“Baby, I’m going to miss the shit out of you. Please behave.”
Annie slung Raven over her shoulder and leaned her head against Raven’s purring chest. She would miss their snuggle sessions and knew her rescue cat would be lost without her, but Sarah and Peyton promised to visit every day and help fill the void. “Auntie Sarah and Peyton will play with you and love on you. I’ll be back after Labor Day, okay?”
Raven purred louder. Annie did a quick check around the apartment and reviewed the list she left for Sarah. Water the plants, pick up the mail, and take all perishable items home with her. It was Thursday, and her Lyft driver would be here any minute. Her sister couldn’t take her to the airport because work was stacking up and she couldn’t get away, but she promised to stop by every day.
“I’ve managed to raise a child and run a hospital. I’m sure I can handle my fur-ball niece.” Sarah’s voice dripped with sarcasm.
Annie smiled. “You’re right. And you raised me, so I guess you’ve got the whole cat-sitting thing.” She hated leaving Peyton during treatments, but Sarah promised updates daily and would show the kids Annie’s shows from the stage. She reviewed her flight schedule that Vaughn sent. After a message popped up on her phone that her driver was downstairs, Annie took a final look around the apartment. She would miss her space but was excited to be on the road touring. She had done only day trips around Denver, and when her channel gained popularity, she worked on that instead of being on the road. She still had bills to pay, and while the tip jar felt slightly like begging, it covered her expenses.
“We’re here. United Airlines.” The Lyft driver slid into a tight spot behind a bus. Annie coughed at the exhaust and moved away while the driver got her bags from the trunk. “Have a good flight.”
Annie nodded thanks and rolled into Denver International Airport with two bags, a guitar, and solid determination to make the most of this opportunity. She marched up to the ticket counter and gave her information to the agent.
“Feel free to wait for your flight in the United Club lounge located upstairs after security, Ms. Foster.”
Annie raised her eyebrows at the mention of the first-class lounge. She thanked the agent, slid her bags onto the belt, but kept her guitar case close. No way was she going to check it. Too much risk.
A server wearing a black vest, black slacks, and a white shirt greeted her at the lounge door. “Can I get you a beverage?”
“A water would be great.”
“Sparkling?”
“That’s fine.”
“Coming right up. Feel free to sit anywhere.”
There was a low hum inside the lounge, but it was a lot quieter than outside at the gate. Annie sat in a plush recliner that overlooked the Rocky Mountains. She loved Denver and couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. Where did Bristol live? Somebody that rich and famous probably had a half a dozen places around the world. Bristol was so admirable. She was everything Annie aspired to be. Annie had seen videos of people crying because she talked to them or took photographs with them. Maybe that was a bit much, but with success came sacrifice, and millions of dollars to live alone in a large mansion didn’t sound half bad. She would set up a whole wing in her make-believe mansion for her jam room and invite musicians she met along the way to come over and jam with her. She was Annie Foster, after all. Nobody would turn her down.
“Boarding for Flight 568 nonstop to Salt Lake City will begin shortly.”
The announcement pushed Annie out of her fantasy. She grabbed her messenger bag and guitar and made her way down the lounge stairs and to the gate. Being first in line was nice. She asked one of the flight attendants if she could store her guitar in the upright closet behind the pilots. The flight attendant acted perturbed, so she named-dropped. “I’m opening for Bristol Baines in Salt Lake City tonight, and as much as I trust the airline, I couldn’t check my baby.” She patted her hard case lovingly. Surprise registered on the attendant’s face, and she immediately opened the closet and allowed Annie to slide her case under the pilots’ jackets.
“Thank you. I’m Annie Foster, by the way.”
“I’m Irene. If you need anything, please let me know.”
Irene returned with a Coke and a Clif bar, per Annie’s request. She wasn’t hungry but knew that protein bar would come in handy being on the road and slipped it into her bag. She put in her AirPods and scrolled through Instagram. It was time for a social media update. She quickly looked around for privacy and recorded a ten-second video to post.
“It’s Annie Foster. I’m on a plane getting ready to join Bristol Baines on her Angel/Devil Tour. I’m so excited. Check out her tour dates, and I’ll see you on the road.” She finished just as the passenger next to her put her bag in the overhead and plopped down on the seat. Annie gave her a smile and shuffled so she was closer to the window. The woman’s musky perfume overpowered their small space and was starting to give Annie a headache. This was going to be the longest ninety minutes of her life.
