by Love Journey
The elevator to the right opens up, and the group moves to hop on. Normally, I would wait and take the next open elevator, but what the heck. Carpe diem right? I quickly move to follow the group of guys and ask, “Hold the door please.” The guy closest to the doors presses his hand to the side to give me time to board without the door attempting to close on me.
“Thank you. Which floor would you like?” I ask since I’m now the closest to the panel. I notice my shyness is creeping in as I ask this in a low alto tone but flash my happiest smile.
“Penthouse please,” one of them responds. I didn’t look to see who it was.
“Okay,” I answer and press the button along with my floor.
As I stand to look at the door, the six men were treated to the view of my backside and the light scent of pink sugar. Thank you Aquolina! Just when I think it’s going to be a quiet ride, I hear one of the guys speak up.
“So! What brings you to Vegas?”
Ooh, his accent is wonderful. “Oh, I’m here for a concert and to celebrate my birthday. You?” I turn slightly so that I can attempt to see who is asking the questions, and to not appear rude. Once I see up close who I am in the elevator with, my hand flew up to cover my gaping mouth. “Oh my god! It’s you!” I sound like a fangirl losing her shit. Well, let’s face it. I am a fangirl losing her shit.
The three young men who are not in suits have all removed their eyewear and smile as they tilt their heads in greeting. One of them is wearing a blue hat and is who speaks next. “Hello, beautiful. Would it happen to be a V.I.P. concert you’re attending?”
With a beaming smile and slight nod of my head, I managed to reply. “Ann-nyong-haseo to you. And yes, it is! I can’t believe I’m in the elevator with V.I.P.! Wow! You just made my entire trip well worth it!”
“Yeah right. Are you really here for our concert or are you just saying that?” Mr. Blue hat again. He looks a lot like Free. It HAS to be Free.
“Oooh, I see.” I start jokingly. “You think that because I’m a brown sista I don’t know your music or who you are. But, I can prove it.” Just as I say this the elevator stops on my floor and the doors open. I walk off the elevator, luggage behind me, and I turn back to face the elevator. The one in the blue hat holds the door open with a curious look on his face. I take this opportunity to prove to them I know who they are. I raise my beautifully manicured finger and point to each one as I recite their names. “Jae-Mi, Ro-MiHo, and Free. See you tonight gentlemen,” With that, I wink, smile and walk off towards my room, and three sets of eyes watch me walk away in awe. Then I hear their laughter as the elevator doors close, and they make their way to their floor.
I’m all smiles as I make my way to my room with my heart racing. My hand is shaking as I try to insert the card into the door. I finally get the green light after the third try, and once I’m inside the room, I drop my luggage at my feet and lean against the closed door. Fanning myself, I play that elevator moment back in my mind. Oh. My. God! I was in the elevator with V.I. freakin’ P! And I managed not to embarrass myself. With a fangirl smile plastered on my face, I throw myself onto the bed and kick my legs in the air with a squeal.
“Best. Birthday. Ever!”
I can’t help but yell at the top of my lungs. My excitement can’t be contained. As I try to settle myself, I lay on the bed and trace the pattern of the ceiling with my eyes. Then a thought sneaks into my mind as I lose myself in the pattern.
They were taller than I expected. And a lot hotter in person. Especially him!
Jae
As we get off the elevator, my head is spinning.
Could that really be her?? Is that even possible? I’ve been dreaming about this girl for months, or at least someone just like her. And she just left the exact elevator we happened to be in. There is no way. This is too much. I need to get my head straight and just go right to my room.
I completely ignore the guys calling me as the door closes behind me and I just stand in my room, immobile for a minute.
Get it together, Jae. It’s just a coincidence. But is it?
I decide I have to find out, so I call down to the front desk and hope the clerk remembers her enough to give me the information I’m seeking.
I have to meet her, just to see.
