by Maya Hughes
“Okay everyone. I think you might know this one. I wanted to save it to the end.” He winked at her again and played the opening chords to his biggest hit. Well his only hit and top radio rotation song. It started out slow and gradually built as he layered his sounds one on top of one another. He moved from mic to mic and looping petal to petal on stage, weaving a performance, not only with his sound, but technical skill in front of the crowd. She swayed on her feet and sat to give herself a break. All the commotion and excitement with Rox had her a bit queasy.
Standing in front of the small bar crowd, Eric couldn’t help but get pumped from their energy. Performing had always been when he felt most at ease. The awkward band kid slid away and he could express himself without reservation. Playing songs most people didn’t know, he marveled at how they sung back the chorus by the second or third time. Touring with Uncharted had been a little bit of a kick in the teeth. Their fans weren’t necessarily the type that enjoyed his music and depending on the temperament of the crowd on any given evening they let him know. They leaned more toward rock, where he was more folk pop, but every so often he’d get out the electric guitar and rock up one of his songs live on stage and that would win some of their fans over. He had no idea how the rest of the Uncharted tour would go. The stadiums were not packed, but mostly full and he hoped that his style would mesh with their fans as they got used to him.
The life of an opener was never easy. You’re not who they came to see. Plain and simple, so even if you’re spot on the type of music that they want to hear, it’s not you they want to hear it from. Every so often if the crowd was particularly restless one of the guys would run out and do a little duet with him. Otherwise, he was out there flapping in the wind. And in the case of one show in San Antonio, he was literally flapping in the wind because he’d forgotten to zip up his fly after taking a leak.
When he played his single that was on the radio for the crowd, there were people singing along from the beginning. He hoped the rush he got from hearing people sing his music never went away. Staring down, Keira was rocking along, eyes closed and from this close he could hear her singing the words. She had a great voice and she must have felt his eyes on her because she snapped them open and turned a lovely shade of crimson. He winked at her and went back to entertaining the rest of the crowd. Something about her made him want to spend all night talking to her, drinking with her, touching her. She did something to him that he hadn’t experienced before and he wanted more of it.
After a few more songs, he finally decided to call it quits and they turned on some background music. Rox had set aside a plate of food for him back in the kitchen, which was a godsend because everyone pretty much devoured everything that had been put out. She was a hell of a chef. He’d miss her food and as long as she stayed at The Bramble, that was another reason to stop in whenever he passed through town.
Backslaps of congratulations and handshakes abounded as he hopped off the stage. Keira had disappeared as soon as he finished playing and he craned his neck surveying the crowd to figure out where she went. He tried not to think about the fact that he was tracking her after only one conversation. Over the past few months, he’d lost interest in women. The rush of having them throw themselves at him wore off pretty quickly when he realized he was only a trophy for a lot of women to use. He wasn’t a real person, but with her he felt real again. He felt like the old him.
The party crowd thickened as latecomers arrived and the drink pours were more generous. Someone hopped up on stage to try their hand at a little karaoke. While there weren’t many people there, Keira’s bouncing halo of curls was nowhere to be seen.
5
Stepping out of the cooler bathroom into the warm bar, the room tilted and she placed her hand on the cool brick wall in the hallway. Now that Eric had finished playing and the adrenaline of being mere inches from him while he was on stage wore off, the churning in her stomach was back. She peered out the end of the hall and saw Eric shake hands and accept hugs from eager new fans as he made his way from the stage to the bar. She smiled wide knowing that almost anyone who saw him perform was bound to become an instant fan. He was going to be a star. Hell, he pretty much was one already. He’d gone for it, put himself out there and look at him now, living his dream.
A heavy sadness blanketed her, her art would never be so well received. No one would ever see her work, as it was, outside of her students in the classroom and her sister. She closed her eyes, rested her head against the wall and wrapped her arms around her waist. Small stomach cramps had her wincing as she rubbed her side. She couldn’t imagine being so celebrated in what she created. But the happiness for him at his soon-to-be stardom hadn’t diminished. He’d put in the work playing side stages at festivals, touring around, and producing music unlike anything she’d experienced before.
A hand on her shoulder made her jump and pulled her from her mini-sulk.
“Hey, there you are,” Eric said, beaming down at her. She swooned, her knees weak, partially because of the temperature in the bar, but also because of the heat coming off him. Fanning herself, she returned his smile.
“Had to run to the bathroom. I knew it would fill up once your new-found fans finished congratulating you on your set.”
“What did you think?
“Of what?” she said, smirking. His eyes narrowed before a broad smile spread across his face.
“You know, about the food.”
“Really delicious, Rox is an all-star in the kitchen,” she said, holding back a laugh and wincing at the sharp stitch in her stomach. His smile faltered, so she pasted a smile on her face and gripped her side. The rumbling wasn’t going away. She needed to get out of there fast. Torn between spending more time with Eric and passing out, she knew she’d need to make an escape soon. It would figure that the first time she’d been able to catch him there, the first time she talked to him, she was battling against a stomach in revolt.
