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We scored pretty good seats to the show, one of the tables close to the front of the stage and our own waitress with fake blood running down her neck. But where we really needed to be was in the pit with the fan girls who’d do anything to get closer to the band.
There were times that being a (former) professional seductress came in handy. Being on stage had done more than just feed my ego, it taught me how to flirt. Bette had helped me a lot with that, too. And since I was just as comfortable coming on to women as I was to men, I didn’t see the barrier or the security guards as much of an obstacle.
All it took was a little lip chewing, an over enthusiastic laugh, and my hand on the security guard’s arm to convince him to let me in the pit. Too bad it couldn’t have been this easy with Mario. The guard hadn’t been so sure about Rainey, who rolled her eyes at my performance. I made quick work of my fake pouty face to get her in before she said something that blew the whole thing.
“You looked ridiculous,” Rainey muttered as we pushed through the crowd.
Many of the fans weren’t excited about letting anyone between themselves and Immortal Dilemma. That two feet of real estate could change the entire course of their lives, after all. I binge watched the show in preparation for tonight, and I was curious about how girls were picked to go backstage. On TV, they showed just enough to tease, and let people know it was possible. It was a pretty genius marketing strategy.
“So what? We’re in.” Most of the girls in the pit were aggressive, pushing toward the stage, doing anything to catch the gaze of the guys in the band. Those were the ones who were just as clueless as I was. “
We need to find the most confident girl here,” I said. “One who looks like this isn’t her first rodeo.”
We pretended to be interested in the show for the next song or two while we looked for our prize. I liked the band so it wasn’t that hard. Rainey squinted like she was about to spill government secrets to make it stop. She preferred to listen to sad girls singing with acoustic guitars. Watching Tristan Trevosier wasn’t torture, either. He’d been poured into latex pants, his long dark hair swaying free around his red fuzzy jacket. And the way his fingers moved along his guitar, his head falling back with his eyes closed while the music moaned and cried from the touch of his fingers, I could see why these girls were so hot to get backstage and into his bed.
The other thing I learned from those sex tapes everyone had been watching—Tristan was not faithful to the Mistress. Kind of undermined her authority, if you asked me. But again, from a marketing standpoint, it was brilliant. I felt bad for Callie, thinking that, and for her sake, hoped that’s all it was—marketing. I wouldn’t want to know that nonsense was going on. I didn’t know why someone with her kind of power put up with it.
“That one.” Rainey grabbed my arm. “Over there. All she can think about is the last time she slept with Tristan.”
Rainey pointed at a redhead, her gothic makeup perfect, and her black lacy outfit tight and tiny. She stood alone, leaning against the back barrier of the pit, gaze glued on Tristan with a satisfied smile on her face. Almost like she was basking in an afterglow.
Unlike everyone else, this woman smiled and waved at me when I took the empty spot next to her, leaning over to give the same greeting to Rainey. I hadn’t expected that. This chick was going to make my life easy.
“Isn’t he hot?” She leaned over and fanned herself.
“Have you ever met Tristan before?” I cut right to the chase, I didn’t need Rainey’s gift of Sight to know this woman was willing to dish. Following her gaze back up to the stage, I could have sworn Tristan winked at one of us. It gave me butterflies.
If Blade only knew I was here. He’d lose his mind. He hated this guy.
She finger-waved to him in response to the wink, then bit her lip and turned back to me. “I’ve done more than just meet him.” She licked her lips and looked back up at the stage.
“So you know how to get backstage?” I raised my eyebrows. “Can you give me some tips?”
“I’ll do more than that.” A flirtatious smile meant just for me spread across her face. I mirrored her expression. “I’ll bring you with me.”
**
“I’M AMANDA, BY THE way. It’s so hard to talk during the show.” She looked back at me as she easily weaved through the crowd after the show. Some of the less determined fans had given up and were headed for the lobby. The rest pressed against the stage barrier, trying to get the roadies’ attention as they put everything back together for the next night’s show.
“I’m Holly, and this is Rainey.” I locked hands with Rainey to make sure she didn’t get lost in the crowd. She hated this type of thing so much. I owed her big time. “Thanks so much for helping us out.”