CHAPTER 3
Lyric
Once I unpack I try to rest a little before the show. How it’s possible for me to take a nap, I’m not sure, but I manage to doze for a little bit. Once I woke I took a bubble bath and started to get ready. As I’m ironing my chosen outfit for the night, I hear a knock at the door. I’m only in the hotel supplied robe, so I’m a little unsure about opening the door since I’m not expecting anyone.
However, curiosity wins, and I pull the sash tighter before looking through the peephole to see who is at the door. There is a man dressed in the hotel’s uniform patiently waiting for my answer.
“Who is it?” I ask through the door.
“I have a message for Ms. Blair,” he responds and holds a large white envelope for me to see. Cautious but curious, I crack the door open and look the guy up and down to make sure he is legit. He just stood there with a smile and let me scrutinize him. I finally hold out my hand to receive the mysterious envelope, “Thank you.” After handing me the envelope, he simply bows in response and walks away. I watch him for a moment and then examine the envelope as I retreat back into my room. The envelope is heavy cardstock with the hotel’s emblem in the upper left corner, and my name is written boldly in the center. Inside is a card with a note:
The members of V.I.P. would like to invite you to be our special guest at tonight’s concert. Enclosed is a VIP ticket with a backstage pass and an invitation to the exclusive after party with the V.I.P. band members. We extend our happy birthday wishes to you and look forward to seeing you this evening. Fighting!
Signed,
V.I.P.
HO-LY SHIT! They remembered me! Wait, how did they get my name? And my room number? Oh, who cares! This is the Best. Birthday. Ever! I squeal and do a little dance as I hug the envelope and its contents to my chest. I can’t believe I get to meet the band… again!!
Despite my excitement with this new detail to my evening, I manage to get dressed, dolled up and out the door within the hour. I chose to be comfortably stylish this evening since it had the potential to be a very long night. I’m sporting a white tank with AMBW in a cursive silver text that glimmered with black shorts that hug my curves in all the right places. I love my thick brown legs and flaunt them when I can. I found an amazing pair of sequined wedges that matched the outfit perfectly and added just a little more detail that I thought was enticing but yet comfortable. No one wants to be in heels all night when there is going to be a lot of standing and dancing. I’m only here for the weekend, and I’m going to enjoy every single moment. Besides, there is no way I can sit through an entire live concert of my favorite band, and not dance! I take one last look in the full-length mirror to make sure I’m in order. Then I grab the envelope, my little silver purse with my necessities and room key, and head out the door.
This is going to be an epic night!
Once I make my way to the lobby I follow the instructions that came with the envelope. The line for the concert is already extremely long with excited fans, and I can’t believe I get to skip it. I make my way to the area designated for my ticket and figure I will have to wait for a little since I’m an hour early. Right then a tall, broad-shouldered security officer greets me and asks for my ticket. He watches me closely as I fish it out of the envelope and hand it to him. Once satisfied that it is not fake he asks me to open my purse and, with his flashlight, he examines the inside. He then asks for my ID and yet again, examines it, and me, thoroughly. He searches a clipboard he is holding and finds my name.
“Ah, Ms. Blair. Here you are. Sorry for any inconvenience, I just have to be careful,” he states as he hands my ID back to me.
“I understand.” I smile at him. “You can never be too
careful.” He lifts a radio and announces my arrival. In no time there is a response coming through.
“Very good. Please bring her backstage to the blue room,” a man replied. I couldn’t make out the voice.
“Roger that.” The security officer replies back. “Please follow me, Ms. Blair. I will take you back.” I couldn’t hide my surprise. “Did he say…backstage? Now? Before the show?”
“Yep. I guess you’re a very important person tonight,” he responds as he turns to lead me backstage. I follow close behind with a ridiculous grin that I knew would not be leaving my face anytime soon. How is this happening? As we make our way backstage, there is a microphone check happening on stage with a lot of people hustling around getting things ready for the show. It’s been a long time since I’ve been to a concert, but even then I never had a chance to get a glimpse behind the scenes. I want to take it all in and remember everything about the new experience. We’re in the belly of the beast, and I’m lost in the sea of lights, people, cords, instruments. I lost my bearings for a moment, but quickly caught my footing and hurried back in place behind my escort.
