by Faith Starr
“It’s okay.” Trevor comforted the girl by stroking her back.
I gave him kudos. He had the patience of a saint when it came to overzealous fans.
“Okay, Ms. Cooper, it’s time to get the show on the road and take your picture with the band.”
Dani had the glorious role of being our band bitch. It was her job to get fans in and out in a timely manner.
“I’m so sorry.”
The girl trembled from head to toe. Her friend tried to soothe her. Unsuccessfully, I might add. And what a knockout she was—petite with brunette hair done up in a messy style, with eyes bluer than any I had ever seen. Fuck. I couldn’t take my eyes off her.
“You can stand next to Trevor while taking the picture, if you want,” Dani advised.
What patience my sister had to dredge up with this fan, a visible bundle of nerves. I honestly didn’t understand how the fan girl’s legs kept her upright. She wouldn’t stop fidgeting. It drove me crazy. I knew it did the same to Dani. For the most part, by the end of meet and greets Dani’s tolerance for manic fans had left the building, mostly because she knew the guys and I had only a small window of time before we had to take our places onstage.
The beauty walked around me and stood between me and Logan. The train wreck, Ms. Cooper, if I recalled correctly, stood between me and Trevor.
I took the opportunity to snake my arm around the beauty’s waist. And fuck me if my hand didn’t accidentally brush against her breast while doing so. Honestly, it wasn’t a perverted attempt to cop a free feel either. I had better morals and respect for women than to pull such a slimy act.
“Sorry.” I held my hand up.
I had to say, even though it hadn’t been intentional, the package she had hidden underneath her T-shirt felt pretty fucking awesome.
She mouthed her approval at my apology.
Ginger got right down to business. “Everyone smile.”
The next thing I knew, deadweight fell against me, which had a domino effect and pushed me into the beauty. Cooper had fainted in all of the excitement.
“Fuck!” I didn’t know who to attend to first, the girl on the floor or the friend I had bulldozed into. At least Logan had caught Cooper before she went down. He had her lying flat. The friend got on the floor to assess the situation.
“Can you please get me some juice?”
The beauty’s voice was seductive as hell. I knew it wasn’t deliberate, especially in a circumstance such as this one, but shit, she could have been a phone-sex operator with that soft and sultry tone she had going.
Dani rushed out of the room in search of a beverage. The rest of us didn’t know what to do, so we basically stood in silence. Ginger ignored the goings-on and packed up her supplies, since the meet and greet had officially ended for the evening.
The beauty shoved her purse beneath Cooper’s head. I assumed for comfort.
“I want to elevate her legs. Do you have anything around here I could use?”
She scanned the small room, calm and collected in her actions. Not me. I was totally freaking the fuck out inside. Sure, girls cried over us and carried on, but this? What a surprising and somewhat shocking first.
I grabbed a stool from the corner of the room and handed it to her.
“Thanks.”
Shit, the way her eyes bore into mine almost had me dropping the stool.
Dani came back with a bottle of apple juice in hand. The beauty gently shook her friend.
Camilla burst into the room, informing us it was time to take our positions behind the stage. Her eyes opened wide when she took in the scene in front of her.
“We can’t leave her here alone in this condition. Maybe we should call the paramedics or something.” Trevor shifted from foot to foot.
“No. She’ll be fine. I’m a nurse.”
Fuck, I’ll be her patient anytime.
What a sight this woman was.
Her gaze met mine. Had she read my thoughts?
“A few minutes rest, and she’ll be good to go. It would be great if I could get this juice into her, though.”
It would be great if I could get my cock into you, pretty lady.
This time she didn’t pay me any mind, which assured me she didn’t have psychic abilities.
“I’ll take care of this.” Camilla gestured to the insanity. “You boys go on ahead.”
“Why don’t we set you and your friend up in the lounge?” I ignored Camilla, who flashed me an evil eye. I didn’t give a shit. “There are people in there during the show in case your friend needs further assistance.” I didn’t know what else to offer. All I knew was that I had to see this woman again. And by the way she eye-fucked me, I had a feeling her vibe mirrored mine.
Cooper blinked a few times and took in her surroundings. “Where am I?”
She caught sight of Trevor. The terror that flitted over his face was priceless. He zeroed in on me and Logan. I didn’t have an answer for him. Logan obviously didn’t either because he just shrugged with a dumbfounded expression on his face.
“I think I’ll head over to the stage area. It was nice meeting both of you. I’m sorry about how things ended up.”
I gave Trevor props. He had handled the chaos like a champ but also took Camilla’s cue and jumped at the chance to exit the scene.
“I’m so sorry, Trevor.” Cooper frowned, stopping him in his tracks.
He nervously smiled, then bolted out of the room.
With that, her friend jammed the straw sitting in the juice bottle into Cooper’s mouth, cupping her head so she wouldn’t choke on the liquid. “Drink, Lily.”
Now I had Cooper’s first name.
Lily swallowed. “Did we get a picture?”
She pouted when Logan and I shook our heads.
