After a brief clean up, the opening act took to the stage, and the guys retreated to their greenroom. I decided to give them space before the show and instead sat down on some folding chairs with Shay and my mom. It’d be the last time I’d see my mom for a few months, and I wouldn’t see Shay until we finished in Phoenix. I was gonna miss my posse.
And yes, I knew the fact that I considered my mom part of my posse was lame. But my mom was awesome.
“So tell us about this restaurant in Phoenix you’re working at. Who owns it again?” I asked my bestie.
Shay beamed. “Steve Campioni. He’s a judge on that Restaurant Wars show. He’s always butting heads with Ramsay Pearce.”
“Ooooh, right. He’s hot.” My mom cooed.
“Eewww! Gross, Mom.” I groaned. “Could you not?”
“What?” She stared wide-eyed back at me. “He is.”
“He really is,” Shay agreed with a blush.
“Is my brother aware of your culinary sluttiness?” I teased. “I swear you have a hard-on for every chef you meet. How the hell did you end up married to a rock star?”
“What can I say?” Shay was still blushing, but she fought to hold her own. “I have a type—bad boys with tattoos and attitude. Chase just found me first.”
I cackled with glee. “Shit, I can’t wait to tell him that next time I see him.”
“DO NOT!” Shay yelled, diving across my mom to grab my shoulders. “Oh my gosh. You can’t tell him that!”
I just giggled and dodged her attempts to tickle me into submission. “Shay! It’s not that big a deal. He knows you’re not dead.”
“You know what a hard time he gave me about Ramsay Pearce! Which was also your fault.”
We collapsed on the cement floor in a tangle of limbs. I shrieked with laughter as Shay found that spot above my knee. “Oh my god! I’m sorry! I won’t say anything!”
“What the hell is going on out here?” Chase’s booming voice came from above us. “I can’t even hear the opening band over you lunatics.”
Shay and I sat up, gasping for breath.
“Shay baby, you okay?” Chase knelt down next to us, all concerning and consoling. Like she’d been the victim.
I shoved my brother’s shoulder. “Hey! She attacked me!”
“Yeah, well, you probably deserved it,” Chase retorted.
“Seriously?” I huffed. “Mom! Did you hear him?”
“He’s not wrong.” My mom laughed.
I growled, pushing myself up since no one was rushing to help me, unlike Shay. “I don’t want to play with you guys no more.”
“Come on, Ella, don’t be like that!” Shay protested, safe within my brother’s arms. The traitor.
I snorted. “I want no part of that.” I gestured to my brother pressing kisses on her fingers as he checked her over for bruises. “Gross.”
Shay’s laugh ended in a shriek as Chase tried to tug her toward the band’s greenroom. “Not happening, buck-o. We don’t have the time, and I don’t do that in public places.”
“That’s not how I remember it,” Chase protested.
“Oh gross.” I covered my ears and headed for my cameras I’d left in the corner of the room. “I need mental bleach now. Disgusting!”
“Ella! Wait!” Shay hollered.
I spun around and moved my hands from my ears to my eyes. I didn’t trust those two to keep it family-friendly. A beat later, her arms came around me.
“I don’t think I’ll be seeing you after the show, so I just wanted to say good luck. I know you’re going to rock this job. I believe in you.”
My eyes misty again, I wrapped my arms around my best friend. “Thank you.”
“I do too, Ella Bella.” Mom joined our little group hug. “And I know you’re gonna rock that job in Phoenix with the hot chef, Shay.”
“Ditto,” I whispered.
My mom’s arms tightened around us all.
“Uh, what hot chef?” Chase asked from somewhere behind us.
I snorted with laughter as I pulled away from my posse. Wiping my eyes, I smiled at them. “Thanks, guys. I should, um, get back to work.”
“Promise me you’ll call me.” Mom pointed her finger at me. “And do a better job of it than this one here.” She jerked a thumb at my brother.
“What? I call.” Chase protested.
“Calls to bail you out of jail don’t count,” Mom said with raised eyebrows.
I just shook my head. “I promise, Mom. I’ll keep you updated.”
“Me too!” Shay yelled as Chase started to tug her away. “Call. Text. Video chat. I want to hear all about the hot roadies!”
“Hot roadies?” Chase repeated. “Really? What the hell, Shay?”
“Not for me. Your sister is a grown woman who can and should have a fun time on tour. And if she thinks some of these guys are hot and interesting, more power to her. You can’t…” The rest of her lecture faded as Chase pulled her down a hall, and the driving rhythm of Exempty’s one and only hit song blared from the arena beyond.
I rolled my eyes and grabbed my cameras. I had a job to do.
“Bye, Mom. If I don’t see you before you leave tonight, I love you.”
“Ditto, kiddo.” Mom grinned at me, her eyes suspiciously bright. “And I’m so proud of you.”