“Here we are. The blue room,” he announces. “You will wait here for someone to take you to the VIP seating area. Enjoy.”
“Thank you so much!” is all I can get out. I’m so excited I can hardly stand still. I watch him walk away as I fidget with the envelope I still have in my hand. I look around and notice this room is intimate with white walls, six oversized chairs, and an artistically shaped table in the middle of the room. There were beautiful blue light fixtures all around the room that reflected nicely off all the white. I stood near the entrance, waiting for the next person to escort me when I hear a voice.
“Hello, elevator lady!”
I turn towards the voice and smile. “Annyeonghaseyo. I don’t think I introduced myself properly before, my name is Lyric. Thank you so much for inviting me!” I know I’m smiling like an idiot, but I really don’t care. He is here, talking to me! I manage to hold out my hand to attempt a handshake.
“Hello, I’m Jae-Mi, but you can call me Jae,” he answers as he takes my outstretched hand and kisses the back of it. I blush.
Oh wow, he smells good. His dark hair looks freshly cut with the sides close trimmed while the top is longer and flowed into upward waves. He is dressed in designer jeans with a colorful shirt. His eyes are locked on mine, and something deep inside me clenches in a surprising way - the butterflies begin. I have to break that eye contact to not be rude to his bandmates who are following close behind him.
Ro-MiHo has his hair dyed pink, and it falls down to his ears. He has a striking smile as he greets me shaking my hand. “Nice to see you again. I’m Ro-MiHo.”
“And I’m Free.” Free waves with a warm smile. His hair is a little wilder than the others. It is white, shaved on the sides and styled in a Mohawk.
There were two more guys to follow that weren’t in the elevator earlier. No-Ah introduces himself and has hair that is dark brown and hangs low into his eyes but cut high in the back. Last is Young who has blond hair about two inches long on top. As usual, they are all dressed different but complementary.
“It’s so nice to meet you all! I never dreamed I would get the chance to see you face to face. Thank you so much for the invitation.” I’m surprised I’m not only able to speak but to also not embarrass myself in the process. Young elbows Jae and says something in Korean, which makes Jae smile.
“I can speak Korean ya know,” I say with a smile and lift my eyebrow. Young’s mouth just fell open.
“Really?”
“Naahhh, I’m just kidding!” I burst with a laugh, and they all joined in.
“Ha! I like her!” Young announces.
Jae reaches forward and grabs my hand as the others make their way to the chairs in the room. “You look beautiful and very stylish tonight Lyr-ric.” He kisses the back of my hand again, and electricity runs through me once again.
“Thank you, Jae,” I manage. I quickly look down at myself and back at Jae. “I came to dance! I’m here just for the weekend and want to make every moment count.”
He looks me straight in the eyes and mumbles something in Korean, but I can’t make it out. Whatever it was, it sent a shiver right down my spine. His deep chocolate eyes are hypnotizing, and I find that I don’t want to look away. Ever.
Hoping I’m reading the situation correctly, I kick my flirt game into high gear and meet the intensity of his gaze. I let my eyes slowly fall to his mouth, bite my bottom lip, and then meet his eyes once again. It is as if we both suddenly forgot we weren’t alone and the rest of the world just fell away.
“May I ask, what you said just now?” I ask. He just keeps his eyes locked on mine and lifts the right corner of his mouth into the hottest half smile I’ve ever seen. Holy cow! Is he really flirting with me? No, he can’t be. It’s probably how he interacts with all of his fans. Don’t get in too deep Lyric.
Jae
Oh, I was definitely flirting. And when she flirted back I knew I was in trouble.
This amazing woman was captivating me. It is about time to start the show, and though I didn’t want to leave, I have to. I notice out of the corner of my eye Young looking at us with a big goofy grin.
“Soooo! Lyric. We hope you enjoy the show. I apologize, but we have to finish prepping. There is an after party later on. Will you be there?” Young is really not trying to hide anything, is he?
