I put my arms around her and buried my face in her shoulder, loving the smell of her that I could smell even through all the normal show smells.
“God, I’ve missed you. Are you back to me?” I said to her hair.
I felt her nod.
“Good thing,” I grinned. “You’d have to dump me again, in front of all these people. Who love me,” I pulled back from her. “Can I kiss you? Please?”
“In front of—”
I stopped her with a kiss. I lifted her off her feet to bring her closer. The energy from the crowd around me felt like it was all over—thunderbolts and lightning. She wrapped her arms around me, and I knew that not only had she walked back in the door, but slammed it behind her.
I was never going to let her go. Not that she’d want to.
“I love you,” I said.
“I love you, Xavier.”
I kissed her again. “Now that you have your shit in order, you think I could go back to making a living? Some people gotta work.”
She burst out laughing.
I eased my hold on her, which wasn’t easy. Then I held up a finger to the crowd, pulling the mic back up to me with my other hand. “Hang on,” I said, winking.
I led her from the stage, the cheers and noise from the crowd surrounding us. “Stay here. Don’t disappear. I want to see you the rest of the show, and then after the show. Okay?”
She nodded. “What about after that?”
“I want to see you the rest of my life.”
Olivia grinned. “I’ll need to cancel my ride home,” she said.
“Damn straight.” I kissed her again, and we parted, laughing. “Now let me get back to work, woman!”
I ran back on stage, and while I know I was happier than I’d ever been, I could swear I’d never heard the crowd so enthused.
It was the best show of my life.
Only after I was done, and Olivia and I were walking across the stage towards the exit that led to my bus, did I notice the gold and silver glitter all over the stage.
“Holy shit,” I said.
“What?”
“C’mon, let’s get out of here. I have a story to tell you.” I tucked her under my arm as we walked out.
Together.
Epilogue
From StarShot website:
The bad boy, XTC, missing in action until his tour opened, gave his most successful tour ever. Over the past four months, he’s sold out every show. He treats his fans to more encores and requests than ever before. Gone is the sullen, angry rapper, although he belts out those works with the same energy he’s always had. The big difference is the insertion of the song X’s and O’s throughout his show, never at the same time.
X’s and O’s, written by the rapper himself, was debuted on his social media site in a simple video that showed the star singing in his New York studio. Sorry ladies, but this tour puts to rest all the rumors that came to life when the video dropped. He’s taken, very taken if his actions at the Atlanta show are any indication.
He may be getting older, but like a good wine, he keeps getting better.
Update: XTC’s manager, Troy Nottingham, released a statement today: At the conclusion of the Up-n-Down tour, XTC and Olivia Meroux will be married, and taking an extended honeymoon. The tour will finish as scheduled but there are no further appearances scheduled for XTC for the remainder of the year.
Want to see how it all started?
Dhameer is the constant in the Djinn Everlasting series. Like Tibby, Xavier, and Bryant, there’s a reason why he does the things he does, and why he follows the rules and guidelines he does - rules that frustrate all three of the humans we see him granting wishes to!
Read his origin story here! Click the link below!
About the Author
Lisa Manifold is a USA Today Bestselling Author of fantasy, paranormal, and romance stories. She moved to Colorado as an adult and has no plans of living anywhere else. She is a consummate reader, often running late because "Just one more page!" Lisa writes the things she does because she really, really wants to live in a world where these kinds of stories happen.
She is a fan of all things Con, and has an entire room devoted to the costumes created for Cons. She serves on the board of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers as the Independent Published Author Liaison, and in 2016, was named the RMFW Independent Writer of the Year.
Lisa is the author of the fae paranormal romance series The Realm, the Grimm fairy tale retelling Sisters of the Curse series, the Heart of the Djinn series which follows a free-lance djinn, the Aumahnee Prophecy urban fantasy series, and the forthcoming urban fantasy series The Dragon Thief.
She lives as close to the mountains as possible with her husband, sons, and three attentive dogs.
Connect with Lisa online:
www.lisamanifold.com
[email protected]
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Titles by Lisa Manifold
The Realm Series
Heart of the Goblin King
To Wed the Goblin King
Realms of the Goblin King
Rise of the Dragon King
The Companion Tales, Volume I
The Companion Tales, Volume II (2018)
The Aumahnee Prophecy
with Corinne O’Flynn
Marigold’s Tale (Prequel)
Eamonn’s Tale (Prequel)
The Gim Crackers (Aumahnee World Novella)
The Portal Keepers (Aumahnee World Novella)
Watchers of the Veil
Djinn Everlasting
Three Wishes
Forgotten Wishes
Hidden Wishes
Sisters of the Curse
Thea’s Tale
One Night at the Ball
Casimir’s Journey
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Forgotten Wishes: Djinn Everlasting Book Two Page 24