meet up?”
Her excitement faltered when his attention shifted. She followed his gaze and saw Dane standing right behind her.
“There you are,” Dane said, throwing an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close to kiss the top of her head. “I didn’t think I’d have to hunt you down.”
Disconcerted by the intimate greeting, Lily gave a little laugh and said, “I’ve been chatting with Corey. Have you two met?”
“Yeah. Hey, Corey,” Dane said, reaching out to shake the other guy’s hand.
Corey grinned. “Good to see you, Archer.”
Cameras clicked and flashed to capture the moment as Corey shook Dane’s hand. Despite her discomfort over that, Lily was amused that Corey was clearly star-struck but trying to be cool.
Her amusement vanished when she noticed Dane’s expression. He was smiling but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. She’d never seen him in this particular mood and she didn’t know what it meant. He distracted her by looking down at her and asking what they’d been talking about.
“Corey offered to help me out with an interview,” she explained.
“Ah. That’s great.”
She knew from his tone that Dane didn’t really mean what he said. But that made no sense. It had been his idea for her to use the tour as a way to meet people and gather some good writing content.
One of the cameras that looked like a television camera moved around the three of them like a shark circling in the water. She flinched when one of the boom mics swiveled in her direction. Standing next to Dane meant exposing herself to the media coverage he commanded, but that didn’t mean she had to be happy about it.
She forced herself to relax, reminding herself that Dane had made arrangements to protect her from media exposure. Besides, it wasn’t like they were discussing anything noteworthy that would be worth airing.
Corey’s gaze slid from her to Dane and back again. “Well...I’m heading back to the buffet. I’ll catch up with you about the interview later, Lily. Okay?”
Feeling Dane’s arm tense around her shoulders, she glanced at him before replying, “That’d be great. Thanks, Corey.”
Giving them both a cheerful salute, Corey headed off into the crowd. Lily breathed a sigh of relief when Dane waved the cameras away and they slowly dispersed. When she was fairly sure they weren’t being filmed, she turned so she faced Dane. He lowered the arm that had been around her shoulders and met her questioning stare with one of his own.
“What was that?” she asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Do you not want me interviewing Corey or something?”
“No,” he said, seeming to shake off whatever was bothering him. “No, I’m glad you’re getting some writing content. You should interview everyone you can during the tour. In fact, I’ve asked our production manager, Bill Laceny, to take you behind the scenes during setup tomorrow night so you can get more familiar with the crew and other performers.”
She smiled and bounced a little. “You did? Thank you.”
The remains of her drink splashed dangerously close to the rim as she grabbed him in a hug. She stood on her toes to look over his s
houlder to make sure she hadn’t spilled all over him. As she did, she noticed Fiona watching them from a few feet away. Lily ignored the venom in the other woman’s gaze as she stepped out of the hug.
“No problem,” Dane said, looking sincerely happy for the first time since he’d approached her. He studied her for a long moment and shook his head. “You’re starving again. Actually, so am I. Do me a favor and get a plate of something we can share. Christopher said he needs me for a minute. I’ll find you after I chat with him.”
“Sure.”
He winked at her before moving off in Christopher’s direction. Lily finished her drink and set the glass on a nearby tray with other empties on it. She headed for the buffet, her steps not quite steady after all of the vodka on her nearly empty stomach. Nikki, who was in the process of loading up a plate herself, spotted her and grinned.
“Looks like you need some of this food,” she said.
“Yeah,” Lily agreed as she grabbed a plate. “I’m feeling no pain.”
She eyeballed the buffet options and chose some things she’d eat as well as some she thought Dane would enjoy. He was allergic to shellfish, so she avoided the shrimp cocktail and bacon-wrapped scallops. The hummus looked and smelled good, so she scooped some of that onto her plate and grabbed some of the naan bread warming in the basket next to it. She also picked up a meatball slider for Dane and a couple of fruit skewers for both of them.
She was trickling chocolate sauce over the fruit when she was shoved from behind. Chocolate fell from the spoon she was holding onto her hand and the lip of the buffet table. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Fiona standing there. Lily turned to face the glaring woman, nonchalantly licking chocolate off her thumb.
“You know there’s no way you can compete against me to get Archer, right?” Fiona hissed.
Lily lifted an eyebrow and picked up a fruit skewer to eat a slice of strawberry, not bothering to reply.
“You’re right,” came Dane’s voice from behind Fiona, who whirled around and sucked in a sharp breath of surprise. “You can’t compete with Lily. I suggest you leave now before I have you escorted out.”