“I’m so embarrassed.” Lily covered her face. “And totally mortified that this happened.” She took her feet off the stool and slowly sat up, her friend keeping her hand on Lily’s mid-back. Lily sighed.
“Joey, Logan, please take your positions. I assure you I’ll take care of them,” Camilla advised.
We were almost to the door when an idea hit me. I stopped before exiting. “How about you two ladies get a personal viewing of the show from the side of the stage? Afterward, you can join the band for a small get-together we’re hosting in honor of this being our final show for this part of the tour and the fact that we’re in our hometown.”
It was a last-ditch effort to keep the hottie around. I knew if I left Camilla in charge, she’d have them out with the rest of the crowd within five minutes flat. She had no patience for whiny fans.
“Are you serious?” Lily re-entered the world of the living in a flash.
The pretty one nudged her friend in somewhat of an effort to tone down Lily’s over-the-top enthusiasm.
It reminded me of that scene in the movie Airplane, when everyone lined up to slap the lady’s face while she had a hysterical meltdown. The thought she might slap Lily’s face brought me joy. The weirdest shit came to mind before I hit the stage.
“Dani, make sure it happens. Got it?” I knew if anyone could, my sister would, which is why I asked her.
“Thanks.” The hottie grinned at me from her seated position on the floor.
What a spectacular smile she had too—straight white teeth, a twinkle in those mesmerizing blue eyes of hers. My legs suddenly felt a bit unsteady.
“I have to say, I think you just made a woman’s dream come true with your offer.”
I knew what would make my dream come true or at least give me extra energy on stage—the guarantee of she and I hooking up after the show. But something about her didn’t strike me as the groupie type who would throw herself at my feet and beg to get in my pants. Perhaps that’s what drew me to her. Well, at least I knew I’d see her again, since she’d be sticking around with Lily, which pumped me up more than usual.
“I guess I’ll see you after the show.” I directed my attention solely at her with my comment and s
neaked in a wink for good measure. She blinked a few times in response, her crystal-blue eyes sparkling. I suppose she hadn’t expected my flirting.
My feet hit the ground with more pep than usual as Logan and I caught up with Trevor, who strolled down the hallway that led to the stage.
And then it hit me. I didn’t even know the pretty friend’s name.
5
Teva
“Oh my God! Joey Fine winked at you!” Lily covered her mouth with her hand. She spoke into it. “I think he wants you.”
“Shush, keep it down. Their assistant is coming back for us. And don’t be silly. He probably feels bad about what happened and is trying to make nice.” I tried to brush off her comment, mostly to shut her up. Of course I’d noticed how Joey Fine looked at and spoke to me, especially the glimmer of interest I’d seen in his eyes—the same hue as mine, but darker. That spoke a million unsaid words. And all that shaggy brown hair? Man, how I’d love to run my fingers through it.
Stop dreaming.
I had to put a halt on feeding into these obscure and insane thoughts. Sure, Joey was drool-worthy in person. And I found him to be the cutest member of the band. But he was Joey Fine, lead singer of Steam. Need I say more?
Fine.
What a last name. He was definitely fine alright.
I pondered for a moment that the word fine didn’t do him justice. I had never vocalized my secret crush on him to Lily, because whenever the topic of Steam came up, she would monopolize the conversation and tell me all about Trevor Stone. I could never get a word in edgewise. She would also fill me in on the band’s love of partying. Uh, no thanks. Not interested.
Well, I was, but I didn’t revel in hearing the slimy details about the guys’ exploits with various and numerous model types. To their credit, the stories and pictures never portrayed the guys in a negative light. I stand corrected, with Logan they did, but never Trevor or Joey. Those two seemed to keep a low profile when it came to their private lives. Hell, for all I knew, the stories could have been made up for publicity purposes. Not that it mattered who Joey Fine slept with. I mean, he was a famous musician who didn’t even know I existed.
Until now.
And he did wink at me.
Heat suffused me.
Yup, the time had come for me to have a freak-out moment. Fortunately, I did a better job than Lily of keeping mine under wraps. She would never know how hard my heart pounded or how shallow my breaths had become. I’d have to remember not to hold her hand so she wouldn’t feel my clammy palms.
“That assistant is Dani Fine, Joey’s twin, and one of the band’s songwriters. Damn, Teva, you really need to get up to speed on your Steam trivia.”
The door opened, and Dani entered before I had a chance to respond to Lily’s obnoxious comment.
“Are you feeling better?”
She carried another bottle of apple juice, which she handed to Lily.
“You’re Daniela, right? Joey’s sister?”
Leave it to Lily to ask, even though she’d given me the 411 on the girl a few seconds ago.
“Yes. You can call me Dani.”
Did you hear that, Lily? Oh wait, you already knew.
I rolled my eyes at her poor attempt at making conversation with the girl.
“Wow. What’s it like to work with Steam?”
Lily was visibly starry-eyed at the thought.
“It’s like being with siblings 24/7. We have our good days and our bad days. Come. If you’re feeling better, I have to get you situated on the side of the stage before the show starts.”
“I can’t believe we get to sit on the side of the stage. This is a dream come true.”