“Oh yeah!” She says with a huge smile.
“That’s what up!” I say as I lightly and playfully bump her shoulder. “Make sure you save a dance for me.” I walk away from her slowly and with a wink, turn and make my way to the stage. As we all get there, another group of girls starts to scream out our names. Usually, I’m shaking hands or stopping for pictures, but right now it is all dull background noise. I look back towards the blue room and Lyric is leaning on the door frame, and her beautiful smile is aimed right at me. Damn, I love that smile.
Once we finish the sound-check, the group heads to the dressing room for one last pow-wow before the show. I pull Young aside and thank him for bringing up the after party to Lyric.
“Yeah man. No problem. We all could see the sparks flying between you two,” Young laughed. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you that taken by a woman you just met.”
“I know, it’s just something different about her. I just feel like I need a little more time with her to figure it out.”
“Well, I guess you’re going to get your chance man!” Young slaps me on the back then continues to chat with the guys before we all go on.
CHAPTER 4
Lyric
My head is still reeling as I make my way to the after party. The loud bass was still playing against my ears leaving my surroundings a little muffled. I don’t mind though because the concert was unforgettable! Especially since I was able to experience the whole show from the front row, thanks to the tickets from the band. It felt like I was in a dream. The opening acts were good as they worked up the energy of the crowd so that when it was time for V.I.P. to take the stage, the thousands of fans erupted into screams and applause. When the venue’s lights dimmed, thousands of twinkling V.I.P. flashlights lit up the wave of people.
“V.I.P.!”
“V.I.P.!”
“V.I.P.!” we all chanted together in unison.
Right from the very first song, V.I.P. drew everyone in with a slow ballad. Free, a rapper, did something out of the ordinary by singing in a simple bass melody. Young came next with a verse in a beautiful tenor tone and then it was Jae. His face was on every monitor, and his voice somehow carried over all the screaming. It was such a sad song, and he was pouring himself into it, eyes closed and everything. My heart was breaking just listening to him sing, but when his eyes opened, I was swept up in him.
No-Ah sang after Jae and blew everyone away with such a powerful, soulful verse. I swear, he sounds like a black man trapped in a Korean body. Last to sing is Ro-MiHo. Each
group member’s voice is distinct and beautiful, but I’m definitely watching Jae. It was such a sad, powerful song that I found myself holding my hands over my heart and feeling the heartbreak. The entire audience swayed to the beat. When Jae came back with the chorus, I was fully engrossed in the performance, and they didn’t let me go all night. V.I.P. gave everything on stage, and I didn’t sit down once.
On stage, Jae is confident, sexy and full of swagger. I couldn’t wait to see him at the after party.
Now that I’m on my way there, I feel a little nervous. What if I’m wrong about Jae flirting? He does that with everyone. Right? Doubt is not going to let it stop me from moving forward. I’m determined to keep this awesome night going, no matter what.
Once I get to the party, it is already poppin’. There is definitely a larger percentage of women in the room, but I’m still surprised at the number of guys here too. As I scan the room, I realize the band isn’t here yet and decide to make my way into the crowd. John Legend’s “Tonight” comes on just as my foot hits the dance floor. I love this song and just blend in with the others and get lost. My eyes are closed as I move my hips to the music with my hands above my head. I’m dancing like nobody’s looking and just let my surroundings fade away.
Jae
I can’t wait to get to the after party in hopes that Lyric is there. I couldn’t keep my eyes off her all night; I almost forgot I was performing in front of thousands of people. Once I’m cleaned up from the performance and ready for the after party, I meet up with the guys and head there with them. As usual, the party has already started and is in full effect. I try to keep my cool, but my eyes instantly scan the crowd for her. There is a small crowd on the dance floor. But right when I start looking, it’s as if the crowd parted on cue, and there she is, right in the middle of it all and lost in the music. The guys notice that I was locked on to something because I’m sure if they were talking to me, but I stopped responding. I’m hypnotized by the seductive way her natural curves sway smoothly and mirror the beat.