Brianna and Jared forgot their worries for the rest of the night. Good music, excellent company, and the overall excitement and energy of the crowd was infectious. They found themselves, dancing, singing, and having a wonderful time.
When the show ended, the crowd dispersed. After saying goodbye to Emily and Alise, the couple waited by the stage. A stocky man with arms covered in tattoos approached them. A yellow tag that read Security hung from a lanyard around his thick neck. "Follow me," he said.
The man held open a heavy door alongside the stage. Jared and Brianna followed him through a narrow hallway, down a staircase, and into a small, dim room.
Adam Payne stood five steps away from Brianna. It was a dream come true. The vampire and the reborn greeted each other with a handshake.
"Hey, good to see you!" Adam said.
"Definitely. This is Brianna."
"Hey, nice to meet you." Adam Payne was speaking. To her. It was unreal. A moment later, Brianna was shaking hands with her favorite musician. She hoped he didn't notice that she was trembling.
"This way, guys." Adam directed them out the back door and into a black stretch limo. Guitarist Eddie, bassist Carley, and drummer Rich were already inside the luxury vehicle. The limo sped off as Adam introduced his guests to his band mates. Brianna was surprised by how natural the conversation flowed as she joked and laughed with the musicians.
Ten minutes later, the limo arrived at their destination. The group walked down a dark concrete staircase, through a metal door, and into an underground club. Red light illuminated the crowded room. While the rest of their group ordered drinks at the bar, Brianna, Jared, and Adam found seats on a black velvet couch.
In the loud club, the supernaturals could speak candidly.
"Licinia is nuts, man! I dated her for a few months. I have no idea what I was thinking. Now she's turning totally obsessive and insane on me," Jared said.
"I always sensed she was a few cards short of a full deck," Adam said. "It's dangerous. A volatile individual with such immense power…"
"She's a real loon. They won't even let her into Supertopia. She may be a lot stronger than me, but I'm not letting her get anywhere near Brianna. Enough about her. How are things going for you man? How the rock star life treating you?"
"I can't even describe it. I waited so long for this."
"So does the reality lives up to the dream?"
"Yes, and more. I know a lot of vampires aren't happy with my decision, but I had to do it for me. I'm willing to go into seclusion for a hundred years. Sometimes living your dreams means making sacrifices. Do you guys have dreams?"
"My dream, now, is to become a doctor," Jared said. "I want to use my abilities, both natural and supernatural, to help people."
Adam nodded. "That's a great goal. What about you, Bri?"
"I'm a guitarist in a band. I would love it if we could get a record deal someday. We're not good right now, but we have a lot of heart."
"That's all you need. And lots and lots of practice."
"We're trying so hard. But when I hear what you can do, it just blows me away. Tonight, your guitar solo…it gave me chills."
"Don't give me too much credit. I've had five hundred years to practice. But never, not once, have I used my vampiric powers on stage or in the studio. I wouldn't even consider it."
"Wow. Pure natural ability. That's impressive," Jared said.
Adam's expression was solemn. "I wouldn't have it any other way. Being authentic is important to me."
The rest of Red Rapture joined them. "Hey, guys!" Eddie said. "Why are you sitting around? I thought we came out to get our groove on!" He wiggled his hips back and forth in an exaggerated fashion. Brianna burst out laughing.
"Do you want to dance?" Eddie reached for her hand.
"Sure!"
"Hey, Jared, I'm going to steal your girl if you don't get up off the couch!" Eddie said.
"Well, I'm not letting that happen," Jared said, and smiled when Brianna offered him her other hand.
Brianna spent the rest of the night laughing, dancing, chatting, and taking pictures with the talented musicians and her handsome date. Before long, it was time to say goodbye. On the sidewalk, Brianna took one last picture with each member of the band. Still waving, she stepped inside the yellow taxi.
"That was so amazing. Thank you so much." Brianna lost her train of thought in Jared's blue-gray gaze.
"I'm glad you had fun. We'll go to lots more concerts together." He nuzzled and kissed her neck. A few minutes later, the cab pulled in front of Brent's modern glass-paneled building.
"My lady," Jared said in a mock British accent as he held open the car door for his date. The twosome breezed past security and through the massive lobby, and entered the silver elevator. Jared pressed Brianna against the wall for a marathon of passionate kisses.
"Mm-mm, you are magic," he murmured. The elevator doors slid open, and Jared held Brianna's hand tightly as he led the way to his apartment door.
"Wow," she murmured. Tall ceilings allowed for a loft that overlooked the spacious living room. Jared took a seat on his dark blue suede couch and patted the cushion next to him. Brianna leaped onto his lap and kissed him. "Aren't you in college? How can you afford this place?"
"Brent provides me with this apartment rent-free. I also have a dorm room at college. I stay there sometimes. Brent prefers I sleep here. It's safer and obviously much more comfortable."
She kissed him again. He pointed to the glass coffee table. "If you wake up before me, there's the television, DVD, and video game controllers. I also have DVDs and books." She eyed the large plasma screen and the full DVD rack. A tall bookshelf covered the entire right wall. "My computer is up on the loft."
"Thank you." Streams of sunlight slipped through the glass walls and lingered on Jared's shining black hair. His blue, silver-rimmed eyes glinted like sunlight on a clear lake. He was absolutely radiant. "I can't believe it's six a.m.! We are going to be sleeping all day."
Jared wrapped his arms tighter around her and kissed the top of her head. "My little creature of the night. Let's get to bed." He took her hand and led her down the hallway.
Inside Jared's bedroom, Brianna leaped onto the king-sized mattress framed by dark mahogany wood.
"Would you like something comfortable to sleep in?" he offered, opening the top drawer of his antique chest.
"Sure."
A perfect gentleman, Jared waited in the hallway while she changed into his Yankees T-shirt and shorts. Brianna called to him in as she crawled underneath the cobalt blue silk comforter. He climbed into bed and curled his arms around her, holding her close in the spooning position.
"This is perfect," he breathed.
Brianna agreed.
Within minutes, they were asleep.