Never apologize to me, Kat. That photo was a welcome distraction. ;)
Was that the right use of the wink face? I know I’m older than her—seven years to be exact. But right now I feel fifty years older. The typing bubble pops up and disappears four times before the next message comes in.
KAT:
I’d better go back inside. See you at work, Boss ;)
A smile tugs at my lips before I tap out my last message.
ME:
I’ll be waiting, Kat.
She reads the message but doesn’t send anything else. Was that too forward? Did I sound like a stalker? My cigarette burns my fingers as I overthink every aspect of the conversation like a fucking teenager.
My thumb hovers over the screen. I could say something else, push it a little further to see how far she’d let it go, but Idon’t. I’m a patient man, and I don’t want to rush when it comes to her. She’ll be back at Headstone soon enough.
A slow breath leaves me as I set the phone face down on my desk, leaning back in my chair, my cock painfully hard in my slacks. This woman has no idea what she’s doing to me, and that just makes me want to push her more.
Fourteen
Kat
Ace of Spades – Motörhead
My body has been set alight, my muscles taut and focused. The cheers and screams from the crowd echo in the small room, fueling the adrenaline coursing through my veins. This is the fullest I’ve ever seen the small bar. From what I can see through the blinding stage lights, there’s barely a foot of space anywhere in the room.
I can see the first row of the crowd clearly. They don’t break eye contact with us. They’re enthralled with the music we’re playing. If this is the energy coming from a couple hundred people in a bar, what would it be like to play for thousands? I shiver at the thought.
Fuck, pay attention.
As my solo approaches, my heart flutters in my chest, the familiar cold sweat in my palms returning. I’ve played this solo countless times, but it never gets less daunting. When the guitar solo hits, every eye in the room is on me, and I can’t fuck up. And hundreds of eyes will notice if I do.
I take a deep breath, fingers poised over the strings, and begin the solo I’ve played hundreds of times before. My body absorbs each note, and I become the music. I’m vaguely aware of cheers coming from the crowd. Hair flies in all directions asbodies smash into each other in the mosh pit that’s suddenly opened up in front of the stage. A drink gets thrown in the air, liquid glistening in the stage lights before raining down over raised hands.
The energy tonight is like nothing we’ve played to before. We’ve always been the warm-up act, playing to people paying to see another band. Or people who just happened to be at the same venue at the same time that we were playing. But this crowd? It feels like they’re here for us.
For a second, I lock eyes with a girl pressed against the front of the stage, mascara smudged under her eyes either from sweat or thrown liquor. Her mouth opens as she screams the lyrics back to us. The passion on her face almost makes my fingers falter on the strings.
This is insane.
As my final note rings out, I hold my guitar up by the neck, drinking in the returning screams: a rush of adrenaline that makes my knees tremble. The song fades away; the only sounds are my heartbeat in my ears and my ragged breath. Harper thanks the crowd and gives them a wave as we make a hasty retreat from the stage. The lights dim, plunging the stage into darkness again as the house speakers playAce of Spades.
“Can you fucking believe how much better we’ve gotten since our first show?” Ryland says, voice thick with excitement as we enter the dressing room.
“Did you see the guy at the front? Headbanging for the entire set. No fucking stopping!” I reply breathlessly, placing my guitar in its case and zipping it up.
“The crowd was so intense,” Harper says, checking her phone and tapping out a quick message.
“Imagine doing this… but in front of thousands of people?” I ask, giving a voice to my earlier thoughts on stage.
Luca breaks out into a big smile. “To have thousands of people knowing our names and screaming for us? Now thatwouldbe amazing.”
His words echo in my mind. Thousands of people knowing our names. Dread curls its way up my spine, causing a shiver. That kind of fame doesn’t come with the luxury of anonymity. It comes with cameras, public appearances, and strangers who think they know you.
My stomach tightens. I’ve spent so long trying not to be found, and now I’m standing on the edge of a stage daring the world to look at me. My brain screams at me to back out. To run as far away as possible. But my heart whispers to me to stay, even just for a little while longer. And I’ve always listened to my heart—even when it’s been wrong.
I’ll find you anywhere, princess.