“About my performance,” he said, gesturing to the stage. Putting him out of his misery, she placed her hand on his arm, a jolt traveling up her arm as their skin touched.
“I know. I was just messing with you. It was great, like every time I’ve seen you play. Harnessing all that energy up there, the way you keep your focus and still keep things so fluid and fun makes it an unforgettable experience.” Blushing at the thought that she may have just fan girled way too hard, she pulled her hand back, stared down at her shoes, and picked at the skin on her thumb. Her stomach flipped and she pushed off the wall. She needed to get out of there.
A lot of those are songs off the new album,” he said, dipping his head, trying to catch her eyes.
“I know,” she said, peering up at him.
“You do?” His eyebrows furrowed.
“I saw you at a couple of festivals last year. You played some of those songs. And I may or may not have been able to track down a pirated copy of your sets,” she said, evading his eyes and edging toward the door. He threw his head back and laughed.
“A real fan, huh?”
“I like what you’ve done with some of them. They are a little different than the last time I heard them.” She wove through the crowd with Eric behind her. Why was he following her? Why did he have to be interested in her conversation and fun to talk to. The churning in her stomach got more intense.
“Being in the studio does that sometimes. You have a bit more freedom to mix things and change it up. Then came the hard part of recreating it for the live shows. Mark did me a favor letting me perform tonight. Gave me another chance to practice before going back on tour.”
“Oh, yeah. I’m sure it was a huge favor,” she said, glancing back, her lips quirking up.
“No, seriously. It’s important to play these smaller gigs and see how the fans react up close. Especially people who don’t know the music well. Being an opener, that’s pretty much the only people I’m playing for. They have no clue who I am.”
“But I’m sure there are big fans from t
he first note of your first song.” Her stomach rumbled. She suppressed a grimace and plastered on a smile.
He ran a hand across the back of his neck. “I wish that were the case. Glad you have so much faith in my ability to convert fans.”
“They would be seriously missing out if they didn’t give you a chance.”
“Maybe I need to have you come out and make my pre-show announcements for when I’m on tour as an opener. With you in my corner I won’t get booed off stage before I’ve finished my first song.”
“Has that seriously happened to you before?”
“Oh yeah,” he said, smiling sadly.
“Sure, invite me the next time you’re in town and I’ll make sure those fans know what a treat they are in for.” A group of people came between them, gushing over Eric and his guitar. They pulled him with them to the bar and she waved at him as he looked over his shoulder at her. He waved her forward to join them.
“I’ll be there in a few.”
“There she is,” Mark said, coming up behind her with his arms wrapped around her stomach. He rocked her back and forth and the bile rose in her throat. She pushed on his arms, desperate to get out of his bear hug. He let her go and then turned, giving him a hug. Mark was a great guy. Jen was really lucky to have him following her all the way to New York and giving up his family’s bar.
“I can’t believe you’re leaving.”
“I know, New York. It’s crazy, but it’s the right move,” he said, staring over his shoulder with a dopey grin on his face. She turned to look and saw Jen talking with some friends across the bar.
“Yes, it was. She’s quite a catch and an amazing artist.”
“Like you,” he squeezed her shoulder.
“No, not like me at all.”
“Keira, I don’t know why you do this to yourself. You’re amazing. You have amazing talent. I wish you’d see what everyone else saw.” She knew he was only saying this because he didn’t know much about art. He didn’t know what it was like to bare your soul and have people peer into it, judging, poking, and prodding. After trying that once and finding out she wasn’t good enough, she didn’t know if there were enough bandages in the world to put her back together after another failure.
“She’s going to do amazing things, Mark. Take care of her and support her.” Her eyes misted up, knowing her friend would do everything he could to ensure Jen succeeded. How would things have turned out for her if she’d had someone like Mark backing her up? Someone willing to make sacrifices like he was.
“Always, of course. Are you okay? You’re not looking so well.” He put the back of his hand to her clammy forehead.
“I think I ate something that didn’t agree with me.” A look of horror washed over his face. She swiped her hands in front of her. “Not here! Back home before I got here. Nothing Rox made could ever make me sick. I’m sad I didn’t really get to try any of her stuff tonight.”
“You know the kitchen is always open for you when it comes to Rox. Feel free to stop by whenever. You know you’re on the VIP List.” He hugged her and she hugged him back. Her stomach did not appreciate the squeeze.
“I’d better go,” she said, the queasiness rolling through her stomach, sweat pouring off her even more now. Splashing her face after Eric’d finished playing had only a minimal effect on her queasiness. She hadn’t wanted to miss a moment, so as soon as he hit the last note, she’d dashed off to the bathroom and rested her head against the cool stall door. Thankfully, she didn’t wear much make up at all, so she didn’t look like a drowned rat. But she could tell her stomach revolt was impending and she needed to get out of there.
Popping into the kitchen, she checked on Rox, who promptly kicked her out, grumbling that there was nothing wrong with her. They hugged, which again, roiled Keira’s stomach. Clutching it, she strode out of the kitchen where the smells and sights turned her stomach even more. At least the watery mouth hadn’t taken hold. Plowing out of the kitchen, she ran smack into Eric.