We hugged one more time before I left for the media pit. I loved that woman. I hoped I was as awesome as she was when I finally grew up.
That night, I still couldn’t take my eyes off of Jesse. Despite my earlier vow, I still apparently didn’t know any better. My camera focused in on his arms, exposed in his t-shirt, and the way his muscles looked so sexy as his fingers flew over the frets.
Seriously, I think I had a problem.
“So we’re going to switch things up for a second,” Chase addressed the audience after the song ended. “Last night, I tried to have a special moment with my lady onstage and dedicate a song to her that she inspired, but these bozos kinda screwed it up last time.”
“You’ll all be pleased to hear that his check finally cleared.” Jesse blinked innocently at his friend. “So we all promise we’ll be nice tonight.”
“Yeah, thanks for the new car, bro.” Noah cackled.
Chase heaved a huge sigh and shook his head. “I’m ignoring them. Maybe if I don’t acknowledge the crazy, they’ll knock it off.”
“Not likely.” Xander laughed.
Chase took a deep breath. “Wes! Can we get a stool out here?”
A tech ran out with a stool and set it down in the middle of the stage.
“And if my lovely bride would join me out here?” Chase waved to the side of the stage where I knew without even looking that Shay was standing with a beet-red face.
I was proven right a few moments later as she dragged herself onstage like she was walking to the gallows. Despite her obvious opposition, the crowd roared their approval.
“Thanks, baby.” Chase grinned down at his wife and thousands of women present gasped in delight. “I know this really isn’t your thing, but the guys and I have been working on a little something that I want to share with you tonight.”
Then the opening strains of ‘I Cross My Heart’ filled the stadium, and my eyes went to Jesse—who was staring straight at me.
It felt like one of those moments without time, all drawn out and important. Like he finally saw me. Like maybe after all this time, he finally wanted me too.
I held my breath.
Despite my Go Pro being trained on my brother and Shay, I couldn’t look away from Jesse. Right up until the first chorus, when Jesse blinked and the moment was gone. Like it never happened.
Like maybe I’d imagined it.
I shook my head and got back to work videoing Chase and my bestie. I so loved how Chase strived to make each concert experience different for Shay. Three nights back to back, and they were all different, but still so amazing and loving. How was this my brother?
At the end of the song, Chase and Shay kissed. My brother bent down and whispered something in her ear, and she blushed before slapping his shoulder. I didn’t want to know what that was about.
“Shay Robinson!” Chase shouted to the audience as Shay waved then walked to the edge of the stage. “Love you, baby!”
Then the concert got back into a familiar rhythm. Right up until Jesse stole the show. I was so glad I’d switched to my video camera as he ripped his shirt off halfway through the concert. Girls screamed behind me, highlighting the moment. I’d be playing that one on slow-mo later.
And I had a few ideas of how to use it on social media.
The rest of the concert passed in a blur and was over before I knew it.
After the show was over, so many people piled into the greenroom to get their minute with the band. Celebrities, sports stars, annoying rich kids, and contest winners all wanted their pictures taken and their hands shaken by the guys. More than a few skimpily dressed women clearly wanted more from the guys.
Ducking into the greenroom, I looked around for my posse, but it was in vain. My mom was long gone, and my brother and Shay were nowhere to be seen.
“Oh brother,” I muttered as I cautiously entered the fray.
I still had a job to do.
Rowan hovered at the edge of the room, her eyes all but devouring Jesse as he prowled around the room, talking to people. Then she turned her eyes at me and the ire directed at me would’ve made me take a step back, if I was anyone else.
But I was Ella Robinson. I never let anyone see me sweat. And I definitely didn’t have time for her bullshit.
So I gave her an unimpressed expression that I totally wasn’t feeling and lifted my camera to take some backstage shots.
And because the universe clearly hated me, Kiefer suddenly appeared at my side.
“So how’d it go? You get some good footage of that country serenade?” he asked instead of saying hello like a normal person.
I gritted my teeth. “Hi, Kiefer. Nice to see you again.”
“Yeah, yeah. You know you should get your video up on social before all the fans steal the thunder. You want to be the one that the news shows pull from. It pays to be proactive.”
I was pretty sure that wasn’t what that word meant, but whatever. After tonight, I wouldn’t have to see this douche for weeks. “Thanks for the tip. So what’s next for you? You said something about not being on tour with us.”
“Nah, I just fly in for the big shows.” Kiefer’s tone had that lovely condescending tone. “I don’t think I’ll see you again until New York.”
“Right.” I paused awkwardly. What could I say to that? Good riddance?
“Yeah, so good luck.” Kiefer slapped my shoulder and muttered as he walked away, “little girl is going to need it.”
“Ass,” I muttered back.
Suddenly it all just felt like too much. Between Rowan’s hostility, Kiefer’s assholery, and my posse’s early departure, I was so over this day.
So I headed for the buses. Screw this. I was turning in early.