* * *
She walked over to the man holding an iPad with her name displayed. “Hi. I’m Annie.”
“Right this way, Ms. Foster.”
He grabbed her bags and held the door of the limo open. Somebody guided her guitar into the seat. She looked inside and gasped. Bristol motioned for her to come inside.
“Hi.” Bristol leaned forward to greet Annie.
Annie was more than surprised. She put her hand over her heart and crawled next to Bristol. “What a massive surprise! Hi!” Limos were big, but being inside one with Bristol Baines made the space small. She wanted to know where Lizzy and the assistants were but liked that it was just the two of them.
“I’ve already practiced this morning. Since I’m not flying through the air on wires this tour, there’s not much to do other than show up and sing.”
“I’m so happy you’re here.” Annie wanted to reach out and fix Bristol’s crooked collar but didn’t dare touch her. They were already in one another’s personal space, and while Annie didn’t mind the closeness, she was worried about Bristol. They barely knew each other. Bristol seemed shy and reserved and not at all like the person who danced onstage almost every night.
“How was your flight?”
“It was great. Thank you for the first-class ticket. I felt famous and important.”
“You are famous and important,” Bristol said.
Annie shrugged. “Not yet, but I did get several thousand more subscribers to my channel, and that’s amazing.”
“You’re very good. I’m glad Lizzy found you.”
“Thank you for this opportunity. I know you could’ve chosen anyone, so thank you from the bottom of my heart.” Annie tried to sound as serious and grateful as she could without breaking down and crying at her fortune. Her heart skipped when Bristol touched her wrist.
“It’s okay. I like helping artists out.”
“I love that you do that. Ali Hart, Willow McAdams, Natasha Breeze, and me.” Annie noticed that the corners of Bristol’s mouth turned down when she mentioned Natasha’s name. After landing the gig, Annie did a lot of internet searches about Bristol but didn’t know what to believe. It wasn’t her business anyway. She was sure somebody like Bristol had somebody waiting for her, even after an eighteen-month tour. It sounded like she’d had two really bad breakups. One with Natasha and one with the daughter of the president of Top Shelf. The internet was pretty sure Bristol exclusively dated women, but she’d never publicly said so. Maybe she didn’t care about labels.
“I haven’t been wrong yet,” Bristol said.
Annie crossed her fingers. “And I hope you’re not wrong with me either.”
“I’m never wrong.” Bristol’s voice was low, and Annie shivered at the quiet confidence. “As much as I love us covering ‘Brass in Pocket,’ maybe you can just sing one of your originals, and I can sing with you.”
“Wait, what? You want to sing one of my songs?”
Bristol nodded. “I think it would be better for you if we sang one of your songs instead. I’m a quick study.”
“That would be amazing.” Annie swallowed hard as she thought about everything she’d ever written and if it was even good enough for Bristol to sing. “There are two on my EP that might work.”
“Which ones are you thinking? We would sound great together on the first and the fourth song.”
Annie tried to hide her surprise that Bristol knew her music. She kept her voice casual. “You’ve listened to my EP?”
“Of course. What song are you considering?” Bristol typed on her phone. “I’m going to pull up the lyrics.”
Annie froze. All her songs felt elementary and unoriginal. “‘In the Light’ might be a good one.” She’d written it after a breakup. “No. Wait. This is a sad one. Let me find one that isn’t so dark.”
“Break-up song?” Bristol asked.
“Yeah. Pretty obvious, huh?” Annie asked.
“I have a lot of those, too. It seems like most of us like to pour our emotions out on the page when we hurt,” Bristol said.
“Speaking from experience?” Annie’s question was bold, but something about their private space made her feel like this alone time was precious and Bristol needed to talk.
“I can’t tell you how hard it is to date somebody who isn’t in it for my fame. I can’t even make friends, really.” Bristol’s shoulders sank at her confession.
Annie wanted to pull her into her arms and hug her. A part of her felt guilty because she was using her, too. What good was Annie bringing to the tour? She wasn’t giving Bristol any new fans, but Annie was raking new ones in daily. “I hope you know that I really appreciate what you’re doing for me. And people who’ve used you are just…” She paused to search for the perfect word. “Assholes. Even in the dating realm.”
“Are you dating anyone?” Bristol asked.