Dani smiled but didn’t say anything in response to Lily’s comment while escorting us out of the room. She probably heard this type of elation from fans daily.
We followed Dani through the three-ring circus taking place behind the stage. I could hear the crowd roaring loudly for Steam.
“This is so cool.” Lily clasped her hands and held them against her heart. “I feel like I’m in the Twilight Zone.”
“Please promise me you won’t run onstage and tackle Trevor during the show.”
Dani may have warned Lily in a joking manner, but I could tell she meant business.
Lily gasped. “I would never do such a thing.”
“I trust you’ll keep it together?”
Lily crossed her heart. “I promise.”
Two chairs awaited us. Lots of action took place on the side of the stage. The roadies were adjusting the electronic equipment, fidgeting with wires, and taking care of other necessary tasks. Lily couldn’t sit still, constantly bobbing her knees or playing with her nails.
My mind drifted off, thinking about Joey Fine and how he’d winked at me. He probably did that to every woman he met. From what Lily had told me, he was the typical rock star playboy. Odd but I hadn’t gotten that feeling when I met him.
The lights dimmed in the stadium. Lily grabbed my hand and stopped all the circulation in it by squeezing so hard. “Do you see them? I wonder if they’ll enter the stage from over here in front of us. I still can’t believe this.”
Her attempt at a whisper was an epic fail. Not that it mattered, because the screams of the fans made it difficult for me to hear her anyway.
“I see them,” she squealed.
My fingers started to feel numb. I managed to release myself from her death grip.
The guys took their positions. And let me just say, to see things from this perspective—cool as shit!
The thin figure standing in front of the microphone got special attention from me. My heart began to flutter. Even in the darkness, Joey’s dreamy essence captivated me. The fans couldn’t see the band yet.
A laser light display, along with Trevor hitting a few beats, had the crowd erupting with earsplitting cries. The place went wild, and the arena exploded with cheers of delight. I covered my ears.
I reached inside my purse for a tissue. I ripped it in half, balled the two pieces up, and placed one in each ear to dull the sound. Lily shot daggers my way for doing so. I shrugged her off. I loved the music, but I also didn’t want to rely on hearing aids anytime in the near future.
“It’s so good to be home, celebrating our Rest Alone Tour with you guys!”
Joey spoke to the audience with ease, in the same manner one would do when chatting with a close friend. I could never see myself having that much confidence in front of so many people. Forget that.
“Are you ready to take a ride with us, Steamers?”
The crowd went crazy.
“That’s what I love to hear. Trevor, set us up!”
Trevor did his thing. The show had officially begun. It was in fact a nonstop ride too. I saw Lily’s point. These weren’t mere guys performing. Rather, each of them had talent beyond words in his respective craft. And Joey’s vocals? Saying the man seduced every female spectator with his sultry voice put it mildly. He oozed sensuality. His lyrics were powerful and deep too. Lily had told me that he wrote most of the band’s songs.
As he sang the words to their newest song, “Long Gone,” my eyes watered. The man could have been singing about my life.
Coming home late
Lots of things to do
Or maybe I just say that
So I don’t have to see you
Your vision is so clouded
By the voices in your mind
They’re loud enough for all to hear
Yet you keep replaying them, push rewind
Long gone but not forgotten
The torment never ends
Long gone but not forgotten
A heart that will never mend
Sorry doesn’t cut it
It’s just a word to you
Your actions are much stronger
It’s not what you say but what you do
Maybe I am stronger
Or broken up inside
Long gone are those days
; I no longer have to hide
Long gone but not forgotten
The torment never ends
Long gone but not forgotten
A heart that will never mend
Say goodbye to what once was
It will never be again
I am scarred and changed forever
For the torment never ends
Long gone but not forgotten
The pain will never die
Long gone but not forgotten
It’s time now to say goodbye
Joey had literally put my feelings into words. I couldn’t hold back my tears, totally choked up by the song.
Lily rubbed my forearm. I gave her the best reassuring smile I could muster under the circumstances. How Joey sang that song without tearing up himself, I didn’t know. Maybe because he sang it so frequently? Or maybe because he’d finally said goodbye to whatever or whoever had caused him to write those sentimental lyrics from the heart. Then again, for all I knew, they could have simply been words. Yet I didn’t think they were. That gorgeous rock star parading around on stage did indeed have a heavy heart. One I would probably never have the opportunity to get close to.
The next song had an upbeat tempo, but it didn’t help my mood any. Joey had done a superb job of kicking up old shit with a simple ballad, something which had taken my therapist years to accomplish. Ha. How ironic.
They played an album-full, if not more, of songs. I halfheartedly listened, still trying to put the shitstorm the ballad had created back under wraps.
Finally, the guys said goodnight to the crowd and ended the show.
The last thing I wanted to do was attend an after-party. I wanted to call it a night, my mind and body exhausted from the emotional roller coaster this concert experience had unexpectedly taken me on.
The band blew my mind. Not an easy feat, since I considered myself to be an extremely tough critic. It took a lot to receive a thumbs-up from me, and Steam deserved all ten of my fingers with praise to go along with it. They certainly deserved the fame they were achieving.