“There you are,” he said, beaming.
“You were looking for me?” she squeaked.
“Yes, you’re pretty much my only fan here.”
“I doubt that,” she said, moving around him, trying to get to the door.
“You were the only one that knew most of the words to all my songs,” he teased. She swallowed rapidly as the heat prickled her skin, now covered in a sheen of sweat.
“I’ve got a great memory.” She needed to get away from him right now. “I’m heading out, okay? It was great finally meeting you and maybe I’ll be able to catch a show sometime soon,” she said, practically running for the front door. Of course this would have to happen this time. No more mystery take out containers for her.
The only thing worse than puking from food poisoning was puking on your musical crush due to food poisoning. He opened his mouth like he wanted to say something, but she rushed off, pushing through the crowd to get to the front door. The relatively cooler air outside helped quell some of her sweatiness, but she still felt like crap.
Standing outside The Bramble she ordered her taxi, her vision blurred and the street wobbled under her feet. Stupid move driving to the bar in the first place, but she hadn’t wanted to pay for a taxi both ways. Tomorrow, she’d have to take the bus to pick up her car. All she wanted to do was curl up on the ground and maybe she’d be able to sleep through this. Maybe.
6
“You’re leaving your own party early?” Eric said to Mark who had his arm slung around Jen’s shoulder. Mark handed Eric his duffle bag he’d stashed up in his office for him.
“We still need to pack and get things ready for the move. Someone distracted me this afternoon, so we didn’t get everything done that we should have before the party,” Mark said, kissing a blushing Jen on the top of the head. Jen rested her hand on his chest and her head on his shoulder. A pang hit him in the chest. He thought he’d had something like that, but all he got was a kick in the teeth. “When are you back on tour?”
“I have a meeting with the label tomorrow and if all goes well there, I’ll be back with Uncharted day after tomorrow.”
“That sounds great. Be sure to leave some tickets for us at Will Call if you go through NYC.”
“Of course, I will, man. And I can’t wait to play at your new bar once it opens. Be sure to save a spot for me.” With how quickly life was changing, he liked to keep real friends close and Mark was turning into one of those.
“I’ll clear the whole week for you, as long as I’m in the US, if you want. That would be one hell of an opening.” Mark let go of Jen and pulled Eric in for a hug, patting him on the back.
“Have fun on your tour man, not too much fun though,” Mark said, chuckling and slapping him on the shoulders.
“You know me, man. I’m pretty chill compared to the guys in Uncharted. The things I’ve seen,” he let out a low whistle. “I’m the tamest one there.”
“Says you,” said Jen. “I’m sure you have some stories of your own.”
“I’ll never tell,” he singsonged. He may have taken advantage of the copious amounts of women that flung themselves at him with his rise. They screeched to a halt once Talia was on the scene, but after the break up being on tour with Uncharted was just what he needed. Those guys were insane and there were no shortage of women willing to hook up, even with the opener like him. But part of him was resentful. He was the same guy he was before. He hadn’t changed, yet now women wanted a piece of him. It was enough to put him off the whole groupie thing before he really jumped into the deep end.
“We need to get going. See you later Eric,” Mark said, checking his phone for the time.
“Bye Eric,” Jen said, giving him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. The pair walked back through the kitchen, probably to check on Rox.
Eric said his goodbyes to everyone else in the party and sent a text to the label’s car that he’d been given. With his guitar and duffle bag, making a speedy exit wasn’t easy. Hands reached
into his pockets, and past a few phone numbers slipped into his pockets by women as he wove his way through the crowd to the front door. Stepping out into the summer heat, felt cool after being in the busy bar under the heat of lights on the stage. He couldn’t believe he’d missed the chance to get her number.
He’d hoped to get her number before she left, but she ran out so quickly he couldn’t even get the words out. Probably for the best anyway. Maintaining any kind of relationship was hard enough when you travelled, but they could always try to keep things casual. Hell things hadn’t even worked out with Talia and they’d been on tour together, but with Keira there was a connection there. She was someone special and he knew that didn’t come along often. His time on the road taught him one thing, it’s hard to make connections, even harder to maintain them, but they were what made all this worthwhile.
He stopped abruptly as a crowd gathered in front of the bar cleared. There she was, standing on the curb. She’d done a number on him tonight. He hadn’t sat down and had a conversation with a woman in a while. He knew she was a friend of Mark when she showed up at the bar, so he hadn’t reverted to his tour whore ways, but that didn’t mean he didn’t want to get to know her better.
He’d turned up the charm and she’d backed off. He thought she was playing hard to get, but she hadn’t dropped any of the usual hints, like a way to contact her. If she was playing hard to get, she was taking it to another level.
She stared at her phone and rocked back and forth on her heels. Her caramel curls bounced around her head as she moved.
“Waiting for a taxi?” he said, making her jump as he came up behind her. She gripped her hand to her chest. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” He put his hand on her shoulder to steady her as she swayed a bit. He didn’t remember her having that much to drink, but with all that happened back there, maybe she’d had a few and he missed it. He doubted it. When she was around, he couldn’t help but notice her.