Annie shook her head. “No. I’ve been focusing on my music. My ex called it a hobby and never supported me, so I dumped her.”
“I have the opposite problem.”
Annie felt heat at Bristol’s stare. Intense wasn’t the best word to describe Bristol, but it came close. “Well, here’s to both of us not falling for the wrong people again.” She pursed her lips and paused. “Pull up ‘Waiting All Day.’ That has a sweet message, and it’s fast and will get them out of their seats. Well, the ones who show up at the start.” Annie watched Bristol’s lips move as she read the lyrics to herself.
“Oh, this is the fourth song. I definitely like the message. It is sweet.”
Annie took a deep breath and started playing the song on her phone. Never had she ever lost her train of thought. Staring and singing at Bristol was unnerving, but she trusted herself and sang softly.
“Play the part right up to the chorus again,” Bristol said. She sang the entire chorus with Annie and faded out when Annie went into the next verse. It was perfect.
“Wow. That was incredible,” Annie said when they were done. Her mouth felt dry. Bristol had the most beautiful brown eyes, and sitting so close without any distractions made Annie’s pulse quicken. Her hair was loose and hung in gentle waves down her back.
“I like your song a lot. Actually, I like your whole EP a lot,” Bristol said. She looked out the window when the limo stopped. “How are we here already? That was the fastest trip.”
“Wow, okay. So, do we need to practice it again?”
Bristol nodded. “We can practice at the venue. We’ll head over in about an hour. That gives you enough time to freshen up.”
“Thank you, Bristol. The song change is a great idea.” Annie slid out of the car but kept the door open. “Are you coming?”
Bristol leaned back into the limo. “No. I use a different entrance. I’ll see you later.”
Annie waved and quickly shut the door to keep others from seeing Bristol. She was still reeling from being alone and having a heartfelt conversation with her. The more she got to know Bristol, the more she felt a little sorry for her. How awful it would be to never know if somebody wanted to be close to you because of you or because of your success.
Annie followed the instructions Vaughn had sent to register in her hotel room and access her eKey. She got on the elevator with two teenagers who were visibly excited. They whispered before one spoke up nervously.
“Um…hi. Are you touring with Bristol Baines?”
“Yes. I’m Annie Foster. I’ll be opening for her tonight. Are you going to the concert?”
They nodded in unison. “My dad got us tickets. He works at Top Shelf Records.”
“That’s pretty cool. You probably get to see a lot of fun concerts then.”
The bubbly brunette who couldn’t have been more than fourteen shrugged. “My dad is one of the marketing managers, so we don’t always get tickets to the concerts we want, but we did to this one. We’re so excited we even made posters.” They unrolled two large yellow posters with red letters that read, “We love you, Bristol!” The pink glitter was a lot but gave it a touch of innocent adolescence. Annie smiled at the glitter that had drifted to the elevator floor that was sure to turn up in several hotel rooms as people shuffled in and out of the elevator before the cleaning staff could contain it.
“We’re in row Q on the floor.”
Annie almost groaned. They wouldn’t be able to see much from there. Their row sounded close, but after the VIP and the double-letter rows, they would probably be thirty rows back. And they weren’t taller than her so they would be struggling to see the stage. She shot Lizzy a quick text, knowing somebody would get back to her within seconds. “Are you going by yourselves?” Annie asked. She was concerned for their safety but also wanted to know how many tickets she needed to give them. Lizzy’s text back said she could have four VIP tickets.
“My mom is going with us.” The blonde rolled her eyes as though it was a massive inconvenience for them to have her mother tag along. Annie would have given all of this up for one night with her mother.
“I think that’s sweet.” When the elevator stopped, Annie held out her phone so they could scan the QR code for VIP passes. “Wait. Scan this. I hope it helps you have a better time.”
“Oh, my God! Are you for real? Are you serious?” She and her friend screamed and jumped up and down when the reality hit that they were going to meet Bristol. The blonde threw her arms around Annie, surprising her. “Thank you so much. Gosh. I didn’t mean to get into your personal space. I’m just so happy. I can’t wait to tell my mom.”
“I have to go now, but I hope you have a great time tonight,” Annie said.
“Thank you, Annie Foster. You rock!”
She waved at them and followed the arrows down the different hallways to her hotel room. She felt giddy knowing she’d just made their night. Two down, thirty thousand to go.