“No problem.” She turned around to look at me as she waited for the security guard to finish talking to another fan. Squinting as she looked between me and Rainey, she added, “You look familiar.”
“I’ve lived in Vegas for a few years.” I didn’t know where this woman’s loyalties lay, so I was careful to not give too much information. “This is the first time I’ve come to see Immortal Dilemma.”
Amanda nodded. “I wouldn’t even come to the Strip if it wasn’t for this show. I’ll be sad to see it end in December. You must have a twin.” That unnerved me. Amanda might know about Cirque Macabre but the vampire in me wasn’t ready to come clean with my intentions yet.
“Nope. I’m an only child.” Who needed help finding her recently created vampire stepsister. I held my breath as Amanda flirted with the security guard, showing him an expired pass. He hesitated, but she pouted and then motioned to me and Rainey, batting her eyelashes. I smiled at him, concentrating hard on him saying yes while he considered us. Rainey even smiled at him. She knew to try to pick up all the information she could.
Whatever we all did, it worked. He stepped aside with a defeated sigh as we walked past. “What’s Tristan like?” I asked before Amanda’s attention shifted to her conquest.
We joined a small group of fans in tight black dresses in a holding area. It was much fancier than the press room backstage at Theater Macabre. This one had dark red velvet couches like the ones in the lobby and an open bar liquoring up tonight’s recruits.
“He’s not really in to talking.” Amanda giggled as she took a sip of her martini. They called them Venomtinis here, and I tried mine. Pure alcohol with a slight hint of vanilla and a sugared rim. It burned my throat on the way down, warming my belly in a way I hadn’t felt since that bitch took my fire away.
“He can be sweet though, but the important thing is he knows his way around a woman. When he makes me come, I go blind. And the blood, I would literally crawl over broken glass to let him drink from me. I can’t even be with humans any more. He’s ruined me.”
A little more information than I was expecting. I took a big sip of my Venomtini, I liked the burn too much. I had no place to pass judgment on Amanda. We were both addicts.
Amanda ran her finger down my arm. I shivered from the unexpected touch. “Sometimes he lets me bring a friend.”
Rainey downed the rest of her drink. I looked over to her and mouthed trust me.
“I’m going to go.” Rainey stood, her eyes darting like she was about to run screaming from the room.
“Are you sure?” Shit. I didn’t want to piss her off. She saved my life. This was getting out of hand fast, but I needed to do this. I knew she wouldn’t understand.
“Yeah, this isn’t my scene.” She winked, emphasizing scene. Amanda would never know what we were talking about, but we couldn’t be careless. Rainey wasn’t too pissed. “I’ll be in the hotel lobby. Call me if you need me.”
“Love you.” I kept hold of her hand as she walked away. Equal parts excited and terrified, I already knew I was in way over my head. At least by two Venomtinis.
“Are you two a couple?” Amanda drew her brows down. “I’m sorry if I overstepped my bounds. I was having a little fun. I thought you were into it.”
“I am. Um, we were. It’s complicated.” My heart pounded, now I truly had no safety net. “What about his girlfriend?”
Amanda was pretty hot, and Tristan was pure sex, but I came here with my ex who I was still in love with and the more I drank the more all the lines blurred together. “
Doesn’t she freak out when he’s with other girls?” I asked.
“Fuck that bitch.” Amanda leaned forward, her words blending together. She wrapped a tendril of my hair around her finger, then looked over to a guy who looked a lot like Mario standing near the door with a clipboard. She wasn’t trying to seduce me, she was trying to seduce him into picking us to go the next step tonight. I sat straighter. “She’s like twelve. If she could satisfy him, he wouldn’t give the rest of us a second thought.”
When I said I’d do anything to get my fire back, I meant it. If I didn’t take a chance, I’d never get back into the inner vampire circle. And that’s where all the answers I needed were.
“So how does it work?” I asked, my face a little too close to Amanda’s. Her eyes lit up when she realized I was game. I licked my lips, and she leaned forward to press hers against mine. The liquor tasted different on her tongue, sweeter. I pulled away quickly, acting coy.
“That guy near the door picks the best girls in the room to go to the real party.” Amanda wiggled her fingers at him, so he knew we were talking about him. He nodded, raising an eyebrow. “But first we have to show him we know what we’re doing.”